Jillian Ferment’s journey to becoming the Australian Professional Engineer of the Year wasn’t just about mastering technical skills—it was about mastering her own narrative. Through intentional career decisions, embracing her strengths, and crafting a compelling story, Jillian has created a career that not only elevates her but inspires others.Jillian’s journey to becoming an influential leader in the engineering community started long before she was awarded the prestigious title of Australian Professional Engineer of the Year. Growing up, Jillian was always seen as career-focused. However, it wasn’t until later in her career that she realized the importance of directing her trajectory in a purposeful way. She recalls the difficulty in answering the classic career question: "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" For years, she couldn’t pinpoint a clear direction.However, things began to change about 10 years ago when Jillian was consulting in the fields of safety, leadership, and team development. Though her consulting career was both fulfilling and lucrative, she yearned for more autonomy in her career decisions. It was then that she decided to take control of her professional narrative, diving into FOT (Fundamentals of Transaction) training in 2016.

As the Personality Diversity Experts chosen to coordinate 10,000 volunteers for the 2017 Super Bowl, Equilibria siblings Laura and David Senior Garcia talk about how studying transactional competence has improved their company's focus and helped bring conscious awareness to a diverse world. Their company works worldwide to help people embrace and leverage diversity to elevate personal, professional, and organizational performance.In this episode's talk, Kirkland Tibbels and John Patterson address how a transactional approach helps people understand the fundamentals of coordinated action.Podcast Bonuses:The stress ball in the photo was placed there in a playful moment and captures their sibling spirit.Laura Senior Garcia (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraseniorgarcia) is Equilibria’s Global Operations Executive and a Senior Coach.David Senior Garcia (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-senior-garcia-4971793a/en) is Equilibria’s Advanced Error Reduction in Organizations (or AERO) Product Manager and performs as a Coach, leading some of Equilibria’s most advanced workshops around the world.Equilibria (http://www.equilibria.com/)

Helen Kearney is a sales recruiter for a global software company. Her life's journey and her career specialization allow us to examine the question that we all - at one time or another - find ourselves asking: what is my perfect job (or purpose or life's mission)?As she explains, many people are exceptionally naive about their professional value. They may not understand their involvement in the larger transaction and the realities of their role in the marketplace. As such, she says, they often fail to consider or understand the needs of the employer and their concerns. Like any good marraige or satisfying position, a job is a reciprocal transaction.Near the end of the episode, you'll also hear Helen's tips for your preparing your LinkedIn profile, resume, and job interview.Podcast Bonuses:Thrive (https://influentialu.store/products/thrive)Code: 30 DaysHelen Kearney (https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-kearney/) on LinkedIn

In this episode, Kristen Moeller, a literary agent, published author, three-time TEDx speaker, and passionate advocate for personal growth, joins John Patterson to explore the challenges and revelations of pursuing success and fulfillment. From her mountain home in Colorado, Kristen shares her journey of transitioning from hopeful and magical thinking to embracing the principles of accurate thinking.This episode delves into the lessons Kristen learned through Influential U, including the importance of strategic thinking, confronting naivety, and recognizing the limitations of short-term enthusiasm as a long-term strategy. With transparency and humor, she reflects on the necessity of "growing up" and rethinking approaches to success, action, and fulfillment.

Having more than doubled her income and moving her company's market position from #57 to #1, Kim Corbett is an account executive who considers herself a turnaround agent, turning around the sales of failing or emerging companies. She's a top performer with a proven track record for growing revenues and increasing an organization’s profitability. Always ambitious, she had previously struggled to get beyond her current income range — until studying with Influence Ecology. In this interview, you'll learn what changed. We'll also hear a segment of a recent Fundamentals of Transaction Program classroom webinar. Here, Vice President Drew Knowles and Co-Founder John Patterson discuss the subject of "Autonomy." Traditionally thought of as a "condition of independence," we reorient our students to think of Autonomy as a "Surplus of Help."Podcast Bonuses:Thrive (https://influentialu.store/products/thrive?selling_plan=911966402)Code: 30DAYSKim Corbett (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-corbett-76a59a1/) on LinkedIn

Her view of money changed (and she made much more of it) when she began to understand that money is an exchange of help, rather than a necessary evil. Dr. Khush Cooper holds a doctorate in social work and her journey is quite relevant to those in the non-profit sector or anyone who has ever struggled with making a living and wanting to do good. This episode's closing segment is from a membership webinar on the subject of 'indifference of the marketplace'.You'll hear Co-Founder Kirkland Tibbels address the State of Mind of an Ambitious Adult. In her interview, Dr. Cooper refers to "passively waiting rather than ambitiously transacting," and this talk underscores the difference between "most people" and those who act with Ambition.Podcast Bonuses:Thrive (https://influentialu.store/products/thrive)Code: 30DAYSDr. Khush Cooper (https://www.linkedin.com/in/khush-cooper-msw-ph-d-74b10620) on LinkedInKhush Cooper & Associates (http://www.khushcooperassociates.com/home.html) 

Having endured an expensive journey to consider a career change, Joanna Burgraf found that to follow your passion was the worst piece of advice she'd ever gotten. Joanna is a Chicago-based senior lead for an award-winning creative services team managing ten brands at Enova International, a company using technology to develop innovative financial products. You'll hear how this fashionable but naive empowerment slogan shifted her focus — from working on being a valued cooperative member of a larger team — to the self-engrossed, navel-gazing, isolating habit of finding one’s true "Self."In this episode's talk, Co-Founder Kirkland Tibbels. This talk originally aired earlier this year — and we can't study it enough. Recorded in May of 2015, this webinar introduces three different orientations to action: Self-Action, Inter-Action, and Trans-Action. As we are the leading business education in trans-actional competence this segment is designed to illustrate the naivety and danger of Self-Action.Podcast Bonuses:Thrive (https://influentialu.store/products/thrive)Code: 30DAYSJoanna Burgraf (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannaburgraf) on LinkedInEnova International (https://www.enova.com/)Transactionalism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transactionalism)Note: Self-Action, Inter-Action, and Trans-Action are terms introduced in Transactionalism: An Historical and Interpretive Study (Influence Ecology. Phillips, Trevor J., 2015-11-22. Tibbels, Kirkland; Patterson, John, eds.) and in Knowing and the Known (Dewey, John; Bentley, Arthur Fisher. 1949-01-01. Beacon Press).

Sean Gillespie is a successful artist who creates award-winning abstract sculptures from his one-man studio in Denver, Colorado. His work can be found in exclusive galleries, national juried shows, and in corporate installations across the United States. Influential U's members include business and creative professionals from all over the world; we educate not only executives and entrepreneurs but also artists, designers, musicians, writers, and filmmakers -- and today perhaps we'll tackle the question: How do you make a living as an artist? It might be common to assume that artists make terrible business people, yet the same can be true in many professions. In all cases, what is required is transactional competence: knowing how to construct a recurrent business offer that meets your individual aims for work, career, and money. You'll hear Sean's journey and, how a little a study -- goes a long way.In this episode's talk, we listen in on a Membership Webinar to hear Kirkland Tibbels explain the nature of indifference and how we might navigate an indifferent marketplace.Podcast Bonuses:Thrive (https://influentialu.store/products/thrive?selling_plan=911966402)Code: 30DAYSSean Gillespie (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-gillespie-08643613) on LinkedIn

As a property developer, John Baigent lost practically everything in the global financial crisis of 2007-2009, then recovered just in time to lose it all again in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, a quake that caused widespread damage in New Zealand's second-largest urban area. He's not only overcome what would sink most people — he also continues to thrive.In this episode's talk, Co-Founders John Patterson and Kirkland Tibbels discuss how most people just lack the ambition to live as they aspire to live . . . that they'll wait for life to "turn out" and do not produce the situations, conditions, and environments they require to live a productive and satisfying life.John Baigent is not like "most people."Podcast Bonuses:Thrive (https://influentialu.store/products/thrive?selling_plan=911966402)Code: 30DAYSChristchurch Property Projects (http://www.propertyprojects.co.nz)

Troy's father's last words are a mantra he's lived by. His business plan autobiography reads like a character who suffered not for being dull, but for being way too smart. He talks about the early days and answers the question: How do you make $30K a month in personal income?In this episode's talk, Co-Founder Kirkland Tibbels outlines the fundamental background that underlies the specialized knowledge enjoyed by our members around the world. In it, you'll start to hear for yourself why Troy Frost and so many others are thriving.PODCAST BONUS:influentialu.global/thrive (https://influentialu.global/thrive/)CODE: 30DAYS

In this episode of the Influential U podcast, host John Patterson chats with Jenn Oliver, Senior Director of Service for the Academic Division at the University of Virginia's HR Department.Jenn, a self-identified Producer personality, shares her transformative journey from being overextended and burnt out to cultivating balance and alignment in both her personal and professional life.Through her five-year study with Influential U, Jenn learned to prioritize herself, embrace the strengths and limitations of her personality, and engage effectively with others of different temperaments. She offers candid insights about her struggles, the cost of putting others before herself, and the profound shifts she’s experienced in her relationships, career, and identity.Listen as Jenn discusses how embracing "gray areas," leveraging collaborative relationships, and valuing others’ perspectives have not only enhanced her influence at work but also strengthened her family life. This inspiring conversation is filled with actionable takeaways for anyone striving to navigate their personality in the transactions of life.In this episode's talk, Drew Knowles and Kirkland Tibbels explore the power of saying “no” with clarity and grace, emphasizing how your aims and commitments guide what invitations, offers, and requests to accept or decline. Kirkland shares a Hollywood story highlighting the importance of respecting your offers and those extended to you. Learn why the ability to decline defines your success as much as the opportunities you embrace. Podcast Bonuses:Thrive (https://influentialu.global/thrive/)Code: 30DaysJenn Oliver on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-oliver-08022019/)The University of Virginia (http://www.virginia.edu/)University of Virginia, Human Resources (http://www.hr.virginia.edu/)Video: Why put your mask on first (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUfF2MTnqAw)

Who keeps us from falling off the proverbial cliff? While some are naturally inclined to dream new ideas and others can’t help but build new relationships, there is a segment of society whose entire focus and role are to protect us from our poorly constructed shortcuts. This typically skeptical personality recognizes that nothing around us is a coincidence; things are either poorly designed or built to exacting standards. Often shamed for not seeing the world as ‘glass-half-full,’ this transactional personality plays the vital role in offering the evidence required to lay claim to facts. Karl Strand founded his consultancy by making the most of his skepticism and guarding the standards for commercial architectural exteriors. Karl and his wife, Randee, live in Dallas, Texas. They have been students of Influential U since June 2015. In this episode’s Talk, we’ll hear Co-Founder Kirkland Tibbels talk about the asset and liability of the Judge personality and how each personality can work together.Podcast Bonus:ThriveCode: 30DAYS

Before embarking on a full-time real estate career, Karina Christensen was part of the personal flight team for American business guru Jack Welch and media proprietor Oprah Winfrey, having the opportunity to travel with them for many years around the world and cultivate within herself what it takes to partner with high-profile clientele successfully.As a specialist now working with Keller Williams Luxury Homes International, she and her team specialize in luxury condominiums in Denver, Colorado. Having lived in Munich, London, Singapore, and Montana, Karina followed the sage wisdom, "you are the company you keep," and built her career by nurturing coveted relationships. Attracted to this education and its influential ecology of peers, Karina learned that 'relationship' is only one of many powerful tools and unlocked the ceiling on her income and satisfaction.Podcast Bonuses:Thrive (https://influentialu.global/thrive/)Code: 30DaysKarina Christensen on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christensenkarina/) 

How do you produce a robust identity amongst thousands of peers in a large corporate environment? Ron Sprengeler is someone who's done just that. Rather than join the naïve ranks of those whose viewpoint is that the job alone entitles them to a respected identity, Ron's case study demonstrates how to produce a powerful corporate identity in two ways: one, you'll hear how he's become well known and admired for his specialized knowledge and two, he shares just how he's cultivated a respected identity, reputation, and character among his peers. He's survived a big merger and feels confident that what he's learned from Influence Ecology will continue to help him provide real value in the marketplace.This episode's talk distinguishes some of the fundamental principles that produce a respected identity—not only for the small business owner but also for any employee working within any size organization.Podcast Bonuses:Thrive (https://influentialu.global/thrive)Code: 30DAYSLinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-sprengeler-9973a02/)

After ten years with a nationally recognized financial planning practice, Wesley Pingelton had ambitions to go out on his own. In doing so, he got what he wanted: great success, creative freedom, and the opportunity to work with the right client. But with each complex case, a unique solution produced a massive amount of labor. In a short time, he cringed at the thought of growing his business.You'll hear how he learned to construct a business model that's allowed him to scale his business, meet his financial goals, and truly enjoy his family life.In today's talk, you'll hear Co-Founder Kirkland Tibbels and I address how most people make offers they are unfit to present, commit to, or fulfill. Many just cannot prove that they are fit to build and maintain the transactions that would satisfy their aims.Podcast Links:Thrive (https://influentialu.global/thrive)Code: 30DAYSFull Circle Wealth (https://www.fullcircle-wealth.com/)Wesley Pingelton on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesleypingeltoncfa/)

Our featured interview is with an outstanding Chicago trial attorney who talks about his critical and analytical judgy-ness and how it has become a great asset. In this episode, Joe McNerney and Co-Founder John Patterson take the time to learn more about the Judge and Inventor personality and how personality, when understood, can help all of us transact more effectively. But Joe also cautions us all about the error of independence and self-sufficiency.In our talk, we hear from Vice President Drew Knowles and Co-Founder Kirkland Tibbels as they lead a conversation about the need to be surrounded by a surplus of great help. 

They got everything they asked for: record deals, international notoriety, playing big arenas (touring with Coldplay, Pink, Bon Jovi, and Rod Stewart), but recording artists Isaac and Thorald Koren (The Kin) hadn't quantified what to wish for or how to transact for it. Naively assuming their talent, passion, and fame would eventuate into their personal and financial satisfaction, they confronted a sea of indifference and inventoried their lessons to help others. They launched the Alchemy of Creative Expression (A.C.E.), developing a method to help the talented musician, artist, or executive unleash their unique voice and turn their talent into gold.In this episode's talk, we'll hear Co-Founder Kirkland Tibbels address the importance of both knowing your aims — and transacting accordingly.

With a long personal experience about the asset and liability of personality traits that offer both extraordinary value and harsh lessons, Ana Athanasiu, who lives in the San Francisco Bay area of California, is an internet pioneer who had a vibrant career in telecommunications and software development. Best known for the work she did on teams at Sun Microsystems in the mid-eighties — they invented XML — adding speed and usability to internet browsers. Able to retire in 2002, she's spent the last 14 years raising kids and supporting business executives, local non-profit endeavors, and sole-proprietorships toward market and financial solvency. She also co-manages her family’s real estate and stock speculation engagements. She is now studying Transactionalism with Influence Ecology and is working on advanced degrees in ethics and behavioral economics and data science.In this episode's talk, we address the asset and liability aspect of Transactional Behavior — where our greatest assets, if not tended to, can also be our greatest liability. 

Tim Guest, Managing Director of Infinite Wealth, helps everyday Australians reach their financial goals. After having first retired at the age of 27 as a self-made multimillionaire, he is now an investor, entrepreneur, financial educator, and motivational speaker and author well known for leading seminars promoting financial literacy and education. Thousands of people each year attend his seminars, making him currently the most watched independent financial educator in Australia. His entrepreneurial journey includes some valuable lessons about the cost and complexity of rapid growth and how his study with Influential U dramatically changed the way he operates his businesses.Tim Guest shares his journey of discovering his true personality type through Influential U's transactional competence training. Tim explains how understanding his natural strengths allowed him to create high-value, low-cost transactions in business by placing the right people in the right roles, ultimately boosting productivity and job satisfaction. He also offers valuable insights into common financial misconceptions, the importance of investing in assets, and actionable steps to achieve financial independence. Tune in for practical advice on mastering money and building a fulfilling life.Podcast Bonus:Influentialu.global/thrive (https://influentialu.global/thrive)Code: 30DAYS

Peter Burgraf, Vice President of Business Development at Q2 Business Capital in Chicago, shares his journey from being overwhelmed by debt to achieving both personal and financial success. Like many, Peter initially bought into the common belief that hard work alone guarantees success. However, faced with mounting debt and the pressure of big goals, he realized he needed a more strategic approach. By developing his transactional competence, Peter transformed his situation. Now, at 35, he has reached significant financial milestones, is newly married, a homeowner, and a proud father. Tune in to hear how he navigated this path and achieved his ambitious goals.Podcast Bonus:influentialu.global/thrive (https://influentialu.global/thrive)Code: 30 DaysPeter Burgraf (https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterburgraf) on LinkedInChatham Business Capital (https://chathambusinesscapital.com/)