Featured in "Authority Magazine" by Medium
Becoming an Effective Communicator
Recently, I was interviewed by the prestigious, thought-leader publication Authority Magazine, which is published by Medium. The title of the article is “Impactful Communication: Essential Techniques for Becoming an Effective Communicator.” You can read the full interview and see the accompanying video HERE. Just below is a snippet and also the related video. This was fun and I’m super grateful for opportunities like these. I’m pleased to share my story, my faith, and any insights I might have on an international platform like this.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
1. Resoluteness: Early on in my career, when I was a lowly PhD student, jobs in higher education were becoming increasingly scarce. It’s even worse now. Everyone was jockeying for the same handful of faculty positions. I determined, then and there, that I wouldn’t let any individual or any job market determine my fate. Instead, I would be resolute, I would trust in my talents, creativity, and work ethic. I think this has served me well for two-and-a-half decades. During those early years, I started my own online teaching company and it was a fun way to make a living. I also co-founded a publishing company (GlossaHouse), which is about 13 years old and has now worked with over 300 authors/content creators. While many might sit back and complain about the job market, I realized that I’d never be out of work if I created my own opportunities. And I’ve found that to be absolutely true all these years later. And part of the unexpected joy that’s come from that has been creating opportunities for others to succeed as well.
2. Industriousness: Throughout my career, I’ve always operated with the mindset that I can and will outwork anyone. I will grind harder than anyone. That’s precisely why I’ve given nearly 100 academic talks, published more than 30 books, published many pieces in academic journals, have recorded thousands of podcast episodes, helped others publish more than 300 books, started several businesses, and as a comedian have consistently been receiving good press. I may not be the smartest or strongest, but my industriousness is a force to be reckoned with.
3. Rootedness: A major key to my success is my rootedness. Part of this has to do with my background, where I came from and where I’ve been, but the larger part has to do with the principles and convictions of my faith. These have helped me not to compromise, to be a man of my word, to face criticism with a healthy attitude, to view rejection as a learning experience, and so on. My faith in Christ has given shape to everything I do.
Again, that’s just a snippet; you can access the full interview HERE.
JOKE WRITING COURSE: By the way, if you have any interest at all in learning about your persona, how to write some jokes, or doing stand-up comedy, check out my online joke writing course, “The Joke Writer’s Lab,” HERE.
JOKE MEMORY COURSE: My companion course to “The Joke Writer’s Lab” is now live: “The Comedian’s Memory Lab.” Learn how to conceptualize, organize, and memorize your entire comedy set. This method works for 10 jokes or 100, a set that’s 3 minutes of 1 hour. You can get it HERE.