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It's hard to believe that just one year ago, I celebrated another trip around the Sun just like today, and I officially pivoted into the brand Amplify Your Awesome™. In addition to renaming the podcast, I gained more clarity on who I wanted to work with and how I wanted to do that work. As I've leaned deeper into my Human Design Projectetorness in all areas of my life, it really has been a heck of a ride. And I'm definitely not slowing down anytime soon. In today's episode, which I'm recording live, I'm going to share some highlights from 2020 as well as some challenges. Plus, I'm going to be revealing a gift that I've been talking about for a while. But now I officially have sort of a timeframe for this. And it's my gift to you as we celebrate my birthday today. And year number two of Amplify Your Awesome™

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Have you ever felt like there was something missing in your business, something holding you back from the success that you're seeking? If so, you are not alone? For nearly 20 years, that's exactly how I felt as a business owner. It wasn't until I discovered Human Design, that it all became clear. And it turns out that I was the missing piece in my own business. Join me on this journey of discovering the real me and hear stories from other business owners building businesses around all of their awesomeness. I'm Yong Pratt, and it's time my friend to Amplify Your Awesome™!

1:51
Hey, everyone, welcome to this special birthday and anniversary recording of episode Number 321 of the podcast. I'm Yong Pratt, the Chief Amplifier of Awesome, and your host here on the Amplify Your Awesome™ Podcast. I am recording this episode live for a couple of different reasons. The first is I actually haven't done a live recording of a podcast in a very long time. In one of my signature programs, Podcast in a Weekend, this is the exact process I walk my clients through so that in a weekend's time, they actually have the basis for their podcast. They're ready to launch it, and rock and roll in this wonderful world that is podcasting. If you happen to be joining me live, let me know under this video. Say hi and also put your name in there, just so I know that I know who it is because sometimes the software doesn't always tell me who the person is on the other side. And if you are listening on the podcast, I want you to come back over in to the Arena of Awesome my private Facebook community which is still open and free to join. And this is where we do all sorts of cool stuff. I want this to be your place to practice. To get feedback. To celebrate your wins. To get picked up when you are feeling not so great some days because as entrepreneurs, as creators, that happens to all of us. I just got over a pretty low slump, I would say, where I just wasn't feeling motivated to do much of anything, even though like I knew what my big mission I knew my big vision was. I just didn't have the motivation. And I've discovered that I was procrastinating because I was doing things that weren't aligned with my Human Design.

3:49
Now, if you don't happen to know what Human Design is, that's okay. I'm going to link up some episodes where I interviewed three guest experts who came in to talk about Human Design on some previous shows. So I'll link those up. But just as an overall basis. Human Design is sort of a system, sort of like a personality test, like the Enneagram test or the Myers Briggs. It just shows you how you are are designed. How you're buitl. The things you're good at. The things that you want to lean more into. The things that you don't need to do. Things you can let go of, because it talks about things like your energy, are you are you an energetic being. Are you not?

4:33
I am a Projector which means I am not that energetic being. However, when I am in a group of people and networking is one of the ways that I was designed to be to be put on this planet as being a connector, being a collaborator, that is my natural gift to the world. So when I show up in a group like that, I gain a lot of energy in that sort of stuff. So, even though I don't create my own energy, being in the energy of other people like you, gives me more energy to do what it is that I want to do and how I want to show up and serve. So that's a little bit more about Human Design. Underneath this video, I will actually put a link to where you can get your own Human Design chart for absolutely free. It's a great place to start. And it's a place now that I choose to incorporate into my client work. Why would I do that? Well, first of all, it took me a long time to understand that the gifts I was given and the things that I know and the things I'm passionate about, are innate to me and they're enough to be able to show up and do things like live video and teach you here.

5:51
So Human Design has really helped me to understand that it's okay, to do things my own way, I don't have to follow the rules. And in fact, when I break the rules and do things my own way, and show up as my goofy, weird self, it's actually better because people get to see the real me, because for so many years, when I ran my brick and mortar performing arts school, I was literally hiding. I felt like an imposter, mostly because I was claiming to be this professional dancer, which I did dance professionally. So that's not incorrect. But the fact that I didn't grow up dancing, I had a lot of fear and imposter syndrome feelings around that. The fact that I hadn't done it my whole life like most of my peers had done, I felt really insecure about that. So I had a lot of self doubt. So in order to account for that, I gravitated towards mentors who were giving me, you know, step by step guides and resources to implement things. And then when I would go do that, I would never get the results that I wanted, or the people around me were getting, and I was devastated.

7:00
And at one point, I really felt like I was just going to give up on this business idea, because maybe I just wasn't cut out for it. Even though I had run a brick and mortar school for 17 years, I still had those feelings every day, about not being good enough about being a fraud about being found out, right. So these feelings are things that I've used Human Design to overcome. As I learned more about myself about my gifts about the things that I'm meant to do. And one of my greatest gifts to all of you, is to make you look good. And it's interesting when I discovered that one of my friends who is a Human Design expert as well, when she told me that, there was a lightbulb moment, where I thought, oh my goodness, from the time I was little, it was always about the other person. About making somebody else look good. I myself never wanted to stand in the spotlight per se. When I ran my brick and mortar performing arts school, it was about helping my students shine. Helping them gain the confidence and the skills to take to the stage. So that they can go do what they loved and show who they were through their movement. That's what I did in that setting. And in the online space, what I love to do now is help my fellow entrepreneurs, go out there and really amplify all that makes them awesome. And you may be wondering, what the heck does that even mean?

8:28
Oh, I got a little comment from Happy birthday, hey,

8:31
Yes, the spotlight, the spotlight is a great place to stay. And this is really why this group or my Facebook group is called the Arena of Awesome because at the end of the day, as business owners, we need to be confident enough to stand in that center stage. In the spotlight, sharing our gifts. Sharing our weirdness, even sharing the things that make us unique, so that people who need us are going to be able to find us when they are looking right. It's about that exchange of energy. About knowing that you're putting your best foot forward, and that you can move forward together. And if somebody walks along the path with you, you can do it together.

9:18
So I wanted on to do this Live podcast recording also to kind of come back to my roots. And because this is the way I taught podcasting for a very long time. And if you're interested in starting a podcast of your own, let me know in the comments below or if you're listening on the podcast, come on over to the Arena of Awesome, my Facebook community, and let me know because there's lots of ways that I can support you on doing that because podcasting, if you haven't noticed, is exploding.

9:47
During 2020, during the pandemic, there were so many new podcasts that started because people wanted a way to share their voice. To share their gifts. To share their talents and compared to a lot of the other mediums like video or like blogging, podcasting is a really, really great way to connect with people for a number of reasons.

10:09
Number one, it's portable. The fact that you're giving people permission to step away from behind their computers, especially in a time when Zoom meetings and meeting online all day, every day is kind of the reality. You're giving them permission to step away. And that for one, just feels good, right? To know that you're not asking somebody who's been on zoom meetings all day long, to watch another video to attend another webinar, right. You're giving them an opportunity to step away, go for a walk, go do something else, yet still have the capacity to listen to your words. And podcasts, unlike any other medium, are so intimate, and so powerful in the sense that people can listen to you wherever they are, whenever. They can change the speed, they can listen multiple times, and they can binge listen, right. In this world of Netflix, instant gratification and binge watching television shows. What if you and your business are able to provide the opportunity for other people to binge listen to you to help them move closer to working with you to be in your brilliance to be in your awesomeness. To me, it's a really powerful tool. And one of the gifts I have for you is that next week, I'm going to open up the opportunity for you to come do three day experience in learning with me. And because I know how powerful audio is, I adore it. I have been podcasting since 2013 now, which literally makes me a dinosaur in the podcasting world. But you know, I'm still always learning I love to learn. I currently have a coach and a mentor, he guided me through this latest podcast launch back in September, I learned a ton. And because of that experience, I can now help you and my clients really use podcasting is a powerful connection tool. It's a powerful sales tool. It's a powerful tool to get your message out to the masses, especially because it is portable, right? I'm going to keep coming back to the word portability. Because the fact that I can go for a walk and do something good for my body. Feed my soul with positive words. Or maybe I want to laugh so I'm gonna find the comedy podcast. Right, whatever it is that you're passionate about. You can find it in podcast form.

12:50
Even my kids who are 14 and 17. Currently, they know what podcasting is. And they always they always debate me about video podcasting versus traditional podcasting, right, because traditionally speaking, a podcast is audio. However, there are tools now that I'm using currently, that will automate this process, right? They'll take the video and turn it into audio. I don't actually need to do anything. They can take that same video and turn it into little clips that I can share off sharing sprinkle across social media, right? Talk about amplifying your awesome! It's really about taking these bigger pieces, these bigger nuggets of gold that you have like a podcast episode like a video and then breaking off little bits and pieces and leaving those breadcrumbs along the way. So that people find out that your content, right? It's really a kind of a cool game.

13:41
And the analogy that I like to use when it comes to content is that you as a business owner, are literally sitting on a goldmine of content, right? That is the reason I'm here because I can help you mine for the gold in your content through systems through automation through repurposing, right, because we're so good at creating, that we forget about what we've already created, when we already created is so good, and more people need to have access to it. So that's where I come in as the amplifier of awesomeness, right? I get to help you do that, in this business sense, because people really are looking for you out there. I know it sounds corny, and it sounds cliche and but it is true. And for a long time I I ignored these words that people are out there looking for you right now. I just thought maybe things were too saturated and like how things were going so I chalked it up to Oh, well they just don't need it right. But that's not really the case. Right? If you're in business, you're in the business of creating relationships, you're in the business of helping people you're in the business of serving people. And so again, podcasting is one of the tools that I love to use with my clients, because it connects and builds relationships, like no other medium, even video. And you all know how much I love being here on video. But video is one form. If we can spin that and transform that into another, another asset, we definitely want to do that because people learn in many different ways. So if you can provide more opportunities for them to learn from you, that's a win win in my book for sure. And you know, this idea of the content goldmine resonates with me on so many different levels.

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Not just, you know, it's like the story of the acres of diamonds, right. Kind of, sort of, the same analogy where this guy goes off. He leaves his property going to search for his his fortune in diamonds. And he's gone, he travels everywhere. And he comes back to literally find this vein of diamonds right in his own backyard, right. So it's so easy to overlook the things we already have and the things that are part of who we are and what we've created. So that's why the podcasting for the content goldmine is so valuable in that sense, because you literally are sitting on this goldmine of content, we just need to create a system and a path for you and your business to to mine for that gold in a way that's going to support you and your clients.

16:24
And the other reason this content goldmine idea is so near and dear to my heart is that literally, as a resident of Nevada, I would consider myself a native. I've lived here, you know, since I was very little. So knowing that Nevada is one of the world's leading producers of gold in the world, and gold mining supports our family, my husband works as a contractor for the gold mines. The idea that I can pay homage to this industry, which I know often gets a bad rap, however, I see the immediate effects of what gold mining does. And if we can transfer that ideology into your business about mining for the gold, you know, when they go to create a new mine, there's just a big mountain in order to extract the gold. And these are little microscopic fragments that we're finding they have to do to drill deeper and deeper into the earth to find this and even underground to find it. And that is exactly what mining for gold and your content is like, right? You have this huge mountain of content. It's massive. Your body of work, right? It's not just one piece, one piece, one piece, it literally is a compiled compiled nation, and your literal body of work in your business. So how cool would it be? If we could go in there together, we can use a process to extract the goodness and let more people experience that, right. We're giving them those little microscopic pieces, those little tiny nuggets, even though we know all together, it's just like this solid piece of gold. We're just mining for these little pieces so that people have more opportunities to get to know like and trust you right. So this is kind of a long analogy to go and say that, you know, over the past year, podcasting has become near and dear to my heart. I've had the privilege of helping clients launch their podcasts into the top ranking charts on iTunes. And it's been such a fun experience. And going forward. I really want to lean into this idea of helping you mine for your gold in your content.

18:42
Yes, yes, yes. If you are leaving a comment in the Facebook group right now, if you would put your name in there, I'm not able right now to see who's making comments. I know there are comments that are happy birthday wishes, which I so appreciate. I want to thank you for showing up live to celebrate with me because not only is it my birthday, right?

19:00
It's the one year anniversary of Amplify Your Awesome™. A year ago today, I launched a five-day challenge all around all around Kickstartering in your book. And I did that with a dear friend of mine, Callie Smith. And we were able to help clients help people go from idea to getting a plan for kickstarting their books and in this year is all about mining for the gold.

19:27
I have to read this comment out loud. "You have such an amazing impact on helping businesses launch their podcasts." Oh, thank you. It's one of my passions. Again, going back to my Human Design and the fact that I'm I've been placed on this planet in this lifetime, in this iteration to help you shine on your stage, whatever that looks like. Whether it's a podcast, whether it's video, but I just know there's so much gold in what you have created. And as I lean into this new idea of mining for the gold, I have some fun things coming up in 2021. There's going to be a three-day live audio learning experience, which of course is going to be my gift to you, and get it open up registration for that next week. And it's going to happen right around St. Patty's Day, right? How cool is that?

20:18
St. Patty's. The idea of having a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We're going to mind for your own pot of gold. We're going to create that gold mine. We're going to extract from your own gold mine. So it's gonna be really fun! I cannot wait for that. I wanted to really let you know that it's going to be a fun experience. And we're going to use audio.

20:38
So I want you to, to look at what I'm doing, and figure out how to apply something similar in your own business. You don't need to copy me. I would never ask for you to follow directions step-by-step. I will give you step-by step-directions, if that's what you require. However, at the end of the day, it's your business, you get to do things your own way. And the fact that Human Design has helped me to understand that and knowing your human design, and my human design, and how they work together, is even more magical, because it's kind of like completing each other's circuits.

21:12
There are things in your human design that when you connect to mine, there's this fire, there's this energy. And so again, just another way that human design has really impacted my life. And in the past year, as I learned more about it, it's literally been a year almost since I first was introduced to Human Design. And it's impacted by business in really profound ways. And in ways I've never considered. I never considered ever using Human Design to work with my clients. However, one of my most recent clients, she and I discovered that we complete each other's circuits in so many different ways. And so when we work together, it's really magical. What happens at the end of that?

21:53
Yes, we complete each other's of service. Absolutely.

21:56
Yeah. And I know today I'm using lots of mixed metaphors and analogies. But I love it. Because if we can visualize what, how something works, and how we can apply it to our own life, I think that's what really helps us to to gravitate towards that and to embody what that means to us. Yeah, so interesting, for sure. Yeah, if you don't know about your Human Design, I will pop the link into the comments below where you can get your own chart read. Yeah, and I'm just fascinated to know what everyone's chart is. And in sometimes I can even tell if I know somebody really well, before they get their human design chart read. They'll have me guess what it is. And oftentimes, I'm able to guess correctly, which, which is pretty amazing. Because I've only really studied Human Design for a year. And only in the beginning of last year did I study it really intently now, it's kind of an off and on thing, but it really is a fascinating learning tool to bring into your business. Because when you can recognize what your gifts are, the gifts that you were born with, not the ones you have to go acquire. Right? Those are not something different. Yes, we all want to learn, we all want to do better, and make ourselves better by learning. However, you are born with these innate gifts and these talents and these these proclivities. So we definitely want to use Human Design to help us understand what that is, so that when we're mining for the gold in our content, we can use our strengths to really amplify all of your awesome, right. So that's what this whole new season of the podcast is all about.

23:26
That's why the Amplify Your Awesome™ podcast came into existence. I created it before I knew about human design. But now that I knew about human design, more of the pieces are fitting together, right? Our business is like a big puzzle. We have all these pieces we put together. And it's our job as creators to put them in together in such a way. That makes sense, right? And it's okay. It's like one of those never ending puzzles, the ones that don't have the square edges, you can literally keep building the puzzle in all different directions than all different ways. Because it's nonstop, it's endless. There's always the pieces you can move around and get them to be in a place that feels better for you. That feels better for your clients that attracts more clients, right? As a business owner, you're here to make an impact on the lives of others. And I know those of you in the group are absolutely doing that already. It's time to dig a little deeper now to and think about what else is there underneath the surface that you can extract and show to the world right? For a long time. I was really hesitant to do this to show to share the weird parts of me or the things that I just the silly parts of me because I didn't perceive that to be a quality that a business owner had right because my mentors were very corporate minded, meaning that their goal was to not be the figureheads of their business. They wanted to run their businesses anonymously and have their staff kind of be the the forward facing people in their business. And so I did that for a long time. And for a while, it felt cool to be able to do that.

25:09
But at the end of the day, especially knowing that one of the ways, one of the gifts I have is this idea of networking and connecting with others, I was missing that part, I was totally detached. And it made a huge difference, because the my business at one point was devoid of me, you wouldn't be able to tell it was my business compared to somebody else's business, because I was following somebody else's rules. So Human Design, if nothing more, has really helped me to understand that it's okay to do things my way. And that is exactly why this podcast exists, right? Especially in season five, where I'm bringing on lots of entrepreneurs from across the globe, sharing how they've built their businesses, how they overcome their challenges. Because there's so many ways to build a business. And the more examples and inspiration that I can share with you, the better because you get to pick and choose in this life, you have the freedom to make these choices to do things your own way. And this podcast serves to help you do that. So if there's any way that I can help you get closer to amplifying your awesome, questions you have for me, requests, you have ideas for guests on a future podcast, and maybe that's you. Let me know over underneath this video in the comments. And again, if you are listening on the podcast, come on over to my free Facebook community Arena of Awesome. Come join the conversation. Ask your questions. Let me know how I can support you better in this year in 2021. As we together start mining for all of the gold that exists in our contents.

26:58
Thank you so much for those of you who watch this video live. Come on over and watch the replay as well. It will be be here for you inside the Arena of Awesome. And again, just let me know how I can support you because, my friends, that is my role in this lifetime to help make you look your absolute best and stand center stage of your own Arena. I'll talk to you soon. Cheers.

27:30
Thanks for tuning in to the Amplify Your Awesome™ podcast. Be sure to hit that subscribe button so you don't miss any tips, tricks or secrets on building a business based around your awesome. Hey, and while you're there. Leave us a rating and review. Let us know what you think of the show. And until next time, my friends, go out there today and Amplify Your Awesome™!