IAM598- Author Helps People Achieve More in Life

Christina Eanes is a former FBI violent crime analyst and senior manager who now runs her own professional development firm, hosts the Quit Bleeping Around podcast, and is the author of three books – all related to helping you achieve more in life.

• CEO Hack: (1) Escape Rooms (2) The library/ Amazon- reading one to two books a week
• CEO Nugget: When you bring in a team, your business grows
• CEO Defined: Happiness

Website: https://christinaeanes.com/

Podcast: QuitBleepingAround.com

Additional sites: Escapeletes.com, SecretToSuperProductivity.com
Twitter: @ChristinaEanes
YouTube Channel: Christina Eanes

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Transcription

Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place, Gresham, Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of.

This is the I am CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello. Hello. Hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I've Christina Eanes of Christina Eanes dat Com.

Christina, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Christina Eanes 0:39

Thanks. Glad to be here.

Gresham Harkless 0:41

Yeah, super excited to have you on. What I want to do is just read a little bit more about Christina, so you can hear about all of the awesome things that she's doing.

Christina is a former FBI violent crime crime analyst and senior manager who now runs her own professional development firm, hosts a quick leaping around podcast, and is the author of three books all related to helping you achieve more in life.

Christina, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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Christina Eanes 1:04

I am looking forward to it.

Gresham Harkless 1:06

Awesome. Let's do it. So I wanted to I guess rewind a little bit and hear a little bit more about how you got started in your CEO story. When did you start the business?

Christina Eanes 1:14

Oh, so I was born an entrepreneur and I went into government work because I had a family young. So I went into government work. Well, I really enjoyed Crime Analysis anyway. So I did that for about 15 years, a crime analyst and I got into the the FBI Leadership Development Program, helping them train 1000s of from line level up to executive level individuals in the FBI, on their leadership journeys.

I fell in love with that. And so once the kids left the house, I thought, hey, I'm gonna go out and do this on my own. I jumped out and started my business, now it's evolved into what it is today. It's been a journey over the last, oh, my goodness, six years, seven years now. Yes. So that's essentially I came back to my roots, I like to like to say,

Gresham Harkless 2:09

Yeah, it's so funny, because I say a lot of times that I guess when through life, you know, you get noise and a lot of things pulling in different directions. But I think a lot of times, I look back at myself as a kid and things that I was interested in or things that I did. That helps direct me in terms of making decisions what's the essence of who I am and what do I like to do?

Christina Eanes 2:30

Yeah, exactly. I feel like I've come full circle essentially.

Gresham Harkless 2:34

Nice. So I know I touched on it a little bit, too. But I wanted to hear a little bit more about you know, podcast, exactly. You know, what exactly you're doing with your books, and then all how you're working with clients.

Christina Eanes 2:45

Oh, so I have again, it's been an evolution, right? So I like to get my hands on a lot of different things. I like to do a lot of very various things. So I built my business in a way that would support that. So I have christinaeanes.com, which is the main part of the business and that's why I offer speaking engagements. I have a team of instructors and coaches, and we go in and do leadership development and professional development for various companies. So that's the main part. So that's where I get to get into that, that coaching that speaking that get in that classroom and have fun with people.

Then I built three different brands off of that. So love all of them have the theme of helping one achieve more in life. Right. So the first one that came off the presses, shall we say, is a book quickly being around 77 secrets to super achieving, along with that I built a website again, quickly being around dot com. And a podcast series. So that's been going for Well, three years now. I know. I know. We've discussed it before. And I had you on there?

Gresham Harkless 3:54

Yes. Yes, I have been a lovely guest.

Christina Eanes 3:56

Yeah. That's been a lot of fun, right? And then I built out the second product if you will, it's the secret to super productivity. So that essentially is a book on a website. And that was a love of being productive. And I thought, hey, why don't I share the system that I use with everyone else, so maybe they can be super productive?

Then this, actually this month, this year has come the third product off the presses. We're publishing Life as an Escape Room. So my husband and I, as you well know. Obsessed with escape rooms, right? So we thought, hey, let's turn this into a love of learning. We've done well actually, we're going on an escape cation very soon. So we're up into the three hundred.

Gresham Harkless 4:44

Oh, Nice.

Christina Eanes 4:45

I know nine different countries.

Gresham Harkless 4:47

What is escape-cation? Oh, oh, really? I never heard that word before.

Christina Eanes 4:52

I know. So because I made it up.

Gresham Harkless 4:55

Brand it before it goes locked.

Christina Eanes 4:56

Yes, yeah. So it is going on an escape room vacation, so we will go visit places and just hit all the escape rooms that we can in the area over whatever timeframe that we have. So we'll go look at stuff on our way to the escape rooms, you know, like, Big Ben or. Right, but it's on the way to the escape rooms.

But we found that escape rooms really helped us learn a lot about ourselves, about how we interact with each other, and how we manage our emotions. So I started using that in my speeches and workshops. And of course, we had to write a book on it. And that's turning into a speech a class, it will turn into a lot of other things. So, oh, who knows what's next next year?

Gresham Harkless 5:38

Nice. But you know, what I love about you know, everything that you're doing is that it all has that common thread, as you said, of helping people achieve, you know, more in life and try to, you know, get to that next level and see what that looks like.

Whether that be on a practical level, or, you know, just trying to figure out what exactly you can use as a productivity hack or tools or tips and just things from a practical level, but also from a deep level on how to get more out of life and be more.

Christina Eanes 6:02

Yeah, yes, it all has a theme, and I just like to express it in different ways. So I had to build my business in a way that does that.

Gresham Harkless 6:09

Yeah, absolutely. And then you start to figure out how you want to build a business, and then you kind of work backward from there sounds like.

Christina Eanes 6:15

Exactly. Nice.

Gresham Harkless 6:17

And no, I usually ask for what I call your secret sauce. It could be for you personally, or for your business. But what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

Christina Eanes 6:27

Maybe it's a mix of violent crime analysis, this one leadership development. No just kidding,

Gresham Harkless 6:32

I would definitely take it.

Christina Eanes 6:35

It's how to not behave and how to behave, you know. So what I really love is, we're both myself and my team are really focused on the experience of the individual, whether it's sitting through a speech, reading a book, sitting in through a workshop, I mean, it's all tailored around adult learning principles. So I have so much pleasure when I'm with a new client, and I see people walk into the classroom or into the, you know, where the speaking event is being held.

And they look like they're ready to check out like they've got their laptop up. Right, and they're, they've got their phone out, they're ready, they've got their little so they can get some work done while they're in training. And I so enjoy when they realize that it's such an experiential learning engagement, that they put all of that stuff away, and it's about them, and it's about how they can grow. So I think, really, at that, it's the experience of the participant, whatever they are, whichever part of my business that they're participating in.

Gresham Harkless 7:41

Yeah, that makes so much sense. I think that especially in this day and age, it's funny, I went to a conference, I want to say about two or three weeks ago, and one of the things that we had Stedman Graham actually come speak as like the keynote speaker, and he said something along the lines of what you just said, and sometimes we forget that is that we have at our disposal, the ability to kind of craft our own kind of learning experience.

And I think that when you as you said is your secret sauce, started to put the person first instead of saying, Oh, you need to read this, or you need to do it this way. This, this, you know, this shape, form or fashion, you put the person first it starts to really see a lot of tremendous growth.

Christina Eanes 8:17

Yeah, and that's what that's where the growth happens, you know, as you said, yeah.

Gresham Harkless 8:22

Awesome. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app or book or habit that you have, or maybe even something more about your book. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Christina Eanes 8:36

Escape Rooms? No, I'm kidding there.

Gresham Harkless 8:38

Yeah.

Christina Eanes 8:39

While they do help, yes, but seriously, it's mainly, I would say, honestly, not necessarily a specific thing. But the library, or Amazon. Yes, I am reading a different book, on self-improvement habits on perception, that whole area, is right. So every, at least every week, so if not, definitely one book a week, if not two, sometimes three if I can fit in, like an audiobook at the same time.

Gresham Harkless 9:08

Right.

Christina Eanes 9:09

Right? So I am just a sponge for whatever I can, whatever information I can pull in to help make me better for myself. And for those that I serve.

Gresham Harkless 9:19

That makes so much sense. Do you find that when you're trying to, I guess, find what the next book is? Do you have like a certain kind of rhythm or flow or way that you approach it? Or is it just kind of whatever, you know, connects with you at that time?

Christina Eanes 9:33

Yes, yes. And yes. Okay. So I will see something on social media, and it will come up as a recommendation from the library or Amazon. I will hear someone talk about it. I'm like, Hey, that sounds interesting. And it's also a great way to locate podcast guests. Yes. You want to learn more about it. You contact the author and say, Hey, talk to me.

Gresham Harkless 9:56

Oh, nice. That's, that's a hack within the hack.

Christina Eanes 9:58

There you go.

Gresham Harkless 10:00

I know you kind of touched on it in the beginning, but I don't know if I heard it because we went to the escape room I went with your husband and I think we were a large group. I can't remember if we actually escaped, but I think we did. Of course, we did. We're here on the podcast.

So of course, we escaped. But um, do you find like, there's a lot of synergy? I feel like in the escape room, a lot of times you have certain roadblocks or things happening at this teamwork. Do you find a lot of those skills also translate over to, you know, business, entrepreneurship, and even life at a greater level?

Christina Eanes 10:29

Oh, immensely. In the book, we actually go over 60 mini-lessons. But the two main areas, well, three main areas, which will actually form the workshop and the speech, our perception, the way we communicate with others, and the way we regulate our emotions. So those come up in your face in Escape Rooms. Exactly.

And it's just how our perception gets in our way, you know, the different ways that our mind can trick us if we're not careful how we can create emotions that get in our way, and then how we're not how we don't effectively communicate with others to make sure that we're moving forward with what we do. So I would say not just entrepreneur, but just with life. Those are the three main areas.

Gresham Harkless 11:13

Yeah, absolutely. And especially like the roadblock thing is a huge thing I think of because like, you immediately think that you have the way that the skate, you're going to be able to get out of the escape room, and then you get thrown for a different loop. And that's kind of like what happens in real life. We have the ebbs and flows and ups and downs.

Christina Eanes 11:28

And oh, yeah.

Gresham Harkless 11:28

It goes away. You think it does often, more likely a doesn't.

Christina Eanes 11:32

Oh, yeah. Well, what I love is it within 60 minutes an escape room can take you on what seems like an immense emotional journey. So you know, from frustration to excitement to okay, you got to buckle down and focus to it's just it's near 60 minutes can do.

Gresham Harkless 11:53

Absolutely. So I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So that could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice or something, you might say if you have been to a time machine and would tell your younger business.

Christina Eanes 12:04

Nice. So I learned this two years ago, three years ago, it took me a few years. So at first, I thought, Okay, I'm a super achiever, I can do this myself, I can, you know, produce massive amounts and do everything that I need to do, I can be my graphics person, I can be my social media person, I can develop my website, I can do this, I can do that. Right, I can. And I still do the stuff that I really enjoy.

But I found that the more I involve others, the more that I rely on a team, the more abundance all of us experience the year that I started relying on a team to help me get stuff done. Whether it's, you know, engaging people in the classroom, engaging people through social media editing, whatever, right graphics that year, and every year since then my income has doubled. And I'm hoping this year it triples.

Gresham Harkless 12:04

Yeah.

Christina Eanes 12:04

Yeah. So that was a huge lesson for me. When I started involving others, professionals in their areas. It's just my business exploded, for lack of a better term.

Gresham Harkless 13:16

Yeah, no, that's a great kind of nugget, just because I think so many times when you're in business, obviously, you have so many things that are going on. And I think it's really hard to sometimes release things or just, you know, delegate or find a team member, whatever that might be. And however that might look, to make sure you're more successful. But I love the fact that you kind of said that not only did it help your business out, but it also helped everybody else be more prosperous as well, too. Because sometimes we forget that.

Christina Eanes 13:44

Exactly. Yeah. So now I have a very happy team of folks.

Gresham Harkless 13:49

Yeah. which always makes it good. Yeah. So now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping to have different quote and quote, CEOs on this show. So Christina, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Christina Eanes 14:03

Oh, happiness. Yes, I get to live out my mission of helping others achieve more in life every day. I still love doing that. So essentially, it means happiness to me.

Gresham Harkless 14:18

Yeah, that makes so much sense. Just having, you know, happiness be kind of at the forefront. And I think that, as you know, we talked about, you know, with your nugget, and even you know, in the beginning, what you've been able to do for your business is you were able to actually craft exactly how you wanted to build your business, how you wanted to grow how you wanted it to manifest itself. I think that when you're able to do that and do that on a regular basis, everyday basis, then you truly start to achieve that happiness.

Christina Eanes 14:42

Yes, yeah. fulfillment, all of that everything wrapped up into it.

Gresham Harkless 14:46

Absolutely. Well, awesome. Christina truly appreciate you, appreciate your time and that definition of course, what I wanted to do is pass you the mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and listeners know, and then of course how best they can get a hold of you getting a copy of the book, subscribe to the podcast and see all the awesome things you're working on.

Christina Eanes 15:03

Oh, sure. So first, christinaeanes.com is a great way to be able to see all of the different brands and services that I offer. But I would like to leave the audience with I love the life is a good motto. Are you familiar with that one?

Gresham Harkless 15:21

I am not. I want to hear that.

Christina Eanes 15:23

Love what you do. Do what you love. Yeah. So essentially, I would love to leave the audience with you know, identify your mission in life and do it.

Gresham Harkless 15:33

Nice. I definitely appreciate that. What we'll do is we'll also have the links and information in the show notes so that everybody can follow up with you but I think you're absolutely right in and I appreciate that reminder, you know, when you are in alignment with your mission, what makes you passionate and what it is that you do then you know, nothing but good and happiness as we talked about before it comes from that.

Outro 15:55

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO podcast powered by Blue 16 Media tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community.

Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE And leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co This has been the I AM CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless.

Thank you for listening.

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