Gratitude Through Hard Times

As a species, we have achieved unimaginable feats over the past millennia. These great achievements have been reached largely due to our never-ending curiosity. Our drive to know, discover, understand, and explore has lead to wondrous creations.

But the roots of our limitless curiosity arise from question asking.

Cal Fussman's entire life has been guided by the power of asking good questions.

Born in Brooklyn, Cal spent ten straight years traveling the world, swimming over
18-foot tiger sharks, rolling around with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, and searching for
gold in the Amazon. He boxed against then-undefeated world champion Julio Cesar
Chavez, won a James Beard award and served as sommelier atop of the World Trade
Center.

For over four decades, Cal has interviewed hundreds of the world’s most
influential individuals: Muhammad Ali, Jack Welch, Mikhail Gorbachev, Serena Williams,
Jeff Bezos, Jimmy Carter, Kobe Bryant, Richard Branson, and the list goes on.
Now, as a New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, world-renowned
interviewer, and host of the Big Questions podcast, Cal travels the world teaching
the world’s largest companies, universities, and associations about leadership,
storytelling, innovation, teamwork, and more. When Cal speaks, you’re listening to
everyone he’s ever interviewed. Lessons and stories from hundreds of world icons, all
coming through one man in a fedora.

In this episode, Cal gratefully shares with us the stories that have prepared him for his next chapter in life, healthcare.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

- How Cal and Chris met (3:02)
- Curiosity as a tool to turn a bad moment into a positive one (5:35)
- The importance of closing your eyes, listening, and seeing where life takes you (14:28)
- How the novice, not the expert, makes change occur (20:06)
- Everything you do is practice and preparation for what's coming (24:43)
- Fixing healthcare through communication (28:04)
- Vulnerability as the key to story telling (34:13)
- The work of Phil the Pharmacist (38:04)
- Cal's JFK story (51:47)
- Climbing up the rope (1:01)
- Cal's message to his dad (1:03)

Links:

- Connect with Cal on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/calfussman/
- Cal's Website - https://www.calfussman.com
- Cal's Podcast - https://www.calfussman.com/podcast

Some of our core values here at 7:47 are honesty, empathy, and of course, gratitude. In this episode, Chris is hitting on all of these core values by opening up about some recent losses in the stock market. Listen to learn about the eight things Chris discovered by losing money in the stock market. Also, listen to find out how he transformed his misfortunes into gratitude.

Links:

- 7:47 - https://www.747club.org
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/schembra/

It's the little things in life that ultimately lead to the big results. The same notion is true for sports and business alike. In baseball, the small balls, the singles, the bunts, these little things, they add up to home runs.

Joel Goldberg knows firsthand how strategic, little things lead to big results.

Joel has been the pre-game and post-game host and in-game reporter for the Kansas City Royals since 2008, including the wonderful 2015 MLB championship. He is also the host of the podcast, Rounding The Bases and the author of the best-selling book, Small Ball Big Results.

In this episode, Joel shares with us his lessons from business, life and the baseball field.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

- Joel giving credit and thanks to his wife, Susan (2:27)
- What sparked the motivation to write Small Ball Big Results (7:50)
- How to build strong, trust-based relationships (13:16)
- The importance of humility (22:52)
- Turning curve balls into home runs through gratitude (29:52)
- What Joel wants readers to do with his book (34:22)
- Joel's message to his wife (37:40)

Links:

- Connect with Joel on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelgoldbergkc/
- Small Ball Big Results - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PRW7FB8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
- Joel's Website - https://joelgoldbergmedia.com/

Never before in human history have we had access to so much information. With the advancement of technology, we are now constantly surrounded by media, news, and advertisements.

If you're looking to create success in business or personally, being able to stand out among all the noise is a challenge in this modern age.

Michael Schein has the solution to attract attention, it's hype.

Michael is a writer, speaker, business owner, and hype artist. He is the author of The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers. He is also the Founder and President of the marketing agency MicroFame Media.

In this episode, Michael passionately shares with us key lessons and stories from his new book, The Hype Handbook.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

- Michael giving credit and thanks to his English and Drama teacher, Sandy Lewis (3:00)
- How Michael found hype (5:20)
- Creating a big splash internationally by making war, not love (11:19)
- Transcendence as an effective, enriching, powerful force (17:41)
- The need for pain to experience pleasure (19:06)
- Gratitude in tough times (22:47)
- Playing with ego, appreciation, and recognition (31:06)

Links:

- Connect with Michael on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfrancisschein/
- The Hype Handbook - https://michaelfschein.com/the-hype-handbook/
- MicroFame Media - http://microfamemedia.com

At some point throughout our lives, we all aspire to be a leader. Whether it's being a line-leader at school, a leader of a sports team, or a business leader, leadership is something we all crave.

However, being a leader is only one part of the picture. If you truly want to have an impact on this world, you need to learn how to be a great coach.

Lynn Guerin knows very well that all great coaches are good leaders, but not all good leaders are great coaches.

Lynn serves as the CEO of the John R. Wooden Course LLC and is the President and “Head Coach” of his family-owned coaching, training, and performance development firm, Guerin Marketing Services. For the past 20 years, he has had the unique privilege of partnering with legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden and the Wooden family. His mission is “to make a powerful impact on the businesses we serve and the lives we touch; to help our clients and our team become the best they are capable of becoming in the marketplace and in life".

In this episode, Lynn graciously shares with us his insight and expertise on coaching.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

- Lynn giving credit and thanks to his wife, Tracy (2:40)
- How Lynn met coach Wooden (6:47)
- The role of humility and gratitude in coaching the John Wooden way (16:08)
- Leadership as a subset of coaching (19:41)
- Don't retire, re-fire! (24:18)
- The importance of self-reflection (27:29)
- How to create connection amongst division (33:13)
- Being more interested in the success of others than your own success (39:59)
- Lynn's message to his wife (43:18)

Links:

- Connect with Lynn on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynn-guerin-949b2210/
- Coach 'Em Way Up - https://coachemwayup.com/
- The John R. Wooden Course - https://www.woodencourse.com/

Each and every one of us has the ability to make the world a better place. And one of the most fulfilling ways to do that is by helping others.

Katie Hunt-Morr is no stranger to the impact that helping others can have on the world.

Katie is the co-founder and director of Jiamini, a nonprofit that empowers brilliant students in need to build a bright future for themselves, lead their communities, and break the cycle of poverty. She is also the Head of Virgin Unite Constellation, growing a thriving business within the Virgin corporate and Branson family foundation, connecting the resources of Virgin Unite's community of high-net-worth philanthropists, heads of industry, influencers and nonprofit partners to solve large scale social and environmental issues.

In this episode, Katie thoughtfully shares with us her knowledge and passion for empowering students through education.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

- Katie giving credit and thanks to her Grandmother (2:57)
- Being a trailblazer (5:46)
- The art of compliments (7:54)
- How to get people invested in a cause (11:22)
- The origin story of Jiamini (15:02)
- Connection as the key for caring for a cause (20:34)
- Katie's message to her Grandmother (33:05)

Links:

- Jiamini's website - https://jiamini.org
- Connect with Katie on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-hunt-morr

People will go through more pain than necessary because they're trying to shoulder everything themselves. They're not willing to share it with others and they're not willing to reach for that help.

Take a moment right now and ask yourself how much pain do you want to endure before you actually let people see you - the real you?

Steve Napolitan endured immense amounts of pain by traveling down the hardest road to success. It wasn't until he was 31 years old with a metaphorically broken car on a deteriorating road that he realized there are many roads to get where he wants to go.

Steve is an executive coach and award-winning content producer. He has publicly served over 35,000 professionals, business owners, and entrepreneurs on their businesses and taught them how to increase marketing/sales, while systemizing business to minimize their effort and maximize their revenue. Steve helps his clients have the lifestyles they deserve.

In this episode, Steve gratefully shares with us how to find the best road to help us slow down enough to enjoy the drive.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

- Steve giving credit and thanks to his father (3:33)
- Communicating gratitude (6:49)
- The importance of reflection and connection (8:30)
- If sacrifice is necessary for success (15:48)
- The relationship between gratitude and freedom (22:41)
- Knowing if you're ready for change (27:05)
- How to practice what you preach (32:03)
- What Steve is doing less of in 2021 (38:13)
- Steve's message to his father (39:17)

Links:

- Connect with Steve on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevennapolitan/
- Steve's Website - https://stevenapolitan.com

Struggling and suffering are two common experiences that all humans face throughout their life's. But how we decide to overcome those difficulties determines who we will ultimately become.

Gary Player is certainly no stranger to life's challenges. But he preserved with faith and education to overcome the challenging moments in his life.

Gary is the most successful international golfer of all time. He has won nine major championships on the regular tour and nine major championships on the Champions Tour. And he is the only man in history to win the grand slam on both the PGA and the senior tour with over 165 international victories.

In this episode, Gary passionately shares with us the knowledge and lessons he has learned throughout his life.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

- Gary giving credit and thanks to God (3:28)
- Overcoming life's difficulties (4:54)
- What Gary is fighting for on a daily basis (8:05)
- Loneliness as the great detriment of life (14:00)
- How to find joy when traveling (16:38)
- Aspiring for meaning (18:29)
- How Gary wants to be remembered (19:14)

Links:

- Gary's Foundation - https://garyplayer.com/the-player-foundation/
- Connect with Gary on Twitter - https://twitter.com/garyplayer?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

Happy New Year, 7:47 Community! We're kicking this year off with a Gratitude Ramble. In December of 2020, myself, Chris Schembra, the Founder and Chief Question Asker of 7:47, and Madeline Haslam, 7:47's Research Coordinator, experimented with doing hour-long, unscripted LinkedIn and Facebook Live's where we just ramble about gratitude. The first two Gratitude Ramblings were viewed by 2,144 of y'all so we decided to keep them going in the New Year!

One of our goals here at 7:47 is to provide you with the most cutting edge information and most up-to-date research on gratitude. So that's what these Gratitude Ramblings will serve as.

This audio was taken from our 3rd Gratitude Ramblings, which was live on January 6th, 2021. Listen to find out more about the transformational power of gratitude!

Links:

- 7:47 - https://www.747club.org
- A Common Gratitude Mistake - https://www.747club.org/blog/common-gratitude-mistake
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/schembra/

In life, there will always be people who doubt our visions. But whether we let that doubt creep in and affect us or not is ultimately our decision.

Jeff Winters made the decision to never let doubt in. When Jeff has a vision, he pursues it 100% leaving doubt in the dust.

Jeff is the Founder and CEO of Sapper Consulting. Sapper helps growing B2B companies secure high-quality sales meetings that lead to more closed deals. Their mission is to inspire innovation, celebrate growth, and clear a path to success for all who interact with Sapper.

In this episode, Jeff kindly shares with us about his vision and values for Sapper Consulting.

Listen to this episode and learn about:

- Jeff giving credit and thanks to Sapper's first employee (2:45)
- How to stay motivated with your long-term vision (5:16)
- Hiring based on values (8:54)
- The origin story of Sapper Consulting (14:30)
- What the future looks like for Sapper (19:15)
- Jeff's impactful legacy (22:02)
- Jeff's message to the first Sapper employee (24:50)

Links:

- Connect with Jeff on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyscottwinters/
- Sapper Consulting - https://www.sapperconsulting.com/