After achieving early professional success, Stephen Shedletzky found himself unsatisfied and unwilling to do work he didn’t believe in. The tension that existed between his work and his values eventually led him to Simon Sinek, with whom he now works closely. In addition to affording Stephen an opportunity to do work he cares deeply about, Simon also acted as an … Read More
Dan Cumberland on work and meaning
Dan Cumberland never quite felt like he fit while growing up. Dan’s strengths and passions differed from that of his family and he spent many years trying to discover how his gifts could be married to work that would provide both income and meaning. This conversation will challenge you to rethink your ideas about whether we should be looking for … Read More
Heath Padgett lives in a van down by the river
Heath Padgett does not, in fact, live in a van down by the river, but he does live in an RV. Fearing he would get stuck in a state of comfort and a year-long trip across the country – a bucket list item he and his wife shared – might never happen if they waited, Heath quit his job and … Read More
Meet Preston Pollard
Preston Pollard is a man on the move. I became aware of Preston because his admittedly handsome mug is featured on the cover of photographer Brian Adams’ book “I Am Alaskan” and he has connections to Joel’s Place, a skate park and youth center here in Fairbanks, so I started checking into his story. It didn’t take long to realize … Read More
Simon Sinek: Leadership is Not About Being Perfect
I had the incredible pleasure of spending 45-minutes talking with author and speaker Simon Sinek this morning and he was gracious enough to allow me to co-opt a few of those minutes to ask a question and share his response with you. Simon is the brilliant mind behind the books Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last which, in concert … Read More
That Time Gratitude Landed Me On Stage At TEDx
(Just here for the TEDx talk without all the commentary? Here you go.) In late 2011 I made a startling discovery: I was terrible at expressing gratitude. I realized that while I often felt thankful, I wasn’t purposeful about expressing it. Gertrude Stein said, “silent gratitude isn’t very much to anyone,” and I couldn’t agree more. It feels great when … Read More
I Don’t Think I’m Afraid Anymore
In 5 years, probably less, I’ll watch the video that accompanies this post and see the beta version of the talk that I will be giving to audiences much larger than I am able to dream about now. Watching it will make me feel a little embarrassed, but I will be happy that it exists because it will serve as … Read More
6 Reasons to Say “No” (with Solveig Pedersen)
I’m not even going to pretend Solveig Pedersen (solandheart.com) isn’t one of my favorite people to talk to. She is such a sweet person and I love being able to share her insights with you guys via Skype interviews. I recently had the good pleasure of talking with Solveig about the importance of saying “no” when an opportunity doesn’t fit … Read More
Being Great Today Means Sharing What You Know
I am constantly asking my 6 year old daughter, with whom I share a home, to turn off lights in rooms she’s abandoned. It seems like an easy thing to remember but it just hasn’t clicked with her to flip that little white switch when she leaves a room. She’s a smart kid, so I suppose it’s entirely possible she … Read More
A new pair of shoes will not change your life
The Reebok “Live with Fire” commercial is beautiful and inspiring. Do me a favor and take 61 seconds to watch it. Pretty good, right? It makes you want to attempt a one-handed handstand, run a marathon, or start a dance crew. The only problem, as with most marketing messages, is that there is some crafty sleight of hand going on … Read More