Our capacity to handle tough moments at work can mean the difference between upward mobility and infuriating stagnation. But for too many of us, conflict is our kryptonite. In this episode, I will walk you through my favorite exercise for transforming our relationship to conflict.

There are some stories that stop us in our tracks. That make us forget our own dramas and traumas long enough to feel into someone else’s experience. My guest today is Ana Jones, and she has exactly that kind of story.

Ana is the founder of Plex65, which is a labor market for caregivers of older adults. It is the first of its kind to use technology as a hiring platform for caregivers using “Rydeshare for Homecare” or the Uber for caregiving concept.

But we are here today to talk about Ana NOT as an entrepreneur (though she is).

We are here to talk about Ana as an activist. As the mother of two black sons. As someone working to change the way we talk about race, and more specifically, how we teach our children history in school.

As a word of caution: Ana is about to share her heartbreak with us. She lost her son, Maasai Jones, to suicide on June 14, 2018 … something that would leave most of us catatonic and incapacitated. But Ana’s story is hardly one of withdrawal.

Her story is about transmuting pain into power. About carrying on Maasai’s story, because it has the power to create change. And friends? If there’s anything we learned in 2020 it was this: things need to change.

I first met Ana during a virtual Village Well session (google it “Village Well San Jose” … very powerful Saturday morning medicine!), I knew I had to have her on to talk with you.

Friends, meet the marvelous Ana Jones.

Fun fact: I would rather give a speech to thousands of people than say "no" to someone. Seriously.

But the better I get at saying NO, the better my life gets.

With a high quality NO, comes the opportunity to say YES to the invitations and adventures that add up to the life I want vs. the life that just kinda happened to me.

And in case you can relate, and in case you’re curious to see how your life might improve with the development and cultivation of your Highest Quality “No,” I want to offer you three strategies to strengthen your No-saying game.

If you were to ask me: What is the single most important skill to have as a communicator? I wouldn’t hesitate to answer.

The single most important skill to have as a communicator is storytelling.

Here’s the thing: Facts are important. The ability to make a cogent argument is important.

But STORY is what changes people. STORY is probably the ONLY thing that can get someone to see the world through a different lens.

And this is as true in business as it is in politics, academia, and science. We are hardwired to remember, repeat, and be moved by a story well told.

My guest today is a champion storyteller, and his name is Corey Rosen. He has a new book coming out that will be a powerful guide for us as communicators: Your Story Well Told: Creative Strategies to Develop and Perform Stories that Wow an Audience. Join us, and learn how you can become a better storyteller.

I am a BIG believer in personal development. And, many self-help proponents equate personal power with accepting full responsibility for one’s own life. I don’t disagree.

But there’s something missing there. Acceptance is not enough.

Authentic personal power must include the capacity to articulate what we need and what we want.

And yet, too many of us avoid doing the work of owning and articulating what it is we need because we are AFRAID of what we will discover ...

About ourselves, about our partners, our families, or our workplaces.

But, Amen, I say unto you: If you want to become your most powerful self and SPEAK from your place of power, this is the work.

This is a path I have been walking all my life. If it’s a path you’d like to walk, or a journey you’d like to better understand, this week’s episode is for you.

If there’s one thing i’ve learned in this life, it is this:

Everyone you meet has a backstory. Everyone has a history full of highs and lows, celebration and tragedy. And it’s so easy to forget this when we’re in our 500th meeting of the day. That each face (or name if cameras are off) has a story. In our minds, we think in terms of title. Or position in the power hierarchy.

Well, my friend, you are about to meet someone with a backstory that will take your breath away. You’re about to meet Tina Tran.

Upon first meeting Tina, you would immediately know you were in the presence of a badass. Tina is a director of business development, leading mobile platform and OEM partnerships for a small company you may have heard of called Microsoft.

Tina serves on the board of directors at Hello Neighbor, an organization that strengthens communities by matching resettled refugee families with dedicated neighbors to help them thrive in their new lives in the U.S. She is also an advisor for Nomi Network, a non-profit that fights modern day slavery and human trafficking through economic empowerment programs.

In 2018, Tina graduated from the prestigious Presidential Leadership Scholars Program, a partnership between the George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Lyndon Johnson, and George Bush presidential centers. She is one of 59 national up- and-coming leaders recognized for her commitment to solving some of our nation’s most pressing problems.

See what I mean? BADASS. But she’s also just a good human. She’s someone who loves to connect people, support people, and she just exudes energy.

But instead of telling you all about Tina, I want you to meet her. So put your feet up, or strap on your walking shoes, and settle in.

I have always been fascinated by the human experience of time.

How to move through it. How to BE in it. How to make the most of it.

We humans seem ill equipped to make time work for us. It’s either going too slow or too fast.

I have found that the only way to make some kind of peace with time is to have a set of sacred daily rituals. And by far, the most important of these rituals is the Morning Ritual.

Think of this episode as a roadmap ... a guide for constructing a morning ritual that feels like Home.

I am beyond excited for you to meet my guest today, the incredible Ed Latimore. Ed's resume seems like he's lived three lifetimes, not just one. He is a former professional heavy weight boxer—His professional record includes 15 fights, 13 of those were wins.

Ed is also the best selling author of two books:

Ed is also a veteran of the United States Army National Guard. And at the age of 33, he went back to school and got a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Physics.

Ed is also a VERY active online and over-the-board chess player, was featured in American Chess Magazine. Ed has been featured on Ryan Holiday’s fantastic blog, The Daily Stoic, and is featured in one of my favorite books EVER: Atomic Habits by James Clear.

The man defies categorization. So pour yourself a cup of coffee, and get ready. It is my delight to introduce you to Ed Latimore.

In the last episode, I gave you three questions to close out 2020.

And here’s the thing: 2020 served up a million reasons to feel victimized, and the three questions I posed were part ONE of a two part meditation on moving *out of* feeling victimized by circumstance, and *into* feeling the power of our own agency. One of the only true sources of power we possess.

2021 is our opportunity to flip the script ... without burning ourselves out in the process.

It's an opportunity to reclaim our imagination, and our will to thrive. Grab a journal and a hot beverage, and let's do this.

You know what is adorable? My New Years resolutions for 2020.

But this time, the phrase “New Year’s Resolution” seems hopelessly naive.

Quaint. A throwback to a simpler time. I get it. We all got our asses handed to us this year. It gave new meaning to the old saying, “Want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans.”

But here’s what I know: Resolution and plans and dreams need to be build on the solid ground of introspection. Before we dreamscape 2021, we need to tend to the wounds of 2020. This episode is part one of a two-part series designed to prime us for excellence in the coming year. Grab your journal, and join me!