Journeys with the No Schedule Man

The question this week is … what are you trying to get done? Through all of the noise, the problems or potential, policies and procedures, distractions or market fluctuations... what does it all really come down to? What are you trying to get done?

If you can get clear on that, and get real with yourself, there's a good chance you'll start getting good results, at least according to Loretta Smith.

I completely agree with her.

Loretta is the founder and president of Genesis Executive Management Inc., which inspires business executives to effectively and efficiently challenge the status quo, drive results and set the tone for excellence. Loretta and her team do this through executive coaching, human capital solutions, strategic thinking & training programs and leadership development.

Well known for her integrity, candor and broad vision, Loretta has developed a well-earned reputation of inspiring bold, smart action through a direct, no-nonsense approach and for always being willing to immediately address the tough questions.

Speaking with Loretta was a breath of pure oxygen for me. She speaks with incredible clarity on issues and ideas I feel passionate about. But I run into very few people who see the natural crossover that I see, from personal growth into the business world, related to character traits such as authenticity, awareness, integrity, and truly understanding one's vision and values. So to hear Loretta speak was both exciting and educational.

I have worked with, and for, my share of businesses who say they are one thing and then do another, and then wonder why they have a difficult time holding on to good people and sustaining exceptional results over a sustained period of time. My recommendation is that they give Loretta a call.

With that in mind, here are just a few of the key points from our conversation I thought I would highlight:

1. The lost art of being a child - complexity vs simplicity.

2. Vision vs. problem - Her fabulous "Apollo 13" analogy.

3 .Are you actually SEEING people or just observing?

What you are about to hear, in my opinion, is incredibly valuable for anyone in business. Loretta shares all kinds of empowering, actionable information and the best part about it is that it is all fundamentally pretty simple. ©2017 Kevin Bulmer Enterprises

Revisiting a discussion with Mike Mulligan, owner and founder of Moving Forward Rehabilitation and Wellness Centre. In this conversation, Mike recalls the incident that left him a C4 quadriplegic at just 16 years of age, and the incredible journey in the time since as he strives to achieve his goal of walking again. He also takes us through the ups and downs of adjusting to a completely new way of life and challenging himself to move toward his goals despite the challenges. He also vividly describes the highs of meeting certain milestones and personal goals and offers some valuable perspective for anyone looking to make improvements with their life and to pursue their dreams. ©2017 Kevin Bulmer Enterprises

The question this week is … what is it exactly that you think is going to make you happy?

Over and over again, I'm hearing stories of people who find - often after some time and a lot of struggle - that the answer to that question is not often found by acquiring or attracting anything outside of yourself … .but rather allowed by fully embracing who you already are. Such is the case with this week's guest, Lori Peters.

In this episode, we talk about happiness and relationships on many different levels. I know countless people who have felt - or currently feel - hopeless, for one reason or another. I've been there too. So whether we're arrived at that place or not, how do we move forward to find and embrace happiness; true and lasting joy and contentment?

Lori Peters has a great story to tell that I think you're really going to enjoy.

Lori is the author of "Getting Married At Last: My Journey From Hopelessness To Happiness". She has been published and featured in several media outlets including Huffington Post, Your Tango, Brides, Fox News Magazine and more.

She is also the host of the "Happiness Hangout®" Radio Show, which has gained thousands of listeners as she and her guests dive into deep and interesting topics around personal relationship happiness and well-being.

Lori has enjoyed 25-year career in higher education, currently, teaching as a College Instructor in social sciences. She has been doing personal development presentations for over 25 years.

Lori is passionate about work-life balance, relationships, and helping people to feel their best during times of challenge, and she has a wonderful story and perspective to share.

Just some of the key things I took from this conversation with Lori include:

1. Unleashing creativity - I chuckled when she said she was worried she would have to learn to draw. I'm big on people finding themselves through expressing their unique voice, which is creativity. That doesn't mean you have to draw, or dance, or sing. It means to just be yourself.
2. Balance - Her favorite word, and an easy thing to talk about but a tough thing to find and maintain.
3. The value and completeness of self-love - Lori said, "I couldn't have the ultimate relationship until they accepted the entirety of who I am." I hope people read/hear and truly contemplate and understand that. The best way to love others - and be loved by others - is to love yourself.

So often we look for something or someone outside of ourselves to come along and make everything right. The perfect partner, the perfect job, the perfect house. Here is yet another story that provides evidence that once you can be completely at peace with who you already are, all the other things in your life start to line up.

©2017 Kevin Bulmer Enterprises

What's really stopping you?

What is it really that is holding you back from doing the things you want to do in living the life you want to live?

Today, you are going to hear from somebody unstoppable. That's WHO she is. That's HOW she is. And it is how you are going to feel after you listen to her.

Unstoppable Tracy Schmitt is an award winning Leader, Humanitarian, Advocate, Decorated Athlete and International Speaker. She is now adding "author" to her long list of amazing accomplishments. Her upcoming book is called 'Unstoppable YOU; Exceed Uncertainty, Embrace Possibilities, Earn Independence'.

Tracy has been featured in Oprah Magazine during her latest adventure as Quest for the Gold Athlete who competed in World Cup Olympic Class Sailing! Tracy has been was Thrive's magazine cover girl. She has climbed mountains in Nepal, captained 110-foot-tall ship in the Eastern Atlantic, won a bronze medal in para-alpine skiing trial and has worked as a Corporate Consultant while at Air Canada (AC) and Shoppers Drug Mart (SDM), two of Canada's largest and most recognized brands.

Oh, did I mention she was born a 4-way amputee?

That's right. Tracy does not have any fully-formed arms or legs. Try to keep that in mind as you hear her speak and then maybe ask yourself… what is it, really, that is holding you back?

Some of the key things I took from my time with Tracy include:

1. Just pack up and go to Miami - Sometimes, you just have to jump. Just go. Follow your heart. In Tracy's case, it was going to Miami against all "reason."
2. I don't hear no, I hear counteroffers - You know that old phrase, "Never take 'no' for an answer?" That's Tracy. She doesn't hear 'no.' She hears opportunities for another way.
3. Scared into being a paralympian - Tracy tells a riveting story of her flight during Hurricane Sandy, and how it scared her into doing what she knew would feed her true passion.

©2017 Kevin Bulmer Enterprises

Can you change people's lives for the better simply by being yourself?The answer is absolutely yes. I know this for a fact because MY life has been changed for the better thanks to today's guest, Kevin O'Hara of Alcohol Mastery.

Kevin O'Hara is a very normal person who is doing extraordinary things. He has improved lives all around the world simply by having the courage to be exactly who he is and to allow himself to be vulnerable enough to openly and authentically share his journey and progress as he goes. In his case, the mission was to stop drinking alcohol and to help others who wanted to do the same.

What made what Kevin is doing so extraordinary is that he not only made the commitment to stop, but he put himself on video at that most vulnerable of times and got into the habit of sharing his progress by way of a weekly video journal on YouTube. He was almost a full year into it by the time I came across him and by that time, he had already built a large and loyal following of people like me from all around the world.

Kevin has now written several books, created many helpful online courses, has created an extraordinary volume of videos which are all available at absolutely no cost on his YouTube channel oh, and for those who would like to get some one-on-one support, Kevin presently offers some one-on-one coaching support as well.

Some of the key things I took from this chat with Kevin:

1 - Failing doesn't bring you back to zero

2 - Identify and re-frame your "kryptonite" (his story about how he envisions "Gollum" from Lord of the Rings as the negative voice)

3 - The irony of the "real" buzz

©2017 Kevin Bulmer Enterprises

Can you build a business worth multiple hundreds of millions of dollars, and even a multi-billion-dollar business, by putting people first and doing the right thing?

The answer must be yes, because that's what Jim Estill does..

Jim is the CEO and president of Danby, an appliance company based in the city of Guelph, Ontario, not too far from Toronto. Jim recently sponsored more than 50 families of Syrian refugees to get resettled in the Guelph area. He was named to the Order of Ontario here in Canada, the province's highest honour.But that's not why Jim did it. He did it because he felt it was the right thing to do, and he actually feels guilty that he's not able to help everyone.

And while we did discuss the decision - and process - to facilitate assisting those families, I was really interested in Jim's journey overall, and what led him to be in the position he's in today.Some of the key things I took away from my time with Jim include

1. 20 Keys To Set Jim Free - Jim tells an important story of the time in his career when he was micromanaging to the point of exhaustion. Always the first to arrive and the last to leave, the solution was to get - and give - 20 keys; one of each of his staff. 2. Doing the right thing scales - The golden rule is a deep well. A very deep, empowering and magnetic well. 3. One of the best ways to be of more service and value to others, is two continue to grow and work on yourself - Jim is a shining example of the value that can be brought to others by taking on the task of improving oneself. He gives many examples of how his done that and why, and how that's benefited his life and career.

If you have any interest in building business with integrity, you will enjoy Jim's story. And perhaps more fundamentally, if you just like to hear about good people doing good in the world not for any other reason but that it's the right thing to do, you're really going to like this.

©2017 Kevin Bulmer Enterprises

How can you really ever know what your limits are unless you are constantly testing and challenging them? And when times are tough, how does one continue to pour hope into people?

Mike Pierce, better known as "Antarctic Mike," is a professional speaker who works with organizations that want to find, engage and keep the best-performing people.

And, boy, can he ever tell a story.

With a successful background in sales and recruitment, Mike had a long-held desire to speak professionally. In 2001, he came across a book called "Shackleton's Way," which told the story of a team of 28 men trying to become the first group to attempt to cross the Antarctic on foot, back in 1914. They became stranded for over two years before finally returning home. As you'll hear from Mike, that book and its contents had a profound effect on him and his life and career from that point forward.

In the time since, Mike became one of nine people to run the first ever Antarctic Ice Marathon and later became the first American to run the Antarctic 100K, a grueling 62 miles on an ice shelf 600 miles from the South Pole.

What I haven't mentioned yet is that Mike lives in Southern California. If you lived among the swaying palm trees, would you challenge yourself to a) run a marathon and b) do it in so harsh an environment as Antarctica? And how would you even adequately prepare for change in environment like that?In this episode, Mike addresses both why and how he did those things in a very captivating fashion.

His flagship program, "Leading At 90 Below Zero," connects the principles of Antarctic expedition history to the real world of finding, engaging and keeping great people in today's business world.

Mike shares all kinds of incredible wisdom and experience in this extraordinary story. Here are just three things that stood out to me:

1. You've got to go - This is advice he received and and talk, about actually going to the Antarctic and having the experience first-hand. It's just like anything else, you can only learn so much without actually going and doing it.
2. The greatest threat? You're carrying it with you - We live in a culture that is quick to make excuses and point fingers. But I agree wholeheartedly with Mike when he suggests that the greatest threat to anything that you're looking to do retrieve are actually the mental threats in your own mind.
3. Difficulty is something to run toward - Among the many great things Mike says in this episode was "I thought difficulty with something you run toward." Over and over again, you will hear Mike talk about not knowing what to do but just moving forward anyway, running toward difficulty. This is just like facing your fear. The way to dissolve the fear is to step into it and the way to make something difficult doable is to start doing it.

How far would you be willing to go to make a difference for someone you love and for something that you believe in? And, what is one thing that you can do, to take that first step to just get started?

John Davidson is an incredible man who has had an extraordinary positive impact on people around the world. Some have benefited directly through the formation of the Jesse's Journey organization and all of the research and proactive work that has been done to combat Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy thanks to John and his family. Countless others have been inspired and empowered by viewing John's example, the example of his son Jesse, his wife Sherene and all of the selfless volunteers who not only helped John make Jesse's Journey into a living and breathing entity, but who continue to blaze the trail and keep the work going today.

In the summer of 1995, at the age of 49, John set out on an incredible mission to push Jesse, wheelchair-bound at 15 years old at the time, across the province of Ontario. That's 3339 km. That grueling test of endurance generated 1.5 million dollars for research.

Three years later, in 1998, John set out on an even more imposing adventure, spending 286 consecutive days on the road as he journeyed 8,300 km all the way across the entire country of Canada … on foot. That trip generated $2 million in grassroots donations made by Canadians across the country. And the movement has only grown from there.

The rest, I would prefer to let you hear straight from John as he tells an extraordinary story and shares so many valuable insights and life lessons that I really hope that you listen carefully, perhaps several times.

How far would you go?

In the final of four "Special Edition" episodes to launch the podcast's new name ("Journeys with the No Schedule Man"), Kevin reflects on the evolution of his life's journey in the time since he began the podcast. For this four weeks, Kevin has hand-picked specific conversations that have made a major impact on his personal and professional development, noting why that's been the case and how what he's learned may be of some help to you, too. For this episode, Cornell Thomas joins Kevin for an all-new segment and introduction, as they both reflect back on how profound a connection they made when they collaborated on their initial episode, and why their friendship has become so strong, so quickly (to give you an idea, Kevin's son, Jaden, calls Cornell his "uncle"). In the time since they first connected, both Kevin and Cornell have taken major strides in pursuing their life's passion. In Cornell's case, he's since launched his podcast, "Population Unplugged," and has just released another book, "Extra-Ordinary: The Distance Between Good and Great." Cornell discusses both those projects in the new segment.

©2017 Kevin Bulmer Enterprises

In the third of four "Special Edition" episodes to launch the podcast's new name ("Journeys with the No Schedule Man"), Kevin reflects on the evolution of his life's journey in the time since he began the podcast. For this four weeks, Kevin has hand-picked specific conversations that have made a major impact on his personal and professional development, noting why that's been the case and how what he's learned may be of some help to you, too. With an all new introduction and wrap-up, this episode features a lot of new content and perspective, along with a reflection upon a meeting and first conversation between two people who would become fast friends and creative collaborators. Meeting Gair Maxwell changed Kevin's life, and put his efforts to pursue a speaking career into overdrive. An award-winning international speaker and author himself, Maxwell saw something in Kevin from their first meeting. What happened next is the subject of Kevin's opening to this episode, as he examines his own personal and professional reinvention in an effort to encourage you to consider yours.

©2017 Kevin Bulmer Enterprises