Brandon Clark is a talented marketing operations manager and expert in ELearning design. He shares excellent insights related to work life balance, working remotely, productivity, leadership, prioritization. and the value of mentoring.
Ep 15 - Interview with Trave Harmon, CEO, of Triton Technologies: Work Life Balance Challenges in the Tech Industry
Trave Harmon shares lessons learned from twenty years in the technology industry. We explore work life integration, high employee turnover, trends in technology related to the pandemic, recommended productivity software, and the pros and cons of remote working.
Ep 14 - Unleash Your Creativity: Lessons Learned from My Favorite Movies
Avoid the pitfalls keeping you from your deepest levels of creativity. Learn to disconnect from the pesky opinions of others and access the power of having vision in creativity. We'll conclude with key insights from a film that won an Oscar for Best Picture that will unleash your creativity.
Assume Big Bold Roles that Pave the Way for a Sexy New You
Whenever I come across an article about a ritzy gala or fundraiser, I save the article and pictures. It's exciting seeing pictures of folks all dressed up at an event to raise money for a good cause. I imagine myself mingling with all of the influential people and doing good works. This is my philanthropist role. I’m unable to give as generously as the people at those events, but one day I will. I love the Willy Wonka-themed gala in Boston, wherein, participants wear shades of chocolate brown. For me, inspiration always stems for a sensory experience. I'm a big proponent of assuming big roles that you're not actually doing yet. I call these placeholder roles. There's nothing wrong with taking on new exciting roles and using them as a vision for your future. I just completed a five day course about sales and marketing by Stacey Boehman and she said once you have an exciting vision for your life, show up as that future self with each new person you meet! They only know what show up as! Give yourself the role of visionary or leader. Call yourself a novelist - anything that pulls you forward.
Here's my current role list and they all pull me into a sexy new me!
1. Spiritual / Transcendental Meditation
2. Lean & Strong
3. Visionary
4. Wealth Builder
5. Philanthropist
6. Partner
7. Dad
8. Family / Friend
9. Backgammon
10. Chef
11. Movie Buff
12. Joker
13. Writer
14. Creative Genius
15. Music Therapist
16. Executive Coach
17. Sales Pro
18. Prof. Speaker
19. Social Media Contributor
20. Productivity Expert
What's a sexy new role you need to assume right now??
Ep 13 - How to Be Your Very Best: Lessons from the World’s Greatest Sushi Chef
Jiro Dreams of Sushi is an inspiring documentary about the world’s best sushi chef, Jiro Ono. He owns Sukiyabashi Jiro - a Three Michelin star restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. This documentary inspired this episode of my podcast.
You’ll hear the following:
Embracing the power of simplicity
Importance of habit and a consistent approach
Striving to continually improve
Dedicate your life to your occupation
Develop mastery through repetition
Live by the shokunin way of life: be a master craftsman and work relentless towards the pursuit of perfection
Related blog posts:
What was Your First Peak Performance?
Share Your Talents, Strengths, and Gifts Freely
One of my favorite things on social media, in response to the pandemic, is when creatives freely share their gifts. I love hearing Dennis DeYoung, singer for the rock band Styx, belting out hits at his piano while in his living room. Plus, he adds a message of hope. It means something to see others going through the same challenges as you. Dennis isn't getting paid to sing on Facebook.
Have you legendary actor, Patrick Stewart - Captain Picard on Star Tre Next Generation? He reads a Shakespeare sonnet every day - just for the enjoyment of it - love that!
Ted Nugent is another artist who's very giving with his music. He's one of the only musicians I've seen that brought his guitar with him to sit on the couch next to the tv host. And he'd jam out whenever.
My sons have big dreams and goals and I always try to encourage them to focus on being of service. Help others! Give! It's not always easy - we want to know what we're getting in return. Heck - it took me nearly 50 years to get it through my thick skull that I should first be of service - not what I want.
Donald Miller, author of Building a Storybrand explains this beautifully: make your customers the hero and you be their guide - be the Yoda to their Luke Skywalker. Show your prospects and customers how they are going to win the day. They're the hero, not you!
As self-development legend, Jim Rohn, said, "Giving starts the receiving process."
How to Find Your Sweet Spot in Leading a Fulfilling Life
Have you ever abandoned something you enjoyed because you couldn't be the best at it?
I've fallen into that trap many times and didn't realize it until creating a podcast episode about my life's story. I started with my current purpose of being a productivity and life purpose expert and went backwards in time to figure out how I discovered that purpose.
In the fourth grade, I began playing drums and it quickly became my identity. I was the top drummer everywhere I went - well, until I wasn't. In college, I found myself surrounded by better drummers. Gradually, drumming became less of a part of my identity. I figured - what's the point of working at it if I can't be the best?
With the internet, it's easy to dive into subjects that interest us. It's also easy to see how there's always someone more informed than you. Maybe you have a different reaction and become more invested and stimulated because of the competition.
For example, I love the movie Jaws and joined a Jaws Facebook group. Initially, it was a lot of fun but after a few weeks, I couldn't keep up! Would this be the end of my love for Jaws? Hell, no! I wouldn't let that happen. I started wondering about this recurring pattern of mine. I decided to focus more on enjoying my hobbies whole-heartedly - without the need to compare with others.
Also, discovering what I'm most passionate about - ie/ productivity coaching - taught me that even though there are many other productivity experts, none of them see the world through my eyes. I have a completely original take and embrace it. This was an eye-opener! I had to believe in the value of my unique take on everything I do. I found my sweet spot between being content and striving to improve.
What are the vital areas in your life where you need to find your sweet spot? Make a list of the key areas in your life and brainstorm how your approach is unique.
Related blog post:
A Vision for Your Future
Podcast Ep. 3 - Life Story and Discovering Your Purpose
Snapshots of Joy: How Keeping an Audio Journal Can Make You More Productive
One reason I love keeping an audio journal is to capture the tiny moments of contentment in my life. I used to gauge my happiness by asking: did I have an enjoyable day? However when you come down to it, much of our day is spent transitioning between events. And we have ups and downs all day long. Focus on snapshots in time, as opposed to full days.
Examples:
relaxed in a hot tub while listening to Pink Floyd’s Pulse album while drinking a cinnamon-rimmed pumpkin ale
had a hot apple cider and apple pie cupcake at Whoopie-Doo and Cupcakes too
Got in a positive state listening to Tom Petty while cooking beef burgundy
Related post:
What’s Sacred Anymore?
Leadership Development - How Much Humility and Empathy Do You Display?
1. Having empathy and humility are huge productivity hacks! Think of all the time you’re wasting butting heads. Naturally, you have to stick up for yourself but you can minimize a lot of stress by starting with agreement. Empathize with your partner. Grant Cardone talks about starting in agreement when selling to prospects. Never argue with a prospect! Show empathy. You’ll be amazed how quickly you can move beyond disagreement by displaying a little good faith empathy. Move on - get to the real work of completing the mission.
Think of the exercise bike company Peloton’s infamous commercial that many hated. Peloton failed to show empathy - quite the opposite! They blamed their target market for not getting the commercial! It backfired. Humility has become a buzz word for management scholars. Be a good person - what a concept! Humble leaders foster more collaboration, engagement, and encourage more information sharing between team members than those who are ego-driven.
Jim Collins said it years ago when he coined the term level 5 leader - a leader who is completely passionate and a go-getter yet is able to accept feedback. Level 5 leaders give credit to the team and not themselves.
2. In early March, a Biogen corporate meeting in Boston had three people with Covid. This led to 100 more cases. It was described as a super spreader. And how ironic that a company working to combat Covid would inadvertently spread it. I was struck by the names of the workshops that took place in that conference: Living Up to Our Purpose, Orchestrating Agility in the Matrix (not exactly sure what that one was about), and Where Science Meets Humanity. All fascinating titles for workshops. I would’ve loved to be there listening in if it weren’t for the pandemic. Just reading about workshops that explore purpose and good works gets me revved up! I love big bold plans. In Biogen’s defense, they donated $10 million dollars to help the fight of the virus.
3. One of my favorite things about great writing is how its details activate our senses. And with the sensory stimulation comes emotion. One example is the phrase “tin of cookies.” A plate of cookies is pleasant but a tin adds a new level for me: fancy, decorative, special, and a sparse few cookies in a beautifully-crafted tin. The transfer from thought to emotional state reminds me of transcendental meditation. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi explained when you focus on an aural mantra (of a syllable or word that has no meaning) you gradually perceive that stimulus as a feeling - perhaps of contentment. We severely overlook the power of tapping into connecting our feeling states with performance. As I am typing these words, I have Pink Floyd’s double live dvd, Pulse, playing in the background at just the right volume - as to be with me but not a distraction. It’s a huge enhancer. I’m very happy typing away and I have that content feeling throughout my body while I write. It’s not a happy coincidence. I know I enjoy writing but I have to set the mood with the background music.
4. Parallel play is when children play near one another and watch one another but don’t actually play together. The current issue of the Harvard Business Review draws comparisons to start-ups. These are companies that are in brand new markets where there isn’t a clear path. Whereas, in traditional businesses, companies strive to differentiate themselves from the competition, when companies are in brand new markets, there is no true path to follow - so founders must observe, copy, and test things out before committing fully to a strategy.
I love learning about creative play in children - it’s so powerful! It’s also super creative. When I think of identifying our life roles, I think of a child’s box of favorite toys. We must think big when identifying our roles. It’s disempowering to have a role of chauffeur or house maid. Think big - plan big roles for your future!
5. Speaking of leaders, I’ve noticed a trend. I often see leaders with their head buried in their computers at their desk when they could be making a much bigger impact if they were in the game. I realize there are things that need to be done on technology and correspondences to get to but jump in there. Think of one of the greatest leaders - Captain James T. Kirk. That guy was never hiding in his living quarters during emergencies - he was the first to beam down and get to the bottom of things. This is one reason I’m recording my voice more now - it’s a huge time saver. Dictate your thoughts and have someone complete the action. As a leader, allow your empathy and humility to come forward. Do that magic that only you can do!
Taking to Productivity Like a Trout to a Butter Worm
1. Our phrase of the day is from the awesome tv series, Blacklist, starring James Spader. The phrase is “he took to it like a trout to a butter worm” - very descriptive and concrete, hah? I scribbled down this phrase as soon as I heard it. So, what have been YOUR greatest and most consistent interests and passions through the years? What’s a natural fit for you? What’s something you can’t get enough of? It’s important to identify and honor these special interests - they can be the engine for your life’s work and well-being.
I’m realizing the beauty of small things that give us good feelings such as confidence, strength, and rejuvenation. It can be as inconsequential as cleaning off your glasses with lens wipes! Don’t under-estimate the cumulative effect of all these good things throughout the day and evening. Make a list of the small things that make you feel positive feeling states.
2. Audio journal check-in: being home-bound most of the time, makes it harder to have privacy. In typical times, I enjoyed the routine of dictating my journal while driving home from work (hands-free, of course, to be safe). I miss that! With the pandemic, I’m speaking softly into my digital recorder at the very end of the night when I’m exhausted. This is usually around 1:30am! When I gabbed in my car, I got in state - I was loud, I spoke with excitement and had an engaging rhythm. I allowed my momentum to lead me to different areas. And I spoke for 7-10 minutes, whereas, now I speak 2-3 minutes. I need to get the old audio journaling me back.
3. I’m frustrated with social media because I’ve gotten a taste for authentic dialogue with a select few people I’ve met online but a large majority of my interactions is B.S.! It’s to the point where I don’t even want to respond to people because I suspect they’re just sizing me up for the sales funnel. I hate that! And I keep getting drawn in! I’m easily tricked, it seems. It’s hard to determine when someone is genuinely asking what you do. I guess I need to work through that.
4. Productivity tip: make it as easy as possible to take up where you left off each day - with everything! I love routines and systems - that’s the beauty of lists. Capture those gems quickly and move on. I use the Scrivener software program to organize my many categories of ideas. It’s a writer’s program and it’s only $49!
Examples:
I use a one-subject notebook to jot down my creative snippets to dictate into my audio journal - it’s always at arm’s length
My morning routine is: brush teeth, have a glass of water, do transcendental meditation for 20 minutes, and then hop on the treadmill
Small stack of dvd’s pre-selected and in the batter’s box to watch - they’re next in line - everything is funneling through!
5. Social media strategy: I’m going to try to do a once a day strategy for all of my social media output: blog, Youtube video, Instagram, Facebook, and All the Hats We Wear podcast. It seems like a lot, but many social media gurus recommend doing much more. I tried creating a Monday, Wednesday, Friday routine for Youtube or Tuesday/Thursday plan for blogging but I couldn’t get into a rhythm. We’ll see! I figure if I did one thing a day on all my favorite platforms - that’s a good amount of material over the long-term. Anything more than one piece of content is gravy. I’m finding more and more than I need to do what I feel is right over doing the status quo. I’ve never gotten too excited over the 7 steps to blah, blah, blah template.
6. My scrapbooking is going very well. I have 8 large 3-ring binders full of clipped articles and pictures. I”m currently creating an index document so I can sort them. So, I’ll be able to troll down to all my articles on “Productivity” for a coming article I’m writing or video. I’ve spent an enormous amount of time cataloguing them for easy reference. I’m grinding this seemingly busy work so I can have the resources I need at mu fingertips for better posts and better preparing myself for being a productivity expert. I’ve been contemplating how I’m really in the idea business! So, I should curate and tend to my idea garden, as much as possible.
7. My next project is to create a time management boot camp-type of e-course - perhaps using Thinkific. Which time management challenges should I cover in my e-course?