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[0:04] Hey we're back on the pirate broadcast and I just wanted to share the fact that I'm in a different environment because I'm in Houston today.
I flew over here for a little while. To see my son, some friends and some clients.

[0:23] So I just wanted to highlight the fact that I'm meeting today on streamyard with Michelle, she is also in Houston.
Welcome to the show. Michelle how are you today.

[0:36] I'm fantastic Russ and it's raining here today.
And you came from a hot dry sunny weather with all the rain. But that's OK. We call it liquid sunshine right. We need rain too.

[0:47] You know it's liquid sunshine. And we also understand that the sun is just on the other side of the clouds. That's right never fear.
So, Michelle, we've known each other for a little while and you've been in the HR industry and the recruiting industry and you have utilized LinkedIn for many different reasons and different kinds of aspects of LinkedIn. And so what is your LinkedIn journey been and what did you really apply to your business and how does that mesh into your day to day activities.

[1:22] Well I guess I can say I've been a LinkedIn user since 2004 and that's a long time aging myself and dating myself now because I'm only 25 some.
But yeah I remember back. I actually started and was introduced to it when it was way back in 2004.
It was called headhunter dot net and LinkedIn had acquired them.
Being in the recruiting industry we're always looking for the latest and greatest and online technology.
That's when online was really really popular and I thought I probably got onto something that was really great. It made me very very successful in my recruiting career.
And as time evolved and I started my own recruiting business at the end of 2000 I just continued to keep on using it as the word LinkedIn started to evolve.
So I can say that I've used it eight to 10 hours a day constantly and, started to figure out and get creative on all the tricks and the tips and the ways to kind of funnel my way through and the domino effect to kind of get the results and, people kept asking me how are you finding all these people and it was really just more curiosity of me learning the technology and the tool itself.

[2:38] Then what happened is in 2016 Fast Forward Microsoft acquired LinkedIn but previous to that two or three years previous to that my main industry and me recruiting is oil and gas and oil and gas took a huge huge economic hit in a recession. And I remember the day I was sitting with my business coach and we were actually coaching on a different type of program that I wanted to work on. And I remember somebody had called me and I said I'm sorry I need to take this call.
And I navigated through Linkedin in front of her and then I hung up and said I'm sorry, let's just continue, and she said oh my gosh that's what you need to do. And I said Do what.
She said what you just did right there navigating and LinkedIn so fast. She said people don't know how to do that you need to teach people how to do that.
I said everybody knows how to use LinkedIn. I went Wow. So we kind of pivoted and retooled kind of the programs and I put together workshops probably for the first year,
on a monthly basis with job seekers who were looking at how to use the functionalities of LinkedIn.
I didn't know what I was doing but I was just showing them all these different things and it would blow my mind,
that these people don't know how to navigate LinkedIn. I would get 50, 60, 70 people show up in a room at the same time and all the questions we'd spend four or five hours there and they're asking tons of questions I'm thinking I cannot believe that these people do not know how to do this. So I was onto something and started creating programs to where people were coming to me privately and saying I want to work with you one to one. Yeah. So it kind of evolved and started kind of growing its own legs and I've been doing that for five years.

[4:30] So you're still in the recruiting design at the same time.
Yeah. Because I know I remember when I was still here in Houston and you were training LinkedIn and you had some classes and courses going on and we talked back and forth,
and I am like you, it's like I think everybody knows how to navigate and use this program.
And we get in this cone of silence where we know the cone of knowledge. And we think that if we know it then everybody knows it. That's not the case.

[5:04] Yeah it's like brushing your teeth and you know this well saying that people that are even watching it's like we have so many talents and gifts that the world needs to know.
I didn't think that me being a user of LinkedIn would be something that people would want to know even still today because I speak and I'm an unofficial volunteer brand ambassador for Microsoft, and I speak at their stores, I speak to some of their employees don't even know how to use LinkedIn so it's just its ever-evolving and.
It's something that you know when I walk in a room full of people you don't know and people say hey, you're the Ask Girl your that LinkedIn girl. So I guess obviously it's working well.

[5:50] And you know I've been to some linked and locals and you know I've had people come up to me at events and say Hey I know you from LinkedIn.
And so it does work. So what are some things that Michelle is doing that is unique to your business in recruiting. Because I know there are a lot of recruiters on LinkedIn. There's a lot of recruiters that enjoy the opportunity. And whether or not you're in your searching for people or responding to people.
And how does that all play out in day to day activity. What is the bulk of your activity as a recruiter?

[6:39] Well here's what I'll say. I'm a combination of three top ingredients.
I'm a get off your ask, an A S K expert.
I'm a LinkedIn traffic cop.
Combining that as being an executive recruiter.
So what does that mean. I take all of those three ingredients and I make it into a recipe and a formula. I teach people actually first of all how to specifically verbalize by asking and choosing boldly define words in order to get the things that they want.
And then I translate a lot of those words content verbally because and the reason why I say that as I found through the years of being an executive recruiter for 20 plus some years when I interview people they can talk about, what it is that they do but they can't get specific about telling me what they do. And then they can't match up the words verbally they have a hard time writing it. And so LinkedIn is a human data analytics tool and platform where you get recognized through keywords. It's optimized that way.
I found it when I talk to you. But then I read your LinkedIn profile or read your resume. It doesn't match up.
Right. So I try and get them really defined that way by simplifying the formula and saying Tell me what you want on your pizza.

[8:06] And they can easily tell me what kind of pizza they like what kind of toppings they want I said I want you to translate that into what you want in your business.
And I utilize the tag line or the headline or the ask statement underneath your name because it's like walking into a drugstore, the doctor just told you go get some B12 vitamins or the vitamin store you walk in and there's a whole aisle of B12 vitamins. How do you know which is the right one. So you've got to stand out some way. And when people view your profile they see your picture. They see your headline and they see the first of two or three lines of the about saying it. How do you jump out.

[8:47] Yeah well I think you but you've done that across your career all over because the branding has been very specific.
And I know for people that don't know you. You're also a speaker. You're also a singer and a performer and a dancer. There are lots of dimensions to Michelle that you know a lot of people may not know because one thing is that when to step up your ask and it brings in that certain element of your business.
You really have to think about OK what is it that I'm asking for. Because even though we have a lot of layers of talent and interests and curiosities. When it comes down to business and when it comes down to LinkedIn I think we have to be very clear on our asking. That's one thing that I've never been good at I think even you probably asked me, Russ, What is it exactly that you do. Yeah, well you know here's the thing. I don't want to make anybody right or wrong good or bad indifferent. Here's the thing. At the end of the road whatever that final destination is we all are unique. We're all amazing in our own way. But here's what I'll say. I really appreciate what you're doing for this LinkedIn world and LinkedIn audience because you've introduced me even by me going back into the piratebroadcast and seeing some really amazing LinkedIn experts. I call myself a link to an expert in my own unique way but I follow a lot of these people as well too because I believe in co-op-petition. I just want to see how they navigate their waters. But for me, my way was that asking through having questions and being curious,
and I don't have a high school degree I don't have the Ph.D.'s I don't have the MBA's I talk to a lot of people like that and I respect them but that's what's kind of gotten me to where I am and that's kind of like my successes asking a lot of questions being very very curious I'm a why person if I don't know why then I keep asking and I keep asking and then I get to the final,
Oh so what you're trying to tell me is you want pepperoni mushrooms extra crust and cheese on your pizza and the like. Yeah. I've been trying to say that for years.
Well, it's interesting because like you said ask better questions, get very clear and concise on what you're asking and what you really want and desire. Because I know a lot of people myself included it's like I get bored. So I know over the years I've been purposefully I'll work on some things and I'll work on some cool projects. And then I'll be done with those projects and I'll move on to something else.

[11:38] So I don't know how to describe that. It's round technology I do a lot of cool things you know about broadcasting, radio, television you know video, audio and so it's really about how I can bring things together, and I think a lot of people are still working through that and what I always get the sense of is you have to go out and try these things you have to go out and pick them and evaluate them and all of the LinkedIn people that are really really good at LinkedIn they get that way because they have been out testing things they've been trial and erroring some things. You know I talked with Jared yesterday and on his show we were talking about that before the show started. We were talking about the testing you know test a few things and then afterward we were talking about you know hey on the promos maybe you could do text only and maybe you try some different images and maybe you try some things that are going on and so this evaluation process is really important for us to understand that there is no one answer. There's no right answer. There's no wrong answer.

[12:51] No there's not. Now it's like I said it's a very creative Domino effective being linkedIn.
Now here's what I say Lincoln is a very complex tool which is made my job very easy.
But you know everybody has their thing. Like for me, I'm not the LinkedIn technology person that's going to study all the data analytics all that,
I'm the person that when you walk in at the gym and you see all that gym equipment I teach you how to use the equipment.
Yeah. So because people don't know I'll hear from a recruiter ear what they're looking for. As if I would talk to a corporate client is looking to hire. I'd ask more questions. And I say OK. So here's what you need to do. Click on that there. And that's why I say I'm the traffic cop. I stand in the middle of the lights when the lights go out and I direct traffic.
I say you go over here OK. No, you turn no stop OK. You turn all right signal, caution because the thing about it is is that I point you click because people need to learn from my porch perspective as by doing it I won't do it for you. They learn by doing.

[13:55] Yeah. This is absolutely important because I think I believe in the power of LinkedIn and I believe in the power the opportunities that it brings.
Because I mean I have some very amazing relationships as a result of LinkedIn. And you know it's no longer geographical, you know we don't have to worry about the geography we're in. We don't have to worry about you know even time zones. You know I've had some people on from Australia in the middle of the night.
They get up and they do their show it's like crazy and we have so much to learn and the more I know the less I know.

[14:38] You know it's like you don't know what you don't know and here's what I'll say I. I move people from I know that I didn't know that. And so now what are you going to do.
Right. Because we can sit with that but activity equals results on LinkedIn and you know that it is optimized, it's like that's what I say when people coach with me there are no guarantees because it varies per user. Yeah. If you have to use it you've got to use the gym equipment you've got to make the activity happen to get your results.
Just like in recruiting I got to get very creative with my words I'm like that's not working. OK let me try these filters. Let me go this way.
Well I didn't know I didn't see that person like it has to be it's a very curious creative tool where you can play around with a lot of different creative keywords and I'm a very creative person.
Yeah, it's like you. You're a very creative person, and the beauty of it is I love this conversation because people have an opportunity to make some amazing connections on LinkedIn.
So essentially from a recruiting perspective you're searching for a certain person a certain type of person. Do you have a set workflow that you go through and do searching or is it just like all different per person, so here's what I'll say I organically grew my LinkedIn audience and LinkedIn itself from just my own individual profile but being in the recruiting industry and how evolving it's been from an automation standpoint. I also use the LinkedIn recruiter tool. So it's almost like the Sales Navigator but it's a recruiting tool for the recruiting industry which is the platform where I have more access I get to review the whole LinkedIn world audience whereas on an individual profile you're limited to your three connections.
So I can l have access to all 650 million people. I just have to get creative with filters and keywords but everything is going to be different.
So like currently right now you know we're looking to hire in the manufacturing industry a project engineer who's got experience in electrical mechanical design with electrical components.
What I do is I have to get really creative from requirements to skill sets to job titles to geographic location to competitor companies.

[17:08] But I utilize that as my headline underneath my name if anybody is looking or goes to my LinkedIn profile you're going to see an Ask statement which is what I help people create,
at that ask statement is not an ask as in hey I'm looking for a job. Hey buy from me Hey I'm selling this it's I'm just looking to either collaborate. Connect or network.

[17:34] Because it may not be a direct hit with somebody that is in that space it may be six levels down of it through a domino effect. So what happens and it has worked for me.
I'll put that out there. That's how I stand out as the B12 vitamin in the aisle that you need to pick. Yeah. And so what happens is I have people that randomly will send me a private message just by reviewing my headline and saying hey I see you're looking for actually project engineers and the electronic components industry. How can I help you.
And now I'm able to take it to say well I'm looking to hire da, da and da. Can you request any associations networks individuals companies that I can talk to.

[18:18] Well I believe we're only two conversations away from getting exactly what we need. Exactly. And so I love that idea of being able to put the ask statement up there and I think it brings a lot of power because you have a lot of intent there. There you have a lot of motion going on there. It's like this is exactly what I'm looking for. Can you help me.

[18:43] I want to give a shout out. Kieran is here Wendy, Lori, Roger said that you're in Houston and Tony and I are in Vegas. Hi everybody. Lewis, Sherry.
Thank you so much for being here. Jill Brown, Teresa, Gabriel thanks so much for being here man. Richard Pickett and yes my camera is much brighter today. It's a different camera.

[19:17] It's Houston. That's Houston does that. Lonnie Ray. Yes. Share your talents and gifts and you get even more fantastic. So, Vicki O'Neil, she's another expert.

[19:31] Vickie introduced me to John Experian and Jeff Young and Brenda Meller and all of these people or are people that I've had on the show that are just really very talented individuals.

[19:45] You know Jared yesterday he's is he's an amazing individual on the talent and the expertise on LinkedIn.

[19:53] So Wendy I can see your confidence it does feel good to know your purpose. So she's giving you your shout out there. Thank you, Wendy. And good morning troops. Jerry thank you for the shout out. I want to make sure that we kind of map this out for other people that are because we've also Michelle we were broadcasting to Facebook You-Tube and Periscope,
and they're individuals that are not familiar with LinkedIn and everything else. And I think in life this goal of defining what you're ASK is and really being clear on your purpose and what your goals are right now you know that's not to say they can't change down the road. right. And you can't do something else next year what it is though is when people get clear about what they want in life.

[20:48] Things seem to open up. Introductions seem to happen. Events take place and it happens to me every single time.
I get very clear on what my goal is so is that something that you can relate to in your life as well.

[21:02] Absolutely. But here's what I'll say. It's not right or wrong. But the biggest thing is is you have to be careful when you are verbalizing or even what I see sometimes on LinkedIn profiles in the headlines is people want to combine, all of the things that they want in their headline and they smash it in CEO PMP doctorate, fashion designer, design engineer.
You have to learn to ask for one thing at one time because you confuse your audience.
It doesn't say you can't ask for anything but there's a book called One thing and it teaches you how to ask for one thing at one time.
I help people formulate how to ask for one thing at one time and then use their ASK statement and I can literally have a 10-minute conversation with somebody,
and I can hear probably about five or six different ask statements in there that I can help them condense and utilize hey I can say Hey try it on your LinkedIn profile you've got to stand and be different because you've got to remember when you optimize if you just tried the word in Project Manager,
on your LinkedIn headline, you've got two hundred pages of the word project manager.
How are you going to stand out because you have to write in the context of what your viewers are looking for not how you know it.

[22:18] I think a lot of people myself included is that we're not thinking enough about the end-user like I was talking about the whole idea of if I know it everybody knows it.
That's not the case. The cases that you have to speak like someone that doesn't know anything about what you're talking about you're gonna catch him in layman's terms.

[22:49] That's why. Like if someone says to me they'll say well I'm looking for a project manager job.
What does that mean? What kind of project manager and what is that. Is that what industry and then I go and I keep digging. And then they stopped me. Are you going. Are you a lawyer.
No, I just I'm good at asking to get really clear about what it is that you want. So I can help you. Yeah.
And in my speaking when I speak I do a lot of speaking. I can sit in an audience and say What are you looking for.
And then I can formulate it right there real fast get him to stand up and go OK. So this is what you're looking for and I'll go Who in here.
Can help this person. And it's amazing from general all the way to specify how many people can help that person.

[23:32] Yeah. Do you remember the first time we met? No. I'm sure I'd probably asked you a lot of questions.

[23:44] I was just going to say my message wasn't clear. And you called me out on it. That's true probably. What are you doing.
Who is this girl asking me all these questions?

[24:01] And it was totally out of a place of love a caring and wanting to help. And so your confidence is just awesome. And I just love you.

[24:15] And it is just amazing to to hang out with you on this broadcast and I just want to make sure that people understand that if you're not connected to Michelle you know say Russ and you and if if you are.
Talented in some way. And you're looking for something else in your life and you may want to take a move you know she'd be a good one to contact. Is that true? Is that accurate.

[24:40] Yeah. And I have a Web site. It's Ask, a ask about LinkedIn dot com and it combines all of the ingredients I said I was,
I and I do groups associations corporate events or individual one to one programs and coaching,
and I combine all of that into one working with an individual so I can hit someone who is just a corporate business professional a business or a job seeker or a recruiter because I speak all of that language and live my life like that daily.
So I understand the true nuance of Lincoln from that perspective.

[25:20] And I think that so many people are searching for the opportunity to know and understand a little bit more about the tools they're using things are on because LinkedIn,
is actually where you take action. You know Facebook and other Twitter and things like that they all have their personalities.
And the reason I love LinkedIn is because you can actually build relationships. I love building relationships and having relationships and connecting with people I know and asking them for jumping on the Piratebroadcast and things like that.
And it's a really exciting time we're living in and the ability to, broadcast like this and share the talent and the gifts of people like yourself and really get out there and push the envelope and see what we can create and test it out develop evaluate what's going to happen next. I'm excited about it. I know that so many people I've talked to are also excited about it.
So what's next for Michelle. What do you have in the plans, what's on the road map?

[26:28] Well I'm really evolving into my speaking and you know a little bit more of my approach on an international and global basis. You know I've been asked to speak in London in the Philippines in Singapore Australia that's where I shine the most I'm very much an in-person feel the energy,
and really evolving my LinkedIn coaching consulting business more at a higher level.

[27:00] And at a bigger level recruiting is a great vehicle for me and my financial vehicle. I'm a beast at it but it's not my heart and my purpose. It's about getting in front of people and really helping them find the power of their voice by being boldly asking you know I and I find by taking those steps I mean I've had a very very big goal and dream for the last 15-20 years.
I want to fly on a private jet with my Fab-Five to Dubai and I want to speak in front of 5000 women from the Asian Eastern Hemisphere and teaching them boldly about the power of their voice. So I've got the art of the ask and then I have LinkedIn and I can combine both of them or one of them together and I will.
That will happen for me and I keep speaking it and manifesting it and it's going to happen. Fantastic fantastic.
So you're your Web-site. Let's share that again, www.askaboutlinkedin.com
What I'll say the word ask stands for a is
A-Activity or action.
S-Speak it say it
K-Keep it moving

Fantastic

[28:14] So if you have to leave one thing with the world today. What is it?

[28:22] Well I'll say two if you don't remember anything in this pirate broadcast is to get off your ask.
Don't be afraid to ask and remove the outcome and expectations.
Just ask and let the universe dictate what the outcome looks like rather than you creating a story in your head of what that is.

[28:42] That's fantastic. Fantastic. I'm so excited to connect with you. Michelle, diddo and hopefully the rain will be reduced a little bit here in Houston and we can go on about her day.
It is just so amazing. So of Lonni Rey says Mic dropped, goal Michelle. Make it happen. Such an inspiration. Wow, thank you.
Laurie. Go big or go home.
Wendy is working on the art of the ask. So you've inspired some people here today and I want to I just want to applaud and thank you so much for being here. Michelle and.
I look forward to the next opportunity we can connect and hook-up and do what we can do. Well, I just appreciate all that you're doing for the community Russ and I hope to see you again real soon but hopefully maybe next time in person.
Awesome awesome. All right. Take care.

[29:39] As you know #kindnessiscool, #Smilesarefree and you enjoy the day.