THE ART OF CONNECTION 365 DAYS OF GRATITUDE With Robert W Jones

Hello, it's Howard Brown. It's the Shining Brightly

Show. I have a great show today. It's really going to be

energetic. I'm so excited to have Robert W. Jones. Robert,

how are you? Welcome. Well, thank you for having me. How are

you give me the gift of opportunity by being on your

show and I'm gonna flash you the sign. W W.

W is here. He's in the house. I love it. Let me just tell you,

we got a great show because we got so much to cover today. And

we're going to just spread so much inspiration. But Robert W.

Jones is a multi time International Best Selling

Author, radio show host and longtime entrepreneur and

founder of the eye net entrepreneur network. He is a

thought leader behind the legacy book series art of connection

365. We're going to dig deep on that, as they're of both, and

the eye net intrapreneur and contemporary women's magazines,

known as the Robert V. Robert or just W. He's described as one of

the most progressive innovative forward thinkers in the

business. He goes beyond recognising trends. He is a

trendsetter, creating ways for entrepreneurs to become Ultra

printers. Robert is heart centred relationship focused

builder of global communities. Today, he helps business owners

and entrepreneurs get on stage into authorship, and do

engagements that expand their brand awareness, personal

credibility, worldwide influence through his suite of I net

companies. And he's just a really good guy and a good

friend of mine. Robert, I'm so excited to have you here. I got

two immediate questions that we'll get into maybe your

background a little bit. But how are you shining brightly today?

You know, Howard, I love that question, because I've heard you

asked that question before. And instead of just coming onto the

show, and Breen something that I just come off the cuff because I

love doing that I love Ab-lib love getting on stage and

whatnot. I really thought about it. And I actually I actually

got it into my journal and I started writing down. And there

are three ways that I shine brightly. One, I, it's how I get

up in the morning, how I get up each and every morning. And I

have a ritual of drinking my lemon water, doing my meditation

and doing my isometrics to keep me young and healthy. I know I

look like I'm about 29 years old, but I'm actually 59. So the

second thing is, is how do I show up? How do I show up in

front of everyone I meet. And one of the best ways that I show

up and shine brightly is with a smile. And I make sure that

smile comes across the face because it means I'm open for

business. But better yet, it means I'm open for the people

that come across me and I them. But the last thing we don't

normally think about too much is, you know, I shine brightly

on how I end my day. Because everyone has days that are

amazing, and sometimes days that really are trying. And my goal

is is when I go to bed, I always think to myself, How can I shine

brightly when I go to sleep? So my dreams come to me again. And

wake me up with that charge of energy that says Here I am day.

This is what's getting me up? Not what keeps me up at night.

Wow. So powerful. I love it, how you get up, and how you show up

with a smile and then how you end the day. That's beautiful

man, I really appreciate that you took it real seriously. And

you are shining brightly. And that's that's a great mantra to

do that. And I do something very similar. And you know what?

That's because you're my big brother. You're a year older.

I'm 58. So all right. So something that we may not know

about you that you want to share.

Robert W. Jones: You know, so I want I'm keeping within the

theme here. So I'm 59 years old, believe it or not, I'm waiting

for my 59 and a half, right? No, I'm fine at 59. But here's

something a lot of people used to go to a place called Sears

and Roebuck and Sears and Roebuck actually, long, long

time ago, when my family lived in Connecticut, they had a

wonderful, amazing portrait studio. And so families would go

there and then have you know, portraits of their pets

portraits of their kids portraits of parents and family.

And so believe it or not, Howard when I went to the portrait

studio, they thought I was a cute baby. And what they did is

they gave us a free photo shoot. And I actually became the last

black and white portrait baby that Sears and Roebuck photo

studios ever took. I was the last one because after I broke

the camera of black and white and went to colour after that, I

think that that's what really happened. But there you go. So

I don't know if our younger audience remembers

Sears and Roebuck but I got my pictures with my twin sister at

Sears and Roebuck in the Boston suburbs too, but I was never

picked Is the portrait baby. So that's an incredible share

there. So thank you for that. What you know, I want you to

share a little bit more of your background. Because you know

what, when I met you, one of the most surprising things is that

you did service to this country. And I want to thank you for

that. So share a little bit more of your background and who

became how Robert, you became who you are today, I'll be

Robert W. Jones: But I'd like to say that I'm proud of my service

helpful.

of this country. And it hasn't always been that way. And I've

had to really look back and say, you know, what was I serving?

And then who was a serving with? And when I really figured out,

it's about the who, and not the how, or even the why sometimes

it's the people that I served with. That's what's made me most

proud of my service, I served from 1983 to 1989. Oh, my gosh,

that sounds like a lot ago. I don't want to say that. And, and

so I joined when I was 17 years old, you know, with the goal of

making that my lifelong pursuit. But as many of us know, what we

think that we're going to set out to do in life is not

actually what we, you know, end up doing. And so I served six

years very, very proudly. But I remember going down to Panama

and getting shot at and I thought, Well, I'm not sure I

might have a very long life in this particular venture. And so

I decided after my second three years, it was time for me to get

out and try other things in life,

which branch of the service,

Robert W. Jones: I was in the United States Marine Corps. So

once a Marine, always a Marine, and for the Marines out there,

Uhura

Served for 5 Yes, I love it. Well, thank you for

sharing that as well. And so really, what I think that I'm so

impressed, and I want to give a shout out to some people here,

so your wife, Sean, and then Donna, and then also buddy,

Thornton and Natalie because they just are incredible people

that since I met Natalie first, and she introduced me to that

have become really close business collaborators and

friends of mine. How did this art of connection get started?

Robert W. Jones: Yeah, it, you know it, it's a great story. And

there's a long story in a short story, you helped me how much

It's a great story for a couple takeaways here.

you want me to put in this involvement here. But what

happened was, is we had this thing, this little thing, this

little interruption in March of 2020, called COVID. And COVID

came into our lives. And in my company, we were an all in

One, thank you, Troy, right. And also, he acknowledged something

person networking organisation. And my belief was this, there's,

you know, there should always be a place to go where

entrepreneurs can grow. And but we did all in person. Then COVID

came in, I just shut down 17 chapters that were going on

across the country and wondering what I was going to do next. I

that you actually do something, you had your gift back up your

have a wife, I have three kids still in the home. I have a

fourth that just left, what do I do? And I remember I was working

and I was I had office space that a place called Regis and I

loved my office space there. But but it kept getting shut down

because there is these things called COVID cleanses. And so

resilient moment, you bounce back after the real estate, you

that meant that everyone with had locked the building that do

a COVID cleanse, we couldn't go in guess what it happened three

date three times in a row on the same day. And that happened to

always be on my radio show day. And then, and then a fourth time

it closed down and there was a fire on the roof. I went home

recreated yourself, I want to just acknowledge that. And then

and I and my wife, John's like what are you doing here? And I'm

like, well, there was a fire on the roof. And she said, You know

what, honey? Maybe it's the maybe there's a sign saying that

you need to come back home. So I did. I came back home and I had

a home office. But guess what, now I have kids and I got wife

thank you, for your wife to actually giving you the

and I have all these distractions that you have at

home, right? So one day, my son Troy comes across and he looks

at me, he goes, Dad, you old people got it all wrong. And I'm

sitting there and I'm working. I lift my head up through my

office door and Excuse me, what did you say Troy? It's like, you

expansion idea of like, we don't always want to hear all the

old people have it all wrong. But he piqued my interest,

Howard, he piqued my interest. I'm like, Okay, I'll bite on

this one. So why do us old people have it all run? He says,

Well, when you old people talk about legacy. It seems like you

always talk about stuff. And he goes, isn't knowledge more

quotes from Robert, in the W, we want to hear from others. So

important? Uhm, and it hit me. I was like, Oh, okay. And then

then he really got me interested. Like, I go to Troy

what, tell me more. And he's like, Look, Dad, I remember when

when you got into real estate. You lost everything in 2009. He

said, But you didn't have the knowledge to be able to rebuild,

it's really great. So now, you've actually now done, you

we wouldn't be in our house. Now. We wouldn't be able to

drive in a car now. You wouldn't have your business now. He goes,

it isn't it isn't about the stuff. He says it's about the

knowledge because you have the knowledge to bring us back. And

I remember thinking about that. And I thought to myself, that's

know, volume four is out. But it's been an evolution right in

what it's about. It's about being able to apply knowledge in

our lives. And so then I came I had this idea I said, I always

do with my entrepreneur group. And I was I was trained, I was a

missionary as well. And so you'd take a passage from the Bible,

you would you'd create a thought. And you ask a question

building the books and building the community. Now I got to

for reflection, I can say, I'm giving you the longer story now.

And so I, so I did all that in. And so I did that for for the

entrepreneurs. And so I went to a book publishing company. And I

said, What do you think of this idea, and of course, they raved

about it, they was there, it was great, but you're gonna have to

enter into book three, and now book four. So I think I've been

put $5,000 down, you know, to start this book venture, I put

the $5,000 down, because I thought, Okay, I'm going to do

great things, I come home, I tell my wife, and she goes, You

did what? And when she said, who's gonna buy a book like

that? I just was like, oh, you know, it's just the husband and

in the community now, a little like a year and a half. But you

wife thing. But Howard, she didn't mean it like that. She

said, she said, I don't mean, who would buy a book like that?

Because it's all your quote, she said, why don't you bring other

people with you. So your collective community can share

their quotes, their thoughts, and their wisdom with others in

started to build this, and it's really taking off and I enjoy

the world. And that's how the art of connection book came to

being. It was to give hope, inspiration and support to other

entrepreneurs, business owners and influencers in this world.

Robert W. Jones: You know, I, in one of the things you brought

it. So tell me about the latest book, okay, because I actually,

the Book Three is actually a transformational quotes. It's

inspirational. It's awesome. Let's now talk about gratitude.

up, and it's so powerful, Howard, I have to back up just a

little bit. And one of the things that I've learned in life

is like, you know, you we learn from everywhere, and we can

apply what we're learning from everywhere and give credit to

others. And I feel like there's been so many powerful, wonderful

people in my life. I mean, I can share the credit, I share it

with you bringing me here, I share it with my son, who's 13

years old, saying, I'm just the crazy old dude, I share it with

my wife, who's like, Honey, who's gonna buy a book like

that. But the thing is, as I've gotten older Howard, it's not

been about ego. It's really been about how can I work with the

best, most brilliant minds in the world, who actually had

something even better than that? The largest hearts in the world.

And that's what makes this book 365 days of gratitude, so

powerful for me. Because I think in much of my life, I didn't

really have what they call that attitude of gratitude, I kind of

have the attitude of like, I'm going to do what I'm going to

do. And it doesn't matter about others. But quite frankly, to

succeed in this world. It's very lonely. And you can be very

unsuccessful doing it all on your own.

Yeah, this I have to tell you. So one of the

quotes in the book three in the art of connection, that

transformational quotes is that I look at it every day,

actually. And I actually have it as the Kindle. And there's two

kinds of sources, and we're gonna get into that. But the

book itself, it just grounds me, it's right on my desk, I have it

right here with me, if people are video, I actually holding up

the book. And I just go to the day, but in the past, you

mentioned smiling, that was Sanet Van Breda our famous

diamond beauty from South Africa. And then my page in this

book is means a lot to me, because it's the day that I was

told I was cancer free September 20 2019. So it means a great

deal to me in that and the attitude of gratitude in the

next book. It's just amazing. There's some really, really,

really intentional, authentic, talented people in these books

that you've built into the network here. And that's what

I'm learning there as well. And so this this Arctic connection,

which is just, I mean, it got a lot of bestsellers and a lot of

flags and a lot of awards, because we have that network

that basically shares this, but also you told me something, two

things one, this is a great corporate gift, what a stocking

stuffer. This thing is because you're giving some real value

here and it's not a huge lift. You can read one page a day, or

you can just pick random quotes and things like that. But you

told me that some schools now are looking at this as

curriculum talk about that for a second.

Robert W. Jones: Yeah, yeah, the the most exciting thing is, is

that it's allowed a platform, a platform. So I'm able to get out

there and showcase this book and actually share the pages with

others into things that happen. There's the inside game in the

outside game. The inside game is I have authors who are really

slowing down their life in a moment. And they're gifting such

wonderful knowledge to others, but it's in one page. It's it

can consumable, like almost a soundbite. And so the outside

game is, is our youth in high school and college. They're

reading the pages there. I mean, some 380 pages of content now,

Howard, but they're consuming it one page at a time. And so they

go from page to page to page to page and what used to be a book,

they wouldn't want to consume it. Now. They they're reading 20

and 30 pages. And the teachers and the administration of both

colleges and high schools are starting to take this on and

saying, You know what, Robert, you have something here, your

community is providing a place where these kids are starting to

read again, they're coming off their phone, they're learning

these awesome, amazing thought. And they're actually asking

questions, and integrating themselves into the classroom

based upon what we're writing. I mean, how cool was that? And I,

and I had one, one kid from our local high school, he's 17 years

old. And he called me up and he goes, and I asked him, I said,

what makes this book so cool. And he said, he said, It's like

social media, in a book. And I was, like, how, and that's where

it all came. And I got goosebumps, I'm getting

goosebumps just telling you right now, when he said it's

like, it's like social media in a book. And that's where it came

to me it where it's like, we're talking in the language of our

youth. So we can still bridge the gap, we can still reach out

to them, we can still create a compounding effect for all of

them, because they're very wise. They just consume their

information much differently than you and I do probably,

yeah, but this book now it has real impact and

real value. And I want to say that I being part of a

collaborative authorship has been really fun. Because I

mentioned that having the book is daily open up a page are

random. But the actual the Kindle becomes a search engine,

I learned this from you and I wanted the credibility, you

can't fake being an author, Amazon does not let you do that

once you actually have a best selling author page on Amazon,

they can't take that away from you. And I think that's really

prestigious. And one, it's a credibility that there's very

few authorship is not easy. But but we've been able to do that

and being part of a collaborative. So I actually use

the kindle a little bit as a search engine, because I'm able

to find joint venture collaborations podcast guests,

guest to look about stages and other other projects,

potentially. And I've delved into the network at all of I

found our Greek humans. Really, I want to tell you as a tribute

to the community, I want to talk about that. The How did you

start to build the community, because that's one of the really

impressive things being a part of the book is one thing, and it

was awesome. But the continuing legacy and that continue thing

of meeting on Mondays and Tuesdays, and you have local

networks and building an account. That is actually been

the crown hidden jewel that I learned is your network. Talk

about that.

Robert W. Jones: You know, that is a very astute insight. That's

a very astute question. And I'm going to give you my best answer

on that. Absolutely. And the what what I have found Howard,

it's never been about the book. The book is just a vessel. It's

always been about the people, it will always be about the people.

And it will always remain with the people. The book is just a

binding agent that gathers all of it in the things

psychometric. And so those who are heart centred those who want

to give of themselves, those who want to create an impact that

lasts now and into the future. They're a part of the book, and

those who don't see it in a similar vein as you and I don't.

And so what's happening here as the community is growing, and as

the voice of this community grows, the people are coming in

here and they're going like, you know, Angel Marie Monicelli,

Howard Brown, the Nick van Breda, Natalie McLean, and

they're thinking they're thinking to themselves. I have a

resource centre of people just like me, who care about people

more than profit, but we all profit together. And I think

that that's been the most amazing thing. And in here's

something we're not when I, when we had a we had a book signing

just this past weekend on Saturday on Saturday, and it was

amazing. We had about 40 people come in all from the Phoenix

area. And, and I remember I stood up and and I said to them,

I said, this book only exists because of you. Yeah. And that's

each and every person in there. And that's what the beauty. And

that's kind of like what I've learned you and I both note, or

have backgrounds in technology. And I'll tell you this, the day

that I learned that touch, ology is more important than

technology was the day that my life my life was transformed.

Because I knew who I was working for. I knew who I was working

with. And I knew who really mattered.

Touch ology verse technology. Astute. I love it. I

want to say that I invited about seven other people to come with

me. And you know what they said to me, thank you. Thank you for

the book. And thank you for the community. So I know we're doing

something right there. And, and that leads me to listen, once

one book ends, Robert, you're now promoting this.

Next book begins. Oh, yeah, you want to

share a teaser? On the next on on volume? Is volume

five, right?

Volume five is

you want to share about that right now?

Robert W. Jones: Absolutely. And it really, it really goes into

the book has actually had its own journey. And I believe that

everything's in journey. I mean, it's not just a destination

point. It's every step that takes you there. And if you can

enjoy every step that takes you that journey. Oh, my goodness,

when you get there. It's like, are you not lit living a

fulfilled life? The first one was the power of voice. The

second book was inspiration. The third one was transformation.

The fourth is gratitude. And the fifth one is, is living your

life, abundantly. 365 days of abundant quote, by

entrepreneurs, business owners and influencers?

Wow, oh, my goodness. So there's a big

reveal.

Days of living a life of abundance. Wow, that, God, I

have to tell you that, since I will be part of it, I just got

to think now, I got to sit down and think about abundance and

how it applies to me and how I can share that out there. I'm

gonna have to I don't have an answer for you. But that's a big

deal. That's great. So I guess one book ends, you got to get

started on that. And you have a special co author who's that

who's joining you in the book I have?

Robert W. Jones: Well, we're going to do something, do

something a little bit different on on this book. We could we

could have a co author, his name is Ken, LeSean. Or we're doing

an Iron Chef. And so the Iron Chef is is is any co author who

is a part of this book, and who brings in other authors. If they

bring more authors than our Iron Chef, they get to co author on

the book. Ooh. So this is going to be a very interesting ride

this time around. So I'm looking at the roller coaster up, but

I'm looking at it down and I'm saying you know what, you know,

my dad used to tell me, just because it hasn't been done

before doesn't mean it's not necessary or needed. And so I

thought to myself, I'm going to do something just a little bit

different and change it up a little bit on the abundance

book.

Well, I love it. I love a competition. So let's see

the Iron Chef. And who brings most and can see can there. I

think that's very cool. And a little competition isn't a bad

thing at all between the network. So I love that as well.

Robert W. Jones: And really, Howard, you know, this book

really is is in a way a reveal for you too. And he may go like

no Robert, way more. What do you mean? What do you mean by that?

I'm like, Well, you look at the background and you see, you see

an image that is representative like the sun, you know, shining

brightly of inexhaustible energy. One Book number five

another reveal here, which I'm revealing on your show is, is

the cover of the book has has representation of the sunflower.

Oh, I love it.

Robert W. Jones: Amazing. Amazing. And, and here's

something that people don't know. The sunflower is one of

the few plants now in a lot of culture, it's all about abundant

energy and it's representative of the sun. It's its birth, and

it's it's the end of life and it's what happens in between.

And I found out what what that means what happens in between

the sunflower is one of the few plants that actually follows the

sun all the way across the horizon from beginning in the

morning, to the evening. And not only that, in the evening, the

sunflowers also in their energetic way at nighttime, all

bend towards each other. In one last thing, and I think you'll

love this, a lot of people don't know that the sun flower, what

we see at the sunflower is actually 1000s of flowers, all

coming together to create one creation that we see. And that's

what I love about the sunflower, because it's representative of

the energy that we all create ate together.

Wow, what a reveal. So new book 365 days of

living a life of abundance, and the sunflower cover. Thank you

for sharing that on my show. That's amazing. I appreciate

that, as well. Listen, it's time. Okay, for the shining

brightly spotlights, I'm going to ask you to put on your

sunglasses, because we're going to shine brightly together. So

reading glasses or regular glasses off all the cool, those

are pretty hip sunglasses for those that listen. So I would

love you to share how best you want people to get in touch with

you. And then any other final remarks about the book series

that you want to share. And then also leave me with a shining

brightly, quote, or a story or spotlight then hand the show

back to me.

Absolutely.

Robert W. Jones: Absolutely. The best way that people can get a

hold of me is my telephone number 602-228-0907, that's

602-228-0907 and just type your name. And when your number comes

in, I will call you back. Or if you'd like to see our book, go

to mybook.to that mybook.to/artofconnection4, the

number four, and you can go to our current book page, which

also has my amazon.com author profile on it. And still, those

are two great ways to get to see me and meet me very, very

quickly. I would also give away the I net ShopRunner network.com

site where our community is, but we probably should put those in

the show notes that someone can click on that because it's a

little hard to spell.

It'll be in the show notes. There'll be on all

the social media posts in the in the links and all that sort of

stuff as well. So any final comments about the art of

connection? Or do you want to go right to a shining brightly,

quote, story or moment,

Robert W. Jones: I just, I do want to have one comment. And I

appreciate you asking and give him that space. One of the

things that I say about entrepreneurs, whether they're a

coach of coaches or entrepreneurs to, you know,

whether they be a landscape owner, whether they be a

naturopathic doctor, in a way, we're all entrepreneurs, because

we're marketing our services. But one of the things that

happens as entrepreneurs is, I believe we spend far too much

time working on what we do. And we need to create more space to

work on who we are. And the art of connection book is a perfect

place to take a little bit of time to work on who you are

component. I have never had anyone call me back and say, Oh,

my goodness, that was the worst thing I've ever done is to

create a page for the art of connection book. You know what

they say? They like? Oh, my God, Robert, I'm an international

best selling author. I'm in an award winning book. I'm in the

Library of Congress. I mean, all these great people, you know, so

don't think of it is just a page in a book. Think of it as a

place to stop, reflect, refined and give your gift of voice to

the world.

Thank you for that. That's that's yet shining

brightly right there. So all right,

Robert W. Jones: I did have a page and I do you want to read

this and it's on Thanksgiving Day? All right. If I have time,

if I have to do you do that's okay. Yeah, I want to make sure

they get to it really quickly had my pen there. All right. And

in this particular page is on is in our newest book, that come

out with the gratitude quotes book. Not to be confused with

our newer book. But this is on November 25. And it was written

by me and I really thought about what quote to read, and I

thought this was a good one.

When I hear the word challenge, I think, be grateful for the

opportunity.

It says the word challenge is used to liberal liberally in

today's world. It is usually defined it's tempting one's

abilities for winning a competition or overcoming an

obstacle. But as great as the word challenge is we don't look

at the small things that add up. It's awesome that we tackle

monumental tasks, but let's examine the little things that

actually matter just as much. I remember a coach once telling me

that there's actually a beauty to small challenges. It is the

smaller things that add up, do those day to day opportunities

that come to us and can turn them all into very big. Quickly.

He stated, when those day to day challenges in the life changing

challenges become much easier. In fact, 95% of the world's

challenges are small ones. Remember to embrace the

opportunity of your small challenges. It may not be

conquering that summit of Mount Everest or winning the Boston

Marathon, but they are continual opportunities of life that will

help you accomplish anything.

Wow, you are shining brightly. Robert W.

Jones. Thank you for that. Oh, my goodness. Well, this is this

has been an amazing show. Let me thank a few folks here. I want

to thank some folks that have helped me every day which are

front edge publishing, the readthespirit.com magazine that

comes out on Mondays and my finishing house for podcasting

amplifyou network. They helped me they helped me get it done

every day. So I really appreciate them. As far as me,

you can reach Howard Brown, of course at shining brightly.com.

So if you want to book me to speak and make your next event

shine, you want to learn more about this podcast, you want to

learn about the book, and also my collaborative books, The Art

of connection series, there's two of them up there, and some

others as well. And the things that I'm interested in that make

me unique, which is the world of cancer and cancer prevention,

the world of entrepreneurship and Babson College and also the

world of interfaith of learning who those are not like us, come,

come, I'm interactive. Come find me at shining brightly.com. And

remember, if we choose to shine brightly for ourselves, and for

others in our communities and neighbourhoods, the world will

become a better place. Robert, amazing high energy show. You

are a really good friend. Thank you for being here. And we'll

keep shining together.

Robert W. Jones: Thank you, Howard. Thank you so much.