This third mentoring session with Stevie Ray is surprising. He is an exceptional example of being fully invested in life, always growing and deepening his influence in the world. Hear of his Skills For Life Projects which weave together his diverse skill sets and interests. Implement his daily tip to keep life more fun while using a natural approach to develop confidence in speaking.

Looking to volunteer in an area of expertise, Stevie discovered how to help those whom are blind or visually impaired. Volunteering to record books on tape for the blind is a skill of precision and accuracy in annunciating words. Only one third of those who audition to record books on tape are chosen. The process is worth hearing. Minnesota State Center for the Blind is a leader in the field. 

Forty years in the martial arts has facilitated the mastery of space. Stevie says, “when you own your space, you allow others to own their space. This creates mutual respect. When there is mutual respect you get more done and you learn how to cooperate with each other.” These skills transfer easily to Stevie’s life work as an improvisation teacher, speaker, and corporate trainer.

Stevie has some neuroscience and psychology tips about the brain and how other people’s activities tell us what to do. Learn how to trick your brain into predicting positive outcomes.

Ideas for developing story telling skills with your family at the dinner table are discussed. You can get ideas for improving the dinner hour.

Hear how brainstorming rules have changed. Stevie’s advice based on modern research is to surround yourself with those who respectfully challenge your ideas and make you justify your plans in business and in life. The quality and success of your business and of your life depend on it.

Stevie Ray says he and his partner, Pamela Mayne, rarely keep the company the same. Recently, they have chosen to focus effort on Skills for Life Projects. These are projects to help people learn skills to improve their lives. This includes helping the mentally ill, bringing training to those in homeless shelters for job interviews, increasing self-confidence.

Resources discussed during today’s mentoring conversation.

Mentoring Tips:

Here are some good diversions during this wild week of elections:

• Initiate conversation you are mastering in your everyday transactions. You are in control of surprising people by engaging others in conversations. Comment on things you see. To the grocery cashier acting like you are just another customer coming through, shake them out of their automated responses. This exercise will help your speaking and humor become more natural. Why? Because you are practicing.

• For an upcoming presentation, try to trick your brain into a positive outcome. Think in detail of when you were successful. Break down the experience. Think of what you were wearing. Think of how you felt. What was the audience like? And so on. Then, for your upcoming presentation visualize yourself delivering a well-received speech.

• Use the one page business plan pdf form below to clarify the thinking, doing, and creativity of producing new things for others.

• Revisit these questions: What are you doing to help people improve their lives? What is the one reason your company exists?

Skills for Life Projects with Stevie Ray, Episode 46   www.stevieray.org 

Download this episode. (right click to download)

Next Monday’s Mentoring Conversation:

We catch up with Mike Kabeya of Kabeya Media.