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The process of success in any endeavor requires journeying on the archetypal hero’s path. This path requires us to confront monsters encounter metaphorical death and darkness and to recover the treasure from these deep places and bring it back to our community and world.

Don’t give when it looks bleak. The great tragedy that I see too often is the willingness to stop at the darkest point of the journey when the dawn is so close and success is just around the bend.

I have invested $20,000 in this book, not to mention countless thousands of hours. I’ve forgone more immediate income for a longer and broader sales strategy. I am ecstatic and have no regrets. I don’t know if the book will sell well. But I do know that the content is incredible. And I do know that thousands upon thousands of people are going to benefit from this work.

I can’t wait to share this book with you. And I hope that the main message of the book is conveyed thoroughly. Success is not about doing everything right. Success is the ability to get up quickly when you fall. Success is the ability to fail forward fast. It is not the absence of failure it is the presence of courage and confidence to continue…that is indestructible success.

This picture is of the print preview from info distributors. It is the galley and the cover. The book has been an extraordinary labor of love. I have made so many mistakes. Yet, I’ve never felt more enthusiastic about any creative work. The challenge has brought out the best in me and the best possible book. What we crave is not an easy life. What we crave is a meaningful life. When we are sufficiently challenged in a meaningful pursuit that makes life rich full and abundant.

Just recorded this quick reminder on why you need to fail in order to succeed. What do you need to develop in YOU to make the leap, to take the risks and to go for your goals and dreams?

Comparisons and Admiration

I admire Tony Robbins. He is a hero of mine. I am going to share with you some of what I learned at Date With Destiny as well as keeping it real with my own growth curve. Robbins work has helped me immensely. I’ve also made myself neurotic comparing myself to him.

Imagine that you are a professional basketball player. Let’s say you play for Greece or Spain and you are in the USA and attend a Chicago Bulls Game in 1993. You might feel equal parts admiration, inspiration and insecurity. Well, as a professional author, speaker and coach, that is kind of how I felt at Date With Destiny this year.

Here I am with the beautiful AnaVictoria Braun at our Date With Destiny event with Tony Robbins in Palm Desert in December of 2011

Let Me Tell You A Story…

Now, there is the truth about a thing and then there is the story we tell ourselves about the thing. In this case, the Truth is that Tony Robbins has a gift for helping people. Maybe it has to do with the fact that he has more human growth hormone in his body than the average person (due to a small benign tumor pressing against his pituitary gland.) That fact is that Robbins has a massive presence and uses it to help a lot of people. That is the truth. The story I tell myself is that he is special and I can’t create the same level of success. The truth here is that I have my own path and my own voice and that is what I can discover. I have seen and heard enough Tony Robbins rip-off artists. Not to say that I won’t steal his best ideas and use them to help people. I will. And in that way, I am like Tony, as he has been unabashed in his incorporation of new models and methods during his career.

I first studied Robbins work in 1995, when I was working at Creative Spirit Center in Midland, Michigan. There was an extensive community library of books on self-help, spirituality, personal growth, creativity, psychology, etc. I read both Unlimited Power and  Awaken The Giant within. I was in so much pain in my life at the time that my hunger and thirst for knowledge and healing drove me to not only study but also to obsessively apply what I was learning. And so I applied a great deal of the techniques with great success, especially in terms of living with purpose, with passion and improving my life conditions.

Date With Destiny delivered the expected content on peak states and some of the central concepts I studied fifteen years ago. DWD delivered a lot of surprises too.

Surprise! -Integral Theory and Practice

My friend and colleague Jason Digges recently wrote about a philosophical map called Integral Theory and why that map isn’t as widely used. It is an excellent article. I commented on the blog to the point that Integral theory is actually seeping into many different places but without the full trappings of someone who is converted. Tony’s Date With Destiny is a case in point. To say I was surprised is a turn of phrase to capture your attention. Actually, I wasn’t surprised at all. I know that Tony and Ken Wilber (recognized founder of Integral Theory) have been acquaintances for some time. And even more important, Integral Theory has the best maps. Tony uses the best tools and techniques out there. He is results oriented. Specifically, Tony taught or used Spiral Dynamics, masculine – feminine polarity, voice dialogue, archetypes, the process of seeing and being seen and referred to Byron Katie’s Work highly. Beyond the content, is the actual delivery in an integral way. That means that he was able to go to many places and take many perspectives some of which are a paradox. Where else can you participate in Oneness Blessing and listen to AC/DC? There were Burners, Corporate Execs, Moms, Small Business owners, Trust Funders, Professionals, Investors, and the seminar junkies all together… Now many people aspire to teach the content that  Tony is teaching to the diverse audience that Tony attracts, but few pull it off. I haven’t yet been able to find that sweet spot but I am looking forward to it!

You’re No Tony Robbins

As I reflect on the trip back in my office, I am clear that I am no Tony Robbins. There is the story about that and then there is the truth. The story is about comparing myself to an idea that I have about this person I actually know little about. The truth is that I am inspired by the Date With Destiny experience and the work of Tony Robbins AND I am committed to developing my unique, gifts, talents and capacities as a facilitator, strategist, speaker, coach and author.

Persistence – the ability to endure in action in spite of obstacles and set backs

(Definition by Seth Braun)

My book will be done next month… I have been saying that for a lot of months. And now it comes to this…

Layout sample of the inside of Indestructible Success

I am working on the layout of Indestructible Success with my colleague Sylvie Abecassis (who did the layout and design for my first best-seller, Healthy, Fast and Cheap) and heading into the last stretch.  Bringing this book into the final phase has been humbling and humorous. Interesting how those words are so similar. Like humus, the stuff of great soil.

Design for section headings in Indestructible Success

Now the thing is, that I have done my best to write a book that I think will be supremely valuable to young entrepreneurs and small business owners in the LoHaS, Cultural Creative, Knowledge worker economy. But to do that well, I have had to cut, shred, chop, change, polish, add, take away, burn and otherwise improve the book repeatedly.

Layout for the chapter titles and opening statements for each chapter of Indestructible Success

For instance, when I printed the first 30 copies for review (in plastic binding on 8.5″ by 11″ paper) I was told that I hadn’t provided enough personal stories of success to earn the credibility from my reader. Then, when I printed off 100 more copies from a vanity print on demand publisher, I was told I had too many stories that muddied up and diluted the message. Each time I got feedback like this, my first reaction was something like, (and this was in my head, not to anyone, thank God) “eff you… what do you know about books anyway… I don’t need to change this… it is an expression of my artistic purity to honor the mark of the pen at that time… I mean, what would this book be if I changed that part… I mean, it does kind of seem like it would help… maybe I need to change it… dang… they are right about that feedback aren’t they! That is basically how the feedback process would go, over and over again. Finally, I just recognized the pattern for what it is. Just monkey chatter in my mind. It is good though. Now I can accept feedback much quicker. The little defensive voice is like traffic stopping to look at a milk truck accident. “Move along there, nothing to see, just keep moving,” I tell myself.

recap and self study layout for each chapter in Indestructible Success

You may be able to see from this post that I have reverted to the original subtitle of the book, “Creative Entrepreneurship and the Art of Small Business” after going through three “final” changes that included “Creativity, Leadership and the Art of Small Business” and “Creativity, Leadership and Making Your Dreams Reality.” But through a series of left and right brain realizations, the subtitle is back to the first one that really stuck. I am glad.

Persistence… I have had the thought… “How can I be stuck with the book if I am supposed to be writing about “Indestructible Success,” so many times that I made friends with that thought too. And I have come to own that Indestructible Success is not about consistent focus, productivity and confidence. Indestructible Success is accepting that I am a moron sometimes, and that is OK. I can still create value, contribution, and art that is cool, inspiring and kicks butt. It may even kick butt more because I am a little flaky, a little brilliant and a little behind schedule.

What great project have you been putting off doing? Where do you need to persist in creation?

“All faults may be forgiven of him who has perfect candor.”

-Walt Whitman

I give a lot speeches. I like to write material, prepare Prezi presentations, and engage the audience. I speak on success. I wrote a book on success. And I am curious if I fall into the trap of speaking in grand ideals rather than simple lessons. Am I presenting what I think I should present? Can I present what is really going on on and be a mirror for the audience of their heart’s deepest longing? Can I forgo platitudes and quotes and speak candidly and as the quote from Whitman suggests, be forgiven for stating the painful truth?

You see, I also do a lot of coaching. And success usually boils down to things like:

• Having a plan to achieve a goal and sticking to it even when you don’t feel like it
• Not being afraid to fail, look foolish, be embarrassed, or criticized.
• Taking care of oneself (exercise, sleep, diet)

This isn’t rocket science…

So why don’t I give speeches about the daily challenges of living a good life? I don’t know. So I am going to try it out. I wrote out a list of topics that reflect the kinds of struggles I have on a daily basis.

Speech Ideas from Ordinary Challenges In Life:

• I took down 5 maple trees and kept the logs for three building projects and only did one of them (my whole tree construction carport). The rest of the logs have been sitting in the back yard for 2 years. Sometimes I have big ideas and take one more than I can actually do, which makes life harder than it needs to be. Take away: Able to laugh at ourselves.
• I often feel guilty that my life is so good when I read about people getting paid minimum wage (or less) to fillet catfish in Alabama, process chickens in Missouri or pick Strawberries in California. Why are people making millions on tech stocks like in Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Google, when an American working to provide food can’t make a decent wage. That seems messed up. And I often feel bad. Am I the only one? Take Away: Your not the only person that has a hard time with this.
• Like many of my generation, I want to develop passive income streams online. Then I can spend more time gardening. I want to be wealthy so I can work at growing my own food, which relates to the point above in an interesting way. My grandfather worked hard so that his kids didn’t have to grow their own food. Take away: Success is individually defined.
• Reconciling the complexity of the inner life of Seth, part Christian, part Buddhist, part Anarchist, part Capitalist, part Business Owner, part Slacker… etc. Take away: What you need to do to be congruent internally with choices you make.

Immediately after writing this, I used one of these ideas (the logs story) to demonstrate the importance of Vision. So even if I never cultivate the glory of the ordinary like say a Garrison Keiller, I can at least inject some humor at my own folly in my talks more often.

I was rereading one of my favorite books on Contemporary Christian life, Soul Survivor: How Thirteen Unlikely Mentors Helped My Faith Survive The Church. Author Phillip Ynacey writes about people ranging from Mahatma Gandhi and Erv. Dr. King to C. Everet Coop and Dr. Robert Coles. The big take away last night from the reading was that many ministers preach on their salvation story or the Biblical salvation story but often miss the wonders, awe and mystery of Grace in daily life. Have I been missing the beauty of everyday life in my talks?

I experience inner conflict on a regular basis. What I spoke on this topic? It is part of living with an open and curious mind and holding multiple perspectives. I know that many bright, successful, compassionate people experience this dance. All of my clients experience this internal discombobulation, that is why they hire me.  So how do I speak to people about this in a way that is authentic, engaging and valuable? How can I touch the audiences’ heart with stories that are their own… stories that have the pain of truth yet with a light touch and a sense of humor?

So what is really going on? While putting this post together, I asked my family “what do you think I need to do to improve?” and this is their response:

So, you can see, that what is really going on is that I:

1. Could risk being weird in my work more often and could definitely practice having more fun.
2. I could cultivate the expression of love with my daughters. (Probably through patience, listening and genuine interest.)
3. I could go to bed earlier, more often. (Like right now as I type this at 11:30 pm)

What is really going on for you? What talks have you heard lately that were authentic, heartfelt and valuable to you? What stories and experiences are meaningful to you on a daily basis?

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You can get Soul Survivor, by Phillip Yancy, here:

Toastmasters is the world’s largest organization dedicated to communication, leadership, public speaking, and presentation skills. Yet, many people are confused about what exactly happens at Toastmasters.

District 19 Toastmasters banners, old brand logo on the left, new brand logo on the right.

Toastmasters International recently re-branded. Take a look at the photo of the banners from the District 19 Toastmasters conference.

As you can see, the new logo is more streamlined and modern. But what does the brand say about Toastmasters?

First of all, you can see that the gavel is gone. This follows the move away from Toastmasters as a place for people to learn to lead meetings and a towards a focus on

Seth Braun with Dist. 19 Conference Chair Christy Hatter after a full day of programs on leadership, social media, presentation power and business.

Toastmasters as a place to learn leadership. In fact, their tagline now is, “where leaders are made.”

Next you can see that the globe is a series of latitude and longitude lines rather than featuring continents. This reflects Toastmasters more global status. Asia is the hotbed for Toastmasters club growth and many clubs are springing up in the Middle East. I have heard that there are close to 120 countries on the Toastmasters map.

Past International Director of Toastmasters, Martha Tinker, was on hand to gave us the low down on the re-branding. If you are looking for the treasure trove of resources for your Toastmasters club, then Martha suggested going to Toastmasters.org/BrandPortal, where you will find web banners, logos, email headers, branded agendas and much, much more.  Martha also explained the choice of colors; burgundy for the leadership track, blue for the communication track.

Seth Braun with Lt. Governer of Marketing, Kelly Nielsen, DTM, planing a tour to 20 clubs in District 19 to promote cub success.

I brought up the point that the name of our organization is antiquated, referring to a social position that no longer exists. The role of “Toastmaster” as meeting leader for social and civic clubs no longer exists. The closest thing we have now is the MC, Master of Ceremonies or Chair of the Meeting. The reality of Toastmasters is experientially congruent with confidence building, leadership development, presentation improvements, speaking and communication craft and group development (leading meetings, runing projects, etc.). And yet many people outside of Toastmasters are not sure exactly what Toastmasters is. See post on Toastmasters and Entrepreneurs. 

Nevertheless, the Toastmasters brand is well established, and the name is bound to stay. I hope more people take advantage of the organizations curriculum and services. I am committed to the Next Greatest Version of America and when more people elevate their station, then everyone benefits. And I truly believe that when America is elevated, it is good for the world. Check out a Toastmasters club near you. When you develop yourself through leadership and communication, you increase your confidence tenfold. This helps everyone; you, your family, your business, your community, your region, your nation and the world.

Toastmasters…

What is it?

Is it Toast? A Hotplate? An alcohol centered party speech making club?

Toastmasters recently rebranded their image and took a decidedly leadership oriented focus, yet it is historically known for its training in the art of public speaking.

I recently spoke with Burt Chojnowski, founder of Brain Belt consulting and creator of numerous businesses along a wide spectrum of disciplines. He and I were at the District 19 Toastmasters conference.

Although people like Chris Guillebeau and Scott Berkun recommend Toastmasters in their books “The Art of Non-Conformity” and “Confessions of A Public Speaker,” (respectively) many young entrepreneurs don’t know how much Toastmasters has to offer. And rightfully so, since the term is antiquated and isn’t tied to any functional role in culture.

Nevertheless, Toastmasters is the best dollar for dollar value for personal growth for most young entrepreneurs. Basically, if you want to be able to pitch your ideas, you need to know how to communicate those ideas quickly, clearly and efficiently. I have been approached to represent start-ups as a “pitch-hitter.” As much as I love these people and their ideas, as Burt mentions in this interview, no one can sell your idea as good as you can… unless you bring in a partner that can pitch and give her equity.

I refer all of my young entrepreneur clients to Toastmasters. And even if you work in a corporate behemoth, your skills can help you make an effective presentation in your department, pitch a sweet idea to your C-suite and lead meetings more effectively.

For more information on Toastmasters, check out: http://www.toastmasters.org/

Seth Braun is a professional speaker, author and President of an Advanced Toastmasters Club, past president of the most successful club in the state of Iowa and a faithful student of the art of presenting ideas.

We’ve launched the new Seth Braun site.

We are psyched to have it up. There is more work to be done, but we want to get this out to you so you can access what we are offering.

We are excited about our speaking tour, our programs and our services.

We’d love to hear from you.

Thanks,

Seth