Category Archives: Uncategorized

FEATURE

35. How Saying ‘No’ Can Create New Opportunities in Your Business



Do you know that feeling when you take on too much at once and feel like you’re spinning a million plates that could fall and break any second?

Deirdre Van Nest knows this feeling all too well.

The way to get out of this chaos is knowing when to say NO. With this in mind, we have made the hard decision of temporarily pausing the Crazy Good Talks podcast.

In this episode, Deirdre explains why the Crazy Good Talks podcast is going on a short break.

Deirdre discusses: 

  • Her new journey to create a legacy business
  • How saying NO can create new opportunities for your business
  • What the CGT team is working on during this break  
  • When you can expect the Crazy Good Talks podcast to return
  • And more

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:

If you’d like tools and strategies to effortlessly make emotional connections with and have an emotional impact on your ideal clients so you can: 

  • Quickly build trust 
  • Help clients make decisions faster
  • And Attract and win more business

We’d LOVE to help!  Please click here to schedule a free 30 minute Strategy Session with a member of our team.




What it means to be a Thought Leader With John LoDuca Part 2. (Ep 34)



Humans have been using storytelling to communicate, pass on knowledge and connect for thousands of years.

But, did you know that when you share your wisdom and stories, and package them in the right way,  your stories actually become assets in your business?

In this episode, Deirdre Van Nest has a conversation with John LoDuca, founder of Playbook Builder, to discuss the importance of storytelling, packaging your wisdom, and how thought leadership connects AND impacts us all.

Deirdre and John discuss: 

  • The three core elements of thought leadership
  • How stories play a role in thought leadership and why it’s so important to use stories to convey your wisdom
  • How Playbook Builder leverages your time and makes it easy to share your wisdom (the most valuable asset your company has)with your clients and team members 
  • And more

Connect With John LoDuca:

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:

If you’d like tools and strategies to effortlessly make emotional connections with and have an emotional impact on your ideal clients so you can: 

  • Quickly build trust 
  • Help clients make decisions faster
  • And Attract and win more business

We’d LOVE to help!  Please click here to schedule a free 30 minute Strategy Session with a member of our team.

About Our Guest:

Jon is founder and president of The Wisdom Link (founded in 2002), an intellectual capital development firm where he’s provided strategic and tactical guidance, resources, and end-to-end solutions to over 400 leading businesses in 20 industries. He is also founder and managing partner of PlaybookBuilder (founded in 2012), a knowledge management software and consulting services company. As a trusted advisor to several hundred of the top 1⁄2% income earning entrepreneurs from across the US, UK and CAN, Jon is called upon to provide leadership, market strategy and the tactical resources to harvest, package and monetize the unique processes and best practices of leading companies. Jon has been featured as a technology and business leader in Forbes, The Wall St. Journal, Advisor Today and dozens of trade publications. Jon is the author of The Thought Leader, founder of The Wisdom Network – a private think-tank, a contributing writer for Capterra, and a sought-after speaker with engagements at MDRT, TED, AALU, TechAssure, Lincoln Financial, Marshberry, NAIFA, and several regional organizations nationwide.



What It Means To Be a Thought Leader With John LoDuca Part 1. (Ep 33)



A ‘Thought Leader’ has the ability to transform people, industries, and sometimes even the world.

In order to be considered a thought leader you must voice (or pen) original ideas AND you must differentiate yourself through a unique process. 

In this episode, Deirdre Van Nest speaks with John LoDuca, founder of Playbook Builder, about how to capitalize on your wisdom and be viewed as a thought leader.

Deirdre and John discuss: 

  • What exactly IS ‘Thought Leadership’?
  • How to package your wisdom to stand out from the herd.
  • Why creating a unique process is a key element in differentiating yourself.
  • Top tips for identifying your own unique process.
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With John LoDuca:

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:

If you’d like tools and strategies to effortlessly make emotional connections with and have an emotional impact on your ideal clients so you can: 

  • Quickly build trust 
  • Help clients make decisions faster
  • And Attract and win more business

We’d LOVE to help!  Please click here to schedule a free 30 minute Strategy Session with a member of our team.

About Our Guest:

Jon is founder and president of The Wisdom Link (founded in 2002), an intellectual capital development firm where he’s provided strategic and tactical guidance, resources, and end-to-end solutions to over 400 leading businesses in 20 industries. He is also founder and managing partner of PlaybookBuilder (founded in 2012), a knowledge management software and consulting services company. As a trusted advisor to several hundred of the top 1⁄2% income earning entrepreneurs from across the US, UK and CAN, Jon is called upon to provide leadership, market strategy and the tactical resources to harvest, package and monetize the unique processes and best practices of leading companies. Jon has been featured as a technology and business leader in Forbes, The Wall St. Journal, Advisor Today and dozens of trade publications. Jon is the author of The Thought Leader, founder of The Wisdom Network – a private think-tank, a contributing writer for Capterra, and a sought-after speaker with engagements at MDRT, TED, AALU, TechAssure, Lincoln Financial, Marshberry, NAIFA, and several regional organizations nationwide.


Top Secrets to Effectively Leading a Remote Team with Andrea Schlapia (Ep 32)



Remote work has opened up a whole new world of opportunities.

But, there is still some resistance and fear from business owners who are not comfortable moving to this new way of working. The truth is if you’re not willing to provide at least some remote options, you will not be competitive when it comes to attracting and hiring top talent!

In this episode, Deirdre Van Nest sits down with Andrea Schlapia, founder of Ironstone Consulting to discuss her top tips to embracing, creating and leading a successful remote team.

Andrea and Deirdre discuss: 

  • Shifting your mindset from hours to output
  • Making communication your TOP priority and choosing the right platform for you and your team
  • Setting a routine so you can stay focused and creating boundaries between work and personal life
  • What is EOS and why it’s such a powerful business process for virtual offices
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Andrea Schlapia:

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:

If you’d like tools and strategies to effortlessly make emotional connections with and have an emotional impact on your ideal clients so you can: 

  • Quickly build trust 
  • Help clients make decisions faster
  • And Attract and win more business

We’d LOVE to help!  Please click here to schedule a free 30 minute Strategy Session with a member of our team.

About Our Guest:

Business owner. Educator. Speaker. Coach. Ironstone Founder/CEO Andrea Lopez-Schlapia holds designations as a Registered Corporate Coach (RCC™), a Human Capital Strategist (HCS), a Strategic HR Business Partner (sHRBP), and Certified Administrator of PXT SelectTM and Myers-Briggs assessments.

Andrea began her career in banking, then rose through the ranks of global investment firms like Dreyfus, Deutsche Bank and Prudential. In 2008, she launched Ironstone, which specializes in helping financial advisors maximize their strategic planning, business development and operations.


FEATURE

22. 13 Mistakes That Stop You From Becoming a Crazy Good Speaker (And How To Fix Them!)



Are you struggling to hold your audience’s attention and own the room every time you speak? If so, you might be making the most common delivery mistakes without realizing it. 

Let’s turn that around!

In this episode, Deirdre Van Nest unpacks 13 mistakes that derail speakers of all experience levels from giving a Crazy Good Talk®! Not only that, but she shares how to make improvements right away — these are the major tips Deirdre has learned from helping thousands of professionals bring in business faster and impact more lives through public speaking.

Deirdre discusses:

  • How to give your audience advice without ever sounding preachy
  • The basics of how to move with purpose while on stage-don’t be a ‘pacer’ or ‘swayer’.
  • What it looks like to aim for connection over perfection as a speaker
  • Why it’s a mistake to address your audience as a group (and what to do instead)
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:

 


FEATURE

21. From Free to Fee: Proven Tips for Becoming a Paid Speaker



You’d love to get paid for your professional speaking. But you’re not sure how to go from free-based to fee-based. Sound familiar?

In this episode, Deirdre Van Nest tells all! Having gone from speaking for free to now earning a living from delivering her Crazy Good Talks®, Deirdre has proven tips to help you initiate and increase your fees over time. 

Deirdre discusses: 

  • How structure and practice will propel you to become a Crazy Good presenter and speaker
  • Why she urges aspiring fee-based speakers to get on stage as much as possible 
  • How having a speaking coach will help you make a massive impact on the lives of others
  • Why networking is the key to continually getting booked to speak
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:


FEATURE

17. Got “Virtual Fatigue”? A 4-Part Formula for Keeping Your Audience AND Yourself Energized During Virtual Presentations: Part 1



Energy and the internet can be a tough combo for any speaker. 

That’s why keeping the energy moving during your virtual presentations is THE key to engaging your audience.

In this episode, Deirdre Van Nest reveals her go-to formula for getting and KEEPING an audience’s attention during virtual presentations. Use this formula so that YOU AND YOUR audience leave “the room” feeling energized. 

Deirdre discusses: 

  • How to make your webcam feel like an actual person and why that’s critical to your success
  • Why you MUST keep the “energy moving” at least every 7 to 10 minutes
  • How to make your audience members feel like you’re talking directly to them vs. to a big group
  • Proven hacks to instantly make your virtual presentations more engaging
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:


16. 7 Steps To Creating a Clear Brand Message That Turns Prospects Into Clients With Casey Fuerst



Are you struggling to create a clear brand message? One a 10-year old can understand? 

No matter how long you’ve been in business, messaging is tough! Especially if you’re not a professional marketer. 

In this episode, Deirdre Van Nest gets solutions from Casey Fuerst, the owner of Tic Tac Toe Marketing and a StoryBrand Certified Guide. Casey shares seven easy steps for clarifying your message so that more prospects engage with you. This will transform how you talk about who you are, what you do, and the unique value you bring to your clients.

Casey discusses: 

  • What StoryBrand is (and why Deirdre is a big fan!
  • Why you want to be Yoda, not Luke Skywalker!
  • Seven steps to clarifying your message and helping prospects understand the benefits of working with you
  • How StoryBrand and Crazy Good Talks® strategic stories work together to grab and keep your prospects’ attention
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Casey Fuerst:

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:

About Our Guest:

For 20+ years, Casey Fuerst has worked with small businesses and nonprofits to give them messaging, strategic marketing plans, and collateral materials to support their work. Casey is a certified StoryBrand Guide and uses this framework to increase impact and grow businesses.


15. Writing a Book Using the Crazy Good Talks® Blueprint With Ross Marino



Do you have a book inside you that’s aching to get out?

Of course you do! Well, you’re in luck because the Crazy Good Talks® Blueprint will give you the guidance and structure to write it.

In this episode, Deirdre Van Nest is joined by Ross Marino CFP®, the founder and chief executive officer at Advisor2X. You will learn how Ross Marino CFP® used the Crazy Good Talks Blueprint to write his book. You will also discover how you can use the Crazy Good Talks® Blueprint to make an impact with your words and ideas.

Ross discusses: 

  • How he and co-author Susan Bradley encourage their readers to feel, think, and act differently
  • Tips and tricks he learned from the Crazy Good Talks® Blueprint to help write his book
  • Top three strategies he used to write his book from the Crazy Good Talks® Blueprint
  • How opening up with a bang changed his on-stage experience
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Ross Marino:

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:

About Our Guest:

Ross Marino’s fascination with business and investments started in the 9th grade, when he received a copy of Money Magazine as a birthday gift. That fascination led to his career as a financial planner. He founded Transitus Wealth Partners, which has helped individuals, families, and business owners make decisions through life transitions for over 30 years.

In 2010, Ross founded Advisor2X™ to help other advisors grow their individual and family financial planning and employer plan practices. Advisor2X™ has hosted over 1,000 events in 40 cities for over 30,000 advisors.


FEATURE

14. How to Master the Power of the Pause in Your Presentations



When you’re presenting, do you feel pressured to fill every space with words?

A lot of professionals feel this way. They believe that if they pause, they’re giving the audience “nothing.”

In this episode of Crazy Good Talks®, Deirdre Van Nest explains why the opposite is true. You will discover why taking a  pause is the most powerful way to connect deeply with your audience. Plus, she shares four types of pauses for every speaker to master, when to use them, and how. 

Deirdre discusses: 

  • Four key times to pause during a presentation or speech
  • Why pausing will help you build an intellectual and emotional connection with your audience
  • An easy technique for emphasizing a significant point to your audience
  • The answer to the question: “How long should I pause for?”
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:


FEATURE

13. So What Does It Actually Take To Be a Crazy Good Speaker?



What’s the difference between a good speaker and a Crazy Good Speaker? 

In this episode, Deirdre Van Nest shares four trade secrets that Crazy Good Speakers use to stand out and own the room every time they speak. Whether you’re a new speaker, seasoned speaker, or somewhere in between, these are tips you can use right away to make your next presentation Crazy Good!

Deirdre discusses: 

  • How to avoid a speaker’s worst nightmare: Looking into the crowd and seeing a visibly bored audience ––  people daydreaming, sleeping, or playing on their phones
  • The KEY question Crazy Good Speakers always ask BEFORE planning a presentation
  • Why every Crazy Good Speaker follows a process 
  • The  total game-changer – -what Crazy Good Speakers do to own the room every time they speak 
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:


FEATURE

12. To Script or Not to Script? How To Know Which Approach Will Keep Your Audience’s Attention



“To script or not to script?” Do you ever ask yourself this question as you prepare for a Crazy Good Talk®?

In this episode, Deirdre Van Nest helps you decide which approach to take for your next speaking engagement –– and why (hint: It’s all about keeping your audience’s attention!). She also dispels the myth that scripting leads to sounding unnatural, and she shares her go-to method for memorizing long presentations. 

Deirdre discusses: 

  • Why scripting is the key to being 100% you in front of your audience
  • Top reasons to memorize your presentation
  • Guidelines on when to go scripted vs. unscripted
  • Why your favorite actors sound completely natural (even though they’re reciting lines)
  • And more

Resources: 

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:


FEATURE

11. 5 Strategies To Get More People To Attend Your Events With Brad Swineheart



Have you ever had tons of people register for your event, but then, only a few people actually show up? 

It’s frustrating. Especially when you’ve prepared a Crazy Good Talk®. 

Help is here! Whether you’re an advisor, thought leader, or executive, this episode is for you. Deirdre Van Nest talks with Brad Swineheart, senior vice president of business development at WhiteGlove. As an expert in marketing, Brad shares five strategic ways that will increase your event attendance to ultimately get you more appointments.

Brad discusses: 

  • What to ask yourself before you spend a dollar on your marketing event
  • Why timing is everything when it comes to your events, meetings, and marketing campaigns for prospects
  • Why creating a barrier to entry for every registration actually increases attendance
  • Surefire ways to turn registrants into attendees with a follow-up sequence
  • And more

Resources: 

Crazy Good Talks: 7. The Blind Spot of Building Trust With Joey Davenport

Connect With Brad Swineheart:

Connect With Crazy Good Talks®:

About Our Guest:

Brad Swineheart: Brad Swineheart is the vice president of business development at White Glove, he is dedicated to providing advisors with successful marketing methods that generate prospects and clients. He additionally works to uncover the best industry strategies by discovering how advisors in the trenches today are growing their practices.


Episode 10 – The Secret Weapon for Decreasing Your Speaking Jitters — with Jesse Tordsen



Did you know that breathing is a secret weapon for decreasing anxiety and increasing your effectiveness as a presenter?

In fact, when used daily, this secret weapon will give you more peace of mind and help you be more successful in all areas of your life.

In this episode of the Crazy Good Talks® Podcast, Deirdre Van Nest sits down with Jesse Tordsen, owner of Steady Path Healing. As an expert in breathwork, he shares how to use your breath during speaking events and daily life activities. Stay tuned until the end, where Jesse will give you two guided exercises to help you center your energy before you present.

You will learn:

  • How to decrease stress and anxiety when presenting
  • Why tuning into your breath can help you “calm your mind”
  • Two types of breathing exercises to center your energy before you present
  • And more!

Tune in to this episode, to become more aware of the science behind using your breath!]

Resources: Crazy Good Talks® | Deirdre Van Nest | Steady Path Healing Book a Massage | Steady Path Healing | Steady Path Healing Instagram | Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor | Jesse Tordsen | Jesse Tordsen Breathing Exercise Demo


FEATURE

Episode 9 – Never, ever end your presentation with a Q & A session. Never!



Contrary to popular belief, one of the ways even the best presentations can be derailed is by closing with a Q and A session. If you are presenting like this, it is absolutely time to make a change!

In this episode of the Crazy Good Talks® Podcast, Deirdre Van Nest shares why it’s a mistake to close your presentation with a Q and A session, and how to keep the audience interested until the very end of your  presentation.

You will learn:

  • How you should be ending your presentations so that you and your audience never experience the ‘FOOSH factor’ 
  • The 3 KEY places to hold your Q and A session
  • The mindset needed to take control of your stage and own the room when you’re holding a Q and A session
  • THE strategy that will redirect questions you don’t want to answer 
  • And more!

Tune in to learn why you need to be the last voice ringing in your audience’s ears!

Resources: Crazy Good Talks® | Deirdre Van Nest


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Episode 8 – Speak To Be Remembered — with Craig Valentine, MBA



What if you could become one of the best professional keynote speakers in the entire world? What would that journey look like, and how would you want to be remembered?

In this episode of the Crazy Good Talks® Podcast, Deirdre Van Nest sits down with Craig Valentine, MBA, an award-winning professional speaker, and speech coach. Join Deirdre and Craig as they divulge their key tips to mastering your skills and how they became World-Class “Crazy Good” Speakers.

You will learn:

  • How Craig turned adversity into an advantage and propelled his career in public speaking with the mantra of “if you can face it, you can change it.”
  • Why you have to lose the mindset of “Who am I to think that I could possibly help somebody else?”
  • Why you should always be open to incorporate new tools, strategies, and techniques into your presentations
  • Why Craig starts every coaching process off by asking “Did you come here for validation or did you come here for education?”
  • Craig’s three down and dirty speaking tips to become a Crazy Good speaker
  • And more!

Don’t miss this episode! It will help you become a great educator and speaker, and create strong emotional connections with your audience so that you will be remembered.

Resources: Crazy Good Talks® | Deirdre Van Nest | Craig Valentine’s 52 Speaking Tips | Craig Valentine LI | Book: World Class Speaking by Craig Valentine | Craig Valentine Bio


Episode 7 – The Blind Spot of Building Trust — with Guest Joey Davenport



Your ability to build trust and emotional connection may not be as easy to quantify, but research shows, to the consumer, these qualities are MORE important than competency.

In this episode of Crazy Good Talks®, Deirdre sits down with Joey Davenport, International speaker and president of Hoopis Performance Network. Joey and Deirdre share the top four traits consumers look for in a professional, and pinpoint the blind spot of trust, outlining ways experts can become more approachable.

In this episode you will learn:

  • Why competency is the LAST quality the consumer considers when looking for a financial professional
  • How to stand out in a sea of sameness on LinkedIn (sneak peek: Humanize your profile!)
  • How to create favorable introductions to build a strong connection
  • Why if you’re not willing to show appropriate vulnerability with prospects and clients, you may lose them to a professional who will
  • The top 4 qualities consumers consider when choosing a financial advisor 
  • And more!

Tune in to learn more on how financial professionals can create an emotional connection with clients and pinpoint the blind spot of trust.

Resources: Crazy Good Talks® | Deirdre Van Nest | Joey Davenport on LI | Joey Davenport Bio | Trustworthysellinginfo.com | The Soft Skills Gap Article | Hot LZ | Rodger Johnson on LI


FEATURE

Episode 6 – Is Storytelling in Your Sales & Relationship Building Toolkit? Part 2



Creating a real connection with your audience through a “Why Story” is like adding lighter fluid to your presentations, conversations and marketing tactics.

In this episode of Crazy Good Talks®, Deirdre delves into more detail on Why Stories. You will learn why this type of storytelling is so powerful and how to communicate your story to connect on a deeper level with your audience.

In this episode you will learn:

  • How adding Deirdre’s Why Story to her speeches skyrocketed her career
  • The key is to choosing your Why Story so it resonates 
  • Guidelines to help incorporate your Why Story into a presentation
  • The four main ingredients to creating your story
  • And more!

Tune in to learn more about how you can create an emotional connection with your audience and become a Crazy Good Storyteller!

Resources: Crazy Good Talks® | Deirdre Van Nest | Episode #5


FEATURE

Episode 5 – Is Storytelling in Your Sales & Relationship Building Toolkit?



Did you know that human brains are ideally set up to understand and learn from a story?

In this episode of Crazy Good Talks®, Deirdre will go over three types of stories every business professional MUST have in their tool kit. You’ll learn that stories are an extension of your sales and relationship building team, how they can help you connect on a deeper level with your audience, and how to determine the story type that best fits your purpose.

In this episode you will learn:

  • What three types of stories are essential in business
  • How to determine which story type you need in your presentation
  • How to avoid the biggest storytelling mistakes most professionals make
  • And more!

Tune in to learn more about how to weave stories into your next presentation. Virtually & In Person!

Resources:  Crazy Good Talks® | Deirdre Van Nest


FEATURE

Episode 4 – How to Grab Attention from the First Words Out of Your Mouth



One of the biggest challenges a presenter has is grabbing the attention of your audience from the first words out of your mouth. 

In this episode of Crazy Good Talks®, Deirdre will teach you how to inspire your audience and hook them at the beginning of every presentation both virtually and in person.

In this episode you will learn:

  • Why you should skip the “unpleasant pleasantries” in your opening
  • Techniques to open your next presentation with a bang
  • Deirdre’s three go-to-ways to open a presentation
  • The difference between opening a presentation virtually and in person
  • And more!

Tune in to learn more about how you can captivate your audience from the first words out of your mouth.

Resources:  Crazy Good Talks® | Deirdre Van Nest 


FEATURE

Episode 3 – How To Prepare Before You Step Out on Stage



Are you treating your presentations like any other meeting? You may not realize the work you need to put in before you step on stage.

In this episode of Crazy Good Talks® Deirdre Van Nest, discusses how to discipline yourself and put the audience’s needs before your own. Deirdre explains ways you can empower yourself and control your energy, to give a powerful presentation with actionable steps and strategies you can use both virtually & In person

In this episode you will learn:

  • How to manage your mindset and energy before you speak
  • What an energy protection plan is and how to create your own
  • How to get into the mindset of focusing on what you can control as a speaker
  • And more!

Tune in to learn more about how to prepare to deliver an empowering presentation!

Resources: Crazy Good Talks® | Deirdre Van Nest | Crazy Good Talks® TV | I didn’t come this far to come this far 


FEATURE

Episode 2 – Why I Left The Stage for 24 years with Deirdre Van Nest



In this episode of Crazy Good Talks®, you will get to know Deirdre Van Nest. Why is this important? Deirdre believes if you are going to follow her advice you need to feel confident she knows her stuff! Deirdre is passionate about helping and mentoring people to success, she has powered through her own challenges and shares a few of those in this episode

In this episode you will learn:

  • What life events led Deirdre to leaving the stage for 24 years
  • How she created a successful speaking business after being away for so long 
  • What Deirdre feels are some of the most important elements in her life
  • How she helps her private clients get past their fears and move forward
  • And more!

Tune in to get an inside look at how Deirdre became an expert in speaking Virtually & In Person!

Resources: Crazy Good Talks® | Deirdre Van Nest | Fearless Living | World Class Speaking