Sitting In

Doug Ferguson is the owner of Ferguson Electric, a North Texas-based electrical contractor.

In this episode, expect to learn:

- How being in business has changed Doug's perspective on purpose

- Why reframing what you do can change everything

- Terrifying moments in growing a business

- How the "perfect" customer has changed over time

and much more!

If you're in North Texas and need electrical work, check out Ferguson Electric here! :

https://www.fergusonelectrictx.com/

Please double check that you're subscribed, have liked this video, and shared it with someone! Also, leave a comment with your thoughts down below. Those are the best ways to help this show grow. Thank you!

020 - Reflecting on recent thoughts about how to have a less strict view of "success", what scarcity actually means, and how to change the default direction of my thinking.

Please double check that you're subscribed, have liked this video, and shared it with someone! Also, leave a comment with your thoughts down below. Those are the best ways to help this show grow. Thank you!

019 - D. Cole Gray

Cole Gray is a resident pastor, a husband, and a writer. Check out his Substack, "Road Work Ahead" here! https://dcolegray.substack.com/

In this episode, you can expect to learn:

- The bigger meaning people are missing behind the Artemis II moon flyby

- What it looks like to search with wisdom and wonder

- Why big families are awesome

- The 4 W's of struggle (and where prayer actually falls into that)

and much, much more!

Please double check that you're subscribed, have liked this video, and shared it with someone! Also, leave a comment with your thoughts down below. Those are the best ways to help this show grow. Thank you!

00:00 What is the Underlying Significance of the Artemis II Flyby People are Missing?

04:32 Why Does the Overview Effect Happen?

05:46 When Does the Desire to Explore Become Narcissistic?

09:39 Where is the Line Between Curiosity and Control? How Much Control are We Supposed to Have?

15:50 What Does it Mean to Search with Wisdom and Wonder?

19:49 Fear vs Awe

23:00 Where Does the Difference Between Fear and Awe Come From?

26:01 How Do you Tell the Difference Between Curiosity and Intellectual Pride?

27:45 Why Truth is Like a Cold Plunge

34:03 What Big Families Teach You About Being the "Main Character"

43:22 The Theory of Aiming for Three Children Being Ideal

46:12 Cole's 4 W's

53:02 A Natural Rhythm of Life - Disagreement and Discussion

01:03:44 Why is It so Hard to Feel Purposeful even When We're Moving in the Right Direction?

01:06:02 Do We Overemphasize How Much Our Lives are Supposed to "Click"?

01:10:21 Why Does the "Right Thing" Feel So Unrewarding Sometimes?

01:21:04 How do You Know When the Thing You're Doing is the Thing that God wants you to be Doing?

01:35:58 What is One Thing Cole Wishes He Had Done or Known Sooner?

#018 - Fred Williams

Fred Williams is a Christian, a wealth advisor, and has served on the boards of multiple charities. He is passionate about helping people create financial freedom (God's way), and guiding young people through life's challenges.

In this episode, you can expect to learn:

- What most people get wrong about financial "success"

- What life can teach you that even the University of Texas can't

- The importance of a "servant leader" mindset

- What responsibility looks like for young men today

and much, much more!

Please double check that you're subscribed, have liked this video, and shared it with someone! Also, leave a comment with your thoughts down below. Those are the best ways to help this show grow. Thank you!

017 - Janis Yadiny

Janis Yadiny worked at the WHO, the Royal Society, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and much more. She specialized in Leadership Development and Change Management in the later part of her career, emphasizing how to develop both individuals and teams in the fast paced medical field.

In this episode, you can expect to learn:

- What working at storied institutions like the Royal Society and WHO is like

- The importance of ownership in personal growth

- How a "big vision" can actually be completed

- How to build resilience

- The nuance of having high standards

and much, much more!

Please double check that you're subscribed, have liked this video, and shared it with someone! Also, leave a comment with your thoughts down below. Those are the best ways to help this show grow. Thank you!

00:00 Intro - The Curiosity of Change in Life

00:53 Two Drives - Travelling and Learning French

01:31 Growing Up, My Family, and WWII

04:48 A Leader is a Reader

06:03 What is Library Science?

07:57 Working in Montreal, London, Geneva, Tunisia, and Houston

08:43 Stories from the Royal Society Library

11:37 Getting a Job at the WHO

13:06 Political Education from Working at WHO

16:31 Why Americans Were Unique at the WHO (from a Canadian)

17:42 Eradicating Smallpox!

19:42 What "Expert-Consulting" is and Why It Doesn't Work

21:52 What to do Instead of "Expert-Consulting"

24:41 The Importance of Ownership in Enacting Change

26:57 How Janis Ended up in Houston (and why she was never going to come)

30:00 Why Does America Breed the Kind of Work Ethic it Has?

33:52 How the Institute of Cultural Affairs Changed Janis's Life

38:19 The Criticality of Involving Women in Change

41:16 Giving People Resources vs Ownership of a Process

44:38 Change Management and Knowing Your Strengths

45:46 Potential Cultural Change in China?

50:31 Institute of Cultural Affairs continued

53:42 Examples of Global Vision in Motion

1:02:35 How do You Keep it Going?

1:04:38 The Importance of Specificity in Leadership Training

1:05:56 The Sociological Side - Why it All Works

1:12:09 Diving Deeper

1:14:55 What is Change All About?

1:15:58 Book Recommendations

1:18:54 What Does "Knowing Yourself" Actually Do?

1:20:51 Learning from Stanley McChrystal

1:26:17 How Do We Discern Where we Have Room to Grow? (Core Values)

1:30:17 How to Actually Figure out Your Core Values

1:24:04 The Tension of our Differences in Personal Relationships

1:36:08 Some Guidance on Experiences and Gaining Wisdom

1:37:59 How to Deal with a Fear of Failure

1:39:28 Combatting Fear at All Levels

1:40:36 Why Does Being Vulnerable Create Strong Leadership?

1:42:51 Bouncing Back, Building Resilience, and High Standards

1:50:19 Journaling and Landing the Plane

This episode stands on its own. You do not need to listen to the previous episode to follow this conversation!

016 - Brandon Kelly

Check out our first conversation here: https://youtu.be/W72c3BBGSMc

or here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/41JvgoMX4NTSidl39ZlgvV?si=VADv_eR-RWSa4qQL36Egug

Brandon Kelly is a professional orchestral percussionist, educator, and lifelong learner. He performs regularly with professional ensembles across Texas, teaches percussion to high school students throughout the DFW metroplex, and spends much of his free time on long, unplanned road trips for any variety of reasons.

In today’s episode, you can expect to learn:

- The mindset of a professional orchestral musician

- How unplanned travel has shaped Brandon’s attention, curiosity, and musicianship

- The difference between a healthy obsession and an unhealthy one- What teaching young musicians has taught Brandon about patience, authority, and hope

…and much more.

Please double check that you're subscribed, have liked this video, and shared it with someone! Also, leave a comment with your thoughts down below. Those are the best ways to help this show grow. Thank you!

015 - Brandon Kelly | Part 1

What happens when a life shaped by extreme precision repeatedly chooses openness, wandering, and attention to the unfamiliar? And what does that tension reveal about excellence, freedom, and what it takes to stay human inside demanding systems?

Brandon Kelly is a professional orchestral percussionist, educator, and lifelong learner. He performs regularly with professional ensembles across Texas, teaches percussion to high school students throughout the DFW metroplex, and spends much of his free time on long, unplanned road trips for any variety of reasons.

In today’s episode, you can expect to learn:

- The mindset of a professional orchestral musician

- How unplanned travel has shaped Brandon’s attention, curiosity, and musicianship

- The difference between a healthy obsession and an unhealthy one

- What teaching young musicians has taught Brandon about patience, authority, and hope

…and much more.

Please double check that you're subscribed, have liked this video, and shared it with someone! Also, leave a comment with your thoughts down below. Those are the best ways to help this show grow. Thank you!

014 - Eric Welke

What happens when we stop fighting the land and start paying attention to it, especially in the places we actually live? Perhaps more importantly, what can this struggle teach us about how to live our lives with deeper meaning?

Eric Welke is passionate about the importance of native plants (the flora that is indigenous to a particular region, as opposed to invasive species), specifically in the North Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth) area.

In today’s episode, you can expect to learn:

- How Eric's backyard became a native plant arboretum

- Why native plants are important to more than just the environment

- The wisdom of "control" (the way that landscapes can reflect our minds)

- The lessons in humility and faith hidden in taking on large projects

and much more!

Please double check that you're subscribed, have liked this video, and shared it with someone! Also, leave a comment with your thoughts down below. Those are the best ways to help this show grow. Thank you!

#013 - Will Vasquez

Will Vasquez has a bachelor's degree in Music Performance from Florida State University, marched drum corps with the Santa Clara Vanguard, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Music Performance from Rice University.

In today’s episode, you can expect to learn:

- How marching in drum corps can change your perspective on music and life

- How to turn art into work without losing the joy behind it

- Insights into the common struggle of "inertia"and much more!

Please double check that you're subscribed, have liked this video, and shared it with someone! Also, leave a comment with your thoughts. Those are the best ways to help this show grow. Thank you!

Jared is a longtime friend of mine and one of my favorite people to have meaningful (and, meaningless) discussions with about any topic.

In today’s episode, you can expect to learn:

- Our various experiences through college, preparing for the beginning of our careers

- The best mindset to approach an internship (and why you should do internships!)

- Both of our thoughts and experiences regarding mentorshipand much more!

Please double check that you're subscribed, have liked this video, and shared it with someone! Also, leave a comment with your thoughts down below. Those are the best ways to help this show grow. Thank you!