Today’s guest loves solving the hardest puzzles, from crosswords to jigsaws to the meaning of life.
He is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, including “The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World” and “The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.”
His TED talks have been seen more than 10 million times. He writes for popular publications, including The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and New York magazine. He has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and CNN.
Please join me in welcoming A.J. Jacobs.
Would you leave an honest rating and review on Apple Podcast? Or Stitcher? They are extremely helpful and I read each and every one of them. Thanks for the inspiration!
In this episode we discuss:
- his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is a suitcase word – it can mean a whole bunch of things. My favorite kind of leadership is mentorship.”
- tips on how to engage a mentor, including adding a bit of humor.
- how curiosity and openness made him a better leader.
- the experience of being friends with and navigating very different social circles.
- his origins of wanting to be a writer and his start as an author.
- his journey of reading the encyclopedia Brittanica to try and learn everything.
- the process of pitching his first book, including almost not pitching it.
- how relationships and networking led to his first TED talk, and how he almost deleted the invitation.
- finding his 12th cousin – another email where a “crazy email” led to something great.
- how he pitched “sex advice from the bible” to Glamour and not only did it get accepted but received millions of views.
- his cadence for creating projects in his life and business.
- the need for social interaction and why it’s so important.
- how he nurtures and sustains the outer layers of his network.
- what he is looking most forward to in the next year.
Links
- A.J. Jacobs on LinkedIn and Twitter.
- www.ajjacobs.com
Books mentioned in this episode:
- “The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life” by A.J. Jacobs
- “Thanks A Thousand: A Gratitude Journey” by A.J. Jacobs
- “It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree” by A.J. Jacobs
- “Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection” by A.J. Jacobs
- “My Life as an Experiment: One Man’s Humble Quest to Improve Himself” by A.J. Jacobs
- “The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible” by A.J. Jacobs
- “The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World” by A.J. Jacobs
Other Resources
- Listen to A.J.’s TED Talk “My Year of Living Biblically”
- Listen to A.J.’s TED Talk “The Global Family Reunion”
- Listen to my episode with Michael Roderick.
- Listen to my episode with Jason Van Orden.
- Listen to my episode with Chandler Bolt.
- Learn more about A.J.’s TED profile with a link to all of his talks.
Subscribing (or following) and leaving a rating and review wherever you are listening helps this podcast be discovered.
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ABOUT ROBBIE: www.robbiesamuels.com/about
Business Growth Strategy Coach
Robbie helps entrepreneurial women (and a few awesome men) in their 50s and beyond, engage their network so they can grow their impact and income by adding new revenue streams.
WHO YOU ARE:
You want to have a greater impact and increased income. The problem is that there are so many options for how to build your business that you can feel stuck, overwhelmed, and like you’re running out of time.
The reason options are overwhelming is that you’re looking at them as a series of disconnected steps when to make the most of your time, you need a strategy that connects only the most important and highest impact ones.
You know that if you try to do everything, you’ll accomplish nothing. This means, to achieve your goal, you have to invest in a strategy to put time on your side.
WAYS ROBBIE OFFERS SUPPORT:
As a relationship-based business growth strategist, Robbie will work with you one-on-one to design a year-long plan that consists of three 12-week sprints, each followed by 4 weeks of reflection/assessment, rejuvenation, learning, and strategic planning. This will allow you to sequence your goals, create momentum, and leverage your limited time.
Have a project that you want feedback on or need assistance with a specific strategy? He offers half-day strategy sessions.
Already selling but feeling stuck around how to increase your revenue? Sign up for a one-day mastermind with fellow entrepreneurs to break through to the next level.
Ready to dig into your network to validate a solution you’ve been working on to see if you can build an audience for it before launching? Sign up for the 12-Week Idea to Offer Incubator.
Want accountability, support, and guidance as you implement your strategic plan? Learn more about his year-long Wake Up Your Network mastermind program.
These are not right for everyone; they're personalized offerings and are priced accordingly.
WHAT MIGHT YOU WORK ON?
In his coaching work with entrepreneurs, his clients focus on the areas where they'd like to grow, which may include:
- Creating a strong sales conversation framework
- Building your referral network
- Lead generation through a relationships
- Growing your visibility in your industry
- Increasing your ability to attract the right kind of clients
- Identifying and launching a minimally viable offer
- Breaking through whatever bottleneck is holding you back from getting the results you want and deserve
- Becoming a published author and marketing your book successfully
- Improving your virtual presentation skills
LEARN MORE AND SCHEDULE A CHAT: www.robbiesamuels.com/coaching
Robbie is excited to support you in reaching or exceeding your goals.
Keynote SpeakerInterested in booking Robbie to speak? At www.robbiesamuels.com/speaking you’ll find video clips and a description of his talks.
Watch his TEDx talk “Hate networking? Stop bageling and be the croissant!” at www.robbiesamuels.com/TEDx.
Stay Connected
- Connect with Robbie on LinkedIn
- @RobbieSamuels on Twitter and Instagram
- New to his website? Start here
- On the Schmooze podcast archive – weekly since July 2016!
SIGN UP for his free weekly #NoMoreBadZoom Virtual Happy Hours –www.NoMoreBadZoom.com
Affiliate Links: Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links above are “affiliate links”. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products and services I use personally and believe will add value to my listeners. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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