One of my team asked me what advice I would give to a graduate as she had been set this task for her niece. She wanted advice that wasn't the standard cliched response so I put some thought into it and decided to make it the topic of this week's podcast.Here are the advice she was tasked to provide:Don't be afraid to...Be prepared to...Always keep...Don't allow yourself to...Be open to...Hope you always...Hope you don't...My last piece of advice is...This is a worthwhile exercise to go through if you know a child who is approaching graduation. It is equally  valuable for college students, and for yourself too. What advice would you give your 18 year old self?It is never too later to make a new ending to your story and it starts with reflecting on life, what you enjoy, what  you don't enjoy, what inspires you, what motivates you, and what you want your future to look and feel like. Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

We are not taught about understanding our emotions and yet they are present in every aspect of our lives. Understanding how to identify your emotions can make a massive difference in your life.Al is a certified in emotional intelligence and during this episode we discuss what  this means and how it can benefit you. Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Join us for part 2 of our discussion on how you can find your why and therefore put yourself in control of your destiny.  Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

This week we continue our journey to fulfillment while taking control of your destiny with a discussion on Finding Your Why. John Maxwell says that "You have to know yourself before you can grow yourself" and he is spot on!If you don't know where you want to go, and you don't understand why this is important to you, I can almost guarantee with 100% certainty that you will not get there! Ask yourself these 3 questions:What fulfills me?What gives me the most satisfaction?What motivates me?To help you with this task let me define these words:Fulfill – This is defined as: Bring to completion or reality. Synonyms that you may be familiar with for this include: achieve, attain, realize, actualizeSatisfaction – is the fulfillment of one’s wishes, expectations, or needs. Synonyms include: contentment, pleasure, gratification, enjoyment.Motivate – is to stimulate interest or enthusiasm for doing something. Synonyms include: Inspire, stimulate, encourage, excite.If you like what  you hear please follow Al and Myself on social media plus share this podcast with other people who you think would benefit from hearing our messages. I encourage you to have these conversations with your high school and college age children as it is unlikely that they have been taught this way of thinking during their education.Bye for now! Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Last week we started this conversation and left you with 2 tasks, did you complete those?Here they are again, ask yourself:What do I want to be known for?What am I known for?When there are gaps between the 2 answers it means you have work to do. Most, if not all, people have some degree of gap. The good news is that when you answer these questions, you will be aware of your gap and therefore be able to work on closing it.This week we dive a little deeper into your community. Are you FOR your community? Do you know what is going on in your community? Are you involved in your community?This topic came to mind as a result of the terrible shooting in Texas recently. While we don't want to get into politics or discussions on gun control in any way, we feel that there is a deeper underlying issue at hand so we wanted to start by talking about how you can be FOR your community.Please share your thoughts, feedback, and questions and follow us on social media so that we can interact with you. Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Join us this week as we help to dice into the question: What are you for?We have used Jeff Henderson's book, Know what you are FOR, as a foundation for this discussion and we encourage you to answer this for yourself. This applies to corporations, families, and individuals so take time to think about your answer and then look at whether you are in total alliance or are there gaps to between these two questions:What do you want to be known for?What are you known for?Follow us on social media and share your answers, questions, and thoughts. Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Al and Chris studied the book "Think and Grow Rich" for over a year and one of their fondest memories was reading the chapter on persistence every day for 14 days before they  could even start the study. Why was this important? It is about creating habits intentionally rather than drifting into habits that form naturally which are not usually beneficial to your progress.What habit can you create over the next 21 days? Think of something small, maybe even insignificant like the way you get ready in the morning as Chris describes. Now set out to make this a habit that you do every day then apply that same method to other, more significant tasks to truly make a difference.If you find value in what we talk about, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and share this podcast with other people so that together we can change the world. Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

We started this series by asking the question: What is leadership? If you haven't already done so we suggest that you go back and listen to episode #56 from last week and then continue with this one.Whether we realize it or not, we all have lids placed on our potential. Often these are placed on us by our leadership but the truth is, we also place lids on our own belief of what is possible.Listen in as Al and I open up about our own experiences and how you can lift your own lid plus avoid placing lids on your own team as you develop your leadership career.If you find value in this podcast please share it with others so that we can help to improve leadership skills everywhere. You can also follow Al Ruttan and myself, Chris Baker, on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Listen in as Al Ruttan joins me to discuss the age old question: What is leadership?This is the first in this new series of podcast where Al and I discuss leadership and how we can all become word class leaders - with the right direction!!Al is a leadership expert and a fellow Maxwell Leadership Certified coach. Between us we have over 60 years of leadership experience which we are excited to share with you in addition to the best leadership development content from  John Maxwell.You can follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram where you can also share you thoughts and ask questions that you would like us to discuss in future episodes.  Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Simone has thoroughly enjoyed the trips down memory lane that have helped her source stories and bits of wisdom for her work. Though her kids may find her stories about their lives embarrassing, Simone thinks it all comes with the territory of honestly exploring motherhood, life, and a constantly-evolving career.Simone’s work with the Jewish Federation helped her realize that she had the ability to inspire others to dedicate time and resources to projects, both personal and charitable, that can make a difference in people’s lives.Though Simone Knego has had a varied career, she began her professional life as a Certified Public Accountant in 1995 working in Tyler, Texas. Simone holds both a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Accounting from the University of Florida. After she moved to Sarasota, Florida in 2000, Simone went back to school to become a teacher. Raising six kids, she was already managing her own classroom— she decided why not get paid for work that aligned with her own daily life? She worked as an Elementary and Exceptional Student Education teacher for three years, where she strove to create a safe and productive learning environment for all students. The job opened her eyes even further to the role schools can play in providing children with stability, especially those who may not experience the comfort of constancy at home.You can contact Simone and follow her journey on her website: www.SimoneKnego.comFinal message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential and now is the time to rise up to maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Krishna has a Master’s Degree in Marketing Management, an MBA-International Business and an MS in Finance. Over the last 23 years he has helped 3 Fortune 500 companies and several start-up organizations focusing on Sales, Business Development and Finance. His management style has been described as decisive and motivational, where success comes from a focused commitment to developing new business, cultivating relationships, training salespeople and creating growth strategies. He is involved in several acquisitions and mergers.You can learn more about becoming a Genius Visionary on Krishna's website.Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential and now is the time to rise up to maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] more about joining The Book Club here.Facebook Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Jacqueline describes how learning to communicate with other people more effectively and building your confidence levels will help you become the best version of yourself.She asks: "Who do you want to be?"Understanding who she is has helped Jacqueline develop a system that helps others and her commitment to life long learning is a great example to us all. Teenagers are taught what to think, not how to think and sadly the educational system undermines the fact that we should all be thinking for ourselves and stretching our comfort levels.Be curious and look for what is hiding in plain sight. You can create whatever world you want to create IF you believe that it is possible. Our future is not defined by who we are now and how/where we have grown up."We are all leaders of our own lives" - Jacqueline WalesAre you prepared to live your life effectively and be a role model for other people - especially your children? Adopt a growth mindset so that you can start to tap into your potential and increase your self-confidence level.How do I get more confident?Jacqueline's answer is: Fake it until you believe it! Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. We need to dig deep if we want to become effective at self reflection and increase our awareness. When we learn how to think we will see things that we now believe in. Take a little step every day, no matter how small it is.Be the person that you want to become and you will condition your brain to believe that you are already that person. In other words, forget the standard saying "I will believe it when I see it" and flip it to say "I will see it when I believe it."What is the thinking and behavior that keeps you locked into the limiting beliefs that convince you that you are not good enough, or not ready? These are the thoughts and behaviors that we need to challenge in your own head so that you are ready to move forward. The subconscious mind is based on what has happened to us in the past or what we have been told. Changing the content of your subconscious mind will make these things come true. Chris asks Jacqueline what steps she used to get to where she is now?Great coachingSupport of the right people around youTake ownership of your skills and talentsKnow where you are giving your power away and learn to stop thatAccepting that the only person that can knock you down is you!When you are asked to say yes to something ask yourself: Does this serve my best and highest needs? If the answer is anything other than an emphatic "yes" you should hesitate and dig deeper before saying yes. It doesn't come naturally to most of us but the power of saying "no" is huge and absolutely necessary for us to be able to live our best life.Jacqueline's "Golden Nugget": If you are a fearful individual, ask yourself: Is it true? If there is no evidence that it is true you have probably made it up in your mind. Be willing to test your limits so that you can maximize your potential. You can follow Jacqueline on her website where you can also subscribe to her mailing list and on LinkedIn under Jacqueline Wales. Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential and now is the time to rise up to maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] more about joining The Book Club here.Facebook Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Robert did not start his career with a traditional 9-5 job. He was born into a poverty situation with a father who liked alcohol and a mother who was angry. The led him to develop a purpose of "Not wanting to be poor."By the time he was 17 years old he had a successful radio show and was making more money than his father had his entire life. He went to college and by the time he was 23 he had suffered 2 heart attacks! By the time he was 27 he was divorced, broke and was told he would not live past 35!A friend directed him to a personal growth training and it turned Bob's life around. He started to refer everyone he knew to the training because he knew that his life was getting better as he surrounded himself with people who were on the same track. (We have talked about this before on the podcast by saying that we become the average of the 5 people we associate with the most)Eventually Robert went to work for this company and developed training courses all over the world, including Japan which he had originally declined. When he sold his first training company, Lifespring, he accepted the invitation to go to Japan where he started Arc International before retiring at age 45 to set up home in Colorado.On the surface bob had an incredible 12 years living life rich in Aspen but he actually lost everything and had to go back to work. He started speaking and training finding a home in working with people who are, in Robert's own words, "Up to something.""If we are not learning and growing, we are not meeting the need to change" - Robert White.We are facing unprecedented change in our recent history and therefore we have to be able to adapt in order to keep up, otherwise we are actually going backwards. The key to this is knowing your "why" and then creating forward momentum, one step at a time.What is your purpose?What is your motivation?These are two key questions to answer and if you need help identifying these please reach out to me at [email protected] or set up a free strategy call on my website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comBob built a 15,000 square foot home in Aspen, he owned a jet plus all the trappings but he wasn't happy. He realized that he was trapped by his purpose. The subtitle to his book, Living and Extraordinary Life, is joy and purpose which is what he believes we all should pursue.His 4 step understanding of purpose is (in no particular order):SurvivalMaintenanceLeisureContributionWe all have a unique gift and reason for being on this planet so the question to answer is: how are we using this gift? Robert started waking up each morning thinking: "I have been preparing to get ready for something all of my life, I wonder what it is?"Robert commits to participating in one new training program every year so that he can continue to learn and grow. He doesn't need to do this but he chooses to because he understands that we all have unlimited potential. Walt Disney would gather new recruits on a monthly basis and point out that he was wearing a Mickey Mouse watch. He then presented one to each new recruit and asked that they wear it each day. We look at our watches multiple times every day. Walt asked every cast member each time they look at their watch to ask themselves, Am I having fun? Robert describes how the chapter "I am not enough" in his book, Living an extraordinary life, is about our greatest limiting belief and this is based on his own life. We all have a tendency to think these thoughts and it is one that we need to overcome in order to maximize our potential. You are enough!You can connect with Robert and subscribe to his inspirational email at www.extraordinarypeople.comFinal message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential and now is the time to rise up to maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] more about joining The Book Club here.Facebook Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

The diagnosis was not good as the Doctors told John that he had Spina Bifida and would never have a career in performing. This news could have stopped John in his tracks but he used it as fuel to achieve even more. This involved a change in mindset and it was the start of his amazing journey. John read a Bruce Lee book while he was in hospital and it resonated with him so much that he refused the Doctor's advice to put a pin in his back. Instead John took up Yoga to increase and develop his flexibility.John shares that your outer experience is dictated by what you believe in the present moment. The small actions that you take daily will create momentum that eventually will produce massive results. "Small things that are repeatedly with consistency over time will produce massive results" - Chris BakerThe only moment you are living is here and your outcome will be a result of the actions you are taking now. The past is gone and the future isn't here yet so live today and be intentional about what you do to produce the results you want. In other words, be the person you want to become, starting today."When you believe it you will see it" - Chris BakerJohn describes his technique, The 5 "F's", that he uses to help people set their fears aside so that they can achieve anything they want. This is stepping aside from the fight or flight response so that you can take a breath then change your present timeline to move forward.Use declarations to change your mindset rather than affirmations that you may, or may not believe in. Are you trying to do something or do you see yourself as the person that no longer does what you are moving away from? John explains how he uses the present moment active words method to help his clients to retrain their minds to focus on what they are choosing to do right now. When you can focus on the positive in your current situation you will use your momentum to keep moving forward. "When something comes up that seems contrary to what you are looking to achieve, don't get into self-defeating talk and beat yourself up" - John Davis.You can follow John on his website, Corporation Action Hero. Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential and now is the time to rise up to maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] more about joining The Book Club here.Facebook Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership  Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

"One of the saddest things in life is to get to the end and look back in regret, knowing that you could have been, done, and had so much more." - Robin SharmaOne of the greatest universal challenges we face is how to overcome mediocrity and live to our full potential. That is why I started this podcast and why I continue to publish episodes. I firmly believe that we all have unlimited potential and as Hal Elrod shares in chapter 3 of his book, The Miracle Morning, 95% of people never get anywhere near to realizing this.He writes: According to the Social Security Administration, if you take any 100 people at the start of their working careers and follow them for the next 40 years until they reach retirement age, here's what you will find: only 1 will be wealthy; 4 will be financially secure; 5 will continue working, not because they want to but because they have to; 36 will be dead; and 54 will be broke and dependent on friends, family, relatives, and the government to take care of them.Scary right?Why is this the case?Most people do not acknowledge this and therefore they will remain within their life of mediocrity, struggle, and regret. If we don't change our actions today we can never improve the results we get tomorrow - fact!Rear View Mirror Syndrome:As human beings we are conditioned to mistakenly believe that who we were is who we are, thus limiting our true potential in the present based on the limitations of our past. Whenever we face adversity we automatically look back in our rear view mirror for guidance on how to respond and as a result we restrict our potential because we believe that we are defined by our past - and we are not!We need to break this cycle and start to believe, and then see, a life of unlimited possibilities where we can achieve anything we want as long as we have the courage to pursue it."Where you are is a result of who you were, but where you go depends entirely on who you choose to be from this moment on" - Hal ElrodFind your purpose:If you have followed my work over the last few years you will be familiar with my belief that you must life a purpose driven life of you want to find true freedom. It doesn't matter what your purpose is as long as it drives you to get out of bed every morning and make a difference. You can start small and build it until you have a purpose that is so big it scares you. That is how you become a person of influence who changes not only your own life, but the lives of others. Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] more about joining The Book Club here.Facebook Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919.  It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States.With no vaccine to protect against influenza infection and no antibiotics to treat secondary bacterial infections that can be associated with influenza infections, control efforts worldwide were limited to non-pharmaceutical interventions such as isolation, quarantine, good personal hygiene, use of disinfectants, and limitations of public gatherings, which were applied unevenly.The measures used to contain influenza greatly affected the day-to-day lives of citizens. While some accepted the changes imposed on them, others protested regulations that they considered unfair. Some called for more stringent methods, while others blatantly broke the new rules that were intended to protect them.Does this sound familiar?Think about how your life has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. What changes have you been faced with and how have you reacted to them?What many people fail to accept is that change is good. In fact, change is the one constant in life. After all, if we never changed where would we be? Still living in caves, hunting and fishing for our dinner with no semblance of civilization.Henry Ford said: “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got.”While we cannot always control what happens to us or around us we can control how we respond. In order to remain in control, it helps if you have a clear and concise picture in your mind of who you are.The truth is, we are not taught to think this way which is why so many people ask this question. I will say at this point that the process is not a “quick fix” one. To truly define who you are will take time and even then, the hard work is just beginning because then you have to start living as that person and that will be your biggest change yet!The first thing you need to identify is what is important to you, in other words what are your values. These are the things that you will not compromise under any circumstances. When I work with people on this process I give them a list of 100 values and ask them to choose 25 that they feel are important to them. Once they have completed this task I ask them to narrow down this list to just 5 and write down why they feel that these are their core values.This sounds simple, and it is, but don’t mistake that for thinking that it is easy. You need to spend time thinking about why you feel these values are important to you. This is a break from the conventional thought process where we are taught “what” to think not “how” to think. If you are not sure where to start with this I suggest you think about people that you admire and ask yourself why you admire them. What do they do that you respect and why?I also ask my clients to give the same list of 100 values to 3/5 people that they know and ask them to do the same exercise based on what they think the client’s values are and why. What this does is show the difference in what you think internally and what others see you as. This exercise can be a tough realization as we often see ourselves as one thing when other people see us as something else. Once you have all of the lists you should start to identify how these values are displayed in your daily life. Are you living the values or do you merely believe that these are important?Keep a list of these values somewhere that you will see them every day. You are working to build a habit which means you need to be consistent in what you do. Look at the list in the morning and then before you go to bed write down how you lived these values that day. By doing this you will get a sense of achievement that will keep you moving forward. This may seem like an onerous task to start with but stick with it because eventually it will become automatic. The key is to always be moving towards something. Once again, this may sound simple but I can assure you that most people spend their time running away from something instead of moving toward something. Let me explain. When I ask people what they want in their lives they often answer something like:I don’t want to be poor.I don’t want to be in a boring 9-5 jobI don’t want to struggleI don’t know what I wantHere is the truth, if you don’t know what you want you will never get it. It is also true that what you think about you usually get so saying “I don’t want to be poor” is putting an emphasis on the word poor, which means that you will probably be poor. I know this is a little deep but hang in there with me.Here are some questions to ask yourself that will help you formulate the vision of what you want:If money were no object, what would I do?If I knew I couldn’t fail, what would I do?What activity do I enjoy most that makes me lose track of time?If I could design my ideal life what would it look and feel like? (Be as detailed as possible with this answer and build on it over time)What difference do I want to make in the world and why?I want to emphasize again that this is a new way of thinking and it may seem daunting at first but stick with it, do not give in, and I promise you it will be worth it. I also find it is helpful to work with other people who want to define who they are. This doesn’t mean you use each other’s ideas. It means that you share your thoughts and as a result you will grow together. Jim Rohn said that we become the average of the 5 people who we associate with the most so I suggest that you choose these people wisely. You are only accountable to yourself on this journey of discovery and growth but it helps to have other people who will encourage you, especially when times get tough – which they will. Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

So, now we are into 2021 what is going to be different?We are still living with the impact of a global pandemic. Some people seem to be under the impression that because the year has changed all the bad stuff will go away but this clearly is not the case. Over my lifetime I have come to understand that there is only one constant, and that is CHANGE. As a race we need to embrace change and see it as a positive. Henry Ford said:"If we always do what we have always done, we will always get what we have always gotten."Nothing could be more true and now more than ever this applies to our lives. We have had to get used to a new way of doing things and working in a virtual world with limited in person interaction. How have you coped with this change?I encourage you to look back on 2020 and think about what you gained, what did you learn and how can you apply this moving forward. DO NOT spend time thinking about what went wrong because you cannot change that and if you dwell on the negative you will attract exactly that in 2021.DO NOT get in the habit of running away from things. Instead be someone who moves towards a brighter future. Take time to identify what is important to you and what you want to achieve in 2021 and beyond. What is one small daily action that will help you be the person you want to become.Small daily actions repeated consistently over time will produce massive, life changing results. Who are you going to be?Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

This is a fascinating conversation where Tammy shares her journey, philosophy, and dreams for the future. It fits in perfectly with the theme of this podcast: Maximize Your Potential.I invite you to listen along, take notes, and share this episode with any parent, teacher, or educator. Follow myself and Tammy on Facebook and please share your thoughts, takeaways, and a-ha moments. You can check out Tammy's websites below or follow her on Facebook (Tammy Vallieres):http://www.hero-intelligence.com/https://theherointelligenceteacher.com/Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

During the Covid-19 Pandemic 2020 Chantel, Kanika, and Dionne were inspired by the ‘Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod to reassess their values and to create an extraordinary life for themselves and others. They write:"Our Big Sister Programme supports young people in visualising and vocalising their dreams and aspirations. We offer practical strategies to positively change attitudes and behaviours to achieve transformation in the areas which have presented as challenging for them. We provide a bespoke programme which builds upon what the young person recognises as good about themselves. Our approach is always positive. Mentoring isn’t just about talking. We work on building life skills, confidence in social settings, resilience and overcoming difficulties plus so much more. Our programme empowers young people to develop positive peer relationships, deal with peer pressure, and focus more on their own feelings of self-worth."A young BAME female lacking aspiration can have a devastating impact upon their future and social positioning, which in turn may affect generation after generation. Sister2Sister want to break down boundaries, which is why they decided to create an opportunity for young women to cultivate their self-esteem, develop their confidence and become visionaries; because they know that young women who have confidence along with positive role models who believe in their abilities and skills are unstoppable.The directors have a passion for personal development and growth. For several years, theye have explored a variety of personal development theories and coaching and mentoring techniques. They want to share these and utilise their experiences to serve the community that has helped shape the women that they have become.Questions to ask 13-21 year olds:Are you going through a lot of changes at the moment?Are your studies and education starting to feel overwhelming?Do you feel as though you don’t fit in with your ‘friends’ or ‘family’?Do you feel lonely sometimes?Are you concerned about your next steps?Do you sometimes lack motivation?Do you need support with your goals and aspirations?Do you wish you had someone to talk to who won’t judge you?Being mentored is like having a friend who looks out for you. A mentor isn’t like a teacher, a parent, or a social worker, they’re just an adult you can talk to.You can connect with Sister 2 Sister via email at [email protected] or on their website, https://sister2sister.org.uk.Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

What I mean by this is do you use words of encouragement such as:I am so proud of the effort you put in todayYou did a great jobIt may not have gone as you wanted but you learned somethingOr, are you making comments like this:You are so stupidYou will never be good at thatYou are not worthyMost people tend to slip into the second category without even thinking about the effect this is having on their self-esteem. We are harsh on our self but we would never dream of saying those things to other people, would we. Why is this? Why are we okay chastising our self when we would not be happy saying the same thing to someone else?Why do we value the feelings of other people more than we value our own?The “Golden rule” tells us to treat other people as we would want to be treated and this is a great thing to remember. My question to you is this: Why would you talk to yourself in a different way than you would want other people to talk to you?Before you start beating yourself up about this I want you to understand that this is a natural response because we have not been taught to value our self as we would value others. I cannot answer why this is the case and in reality, it doesn’t matter what has happened in the past, the important thing is that you start to change it today. I know that this has been my reality and I didn’t realize this until I was 50 years old! I always wanted to please others and would do so at my expense. What I didn’t know was the effect this was having on my confidence and self-esteem. On the surface I appeared confident and self-assured but underneath I was anything but these things. The effect of this was me not loving myself and living in a perpetual state on underlying unhappiness. A mentor of mine, John C. Maxwell, says that you cannot give what you don’t have. So, you may ask, what does this have to do with self-talk? Well, conventional thinking teaches us to love others and while this is true, we have to learn to love our self so that we can give love to other people. In other words, we need to experience the emotion and feelings so that when we do something to make other people feel the same it is a genuine action. I want you to think about the people you admire the most. What do they do that makes you admire them? If you were to meet them what would you say to them?Now the key is to transfer these feelings into how you behave and what you say to yourself. Here are some things that you can do every day to improve your confidence and self-esteem:Write down 3 things that you are grateful forWrite down one thing that you did today which you are proud ofWrite down one lesson that you learned todayWrite down 1-3 things that you said to other people that made you feel goodWrite down 1-3 things that other people said to you that made you feel goodRead 10 pages of a personal development bookI understand that this is going to feel a little strange to start with but I want you to persist. Once you do this for 21 days without missing one day it will become a habit and when this happens it will become natural. I don’t expect you to do all 6 to start with so start with one that speaks to you and master that before adding another. The important thing is that you make a positive change and keep that momentum going. When you do this, you will start to see a difference in your life and I promise you that other people will notice this too. Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Hayley is a mum of four 19, 16, 14 & 11 yrs an has worked with children and families for over twenty eight years. She is passionate about emotional empowerment, her motto is Self knowledge is a super power.  She created EmotionMind Dynamic after her successful battle with depression and supporting her son to conquer his anxiety.Working with a diverse client base of business leaders, managers and professionals, as well as children, parents and victims of domestic abuse. Her work helps to improve quality of life through increased emotional awareness and personal growth.Hayley shares her own experience of suffering with mental health challenges as well as how her son coped, and overcame similar obstacles. Mental health is real! Way too often we ignore it or compartmentalize it pretending that it doesn't exist, but it is REAL and needs addressing. This applies to adults and children so if you have any inclination that you or your children are suffering from any form of mental health please seek out professional help. Very often this can be as simple as talking to someone like myself or Hayley. You should make sure to engage someone who has been trained in the art of coaching, listening, and mentoring as they have the required skill set to help guide you through this challenge. You can learn more about Hayley and the work she does on her website where you will find links to all of her information and her own podcast. You can also listen to Hayley's teaching more about her experience on her YouTube channel.Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

In this episode I share the story of how I got to this stage in my life and why I do what I do. Over the last few years I have spent a lot of time reflecting on my life. As I have done so I started to realize that when I was growing up in the relatively small city of Leicester, England, I never had much confidence. This lack of confidence affected the path my life has taken but I wasn’t aware of it until this time of reflection. Understanding who you are and why you are here is the starting point of all achievement which is why I am sharing my story with you today. Often the smallest thing can make a difference to the confidence of a child and this can stick with them for years without anyone being aware of it.How often do we praise others for doing well? In childhood and then in the corporate world, it is too common to concentrate on what can be improved instead of complimenting what is going well. In other words, we spend too much time trying to improve weaknesses and not enough time focusing on developing strengths. I believe that the best way to change anything is to go to the source rather than the more traditional practice of trying to cure the symptoms. This is why I am so passionate about working with teenagers so that I can show them it is good to dream, to have a purpose, to forge new paths rather than conform with the expectations of others, and above all to grow their confidence in themselves so that they can maximize their potential every day. Over the next few months I will be bringing some amazing guests onto the podcast to share their own journey of awareness and how this has impacted their lives.Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Today I want to share with you 8 phases that you will go through as you navigate your own journey to success. You cannot go directly from 1-8, you will navigate each phase and overcome it in order to move forward.Phase #1: I won't do it!One of the biggest fears that we face is the fear of failure. This stops most people dead in their tracks and as a result they stay stuck in their current life.Phase #2: I can't do it!My parents always told me that there is no such word as "Can't", and they were correct. If you say you can't do something you will be 100% correct and therefore never try. This is the fear of not knowing "how" to do it.Phase #3: I want to do it!Now your attitude is changing from negative to positive, albeit slightly. You are prepared to move forward in spite of your fear of failure and lack of knowing how to do it.Phase #4: How do I do it?Now you are starting to grow. You are starting to ask the right questions and seek out experts who will help guide you - you are on your way!Phase #5: I will try to do it!Yoda says: Do or do not, there is no try! The thing here is that you are moving forward, taking the first step, and learning as you go.Phase #6: I can do it!You are becoming more confident in what you are doing and the fact that you are good enough to make it happen. Momentum is setting in so keep going.Phase #7: I will do it!As you move forward and stretch yourself it will become tougher and therefore you need to employ persistence. When you fall down, get back up and learn from what happened before you move forward again.Phase #8: Yes, I did it!You experience the sweet smell of success and it feels good. This is the just a stepping stone on your journey because now you have belief in yourself and can step out into bigger and better things, pushing yourself further and further. I am here to help you and on October 24th, 2020 I will be hosting a virtual summit to help guide you toward Career Clarity.If you want to learn more about what is on offer and join us for the full summit live you can do so by clicking here. Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

In today's episode I chat with Molle Dorst about what you can expect from her presentation and why she is so passionate about contributing to this cause. Molle wants to take over the world and bring you with her so that you can be the best version of yourself. She is going to share why you should have W.I.L.D thoughts and what this will help you to achieve. If you want to learn more about what is on offer and join us for the full summit live you can do so by clicking here. Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

In the first half of this episode Mario describes his journey from Chile to Australia, his schooling and early work experience that lead him to becoming an insurance sales person and ultimately a successful businessman.Mario's life changed when he picked up a book in which he read he had unlimited potential and  that he could achieve anything he put his mind to. This was the catalyst that he needed to turn his life around and start his journey of personal growth and entrepreneurship. I encourage you to listen in and take notes during the second half of this episode as Mario shares his thoughts around mindset, meditation, and persistence. Ask yourself this: What do you want from your life and what actions are you taking to get it?Behaviors drive actions which become habits and ultimately produce the your results. If you want to get different results in the future you need to start by changing your behaviors today!Mario explains how being grateful for what you have and seeing it as being in existence will help to train your mind into making it happen. He also shares his meditation practice which helps to calm the mind and focus on your breathing.Some of Mario's quotes that may help you:"It’s time to WAKE UP! and get what you want from life.""I lost everything except my brain and ability.""Divorce the story and marry the truth.""I said I was going to do it; and I did.""If you want to be healthy, you have to become health conscious. If you want to be wealthy, you have to become wealth conscious.""Don’t worry about the future. Don’t think about the past. Act in the present."Thank you Mario for sharing your story and inspiring others to become the best version of themselves.Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

After high school, Steve chose to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY playing both soccer and basketball. Steve also attended the University of Connecticut playing basketball for the legendary coach Jim Calhoun.In March of 1995, Steve’s life took a dramatic turn when a car accident changed his life forever. After hours of surgery and days in a coma, he woke up to learn that he was paralyzed from the waist down and would never walk again. Confined to a wheelchair, Steve Emt was faced with the challenge of learning how to live again. After nine months of hard work and determination, Steve was back at work full time. Realizing it was time to make the decision to change his life, Steve went back to school to get his teaching certificate and taught middle school math for the next twenty years. During that time, he also coached the same high school boys’ basketball team that he once starred for.During the summer of 2013, a chance encounter introduced Steve to the sport of curling when he not only fell in love with the sport but realized that his dream of being an Olympian may still be attainable. Through hard work, commitment, and dedication, Steve earned a position on Team USA in the Winter of 2014 and has remained with the team ever since. To date, Steve is a 6-time National Champion, has competed in 4 World Championships and the 2018 Paralympic Games. He continues to work hard towards earning another spot on the team that will compete in the 2022 Paralympic Games to be held in Beijing, China.His goal is to help men and women of all ages, make decisions and reach their goals through perseverance and dedication. Despite his successes and accolades, Steve remains humble and a very engaging speaker.Listen as Steve shares his story and we discuss how everyone has unlimited potential that is waiting to be released.You can connect with Steve via his website, www.SteveEmt.com, or on Facebook. Final message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Developing Tomorrow's LeadersLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Molle was born and raised in Canada and had, in her own words, an amazing childhood. She had the opportunity to try many experiences and is so grateful for that.She never really fitted in at school as she was always looking for new ways of doing things. Her grade 8 gym teacher showed Molle that she didn't need to follow the same path as everyone else and in fact it was an asset that she had a different way of thinking.Listen as Molle explains how this helped her to understand who she was and who she needed to have around her. This led to her questioning things and ultimately she rebelled against the norm because she was bored. Molle learned lessons from this rebellion and she chose to find different options for how she could continue her education.The important note here is that there are always options!We each learn differently with different strengths and perspectives. When we release that within our students we see exceptional results. Stretching the brain releases potential from our subconscious mind. Molle left high school and went to University because that is what everyone does - so she thought. She studied philosophy and Eastern religion. She didn't have any guidance and therefore chose subjects that interested her rather than something that would lead her to a career she would love. Molle doesn't feel that any of this time was a waste because she learned about the world and it has helped to grow her mind. When she joined the workforce Molle adopted an attitude of "How can I help" so that she could continue her learning and development. When COVID hit Molle started to work for herself as a mediator and facilitator, someone to help guide other people embrace conflict. How can we bridge the gap between these different types of thinking?How can we help people to be excited about what they are learning?We need to start talking to our teens differently and engage with them as adults, asking them for their perspective and thoughts. Always think about what you want to move towards rather than what you are trying to escape from. OWN:Owning the situation and your actions that brought you to where you are now.Win-win solutions to the problem. Negotiating for better solutions.Thank you to Coach Molle for your contribution and for sharing your lessons today.Here is how you can connect with Molle:Lifelong Podcast www.anchor.fm/lifelongBreakthrough You Podcast www.anchor.fm/byouBusiness Building Book Club www.anchor.fm/businessbookclubwww.threepinesleadership.com www.thecollaboratorsclub.comFREE 3 day summit on Resiliency, Mindset and Impact www.leadershipmade.comFinal message from Chris: Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Youth Leadership DevelopmentLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

On April 18th, 2020 I entered a period of uncertainty after being placed on furlough from my role at The Walt Disney Company. At the time I was optimistic about the future thinking that this would be a short-term break and I decided that this would be a great opportunity to grow myself. As the months went by with no communication from the company or my leader I started to become more frustrated. Disney is known as a relationship company so why the lack of care? The Walt Disney quote: “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality” is one of my favorites and I know it to be true so why were we being left out in the cold?Was it just me that had these feelings or did others have the same?I know that Disney is not the only company who had furloughed their employees and I also see that many people within the hospitality industry have been let go so we are fortunate in that respect as it could be worse. So, what are furloughed cast feeling?“Wishing that it was over and things could go back to normal”“Anxious, frustrated and disconnected. First time I’ve been out of work since I was 15”“I feel frustrated and hopeless”“I am feeling frustrated and stressed out”“I’m so thankful that I’m furloughed, not laid off. Feelings of frustration and discontent are always at the forefront, I tend to keep myself occupied with small projects so I feel a sense of worthiness”“I know life throws things at us that we don’t expect. I am just choosing to enjoy my baby instead of fear and frustration.”“Being furloughed is definitely getting old. The alternative is worse, so I am trying to keep perspective. It just feels like limbo and I'm learning that it's not a comfortable space for me. I'm keeping busy and making the best of it, but I struggle with feeling so vulnerable.”“Trying to stay positive and move forward is my new full-time job!”“I'm feeling depressed”“It’s been depressing to see how many of my former and current fellow cast are positing on LinkedIn right now looking for work”“I look for as many positives as I can but sometimes the uncertainty can feel like too much”“The lack of communication is disheartening”“It’s making me question a lot of things for sure. It’s especially hard when your leader hasn’t reached out for months and you feel like too much of a bother if you try to reach out.”“My boss who was furloughed reaches out to us every week just to check in. But the ones that never got furloughed hasn’t called or text to see how things were going. It hurts because before all of this we felt like we were a family and busted our butt to make sure everything was buttoned up before the furlough began”I could go on but I think you get the picture so what can we do to help these great people who find themselves in this situation through no fault of their own?We can help them to know that they are not alone.We can show them care so that they know they are valued.We can help them to grow themselves personally so that they can position themselves for a brighter future. Yes, this is a horrible situation that we find ourselves in but I honestly believe that we can come out of this stronger by learning to identify our purpose, passion and strengths. We all have unlimited potential and while we cannot always control what happens to us we can control how we respond. We are the captains of our soul, the masters of our fate and there are ways in which we can move forward with intentional action. We should not put ourselves in a position where we rely on other people because when we do so we are at the mercy of their agenda, not our own. I know that this is tough and many of us feel abandoned so I encourage you to do what I have done and shift your thinking from the natural scarcity mindset to one of abundance where you are moving towards something rather than being stuck in a situation that you want to get out of. I have been in that dark place with negative thoughts at times during this furloughed life and here is what I know: We all have a choice. We can stay where we are and feel that the world is against us or we can seek out people who genuinely want to help us to become the best version of ourselves so that we can take control of our lives. I am blessed to have an inner circle of people who pull me up. I choose to rise up to the greater expectations of my inner self and I refuse to let anyone else limit my potential. You can do this too. I believe in you and if you want help I invite you to reach out to me personally so that I can help you to find the power to take control. Your current circumstance does not define who you are. You are special, you are loved, you are a unique being with unlimited potential so now is the time to rise up and maximize your potential every day.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Youth Leadership DevelopmentLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Andrea was born in Tokyo and always had a healthy lifestyle until she left home and had to fend for herself. Her family was extremely healthy and by default so was Andrea as she didn't have to think about it. However when she left home and then got married she was all over the place and put on 30 pounds!She "Googled" how to lose weight and other popular searches before realizing that none of these provided a long term solution. She became frustrated and therefore decided to put together a step by step plan on how to gain unwavering confidence and to live happy lives without the stress of what the world is telling them they "have" to do.The current pandemic has accentuated this situation because we are restricted on where we can go and therefore the tendency is to sit on the couch and snack.Andrea shares her 5-step framework that helps her clients to Master Their Thoughts, Understand Their Heart and Optimize Their Health.RealizeIdentifyOptimizeOvercomeMomentumHer process helps her clients to move away from fixating on what the scale says to a place where they can overcome any problem that they have.  It starts by developing the right mindset because without this, nothing that you try will stick. Andrea describes how she hired a life coach who told her that anything she is experiencing can be fixed by what is in your head. At the time Andrea didn't believe that this would work for health until she started to see results in other areas of her life. Once she believed this could work she saw her health improve.Andrea doesn't believe in dieting and removing the food items that you enjoy so how does this work?When your self worth is not tied to how you look it doesn't matter what you look like and therefore you remove stress that is associated with weight. You are effectively using your mental energy for things that are more productive. While this does sound bizarre, it works!Intuitive eating is a huge deal and this is why Andrea does not provide specific meal plans with her program. She does help create nutrition plans and provides recipes but what and when you eat is your choice. When you know that you can eat whatever you want it takes away the craving, almost tricking your mind into eating healthy. Andrea has both an online course and coaching to help guide her clients through the process of applying her principals, She also provides a free eBook which you can download through the link below.These principals work for any age so it is something that can be used for families to become healthier in all aspects of their lives. Remember that there is no "quick fix" to living a healthier lifestyle. While you can get results after one coaching session you will experience increasing benefits the longer you practice. You can connect with Andrea on Instagram and download her free eBook here.I want to stress that whatever your current situation is does not define you. Some things are out of our control and therefore all we can control is how we respond. I invite you to contact me if you would like to chat more about how I can help you to maximize your potential and do what you love to do every day.We are here to Develop Tomorrow's Leaders Today and we need your help to make this dream a reality! To receive lifetime access to the June, 2020 Youth Leadership Summit click here.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Youth Leadership DevelopmentLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

In this episode I am speaking to Ali Goodin, a fellow Disney cast member who was furloughed. Ali talks about her journey including how she has coped over the last 5 months.Ali's mission in life is to make a positive impact on the world around her by fostering community and connection. She has been honored to pursue this mission through her role as a Walt Disney World Cast Member since 2014, where she has held a number of Graphic Design and Communications roles.She is a member of the Cast Experience organization supporting design and communications as Business Support Manager for Cast-centered initiatives, including theme park previews, round tables, and traveling celebration events. Outside of her role, she plays an active part in her mission by cultivating grassroots resource groups, including a Professional Intern Community and Disney Creatives. From these experiences combined with the furlough announcement in March, she continued to pursue her mission in a new form - Life Coach. Ali completed her certification program in May 2020 and has since launched her own life and career coaching business, Ful Life Coaching, that helps young professionals and recent graduates navigate the real world with 1-on-1 coaching and consulting services.Listen as Ali talks about how she has coped with a life on furlough and the discussions we have about how you can rise above the emotions in order to maximize your potential every day.You can connect with Ali on Facebook, Instagram or on her website.I want to stress that whatever your current situation is does not define you. Some things are out of our control and therefore all we can control is how we respond. I invite you to contact me if you would like to chat more about how I can help you to maximize your potential and do what you love to do every day.We are here to Develop Tomorrow's Leaders Today and we need your help to make this dream a reality! To receive lifetime access to the June, 2020 Youth Leadership Summit click here.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Youth Leadership DevelopmentLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Janet uses her platform to grant wishes for children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and supports other philanthropic activities throughout communities.She recently created INPact Academy which includes the DRIP Program, Youth Coaching and Life Skills Programs, and speaks with many audiences from a variety of stages on the power each of us has to "Be A Drip that Rips and Not A Drop That Plops," showing students and adults that the choices they make casts an intention to an outcome. What excites her most, are the stories she hears and shares in interviews with kids, adults and families throughout the world on the positive INPact they are making through kindness, compassion and connection.Janet lives in Long Island, NY with her husband Jack, and their children, Michael, (20) and Katelyn (18) and has blended a beautiful family as a stepmom of 3 (now adults) and is a proud "GraGra" of 3 grandchildren. Janet grew up with a passion to work with children and received a BS in Elementary Education and a Master's in Business.She truly believes that we are all here on purpose for a purpose and is excited to see all teens unwrap their personal gifts and continue to share them with the world through the new experiences they create and encounter.This interview is extracted from a Facebook live I did with Janet within my private group: Youth Leadership Development.Be careful what you wish for, the power of the thought. Janet describes how what you think about you bring about. Through her summer camps she has seen the transformation of kids developing from being shy to more outgoing and confident.This prompted her idea to use these experiences to create a difference in the world. (I love Janet's energy and enthusiasm, don't you?)In 2014 Janet hosted a week long Pasta swim - yes, swim in 400 lbs of spaghetti!!This was inspired by the loss of Robin Williams and the role of a doctor that he played in the movie Patch Adams where he treated the patient, not the disease. It was from this program that Janet created the "Drip program" which works on the basis that when you a drip falls it creates a ripple effect of energy that can be felt world-wide.Energy creates dopamine in the brain which makes you feel happy and this energy is then released into everything you do. The drip creates this positive energy.Kids have so much power in them and today's youth truly are going to be the ones who will change the world. They want to be seen, heard, and know that they matter. This led to the INPact academy. The energy was growing and becoming contagious. Janet shares some amazing examples of what kids have done to help give back to others by using the drip effect to create massive ripples.One kind act has a compounding effect so make a conscious effort to follow this every day. It is important that we continue to encourage this thought process as kids become teenagers so that it becomes a habit that will be taken into their adulthood.The negative drip, is the drop that plops. When a drop plops into sludge it cannot ripple. There are always going to be those people who drop rather that drip so we need to be intentional about maintaining the drip effect.A drip can be a small act, even something as innocent as a smile which we all can do. Even when wearing masks at the moment a smile shows in your eyes.You can connect with Janet on Facebook or through her website.Contact me if you would like to chat more about how I can help you to maximize your potential and do what you love to do every day.We are here to Develop Tomorrow's Leaders Today and we need your help to make this dream a reality! To receive lifetime access to the June, 2020 Youth Leadership Summit click here.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Youth Leadership DevelopmentLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

This was the catalyst for Tiffany to start connecting with coaches and listening to podcasts which started an amazing journey of personal growth and healing.In this episode Tiffany shares how she has now made it her mission to help others find this awareness without having to face the unnecessary struggles that she did. Here heart is with teenagers and their parents because it was her adolescent years where most of her limiting beliefs can be traced back to.As a parent of teenagers Tiffany sees the same challenge being faced by this generation. Many of the struggles that teenagers face can turn into mental illness and this is also rooted in a generational belief system so bringing the parents into the mix is crucial to success.When we challenge these beliefs and get people connecting to the love that exists within them it will show that anything is possible and that we can all maximize our potential every day. Listen as Tiffany describes how aware her teenagers were of her strengths even though she was not using them in her job. This shows how teenagers observe us and our actions so connecting with them will open up a new world of possibilities.When her kids challenged her thoughts Tiffany realized that she was not living her purpose and so she set off on her journey of growth. As Tiffany looked back on her life she became aware that she had been living within her comfort zone and using this as a distraction. When she started practicing Yoga she was able to create a habit of reflection and be still within herself which ignited her appetite for growth and learning. This led her to get a coach and she now sees that anything is possible.Tiffany was able to release the feelings and emotions that had been holding her back and once she was able to do this it opened up space for her to adopt intentional actions and behaviors.If Tiffany could go back to her teenage self the advice she would give is to be more present and that the situations and circumstances in life do not define what you life will be. Tiffany is now focusing on coaching teens and parents so that they can connect with their inner selves and face the future with a fresh outlook.Teenagers often experience stress and anxiety through trying to please their parents and one of the quests that Tiffany and I share is to help educate teenagers on how to think about their "why" so that they can live up to their own expectations. Parents are not generally aware of this as they were not taught to think this way either which is why bringing them alongside their teenagers during this journey is so beneficial.You can connect with Tiffany on Facebook or Instagram. Contact me if you would like to chat more about how I can help you to maximize your potential and do what you love to do every day.We are here to Develop Tomorrow's Leaders Today and we need your help to make this dream a reality! To receive lifetime access to the June, 2020 Youth Leadership Summit click here.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected] Group: Youth Leadership DevelopmentLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: Chris J BakerTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

"All of your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them" - Walt E. DisneyDo you have a dream?Is it truly a dream or is it a goal?Either is a good start to be honest because it means that you are working towards something. Too many people have had dreams and either let them die, or even worse not started them at all.Why do we not follow our dreams?Did someone tell you that you are not capable or worthy of it?Did you think that you couldn't do it or that it was impossible?Many of us compare ourselves to what we see other people achieving, in other words their "front end". What we should do is look at what they have done to get them where they are now and what they do on a daily basis to maintain their position then ask whether we are prepared to do the same?Desire - The cornerstone and starting point of all dreams.Reflect - Take time each day to look at what is working, what isn't working, and why.Eliminate - Get rid of any and all unnecessary distractions.Adjust - Be prepared to adjust your plans if things are not going well.Motivation - This is what will drive you through the inevitable tough times.Satisfaction - Celebrate the wins along the way and enjoy the journey.Your dream should be so big that it scares you and definitely moves you well outside of your comfort zone. What is your dream and what can you do today to start moving towards it?Contact me if you would like to chat more about how I can help you to maximize your potential and do what you love to do every day.We are here to Develop Tomorrow's Leaders Today and we need your help to make this dream a reality! To receive lifetime access to the June, 2020 Youth Leadership Summit click here.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

As soon as I started my podcast I wanted to introduce Andy as a guest because we are "cut from the same cloth" in terms of our core beliefs around how "people" are the heartbeat of every organization. After spending 30 years in the corporate world and rising to executive status he realized that there was a difference in how he felt leadership should be versus what he was experiencing which led him to leave and set up his own coaching organization.Andy describes his last interview experience and it is important to note the different perceptions of how this went. Can you relate to a similar experience in your life?This was the catalyst for Andy starting his own business so that he could change the way leadership is approached. Treating people with respect, challenging them to grow while making it a fun environment to work in were the traits that Andy wanted to instill. Customer service is another driving factor in his leadership style as improving this will improve the bottom line results. Make people feel special and they will be loyal to you. This works the same for customers and employees - People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.Andy Hall Coaching was set up with the desire and urge to make a difference by helping other people to maximize their potential. Andy describes how he had observed young soccer players come into the game showing a lot of potential yet they fall by the wayside and disappear because they don't have the right leadership. This happens in the corporate world too and it is something that can be changed.Note: Andy and myself will NEVER be ballet dancers!!Andy became certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and then the John Maxwell Team in addition to becoming an Associate with Lane 4 in the UK. His natural instinct and urge is to help, encourage, and support anyone to live into their potential. This also causes frustration for Andy when he sees people suffering from "George Best" moments where they fail to fulfill their potential. (Johnny Manziel is another example of someone who seemed to have it all and let it go through not having the right support)Andy was 15 years into his corporate career before anyone showed an interest in his development and introduced him to personal growth. It only takes one person to care in you to make a difference to the trajectory of your life. Do you have this person in your life and are you this to other people?"Make people fee special and they will buy" is a saying that Chris first heard in 2001. This concept applies to customers and if you replace the word "buy" with "respond positively" it is relevant to employees plus your teenagers. During this current pandemic it is even more important for organizations to adopt this approach as Andy explains in his example about Virgin America. "Care about your people and get them to care about your customers will bring you better results" - Andy HallQuestion: What advice would you give to yourself if you could travel back to 1991?Andy - Believe in yourself! Understand that you have unlimited potential and that you can do whatever you want to do. You are worthy, you are good enough and you are responsible for your own development.If you don't have someone in your life that is helping add to your belief in yourself, go and find someone who will pull you up.You can connect with Andy on his website: Andy Hall Coaching.We are here to Develop Tomorrow's Leaders Today and we need your help to make this dream a reality! To receive lifetime access to the June, 2020 Youth Leadership Summit click here.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Carson explains how suicide does not always come as a result of long standing battles with mental health and anxiety, in fact in his case it surfaced pretty quickly.He had always been a high achiever and was good at sports. He started to lose this sense of high achievement and after breaking his arm playing hockey he started to feel like he was letting himself and his parents down. He was feeling that he was not worthy of being here and this led to him attempting suicide on March 4th, 2017 at the age of just 14.After the suicide attempt he felt even more of a failure and that he had let his parents down more. The gunshot wound changed his physical appearance and that has been something else that he has had to overcome as people tend to judge others on "front end" appearances.Carson had always been close to his parents and after the attempt this relationship got even closer. He felt guilty and so did his parents but they were able to work through this and one of the main tools they used was forgiveness. This applies to both yourself and other people and it is a great source of resolution that we should all adopt.Carson's tips for teenagers include:Always be thankful for what you have every day, Look for the good that is happening instead of focusing on what has gone wrong previously.Remember that no one is perfect. What you see on the outside does not always reflect what is going on inside that person.There is so much more that I could write but I really want to encourage you to listen to this episode a few times to take in the wisdom and awareness that Carson shares. Please follow him on TikTok, subscribe to his YouTube channel, and share this with as many people as you can. Many Teenagers are suffering from feelings of depression and anxiety but most of them hide this because they feel a sense of expectation on them that they have to be perfect. Learn to talk AND listen to your teenagers and share your feelings with them too.We are here to Develop Tomorrow's Leaders Today and we need your help to make this dream a reality! To receive lifetime access to the Youth Leadership Summit click here.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Ray's big A-ha moment occurred as a result of a tragedy where he ended up as a quadriplegic after a car accident. As he was being wheeled out of the hospital after regaining 80% of his mobility he was furious that he had to be wheeled out even though he had worked so hard to walk again.Ray had been reading a book of quotes and this one, by Winston Churchill, was at the forefront of his mind at this moment in time: "Truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is."Listen as he describes that this was the moment he died as the person he used to be and walked out as the person he had become and then breaks down why this quote became his defining moment. He stopped being known by his first name, Harold, and became Ray.Ray explains how this is happening today and especially with the youth populations. Our teenagers are living under the labels that other people have put on them. (This came out in the recent Youth Leadership Summit and you can gain access to the recordings from that below.)In his book, Shades of Faith, Shadows if Fear, Ray digs deeper into his experience of being paralyzed and moving out of this shadow into a new shade. When living in the shadows you see no way out and when you make the shift your energy changes and hope takes over. Once you understand the energy the next challenge is to deliberately put it into action by changing your vocabulary. Try the exercise that Ray describes where you write down all of the emotions that you have within a given week. You only have 30 seconds to write these down and if you pause to think about it you must stop and go with what you have written down.Once you have your negative emotion words, create 3 similar emotions that are just a little above the negative emotion. Once you do this, take away the original negative words from your vocabulary.Question to ask: What is not great yet today?This presupposes that something will be great and therefore you will work towards it.Always be moving towards something rather than be stuck in a situation that you are trying to break away from.Ray's newfound core beliefs took him away from counter intelligence as he identified a conflict of interests. He decided that he wanted to focus on where his conscience took him and this resulted in him returning to school. During this time he created a study guide based on what he had learned in counter intelligence to enable him to learn quickly.This learning method was so successful that Ray was accused of cheating because he aced an exam! After his innocence was proven Ray was asked to share this study guide with others and this led to the creating of a study skills program. This solidified his discovery that other people could be helped, regardless of the labels that other people had placed on them.You can contact Ray on Facebook, Twitter, on his website: Truestudyskills.com or email him at [email protected]. We are here to Develop Tomorrow's Leaders Today and we need your help to make this dream a reality! To receive lifetime access to the Youth Leadership Summit click here.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

In this episode I summarize the content with some of the highlights that I took from the speakers and engagement. Too many Teenagers are feeling:That their needs are not being metThat they are not lovedThat they are unworthyRejection, Abuse, or AddictionThat they are not good enoughTeenagers are looking for:CompassionCareRespectSomeone to LISTEN to themA trusted AdultWe need to help them identify and then overcome the limiting beliefs that hold them back. To teach them how to express their feelings and emotions so that they can be the person they are inside. We want to help them to enjoy their teenage years without feeling like they have to live up to false expectations that they believe are put on them.We heard how 1 in 3 teenagers will suffer from anxiety and/or depression and this has to change. We cannot assume to know what teenagers are thinking and feeling, we have to take time to connect with them and thereby gain a greater understanding of what they are going through.As parents we need to be the adult that we want our children to become. Not to copy us but to set the example of how to behave, how to think, and how to live the life that we choose rather than by default.It is time to: Step In, Step Up, and Step Out and I invite you to join this movement alongside your teenagers and become founding members of the Acorns 2 Oaks Leadership Academy where we teach life and leadership skills. You can find out more by clicking here and by doing so make the move towards a brighter future for you and your teenagers.To receive lifetime access to the Youth Leadership Summit click here.We are here to Develop Tomorrow's Leaders Today and we need your help to make this dream a reality!You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Mark has experience working with global organizations including Hilton Grand Vacations, McGraw-Hill, AAA, Randstad, Tesoro, Citrix and Boston Scientific to deliver high quality blended learning solutions.He has featured in a range of leading global industry publications including Training Magazine, e Learning Guild, Learning Solutions Magazine and Training Industry.Mark is a Client Partner at Newleaf Training and Development whose mission is to help people and organizations be their best. Newleaf Training and Development deliver seminars, keynotes, coaching and online to help people better manage themselves, lead others and build business financial intelligence.Mark starts by detailing his career journey which is a clear indication of how you can change direction to lead the life that you choose and you never have to settle for what is expected of you. He had, in his owns words, a pretty awesome childhood where his parents owned a major toy store in the UK. This is where Mark gained the bug for wanting to eventually live and work in the US.Mark is an advocate of Steven Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" which advocates starting with the end in mind.Mark is another example of someone who went to college not knowing what he wanted to do with his career. Even after graduating he didn't know what he wanted and ended up as a teacher. Note from Chris: This is a wide-spread challenge and one of the reasons why I started this podcast and now work with Young Adults to help them discover their purpose, passion and strengths so that they can earn a good living doing what they love.Mark decided that he needed to change direction and use the experience that he had gained in a position that would provide him with fulfillment. He always had a plan to become an entrepreneur and the key to his message is that he had a plan, an end in mind. He aligned his experience with a position that would provide him additional experience and set off on a new venture.The culmination of this journey has brought Mark and his family to Florida where he started his own business as a consultant in Newleaf Training and Development. Four years later the business is doing well with several employees and Mark has been able to develop and build the online element of the business, even before the COVID-19 pandemic that really brought virtual communication to the forefront.The current crisis has showcased why it is so important for individuals and organizations to continually look for new and better ways of growing. When we stick with what we know we get comfortable and this can lead to complacency. Newleaf Mantra: Perception, behavior, results - How we see things drive behaviors which produce the results we get in life.Mark describes how he put on a lot of weight when he moved to the US because he loved fast food. This perception changed when he had to have a medical as part of the visa process and was diagnosed as obese. He changed his eating habits and exercise routine and in the last 7 months has lost 70 pounds as a result.What advice do you give your daughter Scarlett?Look to the future and align your passion with a skill and career path that will be able to pay you the standard of living you require. Become a great leader, remain humble and keep yourself relevant in he workplace.You can connect with Mark on LinkedIn, through Newleaf website, or on Twitter. You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Corinne has quite a resume!Living in Wisconsin all her life Corinne is the middle child of 3, born to teenage parents. Her family was moved to the country by her parents to avoid violence that was evident in the 1970's. Topical today!After meeting a Nun in a hospital she was told to live out the legacy of her father and remember the good things that had happened. When she then lost her brother to substance abuse she started digging into what trauma looks like and subsequently became certified as a Trauma specialist.Two thirds of Americans are exposed to adverse childhood experiences. Corinne applied her learning and awareness to the kids in her school. Listen as she explains how ADHD is often mis diagnosed and is actually a result of trauma in many cases.Corinne realized that all that was required is one caring adult and she decided that she would become that person. After joining he John Maxwell Team she started utilizing  the Youth programs to serve others.We all have a choice as to what cards we play, if we don't have a good hand we can trade those for a better one.When we remove our limiting beliefs it enables us to rewire our brains so that we can create a better future for ourselves.Corinne shares the 10 questions used in the assessment for kids. Listen to these and think about it from your own perspective, does this resonate?We become a product of our environment so ensuring that our teenagers are nurtured and listened too is vital in developing their potential. Corinne explains how the first step she does with all of her students is to establish trust. She explains how they have low self-esteem and a lack of confidence so she allows them time to blow off steam so that they are willing to talk with her. Sharing bits of her own story help them to see that they are not alone. Corinne has changed her life and this gives the kids confidence that they can change their own too.Encouraging them to use positive words and phrases helps develop a better outlook and allows for more expression. The key skill: LISTEN!!Create a list of your "I am's" so that you can be constantly reminded of who you are. This self-talk is essential in creating a positive outlook. Repeat these statements daily and watch what happens to your confidence.As the students Corinne works with see a difference in their life they start to bring other students to Corinne so that she can help them. Many of her students have gone from not expecting to graduate High school to blossoming into flowers who are achieving a better life. We need to increase the awareness about the levels of teenage suicide which is way too high and often hidden away. This is a topic that is being covered in the Youth Leadership Summit over June 26-28 so register today at https://www.chris-j-baker.com/youth-summit.Corinne helps her students to move from the symptom to the source of their frustrations. She tells the story of one of her students realization of this and how it has helped change their thought process. Whatever you are seeing on the front end there is always something more going on in the back end. Take time to identify the cause rather than judge simply by the effect that you are seeing.Advice for high school students: Find a trusted adult that will listen to you and establish a relationship with them.Advice for Parents: Listen to your children and allow them to have their own voice. Everybody needs a mentor, whatever stage of life that they are in. This is the way that you can Maximize Your Potential every day.Reaching out for help is a strength, NOT a weakness. Be honest and open with your kids so that they know you don't have all the answers but that you will do everything you can to help find them.You can follow Corinne on Instagram or Facebook and also register for the Youth Leadership Summit to learn more from Corinne and some of her former students.Last word from Corinne: Parents, allow yourself to be vulnerable with your kids, and kids, cut your parents some slack!!You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Hopefully you have already listened to episode #24 where Russell shared Secret #1 from his new book, Traffic Secrets, Your Dream Customer. In today's episode we share Secret #10 - Instagram Traffic Secrets!Step #1 - Understand the history and the goal.Russell explains the history of Instagram and two key ways that you can leverage the platform to gain exposure for your business.Step #2 - Find your Dream 100.Find your dream 100 influencers and follow them on Instagram. Spend time each day to engage in their posts with likes and comments so that you can see how they are engaging with their followers because this is what you will want to emulate.Step #3 - Identify your the publishing strategy and create your publishing plan.Russell goes in to detail about how to create hooks and share stories to engage your audience. The intention is to:InspireEducateEntertainAnother key aspect is to ask questions which will prompt engagement from your audience which shows them that you want to listen - people love to be heard!Use relevant Hashtags in your messages so that your reach is expanded and ultimately you will make an offer to your audience once credibility has been established.Russell also explains how to use Instagram videos, stories, and lives to further enhance your status as an expert.Step #4 - Work your way in.By using the previous steps you will start showing up in people's feeds in addition to the feeds of your dream 100. Once this is in place you tap into the audience of your dream 100 with IGTV and Russell describes how to do this effectively.Step #5 - Buy your way in.If you want to quickly grow your Instagram following you can do so by engaging your dream 100 and paying them to give you a "Shout out" on their feed. Because they have 1000's of followers they can use the "Swipe-up" feature to send people to a clickable link where you sell your product.Step #6 - Fill your funnel.The final step is to convert the traffic into traffic that you earn, in other words capture their email address. Russell describes the process for doing this effectively.Building your following takes time and effort but with these steps that Russell shares you will be one step ahead of many other entrepreneurs.If you would like to receive a FREE copy of Traffic Secrets click here, all you pay is shipping and handling.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

In this episode Russell Brunson shares Secret #1 from his brand new book, Traffic Secrets: Who is your dream customer?"Each business needs to understand their dream customer avatars better than the customers know themselves."The first step in the process is to become obsessed with your dream customer rather than the product that you sell. Being obsessed means understanding them better than they understand themselves. Often, just remembering how you felt when you were trying to solve the problem you're now solving for other people is usually hard. "Our mess becomes our message" - Nicholas BayerleLook back in time and find the point where you were struggling with the same problem your dream customer has now. Once at that point remember what you were feeling when you were in that pain.The 3 Core Markets/DesiresHealthWealthRelationshipsTwo reasons why people get stuck getting inside he head of their dream customer:My product fits into more than one if these desiresMy product doesn't fit into any of these desiresMoving away from pain toward pleasureEvery human being on the planet is moving in one of two directions when they make a decision: away from pain or toward pleasure.Exercise:Write down at least a dozen things that your potential future customers are saying or thinking as they're trying to move away from pain.Now write down at least a dozen phrases that people in your market who are moving toward pleasure may have running on a loop in their head.The Searcher and the ScrollerPeople will either be searching for your product, or you will interrupt them to get their attention with your ads as they are scrolling. This is just one chapter from Russell's book, Traffic Secrets, and I will be sharing another chapter on Instagram Secrets in an upcoming episode so I encourage you to subscribe to Maximize Your Potential podcast to receive notifications as each episode is released If you would like to receive a FREE copy of Traffic Secrets click here, all you pay is shipping and handling.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here  Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Margaretrose started in the hospitality industry working in hotels and restaurants. She didn't finish college and the absence of a degree meant that she always started at the bottom and worked her way up in the organizations she worked for. She knew she wanted more and was searching for the way to do it. After being a stay-at-home Mom for a while she started work as a Manager in a restaurant chain where she started coaching servers, her first experience of coaching.She was 42 years old and serving tables when the other servers told her she should coach and be paid for it. This also happened when Margaretrose started working for the Government in Tallahassee. This is when someone told her about the John Maxwell Team certification program which made Margaretrose really excited. So much so that she quit her job, cashed in her retirement and joined the certification program. To support herself she drove for Uber and Lyft which had the added benefit of giving Margaretrose the experience of talking to people. Question: What did you learn from what these college kids were experiencing?Almost everyone of them was full of joy and excitement which was refreshing however the majority of them had no idea what they wanted to do with their life. They were getting a degree but didn't know what job they wanted or what life entailed. There appeared to be a lack of basic life skills, such as cooking a meal, going grocery shopping, or budgeting.Baby Brandon Syndrome.Margaretrose was designing a curriculum, Adulting 101,  and put out a post to ask parents if she could interview their young adults as research. One of the students was Brandon who was a 21-year old Junior in college. Brandon was a quiet student who was getting ready to look for internships. Listen to the story as Margaretrose describes her conversation with Brandon about budgeting, shopping, cleaning and other basic life skills. This story embodies the challenge with parents loving their children so much that they want to protect them but by doing so they are shielding them from growing and developing into functioning adults.Note: Our young adults want to learn and yet they don't have the tools to succeed which is why I created Acorns 2 Oaks Leadership Academy. My mission is to help educate our young adults on finding their "Why" and pursuing their passion so that they can live within their strength zones and do more of what they love to do. As a society it is our responsibility to help guide our young adults to think for themselves so that they live a purpose driven life. Too many do not know what they want to do and will drift through life, following the example that has been set by the adults in their life. We want to protect them from failure and by doing so the net effect is that we enable them to not try new things for themselves. We do it with the best intentions although it will ultimately hurt them by fulfilling our needs at the expense of helping them to grow.While we don't want our kids to fail, it is important that they do so that they can learn from these experiences. We cannot wrap them in cotton wool forever as eventually they have to step out on their own so the sooner we start educating them on life skills the better.Decorating the Christmas tree.This is a great example of how we want our kids to help but after they have gone to bed we often correct the work so it looks better. We are doing this to satisfy our needs but what message does this send to the kids? They will reflect and say why should I try as Mum and Dad only fix it after and maybe ask: Do they not think I am good enough?Margaretrose shares another example of her Brother laying mulch with his kids and how his attitude was one of helping hem to learn even though it meant his flower beds didn't look perfect as they did.This lesson applies equally in the workplace as it does in families because you need to encourage your team to learn and develop. Show confidence in them and watch them blossom!You can contact Margaretrose on Facebook or email her at [email protected] can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Vanessa is the founder of ‘The Limitless Potential Academy’, where growth-seekers come to get the support and experience they need to breakthrough to their next level of potential with Monthly Masterclasses and Group Coaching. Vanessa also runs the 'Limitless Potential' show where she interviews the world's leading authorities in personal development, human behavior and human potential. She also founded the Limitless Potential Inner Circle Community of 5,000+ like-minded, outstanding human beings from 30+ countries across the globe whom support and challenge each other to reach ever increasing levels of their potential daily.Vanessa describes her journey which started by her brother choosing the degree she chose at University because she wasn't aware of what she wanted to do with her life or what her purpose was. This is a common challenge as we are not taught to think for ourselves, we live to please our parents and follow what they want for us, which is usually the "safe" route!After completing her business degree Vanessa still didn't feel good about what she was doing and went into banking but this still didn't fulfill her. She went back to university and started a Law degree because she thought that would open up more doors. She still wasn't happy and it was at this point that her then boyfriend introduced her to the teachings of Tony Robins and this became the turning point for Vanessa.At 24 years old Vanessa was under the impression that she was too old to change (I know right?!?) when she saw a 65 year old attendee of the Tony Robins conference stand up with tears of happiness in her eyes as she exclaimed how she just realized that she had been successful in her career because she felt that is who her father wanted her to be but it had been at the expense of her family life. She now felt free and knew that she could find a life of fulfillment and freedom with her new awareness.Vanessa left Law school, much to the dismay of her family who disconnected from her, claiming Vanessa Jane was a failure! The easy route is very often the most difficult in the long run so find your purpose and follow your heart.Over the last 7 years Vanessa Jane has invested a lot of time and money in her own personal growth and is now sharing these messages with other people to help them live out their potential, which is limitless.Vanessa Jane's advice for her teenage self would be: "listen to yourself and do what you want to do." When you do something with a passion it will be more fulfilling.Question: Who did you crave love from the most when you were growing up?As teenagers we need options with regards to what we can do and encouragement to think for ourselves and pursue our passion. Parents and teachers have our best interest at heart when they try to protect us as teenagers, but at the same time they are not setting us up for success because we are not thinking for ourselves.Vanessa Jane explains how most people are living a life of mediocrity because they have too much "stuff" that is holding them back. When you get rid of that stuff you can transcend your life into one of meaning and fulfillment. Carl Jung: What you most need is where you least want to look.What are the patterns that repeat in your life? What is tripping you up? 95% of what determines our life comes from our subconscious mind which is the programs from he past. We need to rely more on our feelings and emotions to draw on the wisdom rather than what our head says from he programing of the past.Book suggestion: Soulshaping: A Journey of Self-Creation by Jeff BrownI asked Vanessa Jane how her family react to her success now and she was pleased to say that her Mum is now her number one fan who helps and supports her in the business. Some members do not get it and it is important to understand that not everyone will because personal growth requires a new thinking."When you get clear on what authentically inspires you, you actually become unshakeable to all the things your past self was terrified about." - Vanessa Jane PatrickUnderstand that our families want us to be happy and they are coming from a level of awareness where getting a stable career is the right route. It may be right for some but not for all so raise your level of awareness and be authentic in the direction your choose for your life.** Be on the lookout for an upcoming episode where I am going to break down the Golden Rule and explain why I think it us fundamentally flawed **The best place to follow Vanessa Jane is on her Facebook page via the link below. Final word from Vanessa Jane: Her life changed when she decided to take 100% responsibility for her actions and destiny. Role model that to others and you will have a greater impact on the world.You can contact Vanessa Jane on Facebook, Website, or Instagram.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

The answer is no, it was of my own doing and my awareness started to change when I cam across the books "Find Your Why" and "Start With Why" by Simon Sinek and his Ted talk, The Golden Circle. It was like a light bulb going off in my mind and I came to the realization that I had more to give, but what exactly? You see, I had lived my life feeling that I wasn't worthy, I had low self-confidence even though I had spent 20+ years in the retail sales environment. I worked through the process of finding my own why and developed my why statement: To add value to others so that they can become the best version of themselves.I realized that I loved to help people and had been searching for ways to do that my whole life, sometimes at the expense of my own happiness. I knew there had to be a way that I could live out this new awareness to maximize the impact that I could have on the world so I set about working out how.I started to look back at the route of why there is a lack of engagement in the workforce and discovered that it comes from the teenage years when our ambition and dreams disappear. The time when we are discouraged from thinking for ourselves, or even thinking at all. The time when we are taught to become consumers of information so that we can pass tests and get exams instead of developing our strengths and passions. I want to change that way of thinking and by doing so I know I will provide the corporate world with a higher quality of leaders who will perform at a superior level, producing exceptional results and changing the world.This is how we make the world great again, by encouraging and maximizing our most valuable asset - the people.If you would like to know more about how I can help you and your children live a life of happiness and fulfillment contact me via any of the links below. Understand this though, to make a difference in your life and Maximize Your Potential requires dedication and hard work so make sure you are prepared to pay that price in order to get what you desire.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

I love the vision and mission statements from Charity's website which inspired me to bring her on the podcast so that I could introduce her to you:Our Vision is to guide and inspire 7 Billion+ people to “live a life of Positive Impact” through the realization of their passion (unique gift/s), and the pursuit of their purpose (ways to share those gift/s) in service of themselves and their community.Our Mission is to shine the light on the people, products, and places that are having a positive impact on the world. We do this through our multimedia platforms where we create and share and amplify these stories so that each person is inspired to take the actions and realize a life with an abundance of joy, great health, and prosperity!Charity's background is in photography and she developed this love in her childhood. She fell in love with taking pictures of everything and became the school photographer before joining the news market. This lead Charity to work for some major publications including Sports Illustrated breaking the stereotype of photographers being men.Charity is very aware of energy and therefore finds it hard when the news is constantly focused on negativity which prompted her to open her own magazine focused on the amazing things that are going on in the world. The response was incredible and requests were coming in from all over the world. A kick starter campaign raised $30,000 to complete the first print.Everything  happens for a reason and we need to learn from what has happened and change our mindset plus energy to make a difference in the world. The latest project involves multiple resources including blogs, podcasts and magazines which will help spread positivity throughout the world.We need to remember to use intentions with everything that we do. Even in meeting a friend, ask yourself "What is the intention of this meeting?", in other words what do you want to take away from it. When you do so you will lead your life intentionally and therefore receive everything that you want.Parents need to be aware of this as children will do what they see rather than what they are told. As children learn these skills they will use them to benefit their growth.The Four Agreements: Don Miguel RuizBe impeccable with your wordDon't take anything personallyDon't make assumptionsAlways do your bestThere is also a fifth agreement that has been added: To always challenge your beliefs.Everyone is doing the best they can based on their level of awareness. People are influenced by the environment that they were brought up in and where they associate. Charity's dream is for world peace and her vision statement is based on that dream. She hopes that this current crisis will continue to bring people together and create a ripple effect that will lead to world peace.Charity's tip: Be in the now.Tap into your senses and understand what you see, hear, feel, see , and smell as that will keep you in  the now and live in the present.You can follow Charity on her website: positiveimpactempire.com, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Ed is committed to adding value to organization who add value to others. His coaching and leadership training focus on empowering and equipping people to effectively connect with others, stretching beyond their comfort zone, and applying sound wisdom to build their foundation for long-term success. His passion is visible when he is developing leaders of all ages to become creative innovators.Ed is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council and often serves as a guest speaker to graduate students at multiple universities. He is a mentor and coach to professionals working in various organizations, he has served on several advisory boards for nonprofit organizations, hosted a television show, and has won awards for his leadership impact.This makes Ed an excellent guest to help show you how to Maximize Your Potential every day!Ed describes how he has been fortunate to learn from the adversities he has experienced. As a kid Ed describes himself as a "knuckle head" where he didn't really feel like he fitted in at school. One day his teacher in elementary school called all the class in and named three children, including Ed, that were being moved to the "smaller class" - the one that the kids referred to as the class for dummies!Ed's childhood was hard because he felt like he never fitted in and was bullied. He asks the question: What would it have been like if someone had stopped and asked, "How are you doing?". He goes on to explain how he thought life wasn't worth living and actually attempted to take his own life at an early age. (This is a bigger problem in society than we care to admit!)Ed was a disconnected kid until a school counselor took time to ask him if he thought he would be okay moving up to the bigger class and of course he said yes. It wasn't easy but his grades did start to improve. His aim was just to graduate school because he knew his family had their own business and therefore he wasn't worried about getting a career.Ed eventually got to college and was taken under the wing of a professor who invested in his potential, the potential that Ed didn't see himself! He held up an apple seed and asked the students what they saw. Most laughed and thought he was crazy but one student explained how he saw an orchard that would feed many people. This opened Ed's eyes and his attitude changed. He knew he had more to give and he passion to change the world started to grow.Listen as Ed talks about his leadership style and ethics. How does this relate to experiences that you have had? This is a classic example of many companies looking at the immediate results but Ed was focused on developing the long term vision and future.Ed found his way into working with kids even though he never thought that was a direction he would ever take. This changed when he encountered a homeless couple who touched his heart. The story shows how people often judge others without knowing the back story. This man described how he lost his job and house after a medical center gave him untested blood which resulted in him getting HIV. This was passed onto his wife and their life went downhill from there. The man was trying to "make peace" with himself before he died. Ed's grades in school were a reflection of his EQ, his emotions regarding family and school life, not his potential.Adults impose limitations on kids and this is where their creativity stops. My aim through Acorns 2 Oaks Leadership Academy and this podcast is to help every level understand that we should be elevating the creativity to maximize potential.Ed tells the story about his daughter who wanted to create something special for her school's valentines day celebration. She knew the resources available to her and went onto YouTube to find out how to make a box that would be special. Her creativity flowed and she made a list of everything she needed to make her box. Being a good father who wants to stimulate her creativity Ed took her to the store and bought the items. Even thought this cost more than buying a finished article Ed knew that this was an investment in her creativity and would pay dividends to her in the future.There is more than one way to learn and in traditional schools we only each one way. We cannot be a hindrance to their creativity by forcing them to live in a world that we used to live in rather than preparing them to live in a world that doesn't exist yet.Question: Were the top 25 products that you use available 25 years ago?The uniformity and conformity in schools today takes the creativity and smashes it, which is what Ed refers to as the sausage factory. This is another challenge that I am on a mission to change with A2OLA.Suicide is the second highest cause of death for our youth!"Love is not an emotion, it is an action." - Ed ReedWhen kids find their purpose and we provide them with an environment to thrive we will provide them the power to change the world. We also need to challenge the corporations to exercise social responsibility to create an environment where kids have a place to thrive in their community.You can connect with Ed on Facebook, on Twitter or via email at [email protected] can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

Ashley continues to pour out her heart and shares her story....As she realized that she was feeling obligated to heal people Ashley decided that she would only talk to people about their problems if they are already seeking help themselves. Brad Pitt: The more love you have, the more love lost  you will have.This brings back a saying that I heard many years ago: It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.Ashley explains how she learned that she needed to love herself more. She also realized that she was never able to speak to her parents about the emotions she was feeling and this is something that eventually she would need to do in order to grow herself and help her parents.When she did bring this to her Dad he didn't speak to her for 8 months afterwards. While this wasn't good, it was out in the open at last. Since that time they have had swings between talking and not talking and Ashley says that she is more like her Dad and her emotions had been harbored to a point where she was a ticking time bomb. Other people's opinions upset her so much that it would control her life for days. Her therapy sessions helped Ashley come to terms with this fact and now she has a great relationship with her Father.Question: How do your decisions affect other people?Last Summer was the last blow up that Ashley and her Father had as he was still being abusive to her Mother. This came to a head with Ashley letting her Father know that unless he changed she was not going to let her kids be around him when she has them. In addition she said he couldn't walk her down the aisle whenever she gets married. Yes, this is harsh but it had to hit home so that he understood the seriousness of the situation and his actions.Ashley's words are getting through to her Father as her Mother says he is now helping around the house and being more attentive. She wants the best for Family and will always love him, even if this is from afar. A few months after this conversation Ashley's Grand Father passed away and death brings reflection to family. When Ashley went home she saw her Father for the first time in months and he did apologize for the things he had said and how he had acted, which is progress.The lesson here is to share your emotions and face what is happening so that you can clear away the clutter and learn to love yourself. Being confident in who you are and being able to try something new without fear of what other people will say will help you to achieve your dreams.You own your decisions and they should be based on what you want, not what other people want for you. Yes, you will fail as you grow but when you learn from these temporary setbacks it is a good lesson. After a relationship break up Ashley went into a depression and it took a lot to get out of that. She leaned on her friends a lot, which shows the value of having to tight inner circle. The was about 4 years ago and looking back now Ashley cringes as she realizes her self worth was so low. She now understands that the only limitations we have exist in our own minds. Therapy helps you find the real you and identify your inner challenges so that you can overcome them and move forward.Summary:Understanding your self worthDeveloping confidence in yourselfGet rid of internal baggageLearn to love yourselfGet a support groupTherapy is goo d to help you understand why you are who you areFailure is good - fail early and fail often!As parents you influence your kids future - be happy so that they can be happyYou can connect with Ashley on Instagram.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here. 

In this episode I just let Ashley talk, and I encourage you to listen as she pours out her heart in telling her story. It is a great lesson in how we need to listen to the Millennial and Gen Z population so that we can truly understand what they are thinking and who they are. Ashley explains how her story started by experiencing an abusive relationship between her parents and how this affected her, even though she didn't realize it at the time. Ashley's parents had her at a young age and this brought them challenges that young adults really should not have to go through. At 19 years old you don't really know your self and adding a baby into the equation adds extra stress.As a child Ashley absorbed that energy, even while in the womb, and she believes that her sensitivity to other people's energy comes from this. While she didn't understand what was happening with her parents relationship and behavior it became the norm for her. Animosity resulted and Ashley became confused about what love actually was. She wanted to make her mother feel good and this resulted in her becoming compassionate towards others and wanting to serve them.At age 12 Ashley begged her family to go to counseling and felt that her parents were pushing a lot of their fears onto her. (My research has shown that this is a widespread  challenge that I address in my Acorns 2 oaks Leadership Academy). By doing this it creates a generational cycle of fear by putting your own limitations onto your offspring. We all have a different definition of success and it is important to explore what you want and who you are before making decisions that will dictate the path of your life.Ashley wanted to explore all avenues as to what she could do and get good at that, especially as it meant she could focus on that instead of going home to the toxic environment. Once Ashley realized that she wanted to serve people she went to college for Athletic development before switching to Chiropractic school. "If you don't love what you do to your core, you will not be successful" - Dr. Ashley Robel.After graduating Ashley stayed in St. Louis rather than moving back to Wisconsin where she was raised. Her parents were not happy about this but as Ashley explains, it is important to be in an environment that is going to stimulate your growth. Even after graduating Ashley was struggling wit a lack of self-worth and confidence which she explains came from how she saw her Mom view herself. Note: This is something parents need to be aware of because children observe a lot and this tends to stick more than what you say. This lack of self confidence lead to bad decisions with dating as Ashley would pick men who she thought needed fixing and all she wanted was to be made happy. She came to realize that she was carrying a lot if unwanted baggage and this needed to be cleared before she could move forward towards happiness.She wanted to make her parents proud because she felt like she had taken their dreams away when they made the decision to have her. Therefore her decisions were made in order to make her parents happy. Ashley explains that whatever you go through in life is your responsibility and you cannot point fingers at anyone else or blame them because if you do you will not go anywhere significant.Ashley went to therapy and it was this experience that helped her to learn about herself and the fact that her decisions around relationships were based on what she saw with her parents growing up. Therapy does require a degree of vulnerability but it is essential to release the pain and heal from it so that you can grow. You cannot be responsible for healing other people but you can inspire them to want to help themselves. You need to find boundaries when doing this because it is easy to absorb their bad energy which in turn will bring you down. More to come in episode #18.You can connect with Ashley on Instagram.You can connect with me at:Website: www.Chris-J-Baker.comEmail: [email protected]: Release Your Unconscious PageFacebook: Leadership Excellence with Chris BakerLinkedIn: Chris BakerInstagram: chris _j_baker_ryuTo purchase my book 10 Steps 2 Freedom from Amazon click here.To purchase my book Organizational Culture and Leadership click here Our aim is to help individuals and organizations to raise their bars and be on a journey of continuous improvement. Therefore it is important that you know your own values and align yourself with a company that shares those and has a culture that you can get behind.Are you ready to Raise Your BARS and be the person you want to become?We want you to become the best version of yourself and to do that you have to break away from the limiting beliefs that other people impose on you and step into your greater self. If you are an aspiring leader or a leader who wants to continue growing to be the best you can be we encourage you to visit and subscribe to the Stand Up Leaders YouTube channel.We invite you to join our Facebook group, Raise Your  Bars  - Personal Growth Solutions, and if you are ready to reprogram your current belief systems,  visit our website by clicking here.