May 29, 2007
Consumer Environmental Survey
2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey
By Cone LLC
Recently, the results of the 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey were released. Brands would be interested in learning about how seriously Americans are now taking the environment, and the implications these feelings have on business practices.
The survey found one-third of Americans (32 percent) report heightened interest in the environment compared to a year ago. This brings the total of Americans who claim to be interested in the environment to 88 percent.
Additionally, consumers believe that corporations owe it to them to engage in sustainable and environmentally conscious business practices. In addition to pollution concerns, Americans are increasingly concerned over product packaging and transportation. With this in mind, consumers say they will either "reward" (purchase) or punish companies based on their actions.
May 2007
May 22, 2007
Corporate Social Responsibility
What an accomplished insurance executive and strategist had to say about the value of CSR and employee engagement;
Employees want to feel good about their employer. They tend to be happier working for companies that they believe to have either a higher cause, or at least are interested in something other than solely the almighty buck. They want an employer with a conscious, and one that gives back. This helps them to feel better about what they do and who they work for, almost like they are indirectly giving back themselves.
Companies that care about things other than just their business, give the perception to their employees that they care about them too.
Happy, prideful employees are more productive.
They are less likely to call in sick unnecessarily.
They are less likely to file fraudulent Workers' Compensation claims.
As green companies usually have cleaner, brighter, more comfortable facilities with newer equipment, employees are less likely to leave.
Lower turnover saves recruiting and training dollars.
Lower turnover leads to more experienced, more productive employees.
Lower turnover leads to fewer Workers' Compensation injuries, as roughly half of all claims come from employees in their first year on the job. Less turnover means fewer employees in this first year.
May 9, 2007
Living Your Brand
Living Your Brand
By John Williams
Take a look at who you are and how you want to represent your brand--and live it every day--to make yourself your #1 asset.
A great deal of time and energy are expended to create memorable brands that add value to company marketing strategies and--in the case of public companies--pique the interest of the investment community. While company brand equity is certainly important, the significance of making yourself an integral part of your company's brand shouldn't be overlooked as a key to success.
Here's a simplistic example that underscores the importance of personal branding. Let's say you own a franchise of a well-known quick printing company. Your logo's recognizable, and the attributes of your parent organization are well-documented through a dynamic national marketing campaign. While you may gain first-time business based on name recognition alone, if customers don't like you--if you're unable to positively establish your personal brand--you may never see them again.
As would be expected, personal branding is most important in service businesses, because customers demand a high level of personal attention. Your ability to establish and maintain rapport with your customers will result in long-term relationships as well as coveted referral business. And when customers know and like you, they're more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if anything goes awry.
The Defining Process
The most important step to creating your personal brand is defining yourself. This includes taking stock of your strengths, values, goals and personality to determine the personal messages you want customers to take away from their encounters with you.
When you consistently present yourself based on the messages you've identified, you'll have created an effective personal brand. Those who interact with you will have a strong sense of who you are and what you stand for, and that can be any number of things, both inside and outside of the business realm.
The beauty of personal branding is its uniqueness. While some of your personal brand attributes may overlap with others', your overall messages should be one-of-a-kind--that's what'll differentiate you and make your personal brand stand out.
Components to consider for your personal brand include: your leadership abilities; your special strengths, talents or achievements; your personality traits; and your distinctive qualities. Think outside the box, and be as specific as possible so your brand doesn't mirror anyone else's.
Getting the Message Out
Once you've determined your personal brand messages, you need a strategy for broadcasting them to your target audience. Visibility and persistence are key to ensuring that your personal brand is communicated to your customers. That means you must live your personal brand at all times; if that's challenging, then you probably weren't honest during the defining process and need to think a little harder about who you are and what you stand for.
While there are endless options for getting your personal brand message out in the world, the most powerful is face-to-face communication. Personal interactions provide the greatest opportunities to make memorable impressions. If your customer base is too large or too spread out for that to happen, you can use other communications vehicles--including e-mail, direct mail and personalized letters--to get your messages across. Remember that all the choices you make, from your language to your font, can enhance or detract from your personal brand, so choose wisely.
In the best circumstances, when you're able to successfully project the image you've defined for yourself, you'll become the most important part of your company's brand. And that's critically important for entrepreneurs who wish to differentiate themselves from their competition.
April 29, 2007
What is Coaching?
What is coaching?
Coaching is a partnership designed to help you achieve success -- however you define success in your life. Each partnership is different depending on the client's goals. Coaching includes clarifying vision and purpose to addressing behaviors and tolerations that create barriers to success to problem solving and more. The relationship is strictly confidential.
As a client, your coach will help you:
Implement the plan of action, working through the inevitable changes and any obstacles
Maintain a healthy balance between your personal and professional life
Keep looking ahead to take advantage of opportunities that are just now formulating
Bring out your personal best, keeping focused on your needs, values and vision.
Why does coaching work?
Coaching works because it brings out your best. A coach believes you have the answers and is trained to bring them out (painlessly!) Specifically, this is what a coach will do with you during your coaching sessions:
Listen. A coach listens fully. You are the focus. The coach listens to what you say, what you are trying to say and what you are not saying.
Share. A coach will share ideas, thoughts and views on your situation, dilemma or opportunity, speaking the truth from her or his perspective.
Suggest. A coach wants a lot for you. A coach wants you to be healthy, happy and successful. A coach wants you to be on a strong financial track. A coach wants you to enjoy your family and friends. A coach wants you to have a life that inspires others and yourself. A coach believes in your greatness. To that end, your coach will make requests and suggestions to guide and challenge you.
A coach works with you to:
Brainstorm options for effective action
Update or expand your vision and goals
Increase your ability to see high leverage opportunities
Find balance in life between work, family and community
Improve communication and languaging skills
Develop your management and executive leadership teams
How is coaching different from consulting? Therapy? Sports coaching? A best friend?
Consulting. Coaching is not an expert model of consulting. The coach facilitates a process of reflection and action. A coach also stays with the client to help implement the new skills, changes and goals to make sure they really happen.
Therapy. Coaching is not therapy. We don't work on "issues" or get into the past or deal much with understanding human behavior. We leave that up to the client to know and figure out while we help them move forward and set personal and professional goals that will give them the life they really want.
Sports. Coaching includes several principles from sports coaching, like teamwork, going for the goal, being your best. But unlike sports coaching, most professional coaching is not competition or win/lose based. We strengthen the client's skills versus help them beat the other team. It's win/win.
Best friend. A best friend is wonderful to have. But is your best friend a professional who you will trust to advise you on the most important aspects of your life and/or business? Have a best friend and a coach.
Coaching Improves Performance
Productivity
Quality
Organizational strength
Customer service
Employee retention
Cost reductions
Bottom-line profitability
Teamwork
Working relationships with direct reports, immediate supervisors, peers and clients
Job satisfaction
Conflict reduction
Organizational commitment
An average return on investment of 5.7 times the initial investment in a typical executive coaching assignment or a return of more than $100,000.
Maximizing the Impact of Executive Coaching, Manchester Review, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2001. Results based on a recent study of 100 executives.
April 27, 2007
Executive Coaches deploy Fit Programs
April 03, 2007
Executive Coaches Help Vet Nonprofit Job Applicants
People seeking top-level nonprofit jobs can now expect to be interviewed not just by nonprofit recruiters and their potential bosses, but also by executive coaches who advise the organization's top executives, says The Wall Street Journal.
The extra step is part of an effort to reduce turnover, the newspaper says.
After interviewing candidates to help her run Family Justice, the New York charity she founded, Carol Shapiro finally found one she liked, but didn't pick the job candidate because her executive coach found the candidate lacking in managerial experience, the newspaper reports.
Another contender who won approval from the coach got the job and joined Family Justice as chief operating officer in late February.
The interview by the coach benefits not just the charity but also the job seeker "because an executive coach can describe what this new boss will really be like," says Marilyn Machlowitz, a New York recruiter who handled Ms. Shapiro's search.
Executive Coaches Shaping Leaders
Executive coaches hired to shape leaders
By Jay MacDonald • Bankrate.com
As the battle heats up to attract and retain the best and brightest talent available, American business is turning for help to an industry it once regarded as highly suspect: executive coaching.
Just a few years ago, when profits and top performers were plentiful, corporate giants pooh-poohed the idea of coaching as just pop psychobabble aimed at eroding their bottom line. The common refrain was, where's the ROI, return on investment? Even those more progressive companies that welcomed TQM, total quality management, and excellence seminars, based on Steven Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," placed it in the expenditures column.
Today, however, one-on-one executive coaching, not just training, is all the corporate rage. What has made companies suddenly embrace their softer side? You guessed it: ROI.
According to a 2001 MetrixGlobal study of one Fortune 500 company, executive coaching returned more than $5 for every $1 spent, 529 percent, in significant financial and intangible benefits to the company. When the financial benefits of employee retention were rolled into the mix, the ROI was nearly eight to one, 788 percent.
In the 2002 study, "The Economics of Executive Coaching," Harvard Business School Journal estimated that there were at least 10,000 coaches working in business, up from 2,000 in 1996. That figure was expected to grow to 50,000 by 2007. The International Coach Federation lists 8,461 members and more than 132 chapters in 34 countries. Companies reportedly pay fees ranging from $1,500 to $15,000 per day.
"It's certainly a hot item right now," admits Michael Markovits, vice president of global executive and organizational capability, who oversees IBM's in-house executive coaching. "We've done research to show that leadership behavior has a direct impact on climate, and climate has a direct impact on business results. We invest in leadership development because we believe we're going to be a better-performing company as a result."
"Business leaders are recognizing that good social skills are good business," says Peggy Post, great-granddaughter-in-law of etiquette pioneer Emily Post and co-author of "The Etiquette Advantage in Business."
"It's not a sissy subject at all. It's a very timely business topic to help increase productivity, employee retention and client/customer retention. It just makes things run much more smoothly," she says.
Executive finishing school? In these downsized, belt-tightening times? That's right. At the new global dinner table, American business is starting to sit up straight and mind its manners.
Pumping up the EQ
Businesses rely on executive coaches in two main training areas: internally, to groom their junior executives to one day take the helm, and externally, to prepare their leaders to flawlessly represent the company when meeting, dining and socializing with customers and clients.
April 18, 2007
Small Business Responsibility
Doing It Right: Providing Daily Meaning
Source: GreenBiz.com
This essay is excerpted from True to Yourself: Leading a Values-Based Business, by Mark Albion.
There's a big difference between providing great benefits and understanding how to produce fulfillment for human beings.
In addition to the company that bears his name, Mal Warwick & Associates, Mal is the founder of three other companies that bring fund-raising and marketing services to environmental and human rights organizations. Now free from daily operations, he travels the world to teach fund-raising, principally in developing countries. A whirlwind of activity, Mal is frenetically committed.
He admits that he never thought about leadership until recently. He started his namesake company in 1979 and began hiring full-time staff in 1983. He didn't see himself as a good leader or manager. His company grew 100 percent a year for several years in the 1980s, a growth spurt for which Mal felt unequipped: "I had no idea what it meant to lead a small company, much less be 'values-based.' I had the strategic, creative and technical skills to be a well-paid consultant, but no experience or training in management, much less leadership."
He quickly learned that his leadership position gave his actions an importance he didn't know he had: "I was truly a workaholic, insensitive to the needs of a staff that wanted some balance in their lives. It took me a long time to understand that my role required me to think about how I might inspire or deflate the people around me."
Mal realized that he had a more multifaceted role as teacher and mentor. He had to be more careful about what he said and think more about how to motivate and support staff. As he spent more time out of the office, these roles took on a greater importance. After all, management is about what happens when you're around. Leadership is what happens when you're not there.
In the 1980s, Mal was also a self-described "control freak," a handicap of most founders. He started off doing everything from opening the envelopes and licking stamps to analyzing results for his clients: "I knew I could do it better than anyone else. No one was as competent as I was. I could have made a lot more money solo, but I wanted to achieve more than I could do alone -- and I wanted my work to go on after me."
Mal joined the Social Venture Network in 1990 and talked with fellow CEOs about success and failure. It was a profound experience: "I concluded that I wasn't successful. I didn't have the kind of organization that could carry on. I saw that to support advocacy work at nonprofits and foster the kind of social change I wanted, it would require a lot more hands on the oars."
Mal's challenge was not simply about moving from managing to motivating. It was more about values, something he hadn't paid attention to beyond delivering a superior product with great customer service to clients whose work he cared about. He did have employee loyalty as his staff was dedicated to the clients and inspired by them. But his staff didn't have those same kinds of feelings about his company. Mal needed to bring those values inside his organization.
Mal asked himself how he might build that commitment through policies and practices. He spent a few years learning about profit sharing, creative benefits programs, and environmental stewardship. But his personal values and politics got in the way.
In many ways, 1988 was a high-water mark, at least for Mal. The company raised $7 million for Jesse Jackson's presidential campaign and got a lot of press, but the campaign almost bankrupted the company. The day after the election, Mal had to lay off forty of his eighty-seven people.
Mal had some personal problems, too, and went into a depression. He cut his salary to $25,000 and became largely inactive in the company from 1989 to 1994. He did some individual consulting and writing but had little energy for the business. When the succession of CEOs he promoted from within each encountered resistance from employees, Mal was forced to confront the issue why he wasn't involved and what it would take to get him to come back to full-time work.
Mal gave his board of directors his conditions: "I told them that I wanted to put into place a comprehensive set of socially responsible business practices that would make our company per se motivating for the staff, just as our clients' work motivated us." He had put in place good benefits, but he needed to do more.
The staff wanted a strong profit-sharing plan, a voice in management, and more environmental leadership. These priorities led to the election of staff representatives to the company's board and to intensive environmental and energy audits. The audits have made the company a showcase for services companies.
As for the profit-sharing plan, Mal proposed to the board that half of the company's pretax profits be set aside each quarter, with 20 percent of that half (10 percent) going to charitable contributions selected by staff. The remaining 40 percent would be divided up largely on an egalitarian basis of one person, one share. What was the board's reaction? "Well, the board flipped out," Mal chuckles knowingly. "'We could have a cash crunch!' I told them that they could be right, but it wasn't worth keeping the company alive if we couldn't make a statement about social responsibility." They ended up settling on 45 percent of profits going to the plan, with 35 percent going to the staff and the same 10 percent to charities.
Mal returned to astonishing results. From a base of no profits, the first quarter checks were $30 per employee. By the fourth quarter of the new profit-sharing plan, the checks amounted to $2000. The company has been profitable ever since. In a peak year, a staff member making a $20,000-25,000 in salary received an additional $8,000 from profit sharing. The plan jump-started the change in culture the staff had been waiting for.
In 2002, Mal began the transition from sole ownership to employee ownership. An ESOP (employee stock-ownership plan) was put in place, with 10 percent of the ownership in the ESOP, 24 percent among key employees -- a democratizing of ownership Mal intends to continue for many more years. Mal knows that it's never too late to reinvent your brand of leadership and reignite your company.
As Mal's story shows, few small business founders think about what it means to be a leader or what their role is in creating a culture that produces fulfillment for others. Becoming more of a teacher and less of an expert consultant and salesperson requires a shift in attention from consumers to employees. But if you want to make a difference in your industry, you must walk toward the talk and bring those values inside your organization on a daily basis.
April 16, 2007
Personal Branding
Brand Phobia: How to fight your personal brand demons and win
by Lyn Chamberlin
In the personal branding workshops that I teach, I can feel the air getting sucked out of the room when I ask the group of successful, savvy, world-smart women to begin the process of identifying their own distinctive brand by listing their accomplishments. Eager faces suddenly turn apprehensive. A couple of people make self-deprecating jokes. Then, dead silence. I tell them that, like the cobbler's children who have no shoes, this was not an easy exercise for me to do either. When I liken it to emotional Rolfing--digging into all the uncomfortable places until you've worked out the kinks and devised a brand identity--they all laugh, and with some additional coaxing and cajoling, the pens begin to fly.
There is no magic wand here. No brilliant, earth-changing discovery or patented formula. What happens is very simple: women get the go-ahead to pat themselves on the back, to acknowledge all the accomplishments in their professional and personal lives, and to look at themselves and their enterprises in a new way.
Why is it that the women with the guts to start their own businesses, women who have fought their way to the top of big, big companies struggle so mightily with branding themselves? Why is it that most of us would rather bungee-jump than take credit for our accomplishments, for our talents, for our contributions?
My non-scientific analysis is that we are caught in a self-perpetuating, interconnected web of myths, myths that have been handed down to us in one form or another ever since Eve took a bite out of the apple. Myths such as:
Myth #1: If I Am Good, They Will Come
Myth #2: Marketing Myself Is a Dirty Business
Myth #3: I Can't Control What Other People Think
Myth #1: If I Am Good, They Will Come
Being good is not enough. Being all of the things you are and have accomplished is not enough. Toiling away when everyone else has gone home will not leapfrog you to the front of the pack. Creating the greatest widget will not by itself drive sales. You must find a way to tell your story to people who will listen. And your story must be the answer to a question that your customers, clients, and colleagues need the answer to. Otherwise, it's the proverbial sound of one hand clapping. If a tree falls in the forest, and there's no one to hear it, does it make a sound? The answer, in an increasingly competitive, dog-eat-dog, 21st-century world, is a resounding NO.
We assume that if we quietly build it behind the scenes, they will come. We shy away from promoting ourselves, from taking credit for our successes, from being our own best advertisement. This is the biggest hurdle that we, as 51 percent of the population, must overcome--whether we're at home, in the workforce, or in the C-suite.
Myth #2: Marketing Myself Is a Dirty Business
Successful personal branding means continually standing far enough away to see yourself and your work as if it were not you and your work that you were looking at.
Successful personal branding means taking a 50,000-foot view of yourself and your business, looking down on yourself from a remote-enough planet that your "buts" and "not reallys" and every other self-qualifier you can come up with cease to exist. Learn how to look at what's left of the former you as just another product on a very crowded shelf, where every other can of soup is jockeying for position and trying to knock you off in the process.
Successful personal branding means wearing labels such as "leading" and "expert," "sought-after," "popular," and "well-regarded." It means creating a brand identity that is authentic, consistent, and memorable, one that you own and are proud of.
Myth #3: I Can't Control What Other People Think
You must learn to be the marketing manager of your own brand campaign. Why do we associate Volvo with safety or FedEx with overnight delivery? Because millions of dollars were spent to create that association for us. Nike, Coke, Xerox, and Microsoft tell us how they want us to perceive their products--and we do, thanks to tightly honed messages that are reinforced and repeated over and over again.
Here are several simple steps you can take right now to bottle and market YOU:
Figure out who you are, what you stand for, and why you are different than anyone or anything else.
Create a story that communicates your value and your market differentiation.
Pull the key words that you have used to create that story and weave them into everything that you say, do and publish about yourself and your business.
Tell your story relentlessly, passionately, and unapologetically to anyone who will listen. You will refine and improve it as you go along, figuring out which parts work and which don't.
So don't be afraid to let your pen fly, to begin your exploration of your personal brand identity. Claim your rightful role as chief flag-waver for your company, your product, and ultimately, for yourself.
Walmart deploys Social Fit
Wal-Mart Expands Employee Sustainability Projects
Source: GreenBiz.com
BENTONVILLE, Ark., April 9, 2007 -- Wal-Mart's "Personal Sustainability Projects" will get a boost according to a new announcement by the company.
PSPs are employee-driven efforts through which Wal-Mart and Sam's Club associates develop individual goals to improve their health and wellness and the health of the environment. Throughout 2007, Wal-Mart's 1.3 million U.S. associates will learn about PSPs and have the opportunity to adopt their own personal sustainability goals.
Associates are encouraged to educate their colleagues, customers, families, and communities on personal sustainability and the impact it can have on their daily lives. Wal-Mart also plans to eventually expand the program into its international stores.
"Sustainability has become part of the Wal-Mart culture, and PSPs are one way for associates to become involved - in their stores, their communities and their daily lives," said Linda Dillman, Wal-Mart's executive vice president of risk management, benefits and sustainability. "PSPs are being created by and for associates to help make choices that can have a real impact on their personal health and happiness and on their families, neighbors, communities and the environment. We're excited about what we've seen and learned so far and about what can happen as this project grows."
In July 2006, associates in eight stores in the Denver and Indianapolis areas participated in a pilot PSP program through which they created personal sustainability projects and made a voluntary commitment to meet their goals. Associate PSPs included making healthier food choices, volunteering in their communities and using environmentally friendly products in their homes. After a successful pilot, the program was expanded in October 2006 to 130 Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Club locations in Denver, Indianapolis and Tampa test markets.
Through November 2006, associates have reported the following highlights of pilot PSP efforts:
More than 20,000 associates developed PSPs in the three test markets. In the Denver market alone, 84 percent of associates -- more than 3,400 people -- adopted PSPs.
More than 300 associates quit smoking.
In the Tampa market, 300 associates set up recycling programs in their homes. Paper recycling centers have been established in all stores in the Indianapolis market, and proceeds are donated to the local Children's Miracle Network Hospital. Overall, more than 16 tons of paper, aluminum, and plastic have been recycled as part of the pilot PSP efforts.
Collectively, associates have lost more than 2,000 pounds -- one ton -- by eating healthier and exercising more. Associates have also pledged to exercise more, and together they have walked the equivalent of two round trips between New York and Los Angeles.
As one example of a PSP, Kim Nicholson, a membership sales representative for Sam's Club, persuaded the company to offer a salad and water combination for the same price as a slice of pizza and soda in all Sam's Club Cafes. "Now associates can eat healthy at an affordable price during lunch," said Nicholson.
Throughout the year, "Captains" from the hourly and salaried levels will hold meetings to educate associates on PSPs. Associates choose their own personal sustainability goals and monitor their progress during a core time period of four to seven weeks, and are then encouraged to integrate their PSP into their daily lives on a long-term basis. In-store training and projects will help reinforce the associates' plans. Together, associates motivate and encourage one another to pursue their PSPs.
While individuals will focus on their personal goals, they will also work together at the store level to accomplish sustainability goals designed to improve the local community. For instance, some stores have developed recycling programs or are helping their local community to clean up wildlife areas.
"PSPs are about making and sustaining one simple change in life that you can be passionate about -- anything from riding a bike to work or using eco-friendly household cleaning products to eating healthy meals instead of fast food or recycling at home," said Andy Ruben, vice president for corporate strategy and sustainability. "It's about making choices that make a real difference in both your personal health and the health of the planet."
February 16, 2007
Start the New Year With a Clean Slate
The fresh, and cold, start to the New Year provides you the opportunity to begin with a clean slate. You have nearly a year to make the lifestyle, career, spiritual, mental or physical changes that you have been wanting to make.
A client recently pointed out his number one goal for 2007. Big surprise here...it is to discover and fulfill his True Calling, but more specifically for him, he will know he has found it if it provides the following which he sourced from Thomas Stanley's, The Millionaire Mind:
- You love your work and it excites you every day.
- You know that your chosen vocation is one that allows you full use of your abilities and aptitudes.
- You get high self esteem from your work.
- You are absolutely certain that your vocation will make you financially independent one day.
Don't we all want this? After reading them I realized they applied to all of us who truly want to be doing what we were put here to do.
Whatever your wish may be - begin it now - don't wait. Inertia begets inertia.
It is going to be a year of positive change and growth for Dynimus. We have some major changes coming up that will add tremendous value to your Career Development firm. Stay tuned!
By the way if you know someone who would benefit from one of our Programs please let us know. 90% of our growth has come from client referrals. Just make sure your referral uses your name once they start the Program and you will receive a $100 gift card.
February 8, 2007
Interviews
Click a link on the left sidebar to read more about Team Dynimus!
Meet Jay
Most folks come dragging in to work on Monday morning, but you look wide awake and ready to go. Is that for real?
Quite real! Because I am in my True Calling™ I have the opportunity to use my skills, passions and strengths to do exactly what I want to do which is to advance people's careers. This sounds like an advertisement for our company, but I'm sincere. Whether it is a Monday or a Tuesday or a Saturday, every day is a holiday.
I am energized today, but that hasn't always been the case. In my previous job, there were days when I woke up dreading the knowledge that I was going to put 10 to 12 hours into something that I didn't really enjoy. I would come home at night drained. Even days that I had off were still spent in a state of anxiety, just trying to catch up and get ready for the next work week.
Now waking up in the morning is easy to do. This morning I ran five miles. It gives me a chance to think and get ready for the day ahead. By the time I get back, my blood is pumping, especially this morning in the crisp fall air. I am refreshed, focused, wide awake and ready to go. I have already accomplished something. I have breakfast, read the paper, and see my wife off to work.
Then I get to come in to our office and work with clients. Today I drove into work whistling; other drivers on the parkway looked at me like I was crazy! It doesn't mean I work any less; the work is intense and sometimes involves long hours. But I go home energized.
Going through this program with Nathan four years ago allowed me to enjoy life again, not spend 20 or 30 years doing something just because I made good money that I had to wait for the golden years to enjoy. Now I'd like to help the rest of the world feel that way!
It's clear your passion today is helping others find their True Calling™. Did you grow up knowing what you wanted to do?
I always wanted to work in business. I wanted to wear a suit and tie and work in a high rise because I equated those things with success but beyond that, no.
I was always geared toward sports, and I was always very competitive. I wanted to be the best at what I did. Athletically I excelled; academically I was average which was good enough for me at the time.
My father worked in Aerospace Engineering, and my mother was a Teacher before dedicating herself to her children . I came from a family where everyone went to college, so I always knew that was in my future. Like a lot of people in our culture, I went through high school concentrating on where I would go to college. Once in college, my focus was to graduate from college. After that, I figured I would go to work to make a living.
How did you get from a general interest in achieving and a love of sports to your current passion for career development?
It was a lot like running hurdles, which I did in high school.
( If you want to jump directly to Jay's career story, click here.)
I was born and raised in the Largo, Florida area. My family always loved Colorado, and we took our vacations there every year. When I was in high school, we moved to Colorado. I received a scholarship to run track for Adams State College, a small college in southern Colorado .
I ran hurdles, and I ran because I loved to run. Sports helped to focus me in junior high and high school. I knew I had to perform at a certain level to play, and I learned a lot about teamwork and discipline.
But athletics is a business in college, especially when you're there on full scholarship. It became a chore-working out for two hours each morning, attending daily meetings, and running for a couple of hours every afternoon.
I gave it a year, and then I transferred to the University of Colorado (CU) in Boulder. I loved Boulder , and I had attended Boulder High School. CU was right up the street, and I had always wanted to go there.
I received my undergraduate degree in Arts and Science with majors in political science and history. During my final year at CU, I completed an exciting internship with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to bring a major international exhibit from Egypt to the United States.
I spent six weeks in Egypt organizing and detailing the exhibit. I planned to join the Special Projects team as a full-time member, but the Gulf War broke out. Egypt shut down the transfer of everything related to Egyptian artifacts and therefore, my opportunity.
It's certainly a shift from ancient Egypt to human resources. Describe that career path.
I took a position as a management trainee. I didn't know anything about the industry, but I was wearing a suit and tie. That job did not work out, so after a year I went to another company thinking that changing the industry would solve the problem. It didn't.
Life had bitten me, and at that point I was pretty lost. Two positions in two years, and I still didn't really know what I wanted to do. I ended up applying for an evening shift at the downtown Hyatt Hotel so I could spend my days looking for a career opportunity.
I worked very hard in my position at the Hyatt because that's my nature. Hyatt invited me to join their management training program, and at that point-two to three years into my career-I found the career opportunity I was looking for and began to focus.
Hyatt's program provides trainees the opportunity to experience each and every department, division and position over the course of a year. What a great way to learn the industry as part of a multi-million dollar, four-star hotel chain. I worked everywhere from finance to culinary arts to human resources (HR). I discovered an interest in HR, and upon completion of the program I was promoted to Employment Manager.
My HR experience with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts lasted for ten years. In those ten years I held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility, including Employment Manager, Benefits and Employee Relations Manager, Assistant Director and Director of Human Resources. I moved to two different cities, including San Antonio, Texas and Seattle, Washington. I like HR, and the travel was an adventure for my wife and me.
But after a while, we needed to come back to Denver. Our family and friends were here, and my wife's mother was terminally ill. Hyatt transferred me to a position as HR Director at the Hyatt Regency Tech Center where I knew I would spend a couple of years and then move to another position in Chicago.
Although the years with Hyatt were good, and I gained valuable career and life experience, I knew it was time to move on. In the hotel industry and in my position, you're on 365 days a year, with frequent moves. I also knew that HR by itself was not the answer. Something just wasn't right about it.
I thought changing industries was the way to go. In 2001, I joined Equity Office Properties as a Regional Human Resource Manager. I went from face-to-face HR management to HR consulting. As a Regional HR Director with responsibility for multiple states, I traveled frequently, working with the HR Managers. Something was still missing in this new position, but before I could figure out what it was, I was laid off.
This was the most traumatic career experience of my life even though it was primarily due to economic conditions.
Part of my severance package included outplacement services. I was fortunate that I was assigned to a gifted career specialist, Nathan Teegarden. I worked with Nathan on finding my True Calling™. Since I had an HR background and experience in recruiting, I worked simultaneously on getting back into the HR field.
Interestingly enough, I found my True Calling™: career development. To me it was a natural extension from HR into career development. Over the next year, Nathan worked with me to help me re-tool for my new industry. He became a mentor and a friend. Since we both held the same passion for career development and the same ethical beliefs, he invited me to join his team.
Since you knew your True Calling™ by this time, was it an easy decision to join Nathan at the Center for Career Advancement (now Dymimus)?
As a matter of fact, no it was not. In parallel to my work with Nathan, I had continued the job search, and my efforts had paid off: I was offered a big position with an insurance company as Regional VP of HR. The job came with a huge salary, large bonus and significant benefits.
I was weighing two competing paths: a familiar corporate position or my True Calling™. Should I take the unknown road or the one with the security and benefits? I felt a lot of pressure to take the high paid corporate position. The other road seemed dark, bleak and unknown.
I decided to take the corporate position and put career development on the shelf. I am an all-or-nothing kind of guy, so in reality I knew that career development would stay on the shelf for a long time once I started my new position.
Literally the morning before I was to start with the insurance company, I woke up at 2 a.m. I knew I was taking the wrong path. I made a very difficult call to a very confused VP that morning to let him know that I would not be coming on board.
Then I called Nathan, and here I am.
Ever looked back and wondered about that decision?
Absolutely! Even post-decision there were times when I wondered if I'd done the right thing. There weren't a lot of people patting me on the back at the time.
There were times of anxiety, particularly early on. Before this I worked for Fortune 500 companies, so entrepreneurship was new to me. But I've found that I can use my past, especially that decision, to help others move through their fears and anxieties.
Sometimes finding out what you were meant to do can be scary. The bigger challenge isn't placing someone in a job; it is helping them believe in what they are meant to do.
Did you do any specific preparation for your new career, or did you just jump right in?
My personality is all or none. I didn't have a bridge job or a fallback. I don't encourage that approach for everyone, but it worked in my circumstances.
My Fulfillment process wasn't typical. We found out early on that career development was going to be an area of interest, so I did some research. Actually, I visited every Denver metropolitan area company that specializes in career development from the multi-million dollar companies to one person consultants. By the time I made my decision, I had researched the industry thoroughly and knew what I was getting into.
I brought a lot of training and experience to the table from my HR background, and I did obtain some certifications, specifically in the use of the MBTI and in coaching. Much of my preparation came through the Center for Career Advancement (CCA), which is what we were called at the time.
I shadowed Nathan when he worked with clients, and he worked with me when I did one-on-ones. We actually created the Career Specialist training program during this time so that future career specialists could benefit from a structured process.
The training program addresses the career specialist part. In addition, I learned how to grow and run a business-everything from branding to advertising to managing. I'm not only working with clients; I'm building a business. I never thought I could do this, but I've set out on a whole new direction.
What do you tell people when they ask what you do today?
First off, I tell them I'm a problem solver. When people ask me what that means, I tell them I help people with their careers. I use the term "problem solver" because most people come in thinking their career is a problem. They see that it's draining their relationships with their family and friends.
I help people find their career focus, their True Calling™, by taking clients through a series of assessments and intellectual discussions. I do that by using our methodology, but we don't use a cookie cutter approach. People are unique, and their Discovery processes are tailored to fit their circumstances. Then I work with them to get them placed into what they should be doing from a career standpoint.
In a general sense, I could say I do career development, but it could be career enhancement or career transition. My recognition comes from advancing other people's careers and seeing the smiles on their faces.
Did you learn anything new about yourself during your own Discovery process? Any surprises?
I had a huge amount of information about myself, being in HR and having been through many assessments. I knew everything from what type of animal I am to what type of color I am!
Our assessments were highly accurate, right on target. But unlike some of the assessments I'd taken, we use and apply the information. The idea of building on your strengths rather than improving your weaknesses was new. Knowing my strengths, knowing how my strengths affect my attitudes, knowing how I process information and knowing how I make decisions-this information allowed me to focus on maximizing my potential rather than just being average.
And the idea of having a passion and going after it was new, too. If you can't hit the ten-ringer, hit the eight-ring. If you go for what you know you should be doing, you'll be closer to where you want to wind up.
How do you use this knowledge of your strengths?
Part of the Discovery process includes creating a Personal Profile. People won't necessarily understand what it means that I am a Myers-Briggs ISTJ, but they will understand that I love being around people and that I'm very structured, very detailed. I'm very much a thinker in my decision making process. I make decisions very quickly, with closure, once I have all the facts. I'm organized and efficient, and once I decide to act, I like to move quickly and get results.
Understanding my preferences helps me know myself, and knowing others' preferences and personality profiles helps us avoid unnecessary conflict.
Do you have time for anything outside of work?
That's one of the benefits of being in my True Calling™. I enjoy a full, balanced life now rather than waiting for the golden years. I'm married to a wonderful, supportive woman. I love sports, both as a participant and a spectator. I'm an avid CU Buffs fan. Going to CU football games is a social event for me. I can share the time with my wife, my family or friends while watching a game.
I don't run hurdles anymore, but running is a part of my day. I'm a recreational runner who does a few races here and there. I'd dropped any kind of exercise when I was in the corporate work world and paid the price. I was carrying an extra 35 pounds and a lot of stress that I've lost since I started running again four years ago. I also enjoy hiking and playing racquetball.
I love to study history. I read a lot of history. I watch the History Channel. Right now I'm very interested in the way history has played a part in the events unfolding today.
My parents instilled in me a love of wines. They're very knowledgeable about wines, and it's a common ground. I can pair the right wine with any meal or make a wine selection sure to gather family members, and that's about the level I'd like to keep it.
What career advice would give to someone going through a career transition?
For the majority of us, our careers will last for at least 40 years. Don't worry about the material things. Instead focus on what you can do for the next 40 years that will keep you happy and engaged in life. You can randomly go out and try to find a job that interests you, but only about 10% of all people fall into something they enjoy.
First and foremost, determine the direction you want to head. Find as much information as you can to back up your direction. And look at why you want to do what you want to do. Use a process like our Discovery process.
Someone that's been in a career for a long period of time has felt what life has to offer. It can be rough it can be beautiful; usually it's both. You can build on that. Those folks are usually more open to pursuing their passions because they've experienced what it's like when you're just in a job.
But to change direction after 15 or 20 years is really difficult. Many people are concerned that they will put themselves so far behind financially and even from a satisfaction or status standpoint. It's a delicate process, especially at mid-life. It's not just about that one individual for most people at this stage of their lives. They have kids, mortgages and other responsibilities. You have to be realistic. Sometimes all that's needed is to make some adjustments to an existing career path. Other times, like in my own case, a bigger change is needed.
Sometimes we can't see our passions and our strengths because we're too close to them. We don't appreciate the gifts we have. And if people are having a hard time figuring it out on their own, that's where we can help. We always find that career focus - that True Calling™. Our Discovery process includes a money back guarantee; that's how confident we are.
Do you have a favorite book?
I'm currently reading a history of Tutankhamen. It contains good life lessons about who you should trust and who you shouldn't, even within your own family.
A magnificent book that really talks to what we do here at Dymimus is The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.
It talks about every aspect of every life.
Anyone from history that inspired you along the journey to your True Calling™? Who would you most like to meet?
In terms of U.S. history, probably Benjamin Franklin would be the person would have liked to meet. I would like to meet some of the early framers of the Constitution like Washington and Jefferson. I would ask them if their vision for the United States is anything like what we have now.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years; still in career development?
I really want to see Dynimus impact thousands and thousands of people worldwide and become a household name. I'd love to be there when it gets that large. It would be very exciting.
Peace of mind is the important thing at this stage of my life-living out my life with family and good friends, good health. Maybe I'll have a little satellite office in Boulder .
I will continue to work hard, and I hope to reap the financial rewards that frequently come with hard work in your True Calling™. But my real rewards come from advancing other's careers, and I see that continuing over 20 years or even more.
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Meet Nathan
Your passion today is helping others find their True Calling™. Did you grow up knowing what you wanted to do?
When I was really young, I thought being President of the United States would be the coolest thing in the world. Or at least Governor. You have a chance to make a very positive impact on a wide scale. I even interned with the Colorado State Legislature and served as a legislative aide in the House Leadership Office when I was in college. Being in the thick of things was a great experience, as was seeing how business and politics came together. But with few exceptions, at the state level you need another source of revenue to meet your living expenses. That sent me in a different direction where I can still have a potentially huge impact on the quality of people's lives, where the cause and the business are one.
How did you come to run your own international career development company?
My passion for helping others uncover their True Calling™ grew out of my own search for a fulfilling, energizing career. It wasn't a sprint; it was more like running the hurdles.
(If you want to jump directly to Nathan's career story, click here.)
I grew up in Kremmling, Colorado, a small mountain town. My father was a veterinarian, my mother a teacher. When my parents divorced, I moved to Fort Collins with my father. Once I decided to make lemonade from lemons as the saying goes, this turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened.
The larger high school, Fort Collins High School , provided more opportunities and as an achiever, I thrived on the increased competition. I improved my GPA and lettered in several sports. I even received Ft. Collins High School 's Scholar - Athlete award in my senior year.
I particularly enjoyed my business courses, and I connected with the business teachers, but I didn't do any better in those classes than some of the other students. To my surprise, I received an award for Business Student of the Year. That honor opened my eyes to the fact that grades weren't the only success factor.
Did your business award play any part in selecting your college major?
Being Business Student of the Year made it an easy decision to major in Business. I attended Colorado State University (CSU). I minored in Political Science and studied abroad during my college years as well.
What triggered your interest in international studies?
Colorado sends two people overseas each year through a Department of Agriculture (USDA) foreign exchange program. Being from Kremmling, I had 10 years of 4H experience and an interest in adventure, and a thirst for international experience, so I applied.
I went to what was then West Germany and lived with German families in seven of the eleven West German states. I was able to see East Berlin before the wall came down. It was my first exposure to the world outside of the US, and it gave me a whole new perspective.
My experiences in Germany strongly influenced my future direction both personally and professionally. An underlying tenet of our methodology-that all our clients need to view their careers globally even if they work domestically - came directly from my international studies. When I met a woman from Switzerland in Washington DC years later, that time abroad allowed me to easily consider the possibility of a relationship. She later became my wife and one of the best things that ever happened to me.
You graduated with a major in General Business and went to work. Describe some of your corporate highs and lows.
After graduation, I took a job as a Sales Trainee for the Marine Corps of sales organizations: Beecham Products, now GlaxoSmithKline. Beecham introduced me to marketing and selling quality products and services and sent me to Colorado Springs and then quickly promoted me to Phoenix, Arizona as Territory Manager.
Phoenix is the headquarters of Penn Athletic Products, best known for their tennis products. A recruiter sold me on joining Penn's sales staff. Penn put me on the fast track with an early promotion to New England District Sales Manager. I moved across the country to Boston, Massachusetts where I was in charge of all area product sales, tournament sponsorships and promotions for 5 states (New England district).
Two years later Penn promptly laid me off. From fast track to fired - it was quite a shock! My first unexpected career "transition" led to some serious soul searching, but in hindsight it was the trigger that led to my first career breakthrough.
My path led to a great opportunity to turn around the Washington, D.C. office of Adecco, the world's largest personnel firm. My new position with Adecco introduced me to the service industry and one of my most fulfilling projects-designing and delivering the first ever Total Quality Management (TQM) hospitality teams to some of the Smithsonian museums like the National Gallery of Art, the Air and Space Museum and the new (at that time) Holocaust Museum.
After a grueling 18 months, and a successful turn-around, I was spending so much time on the business end that I didn't have the time I wanted to work on the people end. Migraines, shingles and other physical symptoms were strong signals that this was not my True Calling™. It was at this point that I realized the difference between a job and a career: a job is a task; a career is a vocation. I was still in a job.
With urging and support from Adecco's largest DC client, I got involved with my first start-up, HR Management Services, as Vice President of East Coast Operations. This move put me one step closer to my True Calling™. That client became the first client of our new firm.
Our second big account, ISL Worldwide, charged us with hiring and managing the hospitality staff for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. This was the first time ever this international competition of the world's strongest national football (that's soccer to us Americans) teams was to be held in the U.S., and we were a key part of it!
As a start-up we had our hands full. We hired and set-up over 1300 people throughout the country to host the month-long tournament with its 52 games in
nine venues from East to West coast and a record 3 ½ million spectators. We pulled it off successfully, though the highlight of the experience for me was meeting a woman from Switzerland who would later become my wife.
I moved to Switzerland for the international experience and consulted with ISL. For the next two years I became involved in the intricacies of European job search and placement, and created ISL's International Selection and Hiring Policies Manual .
During this time I continued the search for what I now know as my True Calling™. I traveled frequently to the U.S. to visit highly regarded and expensive career consultants in search of answers, but none were forthcoming. I was beginning to think I was the problem.
When we moved back to the States, I took my last bridge job. In 1998 I left that corporate position, my wife and I had our first child, and I teamed up with a partner to start my own consulting company. Four months later my partner and I parted ways. Good friend, wrong partner, compromised vision.
By now I had the entrepreneurial bug. I knew I was meant to start a unique high impact company in my True Calling that would help people from all backgrounds discover and fulfill their True Calling. The company had to be all the good I had experienced in my search, and more importantly, it had to be everything that I did not find that I knew was needed.
I was making big and risky life decisions on a tight budget with no income, with a wife and newborn child at home.
Shortly thereafter, I founded Dynimus (then known as the Center for Career Advancement) and created the True Calling™ methodology and concept. In the process, I confirmed my own True Calling™, and began my life's work with a passion.
A True Calling™ is the foundation of a successful career and, for that matter, a successful, fulfilled and balanced life. Every day I wake up looking forward to the privilege of helping people advance their careers and improve their lives. I've worked with over 750 clients, both individuals and companies. Executives, athletes, entrepreneurs, students, and corporate employees of all types - what's important is that they're motivated to advance their careers. The knowledge that our clients leave our programs with the confidence that comes from knowing who they really are and what they should be doing reinforces my belief in my own True Calling™.
(For more about the Dynimus Story, click here.)
You've dealt with a fair number of career counselors and mental health professionals on your way to your True Calling™. Did you learn anything from those experiences?
I learned that it pays to select your career counselor(s) wisely. Most of the career counselors and self help professionals I worked with couldn't help me fulfill my needs because they had jobs rather than working in their True Calling™.
Many of the career counselors I saw were very good. But when I'd sit down with them, I'd realize that in certain respects I intuitively knew more than they did. When they would tell me to do something, I knew from my own experience it wouldn't work. So then I started to doubt everything, and I probably missed some good advice because of it.
There's this thing we call the validity principle - I like to describe it as having a pilot's license before you teach someone else to fly. I didn't see that displayed very often.
I spent a lot of time and money during my own career transition, but there were very few career counselors that I even wanted to go back and visit once their programs ended - sometimes even during the program. I'm not in touch with any of them today. And that's not good. A career coach should be like a good doctor, accountant or attorney whom you'd go back to whenever you need advice.
That's something important about our program: For us it's important to build a solid foundation and be effective. We want clients who respect and find value in what we're doing. We want lifetime clients. Not that we want them in here all the time, but if they have a hiccup down the road, or their company gets acquired, they can come in to us for a tune up. We already have their profiles and their assessments, so we can quickly help them get back on track.
Why career development?
For one thing, I'm hard-wired that way. My personal profile (something our program develops for every client using three world class assessments along with the coaching process) indicates that my top interest is career development. And I get a great deal of energy from working with people whether in a one-on-one coaching situations or with large groups.
If you think about the impact of career on society, I think it's underestimated. Not just here in the U.S. but around the world. Most of us spend the majority of our waking hours at our careers.
Think about the impact a bad career can have on someone's life. If you look at divorce rates, medication rates, alcoholism and drug addiction - go straight down the list - I would bet that a bad boss or a bad career choice or something related to career impacts those societal ills.
Your personal profile shows that you're hard-wired for career development. What does that mean, and how do you use it?
The personal profile is something we prepare for every client.
My personal profile is very much black & white. My Myers-Briggs type is ENFP. That means I'm at my best when I'm caught up in the enthusiasm of a project, sparking others to see its benefits.
My strengths are all totally, completely evident. Ideation, Strategy, Futuristic (Strengthsfinder terms) are all about vision which is the "N" (iNtuition) of ENFP. The Myers-Briggs "Feeling" is all about helping people, serving people. The Maximizer is all about making people better and better. As an Extrovert, I get my energy from people. So you can see how all these pieces fit directly with what I do.
One of the ways we use our personal profiles is to match our clients with coaches based on Myers Briggs type, so we don't waste their time - they almost chemically click. They don't have to spend a lot of time getting to know each other.
How can people tell if they're in their true vocations or just in jobs?
Energy is a tell-tale sign. If you're playing to your big muscles - your strengths and passions - you're going to be gaining energy. 60% of us spend the bulk of our time using our small muscles, leading to an estimated $300 million per year in lost productivity because people aren't engaged in their jobs.
If you come home from work the majority of the time with a lot of energy, that's a good sign. You should be at least in your 80/20 - 20% of what you do in your work should play to your passions and strengths and lead to at least 80% of what you generate. Most people are 20/80.
Besides low energy, physical symptoms and illness can signal a mismatch. I personally experienced migraines and shingles at one job that was not my True Calling™.
You refer to professional athletes frequently. Any sports in your background?
Nothing professional, but I work out, I run and I golf. I also love the outdoors, camping and horseback riding. I've had some exposure to professional athletes, though. I knew a number of professional tennis players through my work at Penn, and we have a number of professional athletes as clients.
Think what you will about professional sports today, but professional athletes and the franchises really get it. Here is what I mean by that.they deal with people who are the very best at what they do. They are incredibly talented. They've worked very h ard to get where they are. Yet they still go through a battery of tests before they join a team. And they still have coaches even though they're the best at what they do.
It's the same thing at Dynimus - we put everyone who comes to us through a battery of assessments. We can't assume we know what's right for someone else, or give them any valid advice without this key information. We help our clients interpret the results of their assessments and then provide the coaching from talented coaches to bring out the best in them.
There's something else professional sports gets right. They let the athletes focus on what they do best; they play to their big muscles. If they're a sprinter, they don't also run the mile and do the high jump. It wouldn't make sense.
Baseball is a prime example. The players all have a position. And some of them are even more focused. A pitcher isn't just a pitcher. He has a specialty: starter, reliever, closer. This is how people need to address their own careers-an inch wide and a mile deep. Focus pays better and is much more satisfying because you can excel at what you do.
Are there any special requirements or certifications for your work?
Like we tell our clients, just by finding and working in your True Calling™, you're in the top 25% of people in your industry from a competence and competitive standpoint. From a practical standpoint, in addition to my hands-on experience, I've studied and obtained certifications in a variety of useful tools, some of which have become a part of our methodology.
Some of the most relevant include:
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Qualified Practitioner
- Mountain States Employers Council (MSEC) courses: "Train the Trainer," "Facilitating," and "Designing Training Courses"
- Graduate of the Center for Applications of Psychological Type's (CAPT) "Using Personality Type in Careers" course
- Graduate of Association for Psychological Type's (APT) "The MBTI Instrument and the Enneagram" course
- Strengthfinder Practitioner
- Campbell Interest and Skills Survey Facilitator
- Graduate of "Group Dynamics" course by Michael Grinder, National Director of the Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) in Education
From a personal standpoint, I'm always looking to expand my knowledge. I could give you a list of 60 or 70 books that are just great. My latest energy book is The Power of Full Engagement (Loehr and Schwartz).
Do you have time for anything outside of work?
Absolutely. I see my life as a whole - fluid and interconnected. Family is very important to me. I'm still married to the same great woman from Switzerland. We now have three wonderful children (ages eight, six and four). I make time for friends and take care of my physical and spiritual health through exercise and meditation.
Besides family and career, I'm passionate about friends, fitness, reading, continuous learning and self-improvement and traveling. My passions, interests, preferences and strengths all work together in the lifestyle I desire since I've found my True Calling™. Don't get me wrong, it isn't easy to keep it all balanced, I actually work on that a lot, but as we get busier and busier I am constantly learning from my own successes and mistakes.
What career advice will give to your kids when they get older?
Live your dreams. Do what you love doing. Really figure out what you want to do and do it. Your life's work is to find your life's work and then do it. Base it upon your strengths and your passions, and you're literally halfway there. Then add into this equation the type of lifestyle you desire and you have it. I tell my kids in the morning I'm going off to play. I want my kids to love what they do, too. I want them to be spiritually connected and have a supportive family along with their play.
These are the same things I tell our clients.
Along with everything else, you volunteer. How do you find the time?
I make time. It's important to me that I give back to the community. In the past I have been involved with a number of organizations including the Denver Education and Workforce Development Councils with CACI and SEBP. I was also a District Delegate for the Highlands Ranch Recreation Advisory Bo ard and an organizing member of the Inner City Youth Work Program in Washington , D.C. when I lived there. We always have a certain amount of our time going to individuals who are motivated to discover their True Calling but do not have the financial means to pay for the program. Several years ago I was asked to work with the Lost Boys from Sudan. It was a remarkable and eye opening experience.
Favorite movie?
The Rookie and October Sky are both great real life examples of people who pursue their dreams.
How about books? Any favorites?
A few that come immediately to mind are The Alchemist, The 80/20 Individual, The Millionaire Mind and Blue Ocean Strategy.
What people have inspired you along the journey to your True Calling™?
A lot of authors: Thomas Stanley (The Millionaire Mind), Jim Collins (Good to Great), Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist) , Rich ard Koch (The 80/20 Individual).
I love reading biographies of people working in their True Callings. Warren Buffet, Michael Dell, Bill Gates, Howard Schultz to name a few.
I have a deep respect for bootstrappers like Richard Branson. One of the three major tenets of the Virgin corporate culture is fun. They also have a great business model.
Any dreams you haven't fulfilled?
There's always a primary interest in anyone's career. For me, it is career. I see myself one way or another always tied in to careers-it's my True Calling™. Without a doubt, I see myself playing in this field until I can't breathe anymore.
There's so much in the career area - it's huge. From branding to performance coaching to synthesizing the methodology to integrating software with the methodology, there are so many possibilities. When you start thinking internationally, there are even more.
Then all my secondary and tertiary interests will eventually fit in around my primary's. Maybe making a film - they are much more affordable to make these days with the independent movement - or getting into politics. I believe you can have it all. You may not have it all in excess, but I think you can have it if you keep things in balance. All the parts really hum and you can have a rich, full life.
You're very inspiring when you talk. You clearly bring a lot of energy to what you do.
Thank you. That's something I want to do more of: getting the word out through speaking and writing. I want to let the world know about us and what we offer because when you think about it, every single person out there is a potential client. When you see clients come out of the program and know that it made a difference in their lives, it's tremendously gratifying and energizing.
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Wit and Wisdom