Kirkland Tibbels – Founding Transactionalism
Influence Ecology launched its first podcast episode in August of 2016 and saw our listener base grow to 70 countries and counting. This episode is our 50th, and my special guest is Influence Ecology's very own Kirkland Tibbels. You often hear him on the Guru Talk that underscores the primary point of each episode. Today, we get to learn about his own journey, the founding of this philosophy, and why transactional competence matters—especially now. Kirkland Tibbels is co-founder and chairman of Influence Ecology—an international education company specializing in the field of transactional competence. Kirkland and his colleagues comprise an international collective…
Sarah Shepherd – Always an Aspect, Never an Entity
Is it better to be more selfless or more selfish? If you're like most people, you probably treat one of these behaviors as the more preferred way to act. But have you ever considered that in either case, someone gets reciprocally dismissed? Those too selfless can leave others enabled while devaluing themselves; those too selfish can leave others neglected while isolating themselves. Is there a healthy balance . . . perhaps a middle ground? Like many people, Sarah Shepherd discovered that her desire to lead a good and virtuous life eventually proved too selfless to meet her aims for health, work,…
Karl Strand – The Guardian of Standards
Who keeps us from falling off the proverbial cliff? While some are naturally inclined to dream new ideas and others can't help but build new relationships, there is a segment of society whose entire focus and role are to protect us from our poorly constructed shortcuts. This typically skeptical personality recognizes that nothing around us is a coincidence; things are either poorly designed or built to exacting standards. Often shamed for not seeing the world as ‘glass-half-full,’ this transactional personality plays the vital role in offering the evidence required to lay claim to facts. Karl Strand founded his consultancy by…
Drew Knowles – Embrace Your Naïveté
We all can observe naïveté in others, but can we identify it in ourselves? As a poster child for ambition, Drew Knowles is a case study in embracing his naïveté. This episode describes and demonstrates what we mean by the term State of Mind: the state or condition of one’s thinking or knowing. We address four primary states of mind—despair, naïveté, adult, and ambitious adult—and the importance of learning to acknowledge the condition of your own ambition. Drew Knowles is Vice President and Partner of Influence Ecology and is responsible for sales for our enterprise worldwide. Subscribe to Podcast Podcast…
Johnny Washington – I Took Too Many Risks
With an aim to make the most money he could, Johnny Washington, from McKinney, Texas, acknowledges that he used to take way too many risks. Amped on the rush-to-action tendencies typical of the idea-oriented personality, he thought he could do just about anything he imagined. He produced many significant breakdowns, and burdened by some of his choices says, "I still don’t see a clear way out." Armed with transactional competence, he's now thinking accurately about how his choices will affect his Conditions of Life, and he's compressed his sales cycle from arduous meetings lasting hours and weeks into a simplified…
Special Episode: Faculty Dinner with the CEO
Our 2018 Annual Member Conference in Los Cabos included a podcast episode dinner with a few members of our faculty. You'll hear from Vice President Drew Knowles, Dr. Gary Ward, James Walls, Marne Power, and Suzanne Pool—five faculty from five different countries—as we dialogue about why Influence Ecology has become their tribe and speculate on the possibilities the future may have in store for our education and its role in people's lives and society. Subscribe to Podcast Podcast Bonuses: The Influence Ecology Faculty Represented: John Patterson - Co-Founder and CEO, Ventura, California Drew Knowles - Vice President, Auckland, New Zealand Marne Power -…
Tara Collison, Ph.D. – The Conceit of Independence
Always willing to help, but never able to ask for it, Tara Collison's journey as a student of Influence Ecology is a useful case study in the conceit of independence. She discovered that her ‘independence’ was merely ego and that this view and the subsequent actions alienated others, left her exhausted, and had long-term consequences to her finances, health, and family. Now eager to discover more of her flaws, warts, and vulnerabilities, she's currently collaborating to expand her newly branded consultancy, Meddlers. As "Chief Meddler," Tara blends her two decades of experience working in the Fortune 50 and her training…
Craig Bouck – The Elements of Value
Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture designs buildings and places that bring people together. As award-winning architects, their projects are sharply differentiated from competitors, but the final selection still often won to price. Wanting more control of their future, CEO Craig Bouck pursued an education in the elements of value; the firm had mastered practical utility, but they hadn't yet positioned themselves as a scarce resource. They then did the hard work to deeply understand their clients' breakdowns (which go well beyond the design of a building) and developed specialized tools and processes that help communities overcome the complex hurdles that threaten…
Dr. Sarah Jane Meharg – Are You High Cost?
As Canada’s authority on cultural reconstruction in complex emergencies, Dr. Sarah Jane Meharg is the principal and founder of Peace and Conflict Planners, often called upon by the Canadian Forces to help stabilize war-torn or post-disaster affected communities. She's authored two books: one on navigating the military and humanitarian divide and the other on measuring effectiveness, success, and understanding in peace operations and crisis management—a work endorsed by the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Martti Ahtisaari. Her studies with Influence Ecology taught her about mitigating the cost she is to others in social exchanges; specifically, that persistence can be high…
Ron Sprengeler – A Powerful Identity
How do you produce a robust identity amongst thousands of peers in a large corporate environment? Ron Sprengeler is someone who's done just that. Rather than join the naïve ranks of those whose viewpoint is that the job alone entitles them to a respected identity, Ron's case study demonstrates how to produce a powerful corporate identity in two ways: one, you'll hear how he's become well known and admired for his specialized knowledge and two, he shares just how he's cultivated a respected identity, reputation, and character among his peers. He's survived a big merger and feels confident that what he's learned from…
Melissa Baer – You’re Always Transacting
Melissa Baer earned a university education in marketing and business and was raised on an organic farm. She's an uncommon hybrid of 'stilettos and rubber boots' weaned on her father's mantra that without money in the bank, you can't make a difference. She's battled both business and health challenges only to discover peace, satisfaction, and vitality through the study of transactional competence. You'll hear her speak about the profound impact of coming to understand the Influence Ecology mantra: You're Always Transacting. Subscribe to Podcast Podcast Bonuses: The Organic Farmer's Daughter LinkedIn Free 30-Day Guest Access
Wesley Pingelton – A Good Problem to Have?
After ten years with a nationally recognized financial planning practice, Wesley Pingelton had ambitions to go out on his own. In doing so, he got what he wanted: great success, creative freedom, and the opportunity to work with the right client. But with each complex case, a unique solution produced a massive amount of labor. In short time, he cringed at the thought of growing his business. You'll hear how he learned to construct a business model that's allowed him to scale his business, meet his financial goals, and truly enjoy his family life. In our Guru Talk, you'll hear…
