The Paterson Podcast

In Episode 45 of the Paterson Podcast, we begin a five-part mini-series, exploring the five phases of the Journey to Live Life’s Purpose. We begin with the first phase: Awakening and Awareness.

Back in 2006, after guiding hundreds of people through the LifePlan Process, Pete Richardson sat in a cafe in Kansas City and started to reflect on the collection of those experiences. In each of those stories, he saw the human desire to find meaningful existence and purpose. “What if we zoomed out,” thought Pete, “to see things from a higher level; what patterns and commonalities would we see in the human journey?” “If there was a map to that journey, what would it look like?” And with that, Pete began to sketch out a map in his notebook. That framework is what we now call The Journey to Live Life’s Purpose.

 “Awaking and awareness is the place where we begin to ask new questions; awakening to truths that are real, but that we haven’t been able to see before. It’s the place where we become fully conscious of our need to know who we are and why we are here,”  says Stephen Milburn, co-host of today’s episode

Join us as we take a look at what it means to awaken, to evaluate, and to assess our landscape – both externally and internally – and how that can inform our next steps.

Patty McCord is the author or the book Powerful. For many years she served as the Chief Talent Officer at Netflix, working alongside Founder & CEO Reed Hastings to build a best-in-class culture at one of the most innovative companies in the world. Patty was one of the key voices behind the famous Netflix Culture Deck, which has been shared and read many millions of times. Her book Powerful was ranked as one of the best business books of 2018 and continues to impact and influence leaders around the world. 

Whether it’s performance reviews, management tracking, or compensation incentives, Patty is challenging it all, and inviting us to join her. Together, we see how “the way things work” just isn’t working. Patty shows us a better way.

Today’s conversation is for anyone in leadership and management, or for anyone who is thinking about the culture of their environment or workplace. Sit back, listen in, and if it’s something you enjoy, share it with a friend who would value it too.

“Whether you are 9 or 96, we all deal with two things: relationships and money —and one of those will make you rich.” – Dick Foth

We are all busy. If you weren’t busy, you probably wouldn’t listen to podcasts as much. Research tells us that most people listen to podcasts while they are doing something else (driving, working out, making breakfast, etc…). Very few people just sit down to listen to a podcast and do nothing else. Living in an atmosphere of busy-ness and noise, it can be a real challenge to find depth and authentic connection in our relationships. How can we practice being present with those around us and then go a little deeper?

Today we have a special conversation with Dick Foth. We get to hear some of his fabulous storytelling while also gleaning some of the wisdom from the book Dick recently authored with his wife, Ruth. The book is called Known: Finding Deep Friendships in a Shallow World.

“When I hear your story, I learn where to love you,” comments Dick.

Dick Foth is an author, storyteller and speaker. He’s on the teaching teams of four different congregations around the country, including National Community Church pastored by Mark Batterson in Washington DC. You can read more about him or check out his book here.

As many of our listeners know, Tom Paterson, creator of the Paterson processes and a dear friend to many, passed away on September 3rd, 2019. We celebrated his life together in Fort Collins, Colorado, on Oct 12th. Tom’s life had a huge impact on many. You can find a video sharing more about this here, on the Stories of Impact video.

Moments like this have a way of ‘calling’ us. Moments that we didn’t plan on, or necessarily anticipate, arrive in our lives and we have to decide how we will respond.

In today’s episode we wanted to explore some of our thoughts and memories of Tom, sharing a little of the imprint he has had, not only on our lives, but in the lives of many others. We explore what it means for us to answer the ‘call’ of this moment and be faithful in keeping and cultivating this legacy on into the future.

Do you have a memory of Tom Paterson you’d like to share with us? Perhaps a story of how his work has impacted your life? We’d love to hear from you. You can share this with us by heading to the Legacy page.

Do you ever struggle to accept where you are at today? I know I do. It can be such a challenge to accept this moment — the here and now — in my journey. I’m always looking ahead, thinking to the future, and struggling to be ok with where I’m at today.

How do we learn to respect the contributions that we are making, and that others are making, in this continued process of becoming? How do we practice respecting and honoring our own stories?

Today, on the Paterson Podcast, we are talking about the value of Honoring the Journey. We explore what it looks like to honor our journey in both the highs and the lows of our paths. Most of life isn’t arriving; it’s journeying. Today’s conversation is an invitation to us all to consider how we can honor that reality more in our own lives and within the lives of those around us.

As author Jan Johnson would suggest “You cannot be anywhere that you are not. So start where you are, not where you are not.” We invite you to listen in, honor this moment in your own journey, and, if it feels right, please share it with a friend.

Thanks for listening,

Mary

Hello Podcast Listeners, Mary here:

We live in such a future-focused society. In our personal lives, as well as within our organizations, we are intently focused on moving forward and achieving; and once something is achieved, we are on to the next thing.

We rarely take intentional time to pause, look back, reflect, and celebrate. We tend to view the idea of celebration as an indulgence, rather than as a practice to be pursued. We see it as extra fluff, not as a key step in the journey.

But not taking time to pause, reflect, and celebrate can come at a high cost. Rather than experiencing the gift of the moment, we may become focused on our fears of the future, or stuck in the disappointments of our past. As Blaise Pascal warned us, “We almost never think of the present, and if we do think of it, it is only to see what light it throws on our plans for the future. The present is never our end. The past and the present are our means, the future alone our end. Thus we never actually live, but hope to live, and since we are always planning how to be happy, it is inevitable that we should never be so.”

This week on the Podcast we are exploring the Paterson Value of Celebrating Intentionally. Perhaps you, like me, could do with a little more of that in your life.

We know that with rest, reflection, and celebration; we gain clarity, we replenish, and we mark important points in our paths. As I write this, the date is Friday, October 11th. Tomorrow many of us will gather for Tom Paterson’s memorial service in Fort Collins, Colorado. As we gather tomorrow, we will be taking time to practice the value Tom gave us of Celebrating Intentionally. We’ll be taking time to pause, honor, and celebrate the life of one very incredible and special man that many of us dearly loved.

Celebration renews our vision and refreshes our soul; that is our hope for tomorrow, as we celebrate Tom’s life. And that is our hope for this Podcast, as it serves as an invitation to you in your own journey.

Thanks for listening,

Mary

What are those places in life where you’re feeling great resistance to let go? Some might call it anxiety; others might describe it as a lack of freedom.

You know…those places in your life where you’re trying to control something; in reality, it’s actually that thing that’s controlling you. Maybe it’s your reputation or your finances. Your future or your health. Or maybe it’s something else. We all have things that we are holding too tightly; places in our lives that tie us to fear and to doubt.

Tom Paterson taught us the value of surrender — the idea of letting go of the things we can’t control, and experiencing freedom.

So everyone loves surrender, right? It’s the in thing to do. Right?

Nope, not at all.

Not now.

Maybe not ever.

Today, on the Paterson Podcast, we are talking about the Value of Surrendered Living. But what does that mean and look like? Why does it matter? It might sound hard, even slightly religious, and potentially very difficult. So let’s explore it together.

Surrendered living matters because we are all on a journey. And we know that as we embark upon the journeys in our lives we often encounter fears, voices, and obstacles that seek to limit us. Every journey has challenges and dark valleys. 

But we don’t have to stay there.

Surrender is a pathway through the voices, the lies, and the criticisms. More than anything, surrender can guide us out of the valley and out of the confusion caused by doubt and fear.

So how do we surrender and do it well? How do we let go, in a healthy way, so that we experience greater freedom in the places where we were previously held back?

Curious to find out more? Listen in as we explore this value. And if this conversation is a gift to you, please share it with a friend or loved one.

Thanks for listening,

Mary

What if you could see your way forward? Where would it take you? The Paterson Process, refined by over 40 years of proven success, is tailor-made to help individuals and teams gain the insight they need to do just that. Clarity and purpose are not only necessary, they’re possible, and we’re here to guide you there. In the Paterson Podcast, we share insights from our work over the last 40+ years. We share tips, tools, and stories of amazing impact.

“Courage is not looking or acting tough; it’s actually about being intimately acquainted with the dangers and risks that you are facing…it’s about a beautiful invitation to show up in the world.”

We are thrilled to be back with a new series of episodes on the Paterson Podcast.

In today’s episode we are joined by Paterson Guide Stephen Milburn for a conversation around Courageous Engagement — what it is, our relationship to it, the value of it, and how we might bring more of it into the world.

As we continue to celebrate Tom Paterson’s life and legacy, and set our future upon it, it feels so right to be having a conversation around Courage. This episode begins a 5-part series we are releasing on the topic of Core Values. Courageous Engagement is a core value of Paterson and our tribe of Guides. But more than that, we believe the invitation to courageous engagement is open to all of us, and we wanted to explore it together.

With the Paterson Podcast, we’re going to be launching new episodes each and every week — so don’t forget to subscribe to catch the latest. We know life is busy, so we’ve kept each episode to 30 minutes – that’s just 24 minutes if you listen on 1.25 speed

When it comes to digital marketing, it’s easy to engage and produce content and yet still use our energy on the wrong things. It’s easy to miss the real conversations that might be happening with our customers.

“People often think that volume is best. With digital marketing we have such great data to understand our customers. We need to think of the web as this new, living laboratory where we can learn, methodically, about our customers rather than just casting a really large net and hoping to catch a few customers along the way.” — John Jordan

John Jordan is a digital marketing consultant who helps organizations grow their online sales and conversions to create raving fans. Prior to launching his own consulting firm, John was the Executive Director of Digital Marketing for the Global Leadership Summit. He is also a founder of the GLS Next App.

Yet John would be the first to tell you “Nobody is an expert in digital marketing. The industry is changing so rapidly.” It’s hard for everyone. Even if you think you’ve got it completely figured out, it will probably be totally different in a year.

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t things you can do.

Digital marketing is less about the content we create or the platforms we use and more about — how do we actually use this to better understand the people we desire to serve —our customers— and how do we come along side them empathetically, with understanding?

Here’s a first step: “Consider a brand you love… whoever has convinced you to say yes. Or even when you are just on Instagram… just pay attention— Whose adds do you actually stick around to watch? Why? Be a student and spend a little bit more time putting yourself in that marketer’s shoes and asking yourself why did they choose to do that? What caught my attention?”

To learn more about how John intersected with the Paterson processes of LifePlan and StratOp, the importance of a strong value proposition, how social media is over-rated and how gravity works against digital marketing, click the link below to listen in.

Last, quick announcement: This is our last podcast episode for a while. We will be back in 2019 with more stories of impact. Thanks for listening and, as always, if this show brings you value, please help spread the word within your tribe.

Wishing all our listeners a lovely holiday season,

-David, Mary and the Paterson team.

LINKS

Flint McGlaughlin’s website 

Meclabs Institute, Founded by Flint McGlaughlin

Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

The Global Leadership Summit 

Books by Walter Isaacson