Eating Crow

I've been following Brooks Bell's career for years.

Her name is on the building where her consulting firm has grown into one of the most respected and innovative groups in the country.

I drive by the office frequently.

I've always wondered...

On this, the 38th episode of Eating Crow, we meet Brooks. I should have reached out years ago.

Brooks is brilliant.

She's built an amazing company.

But her new mission is educating people about early detection for colon cancer...you can see where this is going.

At 38-years old, at the peak of her professional and personal lives, she was diagnosed with cancer.

Brooks did what you'd expect. She jumped in.

She resigned as CEO of her own company the next day.

She was going to beat this. And she did.

She learned a lot about cancer, and how early detection saves lives for those diagnosed with colon cancer, specifically.

She's now a champion for not only early detection, but for healthier lifestyles that can prevent or help you weather the treatment for cancers.

Brooks' Eating Crow Moments:

1. Once diagnosed, she had to make serious lifestyle changes. They were difficult, not natural.
2. Priorities changed. Rethinking work/life/health opened her eyes.
3. Cooking. She didn't cook. Now she grows her own veggies and has learned the joy of healthy cooking and how wonderful it can taste.
4. Exercise. She never considered herself athletic, so she doubled down and learned yoga, movement and mindfulness - amazing the impact they can have for those in cancer treatment and to prevent the debilitating impact stress can have on your health.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Pay attention to your body. It's the only one you get and if something isn't right, check it out.
2. Work will always be there. You must prioritize your health, or you, your family and your company don't get the best version of yourself each day.
3. Her health journey has evolved her company. Today, Brooks Bell has evolved into a dynamic firm, addressing "bigger" problems, forming long-term partnerships with their clients.

You can find Brooks here, along with her mission and messaging: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooksbellinteractive/

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/eating-crow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Episode 37 of Eating Crow we meet Carlos Hidalgo.

Carlos, and his wife, Susanne, run Life Design, a boutique firm helping others who know there can be more, and want to make the necessary changes to begin living a life they love to live each and every day.

Sounds easy, right?

To realize there is a better way, you must recognize something is wrong.

Carlos opens up about his life, his marriage, his career and how all of them came crashing down.

Something was definitely wrong.

I've heard similar stories.

However, Carlos owned his shit more than anyone I've met.

Every word was raw, genuine and heartfelt.

Carlos has been to dark places.

He received several much-needed slaps in the face and got his act together.

It was hard. It took time.

Susanne is the real hero of this story. She's a masterclass in forgiveness, compassion and fortitude.

Life Design is built on a foundation of experience and tested methods to design a better life.

If you are missing something or don't feel you are in a better place, join them.

Lessons for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Ownership. When something goes wrong, own it and fix it.
2. It's a journey. Building a company or a better life is not an event, it's a life-long process.
3. You need a team. Carlos had strong friends and associates who cared enough to get in his face. We all need people like that.

Carlos' Eating Crow Moments:

1. Realizing he may have lost his marriage and family.
2. Trying to contain the carnage, ignoring that he was the problem.
3. Finding out he had to fix himself first, but with no guarantee he could rebuild his family.
4. Looking in the mirror, after the hard work, and realizing he liked the person looking back at him.

You can find Carlos here: https://www.yourlifedesignjourney.com/

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/eating-crow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cory Carlson is winning at home.

It wasn't always that way.

Cory's story will resonate with many people struggling to advance a career and maintain a healthy family life.

Cory lost his balance.

He failed at home.

He failed at work.

The he woke up.

He came clean.

First to himself, then his family.

What happened next is an amazing example of forgiveness and faith.

Cory put in the work.

He captured his lessons into a book: Win at Home First

If you are struggling with work/faith/life, this is a must read.

Cory's Eating Crow Moments:

1. Realizing he was not living the life God had provided for him.
2. Owning his biggest mistakes.
3. Admitting he needed help, and seeking it.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. You can win at home and work.
2. Your family needs a vision, but get yours straight first.
3. Every lesson at home translates to something at work.

You can find Cory's book here: Win at Home First

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/eating-crow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jared Greer reminds me of Captain America.

Regardless of the chaos around him he always has his $h!t together.

We should all pay attention.

As working parents we all struggle with balancing work, family, faith, fitness, etc.

There are self-help books, but who has time?

There are gurus, but who believes the hype?

Then there's Jared.

100% real, 100% living it every day.

Jared doesn't pull any punches.

It's hard.

BUT, like anything else, you first need to show up.

Jared has developed proven techniques to help us become better spouses, parents and leaders.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. There is a difference between your principles and your practices. This hit me hard.
2. Vision, Values, Beliefs and Actions - these go beyond your company and must start at home.
3. Be honest with yourself. If you can't do this, you can't fix anything else.

Jared's Eating Crow Moments:

1. Recognizing his successful, fast-paced career was leaving him empty.
2. Pushing his body beyond his perceived limits opened his mind and soul to do the same.
3. Compliance is not comprehension. If you get it, you need to own it.

Jared is one of my favorites. We've become friends, co-mentors and I truly value his mission.

You can find Jared here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredjgreer/

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/eating-crow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doug Lawson is a baller.

He's also the first deaf guest I've had on the podcast. Let that sink in.

Doug's mission is to help people get noticed on social media, and to turn this new found fame into revenue.

How he got here is incredible; he started as a Special Education Teacher, in three different cities.

Now based out of Chicago, his flare for writing has developed into a full-blown digital agency of sorts.

He's also daring, using TikTok and mixing formats (music, video, graphics, text) to develop content for B2B clients, he's changing the game.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. If you want to separate from the pack, you need to be different (maybe even daring).
2. Digital campaigns do NOT need to be expensive, they need to be compelling.
3. Change is hard. Keep doing what you are doing, keep getting poor results. Or, find a pro and let them help you.

Doug's Eating Crow Moments:

I've only had one other guest who didn't really eat crow, they dished it out. Doug's moment may have been when he realized he had a flare for writing and left the teaching world to go out on his own. Scary, but Doug is a grinder and not afraid of anything. He started writing email campaigns that converted faster than most - and got noticed.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/eating-crow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt wells makes no apologies. His comments DO reflect the views of management.

Matt also cares deeply about his family, as a dad and as husband.

In fact, this passion launched a brand: Basic Dad Stuff, where Matt shares everyday stories and snippets about fatherhood.

But that's not what makes Matt unique.

It's his confidence to stand by his beliefs, his ability to own his mantra, with no apologies, that sets him apart.

We dive into parenting, sales, social media and the struggles to keep it all in check.

Matt is the kinda guy you want in your corner as well as the guy you want coaching your kids.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Sometimes it's messy, but focus on the goal and clean up later.
2. We learn every day.
3. Passion sells. Matt has created a brand around passion and people WANT to buy from him.

Matt's Eating Crow Moments:

1. Well, most of his Basic Dad episodes have some crow in them. Fatherhood is humbling.
2. We will never be perfect. Matt shares that even though his Basic Dad Stuff episodes look hilarious and portray fun, he has to work on being a better husband and father.
3. Sometimes, you have to say no. Matt launched a live improv series with two other LinkedIn rockstars, and it gained a following. However, it threw his work/life/hobbies out of balance and they had to shut it down. Tough decision, but sometimes crow isn't cooked properly and is difficult to get down.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/eating-crow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Megan Bowen shares her journey from Valley girl to NYC executive and the lessons learned along the way.

Megan is one of the most thoughtful company and people builders I've met, wise beyond her years.

She battled (and still does) those voices we all hear - about acceptance and meeting people's expectations.

She tackled these voices head on by owning them, which means controlling them.

She's on a mission at Refine Labs, to change the way companies think of marketing and she's building a team of passionate people to join the journey.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. By "finding herself" Megan is better able to understand others. She's rooted, her people know where she and they stand.
2. Don't take on the emotions of others. Empathize but don't internalize these emotions.
3. Megan offers a Masterclass in how to provide difficult feedback.

Megan's Eating Crow Moments:

• Megan realized she was living her life to meet other's expectations. She made a very difficult decision to leave home and travel across the country to go to school - on her own.
• She had to work her way through college in a way most young people can't understand. She ate the crow and made sacrifices, early demonstrations of grit and determination that continue to be hallmarks of her leadership mantra.
• Her first job in NYC was not what you'd expect - but it led to learning and relationships she still treasures to this day.  

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/eating-crow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen.

Really Listen.

That's Jahmaal Marshall. He's a listener.

Don't mistake this for a lack of action - it's just that Jahmaal has mastered the art of listening before speaking.

It's a lost art.

He doesn't listen, he listens intently - to understand.

As for action, well, Jahmaal is pretty special there too.

His full-time role is human rights (no, really).

The vision for the International Justice Mission, where Jahmaal works: ...to rescue millions, protect half a billion and make justice unstoppable.

Come on.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Listen to understand. Listening is a great first step, but if you can understand, you can make a difference.
2. Conflict is constant - how you handle conflict can enhance or destroy your leadership impact.
3. Have a conversation - listening and conflict resolution allow opposing personalities and groups to work through differences and usually get to a productive outcome. Recognizing we can agree to disagree, and presenting thoughts in a non-confrontational way - then listening with patience and the desire to understand are the hallmarks of a true conversation.

Jahmaal's Eating Crow Moment:

• The passing of his father and his year of questioning. He reflected on his passion and turned his grief into his mission to help others "find themselves."

Love this guy - you will too. Enjoy

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/eating-crow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I wanted to run through a wall for Matt when we finished the podcast.

Why? Because he owns everything, the good and the bad. So refreshing to chat with another crow eater.

He played hockey in college and his leadership style reflects his view that teams must flow together, on a singular mission but each with a role to play.

Matt is extremely thoughtful when it comes to building a winning culture.

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Mission matters. Not the fluffy, framed saying on the wall in the lobby mission, but a mission that defines who walks through the door every day. You are either on board, or you should find another mission.
2. Culture starts at the top, with action, reinforcement, solicited feedback and constant tweaking. Most important - ownership.
3. There are problems everywhere waiting to be solved. His latest company, Exhale, is a perfect example, and it's cranking.

Matt's Eating Crow Moments:

1. After years of solid growth and tremendous investment, personally and professionally, a sudden career change had him take stock of where he was and what he wanted to do next.
2. A continuing Eating Crow Moment: Market feedback. Test your product, price, position constantly and listen to the market. Eating a bit of crow now and then allows you to find the sweet spot that registers with clients.

Check out Matt at https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewtsheehan/ and www.exhaleathome.com

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/eating-crow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jon Macaskill has a lot on his mind.

He kept it buried far too long, until it nearly wrecked him.

Now his mission is to help other veterans practice mindfulness as they transition from the military to civilian life. We "civies" could learn as well. How to overcome trauma or stress to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

Jon is a true hero, the stuff of movies (not kidding, there are books and movies about his Seal Team). It was an honor to have him on the show, heck just to meet Jon.

As with most "real" heroes I meet, it's not just his actions, bravery, and frankly, "badassness", it's Jon's humility. We learn what inspired Jon to join the military (it's really more practical than inspirational - to start).

Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:

1. Take a breath. Heroes perform in the most stressful situations (life and death). All of them, including Jon, talk about taking a breath in these moments to collect yourself, allowing your mind, body, and soul to operate in harmony. It's more than physical, it's also chemical. Practicing this in the non-flow moments is actually more challenging for veterans.
2. Keep moving. Even as Jon's mental state was quietly crushing him, he kept moving forward. This was a subtle lesson and so important for those of us who find it difficult to get out of bed some days. Get up, keep moving, then follow the next lessons.
3. Ask for help. When issues are trapped deep inside, don't be afraid to ask for help, or at the very least, say "this is how I'm feeling..." Just talking about your thoughts and emotions can begin to unscramble the issues you are facing and allow others to help you carry the burden. Family, friends and professionals all play a role. Open up to them.
4. This is an ongoing process. Rome wasn't built in a day. It took Jon a while to see results, but he stuck to it. Mindfulness involves relaxing the mind, body and spirit and it doesn't happen over night, nor does it ever stop. Embrace it.

Jon's Eating Crow Moments:

1. Recognizing he needed help. Very hard for a Navy Hero to acknowledge these feelings.
2. Staying at it. When Jon first started practicing mindfulness he was extremely skeptical. He stayed with it.
3. Finding his new path. Jon could be successful in any pursuit, but like many veteran's he wasn't sure what his new mission would be. He's on several missions today but he's found his lane AND his voice.

You can find Jon here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmacaskill/

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/eating-crow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.