GoalChat

Hosted by Debra Eckerling

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297

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Oct 2026

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About the show

The GoalChat podcast is your go-to destination for all things goal-setting, productivity, and personal and professional development. Whether you're striving to achieve your career goals, enhance your time management skills, or find motivation to pursue your passion, this podcast is for you. Each week, host Debra Eckerling invites three experts to dive into a special topic. Debra and her panel of thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and creatives share their own experiences, successes, and challenges. They also offer valuable insights and actionable advice to help you stay focused, organized, and inspired. You can’t reach your goals on your own. You need your community. Whether you're a seasoned goal-setter or just starting out on your path to personal and professional growth, this podcast will empower you to take control of your life and turn your dreams into reality. A goal-strategist, speaker, and workshop leader, host Debra Eckerling is the founder of The D*E*B Method system of goal-setting simplified and the author of "Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Planning, Setting and Achieving Your Goals." The GoalChat podcast is the audio version of Debra’s GoalChatLive show, which streams Mondays at 4pm PT on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. Learn more at TheDEBMethod.com. GoalChat is on the Marketing Podcast Network.

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60 recent

October 29, 20261 hr 4 min

Monster Marketing with Bobbie Carlton, Marcia Macomber & Dr. Julie Marty-Pearson

On this episode of GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling has a Monster of a Marketing conversation with Bobbie Carlton of Innovation Women and Carlton PR & Marketing, Marcia Macomber of Cornucopia Creations, and Dr. Julie Marty-Pearson of Podcast Your Story Productions. The panel stitched together some fabulous ideas for Frankenstein-ing your marketing! They discuss creative ways to get noticed, how to make the most of your marketing efforts, their monster marketing dreams, and more. How to Make Marketing Monstrous Bobbie: Get creative with PR! Marcia: Know your audience before deciding how to reach them. You need to know who you’re trying to attract before you unleash your marketing tactics. Julie: Repurpose your content. One podcast appearance can become newsletter and social media posts. Get more mileage out of every opportunity instead of constantly feeding the content monster. For Example Bobbie shared a memorable PR campaign from the ’90s: She sent reporters microwave cake mixes to celebrate a product anniversary. Nearly everyone covered the story, and the campaign helped her client - and her business - grow. Marcia showed how strategy can make a big difference. She helped a client expand its five-page website to 35 pages, improving its search rankings from nowhere in the top 100 to about 25 keyword phrases in the top 10 within two months. Over two years, that grew to about 500 keyword phrases in the top 10. Julie recommended podcast guesting as a way to reach new communities without a big budget. She also stressed being strategic about when episodes air, especially when coordinating interviews with a book launch. Goals Marcia: Get a big whiteboard, and make three columns: things you love to do, things you feel meh about, and things you want to get rid of or delegate. Give your business to-do list a monster-sized cleanup! Bobbie: Find opportunities to get on stage at conferences and events. Julie: Set a podcast guesting goal. Maybe it’s two appearances a month or one a week. Tell your network what kinds of podcasts you want to be on. The same strategy works for speaking opportunities. Final Thoughts Julie: Quit planning, start doing, put yourself out there Marcia: Work toward having a better presence Bobbie: Get creative, use puns, do all the things Learn More About Bobbie Carlton: https://InnovationWomen.com Marcia Macomber: https://CornucopiaCreations.com Dr. Julie Marty-Pearson: https://PodcastYourStoryNow.com Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com https://thedebmethod.com/blog Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 22, 20261 hr 5 min

Active Grandparenting GoalChat with Kristen Coffield & Friends

On this week's GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling celebrates the release of Active Grandparenting: A Guide to Modern Family Dynamics, Healthier Habits, and Functional Fitness with her friend and co-author Kristen Coffield. Special guests, who were part of our book's team, also joined the conversation: literary agent Paul Levine; Becca Stewart, Eyely Designs; and Tony Forde, publicity manager, Skyhorse Publishing, throughout the hour. They talk about traditional publishing, the submission and production process, what it takes to sell a book, and how Active Grandparenting came together. The Active Grandparenting Backstory Deb first met Kristen a few years ago, through their friend Viveka von Rosen, when she wrote a story on each of them for Women's World . After Deb started writing for Third Act magazine, she reached out to Kristen for an interview. Then, asked where Kristen's book was; Kristen suggested they write the proposal and eventually the book together. Deb's initial response was no, but Kristen persisted, and here we are! Kristen shares the story behind the Active Grandparenting movement - how her viral reel on Instagram a few years ago led to this niche, and the need for her to share this important info on active aging. The book combines modern family dynamics with information on hydration, sleep, fitness, and healthy eating with a mini-cookbook at the end Their agent, Paul Levine, talks about what makes a nonfiction book proposal stand out and why you need to make your case on the page. He sold the book in an exclusive submission to Skyhorse Publishing last fall; they got their "yes" in less than a month and the book release in about a year! Behind the Scenes A book takes more than an author, an idea, and a compelling book proposal - with targeted comparable titles and a hole you are filling in the marketplace, thank you, Paul - but that's how it starts. Becca has worked with Kristen for ten years, helping build her brand, website, social media, and digital presence. She also created illustrations for the book. Tony came onto the team, after the book's completion, as that's when the "publicity machine" starts. He talked about how marketing is not just a creative opportunity, it helps connect a book with readers - and why launch day is only the beginning. Want to Achieve Author Goals? Make your case. Show what makes your idea different, who it's for, and why readers will want it Build your soapbox. Share what you know, grow your audience, and give people a reason to pay attention. Find your team. You don't need to do everything yourself. The right agent, publisher, and creative partners can help you take your idea further. Final Thoughts Paul: Write proposals for books that are sellable. I don't want your complete manuscript. I want three sample chapters and your proposal. And those sample chapters don't necessarily have to be chapters 1, 2, and 3; they can be chapters 2, 7, and 19. It's so that I can show the editor that not only can my author write a good book proposal, but you can write the book as well. Becca: Build the things; start now, even if and when you don't know how it will end up. Tony: Advocate for yourself and your projects. There's an old saying in the public speaking world, where if you're giving a presentation, there's three rules: Tell people what you are going to tell them, tell them, and tell them that you told them. Kristen and Deb: Thanks to Paul, Becca, Tony, and everyone at Skyhorse, who helped bring Active Grandparenting to life. Learn More About Active Grandparenting: https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/9781510787230/active-grandparenting-101/ Kristen Coffield: https://www.activegrandparenting.com Paul Levine : https://www.paullevinelit.com Becca Stewart: https://www.eyelydesign.com Tony Forde: https://skyhorsepublishing.com Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com https://TheDEBMethod.com/blog Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 15, 20261 hr 12 min

Credibility with Whitley Crawford, Christine Carlo George & Sarah Westcott

On this week's GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling discusses Credibility with strategists Whitley Crawford (impact and analytics), Christine Carlo George (branding and marketing), and Sarah Westcott, (referrals).The panel has a great time also tangenting - in a good way - about networking, referrals, "authenticity," buzzword and so much more. They about what credibility means, how it connects to trust and expertise, and the role it plays in building strong personal and professional relationships, both online and IRL. What is Credibility: Sarah: When people trust you enough to borrow their reputation to get you where you want to go Christine: Trusting someone's character; it's a balance between ethics and expertise Whitley: Knowing who you are being presented to; your audience needs to be the right one, so you are set up for success Goals Christine: Ask yourself how you can show up more authentically. Pick something you normally hide and lean into it Sarah: Find someone in your current circle of influence. Ask them how you can help them. No agenda Whitley: Ask three questions to one person to get to know more about them and find a win-win-win Bonus goal: Be someone else's cheerleader Final Thoughts Whitley: Be transparent with your intentions and be curious Sarah: Be your awesome weird self Christine: Be open to invitations; ask yourself how you want to feel when you leave a situation/meeting/event Learn More About Whitley Crawford: https://www.whiitleycrawford.com Christine Carlo George: https://www.postandbeamcreative.com/ Sarah Westcott: https://sarah-westcott.com/ Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com https://TheDEBMethod.com/blog Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 8, 20261 hr 9 min

Healthy Harvest with Ken Albala, Amy Graves & Jessie-Sierra Ross

On this episode of GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling talks about Healthy Harvest with authors Ken Albala, Amy Graves, and Jessie-Sierra Ross. Ken, whose latest is The World Atlas of Fermented Foods and Drinks , is a food historian, professor, and chef; Amy is an advocate and founder of The Hidden Consumer ; and Jessie Sierra is a food writer/photographer ( Seasons Around the Table )/Founder, Straight to the Hips Baby. They start with a conversation about food allergies, food sensitivities, and what’s really in the food we eat. The second half focuses on cooking, food literacy, getting back in the kitchen, and how to make healthy eating easier, more enjoyable, and community-centric. Food Mission Amy: To help people understand what is in their food Ken: To help people become more informed about the importance of cooking for various reasons and get great pleasure from it Jessie-Sierra: Food is infinitely tied to history, family, gathering – to help people understand that what they make is an active of service Goals Jessie-Sierra: Go to farmers market or food stand and ask them what’s good today? What are you cooking for dinner? Ken: Cook something without a recipe Amy: Try a new ingredient Final Thoughts Amy: Don’t trust the marketing on your food label Jessie-Sierra: Food – we’re all a big community and we need to support each other Ken: This such a fun virtual conversation, imagine how much fun it would be in person Learn More About Ken Albala: https://Instagram.com/KenAlbala Amy Graves: https://HiddenConsumersConsulting.com/ Jessie-Sierra Ross: https://StraighttotheHipsBaby.com Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com https://TheDEBMethod.com/blog Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

October 1, 20261 hr 6 min

The Writer Life with Judy Baker, Nikki Green & Kathleen Kaiser

On this episode of GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling talks about The Writer Life with Judy Baker of Buzzworthy Books, Life and Business Resiliency Expert Nikki Green, and Kathleen Kaiser, co-host of Talking Book Publishing. The panel shared their writer origin stories, what the writer life means to them, and how they find balance/harmony. They also talked about how to get unstuck, the value of a writing community, and more. What is The Writer Life? Nikki: You can't turn it off. You see the story in everything you do Kathleen: Learning everything I can about all of the industry - the craft and business Judy: Connecting with people, learning new things, sharing Goals Kathleen: Create a writing space, different from your workspace Nikki: Get a small paper journal. Get back to talking notes wherever you are Judy: Dictate notes to yourself on your phone Final Thoughts Kathleen: Just write Judy: Be in community with other writers - it makes a difference Nikki: Join Nikki for Prep-tober Learn More About: Judy M Baker: https://BuzzworthyBooks.com Nikki Green: https://TheNikkiGreen.com Kathleen Kaiser: https://KathleenKaiser.com Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com https://TheDEBMethod.com/Blog Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 17, 20261 hr 10 min

What's Working on Substack with Jim Fuhs, Alexandra Hidalgo & Bob Woods #634

On this episode of GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling talks about what’s working on Substack with Jim Fuhs (Fuhsion Marketing), writer/filmmaker Alexandra Hidalgo, and Bob Woods (CMO, Social Sales Link). They share why they love Substack, as well as what creators can do to step up their Substack game and set themselves up for success. Jim, Alexandra, and Bob also discuss the differences between building community on Substack and LinkedIn, the role consistency and frequency play in growing your audience, how it relates to "blog mentality," and more. Goals - Bob: Step up whatever you are doing a little bit, and see if it's sustainable - Alexandra: Draft a short email with bullet points about why people should subscribe. What it means to you and what it will do for them. Send to 50-100 non-subscribers - Jim: Turn on the camera, record a video, and see how you can repurpose it Final Thoughts - Alexandra: It's a gift to be able to create content and connect with others. Approach it that way. - Bob: You have value. Share it! - Jim: This is a way to leave a legacy ... in multiple formats Follow Jim Fuhs: http://jimfuhs.substack.com/ Alexandra Hidalgo: https://alexandrahidalgo.substack.com/ Bob Woods: https://imbobwoods.substack.com/ Debra Eckerling: https://BookProposals.Substack.com https://TheDEBMethod.com/blog Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 3, 20261 hr 5 min

Habits with Katelyn Carey, Lynda Monk & Beth Ricanati #633

On this episode of GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling talks about Habits with Katelyn Carey, RN; Lynda Monk; and Beth Ricanati, MD. Katelyn is a nurse educator and trauma communication specialist, Lynda is also a Books That Saves Lives author and founder of the International Association for Journal Writing, and Beth is the author of Braided and The Braided Prescription . They discuss intentional versus accidental habits, as well as how to create, change, and remove barriers. The panel shares their specialties - combating stress (Katelyn), journaling (Lynda), and baking challah (Beth) - along with some of their favorite habits. What are Habits? - Katelyn: Patterns that can be conscious or unconscious that we do on a repeated basis - Lynda: The things you do for yourself on a regular basis - Beth: Entrenched behaviors; whatever the habit or practice, we have the power to change/modify it and grow Goals - Katelyn: Put a habit or habits on the calendar - Lynda: Find a community or habit buddy - Beth: Say your intention out loud; it can be for a goal, habit, or intention Final Thoughts - Lynda: What we focus on, grows. Have good, compassionate self-talk when making change - Beth: Remember that small acts/habits can have a big impact on our well-being - Katelyn: Unconscious unplanned habits typically come from coping habits; the best habits are the ones that bring us happiness Learn More About Katelyn Carey: https://KatelynCarey.com Lynda Monk: https://LyndaMonk.com Beth Ricanati: https://BethRicanatiMD.com Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com https://TheDEBMethod.com/Blog Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 27, 20261 hr 5 min

Writing & Productivity with Dr Judith Briles, Christine Carron & Danielle Weil #632

On this week’s GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling talks about Writing and Productivity with author/publishing expert Judith Briles (The Book Shepherd), productivity expert Christine Carron (Goodjelly), and Danielle Weil, who specializes in creativity and copywriting. The panel explores what it really takes to get the words on the page, including getting past the pressure to always be productive, finding your own rhythm, and figuring out what you need to do to get unstuck. Judith, Christine, and Danielle share anecdotes, recommendations, and more. Define Productivity - Christine: Old school is more, faster; new school is your best work done as fast as possible - Judith: The perfection factor is what stops productivity - Danielle: What words will actually move the needle; pint your best efforts toward the things that will make the biggest difference Goals - Judith: If you never say, your yeses are worthless. Don't do well what you have no business doing - choose 3 things that are important for you to do! - Christine: Every time you sit down to work, ask yourself how to make it easier for you. Do something for 10 minutes and celebrate the progress - Danielle: Embrace your constraints; figure out how to use your constraints to your advantage - Deb: Get rid of a project that is not serving you Final Thoughts - Christine: Give yourself grace and give yourself credit for all the things - Judith: Take credit for the work you've done - getting up the morning is a big thing - Danielle: Enjoy the process Learn more about Judith Briles: https://www.judithbrilesbooks.com/ Christine Carron: https://www.goodjelly.com/ Danielle Weil: https://https://dwcopy.com/ Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com https://TheDEBMethod.com/blog Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 20, 20261 hr 12 min

Imposter Syndrome with Jackie Cote, MJ Fievre & Leslie Marsh #631

On this episode of GoalChat, host Debra Eckerling speaks with freedom mentor Jackie Cote; MJ Fievre, author of the Badass Black Girl series; and mind methodologist Leslie Marsh about Imposter Syndrome, and its connection to confidence, self-doubt, and reaching your goals. The panel talks about where Imposter Syndrome comes from, how it shows up, and what you can do when those "voices" get in the way. What is Imposter Syndrome - Leslie: The voice that says you are not capable of doing something - MJ: It's the part of yourself that says you have not earned your place at the table; it's a voice, a guide - Jackie: A protective mechanism that reflects the stories and things we think about ourselves that tries to keep you from failing, getting hurt Goals - MJ: Ask yourself what is one skill that you would benefit from learning; educate yourself - Leslie: Start looking at your beliefs; look at the lie within them and prove yourself wrong - Jackie: Allow yourself to feel your feels, be aware of where it is coming from, acknowledge it and put it in the back of the bus - you are the driver Final Thoughts - Leslie: Give yourself space to be you - take it all up - Jackie: It's never too late to start; there's so much you can still accomplish - awaken your inner you - MJ: Be the main character and the architect of your story Learn More About Jackie Cote: https://destinymakers.net/links MJ Fievre: https://badassblackgirlsbooks.com Leslie Marsh: https://youtube.com/in/@therapistsinconversation Debra Eckerling: https://TheBookProposalExpert.com https://TheDEBMethod.com/Blog Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 13, 20261 hr 11 min

Visibility with Megan Dowd, Liz M Lopez & Amy Stone #630

On this episode of GoalChat, Debra Eckerling speaks with Megan Dowd, Liz M. Lopez, Amy Stone about Visibility, along with it's connection to Authenticity and Relationship Development. Megan is a brand coach and copywriter, Liz is a career and business success coach, and Amy is creator of The Art of Imperfect Adulting. When are confident in your expertise, purpose, and/or superpower - Megan's superpower is unlocking words, Liz's is unlocking people, and Amy's is unlocking origin stories - it's much easier to show up as your authentic self, be seen, and be of assistance to others. What is Visibility? - Liz: It's about relationships. Staying in touch with people who are meaningful to you - Amy: Discoverability/the ability to be found - Megan: It requires the courage to be misunderstood, to put yourself out there Goals - Amy: Invite people to do the thing you want them to do: listen to your podcast, subscribe to your newsletter, etc. - Megan: Repetition is key to visibility. Repeat yourself - make/post the same invitation - 5 times in one week. - Liz: Call 3 people you haven't spoken to in over a year Final Thoughts - Megan: Your work is this beautiful sanctuary - drop anyone into it, they will be confused. You audience needs you to over simplify what you do in order to understand your value - Amy: Visibility can be overwhelming; keep working it - Liz: Take a step closer to visibility. Isolation is a dream killer, but courage is contagious Learn More About Megan Dowd: https://withmegandowd.com/ Liz M Lopez: https://lizmlopez.com/ Amy Stone: https://imperfectadulting.com/ Debra Eckerling: https://thebookproposalexpert.com https://thedebmethod.com/visibility-megandowd-lizmlopez-amystone Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.