In the Loop with Andy Andrews (Podcast)

On this week's episode, I'm filling you in on what's been going on since our last episode, why we're starting a new show, and details on where and when you can find it.

This is our final episode for In The Loop, but you can hear more by subscribing to my new podcast, The Professional Noticer, at AndyAndrews.com/podcast

Tune in for a sneak peak of what you'll be hearing, and thank you all for listening, asking questions and sharing In The Loop!

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL_308_-_Last_Call_for_In_The_LoopNew_Show_Starting_Next_Week.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:19am CDT

In this episode, we discuss Andy’s work with football teams

Wisdom is a deep understanding of principle.

  • You can always gain deeper understanding in a continuing process.
  • Until you know why a principle works, you can’t use it to its fullest potential.

Andy will work with just about any coach.

  • Some are more receptive than others.
  • There is always an end to his work with a team.

Most people stop learning after experiencing success.

  • They think their success will last forever.  

Tune in to hear Andy’s “locker room speech.”

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

Direct download: ITL_307_-_The_Potential_Dangers_of_Success.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:14pm CDT

In this episode, we conclude our discussion of the story of The Traveler’s Gift. 

The Traveler’s Gift shaped Andy’s career.

  • Andy continues to gain a deeper understanding of the 7 Decisions. 

The publisher wasn’t interested, the bookstores weren’t interested, and the public was unaware.

  • Andy knew that God hadn’t taken him this far just to fail.
  • He bought copies from the publisher and gave them away.
  • Eventually, the book ended up in the hands of Robin Roberts, who featured it on Good Morning America’s “Read This!” book club segment.
  • Andy enjoys writing a lot more now that he’s seen the end result of what can happen in people’s lives.

Andy cares more about getting his books to people who haven’t read them than pumping out more books just to have them out there.

  • Andy has given away 20,000 copies of The Traveler’s Gift.
  • Over 2,500 schools use his free curriculums.

Tune in to hear about Andy’s meeting with...David Ponder.

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

Direct download: ITL_306_-_The_Story_Behind_The_Travelers_Gift_-_Part_2.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

In this episode, we discuss the story of The Traveler’s Gift.

The Traveler’s Gift wasn’t successful right away.

  • Fifty-one publishers rejected it over three and a half years.
  • When the book was finally published, it didn’t sell through its initial 10,000 copies.
  • At one point, Andy lost an entire chapter and had to rewrite it from scratch.

It took Andy about a year to write the book.

  • Andy knew the ending and main points before he started.
  • Andy asked his friends which historical figures to include.
  • He wanted to write something to leave behind for his kids if he died before they had a chance to know him. 

Kenny Rogers was critical.

  • Kenny encouraged Andy to use the 7 Decisions in his show.
  • This helped Andy realize that he could talk about serious topics.

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL_305_-_The_Story_Behind_The_Travelers_Gift_-_Part_1.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:21am CDT

In this episode, we discuss Mac’s new book, The Trust Protocol.

Forge credibility through integrity and action.

  • Focus on being a reliable person.
  • Connect with other reliable people.
  • There is no community without accountability and no accountability without community.

Trust is critical to any community.

  • “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24).
  • If you want to create a community or business that people will be loyal to, build trust.

Everyone has experienced betrayal.

  • If we’re not careful, we can let betrayal define our future in ways we’re not even aware of.
  • Forgive: people can sense bitterness in others and won’t do business with them.

Trust is critical to parenting

  • Explain to your kids why you’re telling them what you’re telling them.
  • If they learn to trust you as toddlers, they’ll know that you have their best interest at heart as adults.

Tune in for wisdom from Pastor and author Mac Richard.

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL_304_-_The_Unexpected_Benefits_of_Trust_with_Guest_Mac_Richard.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:39am CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener's question on energy. 

Energy comes from wise choices and working within your passion.

  • Be intentional about your choices; don’t just have good intentions.
  • Working within your passion can give you the energy to push yourself to exhaustion.
  • Make little adjustments to make sure you’re aligned with your passion.

Energy can be seen as a divine gift.

  • Everybody has the opportunity to work within their passion, but they must choose to do so.

Tune in for a story from Andy’s time touring with The Oak Ridge Boys.

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL_303_-_The_Secret_to_Maintaining_a_High_Level_of_Energy.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:18pm CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener's question on change.

 

People believe that you have to hit rock bottom to change.

  • Hitting rock bottom can be what facilitates change but it's not necessary.
  • This can happen and thus it is true but not The Truth.

 

You can live your life without ever approaching rock bottom.

  • Figure out ways to open your eyes before you get to rock bottom.
  • Direction, not intention, determines destination.

 

People use intention as an excuse.

  • They say things like, “I never intended for this to happen.”

 

Tune in to hear about Austin Andrews mingling with celebrities.

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL_302_-_Do_You_Have_to_Hit_Rock_Bottom_to_Change.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:11pm CDT

In this episode, we discuss Brian Buffini’s new book The Emigrant Edge.

 

Have a voracious desire to learn.

  • Be careful what media you consume.
  • If you work harder on yourself than on your job, you’ll go from making a living to making a fortune.

 

Have a heartfelt spirit of gratitude.

  • If you’re full of gratitude, you can’t be full of entitlement or depression.
  • Write personal thank you notes to the people you do business with.

 

Delay short-term gratification.

  • Be willing to put in your dues.
  • Live within your means.
  • You’ll reap a harvest if you don’t give up.
  • Focus on what you have, not what you don’t.

 

Tune in for wisdom from one of the nation’s top real estate moguls.

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on raising children.

Don’t just raise great kids. Raise kids who become great adults.

  • You can force your child to be a great kid, but only while they’re in front of you.
  • Teach them how to think, not what to think.
  • Teaching a child how to think requires long conversations about what you believe and how you came to believe that.
  • Spend time with your children one-on-one.

Discipline your children while they are young.

  • Most parents excuse bad behavior while their kids are young and grow more strict as they age, causing them to push back.
  • If you focus on disciplining your children while they’re two and three, you can loosen the rules when they’re teenagers.
  • Teach them self-discipline.

Tune in to hear a Bible verse on parenting that is commonly misinterpreted.

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL_300_-_The_Secret_to_Successful_Parenting.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:24am CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on affirmations.

Recite affirmations at least twice a day.

  • Recite once in the morning after you brush your teeth but before you check your messages.
  • Recite once at night before you get in bed and before you get tired.
  • Memorize a specific line that speaks to you.

Stay motivated to keep using these affirmations.

  • Helping people can be a good way to stay motivated.
  • Stop listening toyourself and start talking to yourself.
  • Surround yourself with wise people. 

Tune in to hear the method Andy uses to memorize everything from affirmations to Bible verses.

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor/
Direct download: ITL298_How_to_Harness_the_Power_of_Affirmations.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:55am CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on how to convince someone to change their behavior.

 

The concept of change is often misunderstood.

  • There are 2 elements required to get someone to change:
    • They need to understand the effect change will have in their life.
    • They need proof beyond a reasonable doubt that change will help them.
  • Society has 3 main misconceptions about change:
    • It takes time to change.
    • Someone has to want to change.
    • Someone needs to hit rock bottom before they change.

 

The elements of change can be used in every area of your life. 

  • Knowing the 2 elements of change can help you in everything from sales to relationships.

 

Tune in to hear specific examples of these elements in action.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor/

 

Direct download: ITL297.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:07am CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on spousal support.

 

Every marriage goes through hard times eventually.

  • Men sometimes have a hard time opening up when they feel bad.
  • Go to someone your spouse trusts and ask them to talk to your spouse.
  • Sometimes the person we’re closest to isn’t the person we can hear advice from.
  • Part of their self-doubt is wrapped up in you and feeling like they could provide for/support you better.

 

Be patient even when they don’t deserve patience

  • Hardship builds bonds.
  • You’re not the person to tell your spouse what book to read or what CD to listen to.
  • You can take an active role by being supportive.

 

Tune in to hear how Andy’s wife helped him during a hard time.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor/
Direct download: ITL296_How_to_Help_Your_Spouse_Through_Difficult_Times.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:02am CDT

Discussion line: In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on becoming somebody who asks “Why?”

 

Andy’s levels of achievement from The Little Things:

  • Z: Z’s are the people who don’t do, don’t know, and don’t accomplish anything.
  • D: D’s know how to do
  • T: T’s can not only do something but can also teach
  • L: L’s can not only do and teach but can also lead others in doing something.
  • H: H’s can not only do, lead, and teach, but they also know how a principle works.
  • W: W’s are so high on the ladder that we miss them. They know why a principle works.

 

You can’t get the full value of a principle until you understand why it works.

  • Our parents teach us not to ask “Why?”
  • We only ask “Why” when something is going wrong.
  • Understanding why a principle works can only happen while observing the principle working, so always ask “Why is this working so well?”

 

Something can be true but not the truth.

  • The truth is knowledge about something. The truth is the bottom line, the entirety of the thing.
  • When people have a problem, they keep looking until they find something true, but they rarely continue looking until they find the truth.

 

Personal growth doesn’t end until you die.

  • The hill is always going to get steeper and you will always be climbing.

 

Tune in to hear how to become somebody who asks “Why?”

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor/
Direct download: ITL295.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:51pm CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on difficulties with their adult child.

 

You’re never going to stop being a parent to your adult child, but you’re not their authority unless they allow it.

  • They don’t have to agree with you about what the best is.
  • Wise people never let themselves out from under the umbrella of authority, even if they have to artificially create it.

 

At some point, financial support can become enablement.

  • Some parents use up all their retirement putting their children through college for a degree they don’t end up using.
  • By providing for them, you make them think they’re more financially able than they really are.
  • At some point, you may have to say, “As much as we’d like to continue doing this, we don’t have the money.”
  • It’s hard to watch your child suffer when all you have to do is pick up your wallet, but struggling can produce success later in life and you might be robbing him of that.

 

Tune in to hear Andy's impression of Zig Ziglar!

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor/

 

Direct download: ITL294_Are_You_Assisting_Your_Adult_Child_or_Enabling_Them_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:34am CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on self-control.

You can’t force real change in your child.

  • Most parents who want their child to change, try to force the change by setting tight rules.
  • To change someone you need two things: what’s in it for me, and proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Have conversations with your child about their future.

  • Get specific about where they want to go in life.
  • Tell them you want the best for them, and explain why that change is in their best interest.
  • You discipline them so that they can discipline themselves later in life.
  • Since the best is only one thing, you can be wrong. Let your kids know they can talk to you if they disagree with you.

How important is it for parents to present a united front?

  • It makes things easier.
  • The reason parents don’t present a united front is because they disagree.
  • If it’s a difference of opinion, compromise. If it’s a disagreement over a course of action, have a conversation about it without fighting.

Tune in to hear how Andy parents and communicates with his kids.

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor/

 

Direct download: ITL293.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:18am CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on the relationship between forgiveness and trust.

 

Forgiveness has the power to either bind or release a family, business, or relationship.

  • Forgiveness means more to the forgiver than to the person being forgiven.
  • In order to forgive someone, they don’t have to ask for it, deserve it, or even be aware you’re forgiving them.
  • Forgiveness is a decision, not an emotion.
  • People can sense bitterness, and they won’t remain around it for long.

 

Forgiveness is about the past—trust is about the future.

  • You can forgive somebody who wrongs you even if you don’t trust them anymore.
  • Someone can prove himself trustworthy again by not making the same mistakes.

 

Tune in to hear the Bible passage that shaped Andy’s view on forgiveness.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor/
Direct download: ITL292_The_Important_Difference_Between_Forgiveness_and_Trust.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:30am CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on confidence in leadership

 

Good leaders are honest about what they know.

  • We don’t follow people who claim to know everything.
  • Good leaders admit they don’t know everything and never stop learning.

  

Good leaders let others be part of the solution. 

  • Lead people into realizing their own solution.
  • If you don’t think you have everything figured out, you’re in a good place.

 

A good parent never says “because I said so.”

 

Tune in to hear Andy’s strategy for relating to his audience in his speaking.

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor/
Direct download: ITL291_How_to_Lead_When_You_Feel_Unqualified.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:36am CDT

In this episode, we demonstrate how to harness the two ingredients of real, lasting change with a chapter from The Little Things.

 

Why does change give us such a hard time? It has to do with our three incorrect beliefs about change.

  • Myth 1: It takes time to change. (Real change happens instantly)
  • Myth 2: A person must want to change. (People change when acquiring new information)
  • Myth 3: A person won’t change until he hits rock bottom.

 

Instead, true change doesn’t occur without these two ingredients:

  • What’s in it for me?
  • Proof beyond a reasonable doubt

 

If you want to create change, you must harness these ingredients.

Tune in to hear a chapter from Andy’s book The Little Things.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor/
Direct download: ITL290.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:39pm CDT

In this episode, Andy reads a chapter from The Little Things on the concept of “almost.”

 

A little thing (like 1/16th of an inch) can make a huge difference.

  • Most people attempt to create the big picture all at once when starting a new endeavor. When the big picture doesn’t appear as quickly as they hope, they get discouraged.
  • Small, strategic moves can yield massive growth down the road.

 

Tune in to hear Andy’s story of how a tiny miscalculation led to a scary situation at sea.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor/
Direct download: ITL289_Why_Almost_Can_Be_Dangerous.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:37pm CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on overcoming hardships.

 

God knows what He’s doing.

  • We have a limited understanding.
  • Sometimes parents allow their children to go through difficulties because they want what’s best for their child.

 

Hardships can be a blessing.

  • Adversity builds muscle.
  • I wouldn’t have chosen to live under a pier, but today I see the benefits of that time in my life.

 

You can choose how you view hardship.

  • Be on the lookout for massive blessings because of your hardships.
  • Just because we don’t know what God is doing, that doesn’t mean He isn’t doing great things.

 

Tune in to hear about the hardest time in Andy’s life and what happened because of it.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

Direct download: ITL288.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:24am CDT

In this episode, we answer listeners’ questions on the keys to personal growth and helping grown children change negative behavior.

 

The Key to Personal Growth

Personal growth comes down to one thing: doing something.

  • You can read all the books you want, but at some point, you need to take action.
  • Make sure there’s a purpose behind your personal growth.

 

How to Influence Young Adults' Behavior

You can’t change them, but you can change how you respond to them.

  • Always be sure to lead by example.
  • Lectures aren’t long-term solutions.
  • Show them what’s in it for them to change their behavior and proof that the change will lead to better results.

 

Tune in to hear Andy’s incredible story about Pat Summitt.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 


In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on self-promotion.

 

Are you promoting your product or yourself?

  • If you promote your product successfully, you’ll become known without having to promote yourself.
  • The Bible says you’ll be known by your works.

 

Give your product away strategically.

  • Explain the value of your product. What will the product do for people’s lives?
  • If what you’re selling really has value, it will catch on.
  • Market your product differently for first- and second-generation buyers.

 

 Tune in to learn how Andy marketed his first-ever book.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL286.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:18pm CDT

In this episode, we discuss a listener’s question on time management.

 

It’s important to know how to be busy.

  • It takes a certain mindset to be able to make yourself move forward when you aren’t sure where to start.

 

Nobody can do everything.

  • Determine what’s best for you.
  • Look at what you do have time to do.
  • Take advantage of the small chunks of time that present themselves throughout the day.

Tune in to hear how Andy taught a valuable lesson to his son, Austin, about time management.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL285_How_to_Manage_Your_Time_as_a_Busy_Professional_or_Entrepreneur.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:04pm CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener’s series of questions on success.

 

The true meaning of success is ultimately up to you.

  • Don’t allow others to define what success looks like in your life.

 

Most people have tunnel vision when they think of success.

  • They think success means money, cars, planes, boats, big houses, and travel.
  • They don’t think about things like their legacy, level of influence, and ability to give to those in need.
  • To make sure you don’t have tunnel vision, think in terms of what it looks like to live a successful life.

 

Success isn’t a destination—it’s a progressive realization of a worthwhile dream or goal.

  • Discipline is needed to keep going through the sometimes-repetitive process of learning what you have to learn in order to do something with excellence.

 

Tune in to hear how one of Andy’s mentors describes living a successful life.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL284_How_to_Determine_What_Success_Looks_Like_in_Your_Life_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:14pm CDT

In this episode, we answer a listener’s question on getting students to believe they’re learning helpful information.

 

People can only accomplish what they believe they can accomplish.

  • I call this “belief imposition.”
  • What you believe controls how you behave—whether it’s true or not.

 

If you want someone to change what they believe, you need to know how change works.

  • As harsh as it sounds, people don’t implement your suggestions because they don’t believe you.
  • Two elements are required for true change: 1. What’s in it for them, and 2. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
  • Your presentation of these elements is key.

 

Tune in to hear about a conversation Andy had at dinner with some military officials.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL283_How_to_Influence_Others_to_Act_on_Your_Suggestions.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:55am CDT

In this episode, we discuss the keys to helping children who’ve recently lost a loved one.

 

Talk to them about what happened and what’s going to happen next.

  • Explain to them their loved one’s last breath on Earth is their first breath in Heaven.
  • Let them know they’ll be sad for a while, but the pain will go away.

 

Help fill in the gap.

  • Teach them things their loved one would have taught them if they were still around.
  • Let them know you’re there for them.

 

Don’t be afraid to ask them how they’re doing.

  • Ask them if they think about their loved one.
  • Tell them how their loved one impacted your life.

 

Tune in to hear what Andy recently said to two children who lost their father.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

Direct download: ITL282.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:13pm CDT

In this episode, we discuss a listener’s question on helping society change its habits and focus.

 

Mass change requires individual change.

  • Each person must come to his or her own conclusion.
  • There are two components of change: 1) What’s in it for me, and 2) Proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

We set an example for others.

  • People examine us by the fruit we produce.

 

If you understand why a principle works, you unlock its true power.

  • You can explain it to others and use it across nearly every aspect of your life.
  • Get to “the bottom of the pool.”

 

Tune in to hear how one of Andy’s books helped provide the "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" a father and son needed to repair their relationship.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL281_How_to_Change_the_World.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:31am CDT

In this episode, we discuss how to know whether your kids are on the right track.

 

Pay attention to little clues.

  • Examine their fruits.
  • Check growth periods along the way to see areas where your kids still need to grow.

 

Watch your children to see if they put your teachings into process.

  • Look for wisdom and thoughtfulness.
  • Check their level of understanding.
  • See if they have the ability to dig deeper.

 

Tune in to hear how Andy used an ordinary moment to further his son’s understanding of stewardship.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

On this week’s episode, we discuss a listener’s question about what Andy did to prepare his boys for exposure to pornography.

 

Start preparing your kids for adulthood early on.

  • Explain to them why you make the decisions you do regarding what you watch, read, and listen to.
  • Point to your spouse as an example of someone your kids should marry.

 

Talk to your kids about where they want to go in life.

  • Teach them to make choices that move them toward what they want.
  • Things they feed their mind can either move them upstream, downstream, or keep them in the same place.

 

Tune in to hear the conversation Andy had with his son, Adam, about drinking from a creek.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL279_How_to_Protect_Your_Children_from_Pornography.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:11pm CDT

In this episode, we discuss a listener’s question regarding how to inspire kids to think outside the box and dream big.

 

Kids need to be comfortable being different.

  • Everyone wants different results, but no one wants to be different.

 

Teach them how to deal with problems.

  • Problems are a great way of connecting your kids with the things they want in life.
  • We want our kids to be people who glide over the surface of the sea of troubles.
  • Help them start thinking of problems as opportunities.

 

Figure out where your kids want to go.

  • Help them realize what they need to do to get there.

 

Tune in to hear why Andy tells his boys to use the word “yet.”

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

Direct download: ITL278_How_to_Inspire_Your_Kids_to_Achieve_Greatness.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:22pm CDT

In this episode, we discuss a listener’s question regarding giving advice to his college-aged son.

 

Children are in a lot of danger because of this.

  • There’s a big difference between teaching how to think and what to think.
  • The danger starts in elementary school.

 

Kids need a lot of time with their parents.

  • You can teach them how to think.
  • It’s important to know what they think now and how they came to that conclusion.

 

Tune in to hear about a conversation Andy had with his son’s principal.

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

Direct download: ITL277.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:40pm CDT

In this episode, we discuss two listener questions regarding how to identify a reliable source and how to speak without notes.

 

How to Find a Credible and Reputable Source

Examine the “leaves” people drop.

  • In The Noticer, Jones talks about how much you can learn about a tree from one of its leaves. The same is true for people.
  • Look at someone’s actions long-term.

 

Be in a constant state of thought and prayer.

  • Hone your instincts so you can trust them when looking for truth.
  • No one is always right.

 

Secrets to Speaking Without Notes

You’re not just talking to people—you’re trying to impact their lives.

  • The more you can get away from notes, the better.
  • Great speakers connect their head and their heart.

 

Be friends with your audience.

  • Get off the stage and interact with them.
  • Speak directly to certain people.

 

Sit down to plan your speech.

  • Outline 3-4 points (along with an introduction and conclusion).
  • Cut down your notes.
  • Practice without using any notes.

 

Tune in to hear an update on Andy’s new book, The Little Things.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

Direct download: ITL276.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:16am CDT

In this episode, we discuss a listener’s question about helping two family members with different personality types get along and appreciate each other.

 

When you don’t understand the different personality types, you tend to have trouble getting along with certain people.

  • That makes it hard to be grateful for personality differences.

 

Have conversations with them (but not to tell them what they’ve done wrong).

  • Let them know how much you love and appreciate them.
  • 2 things must be present for them to change: 1. What’s in it for them and 2. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

Approach this in the context of helping them get what they want.

  • You can help them get along without them even knowing.

 

Tune in to hear how Andy helped a group of people get along who drove each other crazy.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

Direct download: ITL275_How_to_Help_People_with_Different_Personality_Types_Get_Along.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:23pm CDT

In this episode, we discuss a listener’s question about moving forward from a horrific childhood and mending broken relationships.

 

Sometimes when you feel like something is holding you back—it’s actually you.

  • This is good news, though, because you have control.

 

There’s always someone out there who had it worse.

  • Your past made you who you are today.
  • You can use your story to give valuable perspective to others.
  • God can take horrible situations and make great things out of them.
  • Look for things to be grateful for.

 

There’s a major difference between apologizing and asking forgiveness.

  • We apologize when we make a mistake—but we ask for forgiveness when we make a bad choice.
  • If someone doesn’t forgive you, you don’t have to continue spending time with them.

 

Tune in to hear the story of a horrendous set of events that lead to the birth of a great king.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL274_How_to_Move_on_from_a_Horrific_Past.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:11am CDT

In this episode, we discuss a listener’s question about overcoming the pain of being homeless.

 

Do you ever lose the pain of being homeless?

  • You can lose the pain, but that doesn’t mean you’ll lose the memories.
  • You can choose to focus on the good parts of a situation.

 

People with a “glass-half-full” mindset naturally get more opportunities.

  • Others think they are a joy to be around.
  • Great things come out of times of hardship.
  • You can choose to think about things that affected your life in a positive way and be grateful for them.

 

Tune in to hear the story of Andy being accused of stealing money when he lived under a pier.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

Direct download: ITL273.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:55pm CDT

In this episode, we discuss a listener’s question on preparing girls to deal with boys who don’t treat them well.

 

Prepare girls to be self-reliant.

  • There’s a lot to be said for the teenager who doesn’t always have to be with a pack of kids.

 

They should compare other boys to their father and how he treats their mother.

  • This should be the minimum standard.
  • Girls need to get good at politely turning down boys who don’t meet these standards.

 

The perfect person is worth the wait.

  • Don’t bow to the pressure society has that girls should be dating every weekend—or even at all.
  • The quality of your children’s lives as adults will have a lot more to do with the time they spent with you than time spent dating.

 

Tune in to hear about someone Andy knows who’s raising incredible daughters.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

 

 

 

Direct download: ITL272_How_to_Properly_Prepare_Your_Girls_for_the_Dating_World.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00pm CDT

In this episode, we discuss a listener’s question about recognition and participation trophies.

 

This participation thing is harmful to kids.

  • There is a whole generation of people out there who don’t know what they’re good at or what they want to do.
  • We don’t just want to raise great kids—we want to raise kids who become great adults.
  • When you get to adulthood, it matters whether you win or lose.

 

No one has ever been great at everything.

  • God gives everyone a gift—and making people think they are just as good at everything as everybody else doesn’t help them find it.

 

Tune in to hear the incredible story of how Andy’s son, Adam, found his strength.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

Direct download: ITL271_Should_Kids_Get_Participation_Trophies_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:24am CDT

In this episode, we discuss a listener’s follow-up question to last week’s episode about being offended.

 

Make sure no one in your family is easily offended.

  • If you want to raise kids who become great adults, teach them not to take offense.
  • You can never have the best for your family without knowing the truth.

 

Easily offended people are often unwilling to have conversations about it or look at any other side.

  • The truth is only one thing.
  • Something can be true, but not the truth.
  • The quality of your questions always determines the quality of your answers.

 

Tell them you’re sorry they feel that way.

  • Let them know you are sorry they feel offended, but don’t apologize for telling the truth.

 

 

Tune in to hear about the conversation Andy had with someone who was offended that he hunts deer.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

 

 

 

Direct download: ITL270__How_to_Deal_with_Easily_Offended_People_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:54pm CDT

In this episode, we discuss the impact one seemingly small thing has on our ability to move forward in our careers.

 

Taking offense can keep you from success.

  • When we take offense, it only produces a feeling. You ultimately choose whether you take offense to something or brush it off.
  • Offended people often feed off their offense and their anger builds over time—and no one likes to be around angry people.

 

This is a societal problem on a lot of fronts.

  • We live in a world that is increasingly obsessed with how people feel.
  • Leaders who have proven their common sense and value can no longer make decisions without threats and demands from people who take offense.
  • While we are entitled to our own opinions, we aren’t entitled to our own facts.

 

Tune in to hear the story of a high school that had to change their mascot because it was potentially offensive.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL269_One_Little_Thing_That_Keeps_People_from_Success_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 3:47pm CDT

In this week’s episode, a listener asks for Andy’s best advice for a first-time dad. People will tell you they’ll grow up fast…and that’s true. • As an older dad, Andy paid attention to every moment he could—and his boys still grew up fast. “Discipline them while they're young, or you’ll ruin their lives.” – King Solomon • Be harder on your children when they’re little so they know to follow your first request. • This will strengthen your relationship with them as they grow older. • They’ll learn to practice self-discipline at an early age. Tune in this week to hear what Andy always does with his kids every night (even now that they’re older). 

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL268_What_Every_First-Time_Dad_Must_Know.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:37pm CDT

On this week's episode, we discuss a listener's question on discerning when to persist and when God is closing a door. Persisting without exception means when there isn’t a way, you find a way. The Traveler’s Gift was turned down 51 times before it was finally published. Sometimes all you need is an idea, but you can’t get one if you quit. The quality of your questions determines the quality of your answers. Most people default to 3 main excuses when they hit a wall: money, time, and leadership. God gave you your talents for a reason. When God gives you a vision of how your family is supposed to live, how much money you’re supposed to make, and how much influence you’re supposed to have, He doesn’t change his mind. God doesn’t teach you to swim just to watch you drown. Tune in this week to hear the crazy story of how The Traveler’s Gift finally got published. 

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

In this week’s episode, we discuss the questions we’ve always wondered if there were answers for. Tune in this week to hear Andy’s take on questions like: • Why are there no B batteries? • Why aren’t there E’s on report cards? • Why does the Easter Bunny carry eggs? • And so much more! 

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL266_Questions_Without_Answers_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:36am CDT

In this episode, we discuss our favorite Christmas memories as children. Tune in this week to hear about… • When Andy’s family opens presents • Andy’s favorite gift and the story behind it • The role football plays in his holidays • How Andy’s parents did Christmas • Andy’s favorite Christmas movie and why • How different things were when Andy was a child Listen to the end to hear Andy’s favorite Christmas song! Merry Christmas! 

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL265.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:40am CDT

In this episode, we discuss the reason Andy wrote an article regarding the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

 

We study history to learn from our mistakes.

  • It’s vital to see, as a country, what we did right so we can keep doing it—and what we did wrong so we can avoid it.
  • It’s important to teach U.S. History to avoid an undercurrent of misinformation going throughout the country.
  • Imagine the paths people would go down if they were learning from a lie, rather than learning from the truth.

 

Most of our high schools have coaches teaching U.S. History.

  • Many students across America are taught by someone without a degree or certification to teach U.S. History.
  • A lot of high schools task the coach with teaching history.
  • American History may be the next subject to go in our schools.

 

 

Tune in to hear more about Andy’s intriguing article on Pearl Harbor.

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

 

Direct download: ITL264.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:48pm CDT

This week, I answer a listener’s question on what they should say to their nephew who has been in prison for a decade. Most people in prison think so much about getting out, they don’t know what to do when they finally are. • This leads to a huge amount of people who end up back in prison. • You can help them plan how they will achieve the life they want. • Let them know the opportunity they have to plan now, before they come back into society. Offer to be their life coach. • Let them know you’re willing to help, but they have to want to improve. • They designed their life in a way that made them end up in prison, so they need guidance. • Urge them to change their mindset and send them impactful books to read. Let them know many people have successfully traveled the path that lies before them. • Tell them you see great hope in their future. • Starting from ground zero isn’t easy, but it can be done. Tune in to hear the three books Andy recommends sending to someone in prison. 

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL263_What_to_Say_to_Someone_Whos_in_Prison_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:05am CDT

In this episode, I answer a listener’s question on working with people on tenure who no longer do a good job. For the future of our country, we have to convince people there’s no free lunch. • Imagine if everyone had a checkmark beside their name so they couldn’t be fired—regardless of their performance. • Some people feel like they shouldn’t have to prove themselves year in and year out, but that’s what everyone else has to do. • While job security and comfort are nice, pressure is where we do our best. Focus on becoming friends with these coworkers so you have a chance to have an impact on their life. • There are two things that make people change: what’s in it for them and proof beyond a reasonable doubt. • Figure out what they want out of life by having conversations with them. • Once you know what they want, recommend resources that can help them see proof that getting where they want to be requires change. Tune in to hear about a crazy conversation Andy had about tenure with someone in the airport. 

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL262.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:50pm CDT

In this episode, our special guest, Cindy Monroe, reveals the secrets behind her massive entrepreneurial success. Cindy came up with her idea 13 years ago in Hixson, TN. • She saw boutiques popping up all over her town, but noticed they all closed at 6pm—right when women got off work. • She decided to create 31 Gifts, a direct sales company that sells handbags, jewelry, and other gifts for women. She grew her company and built raving fans by communicating her core values. • She wanted to help her family and other families achieve financial freedom. • 31 Gifts helps reverse the effect of the confidence crisis most women experience by showing them their true worth and value. • Cindy gives her sales consultants 25% or greater commission to help their families achieve financial freedom. • Her company takes giving seriously and donates hundreds of millions of dollars to charitable organizations. Cindy did all of this while having a family. • She focused on faith, family, and 31 Gifts—she said no to anything else that fell outside of those 3 buckets. • She communicated her expectations so everyone was on the same page. • Everything and everyone she worked with went on her calendar so everyone knew they were important. Tune in to hear Cindy’s advice for struggling entrepreneurs and click here to check out Thirty One Gifts. 

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL261.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:25pm CDT

In this episode, we discuss the best way to deal with people who are bitter. It’s important to understand the difference between a choice and a mistake. • A mistake is something like turning right at a stop sign when you were supposed to turn left, causing you to arrive late to a meeting. You can apologize for this. • A choice is something that was deliberately done, knowing it was wrong. You can’t apologize for this—you can only ask for forgiveness. After doing all you can do, the best way to deal with a bitter person is to ignore or avoid them. • If you humble yourself and express remorse when asking for forgiveness, you’ve really done all you can do. • We can only control ourselves (how we react to bitterness and how we forgive others). If you are the person holding the grudge, being bitter will only hurt you. • People can sense bitterness in others. • Holding a grudge makes you less effective in business. • If you don’t learn to forgive, your bitterness will last forever. Tune in to hear how Andy’s book, The Heart Mender, restored the relationship between a father and son who were estranged for 11 years. 

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL260_How_to_Deal_with_People_Who_Hold_Grudges_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:33pm CDT

In this episode, I give advice to a listener who has a business meeting with a big-time buyer. Most people approach this situation by preparing to talk about themselves or their product. • Whoever you are meeting with already knows a lot about you or your product—otherwise you wouldn’t be meeting with them in the first place. • The person you are meeting with likely has 10 other meetings with people like you every week. People say yes to their friends. • You need to prepare for big meetings by looking for places you can connect with the person you are meeting. • Prepare by spending some time looking them up on Facebook or LinkedIn. • You want to show how you can provide them with value. Tune in to hear how Andy found 3 pages of information on someone his friend was meeting with in 24 minutes. 

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor
Direct download: ITL259_How_to_Prepare_for_the_Biggest_Meeting_of_Your_Life_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:16am CDT

In this episode, we discuss when to challenge conventional wisdom and why it’s not always correct.

 

Be careful believing something just because it’s said a lot.

  • There is never really a time where you don’t want to challenge conventional wisdom, especially if it has been around a long time.

 

There are several examples of conventional wisdom being incorrect.

  • A popular belief is that someone will forget what you said and did, but will never forget how you made them feel. This isn’t true—people WILL remember because it was your actions that caused them to feel that way.
  • An influential figure in academia said the #1 thing a teacher needs to do is have passion for their subject and convey that passion to their students. This also isn’t true—is it not more important for them to be teaching correct information?
  • A Miss America winner once spoke on a presidential election by saying the candidates should be focused on compromise. The problem is, you can only compromise on opinions—you can’t compromise on principles or facts.

 

Tune in to hear breaking news about Andy’s latest project. 

 

You can also hear more from Andy by subscribing to his new podcast, The Professional Noticer. Just go to AndyAndrews.com/podcast for details. 

Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your questions might be features on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
  • Instagram.com/AndyAndrewsAuthor

 

Direct download: ITL258_How_to_Know_When_to_Challenge_Conventional_Wisdom.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:30pm CDT

On this week's episode, we discuss how to ask for a raise the right way and whether you should use another job opportunity as leverage. Most people ask for a raise because they’ve been at the company for a long time. • This isn’t why you want to ask—it can make everyone uncomfortable. If you plan on using another job opportunity as leverage, you need to decide if it’s a real or potential opportunity—there is a huge difference. • Using a potential job offer as leverage has a lot of “pot holes” that come with it, because it’s not yet an actual opportunity. • You need to be careful not to make your employer feel backed into a corner. The best way to ask for a raise is to ask how you can increase your value as an employee. • Let your employer know why you want a raise (like because you want to increase opportunities for your family), but keep that part short. • You can never go wrong by showing gratitude to your employer during this process. • If your employer tells you there is no way to increase your value in the company, you should probably look closer at the other opportunity. Tune in to hear exactly how Andy would go about starting the often-intimidating conversation of asking for a raise. Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Direct download: ITL257_How_to_Ask_for_a_Raise_the_Right_Way.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:10am CDT

On this week’s episode, we discuss how to overcome obstacles, make your own history, and leave behind a legacy of your own choosing. George Washington Carver accomplished an unbelievable amount during his lifetime—while living in one of the hardest times in history for African-Americans. • He discovered 266 uses for the peanut that we still use today, even though he was born into slavery. • Congress asked him to appear before them to discuss his work with peanuts—which was unheard of for an African-American during that time. • He did everything in his life on purpose and with intention (which is one reason he accomplished so much). Tune in to hear how a shirt Andy was wearing started this conversation on making the history you want to be remembered for. Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Direct download: ITL256_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:47pm CDT

On this week’s episode, we discuss how to vote even when you don’t like either of the candidates.

 

This election is not about who you will see on TV—it’s about the Supreme Court.

  • The next president, without a doubt, will choose at least 2 (if not 5) Supreme Court Justices because of the ages of these people.
  • How do you feel about abortion or guns? Your stance should decide how you vote.
  • It doesn’t really matter what the candidates say about immigration or taxes because they can’t do that much without the consent of the governed

 

Voting for the “lesser of two evils” or not voting at all are both bad options.

  • If you use either of these two as excuses, all you’re telling me is you haven’t really thought this through.
  • Everyone has lied and done things they regret, but it doesn’t mean they are evil.
  • Each candidate could lie, but you have to look at who they are surrounding themselves with and make a choice.

 

Regardless what side you are on, we all really want the same things.

  • We all want the best, but without the truth, we will never have it. Our search should be more for the truth than the best.
  • Sometimes the truth hurts, but it’s still the truth.

 

Tune in to hear the reasons why Andy believes everyone MUST vote.

 

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL255.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:10pm CDT

 

On this week’s episode, we discuss the proper way to deal with employees who bad-mouth a client and why it’s so important to do it quickly.

 

SO much time and money is lost by people who are too patient with bad apples.

  • Bad apples don’t become good just because they rub up against good ones—just the opposite is true.
  • The client (or customer) is the #1 priority—there is no excuse for employees who complain about, are annoyed with, or bad-mouth them.
  • If it were me, I’d get rid of the bad apples as fast as possible, because this is a nonnegotiable.

 

You can use these bad apples as a teaching moment for the rest of your team.

  • You can never show enough gratefulness to your client.
  • I would get everyone together and say, “You may have noticed we are down two people, and here’s why…”
  • If you are in a service-oriented industry, bad apples can be the death of you.

  

Tune in to hear exactly how Andy says he would handle a situation where 2 employees bad-mouthed a client.

 

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week's episode, I discuss the importance of the type of things we "feed" our mind.

 

What we listen to and watch could potentially be damaging.

  • If something is going to be in your mind anyway, why not choose what goes in?
  • Some people don't want to learn—they just want to know what they already know.

 

If life was a stream, you could go upstream, downstream, or tread water.

  • If you aren't going upstream, you actually are going downstream (whether you are aware of it or not).
  • We want to be the kind of people that other people can learn from, but we can only be that if we are in a state of learning.
  • People who have influence have something other people want.

 

Tune in to hear how a friend of Andy's started controlling what goes into her mind and the impact it has had on her.
Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL253__Are_You_Damaging_Your_Mind_Daily_Without_Even_Knowing_It_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:11pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to be successful in sales situations.

 

I want to go to ground-zero with you.

  • If you’re in sales, you have been told by your sales manager that if you build a relationship, you will make a sale.
  • You know it’s true, but you should ask yourself why it’s true.
  • If you build a relationship with someone and they become your best friend, not only are they never going to do business with anybody else, they’re going to talk about you in glowing terms and bulldoze people in your path.

 

Customer satisfaction is a great concept, but I’m always blown away by companies that build their entire advertising campaigns on this.

  • The truth is that customer satisfaction is the lowest bar that you can possibly hit and stay in business.
  • What you want is a raving fan.
  • Raving fans do not happen because of price and product.
  • They happen because there is a relationship.

 

Whatever industry you’re in, the real product is you.

  • It is important to get your eyes off yourself and become someone that others want to be around.
  • People want to talk about themselves and they’re dying for somebody who will listen.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL252_The_Secret_to_Success_in_Sales_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:08pm CDT

On this week’s episode, a long time listener asks for my thoughts on giving kids an allowance. It is VERY important to give your children a great foundation in finances. • Most people that I see (but not everyone) give their kids a regular allowance because they are a kid and that’s just what kids get. • Some people say that an allowance is for doing chores, but my thought is that my kids are going to do chores because they get to live here. That’s just part of being a member of the family. What did parents of “The Greatest Generation” do to get their children to sacrifice, produce, and become more? • By what standards did they raise an entire generation of kids, that 70 years later we still look back and say, “That’s the best we ever were”? • “The Greatest Generation” had to get up before daylight and go milk the cows, feed the animals, or deliver papers, because families struggled to make ends meet. • Kids back then earned their way into adulthood and what they saw in adults was something they wanted to grow into. You’re not trying to raise great kids; you’re trying to raise kids who become great adults. • We all know people who had great kids, but then they turned 18 and something happened. • Now, there is a society of people who aspire to go backwards and become kids again, rather than aspire to become adults. Tune in to hear the impactful story of Ty, the son of Joe Bullard (the owner of Joe Bullard Automotive), and how he worked his way up in his family’s business the hard way. Questions for Andy Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show! Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com com/AndyAndrews Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Direct download: ITL251_The_Importance_of_a_Strong_Financial_Foundation.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:23pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question regarding the infamous dead-end job and whether or not it is worth it to take a pay cut for a “white-collar” job.

 

Times have changed, but people are still stuck in the old way of thinking.

  • Decades of old thinking has made people think they are worth way less than they actually are.
  • People still aspire to have a college education and a desk job, even if it doesn’t turn out to be as profitable as other alternatives.
  • If money wasn’t an object, what would you get up and do every day? Work a job that aligns with your answer to that question.

 

There is no such thing as a dead-end job.

  • There are so many options and choices out there for you to do if you simply give value to other people.
  • Look at that awesome passion that you love doing and think about what kind of value you can bring to other people with it.
  • When you start creating value for others with your passion, there will be so much demand that you will have to start charging for it.

 

Tune in to hear how a “blue-collar” worker went against the grain and ended up owning Tucker ATV, the dealership where Andy got his Polaris Ranger Crew.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL250_The_Secret_to_Never_Feeling_Stuck_at_Your_Current_Job.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, a recently retired teacher and principal asks what to do when you’ve lost your purpose. She spends time with her kids and grandchildren, but after 45 years in education no longer feels needed.

 

By understanding the butterfly effect, you could make a case that an afternoon with a grandchild could make as much difference long-term as an hour with a stadium full of people.

  • Time spent with a grandchild is precious—not just for them, but for all of us.
  • You are shaping the world we all live in.

 

Create some kind of ministry or business based on passing along the wisdom you’ve accrued.

  • You may find you have much more purpose now because you’re at a point where you have the experience to lay things out.
  • As you lay out what you think people ought to do, fully explain why that is so. Prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.
  • So many people forget that some of the greatest businesses and ministries took years and years of preparations before they could make an impact.

 

If there was no more purpose for you to be here, you wouldn’t be breathing.

  • You may not know what your purpose is right now, but you need to look very closely at your circumstances and get to work going after it.
  • The very fact you’re still here tells me you have not fulfilled your purpose—the most important part of your life is still ahead of you.

 

Tune in to hear Andy’s best advice for harnessing the hard-earned knowledge you’ve won and getting it out to the most people possible.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL249_What_to_Do_When_You_Feel_Purposeless.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 7:45am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer two questions in response to our previous episode, which discussed utilizing attention deficit disorder as an asset.

 

If you like yourself, and so do others, then what’s the difference between ADD and a God-given personality with strengths and weaknesses? Not much.

  • Learn to be positive with how you are. We all have our strengths and weaknesses.
  • You may think Seabiscuit was the greatest horse of all time, but he would be horrible if you needed him to plow your field.

 

 

Try to catch your kid in the act of doing something right.

  • I’ve had teachers and others say, “You need to be more like this,” or “You need to work on this.”
  • If you wanted to pick out all the things your child doesn’t do like everyone else, you could talk to them about it all day long and destroy their belief in themselves in the process.
  • Just because someone operates on a little different plane, it does not make them inferior.
  • I think it’s very important to make a distinction with teenagers that being different is not a bad thing—in fact, it is desirable.

 

Tune in to hear about my trip with Adam to the doctor, and how Henry Ford declared his competence in court.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on reigniting your passion when obligation gets in the way.

 

We’ve all been in a situation where we were doing something we thought we were passionate about, but the results are not what we think they ought to be.

  • When I feel like I’m doing something out of obligation, I first ask myself, “Who am I obligated to?”
  • If the passion is not there enough to carry the activity in and of itself, I think of the people relying on me for something and remind myself of their value.
  • Are they valuable to our country? Their families?
  • Would I be willing to honor my family, or God, by helping someone else I don’t even know?
  • Because I’m not doing it for them specifically. I’m doing it because I’ve been given the ability to do it.

 

To not use your gift in ways that can help other people is dishonoring.

  • I can talk to myself and give myself a great opportunity to look beyond myself, the income, and even the people I’m trying to help.
  • It’s important to realize you’re working for something bigger and longer-term.

 

Tune in to hear the bottom-line answer for hanging in there when the passion seems to be gone.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL247.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:06am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer listener questions on how to encourage and teach protection to a church congregation, and the top three things that influenced my life.

 

People tend to think, “Trouble’s not going to happen here or happen with me.”

  • Unfortunately, sometimes church people say, “I’m not worried, God is taking care of us.” Well, God gave you a brain, too.
  • You might have heard the old story about the guy on his roof during a flood. A boat came to save him and he said, “Nope, I’m fine. God will save me.” Then he declined another boat and eventually a helicopter. After he drowned and went to Heaven, he asked God what happened. God said, “I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what more do you want?”
  • We have to use some common sense, here. Ask questions that will allow people to explore the truth.

 

The list of the top things that have influenced my life is very fluid.

  • It’s often according to what’s going on in my life at any given time.
  • My relationship with God, many books, and many important people have been the sandpaper that has shaped my life.

 

Tune in to this week’s episode to hear about all the famous folks Andy has consulted with in just the last three weeks, including the second man to set foot on the moon!

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL246.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:06pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer two listener questions on how to lead a more balanced life, and what to do if you don’t believe in yourself.

 

We feel more balanced in life when we’re learning and moving forward in what we’re becoming.

  • I learned dramatically more and gained more wisdom when I started looking for something and reading with a highlighter in my hand.
  • The primary reason for reading with a highlighter is to find something worth highlighting.
  • When you’re actively looking for something, you read in a totally different manner.

 

A lot of people get into a situation where they don’t believe in themselves because they’re operating way outside of their purpose.

  • If you don’t see any purpose in what you’re doing, write down a list of both the aggravations and the benefits of doing it.
  • You need to look at where you are and what you’re doing.
  • If you can’t figure out any benefits or can’t picture those benefits guiding you to your purpose, you need to shift gears and allow your passions to give you a clue.

 

Stop just listening to yourself and start actively talking to yourself.

  • If you can’t remember the last time you wholeheartedly believed in yourself, you’ve begun to see yourself in the light the world would have you see yourself—average, ordinary, just one of the masses.
  • Really talk to yourself and you’ll be listening to what you are purposefully saying.

 

Tune in to be reminded of a simple gesture rarely used these days that will show friends and family just how important they are to you and so many other people.

 

Questions for Andy

 

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL245_What_to_Do_When_You_Dont_Believe_in_Yourself.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:06pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to deal with resentment from a husband.

 

A struggling marriage overrides the good things that have happened.

  • It affects the income, work and family relationships, and the household the kids are growing up in.
  • You’ve heard of “fight or flight”—well, guys get into fights over feeling disrespected.
  • When a man is disrespected, his first instinct is to want to hit something. So when dealing with his wife, flight is the only answer to him and he withdraws.

 

You may have heard of the M1 tank.

  • It can literally be going 60 mph over crazy terrain and put a shell in somebody’s pocket 3 miles away.
  • This thing has been created to withstand missile strikes, but if anyone gets inside it, you can destroy it with a hammer and screwdriver.
  • Your husband is an M1 tank, and disrespect from the woman who has his heart is like swinging a hammer around inside him.
  • If you want to make things better than they ever were, you’re going to need to ask for forgiveness. I’m sure there are also things he needs to ask forgiveness for, but you can only control your own actions.

 

Tune in to learn what Andy believes is by far the best book on marriage relationships that’s ever been written—one he urges every married couple, struggling or not, to read.

 

Questions for Andy

 

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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On this week’s episode, learn why honoring your current job (even if you’re planning to leave) can create a wave of opportunity.

 

What you’re aiming at determines your destination.

  • I would be careful in how you express what you’re doing in your own mind.
  • As an entrepreneur and someone who wants to do more, there’s some stuff that we have to leave behind.
  • Leaving behind a job so you can build your own business doesn’t mean you should denigrate the job.

 

It’s important to be very sensitive as you move from one level to another.

  • When you leave your job, you want them to cry and give you a party because you’ve been the greatest employee they’ve ever had.
  • If you’re not careful, talking down on a job will catch up with you in other parts of your life.
  • Moving on with honor will pay dividends in the future.

 

Questions for Andy

 

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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ITL242: The Trick to Preparing Your Kid for Entrepreneurial Greatness

On this week’s episode, I talk about how you can help your children learn how to treat people with respect-—which will serve them well when they get into the business world.

 

If you want change to occur in your child or your world in general, two things have to happen:

  • Answer for them the question of “What’s in it for me?” and prove what’s in it for them beyond a reasonable doubt.
  • You want to connect with your child and have them explain what they want.

 

If your child has an entrepreneurial mindset, explain that they have an opportunity at a young age to learn to deal with people in a “practice game.”

  • What happens if you start a business and are always getting angry at your employees?
  • If you wait to learn how to deal with difficult people until you try to start a business, you’ll probably go out of business before you figure it out.
  • If you go into the game already knowing how to play it, you’re going to get much better results.

 

Tune in to learn the personality type I think is best, and why I had to make a change early in my career to keep people from feeling uncomfortable.

 

Questions for Andy

 

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL242.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:36pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I’m answering a listener question on how I stay focused at accomplishing tasks while dealing with Attention Deficit Disorder.

 

There are so many people who move slowly, and when they see somebody that’s energetic, they think something is wrong with them.

  • It’s crazy how many famous people, inventors, and leaders have ADD.
  • I think ADD is a benefit for entertainers or speakers because it makes you act faster.
  • Adults with ADD have generally learned how to deal with it and learned its benefits. But when it comes to children, I would be very careful with anyone saying something is “wrong” with them.

 

I have to make a choice just like everyone else does, but I make it from a different side.

  • A lot of people are prone to do nothing.
  • They have to discipline themselves to turn the TV off and go write, make phone calls, or work on something that will make their life better.
  • Everyone struggles with making themselves do what they want to do right off the bat.
  • A benefit of ADD is that, because you’re thinking in a bunch of different directions, you connect dots and make sense of some things that will help other people.

 

Tune in this week to hear an amazing example of Andy’s son Adam connecting the dots to create a logical story of how “noodling” got started.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL241__How_to_Turn_ADD_into_an_Asset_and_Get_Stuff_Done.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:40pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I’m answering a listener question on the value I found from reading the same book, three times a day, for 10 months.

 

Somebody got Robert Smith started on the book The Greatest Salesman in the World in high school or early college.

  • The story is about a wealthy person and a young boy who heard he was the greatest salesman in the world. The boy went to the man and asked how he could be like him.
  • The man gave him 10 scrolls and instructs him to read each scroll three times a day for a month, then move on to the next one.
  • Robert did the 10 months, and then did it again.
  • He told me how huge of a difference it made, and said he would do the ten months again with me.

 

If you’ve read The Traveler’s Gift, then you know the inspiration for the form of that book.

  • Jones was the old man that got me reading the biographies and that’s how I found those Seven Decisions.
  • When I presented them in story form using the David Ponder character, I wrote about the same kind of process where he was instructed to read these things.

 

I have gone through that book and done the 10 months four times.

  • A lot of people ask, “Why do you have to do it again?”
  • If you’ve read something multiple times, at some point you go, “Wow! Okay. I understand that now.”
  • I heard someone say the reason you read a book again is because if you put a couple years in between readings, you are a different person. You’re reading and understanding it from a different perspective and you can gain more.
  • Obviously this is over the top, but it’s only a couple pages that you’re reading. It really shaped me.

 

Tune in to hear Andy reading the fifth scroll from The Greatest Salesman in the World.

 

Questions for Andy

 

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL240_Commit_to_the_Extraordinary_System_I_Did_and_Get_Turbo-Charged.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:58am CDT

On this week’s episode, I’m answering a listener question on how to ask exceptional questions to facilitate great conversations.

 

If you can figure out how other people make subconscious choices, you will stand out.

  • You are competing.
  • I don’t care if you have an hourly job—you’re an entrepreneur.
  • If you don’t think you’re an entrepreneur, then you’re closer to getting fired than you should be.
  • The competition that really makes a difference is not the obvious kind that’s sitting right in front of you.

 

Most people are only concerned with how to tell people something, but communication is a two-way street.

  • Ask questions that really pertain to the person you’re talking to.
  • Find a way to edify and encourage.
  • Somebody who is a great communicator and question-asker is more valuable.

 

Chart your path.

  • Write down three or four questions whose answers you likely know already and prepare a response that will immediately connect the answers with somebody you know.
  • For instance, ask someone where they’re from and have something to say about the answer.
  • Read about the different states and find out what the most visited places are, what the big football teams are, the biggest problems, myths, etc.
  • It’s not faking it if you’re learning and getting better.

 

Tune in to hear a surprise interruption from one of the young Andrews boys, which offers up a good example of how they speak to their father.

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Direct download: ITL239.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:23pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener’s question on how to determine when, how, and how often to use your “best story.”

 

We all hear, “Your worst times can become your best times.”

  • Your worst times really can write the ticket for the rest of your life.
  • My worst time is something I never would have chosen in a million years, and yet it was the time that the rest of my life—and my best story—was really built upon.
  • Picking your best story has a lot to do with relatability, which is key for me when telling my story of living under a pier.
  • I’m trying to use my story to help people understand that even though it might look like the world is ending for them, it’s not true.

 

Your best story may not come about because of anything you’ve ever chosen or done.

  • However, it may be the doorway to a mine you can dig things out of that are relatable and valuable to other people.
  • So many of the topics I’ve talked about in my books and speeches have come from a single event in my life.
  • Lessons of persistence, humility, seeking wisdom, how to act, how to take action, entrepreneurship, and so much more came from the mine that is my best story.

 

Tune in to hear how an old boss’s mistake almost got me thrown in jail—and how that mistake did and did not affect both our lives for the next quarter-century.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL238_This_Is_the_Key_to_Getting_People_to_Listen_to_You_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:45am CDT

On this week’s episode, I’m addressing a listener question on how you can become impervious to insult and keep the attention of your audience.

 

I realized by watching other comedians that some would have more problems with hecklers than others.

  • Generally, hecklers keyed in on the performers who had a more arrogant attitude or a pushy demeanor. I’m not saying they were that way, but that was the perception of the audience.
  • They were also more likely to put out a vibe where people wanted to challenge them.
  • I decided that I wanted to be friends with the audience.

 

There are things in your profession that you will always have to deal with.

  • The same rules of comedy apply to great teaching, for instance.
  • Keep a list of things that could occur during your presentation and decide in advance what you’d say if they happened.
  • Take a good, close look at how you present. What do you do physically?
  • Moving unexpectedly to a different area of the room will grab listeners’ attention.

 

Tune in to hear Andy’s secret for handling a situation where someone is nodding off or focusing on something else, and find out how he gets their attention and keeps them from being a distraction.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL237_You_CAN_Command_an_Audience_Dont_Try_to_Beat_Em_Join_Em.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:31am CDT

On this week’s episode, I’m finishing the discussion of my career pivots and how I transitioned out of comedy into what I do today.

 

I was on a bus with Kenny Rogers and we were talking about how we had grown up and sharing times in our lives.

  • At some point I told him about the Seven Decisions, living under the pier, and Jones.
  • He said, “You ought to start talking about that on stage,” and I’m like, “Where on stage? It’s not funny.”
  • He told me I wasn’t a joke teller but a talker and a storyteller.
  • I starting throwing it in and transitioning back into comedy, but people were telling me that the serious part was their favorite part.

 

I realized more people asked me to speak on serious topics than were asking for the comedy.

  • This odd thing developed where I was funny, but it had a point.
  • I realized that God has used all these crazy things in my life to make me into a very different kind of speaker.
  • As I transitioned into speaking, I put together the Storms of Perfection books.
  • Then The Traveler’s Gift came along and I started writing the story that was born from living under the pier, and that developed into being more of an author.
  • The writing forced me to think.
  • To sit there and think, read through something, take notes, and ponder is not too hard, but people think it is and they choose not to do it.

 

Tune in to hear about the process of “getting to the bottom of the pool” and how that’s forcing me to learn new ways of explaining the topics in the next book I’m writing.

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL236_The_Wild_Story_of_My_Career-_How_I_Became_a_Speaker_pt._3_of_3.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:57am CDT

On this week’s episode, I’m continuing to talk about the events that have shaped my career and how I learned to be willing and ready to pivot.

 

I wasn’t clear on my direction when I started—I had no clue this was in the cards for me.

  • I was willing to endure some things I thought were useless or miserable and look for what I could learn from them.
  • There are things that happened to me 40 years ago that I can now use as stories to help other people.

 

I never thought that living under the pier would be anything good. I was just trying to endure and get out of there.

  • Normally, people don’t want to be under pressure. But I can show you evidence over and over that peoples’ best work happens under pressure.
  • The proper perspective trumps almost everything.

 

I was able to tour with Joan Rivers for two years.

  • Opening acts normally don’t get paid much anywhere—but the huge benefit is the exposure.
  • I learned how to treat an opening act from Joan.
  • Joan’s manager also managed Cher. So I got the opportunity to work with her as well.

  

Tune in to hear about:

  • My experience touring with Joan and the extreme generosity she showed me.
  • The night Howard Stern watched me perform.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL235_vF.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:24pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I’m talking about how I got started in comedy and some of the events that have shaped my career in the first of a three-part series.

 

Tune in to hear about:

  • My first public performance in a Pizza Hut
  • Opening for Muse as my first paid performance, and why they asked me not to come back
  • How working on a cruise ship caused me to pivot my career, but taught me to perform at my best no matter what my job was

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL234__The_Wild_Story_of_My_Career__Humble_Beginnings_Pt._1_of_3.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:04pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I’m discussing why everyone should think of themselves as an entrepreneur.

 

We tend to live our lives and make our decisions on the surface, where we can see what everybody is doing.

  • Knowing “why” will get you to what I call “the bottom of the pool.”
  • People only ask why when things go wrong. Nobody ever asks why when something is working.
  • You can live your life as it is, accepting the slop on your plate, or you can eat that slop on your plate thinking in couple weeks you’ll be eating chicken, a month from now eating steak, and a year from now nothing but lobster.

 

People who are entrepreneurs seem to have more hope for a life they can control.

  • They are creating a situation and value.
  • They have a longer lasting, more controllable level of hope than people who think of themselves as, “I have a job.”
  • I don’t believe we’ve been created with some of us having the lucky lottery ticket in life that gives us a better imagination or allows us to be able to get up earlier.
  • People can do what they want. They may refuse to believe that, but again, they’re choosing how they think.
  • If you can think of yourself as an entrepreneur, it allows for greater hope and a better awareness of the control you already have.

 

Tune in to hear how to think of yourself as an entrepreneur and add so much value to a company that you’ll be indispensable—indeed the first to get a promotion and the last to be laid off!

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL233_How_to_Be_the_First_One_Promoted_and_the_Last_One_Laid_Off.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:30am CDT

ITL232: HATE Sales? You Can Still Use Sales Principles for a HUGE Life Boost

 On this week’s episode, I’m discussing why we are all in sales—even if you don’t consider yourself to be in a traditional sales position.

 

I am absolutely convinced that anybody who would like to make a living outside of a regular job structure, can.

  • If they can manage to think of themselves as an entrepreneur, their lives will improve dramatically.
  • People can be much more effective in every part of their lives by thinking and learning those entrepreneurial principles and thought processes, because they are very different from the way normal people think.

 

We are all in sales.

  • We walk around every day wanting to sway somebody to our way of thinking.
  • If you’re a mom or dad, you’re not only in a sales position but in an advisory position for other sales people.
  • The essence of leadership is influence, and the essence of influence is agreement.
  • The principles of entrepreneurship are controllable in a way that your job never will be; they supersede whether you’ll have your own business and carry over into all facets of life.

 

Tune in to learn the ONLY two reasons people ever disagree, and to hear about the wife of a United States Justice who felt Andy let someone off the hook too easily.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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On this week’s episode, I’m talking about the importance of having a child start their own business and how it opens them up to communication as a teenager.

 

I had a conversation the other day with Joe Bullard and his son Ty who run an auto dealership “empire.”

  • Joe took over his dad’s Oldsmobile dealership, and now Ty has recently taken the reins.
  • I asked Ty what the smartest thing his dad ever did was, and he said it was taking a step back from City Council and other things so that he could spend time with his son.
  • It occurred to Joe as he looked long-term that the best thing he could do to continue to expand the business for generations was to invest time in the person who would likely take it over.

 

I have had a lot of parents of teenagers say, “My teen won’t talk to me,” and the typical response is, “Well, that’s just a teenager.”

  • One of the huge benefits of prompting Austin to have his own business was we put him in a position that he had to talk to us.
  • Since age 12, he knew we weren’t buying him a car, so when he asked “How do I get the money?” I told him there are three ways:
  • You can save the $5 and $10 you get for your birthday and in a couple years you’ll have around $400 and you can buy a $400 car.
  • You can get a job at age 14 and work minimum wage for 2 years.
  • You can start your own business by figuring out how to create value for other people, and the more obvious the value, the more business you will have.

 

Tune in to hear why this approach will make you your child’s go-to person for advice, and why this is the best time for them to struggle.

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL231.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:40pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about the importance of having a coach and how to increase your life results.

 

I think cool people have an innate desire to get better.

  • They want to learn more, increase their effectiveness, be worth more.
  • They’re ambitious and want to make more money for their families so there’s less stress and more that they can give.
  • They want to have influence so they can make their community better.

 

For a long time, people have wanted me to coach them personally.

  • I had to come to an understanding in myself that I know some things and have the ability to convey them in a way that could help people increase their life results.
  • I want you to be fired up when we get through talking, but I don’t want you to be fired up by some emotional thing that I put on you. I want it to be real.
  • The only reason you would be fired up for real is if you learned something that made a ton of sense to you.

 

Tune in to hear about a demonstration I do on stage with audience members that proves how coaching affects someone’s ability to complete a task.

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL230.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:22am CDT

On this week’s episode, I finish up last week’s discussion on how to decide who to vote for in this year’s election.

 

When we vote, we generally vote based on two things:

  • Perceived integrity.
  • Economics

 

Integrity doesn’t really mean anything.

  • Integrity means “capable.”
  • What we should vote on is character.

 

People say, “I want a moral person,” but morality can be defined as simply not doing anything wrong.

  • You can lie in bed all day and be moral.
  • Your kid can come home from school and say, “Everyone was picking on John today, but I didn’t do it.”
  • It takes character to step up and say to those bullies, “You are not going to do this anymore.”

 

You can walk through a forest and tell what kind of trees are above you without having to look up.

  • The leaves on the ground can tell you the kind of tree, if it’s healthy, and what time of the year it is.
  • People drop leaves, too.

 

Tune in to hear the two ways your money can be taken from you, and why “third-party purchases” are less invested in quality and price.

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL229.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:44am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on what people should be looking for in a presidential candidate.

 

Have you ever known something but later found out you were wrong?

  • Is it possible you know what’s best?
  • The best is the truth. Things can be true in a certain context, but not the whole truth.
  • When people find what is true to them, they stop searching and don’t go any farther.
  • You can know the truth and not accomplish the best, but you will never accomplish the best without the truth.

 

The only time most people ask ‘why’ is when things aren’t working.

  • When they get the answer, they don’t ask anymore.
  • Always keep asking ‘why’—about the things that are working as much as you ask ‘why’ about the things that are not.
  • Only a principle can provide a bottom line or the truth. Principles work every time, whether you know them or not.

 

A wise person knows when a compromise will be useful or foolish.

  • Wise compromises are made with opinions.
  • You get 100% of the value of the compromise.
  • When you compromise on a principle, you get zero value.

  

Tune in to hear Andy’s enlightening comparison between choosing a candidate and choosing from a menu at a restaurant, and learn why America is the most prosperous place on the planet.

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on balancing between our work lives and family lives.

 

Sometimes to get a balance in your life, you have to fall out of balance a little bit.

  • You’re going to have to go over to the other side to get it balanced.
  • Don’t be afraid to move swiftly and make things happen quickly.
  • I see just as many families knocked out of balance by little league, basketball, and soccer as I do from Dad working.
  • Answer the question, “What do we want to happen?” Define what you’re after. What do we want it to look like?

 

When Austin was playing baseball, it was hard for all four of us to get together.

  • A lot of people would say, “Well, are we not going to let them play this? All their friends are playing. Everybody is playing.”
  • Let me remind you what your momma used to say. “You aren’t everybody.”
  • The end result of what everybody is doing can be a pretty average result.
  • If you think that allowing one child to play one sport is worth scattering your family to the edges of the earth for the majority of the year, you’re not doing anybody a favor.

 

When you figure out what you want to be, you can get clear on your priorities.

  • My family knows they are my priority.
  • Sometimes, for a week or so, the priority is to lock myself in a closet and write, but that is only a means to an end and not the end.
  • In almost every area of life, it’s the communication that is the key.
  • You can intentionally engage your time and energy to create who you are to your family and create what they remember.
  • Because you can create who you are, and because you can create how they remember, you are creating who they will become.

 

Tune in to hear examples of how we set expectations during family time and how you can clearly communicate when exceptions must be made.

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL226_Full.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:17am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on beating depression and making the choice to be happy instead.

 

I think a lot of people have been depressed, and a lot of time for good reason.

  • Even though something is very real, how we deal with it beyond medication is also very effective and real.
  • If you understand that you can make choices that will lead you down a path of disaster, you can also understand that choices can lead you to great places.
  • Choices come from your thinking, and you have been created with a will that is stronger than your emotions.

 

How you act has great bearing on how you feel.

  • If you don’t believe it, go sit in a chair by yourself, stare at a wall, let your back slump, take shallow breaths for an hour, and see how you feel.
  • There is one thing that I want to make sure my boys are good at before they leave home, and that is for them to understand they can choose how to act—despite how they feel.

 

Tune in to hear specific ways you can start making yourself feel better from the moment you wake up in the morning.

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • Email: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL225_VBR.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:41am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on why we push people to succeed when failing is what leads to learning.

 

Success is your destination, but we should also create value from every part of the journey.

  • My smart-aleck answer is that you push people to succeed because you don’t want to push them to fail.
  • What we want to do is reach a destination defined by a successful conclusion to something.

 

However, there is value in getting lost along the way.

  • There is no weaker leader than someone who has only succeeded in certain things and has gotten to where they are relatively easily.
  • A strong version of leadership enables a person to say, “I know how you feel because this happened to me, and this is what came about because of that.”
  • The ultimate goal isn’t to focus on the failure but to make sense of it and gain proper perspective.

 

Most people travel through their lives along the path of least resistance.

  • There is a push for success that can make people fearful of any kind of failure.
  • A balanced approach is to let people know that anything worth doing is worth struggling to get better at.
  • In our culture, to struggle at something reveals weakness when it should be seen as honorable.

 

Tune in to learn the difference between how our culture and some Asian cultures approach struggle while learning in the classroom, and how struggle can really open up more paths in life.

 

Questions for Andy 

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Direct download: ITL224.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:20pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how I come to a decision when there are many different determining factors to consider.

 

There are three questions that I ask to determine major decisions.

  • Is this something that will be good for God?
  • It cannot be in God’s will for me to do if it’s not good for God.
  • Will this help people who are hurting?
  • My mission in life is to help people live the lives that they would if they only knew how to do so. People who are not living the life they would like to are hurting, frustrated and stressed.
  • Will my take on it be unique enough to make a difference for people?

 

Smart people can’t help but play a little chess when they are having a conversation or being asked for advice.

  • Most times when I’m seeking wisdom from a person, I don’t ask the question straight out. I ask around it.
  • I want to find out what they think about certain areas and give stories of their experience in ways they’ve used to make decisions like this.
  • Your bottom line is you are seeking wisdom.
  • Ultimately when you’re talking with other people, reading, or praying—you are seeking wisdom. And seeking wisdom is work.

  

In the full episode you’ll hear the very first teaser for Andy’s new book, the “most direct” book he says he’s ever written!

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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  • com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL223_Make_Tough_Decisions_Simple_by_Answering_These_3_Questions.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on allowance, tithes, and savings.

 

You should become a person who studies parenting whether you have kids or not because it has to do with employee/employer relations, sales, and almost every form of society.

  • Parenting is the fulcrum that society tilts upon.
  • If we want our children to achieve great things as an adult, we must be responsible, calm, and able to provide an understanding of how things work.

 

We don’t give the boys money for anything.

  • They do chores and their reward is they get to live in our house. That is being part of the family.
  • We sometimes give them gifts, but if something is not taken care of, it’s not just about the money, it’s about what the money represents.

 

God commands us to give.

  • If we look at money as a blessing, giving the first of it is saying we trust there will be enough.
  • I have lived very close to the bone a number of years and I must say that when Polly and I started tithing, it was really at the insistence of Polly.
  • As I began to learn how to tithe properly, I realized we were never without.

 

Listen to the entire episode to hear about one of the proudest moments of Andy’s life.

 

Questions for Andy

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Direct download: ITL222__Should_You_Give_Your_Children_an_Allowance_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:04am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to create a life by design based on the talents and gifts you’re given.

 

This question has an obvious answer that I overlooked for a number of years.

  • Talents and skills are two different things. Josh Groban’s vocal gifts are a God-given talent. My ability to juggle is a skill I developed.
  • It’s important to know the difference. And before you polish your talents or hone your skills…

 

FIRST look at where you want to go, THEN work with the talents and skills that will get you there.

  • There’s not a single pathway you can take that will work like you want it to if you don’t know where you want to go in the first place!
  • Even when you know where you want to go, the pathway will never take you to that destination in a straight line.
  • We’re most effective when we’re flexible. Life’s pathways shift; you need to build muscle in different areas to prepare for those shifts.
  • Then work with some faith and your end result in mind; once you know where you’re going, get on it—time’s a-wastin’!

 

 Tune in to learn the insider details on how Andy’s longtime friend Dave Ramsey prepared his pathway to becoming the most trusted—and successful—voice on money in America.


Questions for Andy

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Direct download: ITL221__How_to_Use_Your_Strengths_to_Design_a_Life_You_Love.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:55am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on finding the right fit when choosing a school for your kids.

 

The 7th and 8th grade years are critical

  • It’s when kids are really deciding what they believe and who they think is cool.
  • There is not a more critical time to create a great relationship with your child.
  • We homeschooled Austin in the 7th and 8th grade, and some people might say that homeschooling is not preparing someone for the real world.
  • If you met Austin now, you might think that he seems more mature than some of his peers.

 

The social aspects of high school seem to be incredibly important to parents who look back on high school as being the best time of their lives.

  • If everything was downhill from high school, you’re probably dying for your kid to go to every party and social event.
  • However, you’re in high school a very short time; the rest of your life should be more important and get better and better.
  • How do you want your kids socialized? Do you want them to adopt different standards?
  • We were able to take Austin places and have him meet people and see how life goes on—he was socialized with adults.
  • I will admit that at 16 years of age, he seems to be more comfortable in the company of adults.

 

Tune in to hear how Andy believes trust issues with teens are best eliminated, and more on how educational environments impact different kids in different ways, at different ages.

 

Questions for Andy

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Direct download: ITL220__The_Case_for_Considering_Alternative_Schooling.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:30am CDT

On this week’s episode, we’re switching things up and discussing a few of the “Andy Hacks” I use to save time and money.

 

Tune in this week to hear about…

  • The correct way to peel a banana.
  • The story of cutting my own hair for the first time—and how and why I continue to do it for myself, the boys, and others.
  • How Austin and Adam figured out how to peel pears with a power drill.
  • How I created a pair of reading glasses when each eye has a different prescription.

 

We would love to hear some of your life hacks! Send them in an email to InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com.

 

Questions for Andy

Would you like to run something by Andy? Contact us and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about dating and when it’s time to give your children “the talk.”

 

This week’s question is from a parent with two boys, so let me start by saying…

  • I don’t think there’s anything more important in relationship-building than to tell those two boys how brothers act.
  • Tell them your house is a laboratory they can use to become the kind of adults who can deal with all kinds of people after navigating through sibling disagreements.

 

There’s going to be plenty of time for boys to be wild-eyed about girls.

  • 5th grade is not the time to press the dating issue.
  • If your child has a friend of the opposite sex, don’t take them somewhere and tell them they are on a date.
  • In my opinion, you are forcing something into this child’s head before it’s time.

 

You always want to have an open dialogue with your kids.

  • I urge you to watch them closely, and watch the parents of your kids’ friends closely.
  • Ask questions.
  • Boys are much more comfortable talking while they’re doing something.
  • If you can go throw the ball around or walk around the neighborhood—boys talk about these things much easier side to side than face to face.
  • These activities give you a lot of time to talk, and you’ll be able to discern when the time is right to have “the talk.” The time is earlier rather than later.

 

Tune in to hear how Andy approached “the talk” with Austin, and how you can start influencing your kids’ decisions on finding the right partner for the future.

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL218__THE_TALK__Ideas_on_When_and_How_to_Have_It_with_Your_Kids.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:39am CDT

On this week's episode, I answer a listener question on how to identify a principle and overcome the doubt of making it work.

 

A principle is something that works every time.

  • It’s the foundational truth.
  • It’s not just true. It is the truth.
  • Principles work whether you know of them or not.
  • You don’t have to understand or even agree with it, but ignorance of principle is no protection from the consequences of violating that principle.

 

If you took a blind person who didn’t have any idea what an elephant was and you said, “Here’s an elephant. Make your determinations…”

  • Well, if they are standing in the front and the person touched the trunk, they would say an elephant is kind of like a snake.
  • If they grabbed onto a leg, they might say it’s like a tree trunk.
  • Everything they said is true—it just wouldn’t be the truth.
  • The more wisdom you gain about principles and the more you align with them in your life, the easier your life will become and the easier it will be to have a level of belief about where you’re going and what you want to do.

 

Tune in this week to hear an example we can all relate to about why our will is stronger than our emotional state.

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, we’re celebrating the Christmas season by talking about some of my favorite (and not-so-favorite) traditions.

 

Tune in this week to hear about…

  • Where the Andrews family will be for Christmas
  • Jesus’s birthday party
  • Austin’s and Adam’s letter to Santa Claus
  • My favorite and least favorite Christmas foods
  • Movies that I love (and some I’ve grown tired of)
  • And last but not least, my favorite Christmas books and albums

 

I also wanted to share one of my favorite Christmas songs this year. It is Kenny Rogers performing the song Children, Go Where I Send Thee with a cappella group Home Free.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Questions for Andy

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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about online resources that can help awaken the outdoorsman in you and your kids.

 

I am not a fly fisherman, but Adam has really become interested in it.

  • He’ll go on YouTube and search for different fly fishing topics and show me what he’s learning.
  • My favorite channel on YouTube is called GrowingDeer.tv
  • If you’re a deer hunter, or really just an outdoorsman, it covers a lot of topics like feeding, nutrition, what to do with your land, predator control, etc.
  • It’s produced by wildlife biologist Dr. Grant Woods and is a great testament to the spirit of entrepreneurship.
  • I see such a great dad and husband in him. There are probably 40 or 50 hunting shows on TV, and GrowingDeer.tv on YouTube is by far better than any of them.

 

I can’t find anything to do with my sons that has more time attached to it or is more intimate than sitting in a box with nothing to do but talk.

  • Deer hunting is different than fishing or bird hunting—you’ve got to be still and quiet.
  • When you’re sitting shoulder to shoulder and whispering, there’s time to talk about things that might not normally come up or things that need time for you to think over to answer.

 

Some friends of ours have a farm that they hunt on, and over the past 20 years they’ve given away several thousand pounds of meat.

  • My dad brought me up that if you do harvest an animal, you eat it or give it to a family in need.
  • It’s great for families that don’t have anything, and there are drop-off places that hunters can take a deer to give away to families in need.

 

Tune in to hear the statistics on why a certain kind of meat (you can probably guess which one) is so healthy compared to beef and other popular meats.

 

~~~~~

Side note: If you’ve experienced a problem with In The Loop updating on your podcast feed, simply unsubscribe and resubscribe to the feed. We ran into an issue several weeks back that caused some subscribers to lose connection with the most recent episodes.

Thanks for listening and sorry for the inconvenience!

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, I talk about our family’s Thanksgiving traditions, and why it pays to express your gratefulness.

 

We almost always have Thanksgiving at our house.

  • We’ve maybe only spent Thanksgiving away once or twice since the boys were born.
  • The parade is always on. We don’t really sit and watch it, but we’re in and out of the room with the cooking and playing outside.
  • I will smoke the turkey on the Kamado Joe and make “Cranberry Whomp.”
  • Polly makes “Green” (which is a Jell-O salad), dressing (not to be confused with stuffing), and cornbread—plus other family members bring treats as well.

 

Gratefulness is a daily thing to express. Unexpressed gratefulness is not gratefulness.

  • It’s an honorable way to live your life and it also has great benefits, too.
  • People don’t understand that their lives would be so much easier, better, and more filled with opportunity if they just lived their lives expressing grate
  • Learn to look for reasons to express your gratefulness.
  • One of the things I learned when I was working regularly with the military is that on the holidays they will always prepare an empty place setting—symbolizing the kids whose mom or dad won’t be with them because they’re overseas or in H
  • It’s one more way to remember how thankful we are that we’re all together and to remember them and thank them for their sacrifice for us.

 

Tune in to hear about a special deal for the listeners of this episode. Hint: it will help you develop an opportunity-attracting mindset—and save you $100 on a special item!

~~~~~

Side note: If you’ve experienced a problem with In The Loop updating on your podcast feed, simply unsubscribe and resubscribe to the feed. We ran into an issue several weeks back that caused some subscribers to lose connection with the most recent episodes.

Thanks for listening and sorry for the inconvenience!

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on overcoming faulty thinking, and taking action when someone close to you has pulled you down.

 

This is one of those things where the first step is clearing the negativity out of your mind and heart.

  • Forgiveness is the reset button you’ve been given to take care of this.
  • I cannot find any book or expert who says that for one person to forgive another person, the person being forgiven has to ask for it, deserve it, or even be aware that it’s happening.
  • God made you with a certain level of skills, abilities, and talents, and for you to deny who you are is to deny the God who made you.

 

All the stuff that’s keeping you from being who you are isn’t your fault, it’s the fault of the negative people you’re dragging around with you.

  • You truly need to cut them loose, and the only way that will happen is by choosing forgiveness. Remember, it’s about your thinking—and you can choose how you think.
  • Make sure the people you surround yourself with are telling you the truth about who you are and what you can become.
  • You may need to forgive yourself.
  • People stay away from people they sense bitterness in.

 

Tune in to hear some ideas for easy entry points to forgiveness, and to learn the method Andy has found to forgive people inside and outside your life.

 

Questions for Andy

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Direct download: ITL213__How_to_Thrive_in_a_Situation_Filled_with_Negativity.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:49am CDT

 

On this week’s episode, I discuss my family mission statement and how to come up with your own for your family or business. 

 

I think it’s very necessary to have a mission statement for your family and business.

  • A mission statement creates boundaries that allow you to play freely, create freely, and deal freely within those boundaries.
  • You can learn where those boundaries are because all your activities and everything you do should fit within the boundaries of the mission statement.
  • Questions to ask: Is this part of who I am, and who I am working to become? Is this part of my mission in life?
  • If it’s not—it’s “outside the fence”—then to me, I don’t even have a decision to make.

 

Living your life according to a mission statement is a more narrowly focused version of living your life according to principles.

  • A number of years ago when finances were very tight, Robert and I were offered a deal from a very famous beer company to put a sign behind me when performing at college campuses.
  • The offer they made was more than we had made in the previous 2 years combined, but Robert and I made the decision in about 60 seconds—we had already decided we were not going to be a part of advertising alcohol.
  • We hadn’t established a mission statement at that point, but we were establishing principles about how we were going to run our business.

 

Tune in to hear a breakdown of the Andrews family mission statement, to hear about an addiction Andy developed early in his life, and to hear Andy deliver a brilliant musical performance! 

~~~~~

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how parenting principles translate to respectfully dealing with the negative people in your business or personal life.

 

I don’t think distancing yourself from negative people is disrespectful.

  • You can remain respectful and honoring of people by telling them the truth.
  • People react negatively to us when we put them off or try to get away from them.
  • I think it’s much more respectful to say, “Thank you so much for the opportunity, but I’m not going to be able to do it.”

 

Here is a great example that I’ve thought about for years:

  • A friend of mine and I were standing outside of a hotel in Orlando and my friend had on a very cool hat.
  • A kid about 12 years old walks up and says, “Hey, that’s a great hat. Can I have it?”
  • My friend, cool as a cucumber says, “No, but thanks for asking. I appreciate it.”
  • He said no, but I thought that was very respectful.

 

The things that you have on your priority list are the things that are making you who you are.

  • If you spent all your time in situations that you shouldn’t be in, you would not be the kind of person these people want to be with in the first place.
  • I think your very first responsibility is to God.
  • Your second responsibility is to your family.
  • You cannot allow somebody else’s crazy thinking to infect yours.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tune in to hear about the piano prodigy we had visit our office this week who’s played on SIXTY Number One hit songs!

 

Side note: If you’ve experienced a problem with In The Loop updating on your podcast feed, simply unsubscribe and resubscribe to the feed. We ran into an issue several weeks back that caused some subscribers to lose connection with the most recent episodes.

 

Thanks for listening and sorry for the inconvenience!

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about how Polly and I determined the names of our boys; we also discuss how incorrect writing can become your style.

We all have seen names where we think, “What in the world? Did you not think this through for a second?”

  • I love names, but there are some that should no longer be in use (you don’t see any little Attilas running around anymore).
  • You don’t want to name your kids:
    • Something someone is going to make fun of.
    • A name that has a weird connotation.
    • Something they’ll have to spell out for the rest of their lives.

 

I told Polly that she can name the boys whatever she wants, but they have to start with an “A.”

  • We always liked “Austin,” and his middle name, Gray, was one of my grandfathers’ names.
  • When Adam was about 9 years old, he asked where his name came from.
  • It just came out of my mouth: “Well buddy, we named you Adam because it must be God’s favorite name.”

 

The second question I’m answering in this episode is, what advice do you have for young writers on how to perfect their craft?

  • This sounds silly, but one of the major things to do is to write.
  • I don’t know any profession that doesn’t benefit from repetition and deep thought.
  • What others may see as incorrect may develop into a style.
  • For instance, because I try to write in a conversational way, I’ll sometimes start a sentence with “And…”
  • Editors used to mark this out, but now they leave it because they understand that’s part of my style.

 

Tune in to hear about a family that named their son after a character from one of Andy’s books, and find out what milestone an Andrews family member just reached.

And please share this free content with any family, friends, or co-workers who might be inspired by it!

 

Questions for Andy

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, I talk about how to cast a vision for your marriage, family, and finances.

 

Casting a vision is critical.

  • This is a very powerful tool, and if you’re not doing this with your family, you’re missing out.
  • You don’t just stumble your way into greatness and awesome results.
  • I sat down with Austin when he was 13 and asked, “Have you ever noticed how many kids are alike in what they do after graduating school?”
  • There are variations on the theme, but people pretty much do the same (usually average) things and get the same (usually average) results.
  • You must visualize a long-term target to shoot for.

 

A lot of people say “I’m just doing the best I can” when asked where they’re going in life.

  • Doing the best you can is not a standard.
  • That effort and direction can vary by the hour and does not get you anywhere specific.
  • You want your life to instead be an arrow with kinetic energy that will force its way into places that others would not get into.
  • Whatever you believe your potential to be, you’ll never achieve beyond it because that belief is so powerful.

 

Tune in to hear the method and questions to ask yourself that will help you cast a complete vision for all aspects of your life.

 

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Direct download: ITL209__How_to_Create_the_Future_You_Want_by_Vision-Casting_Today.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:30am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how I’ve chosen not to focus on being a victim and how you, too, can keep away from this mentality.

 

There are challenging things happening in all our lives that give us the opportunity to check out.

  • However, you can choose what mentality you focus on.
  • There isn’t really a how. You either choose your mentality or you do not.

 

Society continues to believe that choice is the foundation of everything we do.

  • That is like flipping a coin if you don’t know the foundation of what a good choice is or why choices yield certain results.
  • Your thinking is the foundation. Every choice you’ll ever make is based on it.
  • Because you have free will, you can choose how you think by deciding who you spend time with, what you read or watch, and what you spend time thinking about.
  • Choosing your thinking requires you to act against your instincts.

 

I have never seen an incredible leader who was not incredible at leading themselves.

  • You have been created with a will that is stronger than your emotions.
  • You have been created with the ability to act a certain way despite how you feel.

 

Tune in to the episode to hear the songs Andy turns on when he needs to hear something that brings up fun memories.

 

And please share this free content with any family, friends, or co-workers who would be inspired by it!

 

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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on what to do when someone asks for a letter of recommendation when you wouldn’t recommend them.

 

How authentic are we going to be in our lives?

  • This dials down into who we are as much as who they are.
  • There is pain and confrontation that could be avoided, but should it?
  • There is the opportunity for retreat or deceit. This is an odd situation that many of us have found ourselves in.

 

When we are asked to write a letter of recommendation for someone we absolutely love, were excited and we start thinking of other ways we could possibly help.

  • Think about your
  • Would you like somebody to throw a hand grenade into it?
  • When we write a letter of recommendation and that person fails miserably because of a character flaw or bad habits, it’s not just them who gets the bad mark—it’s you.

 

What kind of people are you wanting to be around, and who are you wanting to become?

  • If this person is someone you would not recommend for a job, they’re probably more of an acquaintance, or at least someone you shouldn’t be spending a lot of time with anyway.
  • You have the opportunity to tell the truth with concern, love, and the possibility of their life being set on a different, more positive course.

 

Tune in to hear how the response you receive from someone you wouldnt recommend ultimately determines whether that person is wise or foolish.

 

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Direct download: ITL207__Avoiding_Conflict_at_All_Costs_Is_Very_Often_Costly.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 6:26pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about a football player who impacted my life, and a new movie about his life that you should see with your family this fall.

 

When I was in high school, we were across town from another high school named Woodlawn.

  • We had heard about racially motivated riots there and how some of the kids had to be bussed into school.
  • During the football season, I became aware of a student on Woodlawn’s team named Tony Nathan.
  • He was unbelievable—a running back no one could stop.
  • In the fall of my 10th grade year I would get the newspaper every Saturday and read the articles about Tony.

 

They announced that undefeated Woodlawn would play Banks, another undefeated powerhouse, in the playoffs.

  • The game would be played at Legion Field where at the time Auburn and Alabama played each other every year.
  • I talked my dad into going, and when we got there, 20,000 people must have been standing outside the gate.
  • They delayed the game so they could keep bringing people in; once we got in, you could see lines of cars stuck on the interstate.
  • There were 40,000 people in the stadium, 20,000 were turned away, and they estimated another 40,000 were stuck on the interstate.

 

The upcoming movie Woodlawn centers around the whole Woodlawn team’s spiritual awakening around this time and has so many lessons for the whole family.

  • It’s really not a football movie. It’s built around a football team, but it’s a movie about family, decisions, hardship, and overcoming.
  • You will want your teenagers to see this.
  • The only reason I would talk about this on the podcast is because I think it will be a great resource for your family.

 

Click here to learn more about the major motion picture Woodlawn, in theaters October 16, 2015, and tune in to the podcast to hear more from Andy about his personal connection with the film.

Direct download: ITL206_-_The_One_Film_You_WILL_Want_Your_Teen_to_See_This_Fall.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:05am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about the “treasure chest” that Polly and I have for our boys.

 

The boys know that we have treasure chests for them, and its something we will probably give them when they are around 21.

  • The treasure chest has things that they will need to know or want to have.
  • They don’t get to go in these chests, but I’ll occasionally show them something that’s going inside, or tease that something has been added.

 

When you have some kind of awesome family moment, take something from that place and write a note explaining what it is. Wrap it up and put it in a box.

  • When you’re gone, instead of having a vague memory of that day, your kids will having something tangible—a treasure.
  • There are very few things that I have of my parents, who passed within months of each other when I was young.
  • I can picture my dad’s handwriting, but I don’t have any of it.
  • It will be very important and comforting for the boys to know how much we loved them; the “treasures” make it obvious that we thought about them all the time.

 

Tune in to hear about some of the books, recordings, and other items we have already addedbut dont tell Austin or Adam!

 

Questions for Listeners

 

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

 

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I talk about why it’s important to let your kids make mistakes, and how “treading water” in life means you’re not only failing to get ahead but actually losing ground.

 

Not too long ago the boys had a movie they brought to me and asked if they could watch it.

  • I looked at it and kind of paused before saying, “yes, you can watch it.”
  • As they walked away I said, “You can watch it if you want to.” They stopped and of course wondered why I said it like that.
  • I told them that we choose what we watch and read, and we also choose what we won’t watch and read. How we think becomes who we are.
  • The movie wasn’t really good or bad, just a time-waster. But in the current of life you’re either swimming upstream or you are being swept away. If you’re just treading water, you’re headed downstream.

 

We want our kids to grow up to be productive, influential, and purposeful adults.

  • Sometimes it’s okay to let our kids lose money or time.
  • It’s much better that they learn these things at a younger age when we as parents can be there with the net to catch them.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear the direction I intentionally face in my office, and who is always looking down on me from my office ceiling.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL204__How_a_Mistake-Prone_Kid_Can_Become_a_Highly_Productive_Adult.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:45am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer two listener questions on how fear shapes your life and how to balance belief in yourself against pride.

 

I find many instances indicating that God can use tragedy and bad choices to fulfill His purposes, but I don’t find any evidence that God decides to make you scared.

  • The times that I have been scared have usually been instances that I’ve kind of brought on myself.
  • I can’t imagine God would say “Fear not” so many times but still try to instill fear in us anyway.

 

Adam started at a new school this year and he was fearful.

  • I talked to him about purpose and we broke down all the things he might have to be fearful of.
  • When he came home from school I asked how it was and he said it was different. I said, “Good different?” He said, “It was.” So, if it’s different, and it’s good, then it’s probably better.

 

The old saying is that God made you with a purpose.

  • If you’re out there speaking thoughts and truths that you’ve spent time struggling with, you’re wide open to criticism.
  • But if He made you that way—with a purpose—then He believes in you. And if you believe in Him then you believe in His creation...yourself.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear Andy tell a story about the night former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer was elected into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL203__How_Fear_Shapes_Your_Lifeand_How_to_Take_Control.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I discuss some of my favorite speakers and the methods that help me stay organized.

 

I don’t get to see many speakers because Im usually by myself when speaking at an event, but I listen to them online.

  • I shift and change who I’m listening to, but Patsy Clairmont is first and foremost my favorite speaker.
  • There are very few people who can deliver serious topics with humor, and Patsy is one of the best.
  • Ken Davis is also up there for the same reasons. He is so funny to me.

 

One of my other favorite speakers is someone I wouldn’t have said if you asked me a couple of months ago.

  • He’s a great guy, but he didn’t seem to be very comfortable telling his story when he got started 20 years ago.
  • Speaking is kind of a gift. You can learn it and shape it, but to a great degree you can either talk or you can’
  • I’ve found that some companies are hesitant to bring in speakers because they’ve brought in speakers who are athletes or actors previously. While these people can memorize their lines, there is often something missing because they are not professional speakers.
  • But there’s one athlete in particular who has become one of my favorite speakers.

 

When it comes to organization, Michael Hyatt is on the cutting edge of using the newest software and gadgets to keep his life in order.

  • He knows more technically than I will ever know.
  • I keep a pen and a piece of paper beside me.
  • At the end of the day, I unload my pockets with napkins and pieces of paper with notes that I’ve written.
  • Sometimes those things pile up faster than I can go through and categorize them, and at that point, they go out of my sight and into the closet.

 

Tune in this week to hear the name of the athlete that has become one of my favorite speakers.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, we’re finishing up our series on discussing my office and the items that bring me a spirit of gratefulness, belief, opportunity, and achievement.

 

Tune in to this weeks episode to hear about:

  • The book that I’ve read in its entirety every month for over 30 years. (I’m shocked that I still get new understanding from some of these things…)
  • The award from the Center for Healthy Families that reminds me to be obedient, seek wisdom, and that I make a difference.
  • The gift Adam made me for Father’s Day.
  • How islanders would pull sharks to the shore hundreds of years ago.
  • The item Civil War officers used to brush the day’s dirt away, and why it reminds me to move forward and look towards another day.
  • What started me on the path towards learning the Seven Decisions.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL201__How_I_Stay_Inspired_While_I_Work_Each_Day.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:10am CDT

This week, we’re celebrating our 200th episode with a deeper look at the items in my office, and more specifically, what I keep within arm’s reach at my desk.

 

You might look at my desk and not know why some of these things are here—and you might also not know what these things are!

 

Tune in to this weeks full episode to hear which of these objects remind me of:

  • The fact I can choose my thinking, and if I’m scared, that isn’t from God.
  • Ingenuity.
  • The history of our country and that there are things that seem impossible, but with the right thought process, impossible things can be made simple.
  • Things last even if they’re covered up or buried. We need to make sure that the things we create are of great value.
  • While things are permanent, they can still be shaped.
  • There is always a way to figure something out.


Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL200__FREEZE_What_Do_You_Have_Within_Arm_s_Reach_Right_This_Moment_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, we’re continuing our visit inside my office and discussing why it looks the way it does.

 

People have made excuses for themselves and other people based on environment.

       As an adult, you have control over your environment.

       You are never trapped, although you may choose to think you’re trapped.

       If you understand that your thinking is the foundation of everything, that gives you control. You want to achieve “the best.”

       The objects in my office spur a specific thought. Everything has a story and lesson.

 

Everywhere I look, I want to produce gratefulness and belief in my spirit.

       I have to produce the best in writing and speaking topics. To do that, I know what kind of thinking produces the best.

       When I am in an ungrateful or aggravated state of mind, could I possibly come in and create the best?

       I urge you to not have the same kind of office that everyone has.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear about the personal letters from around the world Andy hangs in his office, and why they’re almost disappearing from view!

 

Please send us pictures of what this episode prompts you to do with your office or workspace; also let us know the state of mind you were after.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

·        Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

·        E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

·        Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

·        Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Direct download: ITL199__How_to_Shape_Your_Environment_to_Achieve_Your__Best_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:18am CDT

On this week’s episode, we’re recording from my office in Orange Beach, Alabama, and talking about the “wall of influence” that sits across from my desk.

 

I have been around people successful in entertainment, business, and politics, and have seen them hit a point in their career where they turned kind of monstrous.

  • It’s an odd world to live in where people say, “You’re great. You changed my life.”
  • If you’re not prepared to deal with that, I see how you could turn into an idiot!
  • I have an “influence wall” to remind me where I’m from. Whatever it is that I am, these people are the ones who deserve the credit.
  • Every time I look at that wall, I am reminded of an umbrella of authority.

 

If you look at peoples lives that have gotten out of control after having a lot of success, its because they have no authority in their lives.

  • While we watch “heroes” in our modern day, everyone thinks they’re great until we find something out that’s leaked to the public.
  • To our kids, that’s one more notch of disappointment that makes them think, “Oh, well that’s how people really are.”
  • Everyone on my influence wall is on my board of directors, but not everyone on my board of directors is on the wall.
  • The board of directors is something that ebbs and flows.

 

If you have an influence wall, take a picture of it and email it to us at InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com.

 

Tune in to the full episode to learn about some of the people Andy considers major influences and authority figures in his life.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL198__How_to_Create_a__Wall_of_Influence__That_Inspires_You_Every_Day.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:08am CDT

On this week’s episode, I’m answering more random questions—this time from listeners—for our second episode of Getting to Know Andy Andrews.

  • What was your first thought when you woke up today?
  • What question do you hate to answer?
  • Is there something you constantly lose at your house?
  • Have you ever been pulled over by a cop?
  • What is your favorite knock-knock joke?
  • If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which would it be?
  • What is your favorite movie and movie quote?
  • What’s the best meal you ever ate?

 

Please tune in for some surprising answers and very funny insight into Andy’s likes, loves, and even a few of his “little foibles.”

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL197__Getting_to_Know_Andy_Andrews_Part_2.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about people who have a different style of communication than yours.

 

When you get down to the way people communicate, there are so many differences.

  • I will never forget the time a friend and his wife were over at our house, and Polly called the boys twice to come greet the guests.
  • I lean my head in the room and let them know their mother has called them twice and they need to get up.
  • They both look at each other and they’re going, “Dad, she didn’t call us…” I ask the boys to go wash their hands and tell Polly that the boys say she didn’t call them.
  • Our friend laughs and says, “That’s just a guy thing.”

 

There are differences between boys and girls.

  • Our friends have two boys and two girls.
  • They said all four of them can be watching TV and the girls will hear their mom calling, but unless she gets in front of the TV and gets the boys’ attention, their focus won’t be drawn away.

 

Tune in to the full episode for further insight on communication gaps, and to hear Andy’s hilarious account of his genius” brother-in-law trying to explain the latest TV technology to a tech-averse Andy.

 

Questions for Listeners 

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL196__Communication_Gaps_Between_the_Sexes_Explained.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how you can confidently pursue a deeply satisfying career path.

 

I have gone through several career phases as an adult, and I wonder if Istill narrowing down my career path.

  • There are some guiding factors for pursuing the right career.
  • What would you do every day if money were no object?
  • Once you figure that out, the next question is what value does that have for other people?
  • It is important to like what you do, but if you’re the only one who likes that thing, you might have a hard time making a living out of it.

 

In todays world, you can take what most people would consider a hobby and find value in it for other people.

  • A lot of people move to a city like New York and try to break into an industry. They go up there and don’t know how to find an agent or a place to live.
  • It occurred to me that I knew someone struggling in this area who had a lot of the answers for these kinds of problems.
  • With the ease of creating a website these days, someone like this could sell the answers for these kinds of questions while still on the hunt for more information.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear about Andys experience performing on cruise ships seven days a week, and how that trained him for what he does today.

 

Questions for Listeners

 Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL195__How_to_Get_Paid_to_Do_What_You_Love.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT


On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about creativity and when you should go with your instincts or take others’ advice.

 

We all have people who we lay our stuff out for.

  • There are a handful of people in my life who I will read something to occa
  • I thought it was odd to read it out loud, but I’ve started hearing about a lot of authors who have a couple people they read to.
  • It’s easier for an author just to read it himself, but when I read it out loud to someone, it lets me read in a different way than if I were alone or proofre
  • If I can read it to you and you totally get it, then I know that if you read it, there won’t be any problem at all.

 

With almost every project there will be a point where I get a little too creative, and I dont mean that in a good way.

  • As a comedian, I wrote a joke that I thought was very funny (and I still think it’s funny).
  • I tried it four or five times and it became very obvious that it’s not as good as I thought.
  • If one or two out of ten don’t like something and you believe in it, stick to your guns.
  • If eight, nine, or sometimes even six out of ten don’t like it, at least consider they may be on to something.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear Andyoverly creative joke; Andys biggest pet peeve when it comes to writing technique; and why a good imagination is like a great stallion.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL194__When_to_Trust_Your_Gut_And_When_Not_to.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:51am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a followup listener question on how Polly and I taught the boys to communicate to adults.

 

It was a very intentional process.

  • Polly and I wanted to raise a boy who would turn into a 15-year-old young man; we wanted people in passing to be blown away by his maturity.
  • Some people say “Yes, ma’am” and “Yes, sir” is just a regional thing, but don’t we know people in California who are from Georgia?
  • After years of thinking this through, the reason to go through the extra trouble of making children say “Yes, sir” is because everyone who looks at this kid will think he is mature and respectful.

 

The opportunities for well-mannered kids are endless.

  • There is a small percentage of people who think it’s disrespectful not to say, “Yes, sir.”
  • People who don’t think it’s necessary won’t be offended by it.
  • Why not make sure your children are showing respect to 100% of the people they talk to?
  • Remember, manners are money!

 

We started teaching them to talk this way as soon as they could speak.

  • When they would say, “No,” we would say, “No, sir?”
  • They may not have been able to say the “Sir” in the beginning, but they eventually picked it up after hearing it whenever they said “Yes” or “”

 

Tune in to the full episode to learn more secrets to teaching kids good manners, and hear Andy SING! (He lets you in on the height of a piggys ambition, from the day he is born…”)

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL193__MannersMoney_When_and_How_to_Teach_Them_to_Kids.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s show, we’re switching things up a bit and presenting an episode of random questions that will hopefully help us get to know Andy a bit more.

 

Andy talks a lot about how important laughter should be in peoples lives, so this week we asked him some random questions designed to be fun and funnybut also to really make him think:

 

  • Who is your favorite songwriter right now?
  • Who is your favorite author right now?
  • What’s the best voice impression that you do?
  • If you could have personally witnessed any event, what would you have wanted to see?
  • What are three historical characters you considered including in The Travelers Gift but they didn’t make it?

 

Heres a challenge for our listenerswhat is an interesting question youve never heard addressed that you want to ask Andy?

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL192__Getting_to_Know_Andy_Andrews.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how the boys and I go out of our way to make sure Polly feels respected.

 

Before we get into some of the specific ways we honor Polly, let me tell you why we think these things are important in the first place.

  • We want to provide an advantage for our children when they are adults.
  • The way you act in your home and when you let your guard down is the way you will act in critical moments.
  • We want to do the same positive things over and over again.
  • There are little bitty things you can do to make your home a happier place.

 

I love asking HR people and CEOs how they narrow down their search for new managers.

  • They’ll put the word out for a new position and let’s say you get 400 appli You bump most out immediately and have maybe 30 left.
  • You’re now seriously looking at resumes. The next round of 6 to 10 people is personal interviews. Now you’re down to 3 people and they’re all basically the same on paper.
  • You would be shocked at how many times their next step is, “I take them to dinner and watch them.” They will see who holds the door, who stands up when anybody comes to the table, how they shake hands, and how they treat the wait staff and each other.
  • Everything you do matters.

 

Since a lot of the time Polly is preparing the food, she is the last one to the table.

  • We will stand until she sits down and if she gets up, we will stand up again.
  • Also, if we are out to eat and someone comes over to the table, the boys and I stand up whether it’s a man or woman because you are honoring the presence of that person.
  • It may be unnecessary but it certainly is respectful.
  • We also hold Polly’s chair.
  • The boys learned at a very early age that ladies always go through the door

 

Ive asked the boys, How do you want your mom to feel? Do you want her to feel like the queen and that you respect and appreciate her so much?

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear how to make sure your mother or wife knows you are thinking about her leading up to birthdays or holidays, and how to prepare your children to notice the kinds of things they should look for in a future spouse.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a very emotional listener question from the friend of a football coach who has lost his son.

 

Everybody has a worst time in his or her life.

  • I can’t imagine that it gets any worse than losing a son or daughter.
  • I have some understanding of the shock and grief; my parents both passed away at a young age.
  • My mom’s passing was long and drawn out, and my dad’s was a call in the middle of the night.
  • While your memories and longing will never go away, the awful grief that you feel right now will pass.

 

Since your friend is a football coach, let’s consider eternity to be the length of a 100-yard football field.

  • You were with your son for 19 years.
  • Let’s assume that you’re 40 and will live another 40 years.
  • That 40 years is not even a blade of grass on the football field of eternity.

 

This sounds odd to say, but if my parents had lived a normal life span, I wouldn’t have ended up doing what I do.

  • Everything that has happened in my life came about after being forced into a position where I had no options.
  • I believe you will find so many people and families that will be transformed not only because of your son’s life, but because of your son’s short life.
  • You will find a purpose in this.
  • You will find a time when you will be oddly grateful that you were allowed the opportunity to deal with and learn from this.

 

Please tune in to the full episode where Andy references a previous In the Loop about finding peace when dealing with death and mentions some extremely inspirational songs he recommends listening to daily when times are tough.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL190_Finding_Perspective_and_Purpose_After_Unthinkable_Tragedy.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to guide your thinking when beginning with the very best end result in mind.

 

I really believe that the best is an ever-expanding target.

  • As your understanding of what is possible expands, your determination of what the best is will also expand.
  • When people talk about best practices and industry standards, they’re talking about the way everybody has thought and operated for years.
  • Don’t let your methods determine your Determine the destination first and then design the methods that will get you there.

 

The destination you determine should be the very best you can possibly imagine.

  • If you imagine something that someone has done before, you’re shooting too low and need to go back to the drawing board.
  • I’m trying to lay out a thought process with a goal so ambitious that I will be forced to come up with methods that will approach it.
  • A shift in thinking creates a shift in choices and actions—and eventually results.
  • If you want massive results with your family, finances or business, every single thing starts with your thinking.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear what Andy considers his own “best” to be, and what promotional tactic he considers more valuable than advertising.

 

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • com/AndyAndrews
  • com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL189.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:32pm CDT

On this week’s episode, we have renowned author Jerry Jenkins back with us for more laughs, and to compare notes with Andy on public speaking and how to deal with editors. He also gives us a preview of his latest book.

 

Andy is at the top of the public speaking game, but Jerry is also a sought-after public speaker.

  • Jerry had always heard he should ask for an introduction that sets up what he’d be covering, and that mentioned he would be funny.
  • Andy, in contrast, has learned that too big of an introduction before speaking gave the audience unrealistic expectations.
  • “Under-promise and overproduce,” therefore, is one of many public speaking pointers Andy goes on to discuss.

 

Jerry is at the top of the writing game, but Andy is also a successful author and has some good questions for Jerry.

  • Jerry’s asked how he comes up with endings, and the “Carol Burnett Show” “Saturday Night Live” approaches to ending sketches are debated.
  • Jerry’s also asked if a 21-time New York Times bestselling author like himself still gets pushback from publishers on how to write (and how he deals with it when it does happen).

 

Jerry also addresses the interesting concept of why nonfiction has to be unbelievable and fiction has to be believable.

  • Andy and Jerry both rely on detailed research to provide credibility for their stories and characters.
  • Andy discusses his approach to writing about pivotal figures in history who are still obscure enough that most people have never heard their stories.
  • Jerry, in turn, mentions the fun he’s had grilling experts about the future and getting to dream up things that sound like science fiction but will actually be reality soon.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear Jerrys synopsis of his brand new novel, Empires End, and to find out what hes been doing at JerryJenkins.com thats breaking down barriers for aspiring authors.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how I’ve learned more about the Seven Decisions since writing The Travelers Gift.

 

I am kind of shocked that, at some point, most of the stuff I talked about in the Seven Decisions seminars were things I learned after writing The Travelers Gift.

  • At first I thought of the concept of the principles like a rock, but now I think of it more like an onion.
  • You can know how to use a principle, and change the world with it! But there are other layers that can be peeled away to expose new potential.
  • It’s not enough to know what works; you have to know why it works.
  • When you know why a principle works as it does, you can use it in different areas of your life or business—even when they seem to have no connection to one another.

 

A hallmark of successful people is that they always want to be better.

  • That’s a healthy attitude to have, toward one’s self and one’s work.
  • When you want to increase your effectiveness, a lot of it has to do with your mentality.
  • Take golf, for example. There is a certain amount of talent that a person has to have to be a successful golfer, but what sets those at the highest level of the sport apart is usually something mental.

 

I really believe that no matter where you find yourself in life, there is more.

  • When I started doing the Seven Decisions seminars, it was a 3-hour event, and I was using that time to explain everything I knew.
  • Now, I could do at least an hour and a half on each decision.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear how Andys golf cart ride with a golfing legend further illustrated to him that mentality can be more powerful than experience or expertise.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL187_-_The_Truth_About_Your_Potential_and_How_to_Keep_Getting_Better.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:56am CDT


On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to influence your level of belief.

 

I think everyone struggles with belief in themselves at one point or another; a strong belief is something you must constantly maintain.

  • Having a great level of belief is so powerful.
  • When you are working with belief, you will become so much more effective in whatever you are working on or struggling with.

 

You have to remember that every choice youll ever make is totally determined by what you think and how long you think about it.

  • You direct your belief the same way you direct your thinking.
  • It’s determined by what you watch, what you read, and the people you spend time with.
  • Thinking logically to a wrong conclusion is something you can catch and overcome.
  • Thinking logically to an incomplete conclusion is trickier: you’re getting results, but they’re not the best results and can keep you on the wrong path indefinitely.

 

Tune in to the full episode to hear how Andy kept up his level of belief while 51 publishers rejected The Travelers Gift.  

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

Direct download: ITL186.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:44am CDT


On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on determining your kid count, and why you shouldn’t let fear be the deciding factor.

 

Some people grow up and they’re dying to have kids.

  • Polly and I were not like that, and we got married kind of late.
  • Several years went by where one of us would say, “Are we going to have kids?” and the other would say, “Yeah…sometime.”
  • Polly finally said, “If we’re going to have kids, we need to have them now.”
  • Austin was born when I was 40, and only then did we realize just how much we loved kids—and wanted to have more.

 

I think there are huge benefits to being older parents, but be careful about waiting too long.

  • Especially don’t let finances dictate when you’ll have children.
  • How many times do we hear people say, “We were dirt poor and didn’t really realize it until we looked back”?
  • To become the adult you are, you had to go through some tough times.
  • Isn’t it curious that oftentimes the one thing that made us who we are is the thing we try to keep our kids from going through?

 

Tune in to the full episode for more details about Andy’s own family’s beginnings, and to hear the question Andy asks troubled families that’s always a game-changer—even for the wealthy.

 

ALSO in this episode: A special announcement about several opportunities to hear Andy speak LIVE this summer!

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL185__When_Should_I_Start_My_Family_and_How_Many_Kids_Should_I_Have_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:04pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on the boats I’ve had to burn in my life.

 

When I read about something that happened in history, I try to figure out how it applies to us today.

  • I always loved the story of Cortez “burning the boats” because it’s relevant to almost everybody’s life.
  • To inspire his men to conquer Mexico, Cortez ordered his boats to be burned so they had no choice but to fight and win.
  • Everyone has either done it or will need to do it at some point.
  • Sometimes we run into situations where it becomes necessary, and if we want to grow, we do it.

 

I never really paid attention to the things in life that I needed to get rid of until that story hit home.

  • For me, there have been relationships or situations that have run their course, or relationships that did not need to continue past the moment of meeting the person.
  • Usually it’s not that the person is bad. It’s just that I am very aware of certain things that I feel I am supposed to do with my life and must carry on accordingly.
  • Some of the boats I’ve had to burn are simply conveniences, but it’s always done because of my purpose in life and who I want to become.

 

Henry Cloud has a book called Necessary Endings, and it is the doctoral thesis on burning the boats.

 

In the full episode, youll hear the details about some surprising boats Andy has had to burn, why he chose that strategy, and how its helped in his lifes continuing journey

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL184.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:36am CDT

On this week's episode, we have Austin back in the studio with us to talk about his business, Sporty Citrus.

This business has taken off in a way that I dont think we could have imagined a few years ago.

  • It’s amazing what Austin is able to grow in pots—he grows grapefruit, satsumas, oranges, Meyer lemons, and a lot more.
  • If Austin is running behind or has a really big job, I’ll help with the trimming or will drive him around.
  • Apparently I don’t get paid very often, and I haven’t been able to get myself fired yet, but Austin really handles most of the work by himself.
  • He started with a little trailer on his bicycle.

 

There was a point where Austin was hired to work on a property with 25 mature citrus trees.

  • The entire property had not been touched in 15 years.
  • We would go there every single week all summer for a couple hours.
  • I knew it was worth the sweat when he would be working on the tree next to me and I realized it provided a wonderful opportunity just to think of new things to talk about with one another.
  • That time with him was something special.

 

We also got to talk to Austin himself this week, about Sporty Citrus and a lot more. Here are a couple excerpts:

 

Whats been the coolest experience thats come out of Sporty Citrus?

Coming up, I’m going to get to speak at the Business Council of Alabama.

 

Is there any pressure on you because your dad is an author and people are seeking out his advice on what to do with their kids?

I wouldn’t say it’s weird, but it’s definitely something I keep in mind…and I’m cautious.

 

In the full episode, youll hear how Andys wife, Polly, took advantage of a prime teaching moment when the boys began a silly argument about a chore

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Several weeks ago, we mentioned SportyCitrus.com and the response was overwhelming. We brought Andy’s son, Austin, into the studio today to answer questions about how he started his company and what he is working toward for its future. Here are some excerpts...

 

How did this business start?

Sporty Citrus began after a hurricane blew away our house and all our trees when I was young. We wanted to replant trees that actually did something useful, so we planted a couple citrus trees.

I really liked taking care of our trees, and as I learned more, I started taking care of other people’s trees.

 

How did you come up with the idea to help other people with their trees?

Originally, the plan was to just help people in my neighborhood. The neighbors’ trees were not producing fruit and the trees wouldn’t grow.

 

What is the difference between you and a landscaper?

A landscaper sees something wrong with a tree and will treat every problem the same. That’s fine for making it look good, but that is not what you need to do to make it produce fruit.

 

Where did the name come from?

I grew up playing sports, and the word “sporty” just kind of stuck.

 

In the full episode, you’ll discover how Austin got his first customers for his business.

 

**************

This from Andy:

 

Austin is a perfect example of someone who has found a passion, pursued that passion, and found a revenue stream for it.

 

I think Austin really got the idea that he could do something like this when I was writing The Noticer Returns. Jones is dealing with some people having a hard

time finding jobs, and he recommends starting a business out of a sincere pas- sion. I think the first thing Austin said to me about his business idea was, “I think I know something I want to do that would be valuable to other people.”

 

There is a special deal going on between now and May 31. You can get Austin’s Personalized Pot Plan for $24.50—that’s half-off—until May 31. All you have to do is put “In the Loop” in the subject line of an email and send it to Austin@SportyCitrus.com.

 

More information on Sporty Citrus’ Personalized Pot Plan can be found at ? http://www.sportycitrus.com/pricing.

 

I work with Austin sometimes. He doesn’t pay me and I can’t get him to fire me! Join us next week, when we’ll have Austin with us again and you can hear more about my side career working for my son. 

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL182__How_Austin_Andrews_Started_a_Business_Out_of_His_Passion.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:34am CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about how parents can train their kids to tell good stories in a conversational setting.

 

The most important thing when telling a story is to be interesting.

  • Don’t be boring!
  • Make sure that you speak correctly.
  • The way someone talks can get in the way of a listener’s mental process when having a conversation.

 

Around our house, people get points for being clever or witty.

  • We read witty things, and when somebody discovers something clever, we share it with one another.
  • Figuring out good questions to pose is essential.
  • If you want to raise children who can hold an interesting conversation, they must have good questions at the ready.

 

You cannot get away with not knowing how to communicate effectively and be a functioning adult in society today.

  • You and I know a ton of people who inadvertently go through their lives expecting the worst to happen.
  • I want our boys walking through life appreciating the humorous and clever things.
  • A common question in our house is, “What was the funniest thing that happened at school today?”
  • In the end, it’s all about creating memories.

 

In the full episode, I discuss what to do if your teenager doesn’t talk to you.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL181__How_to_Help_Your_Child_Become_a_Great_Conversationalist.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question asking if the teen years are too late to get kids to start reading.

 

I am dealing with this every day with adults.

  • I was 23 when Jones found me under the pier and gave me biographies.
  • Nobody ever told me, “Let me tell you why you want to read this.”
  • We’ve all heard that experience is the best teacher, but I think somebody else’s experience is the best teacher. This is why reading biographies is so important.

 

While living under the pier, I went through periods of fear and periods of boredom.

  • Jones told me that the books weren’t biographies but rather tales of romance, mystery, and adventure.
  • I grew up hating history, but it’s a passion of mine now.
  • I believe that sometimes people do not think things through to their foundation; many have surface-level thoughts about what they do and don’t like.

 

It’s amazing to me how many people will say, “Well, I don’t like to read.”

  • You mean you’ve never read something that made you laugh out loud, or cry?
  • I’ll ask just a couple questions, and it turns out that there is something they’ve read, whether it’s a magazine, newspaper, etc., that deeply affected them somehow.
  • So what you’re telling me is that the other books you’ve picked up are boring!
  • Find something you like to read!
  • Whatever your interest is—whether you’re a teen or a retiree—many have probably written about it, and someone has probably written about it well.
  • Regardless of their age, find your children a book or article they’re interested in, and they’ll want to read it.

 

In the full episode, I reveal the trick I use to get my kids to read whatever I want them to read.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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 On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to get your kids to take your advice.

 

Kids tend to listen to somebody else before they listen to their parents.

  • There are tons of adults who have quit learning and thinking years ago.
  • If you want your kids to listen, you better make sure you are a person worth listening to.
  • If we want kids to be open to our advice and seek wise counsel, we must be wise counsel.
  • Wise counsel includes the timing of when you say things and how you say them.

 

I am a friend to my boys, but I am also their parent.

  • Be friends to have tons of conversations.
  • Talk about what they want to talk about.
  • We want them to have the opportunity to teach us.

 

I’m not a fly fisherman, but I have a son who is really interested in it.

  • When he shows me something, I ask how he does it or where he learned it, and all of a sudden he is giving me a lesson.
  • A great majority of parents spend most of their time disciplining or warning their children, and kids get tired of it.

 

One of the worst things you can do in marketing is to market all the time.

  • Your product may be valuable, but people will avoid you if they feel bombarded.
  • One of the best things you can do is to give value and help with something unrelated.
  • You can then mention what you’re selling every now and then, and it doesn’t make people want to avoid talking to you.
  • This concept can and should be applied to parenting as well!

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL179__How_to_Get_Your_Kids_to_Take_Your_Advice_Seriously.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:42am CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about the business that my son, Austin, started based on lessons he learned in the garden. 

 

I often ask people what they would do with their lives if money were no object, and then what value that activity has for other people.

  • These are the kinds of things that Austin, my oldest son, has heard me talk about at the house over the years.
  • Around 10 years ago a hurricane wiped out all the trees at our house.
  • Austin was just a little boy then, but when we were figuring out what we were going to do, he said, “Plant trees that will do Like orange trees.”
  • He was 13 years old when he came to me with the idea of helping other people grow their own citrus trees.

 

One of the most important lessons people who want to make money need to learn is that they must adopt the mindset of wanting to solve some kind of problem.

  • Austin told me, “Most landscapers treat citrus trees like any other tree and that’s why they don’t have fruit.”
  • A woman from Dallas, TX, contacted Austin because she wanted to grow citrus trees where she lived.
  • This request prompted Austin to devise a plan for growing citrus trees in pots so they can be taken in during the winter.
  • The word about Austin’s activities eventually got out, and before long, he was asked to talk about citrus production with the local garden club, and then the Orange Beach City Council.
  • This resulted in the mayor himself recruiting Austin to maintain the city’s various citrus trees, making him the youngest contractor in the history of the city!
  • The local newspaper put him on the front page, touting that finally someone was “bringing the oranges back to Orange Beach.”

 

In honor of Austin’s company’s recent success, we’re offering listeners of In The Loop HALF off the regular price of a custom citrus tree maintenance plan until May 31st.

No matter where you live—Minnesota…Maine…Manitoba—you can grow your own citrus tree at home…in a pot!

Want a great Mother’s Day gift? A fun and unusual family project? Do you like fresh navel oranges, Meyer lemons, or Ruby Red grapefruit?

For just $24.50, Austin will customize a step-by-step plan that includes photographs detailing exactly how you can produce the citrus fruit you want by growing citrus trees in pots!

Simply email Austin@SportyCitrus.com and tell him where you live and what kind of citrus you’d like to grow. Be sure to put “In The Loop” in the subject line and Austin will get back to you shortly!


Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about balancing the items in your life and how to know when you’ve taken on too much.

 

Before we get into this week’s episode I wanted to say a few things about my new children’s’ book Henry Hodges Needs a Friend.

  • I’m excited about this book because it’s my first rhyming book.
  • The artist Colleen Madden did such a fantastic job the illustrations.
  • I’m also excited because I finally got dedicate a book to a lady who has been so important to our family.

 

I don’t think there is anyone who has accomplished anything great that didn’t feel like they’ve taken on a little too much.

  • I don’t know anybody who has accomplished anything great that sleeps 7-9 hours a night consistently.
  • Sometimes we need to catch up, but we can go for periods of time “running and gunning.”

 

When you find yourself dropping the ball on things you’re committed to, then you may be taking on too much.

  • I think you can balance more things in your life more than you think you can, but you do have to place barriers around your important goals and principles.
  • It’s inevitable that as you get busier there will be people who do not understand why you don’t live your life like you did in junior high school.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL177__Balancing_Life__How_to_Stretch_Time_and_Add_More_to_Your_Plate.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:15am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to handle the pressure of people watching and looking up to you.

 

People watching you and looking up to you are two different things.

  • When it comes to people looking up to me, I don’t think about that at all.
  • While I know it’s probably true, everybody has people who are looking up to them.
  • I think the people that become hyperaware that people are looking up to them somehow become people we don’t want to look up to.

 

I talk to a lot of leaders about the fact that people are watching.

  • This can affect your income if you do not remain aware that people are watching.
  • I knew that I was getting a handle on that in my own life when people would comment on my personality.
  • I always want to be happy, fun, and approachable. If I don’t watch myself, I can get very direct and intense.
  • People tend to take a glimpse as the whole deal.

 

What do I do to keep my batteries charged?

  • I read.
  • I make sure that I have time around people that I am totally relaxed with, who will joke around with me.
  • have to have time by myself.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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On this week’s episode, we sit down again with Jerry Jenkins to talk about and the surprising backstory behind New York­ Times Bestseller, The Matheny Manifesto.

 

Baseball is my favorite sport probably because I wanted to be a baseball player.

  • One of my earliest breaks in writing was when my boss came into my office and said, “Would you want to help write a biography with Hank Aaron? I don’t really know that much about football...”
  • People hear that I’ve written for Nolan Ryan, Walter Payton, Joe Gibbs, and Mike Singletary, but Mike Matheny is as classy a guy as I’ve ever worked with.

 

Mike was asked by some parents to coach a little league team.

  • He wrote a letter to the parents, telling them that if he was going to coach the team, they needed to back off during games.
  • In it, he wrote that “the biggest problem with youth sports today is the parents.”
  • The letter ended up going viral and posted in locker rooms around the country. People referred to it as The Matheny Manifesto.

 

In the book, Mike tells this story about getting hit in the face with a 95 mile per hour fastball.

  • He lost 8 teeth and didn’t even fall down.
  • When he came back from the hospital he said, “I want to play tomorrow night.”
  • Now when his players want out of a game they say, “Are you going to tell him you have an ‘owie?’ ”

 

There are plenty of other amazing stories in The Matheny Manifesto.

 

If you want to become a writer, Jerry’s blog is must read material. He teaches writers the little-known secrets behind writing an amazing book and getting it published. Click here to get Jerry’s top 5 most crucial writing tips for free.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, we’re honored to have special guest Jerry Jenkins with us to share his proven writing process.

 

Give us a snapshot of your journey that got you into writing.

  • I played on a state championship little league team.
  • I was hurt my freshman year in high school playing football and decided to be a sports writer so I could stay close to the games.
  • We’re a bad example to great writers because we can’t identify the different parts of a sentence but composition was something that came so natural.

 

Did you go to college to write?

  • My first year of college was at Moody Bible Institute.
  • I wanted to go to journalism school, but by the time I was 19 I was a sports editor of a local paper and never did finish college.
  • I felt a call as a teenage to full time ministry. I thought I would have to give up my writing to full-time ministry. Someone counseled me and said, “God sometimes equips us before he calls us. Don’t assume you have to give up writing. It may be the vehicle that you use to fulfill your call.”
  • I looked for work in Christian journalism, and that really put me on the path that I am now.

 

Do you feel like writing is a discipline?

  • I see people year after year that say they’ll write a book when they have the time or feel inspired.
  • I keep a sign in my drawer that says, “The only way to write is with seat in chair.”
  • Sit in the chair, look at the screen and do something.
  • When I go to my writing cave, the work I do before noon is the best work I do. The first thing I do is a heavy edit of the work I did the day before. That catapults me into the writing I need to get done that day.
  • When I finish the book, I’ll go back and start from the beginning with a heavy edit.

 

I have a phrase I use almost every time I teach: “Writers are readers. Great writers are great readers.”

 

If you want to become a writer, Jerry’s blog is must-read material. He teaches writers the little-known secrets behind writing an amazing book and getting it published.

 

Click here to get Jerry’s top 5 most crucial writing tips for FREE.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to get your kids to read.

 

It’s extremely important that you get your child to read.

  • I understand when people say they don’t like to read.
  • I’m more of an outdoor kind of guy so I have to make myself read.

 

When we look at the massive benefits of reading, then it doesn’t really matter whether you like to read or not.

  • The statistics about reading show that people who read make more money, have a lower divorce rate, have fewer problems with their children, and get many more benefits.
  • I want my kids to read because I know what reading does.
  • Do we always want to read? Not necessarily, but we do want to make a better living for our families. We do want to be more valuable in our careers.
  • If there’s something you want to learn how to do, you can learn exactly how the best people in the world have done it by reading their books.

 

If you think a certain book is critical for your child to read and it can’t wait…pay them.

  • Have them give you an oral or written report.
  • Make it worth their while and worth your while.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how teens’ social media accounts affect their life and their employability.

 

You’ve heard me talk about how we’re misinformed about change. There are two things that have to be there with every single change.

  • What’s in it for me?
  • Proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
  • It is critical that you understand how change occurs.

 

The guidelines for social media are going to be different for different people. Knowing that, what we do want is the best for everybody.

  • The one thing that separates 100% great results from scattered results is explaining why we do things this way.
  • One of the first things you want to do with your kids is make sure they know what you want their life to be like when they’re an adult.
  • Build stories and examples.

 

I talk to a lot of people who are in the position of hiring and firing.

  • When a company puts out word that they are hiring, they sometimes get 10’s or even 100’s of applications.
  • Somebody will knock it down to the top people by just looking at the applicants’ social media profiles for obvious reasons not to hire someone (cursing, nudity, etc.).
  • They will then knock it down to a few people after having personal interviews.
  • Now they are down to the best people and just need to find a reason to pull someone.

 

Companies are looking for someone that is going to represent them outside of work.

  • Let’s say 9 years ago you had your picture taken with your hat on backwards.
  • We know that having a hat on backwards is not something bad or sinful, but 20% of people may think that’s not a good look.
  • While they know you wouldn’t be wearing your hat backwards at work, they may wonder if it’s still the way you present yourself to people.
  • Since they have to cut someone, something as little as that could be the difference between you starting at a company and you not having a job.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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On this week’s episode, I talk about the myths that keep us living in fear, and how to stop anxiety from ruling our lives.

 

The key to unlocking our confidence is examining our fear.

  • If you could put people on a scale and see the level of fear in their lives, I am convinced smart people would be on the higher end of the scale.
  • Smarter people have bigger imaginations, and possibly more opportunities for fear.
  • If you know what fear is, you can determine the effect it has on your life.
  • Fear is nothing but the misuse of the creative imagination that has been put in you.

 

In The Noticer, there is a section that is based on a real study of what’s really happening during our episodes of stress and anxiety.

  • 40% of what you worry about will never happen.
  • 30% has already happened and is in the past.
  • 12% has to do with totally needless imaginings.
  • 10% involves petty little things about what other people think.
  • 8% was left for legitimate concerns, and most of them we actually have control over—but we’re using all our energy worrying about the other things.

 

You are in control—so direct your imagination to things that excite you.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to teach a child to tell a good story in a conversational setting.

 

The ability to tell a great story is extremely valuable in all phases of life.

  • When we train ourselves to tell a good story, we become more engaging to our peers, to authority figures, and to people we are in authority over.
  • Being well liked by people can lead to a great number of additional opportunities.
  • So we not only need to train our children to tell great stories, we need to train ourselves to tell great stories.

 

First, we need to train our kids to talk to all kinds of people.

  • To train your child to tell a good story or anecdote, it’s very important that they watch adults tell good stories and anecdotes in conversational settings.
  • Most kids grow up on the outside of those conversations. They don’t get to listen because the parents do not give them the opportunity to listen.
  • Let them see adults in conversations. They tend not to act appropriately if they haven’t seen mature conversations before.

 

Encourage them to read.

  • People who read books will learn things that fire their imaginations, and they’ll be able to bring those things into conversations beyond the books.
  • People who watch TV generally talk about TV shows or the stars of TV shows.
  • One of the best ways to learn how to communicate is by reading a book.
  • Teach your kids to be good at learning in person when you’re with them, or when they are learning by themselves (when all they have is a book).

 

Questions for Listeners

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On this week’s episode, I answer a question on how to help a child when they’re having a tough time making friends.

  

How can you help when they say, “No one wants to be my friend?”

  • It’s a focusing process.
  • Our thinking is at the foundation of everything.
  • It determines our choices, and everything about us.

  

When people are disgruntled or depressed, they’re thinking more about themselves.

  • They aren’t thinking about whom they can serve and help.
  • If you’re child is sad or scared about making friends or going over to a friend’s house, focus their mind on the fun activities or opportunities they have.
  • I wouldn’t talk to your child about why no one wants to be his or her friend.
  • Instead, direct their thinking to how they can be the greatest friend in the class.

  

Questions for Listeners

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Direct download: ITL169__How_to_Deal_with__No_One_Wants_to_Be_My_Friend.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:19pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I address a listener question on the questions I ask when first going into a consulting situation.

 

There are a couple things I’m looking for when deciding if I’ll take on a client.

  • They have to be somebody that I like and connect with.
  • They must have a great level of belief in their company or team.

 

You have to ask the questions that will lead you to their level of belief.

  • I rarely ask, “What are your goals?” because people will lie or tell you what they think you want to hear.
  • Ask, “What you we trying to do here?”
  • Listen carefully to see what their level of belief is and what they ultimately want to accomplish.
  • This can apply to all relationships: family, neighbors, teams, colleagues etc…

 

You’re going to have to come up with your own questions according to what you’re after and the people you are dealing with.

  • If you’re going to be a guide, you have to see the future.
  • You first need to find out where they want to be, so you can help lead them to it.
  • Ask, “If you had a magic wand and could do anything you want, what would you do in this area?”

 

Questions for Listeners

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Direct download: ITL168__Insider_Consulting_Tips_to_Help_You_Give_Impactful_Advice.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I discuss whether transparency helps or hurts your leadership potential.

 

I’m in a period of learning a ton right now.

  • When it comes to my boys, I want them to understand that I’m still struggling to be wise in my choices and thinking everyday.
  • We’ve heard leaders promise to be transparent and we see varying degrees of their choice to pulling that off.
  • If you declare your intention to be transparent and you’re obviously not, then that hurts your leadership.
  • Other than that, I do not see how transparency can hurt your leadership—UNLESS it reveals something about you that makes you not worthy of following. (details on what makes someone unworthy of following available in podcast)

 

As a leader, we’re human and we’re going to mess up.

  • If you know the difference between a choice and a mistake, and you handle both in a proper way, your leadership will grow by leaps and bounds.
  • When a choice has been made, only true remorse and “Will you forgive me?” can press the reset button.
  • Would you rather follow somebody who knows how to get back on track when they mess up, or somebody who either bluffs their way through life or doesn’t understand where the track is to begin with?
  • A good leader knows when they’re off track, they know why they got off track (whether they made a mistake, or whether they chose to), and they know how to handle each situation the right way.

 

Questions for Listeners

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Direct download: ITL167__Is_a_Transparent_Leader__Really__the_Best_Leader_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:37am CDT

On this week’s episode, I discuss the little-known benefit of the hard times in our lives—and how my greatest struggles led me to my most important realizations.

 

During the time I was living under the pier and reading biographies, I was graphing out in my mind what had worked to make these people turn out like they did.

  • I was at a point in my life when I had a tough time with, “Is there more?”
  • I thought, were these people born this way, or was it something they did? What did they do and how long did it take them to do it?
  • After reading that many of them, you start to realize the things these people have in common.
  • I realized they weren’t habits, or theories, or really even mine. But I saw that they worked every time, and that they were principles.
  • I began to think what happens to somebody who knows all seven?

 

A lot of people don’t understand there is huge value in tough times.

  • To back this up this statement, my idea for the Seven Decisions came from a horrible time in my own life.
  • I would not have read these biographies had I not been living under a pier.
  • When you’re struggling in a certain area, you build muscle in that area. For the rest of your life, you are able to call upon that muscle.
  • Tough times can often force us into different ways of thinking.

 

The situations that have been the biggest wins for me have been because I was forced to think differently.

  • If everything were always in our control, none of us would ever struggle.
  • The “worst” thing can actually turn out to be the greatest thing that ever happened to you, but ONLY if you allow it.

 

If you know people who would benefit from Andy’s books or materials, this episode would be a great one to share. It’s a great entry point to get people up to speed on who Andy is and what he wants to help you accomplish. Take a moment and forward this episode to a friend!

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL166__The_Weird_Side_Effect_of_Going_Through_Toughest_Times.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:59am CDT

In previous episodes, I’ve talked about how you can only achieve the level of success that you truly believe. This week, I’ll tell you how you can expand this level of belief.

 

When you have an expanded level of belief in yourself, it allows you a different level of belief in others.

  • Money is a very easy way to provide a gauge.
  • I’ve found that if you can expand your level of belief in other areas, your money goes up—largely because you have become more valuable to other people.

 

Sometimes people ask if I really believe that anyone can be successful.

  • I don’t just believe it. I know you can.
  • I know that because I was the guy in the ditch.
  • Do you think God made any person thinking they’ll never be able to do anything, or thinking they’ll be a failure from the beginning? No.

 

There is a huge level of belief that you can grab ahold of, but it will come about by shaping how you think.

  • Your beliefs are totally governed by how you think.
  • How you think is determined by what you subject yourself to (books, movies, people you spend time with).
  • Choose wisely what goes into your mind and your presence.

 

Your level of belief will not be expanded in a day. It will be expanded daily.

  • I think expanding your belief has to do with your relationship with God and your purpose.
  • You should spend time determining what will move you forward and what things you can ease out of your life.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL165__The_Source_of_Your_Unlimited_Potential_Hint__Anyone_Can_Do_This.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:54am CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about passion, procrastination, and how they will shape your future.


I believe passion is a lot like momentum.

When you have momentum, you perform better than normal.

You produce at a level far beyond what you normally would if we measured you.

When you lack momentum, you produce at a lower level than normal.

People don’t generally stay on a level playing field. They either have momentum or they don’t.


I see people who have amazing abilities and opportunities but they won’t get out of their own way.

They will not discipline themselves.

Overcoming procrastination is saying, “I’m not going to live my life according to a feeling. I’m not going to let a feeling dictate the way I act. Instead, I’m going to let the way I act dictate my feelings.”


What do you like to do more than anything in the world?

Can you make yourself do something you don’t want to do for a little while to get something you’d like to have for the rest of your life?

Would it be worth it to you if for three years you never do some things that you like to do, but at the end of those three years you can do whatever you want whenever you want?


Questions for Listeners

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Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

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On this week’s episode, David Loy has several holiday related questions for Andy,

 

Listen in to hear Andy’s answers to:

  • What is your favorite Christmas carol?
  • Who is the most unique family member from your childhood?
  • What’s your favorite Thanksgiving and New Years food?
  • What’s your favorite indoor and outdoor holiday activities?
  • Do you own any tacky pieces of holiday clothing?
  • What’s your favorite tradition from when you were a kid?
  • What’s the topper on your tree?
  • What is your favorite gift you’ve ever received?
  • What’s the best gift you’ve ever given?

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL163__Rapid_Fire_Holiday_Questions_with_Andy.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

In this episode, I talk about selfishness, and how it can keep you and everyone around you from growing.

 

One of the top three most important things Jones ever told me was, “Most people live their entire lives and never understand that you can’t always believe everything you think.”

  • I received a call a few months ago from a company that lost one of their executives to another company offering more money, and it was a big problem.
  • The company let him go because they wouldn’t match the offer for a reason that they may think is true, but it’s not.
  • I think if Moses spent more time on the mountain he would have come back with the 11th decision, “Thou shalt not kid thyself.”

 

The truth isn’t that they couldn’t match the offer; the truth is that they chose not to match the offer.

  • The deeper issue is… what is in your belief system or plans for the future that causes you to choose not to match that offer?
  • Did that person start developing bad habits or peak with what they were bringing to the company?

 

You want to increase your value, but watch the people you work with and keep an eye on their value.

  • As an example let’s say that you’ve made $100,000 for many years.
  • There is an opportunity to bring someone new to the team, but they will be making $350,000.
  • In turn, they bring enough value to raise your salary to $175,000.
  • Don’t let jealousy get in the way of something that could be great for the company and great for you.
  • The bottom line is there are many ways to increase your value.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL162__How_Your_Own_Jealousy_Can_Keep_You_from_Progress.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:57am CDT

ITL161: When to Eliminate the Negative People from Your Life

On this week’s episode, I discuss when to eliminate negative people from your life.

 

We hear that we need to eliminate negative people from our lives.

  • Yet, if we know that we are consistently negative, we certainly hope everybody is not eliminating us.

 

What if Jones eliminated negative people from his life?

  • He would have certainly eliminated me.
  • But Jones didn’t have to consider dropping me from his life.
  • He had moved so far beyond where I was that I had no influence on him at all.
  • His challenge with me was figuring out how to say things to me so that I could understand them and so they would resonate with me.

 

When I was living under the pier, I really needed to eliminate the negative influences in my life.

  • I had to determine which people always acted negatively.
  • If they were both looking and thinking, I could be friends with those people safely.
  • There are people at a very high level of success, and I’m looking to spend more time with them and watch them carefully.
  • There are also some people who are just beginning that journey. Those people would not affect me in a negative way, and maybe I could be a Jones to them.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL_161.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:47am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on staying positive day in and day out.

 

We’ve talked about this a lot but I really believe that our thinking is the foundation of everything that we become.

  • It’s what we accomplish.
  • It’s who we are.
  • It’s the family we raise.
  • It’s the society in which we live.

 

Frankly, I’m not always positive.

  • It’s something that I want to be, but I don’t want to be an idiot.
  • I want to be positive because I’ve figured out the version of the truth that I want to live my life with.
  • What I mean by “version of the truth” is that sometimes, people are able to look at the same thing and get two totally conclusions, but in a way both of them are true.

 

A huge thing for me is to have a long view of time.

  • A long view of time will generally yield a more positive way of looking at things that is more hopeful, more peaceful for you and your family, and absolutely true.
  • When you have a long view of time, you can see the truth easier.

 

If you feel people are looking to you for everything, I would imagine it’s because you’ve been successful in the past at providing perspective about a situation that was true.

  • Jones always told me that if a perspective is well thought out and true, it is life changing.
  • In crazy moments, you have to go back to the truth.

 

There are huge benefits to issues, problems, and failures. You are building a story.

  • A story will tell you the truth about what happened.
  • What happened will yield a historical record.
  • A historical record produces a longer view of time.
  • And a longer view of time will reveal how you really need to handle something.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on the difference between discipline and punishment.

 

Before getting into that I have a quick story:

  • A few weeks ago, I was getting ready to head out of town and Polly asked, “Have you seen Carver?” Now he’s a huge standard black poodle, and it’s unusual not to see him for a few hours.
  • As I’m about to leave, Polly says that they found him. He was under the garage with Skippy, our outdoor cat. It turns out the cat was sick, and Carver been under there with it for hours taking care of it.
  • Polly took Skippy to the vet and he didn’t make it, but it’s amazing how intelligent these dogs can be.
  • These moments can be times to talk to your kids about death, and give them comfort with how small of an amount of time they will be without someone in the grand scheme of eternity.

 

So, what is the difference between discipline and punishment?

  • Discipline is what you are creating in a child.
  • Punishment is a necessary part of discipline to get to an end result that you want, which is that this person doesn’t have to be punished or disciplined again because they now understand the concept of self-discipline.
  • King Solomon said, “Discipline a child while he is young, or YOU will ruin his life.”

 

You want to make sure that a child knows to obey now, and if they are outside the circle of discipline then there will be a punishment.

  • When you make sure the child knows to obey, there will come a time that you can say, “stop” and they stop. Subconsciously, this child is aware that they stopped but that they still want to continue moving forward.
  • Subconsciously, this child is beginning to connect that they can make themselves do something that they don’t want to do, to get a result they want…not be punished.
  • That is the very beginning of a thought process leading to self-discipline.

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL159_-_The_Crucial_Difference_Between_Discipline_and_Punishment.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:53am CDT

On this week’s episode, I discuss money and the influence it should have on your parenting style.

 

How does the amount of money you have (or don’t have) affect your parenting style?

  • Obviously both can create issues and both have to do with the thinking of the parents.
  • If you have more money, there are more places you can go or vacation, but that stuff isn’t necessary under the umbrella of “parenting.”
  • Our goal is to raise kids who become great adults.
  • I’ve seen situations where having a lot of money created more problems with kids than situations where money was scarce. 

 

Austin just turned 15, and he was aware at 10 years old that he would be buying his own car.  

  • I’ve talked with him a lot about why it is important for him. 
  • He understands that we are after him having an awesome adult life. 

 

For a child to become a great adult, it’s easier to reach your potential if you have the confidence that you are capable of doing things yourself. 

  • That will give you some pride (not in the egotistical way). 
  • And generally, if you buy a car yourself, you take better care of it. 

 

As far as parenting, I really believe that our quality time, and even our gifts, do NOT have to be about having money. 

 

  • I urge you to find something that your kids love to do, that you can not only do with them, but it’s also something that causes you to wait. 
  • If you can somehow get them interested in the woods and the water, that will bring a lot of opportunities to sit. 
  • It teaches us to be patient and that we don’t always catch something, but we can always have an awesome time. Catching something is just a bonus. 
  • The last thing about this is you want to have time with your children that they can sit and think of questions to ask you and you can sit and think about your answers. That doesn’t come in any other setting. 

 

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL158_Can_You_Still_Parent_Your_Kids_Well_Without_Having_Much_Money.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I give some advice to a family with two boys gifted in different ways, and I give suggestions on how the parents can help guide them to the right career paths.

 

My wife says I have been gifted with being able to remember every single thing I’ve ever seen or heard, and I do have one very odd gift that I will display on occasion.

  • I can listen to someone and repeat almost instantly what they are saying with some of the inflections and barely miss a beat.
  • My teachers used to say my mouth could run by itself.

 

Isn't it odd how the same parents can raise children the same way, but they still can turn out so different?

  • I try to direct my boys toward thinking about the benefits of being brothers.
  • “You will always have each other, and being different is a good thing. You can fill the empty spaces that the other one has.”

 

When it comes to picking a career path, take a breath.

  • When I was twenty, I was living under a pier.
  • I’m not saying that they shouldn’t be working, but I thought I was supposed to be a veterinarian, then a comedian, then a businessperson, now…
  • You could probably say about me that I haven’t identified a main career path yet.

 

For teens and young adults having trouble identifying the direction they want to go in, ask them these questions (if it won’t discourage them):

  • What is it that you just love, and if money were no object what would you get up and do everyday?
  • What value does that have for other people?
  • And when you figure that out, prove it by getting out there and doing it.
  • If you can do this, you will never be without work again.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL_157_-_How_Do_You_Help_Kids_Find_The_Right_Career_Path.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:29am CDT

On this week’s episode, we have Patsy Clairmont back in the studio to talk about her new book Twirl, and share some personal stories.

 

A lot of people have ideas but it’s rare the people can actually pull them off. Patsy brings people into her home who need to do something creative in their lives.

  • It’s a planned way of getting in touch with the stories that have been sitting inside you for years.

 

Patsy’s battle against agoraphobia:

  • I was an agoraphobic by the time I hit my early twenties and began to let my emotions rule my choices.
  • Once I learned I could make a choice in spite of my unstable emotions, then I began to find solid ground.
  • That was a tremendous moment of discovery.

 

“You have been created with a will that is stronger then your emotions.”

  • I tripped and messed up over and over but I was getting stronger and started having more success.
  • I realized that a lot of my thoughts came out of the disuse and the imbalance of my own metal condition rather than from scripture.
  • When agoraphobics come to me and say, “What do I do?” I say, “It’s not going to sound like the good news—but trust me, it is. It will be the hardest work you’ve ever done, but what you will get from it will be your greatest reward. You’ll find your sanity and discover your dignity.”

 

Patsy’s new book, Twirl, just came out.

  • When I was a little girl, my daddy used to twirl me around and around, and I would be full of wonder. I would get up, run to him and say, “Do it again, Daddy. Twirl me.”
  • What I find in life is we can loose track of ourselves in the business. We forget how we are in our attempt to be all things to all people.
  • What I hope to do with Twirl is to give ideas to people of how to self-nurture and take responsibility for themselves. The better condition you’re in, the more value you will have to offer another person. When you’re running on an empty tank, you’re thinking thin thoughts; but when you’re storing up good stuff, you can’t wait to give to another life.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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On this week’s episode, we have Crystal Paine, “THE Money Saving Mom,” in our studio to answer a few questions about how her business has grown into what it is today.

 

How did this all get started?

  • My husband and I committed to stay out of debt while he went to law school.
  • We were literally living on beans and rice, but we started finding ways to stretch our dollars because we had to.
  • I was a new mom and started blogging about frugal topics, and there was a lot of interest from outside people.

 

How did it all evolve into what it is today?

  • I had already established myself as an expert with frugal living.
  • Within 3 months we had 16 thousand views on the blog, and within a year we were making a full time income off blog.
  • Today we have about 1.5 million unique visitors to the site per month.

 

How did the book, Say Goodbye to Survival Modecome about?

  • The book was a result of two things…
  • People telling me they were just trying to survive and figure out how to get their life in order
  • My own personal journey of hitting rock bottom and the steps I took to climb out of that pit.

 

What are some of the things you’ve had to overcome?

  • Humbling myself and bringing on help in my business and at home.
  • Learning how to respond with grace to criticism.

 

“My long-term vision is to impact as many lives and help as many people to get their finances and life in order so they can live their life on purpose and influence their communities and ultimately the world.”

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on finding role models when none are present in your life.

 

If you’re having a hard time finding role models, then you’re already on the right track because you’ve identified the need to seek out others.

 

How do you find somebody to be mentored by?

  • Get biographies and read about people.
  • You will learn from their great decisions and mistakes.
  • Compare and contrast what you’re reading with what you’re seeing around you.

 

I urge you to take notes on people.

  • Observe the people you see in your community or even when you travel.
  • Take note of how others treat people and the reactions they get back.
  • Take note of body language and actions. There is so much you can learn from observing all kinds of people.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL154_-_Not_Finding_the_Right_Role_Model_This_Works_EVERY_Time.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about the characteristics of a successful coach.

 

I speak and write but I also have a couple of clients, including football teams. My criteria for taking on a client:

  • I’ve got to like them.
  • I have to be convinced that their belief level is at a point where they can accomplish great things.
  • Their ability to process information and shift on the fly is also important.

 

People can only achieve to the level that they really believe.

 

To me, the characteristics of a successful coach are:

  • They have a high level of belief in what they do and what they can accomplish.
  • No matter their age or past success, they’re always looking to expand and push the boundaries of what they already know.
  • A lot of people think they’re a little crazy. I don’t mean they lose their temper or anything—I mean people look at them and don’t understand why they do what they do.
  • They accept the “Jones’ Secret Principle of Extraordinary Achievement.” If you’re doing what everybody else is doing, you’re probably doing something wrong.

 

Determine the best result that could ever possibly happen, then backup and design methods specific to that result.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL153_What_Makes_a_Successful_Coach.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, we have very special guest Patsy Clairmont in the studio to talk about her life and have some laughs.

 

I was on tour with Patsy for three years while touring with Women of Faith.

  • If I kept a list of my favorite speakers, I don’t know if it would be her or Zig Ziglar at the top.
  • I can honesty say, professionally, watching her speak was the best experience I’ve ever had.

 

Listen in to hear Patsy talk about the small group workshop in her home, and tell stories about finding creativity (including a time when someone called her “the worst student I’ve ever had”).

 

Go to PatsyClairmont.com and check out Shaking Your Tree to hear more from Pasty on how she can help you develop creativity and confidence.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL152_Release_Your_Creativity_with_Special_Guest_Patsy_Clairmont.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:36pm CDT

On this week’s episode, I respond to a listener question about discussing the topic of depression and suicide prevention.

 

This week’s topic comes from a father who lost his daughter to suicide in a nationally televised story.

  • I know it must be one of the hardest things in the world when somebody you love so deeply makes a decision to do this.
  • I heard in your letter that she left behind two boys, 3 & 7.
  • Navigating this for them is going to be tough.
  • As they get older, they will need your presence and your son-in-law’s guidance.

 

You may have heard people or doctors say this kind of thing runs in families.

  • I’m not a medical doctor, so I can’t speak to the actual working of the brain. But I take a different view.
  • I think when a family member commits suicide, it brings that up as an option.
  • Unless it’s dealt with, I think other family members can think, “well, so-and-so did this, and this is how they dealt with that.”

 

The tough thing about this will be to separate your daughter from the act and remember the love that she had.

  • I can imagine that as sad as you are about this, you might be a little mad too for her child and husband.
  • I really feel like forgiveness is the reset button that needs to be pushed here.

 

I want you to be very aware of how grateful you can be for her life.

  • I am sure there are many moments you can call upon that were times of joy and excitement that she added to your life.
  • In the midst of your sorrow, remember to be grateful for that gift of her life and what it meant to you, your wife, and so many other people.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL151_-_When_Someone_in_Your_Life_Commits_Suicide.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:25am CDT

On this week’s episode, I address a listener question on the distinction between coaching and mentoring.

The question we received is, “What are the differences between coaching and mentoring, and does the distinction really matter?”

  • I think the distinction does matter, at least financially.
  • Mentoring is less in your face, and it’s a little more guidance oriented.
  • When a specific relationship is outlined and you have a detailed goal, you are getting into the coaching area.

 

I’ve been mentored by people that don’t know it and people who are already dead.

  • George Washington Carver and Joshua Chamberlain have been mentors for me — people who have been written about or have a large volume of work that I can follow.
  • The length of time is a defining feature. I could coach you for 15 minutes, but mentoring is an ongoing process.

 

A buddy of mine a few years ago told me that his mom left him some money, and he was thinking about hiring a person he knows as a financial planner.

  • I asked how much money the financial planner made, and he said it was a lot like himself.
  • Wouldn’t you want someone with a higher level of financial success to guide the results you are after?

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL149_The_Difference_Between_Coaching_and_Mentoring.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I address a listener question about my perspective on finding peace when dealing with death. 

This topic was on my mind when I was writing The Noticer Returns.

  • When I wrote this book, I wanted to have Jones deal with several things that people have a hard time with.
  • I wanted to handle this subject with sensitivity, but in a way that answers questions and gives people real comfort.

Listen in as I answer this question by reading a full chapter from The Noticer Returns.

Get your full version of The Noticer Returns for a more thorough answer to this question.

To get your own copy now, just click here.

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL148_-_How_Do_You_Find_Peace_When_Dealing_with_Death_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on how to turn big powerful thoughts into smaller, concise statements so they can be clearly communicated to others.

Before getting into that, we have a quick announcement.

  • There are not a whole whole lot of opportunities for ticketed events to hear me speak.
  • Crossroads Church in Oklahoma City is holding the 2014 Leadership Conference with Jon Acuff, Dr. Mark Rutland, and myself on September 26th, 2014. 

We’ve all heard the statements:

  • Average people compare themselves with other people.
  • High achievers compare themselves with their potential.
  • There is a clue in that statement as to what we should be doing to take these big ideas and turn them into little steps.
  • Most of us are so consumed with the little steps that we hope the big thing will manifest itself. 

It is a common mistake for people to allow methods to determine their possible results.

  • I urge you to turn this idea on its head.
  • If you want to be clear and concise with those little things and create a huge picture, you need to determine the best possible result you can achieve.
  • Once you have that clearly defined, you can quit thinking about it so hard. Now you can go back and devise the methods that will take you there. 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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Direct download: ITL147_How_to_Refine_Your_Methods_and_Accelerate_Your_Success.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:59am CDT

On this week’s episode, I share my perspective on how to talk to your kids when they are being to hard on themselves and falling apart. 

As parents, it is crucial that we are vulnerable about our pasts.

  • Some kids need to know another person has experienced the same problems as they have.
  • Obviously we’ve forgotten what being 12 feels like, but we can try to imagine how things are going on in their minds.

My son, Adam, is very sensitive and tends to think about things that might not bother his older brother.  

  • His feelings don’t get hurt easily, but he is very aware of what other people are feeling—and he tends to focus on areas where he’s not doing so well. 
  • I encourage you to help your child understand that we are all in the same boat together.
  • We all have strengths and weaknesses, and you can always find someone better than you.
  • Talk to your children about how they act, walk, and talk—and try to instill these habits in their lives.

I recently heard a pastor say to the church’s youth, “Sometimes God will give you a weakness that you really have to struggle with, and it will become a strength.”

I told Adam a story about two football teams.

  • The first team had athletes that didn’t have to work hard to beat the other team every year.
  • One year the second team decided to start lifting weights and working out harder than ever.
  • The first time they played the really good team again, they lost worse than before because their bodies were sore.
  • But the next year after sticking with the workouts, they creamed the other team. The first team decided to start working out harder, but they were already too far behind.

Make sure to check out the free parenting videos on the website. There’s a bunch of great information on how to talk to your kids.

Here’s a link, so you don’t have to go hunting: Click here

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
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  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL146_What_to_Say_to_Your_Kids_When_Theyre_Too_Hard_on_Themselves.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I respond to a question about reading biographies to children and my thoughts on fiction.

I would read biographies to the boys when they were younger and paraphrase to make it more age-appropriate.

  •      With biographies you can foster an interest in history and good lessons.
  •      Non-Fiction will inform and teach, and I believe it is important to be able to explain why a certain thing will work.

 I find it weird when people have a sort of snobbery toward fiction.

  •      When you read fiction, it will ignite your imagination in a way that nonfiction cannot do.
  •      It’s knowledge and imagination that drives the great breakthroughs on our planet.
  •      You need both to create a successful life.

You want the kind of fiction that sparks the right kind of imagination.

  •      Be careful what you and your children are reading.
  •      Your imagination is so crucial to making a great living, having awesome relationships, and being a great parent or spouse.

The Kid Who Changed the World is a clever telling of how much we all mean to each other and the difference we can make, while also teaching history.

Click here to learn how to get your own copy of The Kid Who Changed the World.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

 

Direct download: ITL145_What_Kinds_of_books_should_you_and_your_children_read.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:35am CDT

On this week’s episode, I discuss a popular listener question: “What should you provide for your kids, and what should they have to work for?”

Some parents have a cut and dry answer for that, but I don’t.

  • My answer changes depending on what’s going on.
  • It’s according to how they are behaving.
  • If I sense a spirit of gratefulness, then there are more things that I will handle for them. A lot of the time it’s not even things they are aware of. 
  • The one thing that can truly stop it in a heartbeat is if I sense a spirit of expectation or a lack of gratefulness. Then it’s a totally different ballgame.

There was a time last week that I needed to drive Austin around to several locations for the business he has started. 

  • Something distracting was happening when we got home, and a few minutes later I was aware that Austin had not thanked me for doing that for him.
  • I used this situation to explain to him that as he grew older, life would become more chaotic and there will be more occasions to forget how to act.
  • People want to be around grateful people, and it’s a desirable quality in an employee or boss.

I recently saw a kid who got a brand new BMW on his 16th birthday.

  • At some point that car is going to wear out. And if the parents aren’t going to buy him another car when he’s older, then that may be the nicest car he ever has.
  • I see young adults all the time who are disappointed with their life, because the best car they ever drove, place they lived, or most fun they had was when they were a kid.
  • As they become more disappointed, it affects how they act. And then their performance level is affected at work. Over time, they become more and more likely never to have that BMW again. 

I’ve elaborated on this topic in a free 4-video series I did on smart parenting. I’d love for you to get to watch it!

These short videos cover must-know information for parents. In seconds, they could change your kids’ lives forever.

Click here for free instant access to the videos.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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On this week’s episode, I respond to a listener question about handshake etiquette for girls.

I don’t think there is a “right” or “wrong,” but I do think there is a “best.”

There are a couple of schools of thought here:

  • One is the old-school “debutant” school of thought:
  • Women go to college to find a husband.
  • Everything a woman does should be geared toward a wife and homemaker.
  • I don’t know if there is anything more important than that, but there are definitely other things that may be equally important.

With the way our world works today, I don’t think a woman shaking hands should offend anyone.

  • For the most part, professional women shake hands.
  • What looks really strange, though, is when a woman doesn’t know what to do.

I’ve taught my boys that there are many people who will not expect a handshake from them because of their age.

  • I see many surprised (and delighted) faces when by boys reach their hands out and say, “nice to meet you” to adults.
  • To a huge degree, how you treat your wife or husband will create a baseline for your children’s expectations as they grow up.

I’ve elaborated on this topic in a free 4-video series I did on smart parenting. I’d love for you to get to watch it!

These short videos cover must-know information for parents. In seconds, they could change your kids’ lives forever.

Click here for free instant access to the videos.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL143_Whats_the_Correct_Handshake_Etiquette_for_Girls.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about my special new book, The Perfect Moment, and the peculiar story of how it came to be published: 

It all started while I was throwing football with one of my boys.

  • That led to a magical conversation, and it became a story for our friends.
  • I wrote it down, and then it became a story I would tell on stage.
  • We turned it into a free downloadable eBook and then finally Simple Truths said that they would like to publish it in hardcover. (more in the video) 

The book offers amazing insights into finding the hidden value of everyday life.

  • There are so many things that we see everyday and don’t notice anymore.
  • Our family has begun to notice the perfect moments that are occurring in our lives. Yours can, too.
  • The end of your book has a “Life Planner” of sorts that will help ensure your next six months are outstanding, noticing and creating more of your own perfect moments.

We are very grateful for Mac Anderson and Simple Truths for putting this book out nationwide. I’m absolutely thrilled with how beautiful the book turned out! 

[If you’d like to grab your own copy of The Perfect Moment, just click this link to go to the book’s page.]

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL142_The_Perfect_Moment.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:41am CDT

Before getting into our discussion, I wanted to give a shout-out to my friend Wes Hampton.

  • He and his family were over this past 4th of July weekend and we had a lot of fun grilling and watching the kids play.
  • Wes also has a Kamado Joe (plus his own cookbook), so we had a great cooking discussion.
  • Find Wes on Facebook or head over to WesHampton.com, and you can find his recipes there.

This week’s topic comes from a pastor who sometimes works with victims of sexual abuse, and what “accepting responsibility” would look like in this situation. One of the women he works with started reading The Traveler’s Gift and closed the book when she read to accept responsibility for your past.

Life is a series of advancing what we understand, or we kind of stop in a certain place and say, “That’s it.”

  • There was a time in most people’s lives when they had not acquired a taste for certain types of food.
  • If I had a chance to talk to her before she read The Traveler’s Gift, I would say, “Read the book with the same mind-set as you would have going into a cafeteria.”
  • They might have a lot of things you like, but you don’t leave when you see something you won’t eat.

Accepting responsibility for our past also means determining what we are responsible for.

  • The things we are not responsible for would certainly fall more into the forgiveness category.
  • At the age of 9, you would really have no choice if an adult imposed something on you.
  • I know this is a delicate situation and I don’t know all the circumstances, so this is more of just exploring ideas, but I do feel there is a certain age when responsibility to get yourself out of a situation falls somewhat to you.

Questions for Listeners

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  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
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Direct download: ITL141_When_Does_The_Buck_Stops_Here_NOT_apply.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:49am CDT

On this week’s episode, I address the question of how to balance contentment and the things you want in life.

There are several things I want to do and want to have.

Before anything “goes up on our refrigerator,” so to speak, I see if it fits my criteria…

  • Does this line up with my mission in life?
  • Would it make my mission more vibrant and successful?
  • Can this thing be a tool to help people?

We are very joyful whether we get to do something or not. There is an understanding that we don’t need certain things to feel fulfilled.

I am very aware of blessings beyond need.

  • We have a house, but I have proven in my life that I only need a pier to sleep under.
  • We have blessings beyond what we need cultivate a grateful spirit.
  • Gratefulness will make you into a content person.
  • In my quiet time, I will examine the things beyond what I need and determine if I should pursue them.

Gratefulness is right in the middle of this question. You’ve got to have a grateful spirit and understand that if your needs are met, everything else is gravy.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
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Direct download: ITL140_How_to_be_Content_and_Ambitious_at_the_Same_Time.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about the benefits of gardening with your family and answer a listener question on divided families.

 

We have a little garden of eight blackberry bushes that we planted three years ago.

  • The first year we got a few blackberries.
  • The second year we got a lot of blackberries.
  • This year we couldn’t pick them all at one time.

 

This is a great thing parents can do with their kids.

  • Get a couple of plants, take your kids in the backyard, dig a hole, pour some potting soil in it, and stick the plant in the yard.
  • This is what families used to do together.
  • We’ll spend an hour just picking berries and talking to each other.
  • Doing this teaches your children about end results.

 

Planting something is a great metaphor for life.

  • Zig Ziglar talked about planting a bamboo tree and growing it over ten-years.
  • You water and fertilize it for years without seeing results.
  • Then, in that last year, it will have grown 100-feet.
  • So… did it grow 100-feet in one year or ten years?

 

What can parents of divided families do to make sure they’re being as effective as they can?

  • One of the great strategies is for the mom and dad to get together and determine what they want the child’s adulthood to look like.
  • Write it down.
  • If you sit there and try to discuss methods, it’s going to be opinion vs. opinion.
  • Determine the result, and work backward from there.
  • Then, you can be more certain that when your child is not with you, the other parent is still aiming for the same result.

 

Check out Andy’s parenting series for more information. You will get access to over 80-minutes of free content in this 4-video series.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL139_-_Surprising_Things_Your_Kids_Can_Learn_from_a_Garden.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I share my thoughts on a listener question about generational advancement.

 

Reversing generational curses or trends is a huge thing to me, and I’ve spent a great deal of time searching for answers on this topic.

 

The most important thing I’ve learned on this search comes from studying many other families.

  • I’ve studied families that have been affected by negative generational things.
  • I’ve studied families that have had huge generational success.
  • For people to want to change, you need to prove why a particular way of doing something works.
  • I’ve spent the past two years working on the 100 Year Parenting course to explain just that.
  • It’s basically the long form answer to this question.

 

It’s all parenting.

  • I’m even talking about business relationships and marriages.
  • The way people deal with things, or come around to a new light of wisdom has a lot to do with how they were raised.
  • It’s easy to realize that we all understand that a child who grows into a 25-year-old adult with exceptional manners is imminently more employable than a 25-year-old without good manners.
  • Manners are money.

 

If you haven’t seen any of the parenting course, go to AndyAndrews.com and click on the parenting banner. Inside is a free 4-video series, which has over 80 total minutes of content.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
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Direct download: ITL138_What_Other_Families_Can_Teach_Us_About_Generational_Legacy.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I’m sharing a story I wrote about my dad.

 

It’s not really a short story since all of it is true.

  • It has been pieced together from things I remember, and stories I have heard from others who knew him.
  • I wanted my boys to have a description of their grandfather in the event that I am not able to give the oral history.

 

My father had a different method of parenting.

  • He was kind of nut. Not a professional nut like I am, but still a nut.
  • This story takes you though some of the memories that I love, and the funny things that he would say as our church pastor.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL137_-_A_Brief_History_of_My_Father.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on what it really takes to have a successful marriage.

Occasionally you hear people say, “We don’t have any problems. We don’t fight ever.”

  • Anytime I hear that, I always think that somebody is being fooled.
  • I don’t know how two people can exist and not have to work some things out.
  • If you have ever been involved in a long-term friendship, there have been moments that you could have walked away from the friend and never done anything with them again.
  • A marriage is more than just a long-term friendship. 

Polly and I have a working marriage. It’s a consistent work in progress.

  • I think we all go through moments where we feel like we can’t stand a person anymore. That’s human nature.
  • The commitment to how things should be has to be larger than a momentary feeling of disagreement.

Our first couple of years were the hardest part of our marriage.

  • We got married, and to our horror, found out how different we were from one another. I panicked for a little while.
  • I remembered Jones telling me that if two people were exactly alike, one of them would be unnecessary.

I think that the kids knowing that your decisions are for your long-term future really affects them.

  • Even though we disagree or get mad, there is a larger purpose that the boys know they are a part of, too.

I think the best marriage book ever written is Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs. It firmly grasps the idea of what both people need.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL136_How_Does_a_Successful_Marriage_Work.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on thinking and how it inspires action.

 

Most people believe that their choices determine where they are.

  • In a way they do, but you can’t really control your choices any more than you can control the flip of a coin.
  • Unless you have a process in place for guiding your choices, at best you can hope to make 50% of your choices right.
  • Thinking determines the choices we make, choices determine actions, and actions determine our reputation.

 

Are there instances in which action inspires different thinking?

  • Yes, if we are looking to learn something.
  • When we are not looking to learn something, our words (or thinking) will overpower our actions.
  • Thinking and action are kind of circularly intertwined.            

 

There is a great paradox between “As a man thinketh, so is he,” and yet we’re still able to choose what we think and how we think.

 

God feeds the birds, but he doesn’t throw worms in their nest.

  • I realized years ago that I was praying beggar prayers, and I felt like God was rolling his eyes at me.
  • If you’re sitting at home and lying on the couch, the people that God places on your life path are probably not sitting next to you.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

 

 

 

Direct download: ITL135_The_Paradox_Betwwen_Thinking_and_Action.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on which three words I would use to describe myself.

 

One of them would definitely be searching.

  • In the second decision –“I will seek wisdom”– I thought for a number of years that the most important word was wisdom.
  • The most important word is seek.
  • I’ve become so much more aware of searching because I’ve finally figured out that there is a lot more to the things that I thought I knew.
  • Even if you are an expert in a field, there are always more answers to search out.

 

The second word is intentional.

  • I don’t live my life according to intention.
  • Intention has no power.
  • To be intentional about what you do means you are heading in a specific direction for a specific reason.

 

When you are intentional about where you are going to go, then you are able to determine very quickly if what you are doing is moving you closer or further from the result you want.

 

The third word is really the first one I thought of, and that is grateful.

  • Gratefulness is perspective.
  • I’ve never found anyone who has presented a situation where I couldn’t point out something to be grateful for.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL134_How_to_be_Intentionally_Grateful.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I address a listener question on displacing negative thoughts.

 

You can’t leave your mind blank.

  • When we don’t choose what goes in our minds, our minds fill up with things that point our thoughts in other directions.
  • These directions may affect our choices in ways we would really rather not choose.
  • How many times have we said to ourselves, “what was I thinking?”

 

Think about this….

  • If I was to sing, “Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale…”
  • You would immediately think, “A tale of a fateful trip.”
  • But was there really a time that we sat down with a pen a pad and said that we wanted to learn this song?
  • We weren’t choosing anything at that time, but it made its way into our brains and it’s never going away.

 

There was a movie I saw in high school that totally freaked me out.

  • I don’t even remember why I was there, or who I was with when I saw it.
  • It has been decades since I’ve seen that movie, but I can’t forget the things that I saw.
  • Those images are not doing me any good.

 

Why not choose what does go in our minds?

  • Choose something that will benefit your family forever, or benefit what you believe your destiny to be.
  • It is important to choose.
  • You don’t have to read my books, but you better be reading something beneficial.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

 

 

Direct download: ITL133_-_Displacing_Negative_Thoughts.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, we honor our mothers with an episode not just for Mother’s Day.

  

A couple of weeks ago the boys found a vine hanging down from a tree.

  • I can remember telling Polly, “They’re fine.” I didn’t say, “You’ll be fine.”
  • Adam was yelling, “It’s perfectly safe!”
  • So as Polly is swinging, the vine cracks and mama fell from the sky.
  • What a great mom these boys have. As crazy as that was…what a great memory.

 

I say this to friends of mine whose mothers pass away:

  • First, I ask how old they are. For this example, let’s say they are 57.
  • I’ll say, “I know that you’re sad, and there’s never a good time for anyone’s mama to pass away, but I am envious, because you had 57 years with a mama as great as yours and that must have been awesome.”

 

Make a determined and consistent effort to let your parents, especially your mama, know you love them.

  • Some of the moments when I most admire Polly are when I see flashes of my mother in her.
  • It’s very odd to me that I am now older than my mother was when she passed away.

 

I make sure the boys know every time they leave for school or go to bed at night that it could be the last time they see us.

  • I don’t want them living in fear.
  • But I also don’t want them living with regret.
  • Again, say what you need to say to the people you care about.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL132_How_to_Honor_Your_Mother_Year-Round.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

 On this week’s episode I discuss why your family needs a mission statement and how my family created ours.

 



I’ve never seen a successful company that didn’t have a mission statement.

  • I found out that a friend of mine, Sandy Stimpson, has a family mission statement for his family. 
    
  • He suggested that we make our own.

 



Polly, the boys, and I sat down and decided…
 

  • What is important?
  • Where do we want to go? 
  
  • What is the best?
  • What result are we after?
  • How do we act?

 



Over the course of several weeks we formed the mission statement, and it is now framed.

  • We keep it in the front of our house where we can see it all day long. 
    
  • It makes life more intentional for Polly and me, but it is also transforming how our boys think.

 

Be sure you’re on the AndyAndrews.com email list so you don’t miss the release of our free Family Mission Statement Builder! Go to AndyAndrews.com to sign up.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL131__The_Benefits_of_a_Family_Mission_Statement.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

 On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about the hardest thing in my life and what I worry about the most.

 

I think frustration is one of the hardest things in my life.

  • First, I don’t want to come across sounding ungrateful or jealous.
  • I see celebrities on YouTube with millions if not billions of views and I ask, what are they offering that will change your family for the better?
  • Some of my friends like Wes Hampton or Sugarcane Jane are great musicians with a positive message. So how do we get people like this to have influence on millions?
  • It’s frustrating to know that we have the power to change they world, and in ways we still are not.

 

There was a time when Billy Graham was preaching out of a tent.

  • Two words in a telegram to the newspaper—“Puff Graham”—changed everything.
  • Billy never met the man, William Hurst, who sent the telegram, nor did he know the reason why.
  • Now it’s hard to find someone who hasn’t heard of Billy Graham.

 

What do I worry about?

  • I don’t really worry about anything, but I have concerns.
  • Am I doing everything that can be done to get the message out in my books?

 

Questions for Listeners

 

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
     
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews     
       
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL130_What_to_Do_When_Youre_Frustrated_or_Worried.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question on self-sabotage and the most important quality in people.

 

We’ve talked on several other episodes about how the way you think is the foundation for everything.

  • The things we listen to, watch, and read totally affect what we believe.
  • I have come to the conclusion that people cannot achieve beyond what they really believe.

 

Out of the organizations and companies that I speak for, athletes usually have the hardest time believing this.

  • We test this by having one of them complete a physical feat that is easy for him to do well.
  • I then tell him something has been changed.
  • I don’t actually change anything, but it is very obvious that because he believes something has changed, he is not able to complete the feat the way he did before.

 

I believe the most important quality a person can have is to be a person other people want to be around. This encompasses…

  • Empathy
  • Intelligence
  • Tact

 

If you do not focus on becoming a person other people want to be around, people aren’t going to listen to you.

 

 

Questions for Listeners

 

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
     
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
   
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews     
       
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL129_The_Most_Important_Quality_You_Can_Have.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week's episode, I talk about the first steps Polly and I took when we found out we were going to be parents.

I never expected to do anything like this, but I think this is the most important thing I’ve ever done. 



15 years ago when Polly sat me down and said “we are going to have a baby,” I was excited…and then broke out in a cold sweat.  

  • I really dug into parenting right from the beginning.
    

  • I wanted to give my wife and I more certainty for this life we were about to guide.



I believe you can know how to do a certain thing, but…

  • If you don’t know why it works then you’ll always be tempted to move away from it, do it too much, or do it too little.

  • I talk to more people who have issues with their adult children than I do to people who have issues with their kids. 
    


For a long time I didn’t want to do a parenting course because I’ve taken several courses and read fifty books.
   

  • The thing that got me about the parenting courses was that there was no proof.

  • There were examples, great ideas, life lessons, and principles, but there was no proof.

  • There was never anything where you said, “That is absolutely right and will work every time!”



This course is going to be all encompassing. Make sure you are on our email list so you can get the latest details about it.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
     

  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
   

  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews     
       

  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews



Direct download: ITL128_The_Most_Reliable_Parenting_Advice_Ive_Found.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

My Newest Book and a Surprise Opportunity

On this week’s episode, I talk about the release of The Seven Decisions and how you can win a Kamado Joe grill.

We did an episode a few weeks ago on the Kamado Joe, and ended with saying that we wanted to have a Kamado Joe giveaway. Well, we have done it.

Anyone who pre-orders The Seven Decisions and sends us their receipt will be entered in a drawing for their very own Joe in either black or brick red.
    •    You can be entered in the contest as many times as you can order a book.
    •    Each entry must have a different receipt.
    •    You can order 25 books in one order, but you will only be entered once.
    •    Order 25 books separately and you will be entered 25 times.
    •    Pre-orders must be before May 6, 2014.
    •    If we receive enough entries, the drawing will be for more than one winner.

The Seven Decisions is a re-release of Mastering the Seven Decisions.
    •    The book has updated content and a new cover.
    •    The reason it is being released again is because, when it originally came out as Mastering the Seven Decisions, nobody was reading my books!

Make sure you’re on our email list. Go to AndyAndrews.com and sign up if you are not.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

    •    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
    •    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    •    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews     
    •    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews


Direct download: ITL127_My_Newest_Book_and_a_Surprise_Opprotunity.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question:


"What should a new writer focus on the most?"

The one most important thing to focus on is writing.

  • You would not believe how many people I talk to who are “waiting to be inspired.”
  • Their short answer is, “No, I am not writing.”
  • Only the process of doing it gets it done.

I hear terribly incomplete advice given to writers.

  • Write what you’re interested in, but keep seeking more information.
  • It will get you excited when you find what you don’t know.
  • You have to think it terms of, “What do other people want to learn?”
  • How will this help others?

Two things I ask myself before any project


  • Is anybody else doing this?
  • Will this help people who are hurting?
    


There are several things in common with the books I really enjoy.


  • Stories—They all started "in the action" and I didn’t really know what was happening.
  • Reveals—That’s who that is! Or thats what’s happening!



So what are the three most important focuses for a young writer? I’ll give you five.


  1. Read
  2. Write Regularly
  3. Write Regardless
  4. Reach Others
  5. Be Relentless

Don’t Give Up—the best book is stuck in somebody’s drawer.

Now, with Amazon and everything, self-published books are much more viable. You don’t have to sell out of the back of your trunk anymore.

Questions for Listeners
Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!
    •    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
    •    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    •    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
    •    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

Direct download: ITL126__5_Important_Writing_Lessons_for_Any_New_Writer.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

The Toughest Mental Obstacle I’ve Faced

 

On this week’s episode, I answer a listener question about the toughest mental obstacle I had to cross after overcoming homelessness.

 

Has there been any point when I felt like hiding under the pier again?

  • I occasionally feel like crawling back under the pier.
  • I say that jokingly, but I really am very aware of where I am when I walk on that pier.
  • Living under the pier was undoubtedly the worst time in my life, but without that perspective I don’t think I would have become what I am today. 

 

Part of life is the struggle to think a certain way.

  • It’s not just to improve and increase your level of thinking.
  • We are all in the process of becoming.
  • The people who are humbly listening and learning from other people are the people with money and influence.

 

The toughest thing I had to do was distance myself from that pier.

  • I needed to get away from it with my thinking, choices, and actions.
  • Your thinking is the foundation of your success as a parent and member of your community.

 

If you want to read more about how to become a better parent, businessperson, and member of your community, pick up a copy of The Noticer Returns.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

 

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL125_The_Toughest_Mental_Obstacle_Ive_Faced.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about my passion for cooking outdoors, reveal my secret recipe for the best grilled vegetables ever, and discuss why I like to put things that I actually use into the stories in my books.

 

I am kind of a foodie.

  • I enjoy making and eating great food.
  • I don’t know if it’s just a southern thing, but we seem to devise events around food.
  • I really like cooking outside.

 

I’m a grill guy, and I love the charcoal taste.

  • I come from a long line of “grill people.”
  • My dad thought he was good, but he burned everything.
  • All you people who have gas grills. Wrong! You’re cooking with heat and there is nothing to give your food taste.

 

For years I have put things in my books that I like or use.

  • In The Noticer Returns, Jones is teaching how to start a business, and one of the guys (Baker Larson) starts cooking with a Kamado Joe.
  • We cook on them at least three times a week.
  • We do pizza, fish, steak, and wild game.
  • One of our absolute favorites is cooking vegetables.

 

Secret Recipe:

We will cut up whatever vegetables we have and cover them with an Italian dressing to soak for a little while. We’ll then put the vegetables in a basket that goes in our Kamado Joe, and smoke them at about 350 degrees.

 

Kamado Joe Giveaway:

Be sure to watch your email for our announcement! If you’re not on our email list, be sure to join at AndyAndrews.com.

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

 

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL124_The_Andy_Andrews_Guide_to_Cooking.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 2:28am CDT

On this week’s episode, I talk about how you can win tickets to see me (along with many other awesome speakers) speak at Dave Ramsey’s SMART Conference!

 

This is going to be an amazing event at the Verizon Theatre in Dallas, TX—with speakers:

 

Dave Ramsey                        Rachel Cruze

Dr. Henry Cloud                  Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Joy Eggerichs                        Dr. Meg Meeker

Andy Andrews

 

People forget that Dave had to learn his financial stance as an adult after battling bankruptcy.

  • His daughter, Rachel, grew up watching the changes happening in her family as a child, teen, and young adult.
  • She has been raised to understand these principles, and I am excited to hear her perspective.

 

I have already pre-ordered my copy of their book, Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money.

 

Follow the link above to pre-order yours now!

 

Why is it important for people to attend events like this?

  • I work with coaches, teams, organizations, businesses—I can’t afford for people to have average results.
  • Without results, I’m just a guy who can talk fast and is a little funny.
  • The key is to help people truly understand how much they need to learn and how much they don’t know.

 

Have you ever been absolutely sure you know something in your life…and then a couple months later you found out that it wasn’t exactly correct?

  • Could there be something in your life right now that you are wrong about?
  • If that’s true then we don’t know what that might be—there is a lot beyond what we know.

 

It’s amazing to me that I wrote The Traveler’s Gift 15 years ago and people still find it valuable.

  • I do Seven Decisions seminars and I’ll talk for six hours on these decisions.
  • 90% of the stuff I talk about is things I learned after I wrote the book.
  • My approach was to actively pursue more wisdom on these decisions.

 

 

Make sure you are on our email list.

  • In the next week you will get all the details to win tickets to this amazing event on March 29th.

 

Check out these books from the other speakers!

 

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know—by Dr. Meg Meeker

 

Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life—by Dr. Henry Cloud

 

Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs—by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

 

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

 

 

Direct download: ITL123_Why_Its_Important_to_Attend_Conferences_and_Events.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

 

On this week’s episode, I talk about the new “anger management”—conflict resolution.

 

When I hear the term still used, I always think, “Anger management? Why would you want to manage something like that and not get rid of it?”

  • You can defuse a conflict, but that doesn’t mean it’s over.
  • If the underlying causes of a conflict are not dealt with, there really is no resolution.

 

Society believes two things about change.

  • You must have a deep desire to change.
  • You have to be at rock bottom.

 

However, I believe the two things people need are…

  • An understanding of what’s in it for them.
  • Proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the change will be good.

 

When something is demonstrably good for you, that change will occur whether you are looking for it or not.

 

Imagine conflict resolution as two people across from each other on opposite sides, playing double solitaire.

  • You’re both trying to get rid of all your cards in the same line.
  • You both win, or you both lose.
  • The only way to win is to not hold any cards back.

 

A resolution to conflict is going to require change, and the change must have both parties winning.

 

Are you feeling “stuck” in some part of your life?

  • I put together a free 3-part video series on the exact process I went through to move forward in multiple areas of my life.
  • You’ll get a couple of cool free gifts when you participate in the series.
  • Check it out here: GuidedTraveler.com

 

Questions for Listeners

 

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

 

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

 

Direct download: ITL122__The_New__Anger_Management_.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

A Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Writing Process

On this week’s episode, I discuss my creative process for writing even in the midst of rejection.    

The greatest book ever written is in somebody’s drawer somewhere.

  • They put it out there, it got turned down a few times, and they decided to put it away.
  • Gone With the Wind was rejected 34 times.

Part of my creative process is to do battle with myself quickly. 

  • I try not to let wondering if something is working drag me downhill. 
  • Publishers told me The Traveler’s Gift did not have a desirable plot and that writing good books takes effort and talent.
  • After 51 rejections from professionals, the book has been successful for over 10 years. 

You can either take their word and live according to their opinion, or you can reject it and look for people who are wiser in the area where you are heading. 

  • For most successful writers, it takes a great deal of work and almost a formula to help with the writing process. 
  • I’m not fired up the whole time that I’m working on a book. 
  • It is a very slow process for me.  

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITl121_A_Behind_the_Scenes_Tour_of_the_Writing_Process.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I answer listener questions about time-travel and my switch from comedy to whatever it is that I do now.

 

Would you rather go into the future to meet your great grandchildren, or travel backward and meet your great grandparents?

  • If I went into the future to meet my great grandchildren, I wouldn’t learn anything from them that will change my life and in turn allow me to change their lives.
  • The best I could do is try to convince them to do something or not do something.
  • If I went back into time, I think it would give me a lot of insight as to why my family dynamic came along the pathway that it did.

 

Wisdom is a little beyond knowledge.

  • I hear people say, “My grandparent was such a wise person,” and then turn around and ask where all the wise people are today.
  • Technology makes things so fast and allows for an amazing flow of knowledge and information.
  • However, I really believe wisdom requires quiet and time.

 

How did you know when it was time to change speaking platforms from comedy to what you do now?

  • I had always been interested in communicating something, but there was no way that I could be just a speaker in my twenties.
  • I’m not saying that people in their twenties can’t provide wisdom.
  • Comedy was just my way of being on stage.

 

I can remember when I was on tour with Kenny Rogers, and we started talking about Jones and the Seven Decisions.

  • He said that I should put some of the Seven Decisions talk in my show between jokes.
  • Slowly I kept adding in a little more, and eventually more people were talking about the “serious” bits that I did. It kind of shifted on its own.
  • It’s a strange platform but it’s fun and flexible.
  • If you want to see a blend of my comedic side with my serious side, you should check out my DVD Not Normal: The Power to Be Different. It’s a live presentation of some of my funniest and most inspirational material.

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

 

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
Direct download: ITL120_Curious_Questions_on_Time_Travel_Wisdom_and_My_Career.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, I give my two cents on some of my favorite responses to our previous listener question: “If you could have a five-minute phone call with your 18-year-old self, what would you tell yourself to be aware of?” 

From our listener…

"Just pick up the phone and make the needed phone call. Just do it. Returning needed phone calls, or calling to confirm, cancel or postpone appointments is part of the process of becoming a responsible, dependable person.  Don't shut the door on yourself through negligence caused by shyness and procrastination. Keeping doors open or ensuring good closure is crucial for maintaining good relationships.  Faithfulness in little things will lead to bigger things."

Have a decided heart.

You will get stuck in an ongoing state of analysis. 

I see so many people who spend so much time analyzing decisions they have already made, that they don’t have any emotional or physical energy to do what they have decided. 

The Traveler’s Gift was written four years before it was published. 

If I kept analyzing whether or not the book was worth publishing during the years it was turned down, the book wouldn’t be out yet. 

I’m still learning things about the decisions.

In regard to the shyness… 

Most people think that confidence is something that always came easy for me. 

There were times when I was starting out that I would be sick to my stomach, even when a show was more than a week away. I was scared.

But I knew I wanted people to hear what I had to say. 

Direct download: ITL119_How_to_Make_Decisions_and_Overcome_Shyness.mp3
Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this week’s episode, we have comedian and good friend Jeff Allen on the show to have some laughs and answer a few questions.

 

Jeff is one of my great buddies and, to me, is one of the funniest working stand-up comedians today. 

 

One of my favorite bits of his is the Three-Word Vocabulary

  • It’s the signature piece of trying to argue with a 16-year-old.
  • Pfffff, Khhhhk, and Whatever.
  • “Whatever” comes in different frequencies, but one of them affects my nerves.

 

My son Austin is getting close to getting his drivers license. Jeff shared his experience with having a child at that age:

  • When Jeff’s son started driving, he was so bad that Jeff would let him drive the family to church. That way he got his prayer time in before he got there.
  • Some Sundays had so many miracles on the way to church that they would skip the service and just go straight to Cracker Barrel.  

 

What is Jeff’s favorite product he has produced and why?

  • The first Bananas DVD he did.
  • The first one is the tightest in terms of content because it’s full of stuff he had been working on for years.
  • The DVD also has his testimony.

 

You can find more about Jeff on his website JeffAllenComedy.com

 

Questions for Listeners

Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

 

  • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
  • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
  • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
  • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
    Direct download: ITL118_The_Funny_Side_of_Parenting.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

    On this week’s episode, we answer a fun question from a listener: Would you rather win the lottery or live twice as long?

     

    As history has shown us, winning the lottery can be life changing…but not always in a great way.

                    This is something I think we all have fantasized about.

                    I think we all have a purpose and I’ve asked myself the question…

                    Would I continue to write if I didn’t have the pressure?

     

    How many times in my life am I not aware of what is going to happen next week?

                    You can sometimes get a little fearful looking ahead, but…

                    Don’t expect to know what is coming.

                    Allow God to direct our path.

     

    Look back and think about times in your life in which you know your path was being directed.

     

    Question: If you could have a five-minute phone call with your 18-year-old self, what would you tell yourself to be aware of?

    ·      We would love to hear your answers! Send your answers to InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com, and your email response may be featured on a future episode of In The Loop.

     

    Questions for Listeners

    Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

     

                    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

                    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

                    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

                    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

     

    Direct download: ITL117_Money_Vs_Time.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

    On this week’s episode, Andy discusses a listener question: I’m making an effort in positive personal development, but my spouse is not ready to do the same. What do you do until they’re ready, or how do I continue to nudge them in the right direction without being “pushy” or making them feel inferior?

    This is a huge source of confusion is marriages. We all grow at different…

    Rates

    Times

    Areas

    Confidence or Arrogance? 

    Don’t brag about the improvements that you are making.

    It is hard for a spouse to listen to someone whom they perceive as arrogant.

    What you are doing speaks louder than anything you could say.

    A good marriage is a work in progress. If you and your spouse were exactly alike, one of you would be unnecessary. 

    Questions for Listeners

    Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL116_What_If_My_Spouse_Doesnt_Want_to_Grow.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

    What is it about you that other people would change if they could? 

    • I’m not saying we should live our lives according to other people. 
    • What I am saying is if you look at your life, business, family, and want people to believe what you believe, it really helps if they like you a little bit. 

    What if 25% of people were not comfortable with swearing? If you’re a business person, would you be okay with having 25% less business just because of the way you talk?

    • I had a friend who wanted to quit cursing around his boys.
    • He decided that he would pay a quarter every time he did.
    • It made him more aware of his words.

    The other day one of my boys had a look on his face, and I could tell something was wrong. I asked:

    • Can you do anything about it?
    • Since you can’t do anything about it, how are you going to deal with it?
    • Since you can see an end to it, you can either put a smile on your face or walk around looking sad for the next two weeks.  
    • What I’m trying to do is not just tell him what to do, but explain why this is something that he needs to learn.

    People can sense when something is wrong, but most people aren’t going to say anything to you. 

    • When you’re older, this can be something that affects you getting hired, promoted, or given new opportunities. 

    People will never change long term just because you say so. They will change long term when you…

    • Provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt of what’s in it for them. 

    Back in the ‘80s when I was doing comedy, I was booking more shows than just about anybody, and was even given the award as campus entertainer of the year.

    • I’m not saying this is brag on myself, because I know I was not the funniest comedian. 
    • The difference was that, before and after the shows, I hung out with the students who were booking me and developed friendly relationships with them. 

    Questions for Listeners


    Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show! 

    • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
    • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
    • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
    Direct download: ITL115_Are_You_Attracting_Opportunity...or_Repelling_It.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

    On this week's episode, I talk about the surprising benefits of spending time alone.

    Why is it important to spend time alone?

    Spending time alone is the best way to concentrate my thoughts.

    It’s a good way to stimulate creativity.

    If I can wake up before my family and refrain from checking email, my phone, or turning on the news, I can have amazing results. 

    This isn’t so much about being alone as it is about spending time with my boys, but while driving the boys to school, I reach my hand back and say, “Hands!” and we pray for…

    Teachers

    Friends

    Mom

    Our day

    Sometimes, it’s necessary to leave the house in order to be alone. Here are some of the places I go:

    The woods are a great place for me to get away.

    I’ll go alone to a cabin sometimes and spend several days by myself. 

    Most of my novels are not written while I’m at home. 

    The water is not a particularly good place for me, as I’m always wondering what is in the water. 

    As much as you may be thinking, I wouldn’t say that I am alone a lot. 

    It doesn’t have to be for long periods of time every single day.

    It’s important to make a habit of finding at least small portions of the day during which you can be alone.

    We also had an interesting question come in: would I rather spend a year alone in a box, or 15 years alone in a hotel room? Tune in for my answer!

    Questions for Listeners

     

    Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL114_Time_Spent_Alone.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

    On this week’s episode, I address the difference between being decisive and impulsive.

    More people fail at what they attempt because of an undecided heart than any other reason. 

    • They’ll talk to their friends.
    • Then talk to their family.
    • Finally, they’ll make a decision.
    • Then they’ll ask if they should have waited longer to make a decision.
    • Then they’ll take the decision back.
    • Life then becomes an ongoing analysis.

    The question you need to ask yourself before making a decision is…Is this a wise thing to do?

    • This is one of the best questions in life and one of the best questions to teach your kids to ask.
    • It reveals what is ahead of you.
    • If you’re asking if something is wrong, you’re going to rationalize the situation and keep pushing the envelope on what is “technically” wrong.

    Andy Stanley states that direction determines destination—not intention. 

    • Intention has no power.
    • Imagine how I would sound if I said, “I can’t believe Polly is treating me this way after everything I intended to do.” 

    The difference between being impulsive and decisive is wisdom

    • An important piece of wisdom is seeking out divine guidance.
    • I count on being divinely guided.

    What is wisdom?

    • A deep understanding of principle.
    • 3/4 of a principle gets you nothing; you must understand all aspects of the principle.

    Questions for Listeners

     

    Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

    • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
    • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
    • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
    Direct download: ITL113_How_to_Be_More_Decisive.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

    On this week’s episode, I give the inside scoop on my short story Socks for Christmas and also do a live reading of the entire book.

     

    In this reading of Socks for Christmas, you will hear a childhood story about how the gift of socks is one of the greatest reminders I have for being grateful.

     

    I love talking about the inside scoop on some of these books, and to see the way that people use these stories to help others.

     

    In the picture below, Jan Burch in Key West, FL, organized a Sock Drive with her ladies club.

     

    On the cover of Socks for Christmas, that is my sister Christie and me on Christmas of ’68.

                I was nine years old

                Christie was four

     

    On page nine, that is a picture of me at May May and Granddaddy’s house on Christmas morning.

     

    On page 12, for Christmas Eve we would have a birthday cake and sing happy birthday to Jesus and it was always great. My family still does that.

     

    On page 21, that is a picture of Christie in Dothan, AL. This was the same year that she was “Little Miss Sunbeam” on the Sunbeam float in the Peanut Festival Parade.

     

    I also love the pictures of the different popular presents at the time

                Matchbox Cars

                Operation

                Candy Land

                Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots

     

    If you order Socks for Christmas from AndyAndrews.com, they all come with a CD of Andy reading the story. All copies ordered before Tuesday, Dec. 17 2013 will be autographed.

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

                Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

                E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

                Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

                Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

     

    Direct download: ITL112_A_Christmas_Tale_for_the_Whole_Family.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

    On this week’s episode, I explain what a personal board of directors is, and how you can create one for your life and/or business without spending a dime.

               

    I realized that most major companies and great speakers had a group of people that keeps them on track.

               

    I thought to myself, why can’t I have a board of directors?

                    My first answer was because I didn’t have any money

                    However, you don’t have to pay someone to be on your board of directors…if they don’t know they’re on it!

     

    I want to find people who are….

                    Better

                    Smarter

                    Wiser

                    More productive

     

    What’s important?

                    My children

                    My writing

                    Speaking

                    Finances

                    Health

     

    Mentally, I went though the people I loved and knew. I wrote down the people with long marriages or who were financially successful. I then started going through people who were in newspapers and were easy to follow. I called this group my board of directors.

      

    This is a life application of the decision, I will seek wisdom.

     

    I have 30 or 40 people on my board of directors.

     

    First thing: Make a list of important things in your life. Attach names to those things. 

    Questions for Listeners

     

    • Do you have a question? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!
    Direct download: ITL111_Your_Own_Personal_Board_of_Directors.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:29am CDT

    On this week's episode, Andy announces a new host for In The Loop, and the events leading to the publishing of The Butterfly Effect

    Be sure to visit check out Andy Traub's latest eBook The Early to Rise Experience  and visit AndyTraub.com for more information.

    In the middle of the night during a hurricane, Andy received a phone call from General Foglesong in Afghanistan. 

    • He wanted Andy to find proof that every life matters and could make a difference to the world.
    • The Air Force's suicide rate was higher than the general population's suicide rate.

    Andy's interest in the Butterfly Effect, also known as the sensitive dependance upon initial conditions, led him to reverse engineer the life of Norman Borlaug, who is credited with saving the lives of over 2 billion people. 

    • Andy found that Norman's life was steered in its direction due to others' actions in the preceding years. 

    After hearing Andy tell the Butterfly Effect story live, Zig Ziglar told him that he should make part of his speech into a book.

    • When the book was initially turned down by Thomas Nelson, the online publishing company Simple Truths picked it up. 
    • Over the course of the next 18 months, the book was picked up by two more publishers and became a success. 

    Never look at the "No's" as a final answer. There is always a "yes."

    • Even while things are not going your way, keep a smile on your face and don't get frustrated. 
    • You don't know where things are going, and you need to keep doing what you think needs to be done. 

    Questions for Listeners

    Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL089_The_Crazy_Story_Behind_The_Butterfly_Effect.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:12am CDT

    On this week's episode, Andy discusses his passion for cooking and the steps to make his most famous dish.

    When did Andy start cooking?

    • He started with breakfast foods at an early age, moving from toast to eggs and bacon.

    Was Polly skeptical about Andy being a good cook?

    • She was delighted because chicken and rice was the only thing she knew how to make. Since then, Andy and Polly have worked together, and they both help prepare dishes. 

    Why does Andy like cooking so much?

    • He loves to eat! What does he love to eat? The answer is, "Yes!"

    Andy's blue ribbon recipe for his famous chicken and dumplings. 

    • Start the night before with a whole chicken in a pot of water. Add salt and pepper, cover the pot, and bring it to a boil. Once the water boils, put the pot in the oven at 250 degrees and let it sit overnight.

    • The next morning, stir the pot and take out a cup or two of the broth. Strain the broth, add salt, cover it, and place in the refrigerator for later. 

    • Take the pot out of the oven and remove the chicken to cool. Strain the rest of the broth until it is clear and free of all the chicken particles.

    • In a separate pot, mix 2 cups of plain white flower, 1/2 cup of oil, and 1/2 cup of the broth from the refrigerator together into dough. The leftover refrigerator broth can be poured back into the other pot of broth. 

    • Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough. It will take a couple of tries to determine the thickness that you prefer the dough at. Use a knife and cut the dough into strips that are six inches long and one-and-a-half inches wide. Bring the broth to a boil and add the strips. 

    • Now turn to the chicken and pick out the pieces that you want. Rinse them off and add to the boiling pot of broth and dough. The chicken will cause the broth to stop boiling. Once it boils again, turn off the heat and let it sit for 30 minutes. 

    • Serve it in either a bowl with added broth, or on a plate with just the chicken and dumplings. 

    Young men need to learn how to cook!

    Questions for Listeners

    • Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

     Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL088_Chef_Andy.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:21pm CDT

    On this week’s episode, Andy answers a listener question about the best way to communicate with teenagers.

    Listener question:

    When my daughter was 12, her three best friends moved away. Around that same time, another friend decided to tell her everything people didn’t like about her. We’ve been trying for the past three years to empower her again. She is now at a new school, but can’t seem to break out of the “new girl” frame of mind. What do we do as parents to break her out of this rut?

    The most important thing you could do at this time is to be friends and talk to her. Really talk to her.

    Sometimes you will have to talk about why you are talking to her.

    A lot of times, kids this age tend to go to their room and put up a do-not-disturb sign.

    In spite of this, you still must talk to them.

    It is important that you don’t teach your kids what to think, but how to think.

    We see this problem in our schools, but we tend to ignore it at home.

    Many parents sadly miss the opportunity to have long conversations with their kids about why they believe what they believe.

    Kids will have conversations with you if they don’t think the answer will be a lecture.

    Giving kids the reasons and thought process behind the things you believe will create much more productive conversations.

    You need to be vulnerable sometimes and reveal that you recognize that you don’t know everything.

    This is not to say that you should stop being an authority figure.

    You don’t need to be on “equal footing” with your child.

    But these conversations will allow you to teach your child how you arrived at these positions.

    Like it or not, at some point, your children will decide what they will believe, and you will have no control over it.

    Questions for Listeners

    Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL087.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:34am CDT

    On this week’s episode, Andy answers listener questions on transitioning out of a corporate job, gaining wisdom, and overcoming fears about things you can’t control.

    Listener Question #1: Which stories and biographies have had the greatest impact on you, and how do you read these stories in a way that allows you to gather wisdom from them?

    • If you want to know what books have had a huge effect on Andy, look at what he has written.
    • For example, the historical figures in The Traveler’s Gift were all people whose stories had an impact on Andy during the time he was writing the book.
    • One of the things that is most important to gathering wisdom is to simply acknowledge that you are actively seeking it.
    • You have to ask for wisdom to receive it. Remember, God was delighted when Solomon asked for wisdom.

    Listener Question #2: Is there one book in particular that would be the most helpful to someone who is trying to go from a corporate job to something different? What do you prescribe to someone who is stuck and wants to move?

    • A lot of the answers to these kinds of questions are going to be in Andy’s upcoming book that will be released October 1, The Noticer Returns.
    • Andy’s recent video blog, How to Start a Business from an Idea, might get you started in the right direction as well.
    • People change when two things line up: What’s in it for me? Proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
    • You must acknowledge the benefits that are there for you, and then you must be aware of the steps that have proven to work for others.

    Listener Question #3: How do you control the fear of losing a valued relationship, such as a marriage?

    • Fear can be overcome with a logical answer: fear is not from God.
    • Generally, smart people are the ones who have a problem with fear. People who aren’t smart seem to have no problem with fear.
    • If you remember that fear is not from God and that you are a smart, creative person, then you have to conclude that fear is a misuse of the creative imagination that has been put inside you.
    • You cannot control the people you value in your life at all times. So you have to give those concerns about things you can’t control to God.

    Resources Mentioned on This Episode:

    • The Noticer Returns by Andy Andrews
    • Early to Rise by Andy Traub
    • Platform by Michael Hyatt

    Questions for Listeners

    • Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!
      • Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
      • E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
      • Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
      • Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
    Direct download: ITL086_Listener_Feedback.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

    On this week’s episode, Andy explains why you must change your beliefs about yourself (and how to do so) if you want to achieve better results in your life.

    Opportunities are drawn to people in motion.

    • One of the first things Suzanne did was to seek counsel. 
    • She sought it from sources that she trusted instead of just asking everyone.
    • She determined the steps that needed to be taken, and then she took those steps.

    When seeking counsel, it’s important not to ask everyone.

    • You must seek wisdom from wise people.
    • How do you determine who is wise? By examining the fruit on the tree. What kind of results is this person you’re thinking of asking for counsel getting?
    • The purpose of analysis is to come to a conclusion, not to continue analyzing. 

    If you’re ever going to move beyond where you are, you must force yourself to think beyond what you already know.

    • It’s important to determine a result and then form a process that will lead you to that result.
    • It’s impossible to perform past what you believe. Our beliefs can be an extremely limiting factor.
    • Our actions and results are tied to our beliefs.
    • Beliefs come from critical thinking, prayer life, and your changes in perception.

    Questions for Listeners

    • Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

                      o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL084.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:07am CDT

    On this week’s episode, Andy discusses why he feels that he has finally “arrived” in the field of professional coaching.

    Andy is now the official Mental Coach of…the Orange Beach Sharks.

    This is his son’s 13-14-year-old baseball team.

    He talks to the team before every practice and game.

    At the beginning of the season, he talked about umpires with the team.

    The first thing they needed to know about umpires is that they’re kind of like TSA at the airport. You will not win an argument with them.

    You can, however, tick them off.

    Umpires are like brothers. If you tick them off, they won’t give you the benefit of the doubt on close calls.

    Here’s the plan he gave the team:

    Other teams are going to go out on the field and say nothing to the umpires, unless they decide to complain.

    Andy told them to never, ever argue a call or roll their eyes.

    He told the team to talk to the umpires. Say hi and ask them how they’re doing. Ask them where they’re from.

    This lesson with the team is a lesson that applies to life as well.

    If you treat people with kindness, things will generally work out better for you.

    You never know who knows the people who may in the position to give you a job or an opportunity one day.

    Questions for Listeners 

    ·           Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

                      o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL083.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:45am CDT

    On this week’s episode, Andy tackles the listener question…is college necessary?

    Casey wants to become a speaker and asked if it’s possible to do so without going to college.

    • You have to figure out what value you bring to other people.
    • What can you bring to the table that will change someone’s life?
    • You have to go beyond simple “You Can Do It” speaking.
    • Encouragement is good, but it takes more than that to create lasting value.

    There is a huge resistance in corporate America to motivational speakers.

    • If the audience thinks they’re about to see a “motivational” speaker, you’ll lose half of them before you say a word.
    • Proof is better than motivation or encouragement.

    There was a time when if you did not have a degree, you would not be getting a job in certain fields.

    • Obviously, that’s still the case in some areas, like medicine.
    • Generally, it isn’t the case. Most people couldn’t care less if you have a piece of paper.
    • All they want to know is: can you do this? And will they like being around you?
    • It’s what do you know, as opposed to what do they say you know.

    There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to college. It can be a great thing.

    • But it is not a necessity.
    • If you have to go into debt in order to go to college, always remember that it is not a requirement for success.
    • College is not bad; putting limits on people or yourself is.

    Questions for Listeners 

    ·           Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

                      o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL082.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:27am CDT

    On this week’s episode, Andy answers two listener questions about preparing for life transitions.

    Donna celebrated her 70th birthday shortly after hearing Andy speak about how to prepare for the next crisis in our lives. The next day, she went zip lining and got caught in the middle of one of the zip lines. Now in a crisis, she did not panic and calmly waited for the crew to come get her.

    • Life can be lived like a second baseman.
    • You don’t know what’s going to happen from one play to the next.
    • But you do have some indications of what might happen.
    • You do have to be prepared for whatever happens according to the circumstances.
    • Before every pitch, you have to ask yourself, “If the ball comes to me, what am I going to do with it?”
    • If you can think ahead a little bit, life becomes easier. You don’t make as many bad choices and mistakes.

    The same was true for Donna.

    • She had already decided that God was in control.
    • She knew how to respond when things went wrong.

    Another bit of listener feedback from a woman named Susanne: She fulfilled her dream of becoming a doctor. Now, she believes God wants her to change direction, but she’s not sure what that direction is. What do you do when you feel restless like this?

    • We definitely should be open to shifts in direction.
    • Sometimes when we work so hard to get to a certain place, we think we’ve achieved everything we were supposed to achieve.
    • But if we’re still here breathing, that means our purpose hasn’t been fulfilled yet.

    We have to be very open to shifts in direction.

    • However, God cannot guide a still object. You have to be in motion.
    • God feeds the birds, but he doesn’t throw the worms in their mouth.
    • If you feel you’re being pulled in a different direction, start going out and doing all the different things you can.

    Questions for Listeners 

    ·           Do you have a question for Andy? Call in and your question might be featured on the show!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

                      o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL081.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:14am CDT

    On this week’s episode, Andy talks about how to make your family your number one priority…and keep it that way.


    If you want to maintain a good balance between work and your life that enables you to spend more time with your family, you must start with priorities.

    • If you say your family is your number one priority, you have to step back, observe your actions, and then determine if your actions match your words.
    • It’s easy to “think past” certain aspects of your life that you think are certain and absolute.
    • You may THINK your family is your number one priority, but have you really assessed whether that’s true or not?

    One thing that can mess your family up is if you don’t set expectations for how you will spend your time.

    • You have to communicate your priorities and the exceptions to your priorities to your family.
    • If you are having family time, let them know it is family time and that it’s the number one priority.
    • If there are certain phone calls you know you may have to take, let your family know in advance.

    When you’re with your family, you have to make the decision to intentionally engage with them.

    • This is something that’s easy to overlook.
    • You have to be intentional about the purpose of the time you spend with your family. Don’t just let it pass by.

    Questions for Listeners 

    ·           Give us a call and tell us know how you have shifted your priorities and found ways to spend more time with your family.

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

                      o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL080.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:36am CDT

    On this week’s episode, Andy talks about his family’s favorite show on TV, and why it could be a great thing for YOUR family to watch. 

    Duck Dynasty has become the Andrews family’s new favorite TV show.

    • It’s like a modern-day version of The Waltons.
    • They end every show with the entire family around the dinner table saying a prayer together.

    It’s a great show about family and business values.

    • The people on the show offer great examples for mothers and fathers.
    • They are also a great example of creating a business by coming up with a way to offer tremendous value to people.

    It’s not just another “reality” show.

    • The episodes aren’t all about fighting and bad language.
    • They show how families can sometimes disagree without being so disagreeable.
    • The show reflects how large of a role faith plays in their lives.

    Questions for Listeners

    ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on future episodes?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL079.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:47am CDT

    On this week’s episode, Andy answers a listener question: What are some different, tangible ways that we can help others take action?

     

    One of the most important things we can do to help others take action is to tell the truth that is the truth.


    ·      The truth stands alone, and the truth is the truth.

    ·      Yet someone can tell the truth while not telling the truth.

    ·      You must tell the truth that IS the truth.

     

    You only know what you know, so you only do what you know to do.


    ·      To know something different requires an outside source: a person, a book, etc.

    ·      Most people think they are already taking action when they actually are not.

     

    You lose perspective when you stop actively seeking growth.


    ·      You can’t go to the gym for three months and stay fit for the rest of your life.

    ·      If you read a book that changes your life, you can’t just stop after reading the book.

    ·      It’s hard and inconvenient to keep pushing yourself, but it’s essential to growth.

     

    The ultimate answer is that nothing will encourage someone to take action more than actually taking action.


    ·      If you want someone to take action and read a book, start by reading the book yourself and showing them how much value it can offer them.

     

    A great example of the value that comes with taking action is AT’s book, Early to Rise.


    ·      To get your copy, click here.

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    Permalink URL

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    Description

    Andy uses a listener question to illustrate how to move your life to the next level by changing the way you think.

     

    John, a listener who grew up with an alcoholic father and rough childhood but has turned things around and created a great life for his family, wrote in with a question.


    ·      He feels as though he could inspire people to reach their potential and succeed, but he doesn’t want his ability to provide for his family to suffer in order to chase after his dream of helping others.

    ·      How can he help others while also continuing to provide for his family?

     

    John is ready to move to the next level.

    ·      You can look at people at different levels of life and deconstruct what steps they have taken to get there.

     

    For John to be successful in moving to the next level, he needs to do these things:

    ·      He needs to get to the point where he’s duplicating his efforts and understands that he can teach other people how to do what he has done.

    ·      There is a type of thinking that has yielded choices that have created actions that have yielded results that have made John what he is.

    ·      John, what were you thinking that has led to the results you are currently enjoying?

    ·      How can you teach that way of thinking to others?

     

    There is no such thing as a neutral choice.

    ·      Everything you do is the result of a choice you have made.

    ·      You are either choosing to do nothing or choosing to do something.

    ·      The way we think determines who we are. However, you are allowed to choose the way you think.

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on future episodes?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

                         o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL078.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:07am CDT

    Andy uses a listener question to illustrate how to move your life to the next level by changing the way you think.

     

    John, a listener who grew up with an alcoholic father and rough childhood but has turned things around and created a great life for his family, wrote in with a question.


    ·      He feels as though he could inspire people to reach their potential and succeed, but he doesn’t want his ability to provide for his family to suffer in order to chase after his dream of helping others.

    ·      How can he help others while also continuing to provide for his family?

     

    John is ready to move to the next level.

    ·      You can look at people at different levels of life and deconstruct what steps they have taken to get there.

     

    For John to be successful in moving to the next level, he needs to do these things:

    ·      He needs to get to the point where he’s duplicating his efforts and understands that he can teach other people how to do what he has done.

    ·      There is a type of thinking that has yielded choices that have created actions that have yielded results that have made John what he is.

    ·      John, what were you thinking that has led to the results you are currently enjoying?

    ·      How can you teach that way of thinking to others?

     

    There is no such thing as a neutral choice.

    ·      Everything you do is the result of a choice you have made.

    ·      You are either choosing to do nothing or choosing to do something.

    ·      The way we think determines who we are. However, you are allowed to choose the way you think.

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on future episodes?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

                         o  Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL077.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:12am CDT

    On this episode, Andy tackles the question—how do you find and keep truly great friends?

     

    There are three things you need to do in order to have great friendships:

    ·      You have to make an increasing effort to be a great friend.

    ·      God’s grace—they have to be able to forgive you when you mess up, and you have to be able to forgive them.

    ·      The biggest factor of all is the ability to narrow your focus and become intentional about what a friend actually is. That will enable you to seek and nurture that relationship. You have to know what a friend is in order to recognize a great one.

     

    The people around you affect the person you become.

    ·      Would you rather be around someone who is constantly negative?

    ·      Or would you rather be around someone who is positive and keeps you moving forward with your life?

     

    You have to be intentional with the way you budget the 24 hours you are given each day.

    ·      Are your friendships creating value in your life, and enabling you to create value for others?

    ·      Are they pushing you forward…or dragging you down?

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on future episodes?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL076.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 7:25am CDT

    Andy and AT bring special guest Julie Borlaug, granddaughter of Norman Borlaug (whom The Butterfly Effect and The Boy Who Changed the World is about), on the podcast to discuss the legacy of her grandfather’s life-changing work.

     

    Norman Borlaug hybridized corn and wheat for arid climates, which ultimately saved the lives of over 2 billion people across the world from famine.

    ·      Andy reverse engineered Norman Borlaug’s life in multiple books to show that everything we do matters.

    ·      He absolutely changed the world.

    ·      Julie now works for the Borlaug Institute at Texas A&M, which continues the work Norman Borlaug started.

     

    Andy came up with The Butterfly Effect story when the military contacted him about the problem of suicide among soldiers.

    ·      How do you prove to people that their life matters?

    ·      He was researching George Washington Carver when he discovered Norman Borlaug.

     

    Julie had the opportunity to work directly with Norman during the last six years of his life.

    ·      Norman was adamant that we must believe in the young and inspire them and give them the resources to show them they can change the world.

    ·      He made his breakthrough with wheat in his 30s after everyone told him what he was doing was not going to work. He was even fired and he quit a few times.

    ·      He was working on a technique called shuttle breeding, and his stubbornness eventually paid off.

    ·      Norman truly believed that it will be the young who will come up with the solutions to our greatest problems.

     

    If you’re doing what everyone else is doing, you’re probably doing something wrong.

    ·      Most people aren’t getting extraordinary results. So if you’re doing what everyone else is doing, you’re only contributing to the average.

    ·      If you want extraordinary results for your life, your marriage, your children, your profession, you have to stop doing what everyone else is doing.

    ·      Norman Borlaug’s least favorite word was “mediocrity.”

     

    Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Share it with a friend!

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on future episodes?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL075.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:17am CDT

    Andy and AT share a message from a listener about an amazing moment the listener created in a restaurant by honoring a friendly waiter.

     

    When you honor people and give them a “standing ovation,” amazing things happen.

    ·      Everyone involved will end up paying it forward.

    ·      It will change the way they interact with everyone for at least the rest of the way.

    ·      It will create an immeasurable ripple effect.

     

    We’re very quick to tell someone when things aren’t done properly.

    ·      Why don’t we point out when things are done right?

    ·      We can change our culture by beginning to do things differently, and honoring those who get it right…instead of always complaining when something is wrong.

     

    We’re either doing something or nothing.

    ·      Which one are you doing?

    ·      If you’re doing something, Andy wants to hear about it.

    ·      We’ve all got the guts to tell everyone how bad someone did, but who has the guts to tell someone what a different they made?

     

    Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Send it to a friend!

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      Have you given a “standing ovation” recently? Andy wants to hear about it! Call, email, or contact us on Facebook or Twitter.

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL074.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00pm CDT

    Andy and AT discuss what we need to do to make days like Valentine’s Day special. Andy shares a funny story of what he recently did to make just an average night with his family a special occasion.

     

    Is it important to make Valentine’s Day special, or is it just a dumb holiday?

    ·      Yes, it is a dumb holiday…and yes, we DO need to make it special.

    ·      At one point, Andy was just having his assistant order flowers to send his wife, Polly, for him.

    ·      Eventually, Polly told him that flowers he had his assistant order didn’t mean all that much.

     

    So he started putting more intention into doing something that showed Polly he actually cared.

    ·      You don’t have to wait for Valentine’s Day or any kind of special day to surprise your spouse or your kids or anyone with something special.

    ·      Andy did this the other day by cooking a surprise dinner with an extremely unique menu for his family.

    ·      Look for ways to make ordinary days special days, no matter whether it’s Valentine’s Day or not.

     

    If you do a surprise dinner for your family, find Andy on Facebook or Twitter and send him your menu!

     

    Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Share it with a friend!

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      What would you like to hear Andy discuss on the podcast? Let us know!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL073.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00pm CDT

    A few weeks ago, Andy had the opportunity to speak in front of a large number of members of the U.S. Congress and their spouses. Before he spoke to them, he and A.T. discussed what the talk would be about.

     

    What king of message should someone share when speaking to leaders, influencers, and decision-makers?

     

    • You should always go in with a humble attitude.
    • Show gratefulness for their service and their influence.

     

    All leaders face criticism, so you have to take that into account.

     

    • You may be thinking the leaders you are speaking to need to change some things, but that’s true with all leaders.
    • You have to show a little grace if you’re hoping to engender change.
    • If you go into a room of people and tell them they’re stupid and going in the wrong direction, the result you desire will not happen.

     

    You have to remind them of the things they already know to be true.

     

    • You may not be that qualified to speak about the specific type of work they are doing, but you can illustrate principles to them that are true no matter what they’re doing.
    • Andy is not an expert in golf, but he was still able to talk to a group of the best female golfers in the world and help them bounce back from a rough start in the Solheim Cup.

    Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Forward it to a friend!

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    • What would you like to hear Andy discuss on the podcast? Let us know!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews


    Direct download: ITL072.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

    On today’s podcast, professional drummer Jeff Jones, formerly of the band Big Daddy Weave, joins Andy and A.T. to talk about transitioning your life and career.

    After reading The Traveler’s Gift and listening to the podcast, Jeff decided it was time to transition from being a drummer to becoming a speaker.

    • He had been the drummer for Big Daddy Weave, touring all over the country and the world, for 13 years.
    • He had been gone about 140 days per year for his family’s entire life.

    Jeff came up with the acronym WISE, which has become the crux of his message.

    • It stands for What I Sacrifice Every Day.
    • The acronym embodies the choices you make in order to achieve the results you want in your life.
    • When he was a kid and decided he wanted to play drums for a living, he began making sacrifices every single day in order to achieve that dream.

    Andy’s Storms of Perfection series also inspired Jeff to create a custom pair of drumsticks for camouflage company Mossy Oak.

    • The series inspired him to take action.
    • It taught him that almost every successful person started out overcoming adversity.
    • You don’t have to be “special” to be successful.
    • All you have to do is seek wisdom and take action.

     

    To get a FREE eBook from Jeff, go to JeffDrummer.com, enter your email address, and he’ll send it to you!

     

    Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Click here to forward it to a friend!

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    • Have you ever made a major career or life change? We’d love to hear your story!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL071.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:00am CDT

    On today’s podcast, Andy and A.T. discuss how to teach children to persevere through difficulties and struggles.

     

    Listener question: How do you influence your boys in a positive way in regard to what they want to be when they grow up?

    • It’s important to connect what someone wants to do with the things they have to do to get there.
    • You want to encourage while also keeping in mind that their mind can easily change, especially when they are younger.

     

    Whatever your children are trying to do or learn, you have to encourage them to stay in the hard places.

    • You gain ground when you keep going through the hard places.
    • Even adults tend to stop trying when things get hard.
    • We remain comfortable only with the things that come easy.

     

    We need to change the culture surrounding childhood education in our country.

    • Cultures that have better results in education have better results because of the way they think.
    • Our culture does not think there is honor in struggling, which causes us to avoid struggling through difficulties.

    Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Forward it to a friend!

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    • ·      What are the biggest challenges you have with raising your children?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL070.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:49am CDT

    On today’s podcast, Andy and A.T. discuss the techniques that are necessary to mastering goal setting.

     

    Andy’s tip for goal-setting is to be honest with yourself

    • If Moses had spent a little more time up on the mountain, he would have come down with an 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not kid thyself.
    • Don’t set yourself up for defeat by trying to do something crazy.
    • As opposed to saying, “I’m never eating brownies for the rest of my life,” try to not eat brownies for a week.
    • Accomplish your goals in small chunks and you will eventually accomplish something major.

     

    Reward yourself when you accomplish small milestones

    • Don’t overdo it, but give yourself a small reward.
    • It’s important to keep your morale up.

     

    Be able to measure your goal

    • The bathroom scale is a great tool.
    • Find a “bathroom scale” to measure any goal you set.

     

    Instead of always focusing on the ultimate goal, focus on the process

    • Become a master of the little things you have to accomplish along the way to the ultimate goal.
    • Never lose sight of what you must be doing right now.

    Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Forward it to a friend!

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    • What goals have you set recently? How are you going about accomplishing them?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews


    Direct download: ITL069.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

    On today’s podcast, Andy discusses how the ability to work through confusion is what separates the great from the average.

     God has created you with a will that is stronger than your emotions

    • People often say “That’s just the way I am” and use it as a crutch for bad behavior
    • But you can use your will to overcome your feelings and emotions
    • You have to use your will to overcome the tendency to ignore your health

    If what you are currently doing is not getting the results you want, you need to:

    • Begin thinking differently
    • Go beyond just “thinking outside the box”
    • Do not do what everyone else is doing, because not everyone is achieving the results you want

    Confusion always guards the answer

    • Ordinary people have no problem getting through little bitty pieces of confusion
    • Those who can work in the midst of great amounts of confusion can do great things
    • Ask “Why?”


    Direct download: ITL068.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

    On today’s episode of In the Loop, a veteran writes in and tells an amazing story of losing and regaining hope in her life.

     

    You have to be an honest person to overcome the loss of hope and control in your life.

    ·      Andy says if there had been an 11th Commandment, it would have been, “Thou shalt not kid thy self”

    ·      Being honest with ourselves is extremely important and allows us to understand so much more about our lives

     

    Principles exist and are at work in our lives whether we know about them or not.

    ·      When we become aware of principles, we can harness them in our lives in ways that can allow us to accomplish great things

    ·      The truth is one of those principles

     

    Hope itself is a thought process.

    ·      It is a specific way of thinking, and it is something that can be proven

    ·      Because of this, it can be chosen—you can choose to be hopeful

    ·      If you’re still here and you’re still breathing, then you have not yet accomplished what you were put here to do

     

    Below our choices and decisions is our thinking.

    ·      Our thinking is at the base of everything we do—the positive and the negative

    ·      Your mistakes and the best things you’ve done in life are all products of the way you think

     

     

    Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Click here to forward it to a friend!

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      How do you remain hopeful in tough times?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews


    Direct download: ITL_veteran_hope.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:56am CDT

    On today’s episode, Andy and A.T. discuss the power of the individual and how to channel it through discovering your passion.

     

    A listener named Sheryl writes in about her experience with breast cancer. Her story prompted A.T. to wonder how people who aren’t writers or speakers or someone with a large audience can have a big, lasting impact on the world.

    • Andy brings up the butterfly effect story that he often tells on stage
    • The story illustrates how great moments or accomplishments all go back to “ordinary” people who did a seemingly small deed that caused big things to happen down the line

     

    Sheryl mentioned that her experience with cancer didn’t “define” her; it “refined” her.

    • Andy points out that this is often seen as an odd way of thinking
    • It’s actually a great way of thinking
    • As a society, we often think logically to the wrong conclusions
    • We have the ability to choose the way we think

     

    Everybody has something they are meant to do.

    • It takes a different way of thinking to figure out what that is and master it
    • When you can mix your passion with value for others, you can affect enormous amounts of people

     

    Quote from H.G. Wells:

    • “The test of greatness is this: what did that person leave to grow? By this test, Jesus stands first.”

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      Have you discovered your passion? How were you able to do so, and what are you doing with it?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL062.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:25am CDT

    A new friend of Andy’s joins us on the show today, and shares how principles from Andy’s book The Butterfly Effect are being implemented into her school and the effect that it’s having.

     

    The Butterfly Effect teaches the kids how to think and prepares them for the real world

    • Kids are caught doing something good
    • Their choices are what matter
    • They can change their future
    • Teachers get more chances to have conversations with children and give them guidance
    • Kids are being told how important they are

     

    How do we change our society?

    • By little actions every day
    • Treating those we come in contact with on a daily bases in a positive manner
    • People will treat others better if they are treated well themselves
    • We’re not teaching kids what to think, but rather how to think

     

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      What books do you use to help your children make better choices?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Click here to forward it to a friend!

    Direct download: ITL_Butterfly_Monitor.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:51am CDT

    On today’s episode, a listener writes in with the question: How do you apply the principle of “Today I choose to be happy”?

     

    Andy’s simple answer is:

    ·      No one wants to follow a grouch

    ·      You have to become someone whom others want to follow

    ·      Choose to be grateful

    ·      Most people exist in life without anyone telling them how great they are

    ·      Learn how to vocalize the things we are grateful for having in our lives

     

    For those who think that living life this way may be hokey, Andy comments:

    ·      What kind of life do you want to lead?

    ·      What kind of mood do you want to establish in your house?

    ·      What kind of aura do you want around you as you interact with others outside of your home?

    ·      If you’re doing what everyone else is doing, then you’re doing something wrong, because everyone else is not living a life filled with extraordinary results

    ·      If you treat people the way that you would like to be treated, most people will live up to your expectation, so treat them well

    ·      Let others know what you expect of them, and how excited you are to be interacting with them

    ·      The one thing more powerful than telling someone how great they are is telling their kids how great their parents are in front of them

     

     

    Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Click here to forward it to a friend!

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      How are you going to implement “choosing to be happy by choosing to be grateful” in your life?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL_-_Choosing_to_be_grateful.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00pm CDT

    We all want to go beyond the average in certain areas of our lives. But how do we begin to do that? Andy and A.T. discuss how living a life of gratitude produces shockingly different results.

     

    What are the practical things you can do that change you life from ordinary to extraordinary?

    • One of the keys is understanding that you can choose to live an extraordinary life
    • It is very seldom that an extraordinary life is just granted upon someone
    • If you choose an extraordinary life, you must understand that you can no longer act and think like the average person

     

    There are many baby steps you can take to start thinking and acting differently.

    • How Andy treats his garbage men drastically changes the “garbage” area of his life
    • The way you treat people who do everyday jobs that we all have to have done see drastically different results
    • These are little areas of our lives, but they can make a big difference in our day-to-day experiences
    • Look for ways to make a fuss over people
    • When you treat people beyond the normal way most people treat them, you will get extraordinary responses

     

    To live an extraordinary life, you have to think about how you can serve people better.

    • You have to pay more attention than the average person
    • You have to look for different ways to solve average problems
    • Don’t take anything or anyone for granted
    • If you live a grateful life, you will achieve shockingly different results

     

    Were you encouraged or helped by this podcast? Click here to forward it to a friend!

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    • What do you do differently than everyone else you know?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL_Beyond_the_average_life.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:10am CDT

    A listener calls in with a story of how The Traveler’s Gift has changed his life

    A.T. asks Andy what people say his books have done for them:

    • The importance of choosing with whom you associate
    • Finding a love for reading that they didn't know they had
    • Seeing a need to change something in their life

    Andy talks about association and the affect it has on our lives:

    • You tend to live the average of your closest associations
    • So, you have to choose who you're going to be around
    • If you don't want to live like average people live then you have to change the association you have with the average lifestyle 

    Addressing change and what that looks like

    • Little changes now can mean massive change further on in life
    • Everyone is changing
    • So, if you're going to be changing, why not move in the direction that you want to end up?
    • Change can be achieved while interacting with people or in your own thought process.
    • Every great thing that ever happened in your life happened because something changed

    Question for Listeners

    What small steps will you take today to move toward your ultimate goal?

          o    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
          o    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
          o    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
          o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
          o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews


     

    What small steps will you take today to move toward your ultimate goal?

    Direct download: ITL058.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:02am CDT

    Andy and AT discuss how to develop good reading habits and how they will change every aspect of your life for the better.

    The role books have played in Andy's past, present, and future

    • While living under a pier not long after his parents died, an old man names Jones introduced biographies to Andy
    • Biographies became the basis for the rest of Andy's life and writing
    • Andy then identified the 7 decisions/principles based off the 200+ biographies that he read

    What about people who don’t like to read or say they don’t have the time?

    • “I don't like to read”
    • What does that have to do with anything?
    • Are you expecting yourself to read?
    • The point is not do you want to read; the point is—what do you want?
    • “I don't have time to read”
    • Reading has to be a discipline that helps you get what you want out of life
    • It is essential to discipline yourself to make time for it
    • Statistically:
    • People who read make more money
    • People who read have a lower divorce rate
    • People who read have fewer problems with their children
    • People who read get promoted at a faster rate
    • People who read get hired at a higher paying rate


    The best way to get yourself or your children to read:

    • Find books that don't bore you
    • Books of short stories
    • Sports books or books about athletes

    If you already got your copy of Andy’s free eBook, The Perfect Moment, please share it with your friends! Click here to get it.


    Question for Listeners

    What do you do to find reading time?

          o    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
          o    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
          o    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
          o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
          o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Find something to read aloud to your family

    Direct download: ITL057.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:12pm CDT

    Do your actions match your intentions? Find out on today’s episode of In the Loop!

    A.T. brings up a blog post Andy recently wrote called “An Important Announcement for Men Everywhere.”

    • The post is about why we need to remember that watching football (or anything on TV, really) is not what this time of the year is all about
    • Andy explains that he really does love watching the game of football, regardless of who is playing, and he can tend to get wrapped up in it
    • His boys love watching it with him, but he has noticed that if he isn’t there to watch a game, they don’t watch it on their own


    Somewhere along the line, Andy began to understand that you put your time into what is most important to you.

    • When he listed the time that he spent reading about and watching football, he discovered that it was much more time than he was spending reading about things like being a better dad


    What do we consider to be important in our lives?

    • Most people would say things like their wife, husband, kids, etc.
    • But does that answer match up with reality? If we look at how we spend our time throughout the day, will our actions reflect that belief?
    • Andy realized that his actions were not matching up with what he thought he considered to be important in his life


    It doesn’t matter what we intend to do with our time.

    • Intentions have no power
    • Intending to do something is not the same as actually doing it
    • We tend to judge other people by their actions and ourselves by our intentions
    • There is a big difference, however, between “intentions” and “being intentional”
    • “Being intentional” means doing specific things with purpose


    Because of this, Andy has been very specific about the games he watches with the boys over the past few years.

    • Doing things with the entire family is more important, long term, than not doing activities that include the entire family
    • Watching football games can be a great bonding experience in families where everyone is into it
    • What he’s finding more and more, however, is that there aren’t very many families where everyone is truly into it
    • If your whole family is into it and it’s a great bonding experience, by all means, go for it

    If you already got your copy of Andy’s free eBook, The Perfect Moment, please share it with your friends! Click here to get it.

    Questions for Listeners

    • What activities does your entire family do together?

          o    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
          o    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
          o    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
          o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
          o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL056.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:10am CDT

    Andy and A.T. discuss the movies that Andy enjoys watching with his boys, his wife, and by himself.

    What are some movies that really shaped Andy growing up?

    • Andy saw a ton of Disney movies as a kid
    • He loved the animal ones
    • They gave him a great love for the outdoors
    • He loved John Wayne movies and other Westerns
    • He hated—and still does—horror movies

    What movies did Polly and Andy enjoy when they were dating?

    • Polly does not like to go see movies…in fact, she’s never even seen Star Wars!

    What movies does Andy like to watch with his boys?

    • A Christmas Story is one of his favorite movies
    • His manager, Robert, insisted that he and Andy go see it in the theater
    • They were the only ones in the theater, and they couldn’t stop laughing
    • Andy and his family watch it every year
    • The reason why it appeals to him is because it conveys how a kid actually thinks about the world around him
    • One of the good things about watching movies with kids is that all the great old movies are totally new to them

    The Legend of Bagger Vance is another one of his favorites.

    • Disclaimer: Sports Illustrated actually listed it as one of the worst sports movies
    • Andy wholeheartedly disagrees; it is a brilliant movie

    Andy and Polly love O Brother, Where Art Thou?

    • They sit there and quote every line
    • “Gopher, Everett?”

    What movies from the last five years did Andy really enjoy?

    • True Grit blew Andy away, and he didn’t see it coming
    • Why would you remake a movie that featured John Wayne and won an Oscar?
    • About 15 minutes into the movie, Andy realized he was blown away
    • He hates to say it…but he thinks it’s even better than the original
    • Note: Andy accidentally referred to the directors of True Grit and O Brother, Where Art Thou? as the Farrelly Brothers. Both films were directed by the Coen Brothers.

    Listeners, don’t forget to sign up for AT’s Early to Rise Challenge!

    Questions for Listeners

    •    What movies do you enjoy watching with your family?
          o    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
          o    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
          o    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
          o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL055.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:13am CDT

    This week, A.T. and Andy introduce a new segment called “Finish This Phrase,” where Andy takes listener-submitted phrases and finishes them on the spot.

    Parents should always ________

    • Andy says, “Discipline their kids.”
    • If parents don’t discipline their kids now, life will discipline them later…and it probably won’t be pretty.

    When you go to work ________

    • Andy says, “Go in a good mood, because no one wants to be around someone who is whining and complaining.”

    Husbands should never ________

    • Andy says, “Put too much salad in their mouth at once.”
    • “Leave Band-Aids in the shower.”
    • “Honk the horn when his their wife is doing whatever she does inside.”

    When your kids walk out the door to school, you should always tell them ______

    • Andy says, “Don’t forget to smile while you talk.”
    • This is huge and will give your kids so many more opportunities.
    • He also says, “Find someone who doesn’t have many friends and be a friend to them.”

    If you want a different life _______

    • Andy says, “You have to think different.”
    • “Seek wisdom like a crazy person. Read.”

    Before you go fishing, you should ________

    • Andy says, “Always make sure your rods are in the boat.”
    • “Always make sure your bait is in the boat.”
    • “Make sure there is gas in the boat.”
    • “Put drinks in the boat.”

    When you get up early, you _______

    • Andy says, “Gather insights that would not happen at any other time of the day.”

    If you don’t have goals _______

    • Andy says, “You’re playing basketball without the baskets.”

    When you get discouraged ________

    • Andy says, “Do the things that you know to do.”
    • Your actions dictate your feelings. Do the things that make you feel better.

    If you ever get a chance to ________

    • Andy says, “Go to a Gaither Homecoming concert, do it.”
    • No matter what kind of music you like, you will be blown away.
    • A.T. says, “Take time off from work and go on a field trip with your kids, do it every time.”


    Questions for Listeners

    •    Want to hear Andy finish more phrases? Submit your own!
          o    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
          o    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
          o    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
          o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL054.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:20am CDT

    Is there a secret to becoming “extraordinary”? What’s the difference between extraordinary and ordinary?

    Define an extraordinary life.

    • An extraordinary life means a lot of different things to different people.
    • But there are several characteristics that they have in common.
    • Being debt-free. It’s hard to live a life of freedom when you’re living with debt.
    • A track record of wise decisions leads to an extraordinary life. Wise decisions lead people to places of influence.
    • Influence is essential because it is part of helping people, which is another key ingredient in an extraordinary life.
    • We all possess influence in some areas.
    • The pursuit of wisdom opens the door to all of these qualities.

    How do you want to live?

    • In relation to your family, finances, God, your community, etc.
    • This question will give you a good idea of what your version of an extraordinary life is.
    • If you want to live an extraordinary life, then you can’t live the way most others do, because most people are leading average lives.

    Can anyone live an extraordinary life?

    • Yes. Anybody can change their thinking. Anybody can change their actions and their path by changing their thinking.
    • There are two things people need to change: there has to be something in it for them (a benefit); and something has to be proven beyond doubt.
    • Our thinking guides all of our choices. So if we want to make better choices, we have to change our thinking.
    • Your thinking is the foundation that your entire life is built upon.

    What do extraordinary people do that average people don’t do?

    • They get up early and with a purpose. If you don’t have something to do, create something to do.
    • Create a spirit of gratefulness in your life and your children’s lives.
    • Watch out for other people and have manners. Treat people with respect.

    Who do extraordinary people spend their time with?

    • They spend their time with extraordinary people.
    • They spend their time with people who are good examples for them, and who are committed to learning the same things they are trying to learn.

    Early to Rise Challenge

    • Go to TakePermission.com/EarlyToRise
    • Put in your e-mail address and first name and you’ll get an e-mail early every morning.
    • Each e-mail will give you encouragement and ideas of what to do with your extra time.

    Questions for Listeners

    • What do you consider to be an extraordinary life? Let us know!

                o    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
                o    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
                o    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
                o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL053.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:42am CDT

    One of Andy’s favorite musicians and good friends, Jason Crabb, is on the show this week. Jason won Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year at last year’s Dove Awards. He and Andy discuss everything from music to the importance of practicing what you preach.

    Andy asks: How did you get started in the business?
          •    His dad was a pastor, so he grew up in the church and learned how to communicate to people and play music
          •    Eventually, people started to take an interest in him and his family and they would get invited to perform all over the country

    Andy asks: At what point did you realize you had a gift for singing?
          •    Jason thinks it’s more about being passionate about what you do and seeing the way what you’re doing is affecting people in a positive way as opposed to thinking about your talent level and how much money you’re making
          •    So there wasn’t really one particular moment, but over the years he has been blessed enough to see the life-changing effects his music has had on people

    Jason’s song “Somebody Like Me” is played
          •    It’s a song about accepting responsibility and accountability for taking care of one another
          •    Christianity has been painted the wrong way to the world, often due to our own self-righteous behavior
          •    Christianity is about love and taking care of your neighbor
          •    We have to watch what we say and do at all times, because our actions reflect on the entire group
          •    You can view the video for “Somebody Like Me” by clicking here

    If you’re not familiar with Jason, click below to check him out online!
          •    Facebook
          •    Twitter
          •    iTunes


    Questions for Listeners

          •    What would you like to hear Andy discuss on future podcast episodes?
                o    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
                o    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
                o    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
                o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL052.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:18am CDT

    Andy offers an encouraging perspective on the approaching presidential election and gives listeners bits of wisdom they can apply in political conversations. He also tackles the all-important question—for whom should we vote?

    One thing that everyone agrees with, everyone should be told the truth.

    • The next question is, what is the truth? What’s your truth, my truth, his or her truth? There is a variation on the theme of truth.
    • There is only one truth, and the truth defines itself. The truth will also define someone who works within those parameters. 

    The two reasons why most people don’t vote:

    • People don’t feel like their one vote will make any difference.
    • By the time the election comes around, people have poor opinions on both candidates because the person whom they wanted didn’t receive a nomination.

    Things to consider when determining for whom to vote:

    • This is not about an election as much as it’s about a direction and where our country is headed.
    • Examine what you believe, and measure that against what the candidates believe.
    • Knowing the difference between being moral and doing what’s right in action. 
    • A good leader is much like a good parent. Meaning, you’re not concerned with what the child wants right now more than what’s going to be best for the child long term. They have the ability to look down the road and tell the child what they may not want to hear right now, but what we know is the best decision for their future.

    Questions for Listeners

    • What factors do you consider when looking at political candidates?

    o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL051.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:33am CDT

    This week’s episode is short, but laughter is guaranteed! Hear Andy sing the three “alternate” versions of everyone’s favorite hymn, “Amazing Grace.” This has become something audiences across the country request from him.


    Questions for Listeners

    • How do you discipline your children when they misbehave? What problems have you encountered?

    o    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
    o    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    o    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
    o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL050.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:46am CDT

    What legacy are you leaving? Andy and A.T. discuss this subject as well as some great listener feedback.

    Most people never get a standing ovation.

    • By helping others and adding value to other people we, in a sense, are giving them a “standing ovation.” The ripple effect of your actions will impact others in ways that you may never know. 

    How do we create a legacy? 

    • Know that everyone leaves a legacy, but not every legacy is a good one
    • You start right now
    • You need to read material that adds value
    • Start living your life intentionally 
    • Catch people doing something right

    Build on what you are so:

    • Those who come behind you learn from your example
    • Others can learn from what you know
    • Others know why you make the choices you make
    • Others know how you make the choices you make

    Write principles that have been important to you down to pass on after you’re gone.

    Questions for Listeners

    How are you creating your legacy? What are you doing on purpose to add to it?

     o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL049.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:30am CDT

    This week, special guest Dan Miller discusses the bold claims he has made about wisdom, passion, and finances in his new book, Wisdom Meets Passion, with Andy and AT.

    Dan’s new book is a “different kind of book”
    •    Dan is known as a “career guy,” but this book falls under a different category
    •    This book is about finding your passion and building a career around it
    •    It compares and contrasts Dan’s perspective with his son’s, who lives in Kenya

    The crux of the book is wisdom meets passion
    •    They are trying to remind people that we have to have wisdom and passion no matter where we are
    •    One without the other is meaningless
    •    No matter how old you are, you can discover your wisdom and your passion and how to integrate the two

    Andy thinks that the greatest book or product or song that somebody puts out is one where you don’t even have to know who the author or artist is to like it
    •    He thinks Ken’s book is one of those cases
    •    The book would work extremely well for companies across the country to give to their employees
    •    Companies need to understand that the younger generation wants to do something that is close to their heart and is something that they truly care about
    •    They don’t necessarily care as much about having a Mercedes in the driveway

    Dan and his son, Jared, have very different lifestyles, but they believe in exactly the same things
    •    That’s how we need to be as people
    •    We don’t need to be at odds with people of different generations, denominations, countries, and cultures
    •    If we understand each other’s hearts we will see that we want a lot of the same things, but we let a few ancillary things divide us

    The book makes some bold claims, like “never get a job with benefits” and “hourly pay will make you poor”
    •    A friend of Ken’s who plays guitar professionally was told by his father to never get a job with benefits
    •    The meaning behind it was that safety nets will keep you from really pursuing your passion with everything you have
    •    In regard to hourly pay making you poor, Dan says that we shouldn’t listen to the conventional way of thinking that says you get paid a set amount one time every time you fulfill a task
    •    Instead, we should look for things that have no ceiling, unlimited upside
    •    We should look for something that we can do once and then get paid 10,000 times for it—there are ways to leverage your expertise that open the door to financial benefits most people never even think about

    Dan’s book will be released in stores everywhere on August 28. You can pre-order the book now by clicking here. At 48Days.com, they will be introducing some special offers that you can also get.

    Questions for Listeners

    •    Are you living your passion? If you are, how are you able to do so?
         o    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY
         o    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
         o    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
         o    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL048.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:52am CDT

    This week, AT shares some good news and asks Andy to answer the most difficult listener question they’ve ever received.

     

    Andy and AT share some good news:

    • You can get seven free letters from Andy’s previously unavailable Storms of Perfection book by signing up for the free e-mail list on AndyAndrews.com.

    AT shares what he calls the “toughest question ever asked on the podcast.” Rebecca writes:

    • Andy, the area of parenting I have trouble with the most is making more quality time with my children. I’m a mother of two and since the first day my child was born I have wanted to quit my job and become the manager of my home.
    • The problem is my student loans. I’m a lawyer, and my education cost a lot of money. It does not seem feasible to quit my job until the student loans are paid off. Even with aggressive payments, the loans won’t be paid off for another three and a half years. By then, my children will be in school, so there will be no point in staying at home.
    • Right now, I struggle with how to make the most of the time I have with my children. It’s hard not to become bitter about the decision I made about my education 10 years ago. Any insight you could provide would be appreciated. 

    In a way, this is a problem Andy is struggling with right at this very minute, though he certainly isn’t comparing their situations.

    • In two weeks, the summer is over and school will start for his two boys, who are 10 and 12. Unfortunately, Andy is past his deadline on the book he is writing.
    • He’s getting up at 3:30 AM and going somewhere else away from his house to write so that he isn’t tempted to spend time with his family instead of writing.
    • He’s coming home for dinner every night exhausted. He’s very aware that he’s going to be writing for the rest of Austin’s last summer before he becomes a teenager.

    Right now, he’s thinking things like:

    • It’s never going to be like this again.
    • I could have gotten this done earlier.
    • I’ve screwed up with how I’ve spent my time.

    However, we live in the present and we have to deal with the choices we’ve made in the past. Andy’s not trying to compare what he’s going through to the seriousness of her situation, but he wants to give Rebecca some “straight talk,” what Jones would call “perspective.”

    • We can’t do anything about the decisions we have already made. We just have to live with them. We’re not made with the ability to make right decisions all the time. We don’t know what the future consequences of our choices will be. Once we make choices, it’s part of our duty to go about making those choices right.
    • The two things she’s not lacking are the money to pay the loans off and a time frame in which to pay them. All she is lacking is an idea. One idea changes everything.

    The perspective Andy wants her to have is the same kind of perspective that he and Polly had after Hurricane Ivan destroyed their home.

    • It was going to take two years just to even get back inside the house. Two years just to get a certificate of occupancy.
    • Three weeks after the hurricane, Polly had a miscarriage. They had a four-year-old and a two-year-old. They moved to three different rental houses during the time. It was a bad time. 

    During that time, they thought things like:

    • I can’t believe we have to put our kids through this.
    • I can’t believe they have to spend all this time moving and uprooting our family instead of doing “kid stuff.”

    But there was another way to look at this “bad” time:

    • At least it happened while the kids were young, because everything was an adventure to them.
    • Even the new bathtub in a rental house was amazing to them because they could race their cars in it.
    • This would not be the case had they been teenagers.

    The point is that Rebecca’s situation is probably bothering her a lot more than it’s bothering the children.

    • Since her real concern is with them and not with herself, she can afford to lighten up on herself a little bit.
    • Understand that she can find quality experiences that will trump any amount of “regular” time a lot of parents spend with their kids.
    • A lot of parents are home at 5 o’clock in the afternoon and they’re home all night long. But all they do is sit in their chair, tell everyone to be quiet, watch the news.
    • Lots of families don’t even eat dinner together.

    There are things you can do to make ordinary experiences extraordinary, especially for little kids.

    • Right now, Andy is writing in one of those houses they rented after the hurricane. So, last night, they came to visit him before they went to bed and the boys were running around and talking about all the memories from the old house.
    • They had those good memories because, during the awful time when Andy and Polly were worried about everything, they didn’t let the kids see that. They still made sure to create extraordinary moments for the kids during that time.

    Andy asks Rebecca: What will your kids remember about this tough time in your life?

    • Her kids are going to remember that they had a mom who worked hard when they were little so that when they were older she could really be there for them.

     

    Questions for Listeners 

    • What is an example of an extraordinary moment you created for a child or a parent created for you when you were a child?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL047.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:22am CDT

    After listening to the Father’s Day podcast a reader responded with an idea she does with her children:

    • She writes letters to her kids each year that will be given to them at a later date.
    • It’s a way of adding value to children before they are aware of anything being done.
    • Knowing that they will go through tough times in the future, having a way to say, "I love you and I have always loved you," can have a lasting impact.

     

    Another listener question: What makes you (Andy) most satisfied in life?

    • Personally, knowing that he's done what he can that day and that God is proud of him. 
    • That he provided for his family and added value to them.
    • Professionally, creating value for other people through writing & speaking. 
    • Hearing how what he's done has impacted others gives him satisfaction.

     

    Reading The Perfect Moment:

    • His intention with writing the eBook was to help people become aware of those moments in life that all too often slip past us.

     

    After the Father’s Day podcast, a listener wrote in with a personal story. Andy's thoughts in response:

    • Great perspective on life in tough times. 
    • Having reminders of joy to look at to help get through those tough times. 
    • The pictures that we love the most are often not posed, but rather moments that were captured.
    • You have to laugh because life will be hard. You still have to lead your family. 
    • Everyone acts right when things are going well, but what your family will remember will be the way you acted during a tough time.
    • All the defining stories about great leaders come from the tough times they encountered and how they handled themselves and got through them.
    • We know that there are going to be crises, but when they come we can know how we're going to act, think, and respond to those crises. It can all be decided. It's a choice. 

     

    After the interview with Michael Hyatt, a listener commented that the podcasts are an on-going value, "It's the gift that keeps giving if you go back and listen again and again." Andy responds:

    • It's great hearing how these interviews are impacting others.
    • If you (the listener) are receiving value, then please pass it on to others who may benefit as well.

     

    A listener who read The Noticer and found value in learning from what other great people have written asks Andy what books he recommends people to read

    ·          You can find Andy’s recommended reading list by clicking here.

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    • For all the parents out there, what challenges do you struggle with as a parent?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL046.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:00am CDT

    This week, Andy highlights the lessons we can take away from the Olympics and apply to our own lives.

     

    Why are we so compelled to watch the Olympics?

    ·      They give us more than normal sports do the rest of the other four years.

    ·      They mark times in our lives. Everyone has memories connected to the Olympics. 

    ·      The Olympics give us a glimpse into the private lives of those who have amazing discipline.  

     

    Nothing great happens without discipline.

    ·      Business

    ·      Raising children

    ·      Sports

    ·      Writing

    ·      Anytime you see anyone who has accomplished anything great, you find that they have great amounts of discipline.

     

    Why watch the Olympics?

    ·      You will find a "hero," someone who will be highlighted everywhere. Someone you will admire.

    ·      To see real life examples of people who went out and created success without anyone else paying them to do what they were gifted to do. In spite of      challenges, they still succeeded.

     

    While having a conversation with his son after his son’s guitar lessons, Andy illustrated the challenges that one might face as they pursue something they are passionate about. 

    ·      The fear of not being any good.

    ·      There is already so much out there, why should anyone want what I have?

    ·      More than just passion, you need to have something that offers value to others and helps them.

    ·      Once you have success, it can be hard to get out there and push yourself again to be better. 

    ·      Once you learn the process of being successful in one area of life, you can then apply that to every other area of life when you encounter hard                  situations.

    ·      Once you've accomplished something great, the world will see it because there are not a lot of other people doing it.

     

    Few people do something great with their lives because when things get hard they think:

    ·      That it's just not for them.

    ·      This is God telling me that I should do something else.

    ·      This is hard, so it must not be something that I can do.

     

    Most people will not ever have success because:

    ·      They avoid challenges.

    ·      They don't push themselves.

    ·      They don't like conflict.

    ·      They make excuses.

     

    The Olympics gives you the example of people who fought through all the excuses to arrive where they are today. It also gives parents the opportunity to teach their kids what it takes to be successful in life.

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      What would you like to hear on future episodes of In the Loop? Let us know!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL045.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

    This week’s special guest, Melinda Leake, is a middle school English teacher from Tennessee who has integrated Andy’s books into her classroom. She discusses the potential that the books can unlock in young people. 

    Three summers ago, Melinda had an emergency appendectomy and was hospitalized for 10 days.

    ·      Around day seven, she was in a state of depression.

    ·      She was looking out a window and realized that her perspective was totally wrong. She saw all the people in the hospital who were worse off, and realized she had many amazing things in her life.

    ·      When she got out of the hospital, she and her family went on vacation to the gulf.

    ·      While in a local bookstore in Seaside, she saw The Noticer and decided to pick it up, especially once she noticed the subtitle—“Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.”

    ·      That book is what caused her to fall in love with Andy’s writing.

     

    She realized there were lessons that, not only adults, but also kids could take away from The Noticer.

    ·      She used it in her classroom and the kids absolutely loved it.

    ·      They shared the book with their parents and friends and grandparents.

    ·      She has gone on to teach The Young Traveler’s Gift, The Traveler’s Gift, The Heart Mender, and How Do You Kill 11 Million People?

    ·      Teaching is a lot different now. It used to be about just pouring knowledge in. Now, it’s about preparing kids to enter a society that doesn’t really want to know everything they know…they want to know what the kids can actually do with what they know. And Andy’s books show kids how they can actually do things.

     

    Andy asks, “What do you actually do with the books in your class?”

    ·      She sets the stage for what the students are about to read.

    ·      With The Heart Mender, they learn a lot about WWII and what the country and world was like during the time in which the book is set.

    ·      They explore the books’ characters.

    ·      Then, they simply start going through the book together.

    ·      The quotes from the books that can be applied to the kids’ lives are huge for her.

     

    A lot of the concepts in Andy’s books are things that all adults wish they had known when they were younger.

    ·      The books can set teenagers up to make better choices as they get older.

    ·      Wisdom, worry, and the love dialects are all huge concepts that Melinda’s students have latched onto when they read The Noticer.

     

    There are free curriculums on AndyAndrews.com/Education that teachers can use to plan or supplement lessons about each book. There are also large quantity discounts available for educators.

    Questions for Listeners

     

       ·      Have you seen Andy’s books have a positive impact on a young person’s life? Tell us about it!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL044.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00am CDT

    In honor of Andy Griffith’s passing, Andy and A.T. discuss The Andy Griffith Show and what it can teach modern families.

     

    How did The Andy Griffith Show have an impact on Andy growing up?

    ·      He watched the show with his family. They would laugh and be entertained and have a good time while they watched.

    ·      At the end of the show, Andy’s dad would always say, “Now what was the moral of that show?”

    ·      There was always a bit of wisdom or a lesson in every episode, and those lessons still hold up to this day.

    ·      Andy thinks the first 5 years of The Andy Griffith Show was the best programming in the history of television.

    ·      To this day, Andy and his family will still quote lines from the show to each other.

    ·      The show was still the number one show in the nation when Andy Griffith left it after eight years.

     

    The show had a very natural sense of comedy.

    ·      Opie was funny in the way kids in real life are actually funny.

    ·      That’s not what kids on modern sitcoms are like. Now, they try to make the kids seem smarter than the adults and wittier than actual comedians.

     

    Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) talked about the responsibility that people on television have for what they produce.

    ·      A.T. is finding that it’s harder and harder to find quality programming for his children on TV, especially because of what is shown on commercials now.

    ·      The Andy Griffith Show is a great alternative that families can still enjoy on TV.

    ·      The atmosphere and sense of community on the show is something that Andy and Polly are trying to create for the environment in which their boys grow up.

    ·      Andy really encourages moms and dads to get this show to watch with their family.

    ·      Season four is the best, and season three is awesome too.

     

    Andy’s Top 10 episodes of all time:

    ·      “Citizen’s Arrest”

    ·      “The Pickle Story”

    ·      “Man in the Middle”

    ·      “Barney and the Governor”

    ·      “The Loaded Goat”

    ·      “Opie the Birdman” (one of the best father/son discipline moments of all time)

    ·      “Ernest T. Joins the Army”

    ·      “Mountain Wedding”

    ·      “Haunted House”

    ·      “A Black Day for Mayberry”

     

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·      Do you have an idea for a future show, or just a question you’d like Andy to answer? Let us know!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL043.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:27am CDT

    Pierce Marrs, the voiceover for In the Loop, is the guest on this week’s podcast. Pierce is a big part of what has made this podcast successful.

     

    Pierce met Dan Miller (who has also been a guest on the podcast) about four years ago. He met A.T. through Dan.

    ·      Pierce is the person who first introduced A.T. to Andy’s books.

    ·      He told A.T. he had to get The Traveler’s Gift.

     

    Pierce has been pretty much on his own since the age of 16 when his parents divorced.

    ·      Throughout his life, he has encountered “Jones”-like mentors who taught him to make good decisions.

    ·      Pierce has spent the last few years teaching people sales techniques and how to serve people.

    ·      He thinks serving people is becoming a lost art in our country.

    ·      Most people miss the idea that service is the key to success and leadership. It seems like a contradiction to most, but it’s not.

    ·      We are all in sales, regardless of our profession. We are all trying to get people to buy into something.

     

    Sometimes our worst times become our best times.

    ·      The pits of our lives exist to make us become something better.

    ·      If you read about the lives of great people, you will discover that their greatness was born from situations in life they never would have chosen.

     

    “Sales” isn’t about getting someone to buy something.

    ·      It’s about communicating a thought process to someone.

    ·      The goal is to put value into people’s lives, regardless of whether money is involved or not.

     

    Pierce has started a new podcast about the television show Shark Tank.

    ·      The podcast came out of conversations Pierce was having with a high school friend after watching each episode of the show.

    ·      They discuss communication, sales, and leadership skills based on the concepts from the show.

    ·      This podcast is a great example of starting a business basically from nothing.

     

    You can find Pierce at MarrsCoaching.com and VoiceFromMarrs.com. Check him out!

      

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·          What are you trying to “sell” to others? What techniques have proven successful?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL042.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:32am CDT

    Andy and A.T. discuss a letter sent in by a podcast listener about the power of giving.

     

    A.T. reads a letter from an In the Loop listener.

    ·      The listener describes why he gives away so many copies of The Traveler’s Gift.

    ·      He began giving the book away while in the midst of a year and a half of unemployment.

     

    “Giving is an unbelievable action that continues to produce returns that are unexpected in nature.”

    ·      The listener’s time of unemployment was mitigated by the preparation he had undertaken, not knowing whether a time like that would ever come.

    ·      Maybe it would have lasted even longer had he not been prepared.

    ·      He understood the power of giving away not just a book, but a kind of thinking.

     

    This listener knew that during this difficult time in his life he couldn’t think like everyone else.

    ·      If you’re doing what everyone else is doing, you’re doing something wrong…because not everyone is making it.

    ·      If you want an above average life, you have to think outside of the average and what you see going on around you.

    ·      The listener who wrote the letter probably had people telling him he didn’t need to be giving away books while he was unemployed and low on income.

    ·      There is a lot of pressure from society to be normal. It takes a different way of thinking to overcome that pressure.

     

    Living outside of the average will allow you to build a legacy for your family that will live on beyond your years.

    ·      By setting an example of hard work and a different kind of thinking, your children will grow up with an understanding of those things

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·          What have you learned from the power of giving?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL040.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:43am CDT

    Andy talks parenting, marriage, and life with one of his favorite comedians and good friend Jeff Allen on this week’s episode of In the Loop.

     

    Jeff has been one of Andy’s favorite comedians for years.

    • Jeff and Andy had been fan of each others’ for years, but first really met and became friends during a Gaither cruise.
    • They got to sit on the back row while everyone else was singing and make fun of them.
    • They would consistently cause all the singers to laugh and get in trouble with Bill Gaither.

     

    Andy believes that comedians know more about what children are doing than any other kind of adult, so he asks Jeff about his parenting and kids.

    • Jeff says that he and his wife communicate in their own love and parenting language—bitterness and sarcasm.
    • This, of course, is not one of the love languages Andy describes in The Noticer.

     

    Jeff has been selling Andy’s newest release, How Do You Kill 11 Million People?, at his comedy shows.

    • He was inspired to get it into the hands of voters before the upcoming election.
    • He had been fed up with politics and elections for a long time, but the book got him interested in trying to do something about his concerns for the country again.
    • He has had some really interesting dialogues with his friends of all political opinions because of the book.
    • The trick of the book is to get people searching for the truth instead of trying to tell them what to believe.
    • If we all are searching for the truth, shouldn’t we all eventually arrive at the same conclusions?

     

    Andy wants his friends who are being introduced to Jeff Allen today to see a comedian who has not only lasted but has continued to increase his skills and success with different people.

    • A hugely successful comedian is not only one of the smartest people you will ever meet, but one of the most serious.
    • Jeff's upcoming CD is titled Three-Word Vocabulary. Check out JeffAllenComedy.com to find him.

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·          Do you have any questions for Jeff’s next appearance on the show? Let us know!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL039.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:52am CDT

    Andy talks about the best thing kids can do for their dads on Father’s Day, and the best thing dads can do for their kids.

    A.T. asks Andy: “What is Father’s Day like for you since you lost your father at a young age?”

    ·      It’s odd to Andy that his wife and kids never knew his dad.

    ·      Andy makes an effort to look at Adam and Austin and see the good qualities his dad possessed that they also have.

    ·      Instead of getting sad about his dad being gone, he focuses on talking to the boys about a legacy and a thought process that he is trying to pass down to them so they can continue the family’s traditions, attitudes, and qualities.

     

    How can we take care of dad’s in a unique way on Father’s Day?

    ·      For kids—get a nice box and make it into a treasure chest of sorts.

    ·      Write a letter to your dad about what this treasure chest is. Tell him about the qualities he has that you want to have in your life. Honor him with the letter.

    ·      Ask him: What do you think about? What is important for me?

    ·      Dads—you will take this box and create a treasure chest for your child. On the top, you will put the date when your child can take possession of the treasure chest.

    ·      Dads will put a book in there that will be important to their child. Write why it will be important to them in the front of the book. Fill it with books that have been important to you. Fill it with things that have been important to you and things that have reminded you of your child.

    ·      Handwriting is important. Seeing a parent’s handwriting gives your child a special connection.

     

    You don’t just leave a legacy for your kids. You build a legacy, and then you leave it.

    ·      We need to be intentional about the legacy we are building.

    ·      What can you begin building today to leave for your kids?

     

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·           Have you made a “treasure chest” for your kids? We would love to hear about it and see it! Contact us to tell us the story and/or send pictures.

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL038.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:00am CDT

    Andy answers an interesting listener question about the seven decisions from his first novel, The Traveler’s Gift.

    Andy answers a listener question: “How did you come about identifying the seven decisions from The Traveler’s Gift? I’ve never come across a book that encapsulates those ideas the way yours did.”

    ·      The first chapter of The Noticer actually tells a lot about how Andy found the seven decisions.

    ·      An old man named Jones got him to start reading biographies. Andy was instantly hooked after reading about Winston Churchill.

    ·      Eventually, he read more than 200 biographies from the library. He began to ask himself, “How did these amazing people turn out this way? Were they born like that, or was it something they did?”

    ·      Andy eventually identified seven things these people did that made them great. These became the seven decisions in The Traveler’s Gift.

    Andy began to realize that if you asked these great people if they knew they were doing these seven things, they might know that they embodied three or four of them, but there would at least be a few of which they were unaware.

    ·      He began to ask himself, “What happens to somebody who knows about all seven and actively pursues them?”

    ·      Eventually, Andy came to realize that these seven “things” weren’t just “things”—they were principles, which are at work whether you are aware of them or not

    ·      The crazy thing is that 30 years later, Andy is still discovering new things about these principles

    ·      The power of the principles, however, lies in how you apply them to your life

    Questions for Listeners

    ·      Which of the seven decisions has affected your life the most? In what ways?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL037.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:00am CDT

    Andy talks about his new ebook, The Perfect Moment: Capturing Life’s Greatest Gifts, and how you can get it for free!

     

    Andy’s new ebook is called The Perfect Moment: Capturing Life’s Greatest Gifts

    ·      It came from a particular moment he shared with his son, Austin

    ·      While they were fishing, Austin, at eight years old, said one of Andy’s all-time favorite quotes, “The reason I like to fish is because when everything is still and quiet your whole self is full of hoping, and whether you catch anything or not, you get to hope. It’s a great feeling isn’t it? Hope, I mean. It’s next best to excitement.”

    ·      Later on, when he and Austin were throwing the football, Austin pointed out why the moment was just perfect, something Andy had totally missed

     

    How many perfect moments have we missed?

    ·      We spend so much time focusing on what’s wrong, that we rarely notice when things are great

    ·      The book is designed to help readers notice and create perfect moments in their own lives

    ·      You will be able to create more memories that your family will remember forever

     

    Here’s how you get the ebook:

    ·      Go to AndyAndrews.com/Perfect to get the book

    ·      All you have to do is type in your e-mail and a link to download the ebook will be sent to you immediately

    ·      You’ll also get added to the Andy Andrews VIP e-mail list, so you’ll get each blog post and all the podcast notes delivered right to your e-mail

    ·      If you’re already on the e-mail list, you’ll get the book sent to you automatically in a few days

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

    ·          After reading The Perfect Moment, have you noticed any perfect moments in your life? We want to hear about them!

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL036.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:00am CDT

    Andy answers some amazing questions from listeners, including a 1st grade teacher and an anonymous listener with an insightful question about adversity.

    Amanda, a 1st grade teacher, wanted to share how Andy’s books have affected her life positively

    She had the opportunity to incorporate The Boy Who Changed the World into a social studies lesson and her students loved it

    Andy says it’s not about what’s in the book; it’s about what you do with what’s in the book

    Surprisingly, The Boy Who Changed the World has been really popular with high school graduates

    Public schools, especially in small towns, are dying to have adults come in and read to the kids. It’s an awesome opportunity for you to make a difference in the lives of other people

    An anonymous listener asks how to help a close friend gain perspective. Can a lack of adversity be a hindrance to gaining perspective?

    Yes, a lack of adversity can be a hindrance to perspective

    When things are going great with your finances, marriage, etc. people tend to not dig as deep for answers

    This is a perfect example of what we tell people about adversity—adversity is not necessarily a bad thing. It will shape you into something better

    Many people don’t understand the battle between “good” and “the best.” When things are good, we tend to not strive as hard and struggle and push past a certain point

    Finding your purpose is the best motivation to push past good and attain the best. Your purpose will ignite your passion

    We all have periods when there is no adversity, hopefully. When Andy is in a comfortable place, he has to intentionally remind himself of the purpose he wants to fulfill.

    He asks himself, “What is it that I want to affect, that I want to create, that I’m after, that I want to help?”

    Then, he asks, “Who do I have to become to be the kind of person people will listen to? Who do I have to become to be the kind of person that my family needs me to be?”

    Asking those questions will give you a tremendous amount of responsibility and control over every aspect of your life

    If you’re interested in reading what In the Loop host Andy Traub (A.T.) writes, check out his blog at TakePermission.com. Andy (Andrews) highly recommends his blog post “5 Things to Do When Leadership Leaves”.

    Questions for Listeners

    Have you volunteered time to read to young children at school? We’d love to hear about your experience!

    o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL035.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:00am CDT

    This week’s guest, Michael Hyatt, is the former CEO and current Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers. He is also an author and speaker and blogs every day at MichaelHyatt.com. You can also follow him on Twitter. He and Andy discuss why building a platform for yourself is more important (and easier) now than ever. You also get to hear Andy sing part of his famous “Happy Birthday” song!

    Andy would not have a career as an author if it were not for Michael

    ·      He was the CEO of Thomas Nelson when Andy was attempting to publish The Traveler’s Gift

    ·      Michael showed Andy’s manager, Robert, how to write a great book proposal for The Traveler’s Gift

    ·      Andy gave the manuscript to Michael’s wife, Gail, which led to the contract for the book

    Michael’s new book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, is being released on May 22, Andy’s birthday

    ·      Andy says this is one of the few new books that will actually break new ground for readers

    ·      This is the book Michael wishes he could put in the hands of every author he ever had to turn away as a publisher because they didn’t have a platform

    ·      The game has changed because it’s easier now than ever to have your own platform thanks to the Internet and the rise of social media and blogging

    ·      This book will show you, step-by-step, how to build your platform

    ·      This is a book for anyone who thinks they may want to write a book, for anyone who wants to increase the membership in their church, for anyone who wants to become a speaker or performer

    One problem today is that so many people are waiting to be picked. They think no one will ever notice them.

    ·      Because of the tools available to us now, that excuse is gone

    ·      If you want to know how to utilize those tools, Platform will show you how

    ·      The best time to build a platform is before you need it

    ·      The best time to build one was 10 years ago, the second best time is today

     

    If you purchase Platform during the first week of its release, you can e-mail the receipt to Michael and you will receive $375 worth of free bonus content. For more information, go to MichaelHyatt.com/Platform.

     

    Questions for Listeners

     

       ·      What topics would you like to hear covered in future episodes of In the Loop?

    o   Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o   E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o   Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o   Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL034.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00am CDT

    Chris LoCurto is the host of Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership podcast, which Andy was a guest on a few weeks ago (you can listen to the episode here). You can find Chris at http://ChrisLoCurto.com and www.twitter.com/ChrisLoCurto.

    Andy asks Chris: “What is the coolest thing going on your life right now?”

    Chris says teaching business owners and leaders the information from EntreLeadership is the most exciting thing for him

    Andy thinks EntreLeadership is an important book because it gives business owners a direction that they previously couldn’t put into words

    The lesson from EntreLeadership that has the biggest impact is personality styles

    We give direction the same way we like to receive direction

    If you try to give someone direction that way they don’t like to receive information, you’ll never get through to them

    As a leader, it’s your job to learn how to communicate to people in a way they will understand, not theirs

    Responsibility is great because it gives us hope and control over situations

    When you can change the culture of where you spend your most time (for most, your workplace), it starts changing the way you look at everything:

    Your family

    Your kids

    What you do on your weekends

    When your home life, finances, or personal fulfillment is suffering, it’s inevitable that your work performance will also suffer

    This is why Andy’s message works for companies in every industry

    Regardless of your profession, the principles of leadership and entrepreneurship apply to you, because we’re all in sales

    Questions for Listeners

    What’s the best example of leadership you’ve ever seen?

    o Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    o E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    o Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    o Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL033.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 6:58pm CDT

    Comedian Ken Davis is the special guest on this week’s episode of In the Loop. Things get funny quickly, but there are also key moments of inspiration that make this an episode you won’t forget.

    How did Ken and Andy meet?

    They met during Andy’s early years in comedy

    He opened for Ray Charles and Roseanne Barr opened for him

    Andy describes Ken as a model for him because he’s a comedian who appeals to both Christians and non-Christians

    Ken has a movie, Fully Alive, that will be released on DVD soon

    It’s all about living your life with intention

    We should not sleepwalk through life, just waiting for things to happen to us

    We have to be intentional about creating the life we want by making intentional choices

    Quote from Ken: “Life doesn’t have a winner’s circle—it just has a finish line.”

    How do you want to go through the finish line?

    We need to stop watching other people live and get out and experience things for ourselves

    Ken explains how and why he lost 60 pounds

    Because of the weight, he was no longer to effectively do the things he was created to do

    He signed up for a triathlon before he’d lost a pound

    Questions for Listeners

    How are you living a life of intention? How do you want to go through life’s finish line?

    Phone: 1-800-726-ANDY

    E-Mail: InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Facebook.com/AndyAndrews

    Twitter.com/AndyAndrews

    Direct download: ITL032.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:00am CDT

    Andy shares the only place you can get his new book and why it's really more than 15 years old.

    Length: 19:20

    We want your questions and feedback

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop   
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDY Ex #5   
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com 
    Please leave a review on iTunes!  

    Direct download: ITL031.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:45am CDT

    ITL030 : Special guest Jon Acuff shares secrets to following your dream

    Jon Acuff, author of Quitter and founder of StuffChristiansLike.net shares his story and how Andy Andrews has influenced his life. They discuss how we can all learn to pursue our passions without sacrificing our most important relationships.

    Length: 30:58

    We want your questions and feedback

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop  
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDY Ex #5  
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com 
    Please leave a review on iTunes!  

    Direct download: ITL030.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:00am CDT

    The story of how Andy Andrews and host Andy Traub teamed up to make In The Loop.

    We want your questions and feedback - http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDY Ex #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    Please leave a review on iTunes!  

    Direct download: ITL029.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:49am CDT

    A man's life is changed forever after a "random" changing of seats on a plane ride and a copy of Andy Andrews' book "The Traveler's Gift"

    Call in your question for Andy Andrews!
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDY Ex #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com 

    Find more episodes at:
    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop

    Direct download: ITL028B.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:51am CDT

    For those who aren’t aware, what is Storms of Perfection?

    What was the process of getting all the letters for the series like?

    Why was it out of print?

    Why is now a good time for people to be reading these letters?

    Do you have any favorite letters you still remember?

    Where can people download the first volume?

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop

    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5

    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Direct download: ITL028.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 6:42pm CDT

    A listener asks Andy how much where you live matters in relation to the work you do. 

    We welcome your feedback:
    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDY Ex #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Direct download: ITL026.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 5:16pm CDT

    Andy takes on the challenge of applying the seven decision from the Traveler's Gift to his newest book How Do You Kill Eleven Million People?

    We want your questions and feedback!
    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    Leave a review on iTunes!

    Direct download: ITL025.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 7:49pm CDT

    Dave Ramsey and Andy discuss the purpose and impact of the message in How Do You Kill Eleven Million People?

    We want your questions and feedback!
    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    Leave a review on iTunes!

    Direct download: ITL024.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:42pm CDT

    Career expert Dan Miller of 48days.com visits with Andy Andrews about how to find meaning in life through your work and shares the story of how they met through Dave Ramsey. We want your questions and feedback!


    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    Leave a review on iTunes!

    Direct download: ITL023.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:09pm CDT

    Andy offers wisdom for one of our youngest listeners.

    Running Time: 19:33

    We want your questions and feedback!
    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    Leave a review on iTunes!

    Direct download: ITL022.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 7:05pm CDT

    A Jewish reader leaves feedback about Andy's latest book "How Do You Kill 11 Million People?" and Andy talks about taking risks.


    We want your questions and feedback!
    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    Leave a review on iTunes!

    Direct download: ITL021.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 10:17am CDT

    Pastors, parents and other readers share how they're spreading the word about Andy's newest book. Their methods may surprise you.

    Show length 27:50

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    iTunes - In The Loop

    Direct download: ITL020.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:19pm CDT

    Andy shares some amazing advice on how to turn your passion into a career, gives an update on his Nashville team and answers some listener feedback.

    We want your questions and feedback!
    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    Leave a review on iTunes!

    Direct download: ITL019.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:35pm CDT

    How to help your kids see the world differently.

    We want your feedback!
    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Direct download: ITL018.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:15pm CDT

    Andy tells the amazing story of how he met his wife and then won her heart. We also answer a listener's question "What's the best thing a wife can do for her husband?"

    We want your questions, feedback and reviews on iTunes!

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDY Ex #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Direct download: ITL017_-_How_Andy_Andrews_met_his_wife_and_won_her_heart.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:36pm CDT

    Andy Andrews talks about how he's feeling now that his book "How Do You Kill Eleven Million People" has been released. We also discuss why one pastor bought 300 copies of the book to give away to leaders.

    We want your feedback!
    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Direct download: ITL016.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:04pm CDT

    We learn about the Andrews family Christmas and answer listener feedback in this episode.

    We appreciate your reviews on iTunes!

    Hear all the episodes at http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop

    Leave your feedback and ask questions at phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5 or InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Direct download: ITL015.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:07pm CDT

    ITL014 : 100% Listener feedback

    Andy Andrews answers several questions from faithful listeners of In The Looop!

    Leave us feedback at:

    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5

    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop

    Direct download: ITL014_-_100_listener_feedback.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 4:29pm CDT

    We discuss Andy Andrew's newest book "How Do You Kill 11 Million People" and answer listener feedback
     

    Leave us feedback at:

    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5

    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop


    Andy Andrews talks about Christmas traditions for his family, Michael Hyatt and his wife's reaction after Andy read them his new book How do you Kill 11 Million People and answers some powerful listener feedback.

    Please leave us feedback!
    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5
    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    iTunes - In The Loop

    Direct download: ITL012.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:21am CDT

    Andy hears from a listener who was deeply affected by a recent episode of In The Loop, answers a question about dealing with "fame" and tells us where he gets his inspiration for the books he writes.

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop

    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5

    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    iTunes - In The Loop

    Direct download: ITL011_-_Sources_of_inspiration.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:05pm CDT

    Andy Andrews shares when he first discovered the power of rising early and how you can build the habit.

    Leave us feedback at:

    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5

    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop

    Direct download: ITL010___Andy_Andrews_shares_the_power_of_rising_early.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 11:22am CDT

    Andy talks about the power of a smile, we answer some listener feedback and we preview his new book How Do You Kill 11 Million People?: Why the Truth Matters More Than You Think

    Leave us feedback at:

    Phone number - 800-726-ANDYEx #5

    Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop

    Direct download: ITL009___The_Power_of_a_Smile.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 7:25am CDT

    We get a sneak peek into Andy Andrews' new book and talk about the importance of rest while Andy and his family enjoy Peter Island.  We also respond to some listener feedback about Jones, one of Andy's greatest mentors and a staple in many of his books.

    Send in our questions and we'll answer them on-air:

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop

    800-726-Andy Ex #5

    InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    We need and appreciate your feedback on iTunes!!

    Direct download: ITL008.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 12:15pm CDT

    ITL007 : Dealing with death

    Andy explores how he dealt with the death of his parents and how he encourages those who are dealing with the loss of a loved one.  We hear from a listener who is grateful to be able to listen to the shows through AndyAndrews.com and we talk about what we'll be covering on future shows of In The Loop.

    You can leave comments at http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop

    Call in feedback to 800-726-ANDY Ex #5

    Email questions to InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Thank you for leaving feedback on iTunes

    Direct download: ITL007___Dealing_with_death.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 7:49am CDT

    Learn how Andy's books have been used by athletes on every level to improve their performance on the field and in life.  Andy also answers a question about turning one of his books into a movie.

    -->

    http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    - Phone number - 800-726-ANDY Ex #5
    - Email -->InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Direct download: ITL006.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:40am CDT

    Categorizing Andy's books has proven difficult for national newspapers, web sites and bookstores.  
    Listener question about the box found in The Heart Mender
    What category does Andy Andrews fit in?
    How many different categories, lists did The Traveler's Gift find itself in?
    When God was handing out talents which one does Andy think he got?
    What most CEO's are delusional about.
    Job performance improves when you can think about your job instead of your family.
    Who host Andy gives out Andy Andrew's books to.

    - http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop
    - Phone number - 800-726-ANDY Ex #5
    - Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com
    - iTunes - In The Loop

    Direct download: ITL005.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 1:52am CDT

    Andy dedicates an entire episode to listener feedback!

    Feedback has been awesome - Over 1,000 downloads the first day we released the show, lots of comments in iTunes, featured under the New and Noteworthy in business podcasts on iTunes, listeners calling in, writing in and posting questions for the show.

    Releasing an episode every single week now b/c the demand is so high!

    Submit Feedback:

    - http://www.AndyAndrews.com/InTheLoop

    - Phone number - 800-726-ANDY Ex #5

    - Email - InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    - iTunes - In The Loop

    Direct download: ITL004.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 9:41am CDT

    Find out how "engrossed" Andy gets when he writes, Andy answers listener feedback and shares stories behind the stories in The Final Summit.

    Listener Question: How engrossed do you get when you’re writing a book?

    Andy explains the unique portrait in his office
    Andy’s Winston Churchill item
    Where and when Andy does his best writing
    The surprise discovery at Gettysburg
    How long it takes Andy (host) to read an Andy Andrews book
    Jones makes an appearance in The Final Summit!
    Party poopers on Amazon.com
    How does Andy handle criticism about his books?
    It’s not that complicated
    “I resemble that remark”
    Churchill and King David’s conversation about depression
    How Andy’s friends get into his books
    Mark Lowry’s story that Andy included in The Final Summit
    Andy’s (host) Final Summit guarantee


    Please call our voicemail feedback hot line with your feedback and questions for the show.

    800-726-ANDY (2639) Ex #5

    You can also email questions or audio attachments with your feedback, like recordings from a voice memo app on your phone, to InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    http://www.Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
    http://www.Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
    Direct download: ITL003.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 8:00am CDT

    Andy explains why he created free curriculum around all of his books and creative ways cities and schools are using it.

    What do you want people to know about you that they likely don't know already?

    What word does Andy use to describe his parenting style?
    Andy's request for the men of his church and how they talk to his boys.
    Where the idea for curriculum based on Andy's books came from.
    How a college football team presented what they learned from The Traveler's Gift
    The results that school systems have seen from going through the curriculum
    The town that adopted The Traveler's Gift
    What is it like for Andy to have his ideas adopted by so many people?
    Why some people's ideas don't spread.
    How many publishers turned down The Traveler's Gift?
    Why did Andy decide to buy thousands of his own book?
    How Robin Roberts helped Andy resurrect The Traveler's Gift.
    What Andy prays every day.
    Andy speaks at his mamma's high school.
    Why Andy does not pursue being "smart".

    Please call our voicemail feedback hot line with your feedback and questions for the show.

    800-726-ANDY (2639) Ex #5

    You can also email questions or audio attachments with your feedback, like recordings from a voice memo app on your phone, to InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    http://www.Facebook.com/AndyAndrews
    http://www.Twitter.com/AndyAndrews
    Direct download: ITL002.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

    • How Andy became homeless at age 19.
    • The man who helped turn Andy's life around.
    • A story about Jones that no one has ever heard before.
    • A lesson on how to handle adversity.
    • How Andy went from homeless to writing.
    • How natural writing is to Andy.
    • The key to Andy's growth.
    • What entire college football team read The Traveler's Gift this year?
    • The great story tellers in Andy's life.
    • The mix of fiction and fact in the historical characters in Andy's books.
    • Why Andy (host) had to buy The Traveler's Gift twice.
    • What’s your ultimate dinner party?
    • Why Andy is excited about this podcast and your questions!

    Please call our voicemail feedback hotline with your feedback and questions for the show. 

    800-726-ANDY (2639) Ex #5

    You can also email questions or audio attachments with your feedback, like recordings from a voice memo app on your phone, to InTheLoop@AndyAndrews.com

    Andy on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/AndyAndrews
    Andy on Twitter - http://www.Twitter.com/AndyAndrews 

    Direct download: ITL001.mp3
    Category:Podcast -- posted at: 6:00am CDT