If you have 60 seconds with a prospective customer or client, can you effectively get your message across and stoke their interest — without fail? Having a powerful, succinct elevator pitch is a great tool to have in your belt. It’ll help you leave an impression and trigger a follow-up, so you can gain traction in your relationships quickly. In this episode, you’ll get a foolproof framework for mastering your message. Implement today: Within the next 48 hours, put this lesson into practice by writing down your own elevator pitch — whether for your business or something in your personal life — to start developing this skill.

Meet Dani Hohl — one of four new coaches on the Forward Focused team. If you’re intimidated by the idea of coaching, this interview is a great way to learn more. Dani’s inspiring story will help you understand the power of coaching and how it can transform every aspect of your life, no matter where you are in your journey.

Looking forward into the new year, exciting changes are coming to Forward Focused to help us provide a world-class 1:1 experience for our clients. This episode is a preview of what’s in store for 2024 — including the announcement of a new president early next year and a renewed commitment to the unique pillars that build a well-rounded leader.

Regardless of your industry, the last several years have brought unprecedented challenges and obstacles. So, if you’re feeling a bit beat down as you close out 2023, remember this: you have a perfect track record of surviving your worst days. Continue betting on yourself. Today’s Flash Cast is a message of gratitude for YOU — for trusting Forward Focused to guide your growth journey, for showing up, and for investing in yourself. We are committed to delivering more value and opportunities for you in 2024 and can’t wait to share what’s in store. Thank you for your partnership and resilience!

If you’re using the same coaching techniques for every relationship within your organization, you’re missing an opportunity to meet each person where they’re at to help them truly develop. In this Forward Focused episode, we’re looking at the Skill-Will Matrix. It’s a coaching technique that will help you identify the type of support that best matches each person individually, based on both their skill level and their willingness to perform a task. It will also help you determine if you have the right people in the right seats for the right tasks.

High achievers think differently. From athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods to coaches like John Wooden, no one understands the performance mindset of these champions better than Don Yaeger. Don is the author of 35 books — 11 of which are New York Times Best Sellers — and has interviewed countless athletes and leaders about winning, on and off the field. In this Forward Focused episode, we sat down with Don to talk about the habits of high performers … how they think, live, prepare and work. Spoiler alert: they rarely attribute their success to raw talent.

After a few years of fist bumping and virtual meetings, we’ve lost the art of the first impression. In today’s episode, we’re talking about why it’s so important to make a meaningful connection when you meet someone new — whether you’re at a wedding or a business conference.

A top leadership-related Google search right now is “Will leadership change in 2023?” In this episode, I’m discussing why this topic is on everyone’s minds, and whether the fundamentals of leadership should be modified in the current climate. As a leader, it’s natural this time of year to reflect on yourself and areas to improve in 2023. As you do so, I encourage you to check out a previous episode, Level Up Your Influence, for some guidance around your plans to grow in the coming year.

As we wrap up the year and start mapping out goals for 2023, there are plenty of challenges in this uncertain economy that may feel out of your control. To help you prep for a strong year ahead despite those threats, this Flash Cast covers four new things to consider in your planning conversations. You can add these four factors into your Year-End Checklist to close out the year in a more purposeful, impactful way. If you need a full refresher on that process, check out our previous Year-End Checklist episode and Resource Guide:

Are you more of a leader or a manager? In this episode, we’ll walk you through an easy interactive exercise to analyze how you balance those two roles. Make sure you have a pen and paper ready. I want to be clear: this exercise goes beyond an aspirational assessment, because there are times when you need to wear both hats. Having clarity about which way you’re leaning can help you make decisions about the right next steps for your organization.

In this Flash Cast, we’re pulling a great lesson out of the archives and revisiting the KRONC method of budgeting: Keep, Reduce, Offset, Negotiate, Cut. KRONC is an easy way to analyze your finances — and it’s the perfect time to give it a try. Given the uncertainty of the economy, this will help you make temporary changes to stay financially healthy now, so you can thrive later. After you listen, put these steps in action in your own business by downloading our Financial Thermostat Tool:

The ultimate goal of most business owners is financial freedom — the kind of sustainable wealth that enables you to spend more of your time the way you choose. In this episode, we’re laying out a path that can help you reach that level of wealth and freedom by focusing on four key stages of growth. This is a great episode to help you get out of the rut of “doing” and onto a smarter path toward your bigger long-term vision.