The Extra Mile - The Official Charity Miles Podcast

Today's interview is with Elisabet Lahti, Ph.D., an author, speaker, trainer and expert on the Finnish concept of Sisu.

What is Sisu? Sisu is a Finnish word that most closely translates in English to "grit".

But if "grit" is the feeling we get when we grit our teeth, Elisabet notes, Sisu is in our guts. It's in our bodies. It's gentler. And yet in its own way very powerful.

These nuances are not just descriptive semantics. They have important implications for how we can cultivate Sisu and how we can apply it in our own lives.

In this interview, Elisabet shares:

1. Her Personal Story of Sisu: Elisabet takes us on a personal voyage, revealing the her own challenges and experiences with domestic violence that shaped her profound understanding of Sisu.

2. Her Epic Journey in New Zealand: Elisabet also takes us on her journey of walking, running and biking the length of New Zealand as part of her dissertation research on the concept of Sisu.

3. Sisu vs. Resilience and Grit: We dive into the nuances of Sisu and how it sets itself apart from seemingly similar concepts like grit and resilience. Elisabet's perspective sheds light on the subtle yet profound distinctions.

4. Cultivating Your Sisu: Elisabet generously imparts guidance on how individuals can cultivate and tap into their innate Sisu, empowering themselves to face life's challenges with grace and strength.

To learn more about Elisabet and Sisu, click here.

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Also big thanks to our sponsor, Hope Foods, which makes the most delicious and nutritious plant based hummus and dips.

All Hope Foods products are Organic and/or Non-GMO Project verified, GFCO certified gluten-free, OU-certified kosher, and dairy and soy-free.

Hope Foods is also committed to mental health, recognizing the connection between gut health and brain health, aligning with Elisabet's description of Sisu as a resilience rooted in our guts, not just in our heads.

To learn ore about Hope Foods and explore holistic well-being resources on their website, click here.

Come along for a special walk in Cambodia to experience how the World Food Program USA's school meals program is changing the lives of studens, their families and their communities.

Every day, millions of children walk into school on an empty stomach which makes it impossible to learn, much less thrive. Today, 153 million people under the age of 18 are severely hungry – an alarming, devastating number that is only expected to rise.

That's why WFP's Erase Hunger campaign is focused on supporting kids and their communities through their school meals program.

This back-to-school season, starting August 1 and culminating on October 16, World Food Day, together with their partners, they will raise funds to provide 3 MILLION SCHOOL MEALS FOR KIDS AROUND THE WORLD.

We are always proud to partner with the World Food Progam USA. And we're surely grateful to collaborate with them on their Erase Hunger campaign this fall.

If you'd like to learn more about the World Food Program USA, and how you can get involved in the Erase Hunger campaign, click here.

In this episode of The Extra Mile we speak with George Weiner, the Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, a social impact digital agency. George sheds light on how non-profits can harness the potential of artificial intelligence (A.I.) to drive positive change and amplify their impact.

Topics Covered:

1. Understanding A.I.: George breaks down the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, helping non-profits grasp its transformative capabilities.

2. Generative A.I.: Delving deeper, we explore the concept of generative A.I., its potential, and the creative avenues it opens for non-profit organizations.

3. Ensuring Equity and Inclusivity: Discover how non-profits can play a vital role in shaping A.I. platforms, ensuring they align with their values of equity and inclusivity.

4. Optimizing Limited Resources: Learn how A.I. can empower non-profits to achieve more with limited staff and budgets, maximizing their efficiency and impact.

5. Risk Awareness: George highlights the risks and potential pitfalls non-profits should be mindful of when integrating A.I. into their operations.

6. Avoiding the "Grey Suit Problem": Tune in to understand the significance of prompt-architecture and how it can help non-profits steer clear of the common "grey suit problem."

7. Introducing causewriter.ai: George shares the story behind Whole Whale's innovative causewriter.ai, designed to assist non-profits in avoiding the "grey suit problem."

8. Empowering Supporters: Learn how supporters of non-profits can embrace and leverage A.I. to further their impact and involvement.

Huge thanks to George for helping us explore the potential of A.I. for non-profits and how they can propel their missions.

Links:

• Whole Whale
• CauseWriter.ai

Marcey Rader is an accomplished author, consultant, coach, speaker, and an expert on digital wellness, tech-life balance, and health-powered productivity.

She is also the founder of RaderCo, a company dedicated to helping executives and their teams banish burnout, cultivate sustainable habits, and enhance productivity through practical tools and accountability.

In this interview, Marcey shares valuable insights on improving employee wellbeing, combating burnout, and finding tech-life balance. Her expertise offers valuable guidance for individuals and organizations seeking to optimize their productivity and well-being.

Key Discussion Points:

1. A common mistake that leaders make when thinking about how to improve employee wellbeing in their teams.

2. Two things that are usually the biggest contributors to employee burnout.

3. How leaders can think "upstream" to mitigate burnout before it becomes an issue.

4. Actionable tips leaders can take to mitigate burnout in their teams.

5. Strategies that individuals can implement for themselves to regain more tech-life balance for themselves.

6. Why walking meeitings rock, and how to make them easier.

To learn more about Marcey Reader and her work, visit her website, please click here. To learn more about Rader Co, please click here.

Huge thanks to Marcey for shaing so much with us, and for her enthusiastic support for Charity Miles!

In this interview, we have the privilege of speaking with Karim Oumnia, the visionary founder of Baliston, a groundbreaking footwear company that aims to revolutionize the way we walk through life.

Karim discusses how Baliston's collaboration with design legend Philippe Starck has led to the creation of beautifully minimalist, tech-augmented walking shoes equipped with sensors that capture biometric data directly from your feet.

This data feeds an advanced Al gait-analysis to provide a fitted insole designed to fully personalize your footwear experience, optimize comfort and prevent injury.

They can also help develop biomarkers for neurological and other movement disorders (like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, MS and Epilepsy) to better support treatment and scientific research.

Additionally, Baliston is on a mission to keep all our shoes from ending up in landfills.  

Which is why they haven't just designed a shoe, they've designed a circular system.

The shoes are made from just five 100% recyclable materials and designed to monitor the deterioration of their own cushioning, allowing every shoe produced by Baliston to be collected at the end of life and recycled.

Baliston then takes responsibility for collecting the shoes and recycling them. When it's time to get a new pair of shoes, they'll send you the new pair (for no extra charge), along with prepaid mailing materials to send your old shoes back to them for recycling.

We're grateful to Karim for taking the time to share his vision with us. 

We're grateful for Balitson's support.

And we're super excited to be in on the ground floor with such an exciting company.

Key Points and Highlights:

• Why walking is the sixth vital sign.
• Discover how Baliston's tech-augmented footwear aims to revolutionize the way we walk.
• Learn about the collaboration between Baliston and renowned designer Philippe Starck.
• Understand the significance of gait analysis and how it can improve comfort, reduce fatigue, and prevent injuries.
• Explore the potential of biometrics in supporting treatment and research for neurological and movement disorders.
• Uncover Baliston's commitment to sustainability through 100% recyclable shoe designs.
• Dive into Baliston's unique circular system, where they take responsibility for collecting and recycling their shoes.

Relevant Resources and Links:

• Baliston's website
• Fast Company: These High-Tech Sneakers Tell You When They Need to Be Recycled
• CNN: Best Insoles for Outdoor Activities
• WWD: Philippe Starck's New Sustainable Sneaker: Baliston
• Forbes: Philippe Starck on How Boredom with His Creativity Led Him to AI and His New Baliston by Starck Shoes
• People: Best Fashion Launches of the Year

In this episode, we speak with Casper Ter Kuile, an author, speaker, consultant and former fellow at the Harvard Divinity School who explores how we make meaning, deepen our relationships, and experience beauty. Casper is the author of The Power of Ritual, and the co-founder of The Nearness, Sacred Design Lab and the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text.

In today's interview, we focus on Casper's book, The Power of Ritual and how rituals can be an effective tool for connecting us to ourselves, each other, the world around us, and something beyond us-- however you think of that.

We discuss what distinguishes rituals from other types of behaviors like habits and routines, and why rituals can be better than habits for helping us live in accordance with our values.

This is one of my favorite interviews, and I could talk with Casper for hours. Hopefully we'll get the chance to do so, because I have many more questions I'd love to ask him.

Huge thanks to Casper for sharing so much with us.

Also, big thanks to our partners at Hope Foods.

May is Mental Health Month and this is our third Mental Health Month where we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Hope.

Hope Foods creates delicious organic hummus and dips with ingredients you can trust. Made with the freshest, all-natural ingredients, their products are perfect for snacking, meal prepping, and entertaining.

Hope is committed to sustainability and ethical sourcing which means you can feel good about the products you're enjoying.

And speaking of feeling good, Hope is equally committed to mental health and emotional wellbeing. They even have an entire page of their website dedicated mental health which provides a host of resources to support your emotional wellbeing. Please check them out here.

And the next time you're at the grocery store, be sure to check out Hope Foods.

Thanks again, Hope Foods, for your dedication to mental health and our long-term partnership.

#EveryMileMatters!

Today we're joined by Larry McAlister, a three-time Head of Human Resources and a natural-born leader in the HR space.

Larry currently runs the Corporate Humanist Consultancy, where he advises on tech-based products-in-development and helping CHROs and growth-minded leaders build transformative talent strategies.

Larry most recently served as VP of Global Talent at NetApp, and has been named in the Top 50 Human Resources Professional Awards and is consistently sought after for his transformation and thought leadership in HR.

In our conversation today, we explore some of the key principles in Larry's work, including the importance of well-being and mental fitness, how HR leaders can drive bottom line ROI by fostering a culture of well-being, and the role of technology in creating a more people-centric approach to organizational culture. We also discuss how everyone in an organization can be empowered to contribute to this culture, regardless of their seniority.

Larry's new book, "The Power to Transform: A Field Guide to Building a Human-Centered, Tech-Enabled Work Culture," explores how NetApp embraced the future by transforming its culture, incorporating best HR practices and cutting-edge tech to build a mold that leaders of all stripes can easily follow.

The book, which hasn't even been fully released yet, is already a #1 International Best Seller! If you're interested, click here to pre-order it for just 99¢.

Larry is also working with 3sixtyinsights to research employee resilience, a theme we think about a lot in the Charity Miles community. If you're interested in learning more about this research project, please click here.

Here is a link to read more about the BetterUp data and insights that Larry references in the podcast.

Lastly, if you're interested in connecting with Larry, you can find him here on LinkedIn.

Big thanks to Larry for sharing so much with us today.

#EveryMileMatters

Carol is internationally recognized for her work in social purpose and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

For more than 25 years, Cone has embraced a steadfast commitment to building lasting partnerships between companies, brands and social issues for deep business and societal impact. In her work, she continually brings breakthrough and lasting big ideas to clients to build their business and societal impacts. Early in her career, Cone launched the walking movement with Rockport as its leader, which grew the company three times over in the span of 4 years and led to its acquisition by Reebok. She created the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, which grew to 50 countries around the globe and raised $1 billion.

Most recently, Cone conceptualized My Special Aflac Duck, a social robot developed from extensive child-centered design to comfort children going through an average of 1,000 days of chemotherapy. This innovative idea has been heralded around the globe, from the Tech for a Better World Award and Most Unexpected Product at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, to Time Magazine's list of Best Inventions of 2018.

I've known and looked up to Carol since I started Charity Miles over ten years ago. I'm grateful for her leadership and for sharing so much with us in this interview.

#EveryMileMatters

Welcome to our first Walking Meditation of 2023, led by Cassandra Bianco.

Merging modern neuroscience with ancient Tibetan techniques, Cassandra coaches her students on how to spend less time in the analytical mind, and instead invest more in the peaceful, natural state of wonder.

Cassandra's meditation focus is within the fields of psychology, contemplative science and neuroscience and is rooted in the interconnectedness of all beings.

For 14 years she's trained with senior instructors and currently studies a lineage-based meditation with Thupten Phuntsok, a former Tibetan Buddhist monk. Phuntsok's core teacher received direct guidance from a former tutor to the Dalai Lama.

To learn more about or contact Cassandra, please click here.

To learn more about or contact Cassandra with regards to her corporate work, please click here.

Today we're sharing the story of two important members of our community, Anastasia and Oksana, the designers who make Charity Miles look so good.

Anastasia and Oksana are from Ukraine.

We started working with them shortly before Russia invaded their country.

Today, they share with us what their lives have been like since then.

Even after hearing it, I cannot imagine.

If you listen, I appreciate your feedback.

And, if you're ever in need of a great (and affordable) designer, please check them out here, and email Oksana here.

#EveryMileMatters