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5 Reasons Developing Confidence Is Critical to Your Success
“This article was originally posted on the Huffington Post.”
Confidence is essential to your success and that of your business — in fact, it’s vital to everything you do in life. In my own career, confidence has been a pivotal skill and strength I’ve needed every step of the way, especially in the male-dominated tech and music industries.
Operating from a confident stance is absolutely essential for women serving — or aspiring to serve — in any kind of leadership capacity. It’s a personal and professional trait that will serve you well, and it’s certainly not selfish to aim to become more confident. When you work with confidence, you’ll find that you’re more effective and efficient — and so is everyone you work with.
Yet confidence is a result, not a prerequisite or a requirement. In other words, you probably won’t have it until you’ve done something to develop it — and it builds on itself over time. This is good news: You can learn to be confident with each success.
Channel the Confidence Your Business Needs
There are plenty of benefits to being a strong, confident woman business leader. Not only are confident people listened to more deliberately and taken more seriously, but they also tend to handle business dealings more effortlessly, with greater ease and better outcomes.
Beyond that, your confidence will make both employees and clients more comfortable. It’s reassuring to deal with someone who can take a stand and make decisions. Because confidence is a psychological motivator, it keeps you going during challenging times, enabling you to take risks and try new things without second-guessing yourself.
When you’re confident, you’re more relaxed and focused; therefore, you’re able to make better decisions and act on them promptly. Speed matters in business. And second-guessing yourself often leads to hesitation, mistakes, and lost opportunities.
A confident physical presence comes across in the way you carry yourself, and it spurs improved outcomes more consistently. It’s like a visible sign of success that says, “I’m going places and I’m clear on what I want to achieve, so follow me.”
So You Weren’t Born With It
However, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s natural for confidence to ebb and flow at times. When you’re frustrated, disappointed, or coming off a failure, it’s easy to allow anxiety, fears, and negativity to creep in. They can be temporary distractions, or they can create a vicious cycle that takes you out of your game for a longer time. The goal is to avoid the doom loop entirely.
We all have the capacity to develop confidence. Just like a muscle that’s flexed and strengthened over time, it grows with each success. As you learn to believe in yourself, your confidence increases; before you know it, “confident” is your new normal. Follow these suggestions to move in the right direction and restore your confidence level when it wanes:
- Start with an ounce of prevention. Find a mentor who can determine where your negative thinking stems from and identify distracting fears and anxieties as they crop up in your life. Often, a little insight and a shift in perspective from someone you trust can be the catalyst you need to alter your perception and move on.
- Think before you speak — to yourself. Experts in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), the field of psychology that studies self-talk, agree: What you think of and say to yourself is extremely important. If you’re being negative in your self-talk, deliberatively flip the switch to more positive language to shift into a more confident and optimistic mode.
- Channel past successes. Let memories of past successes fuel your next achievement. Think of a time when you were confident and had a successful outcome. Recall the steps that led to positive results then, and apply a similar technique now to get back on track.
- Be ready for anything. Things will go wrong; that’s life. Prepare for potentially adverse circumstances by thinking ahead to what scenarios could occur in any given situation, and envision how you’ll use the strategies at your disposal to navigate them so your confidence remains intact, no matter what happens.
- Keep your ego in check. Overconfidence is rare, especially among women. But it can happen, and it’s just as detrimental as a lack of confidence. When you aren’t willing to listen to other people’s input or perspectives, you’ve crossed the line from confident to arrogant. And arrogance doesn’t work in business (or personal) situations, where cooperation and support are absolutely vital.
Every step of my career path has been possible because I channeled the confidence that I needed — from navigating corporate America to starting my own business. That’s not to say that confidence was all I needed.
Certainly, without essential qualifications and experience, confidence can be misplaced. However, in addition to having the skills and experience you need, confidence is a critical — even vital — component to your success, and it can benefit you personally and professionally. Don’t leave home without it!
To your continued, highest success,
Kelli Richards,
CEO of the All Access Group, LLC
Just Because You Have 500+ Connections Doesn’t Mean Your Network Is Healthy
January 9, 2015,
Inc.
Just Because You Have 500+ Connections Doesn’t Mean Your Network Is Healthy
The best way to build solid connections is to earn a reputation of being a person who adds value for others in virtually every interaction you have with them.
You may run a profitable, fast-growing startup, but without an active network of trusted and influential connections, your business probably isn’t living up to its full potential in terms of sales, profits, and growth.
Referrals and connections are the currency of the business world, and taking the time to build and nurture your network really pays off in the form of new leads, personal opportunities, and good old-fashioned social capital.
Even if you have 500+ connections on LinkedIn and a Klout score that’s through the roof, there’s really no way to know how strong your network is without actually testing it.
Here are three ways to assess your network and ensure your connections are happy and healthy:
1. Perform a network audit. To check that your network is thriving, set aside some time each month or quarter to ask yourself several key questions about the state of your community interactions and relationships:
- Who’s in your circle? Ideally, you should … to read the rest of this article, please visit this article in it’s original publication space on INC. Magazine: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/just-because-you-have-500-connections-doesn-t-mean-your-network-is-healthy.html
To your continued, highest success,
Kelli Richards,
CEO of the All Access Group, LLC
12 Affirmations For The Struggling Entrepreneur
“This article was first published in LinkedIn”
Entrepreneurs are an optimistic lot. Naysayers might say “naïve.” But they have to be. Odds are against their success, but those who do succeed will provide for their families, solve customers’ problems, and possibly change the world in a big way.The best entrepreneur, therefore, has a healthy confidence that “I’ll be the one person in a thousand who makes it big.”
Still, even the most optimistic of entrepreneurs can have a bad day. Maybe the customers aren’t coming fast enough, or investors remain uninterested. Or maybe you’ve just been working for 24 hours straight and need to sleep. Whatever the reason, it’s important for entrepreneurs to get back on the positive side quickly, especially if they have employees looking to them to set the tone.
With that in mind, it’s helpful to have an arsenal of optimistic thoughts handy for those pessimistic moments.
12 Affirmations for the Entrepreneur
1. Go for it. Having something half done is worse than not having it all. Commit to doing everything you can to make it work.
2. There’s always a lag between doing something new and seeing results. Don’t be discouraged if things don’t look up right away.
3. If Plan A doesn’t work, there are 25 more letters in the alphabet.
4. Ambition is good, but don’t always live for the ending. Enjoy the process of building something from nothing, meeting customers’ needs, and providing jobs for your employees.
5. Do you need to look at the situation from a new perspective to find the solution? A coach, a friend, or a walk in the park can sometimes help you see new options.
6. When you fail, you’re one step closer to success.
7. If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough or pushing yourself enough. What would you do if you had no fear? Go do that.
8. Believe in yourself and your vision. Some days, that will be all you have.
9. Related to that, trust your gut. Your instinct can be more instructive than a million books on entrepreneurship. Don’t ignore the small, nagging voice when it wants your attention.
10. Don’t rely only on yourself, though. You can’t do everything. Find a great team and do whatever is necessary to keep them close. The road to success — or failure — is more fun with people who believe and trust one another.
11. Listen to the naysayers just long enough to hear what you need to refine your business. Then, tune them out. It can be helpful to hear criticism, but you should surround yourself with people who want to help fulfill your vision.
12. Be in love with the problem more than you are with the solution. In other words, care more about solving the problem than solving it the way you think it should work. Sometimes, your first hypothesis is simply wrong, and you need to be open to trying new things.
It’s a challenge to start and run your own business. You won’t even imagine most of the obstacles you’ll face until you see them. But, success is 50 percent attitude, and if you give yourself a little pep talk when you’re struggling, you can keep your attitude in check.
Truly creating change requires a lot of work — and just the right amount of optimism.
What reminders have helped you get through the tough times as an entrepreneur? Share them in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group.
PS: Subscribe to my FREE All Access Group Newsletter https://bit.ly/AAGNewletter
The right mentor will also have the right CONNECTIONS to move any effort forward. Be sure to ask who they think they can bring to the table around advisorship, possible collaboration and even funding.
4 Things You Can Do to Personalize Your Brand Like the Celebs
“This article was originally posted in the Huff Post Business”
Between Google and social media, it’s become simultaneously easier and more difficult than ever to maintain your brand image. With a few keystrokes, anyone can learn just about anything about you. On the other hand, if you can cultivate what your audience will find, you can influence your brand image and how others perceive you.
Whether you’re seeking a career change, a promotion, or new clients, this is a powerful tool, and perhaps no one knows this better than A-list celebrities.
Control Your Image Like a Pro
The most successful celebrities know that getting their name out there is about more than just being seen. It’s about imparting a personalized concept of who they are.
If you want to brand yourself like the stars, focus on these four tactics:
- Use media to your advantage. Whether that means effectively utilizing social media, public speaking, or establishing your brand’s platform by publishing articles and books, you need to become known and trusted as a thought leader. Leverage media to give people a sense of who you are, what you stand for, and what you’re doing to change the world. Don’t be a best-kept secret!
- Be authentic. Celebrities who express their fears and vulnerabilities honestly are more likely to create tighter bonds with their audiences. Think of when Princess Diana expressed her sadness over her crumbling marriage on global television or how Roger Ebert continued his work while visibly battling a crippling disease. When celebrities show they’re human, they’re much more relatable.
- Craft the image you want others to perceive about you. By consistently sharing your thoughts and message, you have more influence over what others think of you than you realize. Decide how you want to be perceived, then maintain a consistent tone and presence in your marketplace.
- Take a stand. Think of Matt Damon’s clean water advocacy or Angelina Jolie’s involvement with the U.N. Nearly all celebrities have causes they’re committed to, and their public advocacy galvanizes others to take action. By taking a position on something that matters to you, you extend your brand and image leaps and bounds in showing people who you are, what you stand for, and what you’re committed to.
Build Your Team
As a business professional, you have a lot on your plate, so how do you find the time and focus to accomplish all this? The trick is building a support system. Depending on your goals, include any (or all) of the following people on your team:
- Social media strategist/publicist: This is someone with whom you can discuss how you want to be presented and who will help co-create your brand. She’ll provide feedback and develop strategies for shaping your image online and off.
- Trusted advisor/mentor: Connect with someone who can help you identify your authentic self to ensure you’re living in alignment with your values. Ideally, this is someone who’s walked in your shoes. This will help you remain consistent, authentic, inspiring, and powerful when expressing yourself.
- Visual artists: Whether this means photographers, videographers, or graphics and web designers, it’s important to include people who are skilled at crafting a digital persona that’s consistent with what you want to project to the world about you and your contributions.
- Personal stylist/image consultant: It’s helpful to hire someone who can pay attention to your physical persona to ensure it highlights your best attributes in professional and social contexts.
- Colleagues, friends, and family: Never forget the people who know you best. They’re your
- cheerleaders and evangelists — always on hand for support and reinforcement.
With the right support team and tactics, you’ll be equipped with everything you need to blur the lines between business professional and business celebrity. Consider Richard Branson. Between his commitment to espousing pro-employee ethics, his authenticity, and his carefully crafted brand image, he’s known and lauded as much more than a successful businessman. He’s someone we admire as a thought leader and values-driven global ambassador who lives his passion and gives back to others.
In a world where brand, image, and reputation are key professional attributes, it’s critical for any professional to manage how she appears — whether that’s online or off. So get to work building your image and sharing your ideas. A whole new level of success awaits.
A highly sought-after consultant, super connector, trusted advisor, celebrity wrangler, and thought leader, Kelli Richards is the CEO of The All Access Group. She facilitates strategic business opportunities in digital distribution among innovative technology companies, talent and media companies, and brands to foster new revenue streams and deliver compelling consumer experiences. As a trusted advisor, she transforms the quality of people’s lives. Kelli is also the author of the bestselling e-book “The Magic and Moxie of Apple: An Insider’s View.”
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group.
The right mentor will also have the right CONNECTIONS to move any effort forward. Be sure to ask who they think they can bring to the table around advisorship, possible collaboration and even funding.
12 Affirmations For The Struggling Entrepreneur
December 15, 2014,
LinkedIn Articles
Entrepreneurs are an optimistic lot. Naysayers might say “naïve.” But they have to be. …
How to Create Your Own Industry to Fit Your Strengths
“This article was originally published on LinkedIn”
“Super connector” and “celebrity wrangler” may sound like fictitious superhero names, but you don’t have to wear your underwear over your pants to have your own cool identity. These crazy names have become part of my unique job description, and I wear them with endless pride because they represent the twists and turns of my career path.
By leveraging my core strengths and skills and combining my backgrounds in entertainment and tech, I’ve molded my own brand and carved a unique career path for myself. Having been a talent producer for award shows, cause concerts, and celebrity fundraising events for three decades, I’ve developed a very large network, connecting musicians, actors, comedians, and tech innovators with the corporate world to create performances and campaigns.
This is just one facet of my identity as a celebrity wrangler and a super connector, but there’s a thread that ties everything I do together: my skill for connecting people to create value for both parties, forming catalysts for collaboration and creating networks where amazing work can flourish. The reason I’m so in love with my work is because it all comes from my unique skill set and my own personal passions — and you can create that perfect match for yourself as well.
Here are five ways you can leverage your strengths and skills to define your unique niche:
- Turn work into play. Work that comes from your areas of expertise and your passions will be more enjoyable. When you’re able to follow your instincts, ideas flow from you organically. And when you love your work, problems become opportunities to spend time with your passions, and your workplace becomes your playground. Freedom and enjoyment will make you happier, more fulfilled, more confident, more energetic, and more productive.
- Appreciate what you lack. When you’re working from your strengths, you also become aware of the aspects of your business that you’re not so skilled at or don’t enjoy doing. It’s important to recognize where your experience falls short, spot the learning curve, and be able to delegate or collaborate to solve the problem. That way, you can stay focused on doing what you most enjoy — and that plays to your strengths.
- Individualize your brand. Building a winning brand is all about differentiating yourself from the competition. But how can you differentiate yourself when you’re not being true to your unique strengths? Allowing your own individuality to shine through and shape your work will help your brand story stand out in a big way.
- Collaborate powerfully. The only way to achieve powerful collaboration is to know the strengths and passions of everyone involved. If you stay true to your strengths and capitalize on them, you empower your team and colleagues to do the same. What’s more, you enable yourself to find other employees with complementary skills. That way, your project can be fueled by expertise and passion, not compromise.
- Tell the world. Once you know who you are and identify and claim it, you’ll find that expressing that identity becomes easier. You’ll feel more genuinely connected to those around you because you’re coming from a clear and energized place where you share what you do with others. Things like social media, networking, and interviews will become more enjoyable and effective because every word you put out will be authentic and meaningful.
For me, my key strength is my network of connections. Knowing I had a passion and a talent for connecting people, I’ve been able to create a successful career that I love. Your new identity could be anything — your own version of the super connector or the celebrity wrangler. But above all, it has to reflect you because whether you’re a “collaborator genie” or a “green-energy explorer,” you’ve got all the makings of becoming your own unique brand of superhero.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards
CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
PS: The right mentor should also have the right CONNECTIONS to move you forward. Be sure to ask who they think they can bring to the table around advisorship, possible collaboration and even funding. Visit: https://allaccessgroup.com
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
How Writing a Book Can Advance Your Career
December 12, 2014,
Inc.
The 4 Most Important Reasons You Need to Become a Mentor
“This article was originally published on Inc.com”
Fifty years ago, a fourth-grade teacher in rural Mississippi noticed something special in a little girl in her class. The teacher knew the little girl could achieve great things, but something was holding her back.
So the teacher asked her to read aloud in class to help her overcome her nerves. She spent time with the little girl after school and allowed her to choose books and help grade papers. Her influence helped the little girl see past poverty. Today, that girl has become one of the most influential women in the world: Oprah Winfrey.
Mentorship has obvious benefits for both the mentee and the mentor. You’ve probably read articles that talk about the knowledge, connections, and personal growth that mentorship can provide.
But one day, someone might reach out and ask to be mentored. Or, like Mary Duncan, you will come across someone who has potential she hasn’t yet reached.
What will you do in this situation? If you’re struggling to see the value in becoming a mentor, consider these additional advantages that mentorship can help you realize.
1. Achieve personal career gains. Mentors are people who will go the extra mile to help others and exert a positive influence on their lives. And that can lead to huge career opportunities.
Don’t believe me? Sun Microsystems did a study on the career progress of more than 1,000 employees over a five-year period. It discovered that both mentors and mentees were 20 percent more likely to get a raise than people who did not participate in mentoring. Mentors were also six times more likely to be promoted than employees who didn’t mentor. To that end, you can ask your mentees for testimonials–videotaped or written–to validate your experience when applying for positions in the future.
2. Enhance your leadership skills. When you teach someone, you truly become a master on that subject. You not only reinforce valuable leadership lessons, but you also question and refine your own thinking and approaches.
You’ll find yourself working harder to live up to the expectations of your mentee. After all, you can’t advise her to work hard and do things you aren’t willing to do yourself. With the mentee’s spotlight on you, you’ll push yourself to grow.
3. Help shape the leaders of tomorrow. Mentees will often (but not always) be younger than you. It’s easy to think the next generation needs more education while you have it all figured out.
But the truth is that Millennials are the ones creating the workplace of tomorrow. They understand trends and technology that may escape you. If you watch your mentee closely, you’ll almost certainly pick up some information or habits that are new and beneficial to you.
4. Gain the intrinsic rewards of helping others. This is the reason you hear most often, but it’s a powerful one.
I was recently working with a client who was struggling with her self-perception. Her negative thoughts were holding her back in many areas. When we peeled back the layers together, we found the root of the problem, which helped her begin to heal. That aha moment completely changed her trajectory, and she’s now taken her business to new heights.
She might not be the next Oprah Winfrey, but just knowing I had an impact on her life is a great feeling that makes the time and effort completely worth it.
Mary Duncan didn’t know the little girl in her fourth-grade class would go on to become one of the most famous and successful women in history. But Oprah credits much of her success to those afternoons with her teacher.
When you decide to mentor someone, you really have no way of knowing how far she’ll go. Whether you shape the next great entrepreneur of our time or help someone achieve her dreams, you’ll make a difference–and that’s all that matters.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards
CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
PS: The right mentor should also have the right CONNECTIONS to move you forward. Be sure to ask who they think they can bring to the table around advisorship, possible collaboration and even funding. Visit: https://allaccessgroup.com
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Ann Wilson
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Discover Your Next Favorite Artist With Set.fm
In this age of digitalization, everything we once did, read, learned, heard, saw, a mere decade ago, has been coded, miniaturized (handheld accessible) or blown up to the big screen, putting a whole meaning to the Disney “it’s a small world after all,” jam.
In this ‘small’ world we can find receipts or reservations, read books, watch movies, and yes listen to music, without putting one device down. And as new ideas, inventions, applications surface one has to begin to wonder where the next advancement will come from? How revolutionary will it be? Who will think of it?
But the reality of the situation is that when most new inventions are described, they don’t seem that revolutionary, that incredible, rather pretty basic, intuitive notions. Everyone can admit the iPod and iTunes were groundbreaking inventions, being able to store and access your whole music library in one place. Being able to share this music? Seems like a pretty simple idea. So now that there is a seemingly never-ending advancement in the finding, sharing, and producing of music from iTunes to Spotify to Pandora to last.Fm, it seems difficult to imagine the next big step in the music industry.
Well, once again, that revolutionary idea may not be so crazy, so out of left field, instead it’s probably right in front of your face resulting in the proverbial: “why didn’t I think of that?” And it appears that set.fm has come up with an idea to share, almost immediately, live music performances. Now when I first read this, I didn’t quite see the scope of the idea, nor its implications.
The scope and implications of this advent both revolve around the new popular musical sounds of the generation and the festivals and live concerts that they foster. Bass, synthetic, and hi-hat heavy sounds have taken over the music industry in the form of “Trap” and “House Music.” But where is the connection between Trap music and set.fm‘s attempt to bring live shows to your home?
Well what sets House and Trap music apart from other genre’s is the live show artists put on. No longer does a musician stand idle in the middle of the stage eloquently annunciating, or pace back and forth across stage slamming guitars against the floor and kicking over amplifiers. Instead, concerts have turned into light shows- manipulating lights and laser to coordinate with bass heavy music, attempting to form a bridge between the visuals and acoustics.
Imagine basic star gazing, sitting in an open field with a telescope, admiring stars light years away; versus sitting in a massive planetarium, watching the light years fly by your face, feeling the heat emitted from the stars, and the massive empty space in front and behind you. Suc concerts have in turn fostered countless large music festivals all over the world- from England to Spain, Australia to Germany, and Los Angeles to New York. The set.fm will give you access to all these venues from the comfort of your home, minus the grossly expensive weekend pass…. I wish I thought of that.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
Tim Quirk, Head of Global Content Programming for Google Play
Tim Quirk is the Head of global Content Programming. Tim spent more than 10 years as the singer and lyricist for the punk-pop band Too Much Joy before easing his way into music journalism, contributing regularly to publications such as Raygun and The San Francisco Chronicle. His critical essays have been published by the Oxford University Press and the academic journal Popular Music.
Tim helped build the joint digital music venture Rhapsody in 2001, serving for many years as the VP of Music Programming as establishing himself as a pioneer in the digital music industry. In 2010 he left Rhapsody to help launch Google Play, where he is currently breathing musical life into the technology giant as the Head of Global Content Programming for Google Play. He leads the team responsible for music, books, apps, and video merchandising.
I recently welcomed Tim on my BlogTalkRadio show, All Access Radio. Visit my website to hear the entire interview https://allaccessgroup.comunder the Resources Tab/ Blog Talk Radio.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
Music Therapy for Children With Autism?
Most children with Autism have difficulty with performing eye contact; music therapy works to help this in miraculous and numerous ways. The therapist starts by evaluating the child’s current base level, and then strategizes the best methods to help the child. After many sessions, they measure where the child has arrived. “Eye contact” refers to an event where child looks at the therapist while playing. Using Music Therapy, the therapists increased “turn taking” and eye contact measurably more than play therapy. Eye Contact was even proved to be held longer when the child was participating in music therapy activities.
The music therapist has to reach the child to be able to interact with them and help them. The British Colombian Music Therapy association says that when the child feels free and unthreatened, they get more out of the session. When children with autism were not being told “don’t do this or don’t do that” and “no” to everything they were doing; it did wonders on their ability to express themselves.
Music therapy gives them a way to express themselves without being yelled at and told “no.” The tempo and rhythm of the instruments is a way for the children to express themselves. The British Colombia MTA states that the tempo and rhythm gets the child to progress from the rocking motion when they were in the womb and as a baby. It gives them a new independent feeling. Music therapy is one of the cutting edge therapies according to Tony Lyons. It also helps develop motor skills for the child to interact with the instruments. What an innovation.
It is important to understand the term “Turn Taking” which refers (according to the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder) to an event involving a sequence of turns to play alternating between the child and therapist. The therapist will measure frequency and the duration of eye contact. Music Therapy is proving to be effective as both parents and music therapists are seeing results; both recorded many testimonials. Both therapists and mothers agree that they see more eye contact improvement in their children with autism after exposing them to music therapy. Music Therapy can help children with autism with relationship skills by helping them communicate through music.
Every instrument can be and is a tool to help children to want to communicate. The music the children with autism hear or produce pulls them farther out of their own world and helps create interactions with things, first as the instruments, and later people. Music Therapy gives children another way to communicate other than verbally. This helps them to want to communicate in general.
Many different toys and musical instruments are used in a therapy session. Instruments and toys look similar especially in color and number. The therapists found out that it made no difference to the child what instrument was used or what the color was. Connecting this to communication, they also point out that play therapy does not take as much working with others as music therapy does.
The parents are eager to see results in order to invest the money into music therapy for their child. Results are seen in a year but parents are impressed by the results that music therapy shows in their child’s behavior. Many therapists believe that Music Therapy may be an effective method for increasing joint attention skills in some children with autism. Most children with Autism have difficulty with performing eye contact; music therapy works to help this in miraculous and numerous ways.Undoubtedly Music Therapy can and had had a major impact on some children’s lives.
Kelli Richards,
CEO of the All Access Group, LLC
CEO of All Access Group Honored as One of The Top 10 Consultants on MO.com
For Immediate Release
Cupertino, CA – September 2, 2013 — Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group LLC, a highly sought-after consultant, mentor, speaker, events producer, and #1 Amazon Bestselling author was recently honored by MO.com as one of the top 10 consultants across all industries.
On August 19th, MO.com shared the following statement: “We are excited to announce that we’ve found the consultants who have actively utilized their expertise, leadership, and talent to build companies that achieve success by helping their clients reach — and exceed — their goals. The “Top 10 Consultants” is a list of today’s leading consultants whose expertise spans from startups to big businesses across industries ranging from mobile to entertainment. They allow their passion to fuel their creativity and excitement, and their dedication to their industries makes each of the individuals some of the most sought-after experts in their respective fields.”
A true renaissance woman, Kelli is also a Certified Integrative Life Coach trained under best-selling authors and coaches Debbie Ford and Alan Cohen, and was recently named as one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s “100 Women of Influence” honored at the Women of Influence Award. Earlier in 2013, Kelli was sent as a Liaison for the US State Department to the developing nations of Trinidad and Tobago to share her expertise on digital distribution for music, books and films.
“Kelli is an outstanding consultant, coach, expert, and thought leader. She is innovative and creative, and knows her field better than anyone else,” said Alan Weiss, PhD, author of Million Dollar Consulting
Prior to founding The All Access Group, Kelli served in senior roles at Fortune 100 entertainment and technology companies, including Apple Inc., where she launched Apple’s earliest focus on music and drove all music initiatives during her 10 years there. A frequent speaker and panel moderator at industry conferences globally, Kelli has also been an acclaimed talent producer of a wide range of award shows, epic concerts, and celebrity fundraiser events for nearly 30 years. She has co-authored several books, including the critically acclaimed “The Art of Digital Music: 56 Artists, Visionaries & Insiders Reveal Their Creative Secrets,” “Taking the Crowd to the Cloud – Social Media for the Music Industry,” & “The Magic & Moxie of Apple: An Insider’s View”; the latter two have reached #1 on Amazon in several categories.
With a unique talent for connecting innovators in technology with creative leaders in entertainment, and more than twenty years of senior-level leadership experience, Richards quickly became a highly sought-after consultant and is probably most acclaimed for facilitating powerful strategic business opportunities in digital distribution involving tech companies, established artists and celebrities, film studios, record labels, and consumer brand companies to foster new revenue streams and deliver compelling consumer experiences.
“I’m truly honored to be recognized alongside the other highly accomplished colleagues on this list of The Top 10 Consultants,” said Kelli. To interview Kelli about this, and recent accomplishments, please email info@AllAccessGroup.com
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To read the full article: https://www.mo.com/top-10-consultants
Paul Myers
Playground Sessions: The Untraditional Piano Teacher
Playground Sessions may be your opportunity to learn to sooth crowds with melodic sounds of the piano like Mozart or Chopin did before us. Co-created by the music legend Quincy Jones, Playground Sessions is an interactive music curriculum that allows users to learn to play the piano in the comfort of their own home, with no physical teachers present.
The program is unique in its take on traditional learning. The curriculum focuses on playing popular radio hits that the user already knows, “to demonstrate music theory as [he or she] goes,” states the program’s website.
So if there is no one sitting beside the user and teaching him or her how to play, then how do they learn? A virtual teacher, David Sides, a self-taught musician and composer and YouTube sensation, with his rendition of One Republic’s “Apologize” racking up over 10 million views. Through tutorial lessons David guides students through the songs step by step. He first shows the user how to play a song and then plays it along side him or her, providing feedback all the while.
There are several play modes in which a user can practice. Practice mode allows users to play on their own with, “real-time visual feedback that’s clear and instantaneous.” Users can also play with a band, “with accompaniments arranged by David.” The Performance Mode is, “where the pieces come together,” states the program’s website. Students can play, compose, and record a song and then share it with friends.
The scoring and badging component of the program offers students a little motivation. The program gives the student badges when he or she achieves different levels of accuracy, rhythm, etc.
The interactivity of the curriculum is enhanced by the user’s ability to social network with other students. Students can, “create a network with other users around the world to practice with, support, chat to, or challenge.”
Rookie, Intermediate, and Advanced levels allow users to progress to more difficult songs at a faster pace. The program charts a user’s progression so he or she can visually see how they’ve done over a period of time.
Will the Playground Sessions change the dynamics of tradition piano lessons and allow students to bypass the car travel, scheduling issues, and excessive price that come along with a live teacher? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Want to hear more about Playground Sessions? Watch this short video with Quincy Jones:
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
Tech’s Bringing Sexy Back: Taking Advantage of Technology’s New Image
Hollywood exudes sex appeal, glamour, and stardom. Now, that glamour is spilling over into other industries — including the tech world. Hollywood stars are funding and branding startups. Celebrities are joining companies as CMOs or creative directors. And now, they’re developing their own brands on the side, too: think Jessica Alba’s eco-friendly baby business, The Honest Company.
This trend goes the other way as well. With late-night TV appearances and commercial cameos, tech stars are going mainstream. And shows like “Shark Tank” are giving entrepreneurship a new reputation.
Tech entrepreneurs — and the industry itself — need to take advantage of this newfound interest for pitches, funding, marketing, and more. Technology isn’t nerdy; it’s sexy. And it’s time for the tech industry to start acting like it.
Hitching to a Star
It’s a trend: Next-generation startups are collaborating with tech-savvy artists and celebrities for even more reach and influence. Why? These public figures have made careers of staying relevant, artistically and culturally — and they’ve often got great ideas for connecting with audiences that are tricky to engage.
Likewise, for celebrities and artists, embracing technologies that help them connect with their audience can only bring more money, engagement, and a cool factor of being cutting edge. When a tech company can partner with an artist with vision, an even more interesting, engaging product can result.
Here’s a great example: Last June, teenage pop sensation Justin Bieber landed on the front cover of Forbes as one of the most unlikely venture capitalists. But contrary to his bubblegum image, Bieber is actually a formidable investor: He has stakes in at least a dozen startups. This isn’t as unusual as people may think.
Often, specific kinds of startups draw the attention of celebrities. Social media is an obvious choice to invest in, culturally and financially. Lady Gaga and her manager, Troy Carter, even created Backplane, a Silicon Valley-based startup that helps celebrities and brands connect with fans and foster community.
Often, companies will recruit stars for creative consultation, innovation, and brainstorming. Alicia Keys was named Global Creative Director of Blackberry in January. And Lady Gaga was recently appointed as the Creative Director at Polaroid. These creative partnerships give tech companies broader exposure and relevance in pop culture. The artists benefit with forward-thinking endorsements — and the financial benefit of a successful investment.
Going Mainstream
Celebrities aren’t the only ones making headlines thanks to tech innovation. The entrepreneurs, thinkers, and creators behind the keyboard are becoming celebrities in their own right, too.
Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook and seized a generation’s attention. He’s been immortalized in pop culture and film. Steve Jobs has become a similar cultural force: His legacy at Apple and Pixar has created legions of loyal followers.
Why the interest in technology rock stars? Creative minds are fascinating, no matter what field they work in. And, as technology becomes more accessible and integrated with our daily lives, it becomes even more interesting to see who’s making the products that we live with every day — and what their life stories are.
New Image, New Future
When tech companies are looking to find funding, launch a product, or create marketing materials, taking this new cultural phenomenon into account can only help the companies and their brands. Here are a few ways to take advantage of this newfound interest:
Think about how your company fits into pop culture’s current moment. Can you make your company, product, or service even more relevant? How?
Remember, there are more ways to make money with media than ever before. Tools and services can now give customers the content they want on any device, anywhere in the world. And that’s changed content distribution and monetization — forever. Think about how new distribution avenues could work for your company.
Pave the way with a powerful partnership. Not every brand can afford the star power of a pop artist or a tech rock star — but a smart collaboration could double the power of your innovation. Don’t be afraid to partner with someone outside the tech industry. Think about how an outside perspective can make your company even more marketable. Make sure it’s a win-win.
Tech isn’t just for nerds anymore. And this isn’t just good for the industry — it’s good for everyone, from consumers to creative minds. It’s time to seize the moment, take advantage of this trend, and create something truly sexy as two very powerful industries converge.
View the Original posting on Steamfeed.com here.
Innovation: Goodyear married to Zeppelin; Boeing delivered “Sky Interior”
Innovation in the skies: Goodyear married to Zeppelin; Boeing delivered “Sky Interior”. The Goodyear blimp is almost as recognizable as Shaq in kindergarten. The blue, silver, and yellow balloon looking like a floating football, periodically floats around during the summer and sticks out like sore thumb; offering an ingenious marketing play for the tire company. But what are the uses of Goodyear blimps besides causing an association between flying footballs and car tires? Well in truth not much.
Today blimps are used mainly for advertising purposes and occasionally work during sporting events, offering unique perspectives of venues. They are not so distant relatives of Zeppelins, which were pretty influential during the First World War, especially during the bombing of London, but soon proved to be inefficient. After the war, they continued in the skies as a popular form of transportation.
Zeppelins differ from Blimps in that they have hard outer shells- lizard versus turtle. Fast forward 20 some-odd years to the creation of, at the time, the largest airship ever built- the Hindenburg, a Zeppelin. Filled with hydrogen as opposed to Helium, the Hindenburg burst into flames. Needless to say that was quite a stain on the Zeppelin name… until now that is. It has been announced that Goodyear will install its first Zeppelin into its armada of flying contraptions in 2014.
Now that we’ve had a brief blimp history lesson lets examine Goodyear’s new marketing machine. The Zeppelin will stretch 55 feet longer than current blimps and will sport a massive “envelope”- the balloon that inflates, keeping the machine airborne. It will no doubt be a sight to behold- a marketing scheme. Is it a match made in heaven: a massive seemingly useless sack of air and a company simply improving its unique marketing niche?
All Access Group’s vision is related strongly to Innovative results that exceed wild 
expectations in technology. Now while were on the topic of flying, spacey, device, capsules let’s move on to Boeing’s newest invention. Boeing, the company that has brought the world massive luxury airplanes, has brought us, well NASA at least, a new commercial vehicle in order to transport astronauts back and forth from Earth and the International Space Station. The capsule looks like something out of a Spy Kids movie; it’s a 14.8 foot wide tear-drop shaped vehicle that fits five comfortably- however the capsule has two additional seats if necessary.
The Boeing CST-100 features state of the art touch control digital displays, a built in freezer, front and rear windows offering incredible views of space and awesome blue LED lighting, nicknamed the “Sky Interior.” While the capsule is an absolutely incredible engineering creation, the most glaring aspect of the machine is what it’s lacking. We will introduce humor to the outer space. A lavatory; … somehow Boeing didn’t find it necessary to implement a bathroom into the “Sky Interior”. What are the astronauts supposed to do for 6 hours?
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
Matt Emerzian, Founder of Every Monday Matters
I recently chatted with Matt Emerzian, founder of Every Monday Matters on my BlogTalkRadio show. Matt has an amazing and powerful story. A few years ago, Matt was enjoying a successful career in the Los Angeles music industry as the Senior VP for a music-marketing firm run by Robert Kardashian. He was managing promotional projects for artists like U2, Coldplay, Usher, and the Black Eyed Peas. Matt got an amazing gift. One day he got a wake-up call.
On a Monday in 2007, Matt suffered a severe panic attack and was forced to re-evaluate his lifestyle. I’ll let Matt tell the rest of that story and how it inspired him to partner with Kelly Bozza and co-author the book Every Monday Matters. One thing I do want to share is that the book struck a chord with tens of thousands of readers, launched a company and sparked a movement that is currently empowering people worldwide to make the most of their every day moments – and their lives.
Visit my website to hear the entire interview https://allaccessgroup.comunder the Resources Tab/ Blog Talk Radio.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
Adobe Systems Marketing Cloud
Adobe Systems recently completed their acquisition of Neolane- a company that specializes in integrating both online and offline marketing data, solidifying Adobe’s platform for their “Marketing Cloud.” But what is Adobe’s Marketing Cloud, and why is this $600 million purchase important?
Well, its not. Unless you own a company looking to efficiently analyze marketing information; or if you’re looking to by a new pair of shoes; or a great hamburger; or if you are a consumer. So, I guess it’s pretty relevant for all of us.
That being said, the Adobe Marketing Cloud is a one-stop shop for marketers looking to “get ahead and stay ahead,” by collecting and analyzing relevant consumer data. And the Marketing Cloud (I’ll refer to it as MC from now on, like the Hammer) does so with the use of Adobe Analytics, Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Media Optimizer, Adobe Social and Adobe Target- I know, really creative names, I guess the MC lacks an imagination- all of which work, analyzing data in their specific niches, whether it be “Analytics,” customer “experience,” “social” media, etc.
In the end, Adobe, promises to equip the user with the power to understand “Big Data;” declaring, “if you understand the meaning behind the numbers you can take actions based on facts not hunches.” Sounds pretty awesome, why have power, information, if you’re not using it, or not using it correctly?
But how does The MC target and analyze useful data? By focusing on and tracking “Key Performance Indicators” about the consumer in order to make their online experience both efficient and relevant. Relevant in that they find what they’re looking for, and efficient in their search- the shortest distance is a straight-line. The MC does this by recognizing where the customer is coming from. For instance, are they new or repeat visitors to your website? Did they arrive via a search engine, or a social media platform referral? If they’re new visitors do you approach them with location based experiences, or trending items? For return visitors, what have they purchased in the past, or previously viewed? The MC analyzes all this information for you, and provides the customer with a unique, personalized web experience. It can also analyze things that are purchased together, purchasing trends, etc. The MC also analyzes across social medias, determining who mentions your company on Facebook? Twitter? Are there positive or negative reactions? Likes? Comments? All organized and analyzed for you. This just keeps getting better. Sounds like Adobe is killing it, so where does Neolane fit in?
Like I said before, Neolane specializes in integrating online and offline marketing data. So it analyzes data across platforms like the internet, email, social media, mobile, call centers, direct mail, and points of sales. Neolane will complement The Marketing Cloud’s existing Analytics, Target Audience, Social Media, Experience Manager, and Media Optimizer teams, creating both an unparalleled costumer experience and marketing tool.
Sounds like a company owners dream and an analyst’s nightmare; either way it’s a pretty impressive offer.
Until next time,
Kelli Richards, CEO of The All Access Group, LLC
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David Butler: Investor, Advisor, Designer, Brand Strategist
David Butler brings over 25 years of experience as an investor, advisor, designer and brand strategist to his current role as Vice President of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Coca-Cola. Joining the company as its first global head of design, David successfully led the design-driven turnaround of an $80M brand, prompting Fast Company to name him a “Master of Design” and Forbes to elect him to their “Executive Dream Team.” Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-david-butler
My Favorite Book of 2015 for Entrepreneurs
December 14, 2015, Inc. These cutting-edge, scalable trends are attracting not only lots of investment, but also great talent — which are two of the key drivers behind any successful startup. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/my-favorite-book-of-2015-for-entrepreneurs.html
From Seinfeld to Bieber: How to Engage the Right Celebrity for Your Business?
Companies engage celebrities to participate at launch or marketing events, milestones and anniversaries, sales conferences, or other events to honor and celebrate key employees, VIP customer appreciation events, birthday parties for CEOs, fundraising events, and more.
From Seinfeld to Bieber: How to Engage the Right Celebrity for Your Business
December 7, 2015, Inc. How to get in on the “star-up” game.
How to Pay Attention to the Whispers When Vetting a Connection?
kinds of distracting, time-consuming, and expensive legal dealings, which were a big drain on my business–and on me, personally.
Though it took a long time, I ultimately prevailed in that case, but it was a painful experience and one I’d like to help others avoid. Trust me, no small business owner needs that kind of angst.
Jay Samit: Disrupt You, Master Personal Transformation (Part II)
There are very few people who have worked as successfully across as many industries as Jay Samit has, and he wanted to share that knowledge and help people on their journey. That is why he wrote the bestseller Disrupt You, Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovations. Throughout this book, Jay explores the importance of personal disruption. “You really have to say, what is limiting you in this limitless world?
Jay Samit: Disrupt You, Master Personal Transformation (Part I)
Jay Samit is the CEO of See Change International, a leading multi-screen video services company. A dynamic entrepreneur, Jay is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on disruption and innovation. Described by Wired Magazine as having the coolest job in the industry, he’s raised hundreds of millions of dollars for startups, sold companies to fortune five hundred firms, and has transformed entire industries.
Gail Zappa: Tireless Champion, Wonderful Friend
Gail, the wife of musician Frank Zappa, was a role model and a tireless champion on behalf of her husband and children for many years and has been a protector of Frank’s estate. She was compassionate, extremely smart and creative advocate and champion, and over time, she became an outspoken advocate for artists to retain their rights and their masters.
Spotify Could Go Away Overnight And No One Would Care
November 9, 2015, Hypebot.com Although Spotify was able to get its foot in the door early, the presence of companies like Apple Music, Amazon Prime, and others means that the historically un-profitable streaming service either needs to find away to differentiate itself from the competition or risk crashing and burning. Read the entire article here: http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/11/spotify-could-go-away-overnight-and-no-one-would-care-.html?curator=MusicREDEF
Spotify Could Go Away Overnight And No One Would Care
Although Spotify was able to get its foot in the door early, the presence of companies like Apple Music, Amazon Prime, and others means that the historically un-profitable streaming service either needs to find away to differentiate itself from thecompetition or risk crashing and burning.
What’s the Difference Between a Coach and a Mentor?
No matter your stage, both mentors and coaches can be valuable resources. What’s the difference between the two? How do you know which is needed?
Cynthia Kersey, the Unstoppable Woman
So few people really take the risk to live their dreams, play full out with passion & commitment, and create true impact and legacy during their time on the planet. Cynthia Kersey is definitely one of those rare individuals. Cynthia is the Chief Humanitarian Officer of the Unstoppable Foundation (hyperlink?), whose mission is to ensure that every child on the planet receives access to the life-long gift of education. Just read that sentence a few times and stand in awe, right? That’s a mission worth getting out of bed for each morning!
Influencers on a Plane: 3 Ways to Strike Up Great Conversations
Whether you meet people who end up providing new business opportunities, find great new friends, connect with someone influential, or simply reconnect with established colleagues, with the right mindset, you can improve your business just by striking up a conversation on the road.
3 Signs It’s Time for a (Professional) Breakup
October 19, 2015, Inc. Ending a professional relationship is sometimes necessary, and it can lead to better opportunities.
3 Signs It’s Time for a (Professional) Breakup
A leader is more likely to feel weighed down by professional negativity and anxiety, which can lead to a loss of self-confidence and reduced productivity–and can even bring the business to a grinding halt.
What’s the Difference Between a Coach and a Mentor?
October 15, 2015, Forbes Women We hear a lot about coaching and mentoring — for good reason. As Zig Ziglar famously said, “A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.” Read the entire article here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellevate/2015/10/15/the-difference-between-a-coach-and-a-mentor/
Influencers on a Plane: 3 Ways to Strike Up Great Conversations
October 12, 2015, Inc. With the right mindset, you can improve your business just by striking up a conversation on the road. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/influencers-on-a-plane-three-ways-to-strike-up-great-conversations.html
Why It Pays to Identify and Approach Mentors in the Professional ‘Cafeteria’
October 7, 2015, Entrepreneur At times, the workplace “cafeteria” resembles a middle-school lunchroom, with heightened stakes and competitors striving for power in lieu of popularity. Who sits where, and why? Read the entire article here: https://www.entrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/why-it-pays-to-identify-and-approach-mentors-in-the/249748
3 Reasons You Need a Mentor, Even If You Don’t Think You Do
September 28, 2015, Inc. If you want to experience success in any capacity, you owe it to yourself to find great mentors. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/3-reasons-you-need-a-mentor-even-if-you-don-t-think-you-do.html
Rob Tercek: Speaker, Innovator, Strategist
Robert Tercek’s unique views on managing innovation are sought by organizations around the world. His motto is “Inventing the Future.” He is passionate about inspiring audiences to seize their own destiny by thinking creatively and taking decisive action. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/category/Technology
Jay Samit: CEO SeaChange International
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-jay-samit
How Amazon Shows the Need for a Tech Industry Workforce Revolution
September 18, 2015, Inc. Business is not about being cutthroat anymore; it’s time for the tech industry to re-evaluate the perks being offered to workers. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/how-amazon-shows-the-need-for-a-tech-industry-workforce-revolution.html
Karen Stever and Frank Gryner
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-karen-stever-frank-gryner
4 Characteristics of Trailblazing Entrepreneurs
September 4, 2015, Inc. Trailblazers don’t just see a need in the market — they create new markets, and they forge their own paths to get where their outsized visions tell them they need to go. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/4-characteristics-of-trailblazing-entrepreneurs.html
Steve Jobs Grew From His Failures — You Can, Too
August 28, 2015, Inc. Any weakness — if you look at it the right way — is a lesson. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/steve-jobs-grew-from-his-failures-you-can-too.html
The Art of Taking Vacation for Entrepreneurs
August 14, 2015, Inc. Although circumstances will understandably make it challenging to get away sometimes, the point is not just to get away physically, but to also distance yourself mentally.
4 Ways a Great Advisor Can Protect Your Investment
August 7, 2015, Huff Post Women Last year marked the highest annual total of venture capital funding since 2001, and with $47.3 billion in investments, this represents a 62 percent year-over-year growth. Read the entire article here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/4-ways-a-great-advisor-ca_b_7957254/amp
Wearable Technology – Where Fashion & Fitness Converge
Think of the obvious first, like fashion electronics. Whether it’s FitBit or the Apple Watch that just hit the scene, or Jawbone, or any of these things that are now considered fashion accessories – but they are primarily fitness accessories that give you information in real time about what’s happening with your body and your activity level.
Why Advisors Are Worth Your Equity (and How to Find a Good One)
Think of these advisors as business sherpas: people more experienced than you who help you navigate and climb the startup mountain.
Why Advisors Are Worth Your Equity (and How to Find a Good One)
July 24, 2015 Inc Magazine Think of these advisors as business sherpas: People more experienced than you who help you navigate and climb the startup mountain. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/why-advisers-are-worth-your-equity-and-how-to-find-a-good-one.html
Jim Griffin
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-jim-griffin
Nick Adler
“This is a quote by Nick Adler” Nick Adler single handedly saved the Hollywood Sunset Strip and saved way more than The Roxy. Listen here for the story! Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-qa-nic-adler-of-sunset-strip-music-festival
Tom Keifer
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://jeeni.com/track/kelli-richards-interviews-tom-keifer-of-cinderella
Tom Silverman
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-tommy-boys-ceo-tom-silverman
5 Secrets to Building High-Yield Partnerships
Forming strategic partnerships not only creates a powerful reciprocal network, but also propels you toward your goals, exposes you to new insights and optimizes the time and energy you invest in relationships. And these advantages work both ways.
4 Expensive Mistakes Your Start-up Could Make-And How to Avoid Them
June 12, 2015 Inc. Magazine In business and in life, there are certain dos and don’ts that can decide the fate of your business and your career.
4 Expensive Mistakes Your Startup Could Make — and How to Avoid Them
In business and in life, there are certain dos and don’ts. Four common (and costly) don’ts I often see first-time entrepreneurs make and how to avoid them
Michael Solomon
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-michael-solomon
Will Tidal Make Waves In The Music Industry Or Get Washed Out?
May 25, 2015 Tech Crunch In late March, when a group of A-list musicians gathered in Manhattan to show support for Jay Z’s new music streaming service, Tidal, expectations were sky-high. Read the entire article here: https://techcrunch.com/2015/05/25/will-tidal-make-waves-in-the-music-industry-or-get-washed-out/
Greg Estes
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-greg-estes
Video Marketing Lessons Small Businesses Can Learn From Big Brands
For starters, a high-quality or clever video has the potential to go viral, which can get your brand in front of the eyes of millions of people in a single afternoon. Video also can be inexpensive and therefore cost effective, provided you know what you’re doing.
Wild Bill Stealy
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-interviews-jw-wild-bill-stealey
Is It Time to Spring Clean Your Business? Here’s 4 Ways on How to Do It!
It’s spring! As signs of life begin to reappear outside, you might feel the urge to swing open the windows and tackle that growing pile of clutter that you ignored all winter.
5 Secrets on Getting the Most Out of Partnerships
April 28, 2015 Entrepreneur Every entrepreneur and business leader needs something — money, information, technology, relationships or whatever.
How to Make Money By Talking to Cool People
According to a survey KnowledgeStorm and Universal McCann conducted, 65% of business and IT professionals listen to podcasts for personal and business purposes, and 60 percent interviewees said whitepapers and analyst reports would be more attractive in podcast form.
4 Ways to Make the Most of Your Mentor-Mentee Relationship
In a climate where there’s no free lunch, it’s easy to assume there’s a hidden catch. But if you feel this way, it’s because you don’t understand how mentorship helps your mentor. Did you know that training and advising mentees is a powerful way for your mentor to gain leadership skills and team-building experience? And that mentees often help their mentors understand things in new ways through feedback, communication, and interpersonal skills?
Streaming and Beyond: Apple Will Lead the Way to the Next Music Experience
Listeners now control the entire experience. We can listen to our favorite artists or songs at any time and on any device. Streaming has even made the listening experience social. Services such as Spotify are integrated with Facebook, allowing listeners to see what their friends are listening to in real time, making it easy to discover new music.
Streaming and Beyond: Apple Will Lead the Way to the Next Music Experience
April 6, 2015 The Huffington Post You could buy the physical album, or you could spend an afternoon waiting for the song to come on the radio so you could record it on a cassette tape in your boom box. Read the entire article here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/streaming-and-beyond-appl_b_6996898
Peter Bregman
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-peter-bregman
Is It Time to Spring Clean Your Business? Here’s How to Do It
April 3, 2015, Inc. Spring cleaning is about starting fresh. By applying this mindset to your business, you can return your business to a healthier, livelier, and more profitable state in no time. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/is-it-time-to-spring-clean-your-business-here-s-how-to-do-it.html
Can Apple’s Interactive Digital Music Solution Refresh the Music Industry?
Few artists are likely to follow in U2’s footsteps with the same strategy after the backlash from iTunes users, but when a challenge emerges in the market, we can always look to Apple to lead with the most creative solutions. The “Songs of Innocence” maneuver was Apple showing its hand: The solution to diminishing music sales could be an interactive digital music approach.
How The Apple Watch Is Paving The Way To A New Generation Of Wearable Technology
The Apple Watch will give you the power to optimize daily tasks, leverage apps for information and communication, and be more productive and efficient in general, just as smartphones do. But with the Apple Watch, you’ll be able to do it all hands-free rather than having to carry your phone around in your hand.
Dr. Judith Orloff, New York Times Best-Selling Author
Transforming the face of psychiatry, Judith Orloff MD asserts that we are keepers of an innate intuitive intelligence so perceptive that it can tell us how to heal — and prevent — illness.Yet intuition and spirituality are the very aspects of our wisdom usually disenfranchised from traditional health care. Dr. Orloff is accomplishing for psychiatry what physicians like Dean Ornish and Mehmet Oz have done for mainstream medicine — she is proving that the links between physical, emotional, and spiritual health can’t be ignored. Dr. Orloff is a New York Times bestselling author and is on the UCLA psychiatric clinical faculty. She specializes in treating empaths and sensitive people in her Los Angeles based private practice. She has spoken at medical schools, hospitals, the American Psychiatric Association, Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women Summit, and alternative and traditional health forums — venues where she presents practical intuitive tools to doctors, patients, and everyday people. In response to her work, The Los Angeles Times calls Dr. Orloff “a prominent energy-based healer.” Dr. Orloff’s latest book “The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People” (Sounds True, 2017) is an invaluable resource to help sensitive people of all kinds develop healthy coping mechanisms in our high-stimulus world without experiencing compassion fatigue or burnout. Then empaths can fully embody their gifts of intuition, creativity, and compassion. Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-dr-judith-orloff
How the Apple Watch Is Paving the Way to a New Generation of Wearable Tech
March 20, 2015, Inc The next frontier is wearable technology and the Apple Watch will not only be a timekeeper, but it will also be a timesaver. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/how-the-apple-watch-is-paving-the-way-to-a-new-generation-of-wearable-tech.html
Turn Up Your Volume: 5 Big Moves Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Music Moguls
When you think about it, there are multiple ways that the music industry reflects what you’re trying to accomplish as an entrepreneur. Music rewards innovation and originality–finding “the next big thing” is a mantra you both share–and you both aim to immerse customers in rich and compelling experiences, right?
Can Apple’s Interactive Digital Music Solution Refresh the Music Industry?
March 17, 2015, Wired, Innovation Insights When U2 released its album “Songs of Innocence” with an exclusive iTunes partnership, the band was trying to figure out something a bit more complex than simply reaching as many fans as possible.
Peter Dekom
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-peter-dekom-0
5 Critical Lessons in Mergers and Acquisitions From the Apple-Beats Deal
March 13, 2015, Inc. 5 critical lessons from the Apple-Beats deal to keep mergers and acquisitions seamless and swift.
5 Critical Lessons in Mergers and Acquisitions From the Apple-Beats Deal
Mergers and acquisitions are notoriously complicated, clumsy, and fraught with bad feelings when they’re not executed carefully and strategically. Often, leaders fail to communicate, which derails productivity and leaves employees worried about their jobs. Companies also tend to struggle to manage customer integration, branding, and media relations during the transition.
Alan Weiss
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-alan-weiss
How to Harness Power Like a Celebrity
While there is such a thing as “overnight success,” most celebrities work hard over a long period of time to reach their powerful status. Here are three strategies of the stars that business professionals can use to make a difference in the world and do things that truly matter to them:
The Super Connector’s Guide to Making Powerful Business Introductions
As an entrepreneur, you understand the importance of having a strong network. What many people don’t understand is that it’s not always who you know, but what you do with those connections, that matters. Throughout my career, my extensive network in Silicon Valley has allowed me to create intros for startups seeking funding for their ventures and secure celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld for corporate events. But I haven’t done this by connecting with a bunch of random people on LinkedIn; I’ve nurtured these relationships through the power of reciprocal networking. If you aren’t actively looking for ways to make valuable introductions for your connections, your network isn’t as strong as it could be. Here are a few ways to make winning introductions that will lead to lucrative long-term opportunities for you and your connections. How to Make a Powerful Business Introduction When you start making business introductions in person, it can feel a bit awkward. But the key to a successful connection is a clear understanding of what each individual has to gain from the relationship. If your connections don’t see an advantage to meeting the people you suggest, they’ll be skeptical of your intent. A proper business introduction immediately erases confusion among mixed groups of people. It sets the stage for respectful interactions and eases the otherwise uncomfortable first conversation. Always introduce the person with more authority first. Adding explanatory statements after saying each person’s name will also get the conversation flowing naturally and provide context. These can be simple statements such as their job titles. When introducing one person to a group, announce that person’s name and identifier, and introduce each group member in the order they’re sitting or standing. Connecting people who offer complementary services is a great way to promote mutually beneficial relationships. You can also offer to let people you respect sift through your LinkedIn connections and facilitate these meetings to add value. Tips for Navigating the Uncomfortable Email Introduction Making introductions in person usually feels less forced than sending emails out of the blue, but it’s not always feasible to get the two people you want to connect in the same place at the same time. This is where email introductions come in. When emailing your connections to establish an introduction, make sure you always: Ask for permission first. Explain the value proposition for each party meeting the other, and ask if they’d feel comfortable with you making the connection. Mention whether they’ve met before. People often forget brief meetings, and the reminder can save them some embarrassment. Make haste slowly. Good introductions require careful preparation. Think through how both parties could benefit from each other, and spell it out in an email. Hurried, ill-planned emails can have a negative impact on these burgeoning relationships–and your reputation. Encourage the conversation. You never want to start an email thread, only to receive no response from either party. To avoid this social disaster, urge both people in the email to arrange a time to talk in the near future. Make action steps clear. Be straightforward in your email, and outline what the specific next steps should be. Solid introductions always come down to adding value for other people. When you set up a long-term cycle of promoting mutual wins, you position yourself as a credible and trustworthy business connection. Establishing a reputation for facilitating great relationships is the best way to increase your chances of success, no matter what field you’re in. And as this cycle of reciprocity continues throughout your career, the referrals, invitations, and unique experiences will start pouring in. This article was previously published in Inc. To your best success, Kelli Richards, CEO of the All Access Group, LLC PS: Subscribe to my FREE All Access Group Newsletter https://bit.ly/AAGNewletter PSS: Listen to an entire library of intimate discussions with industry visionaries https://bit.ly/AllAccessPodcastSeries (Priceless)
5 Unlikely Music Legends With Great Advice for Entrepreneurs
February 25, 2014, LinkedIn Articles As an entrepreneur, it’s important to keep your ears open for helpful advice — especially when you’re new to the game. Read the entire article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140225155053-9638-5-unlikely-music-legends-with-great-advice-for-entrepreneurs/
Know When to Hold ‘Em, Fold ‘Em, and Walk Away in a Business Deal
In high-stakes poker, managing your emotions is just as important as the hand you’ve been dealt. In order to emerge with your mortgage intact, it’s vital to have an effective poker face.
Business negotiations require a similar approach. Letting your emotions rule your decision-making process can be catastrophic, but failing to seek a win-win situation can be just as dangerous. With that in mind, how can you maintain your cool and, ultimately, your control of the situation?
In this article, Kelli Richards explains how to stay level-headed when the chips are down.
Jeet Singh
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-jeet-singh
How Writing a Book Can Advance Your Career
What’s more, writing a book is a great way to establish you as a credible industry expert. You can create a brand platform for yourself, increase your market value, differentiate yourself from competitors, and discover new ways to grow your authority in your field. But before you can add the title “published author” to your resume, you need to invest some time and energy in planning, crafting, and publishing your unique message–and understanding how the publishing world really works.
Know When to Hold ‘Em, Fold ‘Em, and Walk Away in a Business Deal
February 6, 2015, Inc. The only way to come out on top of a business deal is to pay attention to what’s on the table and play smart. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/know-when-to-hold-em-fold-em-and-walk-away-in-a-business-deal.html
Steve Rubel
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-steve-rubel
5 Ways The Cloud Can Make Your Business & Personal Life Easier
The cloud is becoming a bigger part of our everyday lives. Use it to enhance your business and personal life, increase productivity, and to give you peace of mind when you store and back up your most important files.
Roberta Medina
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-roberta-medina
5 Simple Steps to Schedule Your Week for Business and Personal Success
As an entrepreneur, attending to your work is essential for building your business. But creating a balanced life is the key to sustained success in the office and at home. Aim to structure your time so you can meet both personal and professional obligations, then establish, communicate, and maintain healthy boundaries so you can actually live the lifestyle you desire. It’s doable!
COPING WITH FAILURE The Ultimate Entrepreneur Pep Talk: 4 Important Affirmations for Any Innovator
Having a list of mantras that you can pull out of your toolkit in any situation will prepare you to turn challenges into successes.
6 Surefire Tactics That Will Ignite Client Referrals
January 15, 2015, Inc. Here are six strategic ways to ask for referrals and grow your business exponentially. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/6-surefire-tactics-that-will-ignite-client-referrals.html
5 Reasons Developing Confidence Is Critical to Your Success
Confidence is essential to your success and that of your business — in fact, it’s vital to everything you do in life. In my own career, confidence has been a pivotal skill and strength I’ve needed every step of the way, especially in the male-dominated tech and music industries.
Just Because You Have 500+ Connections Doesn’t Mean Your Network Is Healthy
January 9, 2015, Inc. The best way to build solid connections is to earn a reputation of being a person who adds value for others in virtually every interaction you have with them. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/just-because-you-have-500-connections-doesn-t-mean-your-network-is-healthy.html
Just Because You Have 500+ Connections Doesn’t Mean Your Network Is Healthy
The best way to build solid connections is to earn a reputation of being a person who adds value for others in virtually every interaction you have with them.
12 Affirmations For The Struggling Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs are an optimistic lot. Naysayers might say “naïve.” But they have to be. Odds are against their success, but those who do succeed will provide for their families, solve customers’ problems, and possibly change the world in a big way.The best entrepreneur, therefore, has a healthy confidence that “I’ll be the one person in a thousand who makes it big.”
4 Things You Can Do to Personalize Your Brand Like the Celebs
Between Google and social media, it’s become simultaneously easier and more difficult than ever to maintain your brand image. With a few keystrokes, anyone can learn just about anything about you. On the other hand, if you can cultivate what your audience will find, you can influence your brand image and how others perceive you.
12 Affirmations For The Struggling Entrepreneur
December 15, 2014, LinkedIn Articles Entrepreneurs are an optimistic lot. Naysayers might say “naïve.” But they have to be.
How to Create Your Own Industry to Fit Your Strengths
By leveraging my core strengths and skills and combining my backgrounds in entertainment and tech, I’ve molded my own brand and carved a unique career path for myself. Having been a talent producer for award shows, cause concerts, and celebrity fundraising events for three decades, I’ve developed a very large network, connecting musicians, actors, comedians, and tech innovators with the corporate world to create performances and campaigns.
How Writing a Book Can Advance Your Career
December 12, 2014, Inc. A book can be a powerful tool for advancing your career and establishing yourself as a brand and as an industry leader. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/why-or-how-writing-a-book-can-advance-your-career.html
The 4 Most Important Reasons You Need to Become a Mentor
When you decide to mentor someone, you really have no way of knowing how far she’ll go. Whether you shape the next great entrepreneur of our time or help someone achieve her dreams, you’ll make a difference–and that’s all that matters.
Ann Wilson
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-ann-wilson-of-heart
5 Reasons Developing Confidence Is Critical to Your Success
December 5, 2014, The Huffington Post Confidence is essential to your success and that of your business — in fact, it’s vital to everything you do in life. Read the entire article here: https://www.ellevatenetwork.com/articles/5870-5-reasons-developing-confidence-is-critical-to-your-success
4 Things You Can Do to Personalize Your Brand Like the Celebs
December 4, 2014, The Huffington Post Between Google and social media, it’s become simultaneously easier and more difficult than ever to maintain your brand image. Read the entire article here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/4-things-you-can-do-to-personalize-your-brand-like-the-celebs_b_6148030
5 Simple Steps to Schedule Your Week for Business and Personal Success
December 1,2014, Inc. As an entrepreneur, attending to your work is essential for building your business. But creating a balanced life is the key to sustained success in the office and at home. Read the entire article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-simple-steps-schedule-your-week-business-personal-success-richards/
5 Conversation Tools For Nurturing Your Relationship With A Mentor
We’ve all longed for a classic mentor-mentee relationship at some point in our careers. We want someone who is savvy and seasoned. We want her to provide the perfect insights and career advice that will help us reach our goals. We want someone who will guide us to our destination.
Cynthia Kersey
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-cynthia-kersey
Michael Van Himbergen
Listen to the entire podcast here: https://allaccessradio.libsyn.com/kelli-richards-interviews-michael-van-himbergen
The Secret Weapon of Billionaire CEOs and Wildly Successful People
If you’ve hit a wall, it might be time to hire a business coach. Sometimes no matter how passionate you are about your business, it takes an outsider’s perspective to see where the company is lacking and identify areas for growth. And that additional insight and shift in perspective can take moments but make a huge difference in your results and the outcome.
The 4 Most Important Reasons You Need to Become a Mentor
November 20, 2014, Inc. When you decide to mentor someone, you really have no way of knowing how far she’ll go. Whether you shape the next great entrepreneur of our time or help someone achieve her dreams, you’ll make a difference — and that’s all that matters. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/the-4-most-important-reasons-you-need-to-become-a-mentor.html
5 Conversation Tools For Nurturing Your Relationship With A Mentor
November 17, 2014, LinkedIn Articles We’ve all longed for a classic mentor-mentee relationship at some point in our careers.
The Ultimate Entrepreneur Pep Talk: 4 Important Affirmations for Any Innovator
You were prepared for the uncertainty that comes with entrepreneurship. You braced yourself for the long workdays–and for your first business failure. You were ready for just about everything–except the inner strength it takes to be your own biggest motivator.
The Ultimate Entrepreneur Pep Talk: 4 Important Affirmations for Any Innovator
November 11, 2014, Inc. Having a list of mantras that you can pull out of your toolkit in any situation will prepare you to turn challenges into successes. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/the-ultimate-entrepreneur-pep-talk-4-important-affirmations-for-any-innovator.html
Become an Effective Delegator
Delegation doesn’t come naturally to everyone–especially workaholic entrepreneurs. Recognize your #strengths. Tackle the things you love or do very well yourself, and then #DELEGATE the duties that slow down your productivity or otherwise aren’t a good use of your talents and time. Acknowledge and reward others for their strengths. Delegating is not only a way to decrease your workload it’s a way to channel your productivity and expertise! To read https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/the-ultimate-guide-to-delegating-for-entrepreneurs-who-hate-delegating.html
How to Create Your Own Industry to Fit Your Strengths
November 7, 2014, Inc. Your new industry has to reflect you because whether you’re a “collaborator genie” or a “green-energy explorer,” you’ve got all the makings of becoming your own unique brand of superhero. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/how-to-create-your-own-industry-to-fit-your-strengths.html
The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Delegating
Is your to-do list a mile long? Do you spend your day in meetings and bring your work home with you because there aren’t enough hours in the workday? Do you feel as though the weight of the entire company is resting on your shoulders?
4 Ways to Make the Most of Your Mentor-Mentee Relationship
October 31, 2014, Inc. If you’re skeptical about why a mentor would want to partner with a mentee, it may be because you don’t have a plan in place to make it worth her while. Figure out what you have to offer your mentor, and do everything you can to provide that value. Read the entire article here: https://www.inc.com/kelli-richards/4-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-mentor-mentee-relationship.html
Do you have a strong network, or do you just think you have a strong network?
Do you have a strong network, or do you just think you have a strong network?
Many entrepreneurs believe it’s who you know that matters, but what’s even more important is what you do with the people you know. By working to introduce and connect your connections, you can build a more lucrative network that can lead to further opportunities for you. By establishing a reputation as an effective facilitator of great relationships, you increase your chances of success.
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