Episodes

  • Lives Well Lived with Sky Bergman

    Lives Well Lived with Sky Bergman
    Jun 28 2024
    Welcome to The Long Game Podcast! I'm your host, Sandra Scaiano. In this episode, we dive into the definition of a “life well lived”. It's a question with countless answers, and today we're exploring it with Sky Bergman, an artist and documentary filmmaker. Sky's documentary, "Lives Well Lived," features interviews with individuals aged 75 to 100, sharing their wisdom and experiences. These interviews cover over 3,000 years of collective experience, revealing secrets and insights to living a meaningful life. From family histories to personal triumphs and tragedies, the film captures the essence of aging with grace and resilience. "Lives Well Lived" premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and has been screened in over 200 cities, winning eight awards. The film is now available on PBS, and organizations like Aging 2.0, AARP's Movies for Grownups, Encore.org, and Leading Age have also showcased it. In our conversation, Sky shares three common themes essential for a life well lived: a sense of purpose, a sense of community, and resilience. She emphasizes breaking down ageism stereotypes and fostering intergenerational connections for a better society. Sky's journey in creating this film is a testament to following your passion and creative thinking. Sky also discusses how she funded the documentary through unique means, emphasizing the importance of artists being paid for their work. Additionally, she highlights the concept of paying it forward and shares tips for those interested in creating similar projects. If you're inspired by Sky's work, check out her website for a list of starter questions for interviews and a video with tips on lighting, audio, and B-roll. It's a fantastic resource for anyone looking to document and share meaningful stories. Thank you for joining us on The Long Game Podcast. Let's continue to explore what it means to live a life well lived. Until next time, keep playing the long game. LINKS: • Lives Well Lived Film: https://lives-well-lived.com • PBS Learning Media: https://pbslearningmedia.org • Take Action Page: https://lives-well-lived.com/take-action • Book on Amazon]:https://amazon.com CONNECT WITH US: • The Long Game Podcast Website: https://thelonggamepodcast.net --- Thank you for listening! If this episode resonated with you, please share it with your friends or leave a review. Both make a big difference. See you next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins
  • From Order-Taker to Expert with Amy Posner EP 192

    From Order-Taker to Expert with Amy Posner EP 192
    May 17 2024
    In this episode of the Long Game, we talk about maintaining control in your business. A lot of business owners today didn’t start out as business owners. Often, we’ve left the corporate world to branch out on our own. We want to let our true talents and abilities shine. The risk that comes with this, however, is that if we fail to set up our processes right, we end up working hard for someone else's vision and lose the power in our own business. “The more questions you ask, the more expert you look.” - Amy Posner Joining me today is Amy Posner, an experienced online entrepreneur and business coach specializing in helping digital creative freelancers build successful, sustainable businesses. With years of experience in copywriting and coaching, Amy has developed comprehensive programs like the Complete Breakthrough Freelancer to guide professionals in achieving their business goals. The key points we discuss are: Starting your relationship with your clients the right way. It’s helpful to see your relationship with your client as a partnership. Set up strategies for maintaining communication to keep clients informed and assured. Setting up and sticking to your processes. Clear processes build client confidence, make your workflow easier, and the entire project go smoother. Sticking to your own processes avoids shifts in power dynamics. Setting and managing expectations. Establishing expectations from the very first interaction helps keep you from falling into the order-taker role. It also communicates that you’re the expert, and that you know what you’re doing. “You have to get good at something and you have to be willing to be bad at something to get good at something.” - Amy Posner Amy acknowledges that building a successful business as a freelancer takes time. It requires building the right foundations, thinking things through and playing the long game. Connect with Amy Posner: Website Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • How Observation Affects Success: The Hawthorne Effect EP 191

    How Observation Affects Success: The Hawthorne Effect EP 191
    May 3 2024
    In this episode of The Long Game podcast, I’m diving deep into understanding human nature and behavior, and learning how we can apply it in our digital businesses. Ever heard of the Hawthorne Effect? Well, applying this century-old observation will change your approach to online courses and memberships for the better. The Hawthorne Effect came from studies of behaviors in the workplace from nearly a century ago. It refers to the phenomenon where individuals behave better and improve their work when they know that they are being observed or watched. But this is only good in the short term. Over time, mental attitudes, proper supervision, and informal social relationships experienced in the workplace proved to be the key to improved productivity. “When we dig in and we find the data backing up our claims, it opens up a whole new arena of confidence in our approach.” – Sandra Scaiano How can we apply these studies in developing our courses and programs, and in all aspects of our business? Here are 3 practical steps: Establish a system of accountability Keep in touch Track progress “Value is not more time online. Value is helping your students move through the material.” - Sandra Scaiano By leveraging our knowledge of the Hawthorne Effect and other behavioral studies, content and program creators can make sure they develop a dynamic learning environment that empowers and encourages participants to finish their goals and succeed. Understanding human behavior is key to driving engagement and maximizing the impact of our online offerings. It’s when we know, understand, and apply that we get to improve what we produce and keep playing the long game. Important Links: https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/hawthorne/anewvision.html#e https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-hawthorne-effect-2795234 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 mins
  • Messaging & Client Attraction with Wendy White EP 190

    Messaging & Client Attraction with Wendy White EP 190
    Apr 19 2024
    This episode of The Long Game talks all about messaging and is a must-hear for all business owners. Messaging is at the crux of all our communication: sales, social media, networking, even introductions. Today, Wendy White will be sharing everything we need to know to have effective messaging. “The reason people aren’t clear to the world is they're not clear to themselves.” - Wendy White Wendy is a messaging strategist to coaches and consultants who are ready to become thought leaders. She helps business owners communicate what they do and why it matters. She worked in international sales & business development, winning clients for many companies. Since then, she’s worn many hats, but she kept on doing what she’s good at, communicating a clear message that talks about the business and attracts the right clients. In this episode, we talk about: How getting your messaging right (or wrong) affects your marketing The details that go into your introduction Clarity and concept before copy Using A.I. in messaging and marketing The problem with unclear messaging is that you end up sounding just like everyone else. Your audience can’t figure out exactly what you do, who you work with, or who you are. You try to keep up with the ever-changing trends, SEOs and algorithms but still fail to communicate your message to the people who need to hear them. “You have to connect what you do to why it matters to them.” - Wendy White Crafting your messaging is more than just about being clear about what you do. Underneath that lies key paradigm shifts that empower you in your business and any kind of communication you’ll have. Being clear about your own business makes you a better business owner, and it brings you closer to being that thought leader you want to be. Connect with Wendy White: Website Instagram Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Instant Impact Workshop Extraordinary Impact® Accelerator Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • Selling Strategy with Maggie Patterson EP 189

    Selling Strategy with Maggie Patterson EP 189
    Apr 5 2024
    Service business owners always need a strategy. It’s foundational to their business and a part of their work process. It impacts how clients work with them and the quality of service they provide. The problem is that way too often, strategy ends up getting buried under services. As a result, clients don’t appreciate their work, they feel underappreciated, and they don’t charge as much as they should for the value they provide. Today I’m joined by Maggie Patterson, who’ll share her experience and expertise in business strategies. With two decades of experience, Maggie has spent her career in client services and entrepreneurship. She’s the editorial director at Scoop Studios and the founder of BS Free Business, where she works with service-based businesses and agency owners to build BS-free businesses that put trust first in everything they do. Maggie is a podcaster, writer, and vocal advocate for humane business practices rooted in respect, empathy, and trust. As a former freelancer turned agency owner, she knows exactly what it takes to make it when building a business offering services. “Your strategy should be firmly set and semi-rigid.” - Maggie Patterson Maggie shares some important points about strategy: Showcasing your strategy Valuing your strategy Preparing to sell your strategy Going beyond strategy talk, Maggie pulls from her decades' worth of experience and shares how important it is to trust your gut and stick to what’s important to you. You don’t need to follow every hyped-up advice from a business influencer. You don’t need to work with a client who doesn’t value you. You don’t need to sell in a way that feels uncomfortable for you. You’re the business owner. You get to decide how you want to run your business in a way that aligns with your values and goals and still be successful. “The people playing the long game are the people you want to align with.” - Maggie Patterson This episode is full of amazing insights from Maggie. She freely shares her experience and expertise to help business owners make the most out of their strategy by playing The Long Game. Connect with Maggie Patterson: Website Instagram Podcast: Duped: The Dark Side of Online Business BS-Free Service Business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 mins
  • Content Repurposing with Greg Wasserman of CastMagic EP 188

    Content Repurposing with Greg Wasserman of CastMagic EP 188
    Mar 22 2024
    When we hear “content repurposing,” most of us think of taking long-form content like a podcast or a webinar and cutting it up into reels or shorts or turning it into a LinkedIn or blog post. That’s an outdated idea of content repurposing. Today, you can take in anything you do in the day-to-day of your business—company meetings, coaching calls, strategy sessions—look at them from a different perspective and turn them into other forms of content: courses, lead magnets, newsletters, social media posts, or even action tasks. “Content repurposing is multifaceted.” - Greg Wasserman To talk about this new definition of content repurposing, I'm joined by Greg Wasserman, head of growth partnerships and community at CastMagic, an AI platform transforming content repurposing for podcasters, coaches, speakers, and marketers. With CastMagic, entrepreneurs can upload their media files, either their podcasts, meeting recordings, talks, seminars, or voice notes, and with different prompts, generate ideas on how to present them in a new way. Greg also talks about: The different facets of content repurposing Utilizing your existing content library The long game of content creation “Invest in learning not only your tool, your craft, but also what others are doing so that you can improve.” - Greg Wasserman As business owners, we think we have to keep coming up with the next great thing, but what if you already came up with a great thing that will elevate your business? Repurposing isn’t just for your marketing, but it can also be applied to your business as a whole, and help you optimize your time and work. Connect with CastMagic: Website Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Connect with Greg Wasserman: LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • No Matter What with Jennie & Meredyth EP 187

    No Matter What with Jennie & Meredyth EP 187
    Mar 8 2024
    We’re back with another episode of The Long Game Podcast. Today, we're diving into a topic that's important to our businesses: the business structure. Joining us are Jennie & Meredyth, who together, run their coaching empire for people with impatient ambition who want to accomplish more of what actually matters to them. They help people change their views on productivity, schedule, and freedom to shape their life the way they want to. And today, by sharing their experiences, they’ll help you do the same. “Shifting to a place where your commitments are at that no matter what level really means that we have to be realistic.” - Jennie Mustafa-Julock Jennie was a guest on episode 103: Make It Happen with Coach Jennie, when she was known as “Coach Jennie” and Meredyth was helping on the back-end side of the business. But as they recognized the different needs their clients had, and as their lifestyle and goals changed, they decided that their business structure had to change as well. So, they set up a crazy deadline for themselves, changed their branding, updated their systems, processes and services, they turned their business into one that works for them. The three questions Jennie and Meredyth asked themselves as they decided on these changes were: How do we want to be working? How do we want to be marketing? Who do we want to be influenced by? “75% of what you're already doing is probably going to stay. But making the change of that 25% can just change the game.” - Jennie Mustafa-Julock Making changes to your business can be intimidating. Or it can be this thing you do on the side that never really ends. This episode is proof that if you prioritize the changes and shape your business to serve you, it will be worth it and you can have the life that you want. Connect with Jennie & Meredyth: Website Instagram YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • Burnout - the Signal for Change EP 186

    Burnout - the Signal for Change EP 186
    Feb 23 2024
    Hey everyone, Sandra here from The Long Game Podcast! Today we're tackling a big one: burnout. As entrepreneurs, especially those of us in the course and membership site world, we live in launch cycles. Constant selling, content creation, the pressure to keep up... it's enough to make anyone exhausted. But here's the thing: burnout isn't just fatigue. It's a real, WHO-defined syndrome with physical and emotional consequences. Burnout sneaks up on you: it builds gradually. You might find yourself unmotivated, dreading launches, or even questioning your entire business model.  This is your burnout signal: a nudge to change things up. Here's the good news: you have the power to make those changes. As an entrepreneur, you're the boss. Forget "better self-care" - listen to your needs and reimagine your business.  Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach and create a system that works for you. My client story: They launched a successful $2,000 course, but hated the launch cycle. We scrapped it and built a hybrid approach, selling their existing content in a new way. Now, they're excited and fulfilled! Remember: Don't just push through: acknowledge your burnout and let it motivate change. Think creatively: tweak your systems, present your offers uniquely, and embrace innovation. Breaks are important: rest, exercise, eat well, and sleep to fuel your creative thinking. Burnout is a cycle: break it by making lasting changes. Feeling stuck? You're not alone. Tune in for more on creative thinking to keep your business (and you) energized! Key takeaways: Burnout is a real syndrome, not just fatigue. Listen to your burnout signal and make changes. Create your own business system, not a copycat. Embrace creative thinking and innovation. Break the burnout cycle with lasting changes. Don't let burnout win! Turn it into flow and build a business that works for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    12 mins