Reality Check with Craig Price

Brad Montgomery (@BradMontgomery on twitter) chats about happiness with host Craig Price. Happiness can be the Holy Grail for many people, elusive, just out of reach or more commonly, something that happens intermittently for short periods of time. But what if you had control over your happiness? That's what Brad proposes to a skeptical Craig. The two talk about the flaws in The Secret (or outright lies if you ask Craig) how you can take unhappy conditions and fine tune them so you can be happier, how to gradually get incrementally happier versus trying to drastically change overnight as well as discover that they are just two short balding guys talking about the same things from different perspectives. The more things seem different the more they are closer to the same. It seems super positive and negative people can get along! Everybody sing Kumbaya! You can find the newly minted CPAE (hall of fame speaker) Brad Montgomery at http://BradMontgomery.com. APP BONUS: Read the first chapter from Brad's book Humor Us: America’s Top Humorists On the Power of Laughter.

You will be missed.

David Graham with the Karbach Brewing Co (@KarbachBrewing on Twitter) talks craft beers with host Craig Price. Craig certainly enjoys a tasty adult beverage from time to time so the opportunity to go to a brewery and talk beer was too good to be true. David and Craig sit inside the climate controlled barrel room inside the Karbach brewery in Houston to talk the recent trend of brewing craft beers, how they are popping up everywhere including at home brewers, the decision of can vs. bottle, competing in a growing competitive market,  how they distribute their beer and how they prep their seasonal beers. It's fun for the whole family (or at least those over 21). You can find Karbach Brewing brands in the greater Houston area and around Texas but you can learn more at http://karbachbrewing.com  Stop by their brewery for a tour! Drink Responsibly!

Patrick Allmond (@PatrickAllmond on twitter) returns to discuss online feedback with host Craig Price.  We all want feedback but are we prepared for what awaits us online? The avalanche of inane comments and spam sometimes makes us wonder if its all worth it! Or worse...nothing at all. We want our tweets retweeted, our facebook posts liked and our blogs commented on. Getting people's attention and then getting them to act can be a daunting task. Patrick and Craig discuss how to ask for feedback, write posts that get shared and what to do when you get an internet troll. Of course we love feed back here at Reality Check so leave a comment, email craig@speakercraigprice.com with questions or guest suggestions and follow us on twitter @realitycheckpod  Patrick Allmond can be found at http://patrickallmond.com.

Shari Alexander (@ShariAlexander on twitter) joins host Craig Price to talk about influence. Influence means many things to many people, people are always trying to be influential without being influenced. It's a weird dynamic. Thankfully, Shari has researched and studied what even she calls the "Dark Arts" of influence to learn how to use it ethically and effectively in business. The two discuss con-men and cult leaders, how observation of both the body and content (what is being said)  is a key to understanding how to be influential, the possibility that Shari's subconscious might sound just like Craig and some myths about lie detectors. If you want to be more influential in your life and your business, be sure to listen to this one! You can learn more about Shari at her website http://ObserveConnectInfluence.com APP BONUS: Download a helpful profiling tool PDF.

Anastasia Turchetta (@AnastasiaRDH on Twitter) returned for a dental health check-up with host Craig Price. By now, long time listeners know that the summer brings sunshine, lazy summer day and on the podcast: Dental talk!  Anastasia and Craig catch up in San Diego to discuss cyberstalkers, the passing of baseball legend and Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn to oral cancer, the potential dangers of e-cigs and vaping (is that a word and did I spell it right? Who know?!) as well as the most disgusting of trends Craig has heard about in a long long time, oil pulling. Always a lively discussion, you're teeth may not get clean from listening but you won't able to stop smiling from this episode! Anastasia can be found at every Wednesday doing her Humpday Happening videos at https://www.youtube.com/user/Anastasiardh

Live from San Diego in front of an actual audience, host Craig Price has another speakers round-table! This year, the National Speakers Association invited Craig to do his podcast as part of their annual convention. Craig loaded this speakers round-table with past guests like Judson Laipply, Jessica Pettitt, Avish Parashar as well as welcoming hall of fame speakers Mikki Williams and Dale Irvin to the show. The big announcement of the convention was the new branding of the association now called Platform. The group discusses the pros and cons and then gets into questions about being a speaker. Where do you find mentors, how do you balance speaking with also having a partner (or not having a partner!) and much more. You can learn more about all of these great speakers at their websites: Judson - http://www.mightaswelldance.com/  (@JudsonLaipply on twitter) Jessica - http://www.jessicapettitt.com/ (@jesspettitt on twitter) Avish - http://www.avishparashar.com/ (@avishp on twitter) Mikki - http://www.mikkiwilliams.com/ (@mikkiwilliams on twitter) Dale - http://www.daleirvin.com/ (@ProSummarizer on twitter) APP BONUS: Avish, Craig, Judson and Jessica stick around to answer audience questions like how do you approach potential clients when you have a heavy topic, what was your worst gig and more! SPONSOR: This episode was sponsored by  Short Circuit Media helps small business, consultants and professional speakers make more money by using social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) to create brand awareness, while streamlining online marketing efforts to attract more visitors and convert more sales. http://shortcircuitmedia.com/

Alan Cerny (@nordlingAICN on twitter) continues his 2014 Summer Movie Preview with host Craig Price! Covering the months of July and August, the two really get excited for the blockbusters coming up and not so excited for the dreck studios throw out to the public at the end of the summer. Be it Alan gushing over an art house film 12 years in the making or Craig hoping Marvel Studio's latest and craziest movie to date does well, there is plenty of movies to talk about. Covered in this episode (click for Alan's reviews) Earth to Echo Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Boyhood Jupiter Ascending (update: moved to Feb 2015) Guardians of the Galaxy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Expendables 3 Sin City: A Dame to Kill For It's a mixed bag for the rest of the summer but plenty to enjoy and to make fun of! As always, you can catch reviews Alan writes under the pseudonym Nordling on http://www.aintitcoolnews.com - We'll link his reviews to the movies as they come out!

Ralph Peterson (@SpeakerRalphP on twitter) returns to discuss his new book of leadership lessons with host Craig Price. Being in the housekeeping game is a tough row to hoe. Low wages, high turnover, cleaning toilets (among other grosser things) it amazes Craig that anyone stays a week. Now try and manage the people who stick around!! Ralph's new book "Managing When No One Wants to Work: Leadership Lessons from an Executive Housekeeper" touches on his many experiences, putting them in context for any manager in any industry. The two talk about push back, how communication changed between employee and manager as well as crazy Spanish conquerors!  Managing When No One Wants To Work: Lessons Of Leadership From An Executive Housekeeper is a management exposé that reveals how to manage call-outs, attitude, turnover, motivation, conflict, and breaking down the popular, “We’ve always done it that way,” mentality, regardless of the field you are managing in. You can learn more about Ralph at http://speakerralphpeterson.com App Bonus: Read the 1st chapter of Ralph's book for free!

Dr. John Charles (@csm014 on twitter) joins host Craig Price to talk the reality of space travel. Being a super nerd and getting the chance to visit NASA earlier in the year, Craig was super geeked to be able to talk to someone actually helping NASA get people into space and beyond safely. Dr. Charles works at NASA's Human Research Program learning how to protect the delicate human body from the harsh reality of space travel. The two discuss why squishing internal organs isn't something you want to do first thing on a mission, why bone density decreases the longer you are in zero G and why cosmic radiation will be the biggest hurdle for space travelers. They also talk about artificial gravity's progress (or lack there of), what space travel will look like in 100 years and how deficient Craig's vocabulary is compared to a dual doctorate. You can read Dr. Charles' blog  astrocryptotriviology.blogspot.com, an occasional blog covering obscure but interesting minor aspects of spaceflight, and what they tell us about the grand human adventure that is space exploration.  

Maria Matarelli (@MariaMatarelli on twitter) returns to talk workaholism with host Craig Price. Craig's hesitation to participate in the new martyrdom of "being busy" is explored as Maria defines hard work vs. workaholism. The two talk about how working too long, too often can destroy relationships, cause health problems and in some extreme instances, increased income (we told you Craig isn't 100% on board).  They show that working smarter is always preferred over working harder. Maria's book "Workaholic? A 12-Step Guide to Having a Life and Getting Things Done" is a great start on the road to recovery. Consider this podcast an intervention for those who just can't relax and must fill their lives with work. Learn more about Maria at http://mariamatarelli.com and order the book at http://workaholicbook.com  APP BONUS: Get the 12 step flash card to keep you on track.

Madam Becky Adams (@MadamBeckyAdams on twitter) talks to host Craig Price about customer servicing and brothels. Contrary to popular belief, Craig has no idea about brothels or prostitution but he certainly learns a bunch of new things thanks to Madam Becky and her business concepts of customer servicing. While most of us are not running underground criminal syndicates, we can still learn some legal customer service techniques like overcoming customers fears. getting customers to commit to action (hey now, keep it clean!), how customer service starts well before the sale and finding the right employees who are committed to the best service (Not what you think, you dirty bird! - Okay it is what you think.) Unintended double entendres abound in this lively discussion but thankfully it's a podcast so you can't see Craig shift uncomfortably in his chair. Madam Becky has gone legit and now is teaching  'The Art of Seductive Customer Servicing' at http://www.seductivecustomerservicing.co.uk/ App Bonus: You can get Madam Becky's entire book "Madam: Prostitutes, Punters and Puppets"  for free in two formats! Her outrageous story is a witty and thought provoking tale of betrayal, friendship, love and loyalty. From saucy scandals and soft toys, to raids, robberies and ‘fancy fetishes’ all accompanied by a nice cup of tea and a ginger nut biscuit. The truth really is stranger than fiction.

Michael Goldberg (@MEGoldberg on twitter) joins host Craig Price to discuss convention networking at the upcoming NSA Convention. The two talk about their involvement in the 2014 National Speakers Association's annual conference where Craig will be recording a LIVE Reality Check podcast on July 2nd at 3:30pm CST in the Learning Lounge and Michael will be presenting two first-timers sessions with Glenna Salsbury at 2pm on June 29th and 7:30am (yikes!) on June 30th. They talk about the feeling of overwhelming many new attendees get at such a large conference, Michael's involvement in the conference "Buddy" program, how to effectively follow up after the conference and why Craig refers to aspects of the convention as the Star Wars Cantina.  They also discuss the great charity they both are a part of: Cigar PEG and why Michael is the de facto bartender for the infamous Cigar PEG suite (think networking!). A great listen for any attendee, be it a veteran or newbie. Michael can be found at http://KnockOutNetworking.com The National Speakers Association's Annual Convention is this June 29th until July 2nd at the Grand Hyatt Manchester in sunny San Diego!  See everyone there (especially for the live podcast!). APP BONUS: Read "5 Reasons Why You Don't Get More Referrals" and start using your networking to better your business.

Alan Cerny (@nordlingAICN on twitter) is here for a 2014 Summer Movie Preview with host Craig Price! It's that time of year again. Swimming pools and movie stars. No, not a Beverly Hillbillies sequel (which we expect at any time) - it's SUMMER! Which means it's time for Craig and Alan to sit down and figure out what movies they are looking forward to seeing, which ones they are not expecting much from and which ones do they know little about. This time though, the two talk so much and have such a good time, the podcast has to be split into two episodes! Thankfully, they cover the movies chronologically so they have you covered from now until the end of June. The two talk about (click for Alan's review): Maleficent A Million Ways to Die in the West Edge of Tomorrow 22 Jump Street How to Train Your Dragon 2 Jersey Boys Transformers 4: Age of Extinction Snow Piercer As well as discuss how good a director Clint Eastwood is, how bad a director Michael Bay is, how Seth MacFarlane can't compete with Mel Brooks (who can?) and how young can Tom Cruise keep looking?? As always, you can catch reviews Alan writes under the pseudonym Nordling on http://www.aintitcoolnews.com - We'll link his reviews to the movies as they come out! Look for Part 2 on July 1st when we close out the rest of the summer's movies

Barbara Dolan (@Derby_Lite on twitter) invites host Craig Price into her home to discuss roller derby. While in Chicago (birthplace of roller derby) this past spring, Craig couldn't pass up a chance to sit down with the Queen B herself, Barbara Dolan to discuss the history of roller derby. They talk about the rules, what the positions are called and how Barbara has taken some of the fundamentals of roller derby and incorporated them into her fitness company Derby Lite where women of all ages practice the skills and drills of the sport of roller derby. While Craig remembers watching bits of roller derby on Saturday afternoons in the 70s and 80s, a resurgence in the past decade has really elevated to sport into not only a safer sport but something people can readily participate in. The two even figure out a cool derby name for Craig.  At Derby Lite their Certified Instructors lead high energy Fitness Skating exercise classes for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced skaters where ladies become healthier humans - physically and emotionally - as they learn to skate with a roller derby edge, no impact or competition. Each workout includes off-skates dynamic warm-ups, on-skates skills and drills, upper-body strength exercises and cool-down stretching. It's a balanced, whole-body workout that's never boring, shows progress week after week, and brings you into a welcoming community of women like no other. It's fun, fitness and friends. But mostly fun. Go to http://DerbyLite.net to learn how you can get involved in a city near you!