Gratitude Through Hard Times

Welcome Back to Gratitude Through Hard Times! You’ll learn on this episode how one of the nation’s insurance leaders is fueled by authenticity and vulnerability, superpowers available to all of us if we’re brave enough to go there. In the case of our guest, Heath Ritenour, a bout with cancer proved an opportunity to drop the corporate mask in favor of prioritizing human connection among the 1,500 employees and 72,000 customers affiliated with Insurance of America (IOAUSA), among the nation’s largest private agencies. We learn about how Heath came to embrace the family business, founded by his parents, and carve out a leadership style that has supported exponential growth. As he explains to Host Chris Schembra, Heath has reaped profound rewards through the practice of gratitude, personally and in the workplace context. He doesn’t bother with the posturing and business armor so many of us reflexively wear, looking instead for those human places where relationships flourish. It’s a formula that attracts and retains great talent and cements loyalty among customers in direct proportion. “The transformational side of building deeper relationships and being open, of being connected with your team, is more growth, more profit and a happier, more cohesive team,” says Heath. And that’s exactly how things have played out at Orlando-based IOA’s 60 locations and counting. Empathy is woven into the corporate fabric and serves as an invitation for growth through hard times. So go ahead! Be brave. Drop the mask and make that shift. When we remember to witness life’s blessings, we are generating more of the same. It’s all a question staying mindful, says Heath: “It’s not what you gotta do but what you get to do!”

If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link.

Click hereto hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times.

KEY TOPICS:

• If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be and why? Coach Fred, a recently deceased high school football coach who was tough but also helped Heath learn to prioritize his commitments in business – and life!
• Shifting Mindset: How thoughtful, deep conversations with an early mentor helped Heath reorder his sense of what really mattered in life (well beyond girls, partying and football!).
• About Authenticity: A look at the sense of trust and honesty Heath’s high school football coach cultivated and how it enabled the younger man to embrace enduring values.
• Leaning Into Vulnerability: Why Heath has come to understand that being transparent, even where we feel weak or challenged, is integral to establishing real trust with teams.
• Getting Real: About Heath’s bout with cancer and how that journey became an opportunity to shed the posturing, discard the corporate mask and lead with empathy.
• Tip of the Hat to Mom & Dad: What it looks like to develop a business based on advocacy, partnership and consultative advice and how Heath ultimately took the baton.
• If Not You, Who? How Heath came to a spiritual understanding that he had something to bring to his family business and clientele.
• Exponential Growth: About the organic way in which Heath (in spite of his fears) has worked with his team to build IOA and its unique corporate culture and values.
• It’s the Setbacks! Heath explains why challenge and adversity are a growth opportunity. It’s when we blow it or fall short that we’re offered the chance to evolve and deepen.
• The Impediment to Action Advances Action: Why today’s atmosphere of scarcity, anxiety and rapid technological change offers an invitation to turn suffering – and whatever stands in the way – into a path towards promise.
• Heath’s Top Advice:
• Take stock and recognize that very likely the most challenging times are also the ones that prompt the most growth and spiritual development.
• Recognize the power in offering vulnerability as a meeting place and valuable intersection for bonding in every arena of life.
• Be brave. Drop the mask – then watch good things happen!
• Remember that profit and growth are an outgrowth of nurturing relationships.
• Closing Thoughts:
• Navigating the current crisis of disconnection and alienation in the workplace demands an attitude of empathy, service and heart. 
• Do business the right way – by investing in your people – and the community will thrive and demonstrate great returns!
• When you cultivate gratitude through daily practice, you have it to share!
• Make the shift! Remember: It’s not what you “gotta do,” it’s what you get to do! 

QUOTABLE

• “Heath has grown his company by investing in his people, doing business the good way, honoring faith, taking care of families and knowing your business is only as good as your people.” (Chris)

• “So much in people’s lives we forget the importance of the impact we make on people … and there’s nothing better than (changing lives). It’s better than money or anything I can think of.” (Heath)

• “Gratitude just feels good to give, even if the recipient isn’t here to receive it.” (Chris)

• “When I’m open with my weaknesses and challenges – when I’m authentic and vulnerable in that way – it opens (others) up to feel comfortable being more open with me. And then you can build a more cohesive relationship from there.” (Heath)

• “We all know there’s no perfect. It’s a fool’s errand. It’s a treadmill to nowhere. We’re all flawed and we all have issues!” (Heath)

• “The greater you can empathize with what your teammates are actually going through, the greater your ability to actually work together to innovate and create outsized business results.” (Chris)

• “The transformational side of building deeper relationships and being open, of being connected with your team, is more growth, more profit and a happier, more cohesive team. And that’s what I think any business leader should want!” (Heath)

• “It’s very simple: Take off your mask. Number two: Invite your team to take off their masks. Number three: Invite your customers to take off their masks.” (Chris)

• “Having a mindset of being grateful changes the way you feel and how you show up. It changes the way you deal with and overcome difficulties. Take a few minutes to think not about what you want and don’t have but the blessings in your life!” (Heath)

LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES:

• Click here to listen to episode 225, featuring Geoff McDonald’s insights into Mental health and well-being.
• Learn more about “emotional regulation,” why it’s important and strategies to help you get there at this link.
• Click here to find out about Kurt Vonnegut’s “Man in the Hole” theory.
• More thoughts on gratitude from CEO Ron Carson on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times.
• Check out works by Marcus Aurlelius and the Stoics at this website.
• Listen to Jim Harter of the Gallup Poll correlate customer engagement with employee engagement on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Heath has been in the insurance industry for over 20 years, and I currently serve as chairman of Insurance Office of America (IOA). He also holds the property and casualty general lines (2-20) and health and life (including variable annuity contracts, 2-15) insurance licenses. His experience with insurance includes personal, business, risk management, and countless other types of coverage. Since becoming a member of the team in 1996, Heath has worked with his peers and professional network to continue expanding and improving IOA — which is now one of the largest privately held insurance agencies in the country.He also plays an active role as president of the IOA Foundation and is proud to have been acknowledged as an industry leader.

FOLLOW OUR GUEST:

WEBSITE | LINKEDIN

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times.

FOLLOW CHRIS:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN| BOOKS

If you haven’t been part of the conversation about Human Resources and its impacts on workplace cultures and society at large, then you need to check out Hacking HR, a global community of 350k+ members invested in transforming the way we live. Founder Enrique Rubio joins Host Chris Schembra on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times for a blunt exploration of what it means to demonstrate human-centered core values and how that translates into critical business ROI in the form of retention, productivity and positivity that uplifts not only enterprises but the lives of everyone we touch. Enrique challenges us to look in the mirror and ask: Are you practicing kindness, compassion and empathy in your daily transactions and – if not – why not? Is your ego or a sense of entitlement keeping you from meaningful connection in the workplace or on the elevator, at the grocery store or over the course of transacting business? A vocal advocate for giving remote work a chance, Enrique shares thoughts on leveraging our roles – whether as leaders or individual contributors – for social change in the workplace and beyond. You’ll also learn about why mental health is a critical component of overall corporate health and how we can find in gratitude the baseline for starting important conversations. “There are so many things we can do in HR to leave an incredible legacy of transforming work for good,” says our guest. “We know that it’s not fluffy and doesn’t make you weak.” Join us for a fascinating no-holds-barred discussion that will challenge you to bring your best self to work and every other area of your life. And don’t forget those words of affirmation, an investment in positivity you’ll never regret!

To hear more of Enrique’s groundbreaking insights, tune in to his Hacking HR Podcast, featuring a range of leading innovators in the human relations space. You can also join his huge and growing Hacking HR community by clicking this link.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a fellow trailblazer! Click here to hear all the fascinating conversations Chris has had with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times.

If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link.

KEY TOPICS:

• Meeting of the Minds: Why Enrique is energized by the vision he and Chris share of workplaces (and a world) informed by values like empathy, gratitude and authenticity. 
• If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be? Mom and Dad – whose radically different (but complementary) views of the world shaped Enrique’s approach to life. He can never offer enough thanks!
• The Power of Modeling: About the positive energy Enrique very consciously puts out into the world in all his everyday interactions, even when it’s not reciprocal.
• Hacking HR: How Enrique has built a community by offering an umbrella to 350k+ members interested in the full spectrum of human resources issues – from mental health to technology to making cultural change in the workplace.
• Trailblazing Ambitions: About closing gaps by using HR as a leader in creating community and connections with transformational impacts on workplace cultures.
• Understanding the Gap: Chris and Enrique take a closer look at the new technologies and social mandates that HR must learn to balance against the traditional admin. and other corporate services they provide.
• The Role of Gratitude: Why it’s important to acknowledge that progress – especially of the proactive variety – doesn’t magically happen.
• Enrique’s Two-Pronged Gratitude and Appreciation:
• For the journey and lessons learned along the way.
• For the community – including those who challenge or push back on assumptions.
• Operationalizing Empathy: Why it’s so important to provide the framework for a variety of points of view, building bridges among competing interests and blending core values.
• Two Sides of the Same Coin: How business success hinges on “people” success and vice versa. They are mutually reinforcing and transformational.
• Regarding Retention: About appreciation as a valuable source of engagement that bonds employees to their jobs and each other – far more than any product or mission.
• Epidemic of Entitlement:  How ego-based demands for recognition and empathy erode gratitude, which requires an atmosphere of mutuality. It’s a ‘give in order to get’ thing!
• The Language of Gratitude: Enrique reflects on the words of affirmation that his parents deserve in recognition of the example they set – and he never wants to take for granted!
• Parting Thoughts:
• Whatever your role, you can make things happen. You can create a better workplace and world just by being compassionate and kind.
• Don’t let ego divert or block your best intentions. You can transcend!

QUOTABLE

• “There are so many people in the world working on all things empathy, kindness, compassion, gratitude. We know that it’s not fluffy and doesn’t make you weak.” (Enrique)
• “With all my imperfections, limitations and shortcomings, I am the way I am because of the way (my parents) raised me and for that I’m forever thankful.” (Enrique)
• “All of these conversations need to happen for HR to close the gap … between where we are and our potential to become that (cultural) leader.” (Enrique)
• “There are so many things we can do in HR to leave an incredible legacy of transforming work for good.” (Enrique)
• “Hacking HR hasn’t gotten too far from its original vision. It’s still a vehicle for connection, learning and coming up with innovative ideas.” (Chris)
• “People are more engaged, more satisfied, happier, finding more joy, are more creative and even have higher financial returns … when they are treated with kindness and respect, dignity and compassion at work.” (Enrique)
• “When you practice gratitude, it broadens the thought-action repertoire within your brain needed to seek innovation, creativity, curiosity, joy and pride.” (Chris)
• “The greatest cultures are not built because of something a leader says. Great cultures happen because of everyday interactions. You see it and feel it in the way people talk to each other and work.” (Enrique)
• “Whether you are in a leadership position or you are just an individual contributor, don’t let your ego get in the way. Just get it done. Begin the conversation!” (Enrique)
• “If you know that gratitude, compassion, empathy and kindness are the right thing to do and you’re not doing them, you’ve got to look at yourself in the mirror because your ego is blocking you from doing the right thing.” (Enrique)

LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES:

• About Jim Harter’s Harvard Business Review article about worker satisfaction, "What Great Managers Do to Engage Employees."
• Read the “Broaden and Build” chapter in Chris’s bestseller, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Dark Hours."

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Enrique Rubio is passionate about Human Resources, People Operations, Technology and Innovation. He is an Electronic Engineer, Fulbright Scholar and Executive Master in Public Administration with a focus on HR. Also certified in Design Thinking, Scrum Master and PMP, Enrique has over the past 20 years worked in the HR and tech worlds. He is very interested in the digitization of the workplace, Human Resources and the intersection of the future of work, technology and HR. 
 

FOLLOW OUR GUEST:

WEBSITE | LINKEDIN

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times.

FOLLOW CHRIS:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN| BOOKS

Are you tired of constantly comparing yourself to others? Do you feel like you're not measuring up to society's standards of success? In this episode of "Gratitude Through Hard Times," host Chris Schembra interviews Shauna Schwartz, author of "How to Stop Caring What Others Think for Real," about the concept of internal success. Shauna explains how internal success differs from external success factors such as grades, money, and career achievement, and emphasizes the importance of recognizing internal growth and development. She also discusses the negative impact of the hoax of self-esteem on children and encourages people to embrace failure as a path to personal success and growth.

Shauna's book focuses on bringing acceptance to the reality in front of us and shifting our focus from external factors of success to our internal essence. She emphasizes that leaders cannot see themselves as puppeteers who control everything and everyone around them. Instead, they need to recognize that the people they lead are not puppets and cannot be controlled. The desire for control can create unhealthy anxiety and lead to unhealthy behavior from leaders. Chris and Shauna discuss the importance of emotional regulation in leadership and how it relates to dialectical behavioral therapy.

If you're ready to shift your focus from external success factors to your internal essence, this episode is for you. Join Chris and Shauna as they discuss the importance of recognizing internal growth and development, embracing failure, and letting go of the need for control.

💭 What does success mean to you? Is it all about external factors like money and career achievement or is there more to it?

💬 Do you think the hoax of self-esteem can have negative effects on children? How can we encourage them to embrace failure and personal growth?

💥 The desire for control can create unhealthy anxiety and lead to unhealthy behavior from leaders. It's time to shift our focus from external factors of success to our internal essence.

🌟 Embracing the three C's - complaints, criticism, and compliments - can lead to personal success and growth. Let's focus on balancing acceptance and change to achieve internal success.

In the world of marketing, customer advocacy has moved in recent years from a piecemeal hit-or-miss effort to a scalable discipline and Ari Hoffman is at the forefront. Vice President of Customer Marketing & Advocacy at Influitive, he shares his powerful framework on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times with Host Chris Schembra. It’s all about building authentic community and loyalty to your brand, product or service not by soliciting the same customer testimony over and over again but by engaging fans as part of a growing, dynamic ecosystem. You’ll learn what makes this marketing approach so powerful, how Ari rolls out programs that generate customer obsession across sectors and why defaulting to ad-based lead generation is not the way to go in times of recession. If you’ve been trying to figure out how to connect with customers in meaningful ways and turn them into spontaneous evangelists for your company, then here’s your starting place. Ari is a thought leader with the set of tools (like his DRIVE methodology) you’ll need on the journey!

Learn more about Influitive’s Fearless 50 Elite 18 Awards and how to nominate, vote for or otherwise celebrate the customer-led marketers whose work you appreciate most!

If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link.

Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times.

KEY TOPICS:

• Freeze and Squeeze: Ari spells out some of the sales-centric, demand-gen defaults, like emphasis on advertising, that companies mistakenly fall back on in times of recession.
• Customer Obsession: Why companies oriented towards user experience see 2.5 times faster growth and 1.7 times better retention.
• Fearless 50 and Elite 18: How Influitive is inspiring a customer-first approach through awards that exemplify it.
• Moving Messages: Ari highlights the importance of creating ecosystems that engage customers and inspire them to proactively speak up on behalf of your product or service.
• Stepping Stones for Moving Towards Customer Engagement:
  • Start an advocacy “well,” documenting customers who are already in your corner.
  • Identify customers you’ve gone back to for testimony too often – burning them out and generating a stale message.
  • Create a mini-advocacy program that invites customers to connect.
  • Map out a handful of things to ask of your customers, including:
    • Committing to connect with other customers.
    • Writing a review.
    • Providing 30 minutes of product or messaging feedback.
• Incentivize customer advocacy by offering in exchange things like:
  • Early access to your new lines of business or free use for a limited time.
  • Swag bags.
  • Free attendance at dinner gatherings.
  • An honorary jacket.
• Scaling requires an engagement engine to nurture customers and help them see the value-add in advocacy. 
• Giving versus Taking: How customer advocacy programs can turn on generosity and other benefits in the long run.
• Why Customer Obsession is a can’t-lose campaign because it’s all about:
  • Being thankful.
  • Celebrating people who are doing things right.
  • Leveling up the skill sets of others.
  • Inspiring others while creating demand generation for your company.
• Spreading the Love: How to nominate, vote or otherwise tee up gratitude by participating in Influitive’s Fearless 50 customer-led marketing awards.
• Uncovering Marketing Gold: How Ari connects with customers and helps them see their importance by providing connections, resources and words of affirmation.
• DRIVE Advocacy: 
  • Deliver value first.
  • Refine what people are good at.
  • Iterate the Value.
  • Expand the delivery.
• Leveling Up: How Influitive trains people to become internal and public advocates for – and champions of – their own customer success and achievement.
• The Hero’s (and Heroine’s) Journey: About gratitude as a tool that taps into powerful emotions that create a symbiotic customer narrative and outcomes.
• Value Realization: You can deliver value all day long, but if the person receiving it doesn’t realize it then did you actually do anything?
• If It’s Just Transactional, It Won’t Work! The gratitude you’re giving has to:
  • #1 Be of value to the recipient.
  • #2 Be inconvenient or cost you something in some way. 
  • #3 Be genuinely something you’re glad to be offering.
• Don’t forget to check out Fearless 50 and if you’ve missed the nominating or voting window, bookmark it for next year!

QUOTABLE

• “We are the biggest of the big in customer marketing … but the reality is that the customer marketing world is a fractional sliver of the entire marketing world.” (Ari)

• “The more collective value our industry and each individual contributor and thought leader in our space has, the more that rubs off on the larger marketing community and the way that we think about leveraging our customers.” (Ari)

• “It’s about creating a community and ecosystem where customers are literally raising their hands because they want to share their success stories.” (Ari)

• “The neat thing that gratitude has the ability to do is reactivate weak or dormant ties.” (Chris)

• “I don’t make champions, but I find them and I shine a spotlight on them. I find those diamond-in-the-rough people who don’t even realize the talent they have.” (Ari)

• “(Your customers) are the champions. They are the heroes of the story. Let them shine and bring you along for the ride.” (Ari) 

• “We’re dealing with humans at the end of the day, but we lose sight of that. We get caught up in the numbers, then can’t understand why we can’t move the needle the way we want to.” (Ari)

• “The heroine’s journey is filled with emotion and connection and reflection and introspection. And gratitude is the tool that taps into those emotions.” (Chris)

• “Make someone feel personally validated, appreciated and connected to your community of customers and they will talk about you ‘til the cows come home.” (Chris)

LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES:

• Click here to learn about Forrester’s thought leadership around Customer Obsession.
• Gartner’s Top Customer Experience Trends for 2023.
• More about Influitive’s Fearless 50 and Elite 18 at this link.
• Visit this link to learn more about Mark Granovetter’s work at Stanford around the strength of weak ties.
• Click here to find out what all the buzz about Gong is about!
• About Google’s study, "Promotion to Emotion: Connecting B2B Customers to Brands."
• Learn about Barbara Frederickson’s groundbreaking research on happiness and the power of positivity.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Ari Hoffmanis the VP of Customer Marketing and Advocacy at Influitive. His human-first approach to work and passion for customer success are fixtures of his career. A seasoned veteran and trusted advisor, Ari supports customer-centric businesses, primarily in the enterprise SaaS industry. He is a natural organizer and people-connecter, using empathy to relentlessly shine light on others.

FOLLOW OUR GUEST:

WEBSITE | LINKEDIN

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times.

FOLLOW CHRIS:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN| BOOKS

Get ready for fascinating and relevant insights on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, featuring Jim Harter, PhD, Gallup’s Chief Scientist of Workplace Management and Wellbeing. He’s sharing with Host Chris Schembra all the eye-opening research and analysis behind his latest book (co-authored with Jim Clifton of the Clifton Strengths Assessment),"Culture Shock: An unstoppable force has changed how we work and live. Gallup's solution to the biggest leadership issue of our time." The key takeaway? Nothing cements employee performance, satisfaction and retention more effectively than regular, meaningful conversations – especially when they include recognition for work well done. It costs leaders very little and, data indicate, pays off over and over again in bottom-line results. Dr. Jim explains the research and analysis that the Gallup organization has undertaken to address the biggest leadership challenges of our time, including the stresses of remote work, the limited wellbeing associated with four-day work weeks and the critical role that empathy plays in engaging with and bringing out the best in our workplace cultures. Dr. Jim’s new book is jam-packed with stats and evidence-backed solutions to align your company’s purpose with employee satisfaction – which ultimately translates into that all-important customer success!

Want to hear much more from Dr. Jim Harter? Pick up a copy of his latest collaboration, "Culture Shock," check out his bestselling book, "12:The Elements of Great Managing" or click here to check out "Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements."

If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link.

Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainers who have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times.

KEY TOPICS:

• If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be and why? Frank Schmidt, PhD, a research scientist and mentor who reshaped Dr. Jim’s approach to people, research and the role of gratitude in the context of employee engagement.
• Culture Shock: Co-authored with Jim Clifton, this latest collaboration uses Gallup data and qualitative snapshots to unpack the post-Covid workforce and workplace future.
• Important Findings:
  • For workers, overall stress has continued on an upward trajectory but remote work has offered welcome freedom (from things like commuting).
  • For leaders, there’s uncertainty about how to monitor remote worker productivity.
  • Data suggest that there’s plenty of room for businesses to thrive.
• A Great Reset: Why leaders who clearly define (and communicate) workplace culture, customer experience and organizational values are most likely to ride out recession. 
• Customer Success: About the importance of employee satisfaction and loyalty when it comes to quality service delivery and long-term, bottom-line corporate results.
• Managing Strengths: Understanding employee styles, aspirations and experiences is a key component for engagement, retention, job and customer satisfaction.
• Manager to Employee to Customer: How the interplay among all three elements determines corporate success. 
• Changing the Dialogue: How empathy can open up the conversations that managers need to be having with employees to overcome workplace disconnects.
• Meaningful Conversations: Gallup research indicates that recognition and gratitude are among the most powerful tools we have to cultivate workplace community and loyalty.
• Components of Meaningful Conversations:
  • Recognize specific, recent work efforts.
  • Understand what motivates good work.
  • Know the context of the employee’s particular work.
  • Meet on an ongoing basis.
  • Collaborate and coordinate remote compared with in-person hours.
• Wellbeing v. Engagement: Why stats indicate that the benefits of four-day work weeks are offset in many cases by the stress of compressed schedules and loss of autonomy.
• Blenders and Splitters: About the difference between people who prefer to compartmentalize work and family life and those who take a multi-task approach.
• Step. No. 1: Dr. Jim recommends managers adopt the coaching habit of one meaningful conversation every week grounded in empathy, understanding and accountability.

QUOTABLE

• “A lot of people don’t know their impact on you until you tell them.” (Dr. Jim)

• “Gratitude is an inherently pro-social trait that feels good to give, to receive and to observe. But we have to take the first step.” (Chris)

• “Gratitude is contagious and creates a positive upward smile. It’s one of the most positive forces in the universe because it keeps on giving.” (Chris)

• “There’s plenty of data to show that great managing can make workplaces more productive than they’ve ever been before. If we combine autonomy with great performance management, we can reach all-time highs.” (Dr. Jim)

• “To get the right customer experience, you’ve got to have the right employee experience.” (Dr. Jim)

• “Sometimes all you need to do to shorten the distance between employer and employee is just ask your team, ‘How do you like to be recognized? How do you like to receive gratitude?’ How do you like your wins celebrated?’ ” (Chris)

• “The reason managers are so important is that they’re the only ones inside organizations who know the idiosyncrasies of each person and have the opportunity to get to know their situations – and that’s never been more important than it is right now.” (Dr. Jim)

LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES:

• Learn more about the Clifton Strengths Assessment.
• Jim’s Harvard Business Review article, "What Great Managers Do to Engage Employees."

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Jim Harter, Ph.D., is Chief Scientist for Gallup's workplace management and wellbeing practices. He is the coauthor of the No. 1 Wall Street Journal and Washington Post bestseller, "It's the Manager", released in 2019. His work has appeared in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and Time magazine in addition to many academic publications.

FOLLOW OUR GUEST:

WEBSITE | LINKEDIN

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times.

FOLLOW CHRIS:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN| BOOKS

On this very special episode Gratitude Through Hard Times, Host Chris Schembra and his guest, Drahomíra Mandikova, celebrate meaningful connection and its power to generate profitable solutions not just for shareholders but the world at large. Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Asahi Europe & International, “Drahus” (as she is known to friends) shares with us the unique North Star principles that drive one of the world’s largest alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer companies, with 19 breweries exporting to 90 markets globally. You will be intrigued to learn about the meaning, power and intentionality behind Asahi’s emphasis on four simple words: “Let’s have a beer.” It’s about bringing awareness and building community – person to person – as the foundation to individual wellness and a sustainable “human-environmental ecosystem.” For Drahus, the first step is the critical one: Pause. Reflect on the talent, passion and ultimate purpose you bring, as well as the legacy you wish to leave. Her values-driven vision has shaped Prague-based Asahi’s workplace culture and brought clarity to the company’s mission statement. “We have all these goals,” says Drahus, “but to really bring them to life and enjoy the good feeling, we need to be in the present, work together and create connections to step-by-step bring about those long-term dreams.” We are on the road together, folks, and it starts with gratitude!

If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link.

Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times.

KEY TOPICS:

• If you could thank someone who helped you through some of your darkest hours, who would that be and what were you going through? A mentor with an especially keen way of helping Drahus unhitch from unnecessary catastrophizing and impatience.
• A Moment of Reflection: About the importance of taking a pause to come into the present, then step into the past through reflection.
• 2030 Legacy of Good: How Drahus and Asahi’s company culture have coalesced around a mission based on a multidimensional balance of past, present and future.
• A Mentor’s Advice: About Inner Child work and how it can reintegrate intuition and help return us to the essence of who we are and wish to be.
• Empathy is Everything: Why Drahus believes that the companies that actually care about the human-environmental ecosystem in which they function will bring profitable solutions to very real pain points. A win-win-win!
• Embracing Failure: False starts and falling short are part of a holistic learning process.
• Brand Purpose: About the Asahi brand’s commitment to fostering a sense of belonging and community for its tens of millions of consumers.
• Remarkable Marketing: How Asahi has mounted campaigns that bring people together, helping them feel connected and seen on a personal, human level.
• The Problem of Loneliness: About the creative ways Asahi’s multi-national team is trying to build bridges – old to young, left to right, across lifestyles and geographies.
• Asahi’s Legacy Mission Includes Being Bold:
  • Speak directly and compassionately to tough issues, like mental health.
  • Moving 20% of the corporate portfolio into nonalcoholic beverages.
  • Beer as a vehicle for making meaningful connections.
• Drahus’s Personal Purpose: Making business and environmental growth sustainable.
• What She’s Up To:
  • Coordinating breweries across Europe to build sustainability into their production.
  • Creating a strategy to ensure Asahi becomes carbon neutral.
  • Midwifing a new economic model driven by profitable solutions for all stakeholders – not exclusively profit for shareholders.
• Action Item: All purpose-filled journeys start with a pause to reflect and re-center on your personal talents, passion and the positive impact you wish to make.
• Remember: When we are clear about ourselves and our purpose, the work comes into focus – and it becomes easier to shed obligations and distractions that do not serve!
• Why Do We Do What We Do? From intentionality flows business success and ultimately a healthier, more sustainable world.
• Parting Thought:
  • Focus on what you want to know say “no” to rather than what’s driving you to say “yes.”
  • Resist the shiny things that distract your ego but don’t serve your greater purpose or desire to create impact.
  • Meaningful connection is fueled by gratitude – and makes life much, much easier.

QUOTABLE

• “We have all these goals … but to really bring them to life and enjoy the good feeling, we need to be in the present, work together and create connections to step-by-step bring about those long-term dreams.” (Drahus)

• “You have to have a long-term dream so that you know where you’re going.” (Drahus)

• “Be proud of the past so you can build the confidence and learning, but what is really important is how you bring everything to the present: Your ‘self,’ your actions, reflecting on the future and also on the past.” (Drahus)

• “One of the biggest pain points I see in our world is the loneliness epidemic, the idea that there are a lot of people on this planet who are disconnected or do not feel seen.” (Chris)

• “Belonging is not about blending in. It’s not about meeting people that believe in the same things that you believe in. Belonging is about showing up as you authentically are and being accepted.” (Chris)

• “My purpose now is really to advocate for a new era for businesses to think about the new economy, where we are moving from maximizing profit for shareholders to bringing profitable solutions for all stakeholders.” (Drahus)

• “Whether you’re an accountant, a lawyer or CEO of a software firm, you can find your purpose and it can be as simple as creating meaningful connections with others.” (Chris)

• “Years from now – when we’ve long passed on – maybe someone will look back on our life and say, ‘They made others feel safe, seen and heard.’ And if that’s your purpose, it’s going to be a great legacy – and lead to some good profitable growth!” (Chris)

LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES:

• Click here to listen to episode 225, featuring Geoff McDonald’s insights into Mental health and well-being.
• Listen to Johann Hari’s Ted talk, "Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong."

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Drahomíra started her career working for the banking sector in Slovakia. In 2000, she joined Plzensky Prazdroj in Slovakia, and worked in a variety of Corporate Affairs roles, before becoming Corporate Affairs Director in the Czech Republic in 2010. She played a key role in the integration of the Czech and Slovak businesses and contributed to strengthening a positive reputation of Prazdroj as the most responsible company in the Czech Republic. She was also seconded to SABMiller in India to support them with their long-term CA strategy. Drahomíra became Corporate Affairs Director of Asahi Europe in 2017 and following this Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of the newly created Asahi Europe & International in 2021.

FOLLOW OUR GUEST:

WEBSITE | LINKEDIN
 

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times.

FOLLOW CHRIS:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN| BOOKS

You’ve got the business, the car, the boat, the house. You’re blessed with a great family, friends, access to more than your wildest dreams. But something is missing. Something is gnawing at you. If this sounds familiar, you may be in need of “soul fulfillment,” which is what Host Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times has provided thousands of people. At his Rythmia Life Advancement Center in Costa Rica, Founder & CEO Gerry Powell offers comprehensive plant-based medicine retreats. The modalities work at a deep level to help remove shame, fear, trauma and the anger that fuels – and is a downfall for – so many hyper-successful people. You’ll learn about Gerry’s transformational journey and how he stepped away from the multimillion-dollar serial IPO lifestyle he thought would bring him happiness – but that instead left him profoundly empty and suicidal. Working with plant-based shamanic techniques opens up new pathways to self-acceptance and compassion. It’s a journey that 97% of Rythmia participants describe as nothing short of a “miracle,” a source of relief and revelation that transcends our ingratitude, confusion and old, unhealed wounding. Most of all, says Gerry, people leave his one-week retreats with an entirely new regard for life: “I made it out of sheer perseverance and brutality, but there are so many other ways to do it and feel different.” You’re invited to explore and see your soul’s fulfillment in a completely new way!

More information about the medically licensed plant medicine and transformational retreat experience offered at Rythmia is available at this link, along with a video about Gerry’s very personal journey to wellness (here).

If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link.

Click hereto hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times.

KEY TOPICS:

• When the Bucket Doesn’t Feel Full: Why Gerry wants to reach out to successful entrepreneurs who very often feel something missing and don’t understand what or why.
• If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – or that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be? So many people, but Shaman Gina was pivotal.
• The Gift of Perspective: How plant medicine can help reveal to us the ways in which even those who hurt us are of help in our lives – even when we don’t see it.
• Sections in Chris’s book that are relevant to plant medicine:
  • Connect the Dots Backwards: About gratitude as a link to our past.
  • Struggles into Benefits: About the science behind “grateful processing.”
• Feeling the Feelings: How a lifetime of numbing and other corrosive emotional coping mechanisms turned around only after Gerry was able to embrace a shamanic experience with plant-based medicine.
• Repairing the Fraction: Gerry turned his life over to healing, creating a unique retreat space at @Rythmia in Costa Rica, changing the lives of more than 14,000 seekers.
• Coming from Ingratitude: How a hypervigilant “brute” approach to the pursuit of goals yields only more anger, shame, guilt, regret.
• Plant Medicine: It’s a conduit to compassion, self-love, wisdom and generosity that enables us to be collaborative, empathetic, curious leaders.
• Knowing When You’re Ready: Plant medicine comes into focus when we are ready to put the pieces together and open ourselves to transformation.
• The Comeback Story: Rythmia is about taking people out of their hole, to the brink and back from despair to a “miracle.”
• Joining the Tribe: Why plant medicine work of the type Gerry practices offers hyper-achievers a place to reconnect, work through shame and guilt and find wholeness in a safe community environment.

QUOTABLE

• “It’s the perfect time to be in this work as the world is waking up that there is a greater human potential out there.” (Chris)

• “There are people who help pull you towards your higher self and people who hurt you who keep pushing you towards your higher self.” (Gerry)

• “Gratitude is about looking into the past and being grateful for all the steps that took you to where you are today – the good and the bad.” (Chris)

• “Once you die you can actually live life without the fear of death, which makes you really want to be more than anything a beneficial presence here on earth.” (Gerry)

• “The secret to success and happiness is not necessarily a new go-to-market strategy, not a higher intellect or new network … It’s actually to look inside yourself and be at peace with who you are.” (Chris)

• “Very few of us who are hyper-successful were raised in the right way. There’s a reason those folks are in the one-tenth of one percent. And it’s not because everything was nice and tidy.” (Gerry)

• “Guilt and shame and regret are extremely lonely emotions and the thing you think you should do is not talk about it. But it’s actually the opposite: Confront it, talk about it and forgive yourself. Plant medicine really helps you do that.” (Chris)

• “The obstacles you’ve overcome – the shame, guilt and trauma you feel right now – are the best parts about you because true human connection and belonging do not occur when our lives appear to be perfect.” (Chris)

LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES:

• More about the global leadership community YPO at this link.
• About "Grateful Processing," a concept developed by Prof. Phillip Watkins of Eastern Washington University.
• "The Magic of Thinking Big," by David J. Schwartz, PhD.
• About Michael Beckwith’s Agape Spiritual Center.
• More about author Kurt Vonnegut’s "Six Emotional Arcs of Storytelling."

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Gerry is Founder and CEO of Rythmia, an all-inclusive, luxury, medically licensed plant medicine center in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. His singular goal is to serve guests and help each individual get their Miracle.

FOLLOW GERRY:

WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | TWITTER|INSTAGRAM

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times.

FOLLOW CHRIS:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | BOOKS

These are bumpy times economically and for many of us it’s a period of professional redefinition. What path are we on and is it the career we truly desire? How can we best showcase our skill sets and the value-add we bring? Host Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times has a methodology that focuses on these questions and much more. Loren Greiff, Founder & President at PortfolioRocket, has developed a framework that’s applicable across industry sectors as well as the many phases of our career development. It’s as much about defining our own core values and the expertise we offer as it is identifying the workplace culture best suited to our fundamental vision. Loren shares her proprietary four-step process for reimagining – and bringing to reality – a job that feels like exactly the right fit. You’ll come away inspired to redefine what you bring to the table and leverage your network – most especially those 2nd, 3rd and 4th degree contacts that hold far more promise than you might imagine! The market right now is fluid, but the one thing that remains consistent always, says Loren, is the importance of being fully ourselves and clear about what we have to contribute: “This is not about contorting yourself and playing Cirque du Soleil with your career,” says Loren, who also hosts Career Blast in a Half. “This is about really advocating and treating yourself as somebody who is going to transform an organization.”

If you’re ready to retool your career trajectory, now is the time to book a discovery call with Loren, which you can do at this link. You’ll also find inspiration and wisdom in her podcast, Career Blast in a Half.

If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link.

Click hereto hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainerswho have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times.

KEY TOPICS:

• If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be and why? No doubt or hesitation – Eileen Jones, a high school English teacher who was the first person to acknowledge Loren’s writing talent and develop her voice. Cheers to her!
• Yes, And: What enabled Loren to be both an outlier and standard-bearer; perform as a maverick while also maintaining impeccable dignity.
• Research shows that thought leaders are regarded as having two things:
  • Authenticity.
  • Information to share of value to others.
• Applying the Methodology: How Loren’s framework has proven elastic enough to adapt easily across the full range of industry sectors, from legal to ops to HR to creative.
• Shedding the Cloak: What prompted Loren to break with the hiring/recruitment industry status quo in order to establish a creative alternative model.
• Sheltering: About putting a repeatable process in place for migrating out of blocked, unhappy workplace situations.
• Loren’s Four-Step Proprietary Process:
  • Step 1: Get Clear!
    • Ask yourself what you’ve been doing and why.
    • Determine your core values, the benchmark for evaluating opportunities going forward.
    • Establish how people are going to find you via 15-20 keywords relevant to your skill set .
    • Identify 10-15 companies that meet your ideal criteria.
    • Showcase specific problems you’ve solved or successes you’ve had.
    • Create boundaries around the conditions under which you want to meet.
  • Step 2: All about Your Assets!
    • Reimagine LinkedIn as more than a profile. It needs to convert interest and generate activity/connections.
    • Create content – which includes strategically commenting on other people’s posts. Join conversations!
    • Develop marketing materials with effective (timely) messaging.
    • Design collateral (visual and written) that is accessible.
  • Step 3: Networking with strangers!
    • Reach out to 2nd, 3rd and 4th degree links – which are going to be your more useful allies in finding a new niche.
    • Formulate pitches that will demonstrate preparation and initiative.
    • Learn how to ask sharper, more mind-blowing questions.
  • Step 4: Do your homework (aka Sniff Testing)!
    • Perform due diligence on your prospective employer.
    • Ensure that onboarding and your 30/60/90-day plan are in place.
    • Keep eyes and ears open for unexpected leads or connections.
    • Scan the landscape for business challenges to which you can bring your vision, expertise and solutions.
• Shout-Out for Eileen Jones: Thank you for your example, bravery, wit, class – all the known and unknown gifts you’ve given Loren over the years!

QUOTABLE

• “Being a rebel can be blended with a lot of discernment, decorum and the ability to be kind and loving and just a really wonderful person.” (Loren)

• While it’s not without its merits, the whole industry of hiring and recruiting was just broken. It was a calling for me that you are either going to be part of a continuous problem or you are going to create a different kind of solution.” (Loren)

• “I realized that if I was going to launch a business it had to solve a big problem – a problem so relevant that it resonates with anyone in the job search process.” (Loren)

• “If you don’t know how to navigate forward in your career, you need to have a system that is rinseable and repeatable (because) with the churn rate this will happen over and over and over again.” (Loren)

• “At some point in life when we realize we’re miserable, we either continue the same patterns and getting the same jobs … or we take a pause and a new approach.” (Chris)

• “The real transformation happens when you are developing relationships with 2nd, 3rd, 4th degree connections, which are known as your weaker ties. The weak links are your stronger ties.” (Loren)

• “The hidden job market is available to every single one of us … and can come through multiple areas – content, conversation, somebody standing in line at the post office. You don’t know so you have to keep your eyes and ears open.” (Loren)

• “This is not about contorting yourself and playing Cirque du Soleil with your career. This is about really advocating and treating yourself as somebody who is going to transform an organization.” (Loren)

• “You’ve got to figure out the unique problem that you can solve … You want to really know and be able to articulate what that problem is and what it will change.” (Loren)

LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES:

• Seneca’s Letter 13 on “groundless fears” can be found here.
• More about Stanford's study: "Strength Through Weak Ties" by Mark Granovetter as featured in "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"
• "Personal Socrates: Questions That Will Upgrade Your Life from Legends & World-Class Performers," by Marc Champagne.
• Learn about the podcast Big Questions with Cal Fussman.
• More about the marketing and branding maestro, Seth Godin, available here.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Loren Grieff’s career took off in New York as a VP at J. Walter Thompson. For the past decade+ she has established herself as a top performer recognized for a unique ability to serve demanding clients, identify talent unicorns and drive excellence in the industry. PortfolioRocket is the culmination of more than 25 years of corporate design and marketing positions across global agencies, corporate in-house teams, creative staffing and management consulting.

FOLLOW LOREN:

WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | PODCAST

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times.

FOLLOW CHRIS:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | BOOKS

This episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times issues an unmistakable call to action: Join the crusade for workplace openness and compassion! Host Chris Schembra’s guest, Geoff McDonald, is explaining the business and moral case for making mental health integral to our corporate cultures. Why? Because beyond fostering top performance and competitive advantage, it saves lives. As a keynote speaker and business transformation consultant with decades of HR leadership at Unilever, Geoff is uniquely positioned to destigmatize the mental health challenges that are all too common in today’s noisy world. Having navigated a diagnosis of anxiety-fueled depression, he understands the paralyzing impacts and basic ingredients for restoring equilibrium. His experience was painful and frightening but, as Geoff shares, it was also an invitation to enable change and human connection. You’ll learn through this conversation how a combination of unconditional love and willingness to be vulnerable ultimately empowered Geoff, a UK-based native of South Africa, to open a global dialogue around mental health in the workplace. “Too often we have not focused on the concept of the health and energy of our people as a critical enabler of performance,” says Geoff. But we can reject stigma and isolation! Join us as Geoff outlines the steps we can take to bring more gratitude, kindness, quality of life and bottom-line results to our workplaces!

If you want to be further inspired by Geoff’s perspective on mental health and wellbeing as key indicators for thriving workplace cultures, check out his powerful TedX Talk, "Let's Talk About Mental Health."

If you’d like to learn more about Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link.

Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainers who have shared their human stories about Gratitude Through Hard Times.

KEY TOPICS:

• If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or enough thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be? It has to be mom, in recognition of the unconditional she provided as Geoff’s baseline.
• Midnight, January 25, 2008: How a massive panic attack on the eve of his daughter’s 13th birthday triggered debilitating anxiety, a diagnosis and a transformational choice.
• The Power of Love: About the curative effects of both embracing his humanity and accepting the love Geoff’s family and friends offered through a dark passage.
• Four Ingredients that Healed Geoff’s Anxiety-Fueled Depression:
  • Getting a concrete diagnosis that integrated various symptoms.
  • Being authentic and forthright about the feelings he was experiencing.
  • Trusting the credibility and respect he’d built over 20 years at Unilever.
  • Working for a compassionate leader who had experience dealing with mental illness within his circle of family and friends.
• How Geoff empowered himself – and others – through openness and vulnerability.
• Common Conditions: Why depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges are just part of being human in the world today.
• Implementing the Cure: Why purpose is integral to creating workplaces that are healthy.
• About a Finite Resource: How pervasive burnout and pernicious stress erode the energy we need to fuel our teams and move mountains.
• Making Mental Health and Wellbeing a Strategic Priority:
  • Supports and energizes workers – a key ingredient for workplace success.
  • Enhances people’s lives – which is simply the right thing to do.
  • Yields performance metrics – that support leadership objectives.
• Why actively de-stigmatizing mental health at an organizational level cultivates psychological safety, retention and potentially saves lives.
• Chris Captures the Alchemy: About the combination of openness and cushion of unconditional love that supported Geoff’s recovery and fuel his mission today.
• In closing, please join this crusade by doing three things:
  • Reflect on (and get curious about) your own relationship to mental health and ask: Is it one of intolerance or true compassion?
  • Keep the conversation going. The more of us who are candidly discussing mental health, the greater the de-stigmatization.
  • When you’re ready, consider sharing your story, which is like sending a small lifeboat out into the ocean of people now suffering in silence and feeling alone.

QUOTABLE

• “The purpose-driven work that we do is very tiring … But every time I talk to (Geoff) the energy is real, I feel it in every bone in my body and it inspires me to do greater good for our world.” (Chris)

• “That sense of unconditional love – and how powerful that can be … is so important.” (Geoff)

• “The decision I took was that I wouldn’t be burdened by the stigma associated with (mental) illness and that empowered and liberated me.” (Geoff)

• “A sense of love and a sense of hope were probably the two most powerful ingredients in my recovery ... Those two emotions kept me going.” (Geoff)

• “I am not good at masking my feelings. It’s just who I am and – you talk about gratitude – I am so thankful that my personality is ‘what you see is what you get.’ ” (Geoff)

• “An expression of your vulnerability just makes you more human and allows for deeper, more meaningful connection between two human beings.” (Geoff)

• “If overall health and wellbeing is a critical enabler of performance, then why don’t you make it one of your strategic (business) priorities? Why don’t you create workplaces … that will enhance the lives of people working there?” (Geoff)

• “Too often we have not focused on the concept of the health and energy of our people as a critical enabler of performance.” (Geoff)

• “It’s time to step up bigger and think of the purpose and legacy that you’re leaving with the people that surround you ... the energy and connection and social wellbeing.” (Chris)

• “Sometimes just being more open to receiving love from others is the first step to your own healing.” (Chris)

LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES:

• About Alastair Campbell, podcast host and communications strategist.
• More information about the WorkHuman Live Conference, where Geoff will be a keynote speaker, from April 17-20, 2023 in San Diego.
• Geoff’s Tedx talk "Let's Talk About Mental Health."

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Geoff McDonald is now best known as a global advocate, campaigner and consultant who is passionate about addressing the stigma of mental ill health in workplaces, and about helping organizations embed purpose as a key driver of business performance. Prior to this he was the Global VP of Human Resources for Unilever. In 2008 he was diagnosed with anxiety fueled depression, recovery from which led him to discover a new personal purpose. And in 2014 he left his role with Unilever to devote his time, energy and expertise to ending the stigma of depression and anxiety in the workplace. He tells his powerful story to audiences around the globe, knowing first-hand that talking about mental health saves lives.

FOLLOW GEOFF:

WEBSITE | LINKEDIN | YOUTUBE| TWITTER

ABOUT OUR HOST:

Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times.

FOLLOW CHRIS:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | BOOKS

Have you transcended the transactional? Host Chris Schembra’s guest on this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times embodies the abundance that flows from giving without the constant expectation of receiving in return. Galen Hair, a highly successful plaintiff’s attorney, speaker, author and podcaster, has built his practice around a purpose-driven approach to both law and service. The outcome? Prosperity, yes. But yet more importantly Galen and his team at Insurance Claim HQ are working for clients they believe in arguing cases with merit. They come from a place of gratitude and, as Galen explains, “I find that when you give something without expecting anything you tend to get much better stuff in return.” In this case, we’re talking about the huge impacts his firm of 119 employees with more than $30 million in annual revenue is making on behalf of 10,000 clients. You’ll learn how his involvement with Hurricane Katrina clean-up in New Orleans foreshadowed the meaning-infused work Galen would go on to do as an attorney representing those who have been wronged and evolving his industry’s mindset through platforms such as his Level Up Claims Summit, the nation’s No. 1 property casualty conference, which takes place this year on June 9th in New Orleans. Click here to learn more and register!

If you’d like to connect with Chris and his 7:47 Virtual Gratitude Experience or subscribe to our newsletter, please visit this link.

Click here to hear more fascinating conversations with Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes and entertainers who have shared their human stories on Gratitude Through Hard Times.

KEY TOPICS:

• If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or enough thanks to – that you’ve never thought to thank – who would that be? How a music teacher at his Texas public school went above and beyond to impact Galen’s life artistically, emotionally and financially.
• Giving for the Sake of Giving: Why life can be looked at like a series of bank accounts from which we draw and replenish at any given time – and often to the benefit of all.
• In the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: About Galen’s intimate involvement with both the horror and generosity that rocked New Orleans – diving in with no real skill set (he’d been training as an opera singer) but a huge amount of heart.
• Embracing Purpose: How Galen refocused his career, creating a legal “practice with a purpose” that combined his desire to do good with an ability to earn a secure income.
• How to Practice Law with Integrity:
  • Take cases that make sense for you – not your bank account.
  • Remember that you’re a lawyer, but also an individual.
  • Take cases for people and causes in which you believe.
  • Don’t worry about the rest of it!
• Staying on Task: Even when building a venture feels challenging, it’s easier to remain focused and disciplined when the big picture feels right.
• Timing and the Universe: Galen recalls how a life-changing case fell into his lap in the space of a day in which he’d suffered an acute panic attack about his firm’s viability.
• Building Community: How Galen’s Level Up Claims Summit and podcast have helped people within the legal industry connect and inspire gratitude among one another.
• The Proverbial Silver Lining:
  • Remember that seemingly negative things can yield positive impacts.
  • Recognize tools available to meet challenges today versus in the past.
  • Use gratitude as a vehicle to leverage lessons learned.
• Parting Thought: Why Galen holds special admiration and gratitude for Chris, who has been there at pivotal moments to help him with the mindset he needed to adopt!
• The Bookkeeping of Benefits: Chris honors the act of kindness and vote of faith Galen placed in him and his company in the midst of Covid19.

QUOTABLE

• “I came from a tumultuous family environment and one of the things that I discovered as an adult is that my family’s survival was not an accident. We were really lucky to have people help us out.” (Galen )

• “We’re often really guilty of paying attention to our financial bank account and not the people we love or the things we have around us.” (Galen)

• “The good news about gratitude is that it doesn’t always have to be given back. Sometimes it can be paid forward.” (Chris)

• “You can pump up that bank account as fat as you want it but you will not be fulfilled if what you’re doing isn’t bringing you some sense of purpose.” (Galen)

• “As a leader, take care of yourself as much as what you are building. People are what’s behind the business.” (Chris)

• “I find that when you give something without expecting anything you tend to get much better stuff in return.” (Galen)

• “You have in some way, shape or form – intentionally or unintentionally – helped me adopt a mindset that was going to be necessary for what was coming next.” (Galen)

• “The people on your team, the people that you serve, are counting on you to lead with integrity, hope, optimism and connection. Be there for them when they need it most!” (Chris)

LINKS/FURTHER RESOURCES:

• Bader Scott Injury Lawyers in Atlanta.
• More about Mike and Jessica Magill’s Crisp coaching program.
• More about the Student Hurricane Network.
• Learn more or purchase tickets for this year’s Level Up Claims Summit.
• Stoic quotes about the peril of ingratitude from Lucius Seneca.
• The work of gratitude researcher/author Adam Grant, featured in his book "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success."
• "Lonely at the Top: The High Cost of Men's Success," by Thomas E. Joyner.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Galen M. Hair, an aggressive and relentless litigator, is licensed in multiple states and boasts clients from around the world. He focuses not only on the litigation in front of the client, but the long-term personal and business effects that his clients’ issues will cause. A best-selling author, he has already helped thousands of policyholders navigate their own insurance claims. He’s a national speaker on all areas of insurance recovery and has won numerous accolades, stays active in non-profits and the community at large. He also is an Assistant Examiner for the Louisiana Bar Exam in Constitutional Law.

FOLLOW GALEN:

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ABOUT OUR HOST:

Chris Schembra is a philosopher, question asker and facilitator. He's a columnist at Rolling Stone magazine, USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru" and he's spent the last six years traveling around the world helping people connect in meaningful ways. As the offshoot of his #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling book, "Gratitude Through Hard Times: Finding Positive Benefits Through Our Darkest Hours,"he uses this podcast to blend ancient stoic philosophy and modern-day science to teach how the principles of gratitude can be used to help people get through their hard times.

FOLLOW CHRIS:

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | BOOKS