In this episode of the Idea to Empire Podcast, Chanaye Jackson interviews Deb Porter, an expert in active listening.  Deb shares her belief that soft skills should be recognized as essential skills and discusses the impact of strong listening skills in both personal and business life. She talks about her own journey, including her background in ministry and her decision to focus on being a mother after leaving the church.  Deb emphasizes the importance of active listening and offers practical advice on how to be a better listener, such as asking clarifying questions, practicing empathy, and being present in conversations. She also highlights the benefits of listening in business, mentioning that good listeners make 42% more sales.  Download the Transcript! Key Talking Points:Soft skills should be recognized as essential skills.Deb shares her own journey.Practical advice on how to be a better listener: ask clarifying questions, practice empathy, be present.Good listeners make 42% more sales in business. Magical Quotes: “If I can teach the world one thing, it's this: instead of jumping in with solutions, simply ask, 'Did you want me to problem solve with you, or did you just need me to hold space?”“Listening is often overlooked. People who listen well make 42% more sales.”“When we listen well, we go slower and our brain works a little bit harder. The processing happens in those moments of silence, in those moments of introspection, when we allow other people to have that time and be comfortable with it.” Meet Deb Porter! Deb Porter believes that “soft skills” should be recoined to “essential skills”.  An expert in Active Listening for over 25 years, she is the founder of HOLD Hearing Out Life Drama.  Her mission is to educate others in Active Listening as well as be an outlet when someone needs to be heard. She has seen the impact that strong listening skills can have in both business and personal life. Website - www.hearingoutlifedrama.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deblhporter/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HOLDBusinessSolutions Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hearingoutlifedrama/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/HOLDListens TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@hearingoutlifedrama SPECIAL...