Reinventure Me

By What's next in life? | Explore your future with Leary Gates & Armin AssadiBusiness Religion & Spirituality Christianity Careers

Reinventure Me episodes

May 15, 2014017 How to take the sting out of rejection
Every new beginning invites rejection. In fact, if you don’t experience it, you may be playing it too safe. Rejection and criticism sting, but they don’t have to halt your next great beginning.

In this episode, Leary and Armin talk about rejection and its cousin, criticism.
The Inspire Me segment quote is from the 18th century playwright, Joseph Addison:
“There is no defense against criticism except obscurity.”
Three things you need to know about rejection and criticism:
They come with every great new beginning. If you’re not experiencing it, you may be playing it too safe. And, ironically, playing it safe is a form of self-rejection.
They are indiscriminate. Everyone experiences rejection and criticism but when we face it, we often think we’re alone in it.
They don’t need to bring defeat. Unless you let it. The size of your commitment is what it takes to stop you.
Leary and Armin discuss four ways to take the sting out of rejection or criticism:
Develop an optimistic explanatory mindset. Those who see potential in the future and don’t take criticisms personally are more successful because they are more likely to persevere.
Don’t tie your identity to what you do. You are more than you produce. Your work may not appeal to everyone, but they don’t give you the final grade. Only God does.
Find the win. Even the most vitriolic critic can teach you something, even if it’s to merely a commitment to strengthen your resolve.
Get feedback on how you receive feedback. We’re often not aware of how we receive criticism and, if not received well, we may be inviting even more.
In the Challenge Me segment Armin challenges us to ask someone that knows us well to give us feedback on how well we receive feedback. He suggests asking two questions that may help get the conversation rolling:
What could I do to make it easier for someone to give me feedback?
Is there anything about my behavior which signals to others that I don’t want feedback?
Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:
To Sell is Human, Dan Pink, an excellent book about selling, suitable for anyone. Read Leary’s review here.
33 min
May 08, 2014016 How to network like a pro
Every great new beginning can benefit from effective networking. You can network like a pro, even if “networking is not your thing.”

In this episode, Leary and Armin talk about why networking is such a powerful resource no matter what industry you are in. Like anything, to be effective, you must adopt the right mindset. And the right mindset is to believe that every appointment you have may be a divine appointment.
The Inspire Me segment quote is from the legendary author and theologian C.S. Lewis:
“We meet no ordinary people in our lives”
Leary and Armin discuss the mindset you need to network effectively. To network effectively, approach your network to “feed it,” not just to eat from it. Even if you waited until you’re thirsty to dig your well, you still need to give to your network. When you do, you’ll stand out from the pack who seeks only to get something from it. It’s why networking has such a bad reputation.
You don’t need to be an extrovert to network effectively. In fact, the introvert may have a listening advantage over their more extroverted counterparts, making them particularly effective in cultivating a network.
In the Challenge Me segment, Armin suggests that the best way to be in a position to help others is to know yourself. Take stock of your strengths, through an assessment tool like StrengthFinders.
Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:
StrengthFinder 2.0, Strength-based assessment from Gallop
LinkedIn, The must-be-on social network for professional connections
Contactually, An incredible contact management system that integrates your personal contact book, social connections and email.
Are you networking like a dog?, Leary Gates, blog post related to this topic
Three of the hardest networking habits you’ll ever love, Leary Gates, blog post related to this topic
Our next episode will be on how to handle rejection. Please join us.
31 min
May 01, 2014015 How to create your personal mission statement
Every important decision you’ll make ties to your mission statement. Your next great beginning shouldn’t start without one.

In this episode, Leary and Armin pick up from the previous episode (How to cultivate your personal vision) by getting real practical on how to construct a personal mission statement.
The Inspire Me segment quote is from Mosaic church founder and visionary pastor, Dr. Erwin McManus:
“The unique way God has designed you—with talent, intellect, gifts, personality, and passions—informs you about how that service will be expressed. But don’t look for God to fill in all the blanks. Don’t wait for Him to remove all the uncertainty. Realize He may actually increase the uncertainty and leverage all the odds against you, just so that you will know in the end that it wasn’t your gifts but His power through your gifts that fulfilled His purpose in your life.”
Having a personal mission statement:
Aids in creating clarity about your future.
Guides decision making about what to take on.
Solidifies your resolve to keep going when things get difficult.
Leary and Armin discuss three simple steps to create your personal mission statement.
1. Start with action. Write down as many verbs that appeal to you. You can get good verb lists by searching the internet or take Leary’s verb affinity exercise. Example: “craft” or “engage”
2. Stir in your talent. Now, add what you’re good at doing. Here’s where you might need the help of friends and colleagues to help out (see below). Example: if you’re good at storytelling a mission might be “to craft stories”
3. Find your patch. What field has God given you to work? These are the people that you are most passionate about/drawn to. Example: “to craft stories that engage children to overcome fear”
It’s difficult to get an accurate assessment of ourselves in isolation, so you’ll want to invite others to give you input too. Here are the questions that Leary posed to his friends and colleagues when he crafted his:
What are the talents, skills and gifts that you have noticed in me? List as many as you can, but at least three.
Which of these is most evident to you and how?
Which of these do you think I should develop more? Why?
If I were to move to another region of the country and two years from now you were to hear of something I did, what might be mentioned that would not surprise you?
Which of the following verbs (a list of favorites from the verb affinity exercise) do you think best describe me? Any others that come to mind?
Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:
Verb affinity exercise, a list of verbs you can use to jump-start your mission statement
A personal mission statement: the resume’ for you future, Leary Gates, blog post on this topic
Our next episode will be on how to network like a pro. Please join us.
33 min
April 24, 2014014 How to cultivate your personal vision
Vision. A powerful word that we all alike to think we have. But how do we cultivate a personal vision for our own life?

In this episode, Leary and Armin fill in the last point from the previous episode (How to know if you’re stuck) by discussing how to intentionally cultivate a personal vision.
They kick off with the Inspire Me segment quote from the theologian John Stott:
“There is something inherently inappropriate about cherishing small ambitions for God.”
Every personal vision should be fueled with a belief that they were put here to by a great God, able to do more than we can ask, seek or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Cultivating a vision takes time. It’s not something done overnight and so requires intentionality, diligence and patience. It’s also something that should be written down, for writing focuses the mind and creates clarity.
Leary and Armin discuss four simple, but necessary steps to cultivate a personal vision:
1. Reflection. Personal vision can only be developed when you take time away to reflect and slow down. Some of the questions Leary suggested asking yourself include:
What am I good at?
What do others seek me out to help or give advice on?
What am I drawn to? Inspired by?
Where are the wounds in my life?
Who have I helped in a way that was meaningful to me?
2. Socialization. Vision must be developed in community for two reasons. First, none of us are fully sufficient. We’re designed to be interdependent on one another. Second, we have a hard time see what is exceptional within us and need others to point that out.
3. Experimentation. Vision is cultivated when we experiment within our areas of interests and gifting. We learn more about ourselves by doing.
4. Observation. Honing a personal vision requires good self-awareness and tracking our responses to the various experiments we conduct.
While these steps are simple to understand, they take real intentionality to implement. Some of the resources mentioned in the Resource Me segment can help:
The Call, Os Guinness, A helpful resource to understand the concept of calling that can shape your thinking about vision.
Halftime, Bob Buford, Oriented to those facing middle life transitions from career success to significance. Good self-evaluation questions.
The Path, Laurie Beth Jones, Easy to read and practical steps to unpack your vision and mission
I Can Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was, Barbara Sher, Helpful categorizations and questions to ask yourself depending on your specific situation. Read Leary’s review of this book.
Our next episode is on how to create your personal mission statement. Please join us.
34 min
April 10, 2014013 How to get unstuck and help others get unstuck
From time to time we all get stuck—unmotivated to get going in life. This episode explores how to get unstuck and how to help a friend get unstuck.

In this episode Leary and Armin pick up the discussion from the last episode, How to know if you’re stuck. They discuss the four things you should check when you’re stuck.
Your physical condition. The first thing you should examine is how fatigue may be taking hold. Have you gotten sufficient rest, exercise and eaten a consistently healthy diet?
Your environment. A cluttered environment can leave you feeling overwhelmed with life. Does the space you inhabit energize or deplete you?
Your mention condition. The habitual thoughts you have about yourself or others may prevent you from moving forward. Are you practicing gratitude and intentional forgetfulness?
Your personal vision. Cultivating a personal vision for your life takes intentionality. Are you setting aside time to consider your future? This is the exclusive subject of our next episode.
To help another get unstuck, think about how to be fully relational with them by practicing the roles found within a family. This was the approach the apostle Paul took in 1 Thessalonians 2. Think about how you can be:
A mother to them, demonstrating God’s unconditional love, by listening and helping them heal their wound.
A father to them, demonstrating God’s blessing, by calling them forth into their future purposes.
A brother (sister) to them, demonstrating God’s abiding presence, by staying engaged and keeping them accountable.
This episode’s Inspire Me quote is from Oliver Wendell Holmes:
“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving – we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”
If you’re stuck, the Challenge Me is to examine the four things listed above and act on the appropriate one. Or, if you have a friend who’s stuck, find a way to act fully relational toward them.
In our next episode, Leary and Armin will explore how to cultivate your personal vision. Please join us and tell a friend.
Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:
Philippians 3:13-14, the apostle Paul describing intentional forgetfulness
When it’s time to fire yourself, Leary Gates, blog post
Has excellence got you down?, Leary Gates, blog post
34 min
April 03, 2014012 How to know if you’re stuck
You’re next great beginning may take some time. A lot of time. How do you know if you’re stuck, or if all that time is incubating an even greater beginning?

In this episode Leary and Armin discuss the difference between an idea being stuck or just incubating. They turn, once again, to Mark Twain for this episode’s Inspire Me quote:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”
Any transition takes time and lots of energy. At times it may be hard to tell if your not getting anywhere or if your next great beginning needs more time to develop. Here are three symptoms that might suggest you’re stuck:
When your clarity of direction is less certain over time. You feel more confused and have lost your sense of vitality and optimism.
When you resist the next step. You want to move ahead on a new idea for yourself, but you consistently resist working on it.
When you over-function. You’re trying too hard to make something happen, resulting in anger and disappointment.
The Challenge Me for this episode is to evaluate your situation by asking these five questions. (These are part of a longer list of questions you’ll find in the Resources list below.)
What scares the living daylights out of me? What am I resisting most?
Is there any critical information or another person’s perspective about the situation that I’m lacking?
What’s the benefit of making the decision now?
In a year from now, if I imagined choosing each of the possible options in front of me, which option would I wish I had taken?
Will the option I am contemplating make me more like the person I want to become?
Our next episode will explore how to get unstuck or help others to do so. Please join us and tell a friend.
Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:
Transition on pause: Are you stuck or incubating? Leary Gates, blog post on this topic
10 questions to ask when you’re stuck, Leary Gates, blog post on this topic
33 min
March 27, 2014011 How to start your day with greater focus
A million things may conspire to keep you from your best day. Answering three simple questions first thing can help you start your day with greater focus.

In this episode, Leary and Armin update each other on their takeaways from the last episode’s Challenge Me to journal about the three questions to dream more strategically.
The episode’s Inspire Me quote is from Mark Twain:
“”You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.”
Robin Aldana, Reinventure Me‘s Program Director joins the show to discuss with Leary and Armin the three questions we can ask ourselves to start our day with get greater focus:
What’s the most important challenge or problem I need to lean into today? This is the priority task that I’m inclined to avoid when distractions are sure to come.
Who needs my attention most today? This is the priority relationship that may go missed if I get overly consumed by my pursuits.
What would invigorate me? This is the priority refreshment that I will do to renew my energy during the day.
The Challenge Me for this episode is to begin the next few days writing down your answers to these questions and noting what effect it has on increasing your focus and sense of accomplishment.
Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:
“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
Three questions to start your day, Leary Gates, blog post on this topic
32 min
March 20, 2014010 How to dream strategically
Most of us get around to our dreams when we have time. That’s being opportunistic. But there’s a way to dream strategically and it starts with answering three simple questions.

In this episode, Leary and Armin discuss some of the half-truths we hear in many inspirational quotes and share this week’s Inspire Me quote from Colin Powell:
“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.”
They also discuss three simple questions that help you be more strategic with your dream:
How important is it? Strategically thinking about your dream means it’s important enough to prioritize and make regular time to pursue.
How hard is it? Strategically thinking about your dream means you’re realistic about the challenges that will come your way and you know the size of your commitment is what it takes to stop you.
Who cares? Strategically thinking about your dream involves living out the mission God has put in your heart, not other’s agendas for you.
The Challenge Me for this episode is to simply write down your answers to these questions, taking time to thoughtfully consider them with respect to your dream.
Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:
Three questions to get strategic about your dream, Leary Gates, blog post on this topic
Please leave a review for this show on iTunes and/or Stitcher Radio. We’d love to include your comments or questions. Simply respond below or call our show line at (612) 314-5447.
31 min
March 13, 2014009 How to know your job’s hidden fees
We take a job to earn an income. And in exchange we also pay a price. In this episode of Reinventure Me, Leary and Armin examine three hidden fees our jobs extract from us.

In this episode, you’ll hear Leary and Armin check-in on their progress from the new beginner challenge they took up in episode 6: How to be a better beginner.
The show’s Inspire Me quote is a prayerful reminder from an unknown author:
“From the laziness that is content with half truth, from the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth, from the fear that shrinks from new truth, O God of Truth deliver us.”
Leary and Armin discuss three fees that we all pay at our jobs. These are not optional—they affect us all. But often we don’t give much thought to the price we are paying.
Availability fee. This is the cost we pay when we haven’t set healthy boundaries between our work and our personal life. Flexible work environments and always on mobile technology can add pressure to be always available for work.
Creativity fee. We all become conditioned to our environment. We learn what ideas are embraced and those that aren’t worth the effort. Over time our creativity suffers as we succumb to group think.
Income fee. We keep doing what we’ve been doing because we need the income, or at least think we’d suffer greater loss if we didn’t keep at it. Handcuffs, green or golden, can take a toll on our professional growth and vitality.
Leary and Armin suggest a very simple Challenge Me for this episode: Identify one boundary you can erect to protect your personal time. Let us know what challenge you pick for yourself by leaving a comment below.
Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:
Three hidden fees your job extracts from you, Leary Gates, blog post on this topic
Why I gave journaling another try, Leary Gates, the first of a series of posts on journaling
How to journal daily, Leary Gates, video post on journaling
31 min
March 06, 2014008 How to be an intentional apprentice
Do you have what it takes to be a great apprentice? Our last episode explored Why you should be a lifelong apprentice. In this episode, Leary and Armin discuss what it takes to be a really great apprentice and how you can gain new mentors in your life.

This episode’s Inspire Me quote is from the legendary CNN interviewer, Larry King:
“I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.”
What a great reminder and a key attitude of an intentional apprentice. If we want to be an intentional apprentice, we must be lifelong learners. Leary and Armin discussed the three questions we must ask ourselves to know if we have what it takes to be an intentional apprentice:
Am I willing to change? I’m not just looking for someone to affirm me, but to help me get better.
Am I willing to work at it? Great mentors won’t come to you. You have to work at it, persistently. That’s what it means to be intentional.
Am I willing to work with what I have? You are already surrounded by people who could help. Are you practicing being an intentional apprentice with what God has already given you?
Four strategies of intentional apprenticeship can help you cultivate your network of mentors:
Start small & focused. Be clear about your objective. The more focused you can be on what you want to accomplish, the more likely you’ll find a great mentor.
Pursue the best mentors possible. Don’t just assume you can’t get access to someone. You may surprise yourself who can meet when you tap into your personal network. The people you know often love to show off who they know. Take advantage of that to work toward meeting the best mentors you can.
Be a learner. Take that attitude of a learner to your meeting by being prepared with specific questions and be respectful of their time.
Own the pursuit. Like a good salesperson, you have to own the pursuit. As the apprentice, it’s your job to set the appointments and topics you’d like to explore. If you’re expecting a mentor to take the lead, you’re looking for the wrong mentor.
Leary and Armin suggested two Challenge Me takeaways:
Think of someone who has helped you and write them a quick note of thanks, specifically mentioning how they benefited you.
Review the list you made from the last episode (why you want a mentor, areas you want help with, and prospective mentors) and take one step to pursue one of them.
Give us your feedback on this episode by commenting below or leave a voice mail for us on our home page
Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:
How to be a more intentional apprentice, Leary Gates, blog post on this topic
The Dream Intensive workshop, March 14-15 (Denver)
34 min

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