All of us know people who are good at opening the door for others to succeed. They are the people who everyone wants to know and be around. Neal Sales-Griffin is one of those people. As an adjunct professor at Northwestern University, he’s had a tremendous impact on many students and has put his philosophies about helping others to the test by creating a nonprofit aimed at helping High School students learn how to solve problems through coding. There are a handful of people here at Launchpad Lab who take every opportunity to be around Neal, and after you hear this interview you’ll understand why.

The drive to be happy motivates all kinds of action. What is it driving in you?

One of the reasons Neal Sales-Griffin wanted to succeed in college was because of the desire to have money. Since he grew up with very little money that motivation makes perfect sense. But in retrospect he realizes that it wasn’t really the money he was after, it was happiness. Once he was able to discover what truly makes him happy (and it’s not the money) he has oriented his life in a direction that fulfills that desire. What makes him happy? Opening the door for others to find their own happiness and success. You can hear how Neal does it and how that philosophy permeates his life, on this episode of The Critical Shift.

Sometimes people who have ambition just need a nudge from you.

An earlier episode of The Critical Shift featured Claire Lew, CEO of Know Your Company. In that conversation, Claire mentioned the powerful impact today’s guest had on her. Neal Sales-Griffin is a man who’s made it his mission in life to lift up others, to do what he can to value them so they are encouraged to accomplish all they were designed to accomplish. Claire is one example of the many people Neal has touched and inspired. His perspective is simple: people around you many times just need a nudge in the right direction. That’s worth the effort, isn’t it? Hear Neal’s story and how he explains his motivation to help others, on this episode.

You can be the one to open the door for others… and the impact can be incredible.

There are people you meet every day who are struggling with their own sense of worth, struggling with the self-doubt and lack of confidence that they really can make a difference in the world. But you wouldn’t know it because we all strive to put on our best face and keep moving. But since you know it’s true, why not do what you can to help those people bust the doubts and move forward? Your simple words, questions, and encouragement can do it. Neal Sales-Griffin talks about the way he’s been able to encourage others and help them move forward in what they are passionate about doing, on this episode of The Critical Shift.

Why the focus of Neal’s life is to become irrelevant.

Toward the end of this conversation, Neal was kind enough to summarize the way he looks at the calling that is on his life. In his own words, the focus of his life is to become irrelevant. He wants those he teaches, encourages, and equips to outpace him in every area so that his place in their lives is no longer needed. Isn’t that a refreshing perspective in this world of personal branding and promotion? You can hear Neal’s story and why he believes that building up others is the best use of his life, on this episode.

Outline of This Episode

• [2:06] Who is Neal Sales-Griffin?
• [4:45] Neal’s journey to Northwestern, the first in his family to complete college.
• [16:20] Experiencing the benefits of leadership gifts and clear direction.
• [20:57] The passion that drove Neal in college and how it developed over time.
• [28:09] Why Neal takes the initiative to lead people.

Resources & People Mentioned

• The Starter League - learn to code in 3 months
• Code Now
• Northwestern University
• Outcome Health
• Full Stack Academy
• ISBE at Northwestern
• Know Your Company
• Wildfire - Northwestern’s startup incubator
• BaseCamp
• ClarityBox

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