Gratitude Through Hard Times

Our education system has created a massive gap in individuals for feeling true fulfillment, true creativity, and true contribution in the world because it's focused more on creating cogs in a wheel than actually individually contributing members of society.

The things that you don't learn in college are the things you need to know to be truly fulfilled in your life.

Zander Fryer knows and teaches you what they don't teach you in college.

Five years ago Zander Fryer was stuck in a 9-5, single, lonely, bored, and lost. He was unfulfilled and unhappy and getting paid a quarter million dollars a year to stay that way. But, after losing his best friend to suicide and struggling with depression for months he knew something had to change.

He quit his corporate job in his late twenties, with no idea what he was going to do and only 3 months of living expenses in the bank. Fighting for life, for time and in honor of his fallen brother, he embarked on a new journey. Despite the harsh criticism of those around him, within 3 months, he replaced his former 6 figure salary, and in 1 year he built a 7 figure business from the ground up.

Zander is now a best selling author, internationally renowned speaker, and host of the iTunes top podcast – Sh*t You Don’t Learn In College and is happily married to the women of his dreams.

He's been featured in TIME, Forbes, Inc., and TEDx and his company - High Impact Coaching - serves over 50,000 people in 27 different countries and at more than 700 organizations.

He is praised as the "next generation of leader," by Chicken Soup for the Soul author, Jack Canfield and regarded as the "coach of coaches" by many top industry leaders like Craig Ballantyne and Bedros Keuilian.

In this episode, Zander dives deep into the core principles of his book, Sh*t You Don’t Learn In College.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

• Zander giving credit and thanks to his dad, Robert (5:32)
• How love can be expressed (8:30)
• The problem with our education system (12:57)
• How Zander found his niche (24:54)
• Fear journaling and its benefits (33:43)
• You have the ability to change (47:41)

Links

• Connect with Zander on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zanderfryer/
• Sh*t You Don’t Learn In College Book - https://www.amazon.com/Sh-You-Dont-Learn-College-ebook/dp/B09FYBZY5J
• Sh*t You Don’t Learn In College Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shit-you-dont-learn-in-college/id1559626815

It's never too late to start new. It's never too late to jump horizontally. It's never too late to keep living a little bit more of your truth. Progress is not linear.

Paul Park knows that it's never too late to find your purpose in life.

Paul is the Chief Revenue Officer at Sparrow. Prior to Sparrow, Paul Park was the Acting Head of Sales at TriNet, a leading PEO in the HR Tech space that is publicly traded with a $6B market cap. Paul Park started as an individual contributor and rose through the leadership ranks by creating innovative industry go-to-marketing strategies, ecosystem partnerships, DE&I initiatives, and championing career development programs.

Paul Park has contributed to a number of different industry events and organizations, including being a startup ambassador and a super-connector.

Paul Park earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton.

In his spare time, Paul Park enjoys watching foreign films, reading personal development books, and listening to Tech and venture podcasts.

In this episode, Paul shares his nonlinear life story.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

• Paul giving credit and thanks to his mom (4:09)
• Not having everything figured out (7:29)
• Maintaining motivation and faith (8:43)
• The power of servant leadership (9:59)
• How to be empathetic in sales (12:11)
• Setting a strong relationship foundation (15:26)
• Creating communities within a company (20:05)
• Spotting potential (24:56)
• Feeling a renewed sense of purpose (29:06)

Links

• Connect with Paul on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulparkk/
• Sparrow - https://trysparrow.com

Have you ever wondered where your perspectives come from?

Throughout your lifetime, various people have taught you your current belief system. In order to find the root cause of a belief, you need to keep asking yourself why until the root appears.

Dr. Shindale Seale focuses on finding the root cause to create transformational education.

Dr. Shindale Seale is a cultural equity and diversity strategist who employs leadership and performance optimization concepts to help entrepreneurs, corporate and academic stakeholders, and Diversity & Inclusion professionals identify and reach their organizational culture goals.

For over two decades, Dr. Seale served in various leadership and training roles and sectors, including the corporate environment, academia, and the non-profit arena. Her work has focused on business performance optimization, staff development, and creating sustainable and equitable working environments. Her research and consulting on creating equitable solutions in gender, race, age, and ability matters has led to her being a sought-after subject matter expert and speaker.

In addition to her consulting services, Dr. Seale is the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Program Chair at the University of California Santa Cruz - Silicon Valley Extension, where she also develops and teaches courses on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the workplace and academia. Dr. Seale is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Redlands, where she teaches Leadership, Organizational Change, and Business Communication.

Dr. Seale holds a Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Change and Leadership and a Master of Education degree, both from the University of Southern California (USC). She also earned her Bachelor of Arts with a focus on Language and Linguistics from California State University at Dominguez Hills (CSUDH).

In this episode, Dr. Seale gets to the root of injustice issues in our world today.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

• Getting to the root cause (3:22)
• The power of aha moments (6:43)
• Who DEI training is really for (9:23)
• Creating a sense of urgency (13:25)
• A massive lack of education around our origins (17:52)
• What people need to hear about racial healing (21:25)
• Are these conversations allowed? (24:51)
• How to adjust our perspectives (33:48)
• Focusing on what went right versus wrong (40:43)
• Dr. Seale's barista name (47:42)

Links

• Connect with Dr. Seale on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drshindale
• Grateful Processing of Unpleasant Memories - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Philip-Watkins/publication/233193951_Taking_care_of_business_Grateful_processing_of_unpleasant_memories/links/00b7d532b352f4b726000000/Taking-care-of-business-Grateful-processing-of-unpleasant-memories.pdf
• It Didn't Start with You - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013D6640M/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
• Rachel Yehuda's work - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=k7C9PhkAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra
• Dr. Seale's website - https://seadecc.com

If you aren't living your truth, then you aren't living the life you are meant to live.

Ray DeForest knows just how necessary it is to live your truth.

Performer, producer, activist, community leader, Ray DeForest, may also be known to some as his popular theatrical character, Doris Dear. 3-time winner of the MAC Award, actress and comedienne Doris Dear, has been featured in numerous movie and TV productions, performs in her own sold-out cabaret-style shows, and stars in her series "Doris Dear's Gurl Talk" on the BroadwayOnDemand streaming service. Ray created the series at the height of the Covid pandemic as a way to bring Doris to a new audience while live theater was on hold. Ray writes, directs and produces the series now currently filming season 3. The show was an immediate hit and won the prestigious Silver Telly Award for season one.

In addition to entertaining audiences and raising funds to support theatre development, Mr. DeForest is a member of the prestigious Dramatist Guild of America. It is through his lifelong love of theatre that Ray nurtured his storytelling and comedic talents, as well as his ability to connect with an audience and take them on an emotional journey. "Art requires reaction," he proclaims. Long before theatre life beckoned Mr. DeForest to Manhattan, he found himself growing up in 1950-1960s Staten Island, where idyllic "Americana" was a real-world version of Norman Rockwell's iconic paintings. But what is one to do when they don't fit the traditional mold? "Admitting who we are is never easy," states Mr. DeForest. But, this challenge of self-expression found a creative outlet through character development and performance and continues to be richly rewarded by audiences who react to the experience and find a safe space in his character's maternal presence. Bravo!

In this episode, Ray shares vital lessons from living his authentic life.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

• Ray giving credit and thanks to the people who closed the door on him (5:33)
• Why it takes time to share our emotions (16:23)
• Living our life authentically because we have no idea what's coming next (19:55)
• Gender as a social construct (25:23)
• Getting people to acknowledge that we have more in common than differences (32:36)
• The qualities that make a great leader (36:15)
• Gratitude inspiring creativity and innovation (40:51)
• Insights from Ray (43:42)

Links

• Connect with Ray on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/raydeforest/
• Doris Dear - https://www.dorisdear.com/home
• Ray's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hewearsheelsandhose/?hl=en
• Doris Dear Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dorisdearny/?hl=en
• Cosplay Ray Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cosplayrayde/?hl=en

To create equity, we have to do things that are above and beyond because we're compensating for the way the system is already stacked against certain individuals. Equality and equity are different in that equality treats everyone the same regardless of need, while equity treats people differently depending on need.

Kathy Goss knows just how vital equity is, especially when it comes to recruiting.

Kathy Goss (she/her/hers) has nearly 20 years of experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion at companies spanning a wide variety of industries and sizes. She currently serves as the Diversity & Talent Practice Leader at Chicago Trading Company. Previously, she built LinkedIn's first Inclusion Recruiting strategy and team, and during her tenure achieved double-digit percent increases in hiring rates for under-represented candidates. In addition to diversity recruiting, Kathy has extensive experience in DEI learning and development, culture change, and data analytics. She excels at breaking down complex problems to design and drive practical solutions that make a positive impact. Kathy graduated from Northwestern University with a B.S. in Learning & Organizational Change and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Chicago SHRM (Society of Human Resources Professionals). She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, 3 children, and their Redbone Coonhound rescue.

In this episode, Kathy provides explanations and strategies for creating belonging, inclusion, and equity during the hiring process.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

• Kathy giving credit and thanks to her husband, Shane (5:14)
• Being a life-long learner (7:11)
• How Kathy got her voice in this area (10:03)
• Pivotal allies for Kathy (13:43)
• Creating policies that benefit the employee and employer (17:21)
• The difference between equality and equity (23:01)
• Inclusion and belonging start before an interview (28:03)
• Pushing back on recruiters to have more diverse candidates (32:26)
• Building experiences to create connection (34:43)
• Priorities to focus on for recruiting (41:17)

Links

• Connect with Kathy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathygoss/

At any point, any one of us is one question away from a completely different life.

A good question creates a pause. And when we can pause, we can think, reflect, and then acknowledge the people who have formed our story up until this point. And then, most importantly, we can consider who we want to continue to fuel that story?

Marc Champagne knows the life-changing power that questions have.

Marc Champagne unpacks the mental fitness practices and reflective questions shaping the lives of some of the most successful and brilliant thinkers in the world. He is the host of the top 50 ranked podcast Behind The Human and co-founded the journaling app (KYO), which reached 86.9 million people without any paid advertising. He has studied mental fitness practices for over a decade and consults with Fortune 500 companies as a mental fitness strategist and speaker.

Marc's first book, Personal Socrates (publishing October 2021), explores the pointed questions that stimulate our mental fitness and teach us how to direct our internal narrative to work for us instead of against us. Marc unpacks the prompts and mental fitness practices of legends such as Kobe Bryant, Maya Angelou, Robin Williams, James Clear, Coco Chanel, Stephen Hawking, and many others to bring clarity, intentionality, and possibility to every aspect of your life.

In this episode, Marc dives into the power of question-asking and how it can change your life for the better.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

• Marc giving credit and thanks to his uncle, Al Champagne (6:13)
• Jane Austin and 3rd party vulnerability (15:20)
• Why Marc wrote Personal Socrates (20:10)
• Why people are afraid of questions (28:16)
• How to get out of challenging times (31:46)
• Why to read Personal Socrates now versus later (36:00)
• Closing words from Marc (46:06)

Links

• Connect with Marc on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-champagne-14767b17/?originalSubdomain=ca
• Personal Socrates -https://baronfig.com/personal-socrates?title=default+title
• Behind the Human - https://www.behindthehuman.com

One billion people, or 15% of the world's population, experience some form of disability.

Disability refers to the interaction between individuals with a health condition (e.g., cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and depression) and personal and environmental factors (e.g., negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation or public buildings, and limited social support). Almost everyone is likely to experience some form of disability - temporary or permanent - at some point in life.

But having a disability does not mean you don't have value to offer to this world.

Debra Ruh fights to make sure everyone gets to share their value, regardless of their disability.

Debra Ruh is a Global Disability Inclusion Strategist, Market Influencer, internationally recognized keynote speaker, published author, branding expert, successful entrepreneur, and exceptional mother. Debra is the host of a popular program: Human Potential at Work (Audience in 92 countries and 113 Regions). Proud to be the founder and CEO of Ruh Global IMPACT and the Co-founder and Executive Chair of Billion Strong.

She is also an author of three books, Inclusion Branding (available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Voice via Audible), Tapping into Hidden Human Capital and Finding Your Voice Using Social Media.

Debra Ruh received her call to action when she was told by so-called “experts” that her daughter, Sara, who was born with Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21), would never walk or talk. She refused to accept the prognosis and perception of this condition. Driven by her unshakeable faith in the power of human potential and the love for her daughter, Debra was determined to dedicate her life to create a path to empowerment and success for all those with disabilities. Her husband aged into disabilities due to a TBI sustained when he was hit by a drunk driver as a child. Sadly, his brain aged into Dementia due to the TBI.

Debra had built a multi-million-dollar firm focused on ICT accessibility. Debra was convinced that "the real disability is being unable to see human potential" formed Ruh Global IMPACT. This social enterprise and think tank focused on Global Disability Inclusion Strategies, Digital Marketing, and Branding among many other services. Billion-Strong.org is a global identity organization focused on disability identity and empowerment.

Debra consults with Multi-National and National Corporations and the United Nations. Debra is now internationally renowned global keynote speakers and travels the world inspiring and advocating for governments and corporations to include people with disabilities.

In this episode, Debra shares her story and how she's changing the world.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

• Debra giving credit and thanks to her Mother (4:58)
• Controlling your perspective and reaction to tough times in life (8:22)
• How Debra found her life's work (8:58)
• The misconceptions around disabilities (13:20)
• Does DEI include disabilities (17:11)
• How to include disabilities in DEI programs (19:25)
• The importance of community for advocacy (23:24)
• The power gratitude has to change perspectives (27:31)
• Billion Strong and how to join (31:34)
• Debra's message to her Mother (43:06)

Links

• Connect with Debra on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/debraruh
• Ruh Global - https://www.ruhglobal.com
• Billion Strong - https://www.billion-strong.org
• AXSChat - https://twitter.com/AXSChat
• Inclusion Branding - https://www.ruhglobal.com/inclusion-branding/

Times of struggle are familiar to all of us. Moments where we're unsure of how we'll make it out the other side, that are difficult and dark are moments we all have in common. Sometimes they come upon us from out of nowhere and other times we bring them upon ourselves. Regardless of how they come about, they all have the potential to be better than we could ever imagine.

David Paynter's worst year of his life turned out to be the best year of his life.

David Paynter is a highly entrepreneurial, former professional cricketer who faced some of the world’s best players in his career, including the likes of the legendary English paceman James Anderson. And it was Paynter’s competitive playing experience that inspired him for what was to come next after he hung up his bat and boots.

He recognised that there was an opportunity for a footwear revolution in cricket, based on those years of experience wearing product that failed to put the performance needs of the athlete first. The result? The PAYNTR brand, which was born in 2017, providing a game-enhancing footwear platform for the best players in the game, including the likes of global superstar Rashid Khan.

While success in cricket was rapid, and the brand grew across Europe, India, the Middle East and Australasia, Paynter was also convinced that other sports could benefit from a similar approach. In April 2019, he reached out to Mike Forsey, a golf footwear innovation specialist with more than 30 years’ footwear design experience behind him, working with elite athletes at Nike, FootJoy and Under Armour. Nearly two years later, PAYNTR Golf was launched, and the X 001 F golf shoe came to market globally on March 1, 2021. The shoe fuses together a series of contrasting elements to allow golfers to optimize and harness the power in their swing – what PAYNTR labels the Performance Multiplied innovation ethos. Force x Velocity = Power.

The PAYNTR brand will always have its roots in cricket, thanks in part to David’s Great Grandfather Eddie who played a starring role in the iconic Bodyline Ashes tour of Australia in 1932/33. Refusing to be downed by a severe bout of tonsilitis, Eddie climbed off a Brisbane hospital bed and helped England to victory, hitting the winning runs to win the Ashes.

The PAYNTR brand is based in Leeds in the county of Yorkshire, England, with a US office in Portland, Oregon and an Indian office in Delhi.

In this episode, David discusses the impact that his darkest year had on him and how it made him into the person he is today.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

• David giving credit and thanks to his wife, Karen (4:55)
• How not all gratitude given is gratitude heard (10:43)
• Overcoming adversity (13:04)
• How it can be hard to do the "easy" things (18:49)
• Normalizing low points in life (21:22)
• Our worst years actually being our best years (26:25)
• How our past can propel our future (29:35)
• David's message to Karen (33:54)

Links

• Connect with David on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-paynter-00185a104?originalSubdomain=uk
• PAYNTR Golf - www.payntr.com

There's a demographic that a lot of people don't know exists. That demographic is gentlemen in the inner city who are extremely intelligent, have high grades, have massive potential, want to go to college, and be super successful.

Two issues are standing in the way of this demographic achieving that success. The first issue is that they don't have access to the community that will help them become that successful. And because they don't have access to that community, they also don't have access to those powerful first experiences; the second issue.

A powerful first experience is doing something you'd never thought you would do for the first time in a place that you never thought you would be in for the first time.

Kenneth Chabert knows firsthand how much power first experiences have.

Kenneth has a passion for communicating big ideas in very little time through the use of conversational intelligence and authentic storytelling.

While working at Alex and Ani, he was known as the Prezi Master, one of only twenty-five experts in the world in Prezi. After starting a consulting practice, Kenneth worked with companies such as Trek Bikes, Amgen, Amica, and Burson-Marsteller in presentation design and authentic storytelling.

In 2016, Kenneth founded the Gentlemen's Retreat, which teaches inner-city youth the art of being gentlemen through the use of emotional and conversational intelligence. They experience anything and everything a Gentlemen does - from staying in mansions to eating at some of the nicest restaurants, and are led through powerful workshops that enable them to get into top colleges and universities around the country such as Brown, Cornell, and Wake Forest University. The program has recently expanded into Montana where Kenneth curated Powerful First Experiences that give the Gentlemen experiential learning opportunities while expanding their networks.

Kenneth coined the term "Powerful First Experiences." These types of experiences help people develop new levels of confidence and understanding of themselves and bridges the gap between people from different environments because PFEs lead to building empathy, better storytelling, creating larger and more diverse networks, and fostering a larger view of the world.

Kenneth speaks around the world about powerful first experiences. He was featured as one of the Brave ones at Leadercast, was a TED Resident during Spring 2019, spoke at HATCH, and was a presenter at Kinnernet, and is part of the Nexus Global community.

In this episode, Kenneth unpacks the model of the Gentlemen's Retreat and how impactful it is for all involved.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

• Struggling with hearing praise (4:22)
• Kenneth giving credit and thanks to all of his Gentlemen (G's) (5:57)
• How to paint a compelling story (9:52)
• What the Gentlemen's Retreat is all about (14:51)
• Being a great partner for the Gentlemen's Retreat (20:19)
• How Kenneth sustains and grows the Gentlemen's Retreat (25:49)
• What's next for Kenneth and the G's (35:19)

Links

• Connect with Kenneth on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kchabert/
• The Gentlemen's Retreat - https://www.gentlemensretreat.org

Creating relationships is more challenging than ever for business and marketing professionals. But it doesn't have to be.

If you want to become the ultimate marketing engine, focus on making customers into members to help them achieve lasting transformation.

John Jantsch has the strategies you need to create customers and clients for life.

John is a marketing consultant, speaker, and author of Duct Tape Marketing, The Referral Engine, The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur, and The Ultimate Marketing Engine. He is also the founder of the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network, which trains and licenses independent consultants and agencies to use the Duct Tape Methodology.

In this episode, John details the marketing concepts in his new book that transform how readers view their business, marketing, and customers.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

• John giving gratitude to Peter Drucker (3:33)
• Why John wrote The Ultimate Marketing Engine now (8:37)
• What people are craving a transformation away from (12:22)
• Membership over customership (14:08)
• The meet me at the club concept (17:29)
• The power of referrals (21:11)
• Empathy as a marketing tool (23:56)
• Solving the problem of control (27:50)
• How to work with John (31:01)

Links

• Connect with John on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ducttapemarketing/
• Pre-order The Ultimate Marketing Engine - https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Marketing-Engine-Ridiculously-Consistent/dp/1400224772/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1608570384&sr=1-4&linkCode=sl1&tag=ducttape0a-20&linkId=cf8c5e2a5b68fe1933a34e54778e05e1&language=en_US
• Information on The Ultimate Marketing Engine - https://theultimatemarketingengine.com
• Duct Tape Marketing - https://ducttapemarketing.com