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Russ Johns
And we're on the #piratebroadcast. And we have amazing, interesting guests doing interesting things. And today's no different because guess what we have Judi. Judi Fox #Foxrocks. Woo. On the pirate #piratebroadcast. We got our hashtags down Judi. #piratebroadcast meets #Foxrocks. It's like a day in infamy. You know, it's like wonderful, amazing Thursday, and I just want to thank you so much for the opportunity to be here and hang out.

Judi Fox
That's so awesome.

Russ Johns
Well, you know, we've been connected for a while now. And you know, we go back and forth and I know everybody's busy on LinkedIn and, it's difficult to stay in, in up to date on everybody, that's taken place and you know, it's, I know you're fully engaged and involved in in LinkedIn and training and I want to I want to cover some of those things. However, you also share a passion with me about video and you know, the idea that video makes a difference. And a third thing is that you recently posted something about if you want referrals, you got to give them

Judi Fox
YES

Russ Johns
It's like, let's talk about how you arrived at this place and what you're working on and what you're focused on and what you're passionate about. So bring us up to speed on what's Judi doing.

Judi Fox
I mean, there's a lot of things I could go down the foxhole, or the rabbit hole. But I like that. Yeah, basically, you know, having an engineering background myself, I'm a chemical engineer. And a lot of people are like, how did you connect the dots between that and what you do now? And I always say it's because I like taking tough things and breaking them down into their most actionable pieces. Plus, then I got my masters in sustainability. So what you mentioned when you first open up this podcast, how can you do it all or how can you keep up or we can keep up we cannot keep up with everyone. That is just a fact of life. And we really can and should honor like long term connections, long term relationships, you can't keep up. Maybe an activity where you might talk with somebody all lot. And then at some point, you just have to be like, okay, we that I feel like we really know each other now, let's stay in touch over the course of this year, next year, five years, 10 years. And some of the connections and relationships, relationships, even from college for myself, have turned into business. But it's about the years. That's like, I don't know how many 20 plus years since I've been in college. So yeah, you have to think long term in the

Russ Johns
and I always, I always remind people of that fact because of there's a lot of people in when specially when you're in a scarcity mode, and you're growing a business and you're just trying to get it going and you're just like, I just need to close something today. It's really hard to understand and comprehend that almost in your probably the same way. All of my business right now is Totally based on relationships I've had over the years. And which, which I love and appreciate. And also, you have to continue to go out and reach out and build relationships and understand what people do. And I love to ask the question, How can I add value to your day? Hmm, you know, and it's, it's like, if I can add value I, you know, maybe I can maybe i can't i don't know what you need right now. So if you can ask the question, just start the conversation. It's really a lot easier to get things moving forward. Yeah. And you're not when you're not expecting outcome, right.

Judi Fox
Yeah, and that's why have high intentions, low expectations. If you put out a great intention, a great vibe, a great energy, but and you just surround it all with low expectations because nobody is ever required to get back to you. Nobody's ever required unless they You're literally paying them at that point, you can be like, okay, you need to get back to me. But I think there's a lot of pressure and a lot of energy that is kind of rooted around in that scarcity kind of mode and mindset when people get really stressed. And it comes across and you can see somebody's energy behind them. And that's why I had a coach. I've had many coaches along the way, but one coach in particular, she helped me create something called an upward spiral guide. And it's meant to be read every single day and it's supposed to remind you have your amazingness because we get kind of caught up in all these wheels of Oh, but I didn't do this or I didn't get back to this person or this or I let that fall through the cracks. Sometimes there's opportunities you're supposed to let fall through the cracks, and that's okay.

Russ Johns
Yeah, I love that up roll. upward spiral. I like yeah, a lot.

Judi Fox
Yeah. It's so visual kind of you know, Grab some inspiration that you love out in the world, people who inspire you inspirational words, kind of like a mood board or like a vision board. And then the other things is print out some of your most amazing testimonials that you've gotten your recommendations and read them to back to yourself every day. Because if they really meant it, and you really did it, you have to kind of remind yourself, that's what I'm capable of. That's what I do. Like, that sounds kind of funny, but we forget that we don't look at our own recommendations that we get ourselves.

Russ Johns
And sometimes we have to remind ourselves that yes, in fact, this is true. And I am capable of doing this. Yeah. So what are you doing? And what is your like your superpower right now, as a result of that process? I mean, being able to see your, upward spiral and where are you headed with that upper spiral in your superpowers and in some of the things you're doing in life now. You're busy, you have family, and I love your videos with your son and everything that's going on. So yeah, and

Judi Fox
I think the main superpower that I have is coming again, I have my MBA slash masters and sustainability. So its environmental sustainability with economic and societal. So it is a different degree, and that most people wouldn't necessarily expect. I, at the time, there was maybe only five of these programs in the US and I was valedictorian. So that's very exciting. But the main point of having the sustainability background is that ends up being my superpower because I think from a place of how can you put processes in place that like my household got hit by a lot of sickness in February, you know, it's the winter and there's a lot of stuff going around, obviously, but We, I mean, it's still a sustainable business, it still is running, it still has processes and procedures in place. And you just have to think, and sometimes you have to pause. Maybe right now is the best time for me to do this part of my business and really focus and take action. And I think that's a huge difference between results and not getting results is just focus and action.

Russ Johns
Yeah, you really can't have an outcome unless you have some a little bit of both, right? You have to really kind of think about it. It's sustainability is this thing that you really have to you'll work out on a daily basis, you know, for myself anyway, I went through my experience with sustainability was in the farming. You know, I used to have a small Hobby Farm and we grew lavender and blueberries and we had llamas and and chickens. Animals and everything else and it was like how do you take a piece of property, cultivate it and work it all the time so it's productive year round, not just not when the crop is ready right? So it's one of those things that you have to think about and it goes back to systems and processes in it

Judi Fox
then apply it to a micro one person one you know one household me, my family and my business and apply it micro and then you can apply it macro so like you just shared it's applicable to your crops and growing and field in systems and processes. Plus, then it's applicable to services and coaching online and you think to yourself, really, but it does it. If you are able to set up processes that do generate leads, and there's so many people out there talking about, you need this funnel and you need This and you need that. What you really, really need is that, like I mentioned in you mentioned at the beginning, if you can get results for several people, and you can really lean into those relationships and keep nurturing and not nurturing, it's just, you should like those people, you're getting results more if you really don't want to nurture, spend time in those relationships, continue supporting them. I know that I'm a huge fan of, I could start naming names, but like Brian Wallace, or Michaela Alexis, or Chelsea Pikes has been incredible. And she just published a book called what to post and I am in her book. So and she's been a client of mine. So I just feel like we forget them how Thank you. It's exciting. And I forget, I think we forget how the ripple effect and there's a quote out there that talks about you never know the dots you connect today where they'll go tomorrow, like there's just this energy of networking is not, oh, let me touch base with all these people I've never, never met before networking is showing up at the same event over and over and over again and re establishing relationships with the same people and building on it.

Russ Johns
Yeah, it's interesting because when you approach somebody, I always, I always believe that if you have a conversation long enough, there's always a common thread in your connection. You know, there's something that will come up in your history in your activities if your interests or something will come up as a result of having an honest conversation with someone. And and like you said, not everyone is intention is to be you know, business connection. Sometimes it's it's you don't know who will bring others to the table. Yeah, introductions of introductions. You're one conversation away, especially with social media and linkedin Did it all the people that we can meet? Doesn't mean that we should have relationships with everybody that we have met, right?

Judi Fox
Yeah. And just because somebody isn't active, I noticed all the time somebody will say to me, this is potentially an ideal connection, but they're not active on LinkedIn. And I'm like, well, then go check out their Twitter, go check out their Pinterest, the moment you show up, I'm not even like go give likes and comments on YouTube. Yeah, we forget that there's a human being on the other side of being a creator. So Erica Vieira is beauty in the vlog. I absolutely love her work her platform, and just getting a chance to grow relationship with her over now years or it's going to be years but like, it's just so much more important to pay attention. She has an incredible podcast so she knows who's listening. She knows even though she might have millions of downloads. If you keep showing up on somebody content on Instagram on wherever they are. It doesn't have to be LinkedIn, it's just LinkedIn is a great way to check out who somebody is find out their title find out there. Oh, they used to work here. Oh my gosh, that's a great person to connect with. Well, they're not active here, well then go find them where they are.

Russ Johns
Well, it's too funny because I was I was talking yesterday with somebody and, and we were talking about that same subject. Because that way back a few years ago, when I got into technology, there wasn't this opportunity. I mean, it was like, Yeah, I don't have a website yet. You know, it's like, an and that went away. You know, it's like, if you don't have a website, and you're in business, it doesn't really make sense, right.

Judi Fox
So now, some sort of landing page, anything,

Russ Johns
sort of

Russ Johns
some sort of presence that validates that you have a connection in the world. And and now social media is Bunch of the lot the same way. I mean, I'm hearing less and less that. Yeah, the social media is not where my community is not where my customers are. And that's, that's really becoming less and less. And so people show up somewhere, and they participate somewhere. And they're out there and they are people, they are people on the other side of the, you know, the the platform. And so just making those connections and making those you know, comments like you said, you know, follow them and see what they're all about.

Judi Fox
Yeah, I mean, I guess this is kind of like a mic drop moment. But like, if you are thinking oh, I want to build a sustainable community. I want to I want this well then go out and give it that's a very, like the same thing. We started off the podcast or the show, which was, if you want the thing you want more of go give the thing you want it that's like a very reciprical. I don't know spiritual relationship with business, but give what you want to Get

Russ Johns
well and I've always been fascinated. years ago, in another chapter in the book of my life I was I was providing office supplies to companies. So I would go in these these companies and it was, like nondescript companies. And there's a warehouse and you know, packaging and all this stuff going on. It's like, what do you do here? I've always been curious about what people do and how they do it. And so the show the #piratebroadcast is all about, you know, interesting people doing interesting things and how they do it, how they show up, what their, what their interests are, and how we can actually help other people shine by providing a platform like this, you know, we're we're streaming on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It'll turn into a podcast later on, you know, and so it's just one of these things that it's been fascinating for me And the results have been phenomenal. So it's, it's like, yeah, add value at every turn. So it's one of those opportunities that you just have to put yourself out there and help others and it. Yeah, it works.

Judi Fox
And I guess my, my addition to that is don't I mean, sometimes I think the same thing with help others, but I actually stopped myself from thinking that I'm helping others and I'll explain why I changed to thinking because I did some studying of the drama triangle. And I don't know if you've ever heard about the drama triangle. It's basically where you have victims, helpers who are rescuers and persecutors. So and that's when you end up in this triangle of drama. Because you can't get out of it. At some point, you are a victim and then you turn into this and then you turn into persecuting them because you were a victim and you want to fight back and It just doesn't make a good situation here. So to translate that into something called the coach, the challenger, and all of a sudden I'm forgetting it. I'm the, you know, like an empower. So instead of helping people, you empower them to be able to help themselves. So encourager, yeah, exactly. So if you can turn around and change a conversation from here's how you can be empowered to do the thing that you need help doing because yes, we all I think every single human being on this planet needs help. But we're not we're not helpless. So I kind of not helpless leaned into and nobody is but I think I leaned a little far away from our little further towards the word empowering people. or other words, I came up with a huge sheet of paper that says all the other words we can use other than help. And the only reason why is because I noticed there's a lot of I hope statements, and I feel like there's a lot of people leaning into it. I can help you, I can help you, I can help you. I don't know you can help me. We don't know each other yet. So I think there's other words I'm teaching and coming from to show people, that the opposite of help to really empower people is if they can then turn into people empowering others, and then you get that bigger ripple effect.

Russ Johns
Well, that's, that's interesting that you should say that I love that concept, because, you know, I would rather be an encourager the influencer.

Judi Fox
Yeah. Make you have your ripple effect go out from you.

Russ Johns
Yeah. And I hadn't thought about it and framed it in that way to be, you know, helping you as much as encouraging you to help yourself.

Judi Fox
It's like a suttle difference. It's not the it's not the end of the world to help people. It's amazing to help people I don't want to bash helping anybody. I hope nobody hears that, but I I started Seeing that it was so much and I started asking myself why was I getting a whenever I feel like I'm getting a reaction to some word or some something happening that I see in the DM direct messages or emails. Let me know how I can help you. Well, then all of a sudden the work is all on me. I have to now let you know how you can help me which I knew you didn't know how to help me. But it's just like weird. It's it turns starts turning into a mini drama triangle where I need rescued and I don't need rescued like No, no. So I think it's interesting to shift. It's a slight shift to this other triangle.

Russ Johns
I really I really appreciate that. And thank you for sharing that because you know, you know, and I guess it goes back to so if I say how can I add value to your day?

Judi Fox
That is a good that's totally different. That's that's them open you opening the door for them to be like, Oh, sure, this would be valuable to me and that doesn't make them into a victim. or needing rescue or anything it just admits they would love that value. Hello, send it on your my way.

Russ Johns
I and it may be you know, it's it may be somebody an introduction to Judi that's how that works right

Judi Fox
yeah so I will say that a lot of people come into my so I have LinkedIn business accelerator and I lean into the business and accelerator part because LinkedIn just happens to be a tool that we're all using to connect with each other. Just like I already mentioned Twitter, I mentioned Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest already. It's just a way for us to connect so you can accelerate your business on any platform. So I'm more leaning into business principles like leadership, and that is truly what I go over actually the entire first the entire first module of my coaching is all about leadership, how to shift into certain types Voices so you can show up as a leader because you're gonna have more of an impact if you are a leader and showing up with that energy than if you are, you know, showing up in the drama triangle.

Russ Johns
Let's stay out of the drama.

Judi Fox
Exactly. It's like the Bermuda Triangle.

Russ Johns
Let's don't go there. Don't go there. So I want to go I want to go another place though. I want to kind of shift this and I want to thank Vicki O'Neill and Lori Knutson and Sherry Lally and, and Angie, Tammy Collins. All of the people Jen Jennifer, thank you so much. And if you're not connected Judi follow her over on Linkedin Judi w Fox.

Russ Johns
year is you're

Unknown Speaker
listening. I got money.

Judi Fox
I got my handle, whatever back in 2009. And now it's just stuck.

Russ Johns
Yeah. The point is, is that There are resources here in LinkedIn. And it's an incredibly powerful platform. And I love other platforms that I'm on and other platforms and, you know, and like, the hashtag Fox rocks, you know, you if you do a search, you show up, right. And and so I encourage people to also, you know, own something and just continue to show up and consistency is key. You know, and you have and you have trained a lot of LinkedIn people and, and some of the things, talk a little bit about your program and how, how that has evolved over the over time. And yeah, going forward on LinkedIn and what's working and what's maybe not necessarily true that people still believe.

Judi Fox
Well, I think the biggest difference is, my program is more broken out into step by step how to Really get, I don't know, if you want more attention in PR or press or if you want more opportunities to be on stage, it does go back to that principle you have to give what you want to get. So if you're interested in getting the attention of Arianna Huffington and I've had some clients and myself have had messages back from Arianna Huffington because of showing up being more consistent with supporting that content coming out of Thrive or out of any of her platforms. We again forget she's just another human that once in a while, encouragement and support and if that is her writing the comments Awesome if it's her team, the team is doing amazing, because they make it sound where comments are amazing, and it does make me think it is her The only reason why I say that is because she doesn't reply to every comment. And I honor that at some point. I'm Sara Blakely who runs Spanx, the CEO of Spanx and it's huge She will reply to some comments, but just a few, like, it's kind of interesting, which makes me think that is them. And they are paying attention. And we see the great messages. And then we also see the ones that are not so great. So I think that we forget there, no matter the size of the company, the brand, the person, there's just another human on that has the same skin that has the same issues, same worries, same health concerns. It's just a level playing field. And so I think there's certain signals we send and that's what I go over, I go over more of the kind of business signals you send out. Are you high end Are you going to say certain things that actually hurt your positioning, because the moment you get on a call with somebody that call should be either well qualified, that they know that they're gonna expect that your program is worth it and your value is worth it, and it's a sales call and it's we're not how do I say this? A lot of people say like, let's chat, but they know that they want to just do business so I just coach from a place that's. Just be clear this is business there you don't have to set up calls to chat if you don't want to know No, you don't need to.

Russ Johns
I don't need I don't need to just chat.

Judi Fox
Yeah. And I noticed that even companies big big brands, I worked with a big brand the other day and I love them. The Harmon brothers Do you know who the Harmon brothers are they sqwatty potty videos, I've worked with Benton crane and Daniel Harmon on their LinkedIn profiles got on coaching calls with them. And you know, I had to go over that and say if this you have an application process on your website, just what is working, if that's working on your website, let's figure out how to make it work on your LinkedIn profile. Because you're here for business, we know that we're not going to get out of the hold of the CEO of Harmon Brothers, and just chat. So you qualify people to get on a call, do the same thing on LinkedIn. And they were like, yeah. So now they have an application process and not a lunch chat in the DM.

Russ Johns
So, yeah, well, it's going back to the process, the systems that you use and what your intention is, and where you're going. And, you know, its sustainability, right. Its sustainability. And it's, it's like, okay, let's build sustainability in the conversation. Let's build that intention in what we're talking about and who we're talking to.

Judi Fox
Yeah. So when you shut down those conversations and great relationships and potential to chat, you're not closed off to it, you never are. But what ends up happening is you shift and 80% of the conversations result in more opportunities, sales collaboration, because you're coming at it with There's a business conversation happening here versus the 20% can just be to chat if you want, or connection like somebody the other day reached out and said, I'd love to you, you know, these x three people have connected us and said, We need to talk and I think we just need to talk and then I do it, I'm sure let's just talk then and see where it goes.

Russ Johns
But well, and sometimes those are the most intriguing and engaging conversations that we have. Yeah, when there is no expectation involved. Because then you can open up and be honest and you know, you don't authentic, I guess is a word that's been really tossed around a lot recently, is I have to be authentic, I have to be transparent. It's like, I just have to be me. I'm me. Here I'm me. They're on the same me everywhere. So when you're me everywhere, it doesn't really matter because you show up. You do the work. You You have conversations. And then you do business. I mean, it's right.

Judi Fox
I'm just talking about this sales signal of saying a CEO of a major company, being available to chat in the DM doesn't necessarily send a signal that I'm thinking about the consumers brain when they land on somebody's page, and they see a CEO being able to chat. Immediately you position them differently than if they say, here's an application to apply to get on a call or so we can at least decide that we're great fit to talk, because I don't think any CEO is just sitting around just chillin, like maybe they are.

Russ Johns
Well, that's not really their job.

Judi Fox
But most of the time, they're busy. And so we don't want to send that signal. It's a slight difference of a signal but the way you phrase how you will connect with people, doesn't mean you're closed off to it just the way you phrase it.

Russ Johns
Yeah. I really love that. I really love that approach So what's what's happening in the future of Judi Fox? and Fox rocks? I mean, what are you going to continue to to do this coaching and consulting and not helping others, enabling others to do what they need to do?

Judi Fox
Yes, empowering them? Yeah, I mean, I see just taking the next right action. That's what I've kind of always preached for myself because I think when people sit down and they try to map out and I think it's come from watching a lot of incredible business professionals ahead of me, and sometimes when they hold the reins too tightly on exactly what's going to happen, I think it's more I I would love to, you know, have and thrive on a YouTube channel because I would love to do that. I just need to map out what that looks like. And, but I feel like when I start looking and I love that you asked that but i i really, it's funny. That this goes back to my first LinkedIn video that I ever posted which was about I wanted my goals to align with my soul. And I'll never forget that video because it really popped and took off but also because it still resonates to me to this day I went through a period of time where I got burned out by the corporate Where are you going to be in five years where you gonna be in 10 years you have to be this on the ladder. I got so burned out by it and I think I'm still a little burned out by it. I can still achieve all the things in the world but I'm just kind of over trying to figure out where I'm going to be in five years. I'm just glad to be here tomorrow.

Russ Johns
Yeah, every day is a gift to me. You know, it's the way I look at it is I, I will continue to engage in have conversations like this. And I want at value wherever possible. In If people want to receive that, that's a wonderful thing. And I just I just believe that, you know, kindness is cool and smiles are free is, you know what I always love to share. And I truly and I truly believe that and it's like if we can, if we can just do something good to make a difference in someone's day that that energy just continues to flow and if you can get in that, mindset of of giving back and contributing to, to the people around you whether you know them or not, it's not a bad thing. So. So what do you want to leave with the world today? The big mindful piece of information Judi Fox with the Pirate community now that you're a pirate.

Judi Fox
Yeah, I could leave with a pirate joke.

Russ Johns
Okay. Do you have a pirate Joke

Judi Fox
of course, I have pirate joke. I have tons of joke books over there. Oh my gosh, I haven't got zillion pirate jokes. I probably need to come up with a new one because I've been recycling this one but you know what is a pirate's favorite letter?

Russ Johns
I don't know what is the pirate pirate's favorite letter?

Judi Fox
You don't know what a pirate's favorite letter is?

Russ Johns
No, I'm not gonna give it up.

Judi Fox
No, you do you do just say it. That's part of the joke.

Russ Johns
It's p. p, why is P.

Judi Fox
Joke fell through Here's the message say AR AR AR. AR but it's actually the sea. And I've told that joke like 30,000 times. It's so bad.

Russ Johns
Thank you so much for being here, Judi. I really appreciate the fact and everybody that jumped in Rodrigo mark,

Judi Fox
hi Rodrigo.

Russ Johns
Kenyatta are the key. Everybody else knew the joke.

Judi Fox
Yeah, they all know it. They are supposed to say AR but it is actually the Sea they all know that I need to I need to get my dog books out I have three job books over there for kids and I need to just pull them out.

Russ Johns
Thank you so much for doing this. I really thank you for being here and and contributing to the community and lifting people up in the in the LinkedIn community. It's fabulous. I love it. And so for all the next well thank you so much and and as I say, you know kindness is cool. smiles are free. And if you're not connected to Judi, Go, Go reach out, follow her stuff, you know, make comments. Get engaged and and Don't help her. Right?

Judi Fox
We all need a little bit of encouragement, love and free smiles. smiles. Awesome.

Russ Johns
All right, you enjoy the day. Thank you

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