If you've never heard about anchor it's the easiest way to make a podcast and I'll explain really quickly my favorite part. It's free. There's actually creation tools that allow you to record and edit your podcast right from your phone or computer. If you want it will actually distribute your podcast so it can be heard on Spotify apple as and many more and you can actually make money from it without any minimum numbers of listeners, and it'sThat you need to actually make a podcast in one place. So do this download the free anchor app or go to Anchor the FM to get started. In this first episode. I actually interviewed Brian Shulman who is really my mentor when it comes to LinkedIn had the opportunity of connecting with him back in April of 2019. And he was just so encouraging. So motivating his content is so positive. He's been on LinkedIn every day for the last 16 years and was one of the first beta There's four video. So he got nicknamed The Godfather of LinkedIn video, so I can't wait for you all to hear his inspiring story of his journey. Just being born and coming to this earth. Check it out and let me know what you think. Be sure to like share subscribe and rate the podcast if you like it. Thanks so much. Hey everybody and welcome to the blaze your own trail podcast. I'm your host George Mendoza and I've got a very special guest with me today. It's my first guest on the podcast some of you may know him. His name is Brian Schulman, and I want to give you all some some insights on Brian just a little bit about him. His background and so, you know Brian has been on the internet since it was a green screen and chat rooms more than 20 years proven in the digital marketing space and e-commerce. He's worked with tons of Fortune 500 Brands as well. As I are 500 Brands across the globe and I could probably stop there, but I'm going to give you all a little bit more insights into him. So he is a Forbes featured entrepreneur and as well as LinkedIn top voice. He's a The founder and CEO of voice your Vibe and he's created a hashtag on LinkedIn. You might have seen it. It's called hashtag voice your Vibe. Now. He's one of the pioneering top LinkedIn video creators not just in the States, but actually across the globe and he's a sought-after international speaker. He does speaking engagements throughout the year in July of 2019. He actually broke the LinkedIn live record of three hours being the first to broadcast live. And for more than four hours and you know, so Brian that's such an amazing bio and in such an amazing accomplishments and what are you about 25-30. So how did you do this in that short of a period of time? Yeah, you're way too kind you can you can call me 25 or 30 as much as you want. Yeah. I was I started inside my mom's womb. That's pretty much how it all happened. No, I Jordan. I'm just going to start by saying aye I have so much love for you and I'm so so honored to be your very first guest on this podcast. I'm so excited for you and show and just excited for where we're going to dig into today. So thank you for having me. There's a problem. Appreciate appreciate you being here. Yeah, absolutely. Just I'm a big big fan of yours and everything you do and and I know this is going to be an awesome conversation. Station and I can't wait to see all the incredible conversations that you have with with your guests come so, okay. Well for some folks that are out there, you know, you have a pretty amazing story and like you said, you know it all started in your mom's womb and you know your journey to to life, you know wasn't easy. So I want you to just give us a little glimpse into that and then I've got some other follow-up questions that I want to ask and so the audience can get some insights into Brian Schulman a little bit better. Yeah. Sure. So I have actually been doing this just the last couple podcast. I've been on because I think it I think there's something really powerful when you hear stories from other voices that are a big part of your heart. So I want to answer that question, but I want to actually answer that question through my daughter's voice if you're okay with it. Absolutely, that'd be that'd be amazing. So let me let me give you some backstory here. So I was sitting in my home office and doing some work my daughter walks in and she hands me a couple pieces of paper which now I have in my hand. And this was January of last year and she just said I want you to read something and so I stopped what I was doing and she sat down in the chair next to me. She wanted me to read it while she was sitting there and and at very top it says four ways speech contest essay, which I came to find out was extra credit like she didn't have to do this. And so it's entitled like she gave me no background. She just handed me these papers and so that the title of it is live to inspire. So, imma try and get through this without breaking down, but I've yet to accomplish that so just bear with me. This story about to be told is about an extraordinary Man 42 years young who accepted all the obstacles life had to throw at him. Now. I know you may be thinking that everyone has different obstacles. They just overcome throughout their lifetime. So, how is he different from you? And I what makes this particular man different from you and I Is the tactic to used when faced with these obstacles will make some different from you and I as he took these obstacles and use them to help make a difference and Inspire others to never let life get in the way of their greatness and achievements. What makes us different from everyone else is not the obstacles that life throws at us. But what we do when faced with these obstacles, will you choose to accept defeat? Or choose to persevere on May 13th, 1975 a child was born in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. This child was born three months early weighing a pound and a half and because of that was a premature baby during the early 80s. He was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, which is a type of tick or twitch involuntary repetitive movements and localization type of neurological disorder and one day at Camp the council. Had to take this young boy to a payphone tears streaming down his face to call his mother because his neck was constantly snapping to one side over and over and over again. He went to various doctors who perform countless neurological medical exams to try and find a cure for his disorder. Every doctor said the same thing. He's fine. He'll grow out of it one day in fifth grade. He stood up in front of his entire class. And shared with them what Tourette Syndrome was and what living with Tourette Syndrome was like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. Once he shared his story with his classmates and it generated many supporters whether they be friends parents were teachers finally a specialist at UCLA told him once diagnosed that he would never be able to get rid of this disorder let alone and suggested that he take a special drug called clonidine to help with the X unfortunately with this drug came horrible side effects, he made a conscious decision not to take the pills after a few years and try to master his condition through focus and determination after a while the tick started to diminish and for the most part went away. No one knows what life has in store for them. All they can all we can do is live until we're forced to face an obstacle in which we must make a choice to either overcome or accept defeat the rotary forward test demonstrates how one person can make a difference in the lives of others with the experiences. This boy had to face came a life lesson with determination perseverance and support from others anything can happen now 42 years young this man chose to use his story to make a difference in the lives of Hers by inspiring people in times of uncertainty. He implements The rotaries Motto service before self by finding the light in those who cannot find it in themselves supporting them through their tough obstacles. He helps to lift people's spirits and hopes in times of hopelessness and despair. He helps people turn their ideas and dreams into realities. He helps build people from the ground up and hopes that they too will one day share their stories with others. He makes a difference in this world each and every day. Which inspires others to make a difference as well? Who may you ask is this man? Well he is. He is my father. Out of all the lives he's made a difference in. I believe he's made the biggest difference in mine. He inspires me to never give up on what I believe in. It's always do what makes me happy. but most importantly to always live every day as if it were the last because we are never guaranteed tomorrow. As Gandhi once said be the change you wish to see in the world. Making a difference in the lives of others is my dad's change. What will be yours man? Yeah. That's a I don't even know how you were able to read it out loud, you know, like holy cow and that's a in so, you know what I take away from that is like you've not only inspired thousands of people globally, but, you know one that you have the ability to create, you know, and that's got to be Probably one of the most rewarding Inspirations to you know to your credit and and I understand everything. She's saying Brian and I know I've told you this before but I definitely want my audience to know but back in April. I came across your what's good Wednesday videos, you know, and I remember the first Wednesday. I saw it. I was like who the I was like, first of all when did video come on LinkedIn like where the heck did this come from? Because I was so dormant I wasn't using The platform and then I came across this guy Brian Shulman on Wednesday. And I was like, who is this guy like this? This video is pretty cool like, you know, and I started reading the comments and everybody was talking about things that were good and I just started to I knew that that I had to start following you as was the first thing, you know, it was it was an instant. I've got to follow this guy. This guy's got something something going on. I had zero context into really who you are except for. A guy on video, you know and then you shout out Saturday happened, you know, and I remember coming across my feet on a Saturday and I was like man this guy like is is giving back to people he is literally inspiring and shouting people out and and it and it was something as basic as I had a conversation with you and when I looked around my world, I didn't have anyone else that was doing that. I didn't have anybody that was by providing value and insights and and love and support and encouragement into people on a daily basis. So, you know from the bottom of my heart, you know, thank you because you sparked in me that ability to create that first video and as you know, my friend is we've been having these conversations since I think our first talk was I think maybe in May when I was up in Boston and and I haven't looked back ever since I've been, you know creating content and talking. Things that are important to me and you really gave me that courage to say, you know, why am I worried about being judged by other people because even though I'm super energetic always been an optimistic guy and positive like I still had those things in my head of like who wants to listen to me like why do I have a message that needs to be shared and really like you helped get that out of me and from that story that your daughter wrote It's you do that literally on a daily. We basis and so, you know your motto of wanting to inspire one person a day. That's a model that I want to try to live by as well because it's it's it's amazing. So thank you. Thank you. And you do Jordan you do you inspire me you and spiral you inspire people the world. I don't know if you actually recognize it and I say that because honestly, you know, yeah, my my why is to inspire one person? the day and you know, I have people tell me all the time, you know to your to your words that I'm inspiring people all over the world and I think don't get me wrong. Like that's my hopes. Like I want to inspire millions of people right but one person. I mean it just just one person because one person can impact another person can impact another person becomes a ripple effect then and I think is this you and I are a really good example, right how I inspired you and you are inspiring others and others are being inspired by you and wanting to do the same right and it's it's just it's awesome. It really is. Awesome, and and you know, you talk about the courage and the bravery and finding that, you know, I you had a voice and you know the confidence that kind of built in you and that was me Jordan. I was you I was completely uncomfortable. I didn't have confidence. I had never you know, put the phone in front of my face before and done what you see me do now almost five hundred times on video on LinkedIn to years end of this month. I was so green. I didn't even know there were apps that existed to for videos. I got I didn't know anything about any of it and and it was really really uncomfortable. But I think I don't know. I've spent my whole life getting comfortable being uncomfortable and I mean it all right. What I should say is I've spent my whole life being uncomfortable the getting comfortable part happened along the way, you know, it's like it I think there's different things that happen to us along our journey that that help with that are mindset shift. you know, I mean, I never honestly I literally didn't have a voice coming into this world, you know, and then not only being the small kid, but then being the weird kid my whole life, you know with Tourette's which which by the way, it's interesting because you know, you talk about just courage and bravery and not really feeling you have a voice in especially in a if you put it in a context of like a LinkedIn right like it's like jumping into I don't even know what the analogy is, but you're jumping into this world that you may not fully get right and and then you because it's just so different than what you're used to being in and then and then it's it's all these business professionals right millions and millions of business professionals that are here and you're sitting here going. Oh my God. I'm going to get on video. Like what am I going to say? How am I going to be judged? Well, it's my boss going to think. What's that person going to think what am I potential clients or Partners or customers going to think like there's all these things that go into your head, right? And I think about the fact that I fallen so much more and I failed so much more than I have succeeded and yet I think the really important part about that statement is the fact that every time you do phone fail. You are succeeding you are winning because that's when you're learning and you certainly don't know when it happens, you know, whatever diversity we go through in life. You know those really I was just sharing this The friend of mine the other day that's going through a really hard time right now. And and I told him that I said, you don't have to know why this is happening to you because if you try and figure out the why you're going to drive yourself literally crazy trying to figure it out. All you need to know is that it's meant to happen this way. And that something good is going to come from it. It may not happen right this second. But I guarantee you from my own personal experience that everything happens for a reason if it's meant to be it'll be and there's always something good that comes from having every trial and tribulation every challenge every grind that you have to go through in your life. You know, when a lot of times we'll look back and go why is it so hard? Right, like why does life? Yeah, I think we all go through this at some point. You know, you look up and you go why like what? Why do you keep putting me through so much? Right, like like give me a bone if you will, like like show me some light, you know, because it feels like every single like there's just one but it's one more thing and it just keeps talking like a cake on top of each other. You know, I was I was bullied growing up as a kid. I was always the small kids. So there was that and I had the Tourette's I was the weird kid and and there was that and you know, I never knew who was really my friend and you know, because the Has a lot of tongue and cheek even from the people that were close to me, you know, and and and and being the last kid picked for whatever it was and you know, all those things right and going through some pretty dark depressional type moments and then coming out of them and then something flipping in my head and realizing. Hey, okay, you know what? I want to be around more people. I don't ever want anyone feeling the way that I did or being treated the way that I did or I want them to walk away feeling. Good and uplifted and positive and better. I want them to feel better. Right it took me up until High School to kind of get to that place and that was fostered certainly about my parents. But and then really breaking out of the shell come from college and then finding LinkedIn along the way and and just all of that right and and I mean really it wasn't until my very first LinkedIn video that I realized. I had a voice. Voice and a story that mattered because honestly Jordan I never the word weird, right? I never looked at the word weird is a good thing. I looked and I thought of the word disability versus differently-abled, you know, like it was it was more of a negative connotation not count on one hand. The number of times that I never really talked about the life story stuff, you know fifth grade when I got diagnosed. I was able to finally say this is what this is and I was terrified and leave the same time, you know wrote a paper about it in eighth grade wrote a paper about it in college one time in high school. I passed a kid in the hallway when my classmates he did three different ticks at one time and I knew in an instant he had Tourette's and I remember going home to my mom and telling her and I'm like, I don't know what to do. But I know question I know it and we wind up getting him and his parents to UCLA where I got diagnosed in the 80s which by the way back then was it was so new like there was no, you know, there were no thick books with all this information yet. It was just it was really early right and And one time in my career where I had barely any experience, I mean I I started in retail kind of grew up in that industry and and then gotten a technology and I didn't have many I didn't really have much in terms of legs to stand on or any things to tout. I was inside was going into sales. And so I figured I'll just tell my story it's about tenacity and grit and learning and growing and give me a shot. Shot right? I mean everybody everybody in their career can relate to this like somebody gave you a shot at some point. You may not have felt you deserved it or that you were worthy or that you had you didn't have any experience but somebody gave you a shot to earn that experience right to get that to get that opportunity and I know was like 88 different hiring managers and a bunch of people in between and should the whole life story thing and after every single interview, they all said the same. I think that's a great story. But why should we hire you? And I just kept you know, I kept going through it and kept staring at same questions and I walk out of there with my head down and tail between my legs and I said I'm never going to talk about this again because again, I looked at it as I'm weird. I'm different and I don't want to be I just want to blend in right like that was always the thing. I didn't want to stand out and there's so many stories along the like it sure about that kind of stuff. But I think the point though is I never talked about it after that. I never talked about it in the Is you know and fast forward to LinkedIn video which is now just two and a half years old. That my very first video is me sharing my life story and it was in front of 500 million people at that time and I was terrified I had access for five months. I sat on it one because I was terrified because all I thought was what if my Tourette's come out which suggests just for your listeners for your audience's sake in the height of my Tourette's which was in my teens. I was jumping up and down somersaulting from room to room multiple facial expressions. Lots of auditory. Is this intention act which is wrist flicking a lot of times these things would commingle to and kicker is that you don't know you're doing them more times than not when it's happening. So I had many many moments where I'm sitting here going. I don't understand I'd come home crying to my mom and say what is everybody you know, why does nobody like me and what is ever to keep making fun of me? And I did it because I didn't I just didn't understand I didn't know and she'd the amazing mother of mine. Would he take me in the bathroom and she these big mirrors and and she'd say, okay. I want you to see something and she do every ticket which I was doing. and then say okay let her rep, you know, whatever you've got and you let it out because I would try and suppress it problem is when you do that, it's like a bomb waiting to go off and so I just would let it all go and then she put on some music and we start dancing and you know, it was a way to I'm almost really really really good is really good about like that kind of stuff, you know, always giving me a place of safety and and and fun and laughter and you know at the same time right because it's important to it's important to recognize what's happening when it's happening. But but also lighten the mood absolutely no, no and I appreciate you sharing those those insights and you know, when you mention, you know failure and how you know, you've had in order to be a successful as you are you have. Go through that adversity. You have to go through those things and and I'm really a firm believer to that. You know, we're a sum total of all our failures right as long as we learn from them because I think that you can you can fail but if you don't learn the lesson that it's there to teach you then it's hard to get to the other side of it. But truthfully if you think about life in general like we are the sum total of all everything that we've done that we failed in if we took that lesson and we applied it to the next thing we did. Hopefully not repeating it then those are things That we can teach other people, you know, that's that's how we can actually help give value back to others and say, you know, listen this is what I did don't do this. Let's let's try something different, you know and apply this technique. Now it's so true in life and business. It doesn't matter. Right? I mean, I've been building startups for 20 years and I've literally been through the lowest of lows in the highest of highs of helped take companies public and Acquisitions and mergers and all that and and it's so true like what you just said is so true and if we in anything right anything in life and business like if we learn from that, You know, I didn't even realize along my journey how much I was learning until other Founders were reaching out to me going. We would really love, you know to work with you so that we can understand things that you've been through that we haven't gotten to yet. You know, maybe we can we don't have to go down this really long road. That's and grind our knees as much as we have to if we can learn from things. list and kind of pivot and or node when the pivot right that those are the biggest things that I found just along the journey where it's the unknown right when you don't know what you don't know you it's a crazy ride, right, but that's what you're saying, which is We don't know what we don't know a lot of times, you know even just thinking about it as a parent, right? I mean, I've got a 19 year old is going to first year in college and a junior in high school who it's I think as parents. We it's a natural parental instinct to want to grab their shirt before they step in a hole or fall off a cliff or fall on the ground or trip on something right. We we don't want them to necessarily have to go through something that we've been through and know what can happen, right? and yet sometimes they have to fall they have to take that step. They got a trip and we can be there to pick them up. Right? That's the important part is be there to lift them up to go. Okay? Yeah here let me just dust you off. Let me patch on the but you're good like smile. It's okay. It's okay to fall. It's okay to feel like you just completely flopped or whatever. It may be go do it again. Right like and that's the thing to write is I Know any better. I just kept getting up and going and my mom was there and you know, everybody around me in my life was there to could just you know, keep keep going and but again I didn't. I didn't look at all that stuff is. Why would I want to share that who's gonna care about that? Right? Which brings me to a pivotal moment which we talked about in terms of Wellington video in that first video. Right when that happened with LinkedIn video launched in Alpha June of 2017 the let's get honest campaign launched and it was from a number of different folks on LinkedIn Manu Swish goswami and authentic Alex and London and Michaela Alexis was actually it changed everything. I've been on LinkedIn everyday for 16 years come December. The platform was a year old when I joined and everyone was conforming. Yeah, you're fitting in this business box that they kind of put you in this business social networking platform. And so people were showing up and talking about business. It was all business and you were wearing your you know your suit you like you would if you will show up at any kind of company or job like a seem kind of thing is digitized And yet when the let's get on his campaign launched it changed everything more so at that time, Then the previous whatever it was 14 years for me because they were talking about things that were really personal and it wasn't even just that like for me inspirationally. This was a generation like they could have been my kids like literally and for them to rise up and share their heart but soon their voices and so know we talk about fears and failures but speech impediments and agoraphobia and rape like I mean talking some really Personal life stuff it was really inspiring right because they were using their voices and sharing something that was really vulnerable for them and I was inspired but again five months to take the leap and then finally do it and the kicker was all the love and support and encouragement that I saw from that it changed everything for me, especially knowing the history now that I've shared of what I've been through you noticed in in a small portion. I wanted to give that to everybody that I saw and there were you know, there weren't a lot of us Pioneers on LinkedIn video back when it started. But anybody I saw popping up anybody I saw getting on videos. Just I wanted to give them the same love support and encouragement and because it meant the world to me literally it meant everything to me and community means everything to me because of what I've been through and and and I wanted to bring people together for the good and make you know, I wanted people to feel Oh good going through their Journey because it was it was hard. It wasn't easy certainly wasn't easy for me. I know it was tough for a lot of people but more and more people start showing up and and you support them. And and I think it's just realizing something that you said, which is Everyone does have a voice in a story and a voice in a story that matters and if you understand that and if you realize that even in a place like LinkedIn, which most people in the majority of 655 million people look at it and go why would I ever do something like that on a business social networking platform? Because it's all about being human and it's all about relatability and people. Do business with people they like know and trust try you always get to know people. It's the human part first and when you show up and we share from your heart. Incredible things will happen. Yeah. Now you're absolutely right there. And you know, I remember, you know, when I posted that first video and I think the video I posted I haven't gone back to look at it probably since maybe three weeks after I posted it, but I can remember going back to it like every five minutes after I posted it and I was like has anyone seen this yet? You know, like I've got 700 I think I had like 7,000 followers or connections or whatever. Ever and I was like three people I was like well like yeah, this is yeah. I was excited. I was pump that you know, three views and then I was like, wait a minute. I think that was all me like all three times are probably actually me looking at that video and then I said, I was just kept I was like talking having the self-talk moment of like, what are you doing? Like who like who cares did you post it? Because you want to see how many people saw it or did you post it? Because you had a question to ask, you know, and so when I Really shifted that from like posting for the metric side of it and just went into listen if I want to talk about sales. I want to share something about sales that I went through that could help somebody that's in sales. Like the purpose is to provide value versus how many views am I going to get by saying this thing? And when I did that, I mean it literally changed everything like I actually got people that started engaging I was like, oh someone said something something and then I remember like not do wanting to say anything back because I was felt weird, you know, it was like like they said something should I respond to them? You know, it was just kind of like you said earlier. It was weird. It was like this. I remembered LinkedIn was where I would go when I got an alert on my phone that said bill just had his anniversary. Why don't you tell him congratulations? And so I'd be the guy congratulating like the 17 people on my list and then you know, and then it was like The universe happy work anniversary, you know like all these different things is really the only and I thought it was like maybe if I was looking for a job like it's recruiter that can help me. And so when I came back this April 2019 and saw your mug come across my feed. I don't even know how you came across. I mean it was just meant to be I guess that that all of a sudden, you know, there was a hashtag that I use that, you know was synonymous with you and then you showed up and I was like What the heck, you know, it's like it was like a events, you know and then thinking about it and saying like could I do this to you know, because truthfully if we really think deep down about about what video is video is public speaking and for me as a facilitator as a trainer is a speaker as a coach. I do public speaking all the time, you know, but I look at it different though because like you said earlier the audience is Presidents and CEOs and co-workers. An actual friends like people that know me outside of you know, a networking platform. And so you're worried worried about that Judgment of like, you know, what if they think asks a silly question or maybe they hit the dislike button. Maybe they'll you know, and even though there's not a dislike button. It's like imaginary button that you think's there. And so I think for me it was like that that shift like once I realized everybody that's on there is a living breathing human. They all laugh they All cry they all stub their toe they all go through these things and so I just started doing it and saying, you know, I think I want to help people on a bunch of different levels, whether it's with sales customer service, whether it's personality assessments, which you know, I specialize in like I want to educate people and add that value to them. And so as long as I'm going in it like that, I remember having this very conversation with you is like I was just like this is what I want to do. This is This is like what I'm passionate about and you're saying then do it because that's the right reason. You know, that's the right reason to share your voice to share your message and to start sharing your story Yeah, a hundred percent a hundred percent. I remember the conversation and I've had that conversation with so many people because again, it's this conundrum. You're like, I don't I don't know. What what my what is my y like? What am I passionate about? What do I want to share? You know, and I think And you said something really really important Jordan which is and we've all been through it anybody that's that's been on video. Like we all go through that looking at the number. Oh my gosh, how many views how many likes what's the you know, what is it at how many shares like all those things? And and I think when you when when you put that aside and go, okay, it's not about the likes. It's not about the views. It's about engagement. It's about impact, right? It is is my message. It's my message going to reach someone as a An affect somebody's life in a positive way by me sharing whatever it is that I'm sharing, you know, just just one person, you know, just one person and a lot of times, you know, it's so true like you don't hear from anybody, you know, I mean in the early days like I was hearing from anybody. I mean, I've been posting on LinkedIn ever since you could pose like I've been through that whole journey right forget video for a second but like there was such a long period of time or I'd never hear from anybody and I'm sitting there going am I really reaching anyone with this? Look I yeah, yeah, and it potentially questioning my Why you know, but remembering okay, hold on just because you don't hear from anybody doesn't mean you're not reaching anybody. That's a really important thing for people to remember because You know a lot of times depending on whatever message were conveying or where they were working or whatever. They feel like they can't engage or comment or you know, and maybe they'll send you a note behind the scenes and going. Hey, look I couldn't come on in this but I really want to know like this message really touched me here, you know, I could really relate to what that was or thank you so much for whatever that nugget was. Whatever it is. I think it's it's it's all about remembering just go with what's in your heart if you go with what's in your heart. Never going to go wrong, you know, whatever message you want to share in the power of video. I mean, the only thing missing from video is you can't touch the person you can't smell them. Although the reality is you can touch someone you can touch someone with your heart with your message and with your voice and if you realize that and just keep starting every day is day one it to what you said earlier, you know. You're always as long as you're learning, right and when you're in the moment a lot of times when you're in the moment, especially those really hard moments that are really challenging, you know, where you're questioning everything. You're not thinking and growing you're thinking this sucks. Like I don't want my embrace the suck of this moment and keep going. It's when you look back and go. Wow. I really grew during that moment. And that's something else I said to my friend the other day, which was you don't realized it right now, but this incredibly hard moment for you. You're going to look back and go. Wow, I kept going and I kept growing but not knowing it because I kept going and that is extremely powerful for yourself for others. It's extremely inspirational. But again when you're going through Through it it's hard. Right? It's a really vulnerable moment to realize it and I think the more that you remember that when you're going through it, I've so many times where I'll be in just a COS happens to me all the time, you know, just a really hard moment and a guy have gotten hit like three times back to back when I just wasn't expecting it to happen. And I just was like, okay. Right, like I just had to laugh and go. Okay, I Surrender apparently, this is meant to be happening right now. I really have no idea why but okay, I get it. It's supposed to happen. I know so I know there's a reason for it for the good and I'll roll with it and just keep going right and that's the thing as I think I think it's really easy for us to give up its So easy for us to just and just stay in that moment of pain and frustration and many times you're angry at yourself or whatever just like come on, you know why and and and that's the other side Jordan I think is if if you can if we can take those moments more times than not with that learning and remembering and going okay. Remember that time earlier where you never thought you'd get through it. Look where you are. Now saying that about something else. It's one of the things that I actually recommend people to do is because we all have our you know, our phones are an extension there another appendage right of ourselves. And when you're in that moment of suck pull out your phone hit selfie mode hit record and just talk to yourself in that moment be vulnerable. With yourself have that conversation with yourself? And then the next time the next it happens where you feel like the floor was dropped out from under you and you don't know how you're going to get back up. Let alone reach the top where the sun is Again Play that video that were you thought that the first time. Or better yet record the video again in that moment and then go watch the other one and remember that you got out of it and that that's what happens is whenever this is the other thing I said to my friend is we're never given anything that we can't handle. No matter how crazy it looks how hard it looks we're never given anything that we can't handle. And that's kind of crazy when you think about it because we don't again we don't think about that in the moment. But if you try and remember that yeah. No, I mean I completely get that and you know, I look at you know my life growing up and all the things that I've been through and you know adversity and things like that and you look back and you're like, I'm here like I face that, you know, I experienced that and I came through Stronger by going through it, you know. It's giving me strength that I didn't even think that I could possibly really ever have and you know, so I want to talk a little bit about you know, why I named the podcast what it is. It's called The Blaze your own trail podcast. And and and for me, you know, I'm I've got a regular nine-to-five and I love it. And it's I'm thriving at it and a couple years ago. I decided to start a small consulting company with you know, I'm the whole I'm the whole thing, right? It was predicated on personality assessments and then you know earlier this year. I stutter started adding some other things to the Arsenal and I know we've had conversations about this where I've started helping other people with personal branding, you know build their brand up whether maybe they want help with building a sales training program. So I'm helping people with Adam also coaching people that might be in a struggle that I've actually faced before and I give them guidance on how to and how to overcome that so, you know, That's one of the reasons I titled that this Blaze your own trail because I want to blaze my own trail in that regard. I want to my goals long-term are to be a full-time entrepreneur. And and I think this is a really the start of all that so kind of last question. But you know, how did you start to blaze your own trail in business? Like what was it that where you said? I want to be the founder and CEO of moisture vibe. yeah, so, I mean there's a lot of entrepreneurs in my family and I so I grew up around that kind of element. Not that I was really thinking about it, but I did and College I was a founder of my fraternity at San Diego State called Phi Kappa Theta it's a nationwide fraternity. John F. Kennedy was a Phi Kap Gene Kelly I could rattle off many incredible men, but we literally built a company from the ground up and if anybody's ever seen them original movie Revenge of the Nerds that was us like we were the mutts. We were a mosh of everybody the Nerds the jocks that I literally everybody and All Shall Colors sizes Creeds and and we were doing something really incredible and it's crazy because 25 years this year is when we started to build that so fast forward this whole video journey in such right? I mean, I've been helping fortunate Executives for years behind the scenes when it came to things like LinkedIn, and I just wanted to help people Wasn't about visibility or money wasn't about any of that. I just wanted to help people because I figured out. after falling on my own feet, you know how to do this thing, and I wanted to help people figure it out because the reality is One step in the wrong direction. Literally your one click away from having a conversation with anyone and everyone in business from the founder of the funding of the chairman of the janitor and everybody in between and you are one click away from never having a conversation with them. If you don't know what you're doing and it's crazy and through my video Journey. I'm just had so many incredible opportunities pop up through my Holdings and journey for that matter Builders of companies asking me if like that basically takes Disheveled companies and people from different places put them together to build it back up. I had a one of these Builders reach out to me at one point. He didn't know me we had meaning we had never had any conversations before new of my presence and how I was showing up and background right from what I had shared asked me if I wanted to be the CEO of one of these companies. Just from showing up right I I've always realized that you never get to where you are alone and you have to reach down and lift people up and you have to send the ladder down and me starting my company voice your Vibe, which is all about teaching Brands and leaders within organizations and teams within companies how to tell a story that people will fall in love with on LinkedIn. And a minute it crosses. All social media is right, but LinkedIn is my home. It's where I said from the very beginning. I want to be all in and this is where I need to be this this was it I didn't know why I just had a gut feeling and I want to starting a company many many many years later, right and unbeknownst to me Jordan building a brand that I didn't even know. I was building right? It was just me showing up helping people. Ever I could and hoping to inspire one person a day. And so when I formed company which basically was after four years of helping to build and grow another startup. I had friend and Confidant and former customer of mine said why have you not start your company at like nobody can do nobody does what you do the way you do it like what are you waiting for? Right and I I felt fulfilled because I had like you I had corporate job and And and I was branched out in many other ways because I want a number of boards advising Founders and startups doing speaking internationally co-founding, you know companies all the stuff kind of the same time and and it was really fulfilling me in many different ways because I wanted to help more people, right? And so shift in the tides, right and I leave I leave the company and he asked me that question is like what are you waiting for? So I filed my LLC I bought some domains and called the friend of mine and said I finally started my company. And she said oh my God. Are you serious? Can you come fly to Dallas? I want to throw you a launch party. Wow. I said, I'm like, what are you seriously, so great. Well, let me tell you this for everybody that's listening out there. That's how you blaze your own trail, right it is, you know, you know this information other people are telling and sometimes I think the signs are so big and bright but we have this film over. Our eyes and we just don't we just don't recognize them. You know, we don't recognize this these things about us these gifts in the abilities were we just we just can't see it and in one day and in that story I could tell there was a massive shift and that question is what helped you a blaze your own trail and you know, I hate that we have to end this this episode because it was so amazing and I know that my audience is going to get you know so much. Value so where can everybody finds you Brian working? Everybody find Brian Schulman? Yeah, so LinkedIn is my home so you can find me on LinkedIn. It's just linkedin.com /in forward slash Brian Schulman, and I'm sure Jordan have my name in the show notes. You learn how to spell it. If you want to schedule a time to chat. I always leave times open on my calendar to do so, even though everything is so busy. I love talking to people to your point, which is how shut out Saturday began to begin with. So there's a tool called calendly. It's access to my calendar. Cele ndl why.com forward slash voice your Vibe and for any when it wants to learn about LinkedIn. I've got a free jump start course that is available to you as well as a master class that is in 2.0 right now. So if either of those things are interesting to you definitely take advantage of the free course, there's so many golden nuggets that myself and my partner in crime. Alice I was for sharing and you can you can learn about that at LinkedIn Master Class dot think diffic.com. So that's those are the places I tell you to find me and look for the hashtag voice your Vibe. Feel free to follow it. You'll be able to catch everything that I'm sharing on LinkedIn. But again, I mean Jordan thank you so much again. I'm so sorry so humbled and so honored to be here to be a guest and of your very first guests. I'm so excited for you in this show and and and where it's going to go and I truly do Leave this is the first step in the Blazing of your Trail of the next great chapter the adventure in your journey, buddy. Hey, man. Hey, I really really appreciate that and folks for those of you listening. I will post a little snippet of this on LinkedIn and I'll go ahead and Link all of the the link his profile will go ahead and Link the Mastery class as well. So Ryan, I definitely appreciate your time. Although you're my first guess. I'll tell you you are going to be my first repeat guests as well because I definitely want to have you back on so we can chat a little bit. Bit more and get some more insights on you know who you are as a kid what type of sports you're into foods and stuff like that that we didn't get to touch on today. But thanks so much for joining and I hope you have an amazing week. Alright. Thanks Jared and you too, buddy. Hey, thanks so much for listening to that episode with Brian Shulman man. Every time I get to talk to the guy, it's just so impactful. He's such an inspiration to me and so many other people around the world. If it inspired you, please share the podcast with someone that you know, send it to him text it to him. Let him know how awesome it is and I hope that they can get value out of it as well. Catch you on the next episode.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian Schulman, Founder & CEO of Voice Your Vibe. In this episode, Brian touches on how it was a battle just to survive after being born, dealing with a neurological condition and some insights into what he does for his company. Founder and CEO of Voice Your Vibe, Forbes featured entrepreneur, LinkedIn Local San Diego Founder and Host, 2018 Linkedin Top Voice, one of the leading experts in the world on Linkedin, having spent every day for the last 15 years on the platform and known as The Godfather of LinkedInVideo, Brian is an inspirational content creator. Brian's mission for his content on LinkedIn is to simply change the life of one person a day and it would be an understatement to say he's achieved his goal. He's a mentor to many around the world, advisor to some of the biggest brands in the US and a friend to all who know him. Brian can be reached here: linkedin.com/in/brianschulman linkedin.com/company/voiceyourvibe calendly.com/voiceyourvibe linkedinmasterclass.thinkific.com Thanks for listening!! 