D-ID, the Tel Aviv-based startup known for its AI video technology that animates still images, has released a new mobile app that could be a powerful tool for both direct selling corporate teams and the distributor field. Previously available only as a web platform, D-ID’s Creative Reality Studio allows users to turn a still image and script into an AI-generated video, creating digital avatars of themselves, historical figures or fictional characters.

The app, now available on the App Store and Google Play, allows users to either select a premade “digital person” provided by D-ID or upload an image from their phone’s photo library. Users can then input text for the digital avatar to say in one of 119 languages, with options for male or female voices and various speech tones.

The technology behind D-ID combines proprietary and open-source AI technologies. “At its core lies a foundational model capable of generating video frames based on audio input,” said D-ID CEO Gil Perry. The company’s products all use an API capable of rendering video at an industry-leading 100 FPS, four times faster than real-time rendering.

The app is designed for anyone interested in creating videos with digital avatars, offering the ability to produce videos anywhere. Videos can be up to 10 minutes long and are subject to moderation policies to prevent misuse for deepfakes or disinformation campaigns.

Before the mobile launch, the desktop version of Creative Reality Studio gained 60,000 new sign-ups daily, with over 150 million videos made using the platform. The mobile version aims to reach a broader market, including mobile-first or mobile-only users. It will be subscription-based, with existing desktop version subscribers able to keep their current plans.

Picsart Ignites Creativity

The photo-editing startup Picsart has launched Picsart Ignite, a set of AI-powered photo editing tools designed to simplify creating ads, social posts, logos and more. This suite includes 20 tools for generating videos, images, GIFs, logos, backgrounds, QR codes and stickers. New features include AI Expand that allows additional details to be added to any image using AI prompts as well as AI Object Remove in Video for removing unwanted objects from videos. The “AI Style Transfer” feature lets users apply artistic styles across visuals, and “AI Avatar” generates realistic avatars for business portraits. Picsart Ignite is available to all users across Picsart web, iOS and Android.

Hovhannes Avoyan, Founder and CEO of Picsart, said, “We believe that everyone is a creator. Our editing experience reflects this philosophy by providing users with powerful, yet fun and easy-to-use tools to express their unique visions. We developed these features to ignite creativity and enable users to turn their ideas into stunning visual content.”

This launch comes as platforms of all sizes are incorporating AI tools into their services. Picsart has also recently focused on social collaboration, launching in-app communities called “Spaces” where users can connect and create around topics they love.

4 Evolving AI Animation Trends

1 / Finishing Fast

AI is revolutionizing the animation industry by using algorithms and neural networks to create animations that mimic human-created content, eliminating the need for laborious and time-consuming manual drawing.

2 / Highly Personalized Storylines

AI is set to revolutionize the future of animation by creating personalized narratives that adjust in real-time to each viewer’s preferences, fostering a deeper emotional connection through tailored character interactions, plot twists and visual aesthetics.

3 / AI-Generated Story Concepts

AI’s capability to analyze viewer engagement data and large-scale narrative patterns will soon allow it to collaborate with human authors to create innovative, personalized animated series like Mighty Raju and Super Bheem that deeply resonate with viewers.

4 / Improved Creativity and Exploration

AI aids writers in generating innovative content by analyzing extensive data on user preferences, interests and activities.

Source: Green Gold Animation, LinkedIn

From the January/February 2024 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post Picture This first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Here’s OUR monthly top picks for you (and your field) for reading, listening to and utilizing in order to stay engaged, informed and one step ahead.

AI Tool / DeepL
DeepL is a machine translation service that uses advanced AI to translate text from one language to another. Initially launched in 2017, DeepL has developed neural networks that allow their technology to translate 31 languages even more accurately than Google Translate! The text translation function is free but limited. Membership starts at under $10 per month for professional usage features, such as unlimited text translations, data security, file translations and team administration—a convenient option for translating assets in house.

APP / FlightView
Whether traveling for business or pleasure, tracking your latest flight information across various airlines and destinations can be a huge frustration. As the leading provider of digital flight information, the FlightView app tracks 96 percent of commercial flights from its extensive flight status database of over 980 airlines. Using only your travel date, airline and flight number, FlightView provides all pertinent information about your roundtrip, including departure and arrival times, terminals, gates, flight status, weather, flight duration and even aircraft.

COURSE / Ecsell Institute

Even the best leadership team needs ongoing training to stay at the top of their game. Enter the Ecsell Institute: a leadership training and professional growth program that utilizes a unique approach called “The Coaching Effect.” By turning your leaders into coaches, Ecsell’s program encourages development of the entire team. The organization leverages more than a decade of research to pinpoint behaviors that create top leaders; track and measure leadership ability; and offer personalized tools for improvement.

BOOK / The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery
By Brianna Wiest

Unfortunately, self-sabotage happens to the best of us. According to international bestselling author Brianna Wiest, coexisting but conflicting needs generate self-sabotaging behaviors—resulting in resistance to change. Wiest uses the classic mountain metaphor for facing life’s challenges, but first we have to process trauma, build resilience and determine how we show up for the climb. Wiest illustrates practical ways we can get out of our own way and master ourselves—an appropriate strategy for achieving goals in the New Year.

AUDIO BOOK / Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life
By Arnold Schwarzenegger

What does it take to become the world’s greatest bodybuilder? The world’s highest-paid movie star? The leader of the world’s sixth-largest economy? Arnold Schwarzenegger knows. Despite being raised in poverty in rural Austria, Schwarzenegger reached incredible heights by following seven simple rules. Rooted in his father’s life philosophy, the Terminator himself narrates this insightful audio book that shares how to “Be Useful” through clear vision, big thinking, hard work, direct communication, resilient problem-solving, open-minded curiosity and a commitment to giving back.

YOUTUBE CHANNEL / Grow Your Business with Instagram
By Elise Darma

Help your field grow their businesses by learning from Elise Darma, a social media educator who specializes in Instagram marketing. Darma releases a video on her YouTube channel every Tuesday with timely insights on topics like content, algorithm updates, leveraging AI and increasing reach. With an audience of over 370,000 across 79 countries, Darma can easily help your field become strategic Instagram marketers.

From the December 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post December 2023: DeepL, FlightView and more! first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Here’s OUR monthly top picks for you (and your field) for reading, listening to and utilizing in order to stay engaged, informed and one step ahead.

BOOK / Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life
By Nir Eyal
What could you accomplish if you could stay focused and overcome distractions? International best-selling author, former Stanford lecturer and behavioral design expert, Nir Eyal, reveals the hidden psychology driving us to distraction. He describes why solving the problem is not as simple as swearing off our devices. Abstinence is impractical and often makes us want more. Eyal lays bare the secret of finally doing what you say you will do with a four-step, research-backed model. Indistractable reveals the key to getting the best out of technology, without letting it get the best of us.

PODCAST / HBR IdeaCast
By Harvard Business Review

A weekly podcast featuring the leading thinkers in business and management. Harvard Business Review covers important leadership topics in HBR IdeaCast. Financial, professional and psychological content mixes with CEO interviews for an intriguing blend. With featured topics such as the business origins of emotional intelligence and the looming impact of AI, this podcast keeps an eye on the future of business.

BLOG / The Counterintuitive CEO
By FORRESTER

The Counterintuitive CEO provides ideas, observations and analyses that help drive the success of other CEOs. Recent posts feature information on GenAI, revenue operations, open banking and low-code applications. Forrester helps business and technology leaders use customer obsession to accelerate growth. That means empowering you to put the customer at the center of everything you do: your leadership, strategy and operations.

VIDEO / TEDx Talk: “How to Multiply Your Time”
By Rory Vaden

Everything you know about time management is wrong. In this challenging and counter-intuitive video, self-discipline strategist and New York Times bestselling author, Rory Vaden, shows you why you can’t solve today’s time management challenges with yesterday’s time management strategies. More importantly he explains why procrastinating on purpose is the key to being able to multiply your time.

AUDIO BOOK / Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
By James Clear

New York Times bestselling author and expert James Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. In Atomic Habits, he draws on proven ideas from biology, psychology and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Your team will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft.

APP / Descript

Nothing grabs potential customers more than a stylish, sleek and compelling video. Sometimes the ideas for exciting, innovative content come much easier than the ability to produce a professional looking video that captures the look and feel you are going for. That’s where Descript comes in. Descript is a simple, powerful and fun way to edit videos. It’s a great tool that will have your field writing, recording, transcribing, editing, collaborating and sharing videos and podcasts in no time!

From the November 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post November 2023: Multiple Your Time, IdeaCast and more! first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Here’s OUR monthly top picks for you (and your field) for reading, listening to and utilizing in order to stay engaged, informed and one step ahead.

WEBSITE / First Round Review
First Round knows a thing or two about turning startups into successful corporations and founders into skillful CEOs. First Round has gleaned a wealth of knowledge and shared it via First Round Review, a website committed to letting experts speak directly to the reader about their biggest business insights. Each article highlights strategies and tactics you can use to improve your company and career on topics such as self-awareness, scaling and product-market fit.

BOOK / Unleash the Power of Storytelling: Win Hearts, Change Minds, Get Results

By Rob Biesenbach

Everyone loves a good story. And while “storytelling” is a popular marketing buzzword, it also happens to be a powerful tool that can help you persuade, teach and inspire. In Unleash the Power of Storytelling, author Rob Biesenbach lays out a five-step roadmap for crafting your stories, plus six ways to ensure their relevance. It’s a “how-to” guide that will teach you scientific reasons why stories work, story structure, the role of emotion, delivery tips and much more.

COURSE / Full Focus Goal Setting Course

By Gary Chapman & Paul White

Now is the perfect time to get a jump on your goals for 2024. The Full Focus Goal Setting Course is a science-based, self-paced program designed to be completed in less than a week. With five lessons comprised of several short videos, you can do the course as you have time or in one sitting. Using the latest research in goal achievement, this system helps you define a clear path and follow exact steps to arrive at your destination—as Full Focus states it’s “like Google Maps for your goals.”

VIDEO / TEDx Talk: “You are Contagious”

By Vanessa Van Edwards

In this entertaining and informative TEDx Talk, interpersonal intelligence expert Vanessa Van Edwards explains how we as humans are contagious. From body language and tone of voice to emotions and energy, we rub off on others—whether we realize it or not. This means we have the power to influence how we’re perceived and how others feel when they’re around us. Van Edwards uses scientific studies to illustrate why this is so and how we can make a memorable, positive impact on those around us.

PODCAST / Every Day is Saturday Podcast

By Sam Crowley

“Daddy, is tomorrow Saturday?” When Sam Crowley’s young daughter asked this question, he realized she really meant, “Daddy, will you have time for me tomorrow?” Crowley quit the corporate grind to spend more time with family and pursue his passions. As an executive turned coach, speaker and author, Crowley’s biggest project has been his prolific podcast, Every Day is Saturday, which inspires listeners to have the best day ever. Since launching in 2006, it has achieved over 20 million downloads!

INFLUENCER / Victor Antonio

Rated as one of America’s Best Sales Speakers in 2023, Victor Antonio is also an author and founder of Sales Velocity Academy. He puts his experience as an international trainer to work by pumping out an impressive stream of content—most notably via his YouTube channel, which hosts educational podcasts, trainings and live streams…over 1,600, to be exact! Topics are timely and practical, such as how to close virtual meetings and how to handle being ghosted.

From the October 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post October 2023: Goal Setting, Storytelling and more! first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Here’s OUR monthly top picks for you (and your field) for reading, listening to and utilizing in order to stay engaged, informed and one step ahead.

APP / In Your Face: Meeting Reminder
By Martin Hoeller

Inspired by a co-worker who consistently ran late to meetings, app developer Martin Hoeller created In Your Face: Meeting Reminder as a way to ensure that calendar notifications would not be easily missed. The app links to your calendar and pushes a full-screen reminder to your computer before your meeting—making it impossible to miss. It also detects video conference links in your calendar, providing easy access to virtual meetings. Custom alerts for critical tasks can also be added.

WEBINAR / Business Accelerator Training

By Michael Hyatt

After finding balance in his chaotic life as CEO of a $250 million publishing company, Michael Hyatt realized the innovative system he created could positively impact the lives of other leaders. So, Hyatt launched Full Focus, a corporate training and strategic planning company that helps the C-Suite “achieve extraordinary results without compromising their most important values.” Full Focus offers a wealth of insightful content for free; including 5 Building Blocks to a Company that Runs Itself and 5 Keys to Run Your Business Without Your Business Running You.

BOOK / The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People

By Gary Chapman & Paul White

Based on the New York Times bestseller The 5 Love Languages, this book is a bestseller in its own right—having sold over 450,000 copies! The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace helps you identify how your staff feels most recognized at work. Authors Gary Chapman and Paul White outline how to improve morale with your team, create a more positive environment and increase employee engagement—simply by speaking your employees’ appreciation languages.

PODCAST / The $100 MBA Show

By Omar Zenhom

Named one of the top business podcasts in the world by Forbes, Fast Company and Time, Inc., The $100 MBA Show offers short, actionable business lessons to aspiring entrepreneurs. Creator and host Omar Zenhom believes that anyone can start and run a business with the right information—and this podcast delivers! Not only does Zenhom publish a new business lesson five days a week, but he has curated his most popular episodes into collections.

YouTube Channel / Motivation Ark

With over 1.2 million subscribers and nearly a billion total views, Motivation Ark is a prolific YouTube channel that serves up inspiration and education from high achievers. Videos mash up original voiceover content from coaches and creators like Oprah, Jordan Peterson and Steve Harvey and display the words in subtitles over beautiful video imagery. The result? A moving motivational montage that pushes you to win. This vault of personal development gold provides a great way for your field to start their day.

AUDIO BOOK / Virtual Selling: How to Build Relationships, Differentiate and Win Sales Remotely

By Mike Schultz, Dave Shaby and Andy Springer

Thanks to the pandemic, business that was once face-to-face has largely become screen-to-screen. In order to succeed in the industry, distributors must now adapt to the world of remote sales. Virtual Selling offers practical advice and techniques to build rapport online, run effective virtual meetings, deliver powerful virtual presentations, boost productivity and much more. This audiobook will take your field step-by-step through mastering the medium and help them reach their sales goals without relying on in-person meetings.

From the September 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post September 2023: Motivation Ark, Virtual Selling and more! first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Here’s OUR monthly top picks for you (and your field) for reading, listening to and utilizing in order to stay engaged, informed and one step ahead.

BOOK / Happiness is a Serious Problem: A Human Nature Repair Manual
By Dennis Prager

Has someone’s sour attitude ever ruined your day? Equal parts personal development and moral philosophy, Happiness is a Serious Problem examines how our personal happiness (or lack thereof) influences everyone around us. Based on this premise, best-selling author, lecturer, nationally syndicated talk show host and columnist Dennis Prager thoughtfully proves that happiness isn’t just a sought-after state of being—it’s a moral obligation. This book will increase your self-awareness regarding the outlook you project to your team, resulting in a happier organization.

YOUTUBE CHANNEL / Leveling Up with Eric Siu

Leveling Up with Eric Siu is a channel that will help you level up your business skills and master the game of life. The channel covers various business topics, including digital and NFT marketing and features exclusive interviews with today’s leading entrepreneurs, including Codie Sanchez, Alex Hormozi, Leila Hormozi, Neil Patel and more. The mission? Provide insightful content designed to help you grow one percent better every day.

App / Deepstash

The best leaders have a growth mindset—but most leaders have limited time for personal growth. Enter Deepstash: a refreshing app loaded with bite-sized insights and thought-provoking ideas that can fit into even the busiest schedules. With access to summaries of over 200,000+ books, podcasts, articles and more on every topic under the sun, you can learn anything, get inspired, build habits and generally become smarter in just a few minutes a day!

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM / TUVU

Effective social media marketing is increasingly challenging for small business owners with minimal to no advertising budget. That’s because 42 percent of the content in your newsfeed is paid! So, unless you run Facebook ads, your posts are not even guaranteed to be seen. Enter TUVU, a new social media platform that serves up a totally ad-free experience, among other perks. For the direct seller, this means posts are guaranteed to be seen by your network.

Audio Book / Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance

By Jonathan Fields

When we dare to create, fear and anxiety can follow closely behind. How can we overcome those emotions and succeed? Author, lawyer, speaker and serial entrepreneur Jonathan Fields knows how… He signed a lease for a yoga studio in the heart of New York City—the day before 9/11. This experience helped him develop an innovative approach for transforming doubt and fear into catalysts for innovation and achievement. Fields draws on his vast personal experience, scientific research and actionable techniques to chart a path forward.

PODCAST / Social Media Marketing Podcast

Hosted by Michael Stelzner

Founder of the Social Media Examiner, the “world’s largest social media marketing resource,” Michael Stelzner helps millions of businesses discover how to leverage digital marketing to connect with customers, drive traffic, generate awareness and increase sales. Stelzner also hosts the Social Media Marketing Podcast, which has been published weekly since 2012. Through interviewing experts and relating his personal experiences, Stelzner offers new strategies and practical tips to help improve the listener’s marketing knowledge.

From the June 2023 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post July/August 2023: Deepstash, TUVU and more! first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Here’s OUR monthly top picks for you (and your field) for reading, listening to and utilizing in order to stay engaged, informed and one step ahead.

BOOK / The Road to Excellence: 6 Leadership Strategies to Build a Bulletproof Business
David Mattson

Even the most experienced leaders are likely to have blind spots. Simply put, it’s easy to miss something when you’re trying to account for everything. In The Road to Excellence, David Mattson identifies six strategies that help business owners and executives spot dangerous oversights that can derail any organization. Mattson, the CEO and President of Sandler Training, helps you determine what stands between your company and organizational excellence—and how to move forward.

TECH DEVICE / Logitech Litra Glow

Like it or not, video conferencing is here to stay. Investing in basic lighting can make a world of difference in helping you look your best on screen. Logitech Litra Glow is a well-reviewed full-spectrum LED light that discreetly clips to the top of your computer screen near your camera lens. Sensors adjust the light’s brightness for various skin tones while emanating a radiant glow rather than a harsh spotlight. With adjustable height, tilt and rotation, Litra Glow offers you an instant on-screen glow up!

PODCAST / First Person Plural: El & Beyond

Hosted by New York Times bestselling author, psychologist and emotional intelligence (EI) guru Daniel Goleman, First Person Plural: El & Beyond podcast focuses on how to create an emotionally intelligent future. Co-hosted by Goleman’s son, Hanuman and EI coach Elizabeth Solomon, the trio presents a collection of stories that will inspire you to lead with more intentionality and develop better awareness of the systems in which we live and work. The podcast covers everything from overcoming conflict to handling stress.

APP / Noisli

Background noise provides a constant blend of soothing sounds that masks other noises and helps us relax. Give your field an efficiency boost by recommending an app like Noisli, which allows the user to mix and match various sounds to create their perfect sound environment. Users can explore and layer 28 high-quality background sounds, adjusting the volume of each to customize an ideal soundscape and even adding a timer to stay on schedule.

WEBSITE / SCORE

As the nation’s largest network of volunteer business mentors, SCORE exists to help small businesses launch, grow and achieve their goals. Mentors are seasoned experts who meet with entrepreneurs locally at more than 250 chapters or remotely via email, phone or video to provide free confidential coaching. Most services are provided to entrepreneurs at no cost. Urge your field to take advantage of these valuable resources and expand their personal and business growth!

YOUTUBE CHANNEL / Behind the Brand
Bryan Elliott

As a writer, director, producer, journalist—and the Founder and CEO of The Goodbrain Digital Studios—Bryan Elliott is a Renaissance Man who also hosts a diverse YouTube channel called Behind the Brand. With a mission to help people discover their purpose and find joy and fulfillment, Elliott describes the video series as a show about innovators, entrepreneurs and the stories behind their success. Encourage your team to learn from leaders like Tilman Fertitta, Seth Godin and Gary Vaynerchuk.

From the November 2022 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post November 2022: Noisli, SCORE and more! first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Here’s OUR monthly top picks for you (and your field) for reading, listening to and utilizing in order to stay engaged, informed and one step ahead.

APP / Work & Rest: Focus Pomodoro Timer

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method popularized in the late 1980s, in which a kitchen timer is used to divide work into block intervals, separated by short breaks. The Work & Rest app utilizes this technique, which is intended to create focus and flow by reducing interruptions and scheduling breaks. Using the gamified interface, you can customize your goals and track your progress, thereby increasing your productivity through this simple time management strategy.

Audio Book / Leading with Emotional Courage
Peter Bregman

Based on author Peter Bregman’s popular blogs for Harvard Business Review, Leading with Emotional Courage posits that what really gets results and sets great leaders apart from the rest is emotional courage. This includes having the ability to speak up when others stay silent, remain stable through uncertainty and weather anger without defensiveness. Through practical, real-world advice, Bregman provides ways to build your “emotional courage muscle” as a leader.

BOOK / Radical Candor
Kim Scott

This New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller has been praised around the globe for decoding effective leadership. Author Kim Scott’s experiences working at Google and Apple inspired Radical Candor, which details how to build authentic relationships with team members through caring personally and challenging directly. Scott explains how to avoid common management pitfalls and create radically candid relationships that help you love your work—and those you work with.

APP / HabitBull: Daily Goal Planner

Building or breaking a habit requires training and repetition—and more often than not, powerful extrinsic motivation. HabitBull is a one-stop-productivity shop that keeps track of habits, goals, routines and to-do lists, providing inspiration, reminders and scoring along the way. Simply set up an action and track your progress. HabitBull allows users to compete with themselves in a gamified, private setting, which is also perfect for breaking bad habits like smoking or spending too much time on social media.

WEBSITE / Coursera.org

Founded in 2012 and boasting over 107 million users, Coursera is a proven learning platform that offers online courses from leading companies and universities around the world. Not only does the site offer degrees and professional certifications, but it provides thousands of free courses on just about any topic. Your field can sharpen a variety of skills or broaden their knowledge-base with classes like “The Science of Well-Being” from Yale or “Successful Negotiation” from the University of Michigan.

PODCAST / Rock Your Brand
Scott Voelker

From creating a sales empire on Amazon to producing digital courses, entrepreneur, author and professional coach Scott Voelker has made a career of building businesses online and teaching others to do the same. In his podcast, Rock Your Brand, Voelker imparts his knowledge of business ownership and brand building in free, bite-sized pieces. Podcast episodes cover relatable topics like staying motivated when results are slow and preventing burnout, while also providing marketing tips, such as how frequently to post content and how to generate more sales via email.

From the October 2022 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post October 2022: Radical Candor, Coursera and More first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Here’s OUR monthly top picks for you (and your field) for reading, listening to and utilizing in order to stay engaged, informed and one step ahead.

BOOK / The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues
By Patrick Lencioni

In this companion to his classic book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni focuses on the individual, identifying three virtues that make an employee indispensable: being humble, hungry and smart. The Ideal Team Player defines and illustrates these traits through an easy-to-read fable, which is followed by a practical guide for finding, hiring and cultivating ideal team players—and weeding out those who are not.

APP / HealthyWage

Per the Mayo Clinic, weight loss study participants who receive financial incentives are more likely to lose more weight (and keep it off!) than participants who receive none. HealthyWage is an app that offers cash-based weight loss challenges to help end procrastination through competition. Corporations have jumped on this bandwagon as a creative way to encourage healthy habits among their teams. Get your team excited with a friendly competition that could result in better health—and cash bonuses.

Audio Book / Master Your Code: The Art, Wisdom, and Science of Leading an Extraordinary Life
By Darren J. Gold

In this thought-provoking audio book, executive coach and author Darren J. Gold asks the listener a simple question that requires a complex (and very personal) answer: “What’s getting in the way of you leading an extraordinary life?” Master Your Code helps the listener analyze his or her code—or programming—which Darren defines as a subconscious set of rules that drive the actions you take and limit the results you get.

WEBSITE / Lifehack

“Lifehack” has become a popular social media buzzword, but it also happens to be an in-depth personal development website brimming with useful content. Articles range from topics like “How to Live a Full Life” to “How to Learn Faster and Smarter,” including science-based case studies to support solutions for improvement. Lifehack also offers free courses and a robust blog categorized by topics like “Goal Getting” and “Restore Energy.”

APP / The Habit Factor Pro

Recommended by top coaches, consultants, athletes and learning institutions worldwide, The Habit Factor Pro is an easy-to-use productivity app that helps the user set and track goals, change behavior and form meaningful habits. Using unique technology and algorithms, the app personalizes the user experience, allowing you to chart your progress, motivators, tracking periods and much more.

PODCAST / How to Succeed Podcast
Sandler

As the “World’s Largest Training Organization,” Sandler is known for founding a unique selling system based on behavioral psychology. To train this approach, founder David Sandler discovered that the correct attitudes, behaviors and techniques must be taught as well. With a proven system now spanning decades, Sandler’s organization publishes content based on their winning strategies. With episodes like “How to Succeed at Purpose” and “How to Succeed at Personal Branding,” this podcast will help your field master success in every form.

From the September 2022 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

The post September 2022: HealthyWage, LifeHack and More first appeared on Direct Selling News.

Here’s OUR monthly top picks for you (and your field) for reading, listening to and utilizing in order to stay engaged, informed and one step ahead.

BOOK / The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
By Patrick Lencioni

In this New York Times best seller, author Patrick Lencioni weaves an entertaining leadership fable that aptly illustrates The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. From “Fear of Conflict” to “Lack of Commitment,” these five issues are relatable to every team, no matter how seemingly successful. Patrick offers a powerful model with actionable steps in the second half of the book. This simple yet profound read is perfect for anyone striving to lead and develop an effective team of any size.

APP / Speechify
Audio Text Reader

Created on the premise that you listen faster than you can read, the Speechify app turns articles, PDFs, digital text and physical books into audiobooks—helping you save time, retain more information and stay focused. Framed as your personal reading assistant, Speechify allows you to customize your audio experience with HD voices in 50+ languages and adjustable reading speeds. The app also seamlessly integrates with various platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox, so Speechify can help you get more done, faster!

PODCAST / Believe!
Doug Devos

Renowned business leader and philanthropist Doug DeVos has spent his life encouraging people to become agents of change. As the former President and now Co-Chairman of Amway (and with nearly 60 years in and around the company), Doug has helped build the direct sales giant by empowering entrepreneurs. Doug’s lifelong passion for helping people turn beliefs into action inspired his new podcast, Believe! The podcast asks questions that Doug hopes will spark practical solutions within each listener, along with paths to action.

BOOK / SPIN Selling
By Neil Rackham

What makes someone a great salesperson? How can your field dramatically increase their volume? In SPIN Selling, author Neil Rackham answers these questions and much more, using the acronym “SPIN” to illustrate a unique sales strategy: Situation, Problem, Implication and Need-Payoff. The premise of this methodology is that deals are won when a salesperson truly understands the buyer’s problem—which can only be understood after asking specific questions. Share SPIN Selling with your field to help them discover their best audience and sell more strategically.

APP / Givingli
Send Cards & Gifts

Designed to make everyday connections with people simpler and more meaningful, Givingli is an innovative app for celebrating any occasion. Simply choose and customize a digital card from hundreds of options created by independent artists. Then add an optional gift from retailers like DoorDash and Uber. Finally, send your greeting to your recipient—all with the touch of a button. With Givingli being 100% digital, the company is proud to be both convenient and sustainable. This handy app can help you and your field leadership effortlessly recognize, encourage and reward others.

WEBSITE / HubSpot Blogs

HubSpot is a leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that helps companies market and sell more effectively. While many businesses utilize HubSpot’s paid services, a free benefit they offer is an extremely informative collection of five blogs: Marketing, Sales, Service, Website and The Hustle, which houses business insights. Readers can explore posts by topic, such as Customer Retention, Instagram Marketing and Sales Prospecting. Fans can also subscribe to the specific areas that are of most interest and have the latest news delivered to their inbox.

From the August 2022 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.

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