Podcast 80: Succession: Are You Ready? with Marshall Goldsmith

Marshall Goldsmith Ph.DI first learned of Marshall Goldsmith’s work through a good friend Simon Vetter.  Marshall has a bio that reads like the who’s who in business management.  He was recently named by Business Week Magazine as one of the most influential practitioners in the history of leadership development, and the American Management Association named Dr. Goldsmith as one of 50 great thinkers and leaders who have influenced the field of management over the past 80 years.

In the podcast with Marshall we get to explore the concepts and ideas in his new book entitled, “Succession: Are You Ready? (Memo to the CEO)“.  The best thing about this new book, is that it is condensed, easy to read and part of the Harvard Business Press books designed for the time starved executives. While the book is written as letters to a fictional CEO, the learnings apply to leaders at all levels – who are faced with the prospect of either letting go or developing their successor.

Frequently leadership succession is presented as a dry, “check-the-boxes” process during which seemingly robotic executives are concerned only with the buzzwords like “strategic fit”, “core competencies”, and “long-term shareholder value”.  Very little of what is written deals with “soft” personal issues like relationships, self-interest, ego, or God forbid, feelings!

What Marshall has accomplished, (that many authors who have attempted to broach this subject have failed to accomplish,) is a focus on the human and behavioral elements of transition.   “Succession: Are You Ready? (Memo to the CEO)”, is designed to help the reader: prepare for the transition, choose a successor, coach your successor and pass the baton.

In my podcast with Marshall we explore the human elements of succession planning.  It is my opinion that the human elements of succession planning are so much more important than the strategic aspects.  In our podcast you will be exposed to practical real world advice.

I hope you enjoy my interview with Marshall. If you would like to learn more about Marshall’s consulting organization, and his other books and publications please click here to access his website.

Podcast 78: Full Confidence, Overcoming Fear with the Power of Love with Veronica de Andres

Veronica de AndresWhat a pleasure it was interviewing Veronica de Andres about her new DVD release entitled, “Full Confidence-Overcoming Fear with the Power of Love“.  You are going to love this DVD, and most importantly the very timely message that Veronica conveys with her unique charm and style.

Full Confidence is a film focused on human development. It combines aspects of both a documentary film with the style of a video seminar. The production quality is wonderful, for it provides the viewer with a high entertainment value.

Veronica’s message is quite simple, it is the power of love to heal. During my interview with her we discuss events in her personal life that were the defining moments for her to choose love over fear. It was through the choice of love over fear that Veronica started to develop her personal Full Confidence. She recalls a time in 7th grade when her teacher choose to compliment her, and provide her with encouragement that she decided to becoming a life long learner, and committing herself to teaching others about the power of love.

She emphasizes that fear creates rebellion, submission and anger and that love is ever expanding. If one loves themselves it truly reinforces full confidence, and the world starts to look like a very inviting place instead of a hostile environment.

I believe that if more of us thought with our hearts instead of our heads that this world would be a much more compassionate place to live. Peace, love and tranquility would abound instead of war, hatred, fighting and fear.

If you are looking to center yourself for about an hour, and immerse your soul in a wonderful bath filled with great ideas, thoughts and pleasurable stories then I highly recommend that you watch and listen to the words of Veronica de Andres. She is a remarkable orator with a very pleasant style and grace, and truly a woman with a deep caring for souls looking to find peace, happiness and love in their lives.

If you would like to learn more about Veronica and her outreach work that is having a wonderful impact worldwide, please visit her website by clicking here. Enjoy, the podcast!!!!

Podcast 77: Reinvention-How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life with Brian Tracy

Brian TracyI am sure that for most of you it goes without mention, that you are familiar with the well known author and speaker, Brian Tracy.  I was recently forwarded a copy of his new book entitled, “Reinvention: How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life”.

I had the pleasure of interviewing him for this podcast about his new book, and was very impressed with his philosophy about our current world affairs regarding the job market and finding employment.  It is Brian’s opinion that the 80/20 rule applies to most people.  That 20% of the people are proactive and have an entrepreneur mentality when it comes to finding work, and that 80% of the population are very reactive.  He states that most people are not continual learners, and that when asked about their job experience they will state that they have 20 years of experience. He contends that they really have one (1) year of experience repeated 20 times over.

Brian states that people spend an inordinate amount of time in tension releasing activities such as being entertained, and much less time educating themselves for personal improvement.

Brian’s new book, “Reinvention: How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life”, is about taking control over your life and career.  His book helps you to take stock of yourself before you go out looking for a job, to understand the job market and how to find the unadvertised jobs.  He mentions that most good careers/jobs are not advertised, and that it takes investigative work using the internet and other resources to find the job you are looking for.

Brian provides a combination of practical tactics, motivational incentives and encouragement to the reader.  Anyone seeking fulfillment and a fresh start will find proven strategies and invaluable advice on how to move forward in these turbulent times.  How to master critical thinking skills such as: reevaluating, rethinking, reorganizing, restructuring, reengineering, reinventing and regaining control after an unexpected setback.

“Reinvention: How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life”, is a must read for anyone experiencing the challenges associated with finding new employment and reinventing themselves. This book is packed full of wisdom, advice and how-to strategies and it is an easy read.  I highly recommend Brian’s new book.

If you would like additional information about Brian Tracy, please visit his website by clicking here.

Podcast 76: The Power of TED with David Emerald

David EmeraldI recently interviewed David Emerald the author of, “The Power of TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic) – Updated and Revised.  David’s book is a wonderful story about a character by the name of Ted that David meets after a series of unfortunate events in his life.  This fictional character, Ted, provides David with some sage advice regarding the dreaded Drama Triangle.

The foundational frameworks of TED* include essential tools that support individuals, professionals and organizations in identifying limiting roles and how to replace them with more resourceful ways of being.

The Empowerment Dynamic (TED)™ is the antidote to the Drama Triangle, which was first described by Stephen Karpman, MD. The Dreaded Drama Triangle (DDT) is comprised of three roles – or ego states: Victim (the primary role that is at the heart of all three), the Persecutor (which the Victim blames for their suffering); and the Rescuer (who steps in to try and take away the Victim’s suffering). People shift in and out of playing all three roles in this Dreaded Drama Triangle (DDT).

TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic), offers a different triangle with a different set of relationships. At the heart of this new dynamic is the Creator life orientation.

The power of this book and it’s message is quite meaningful. It allows the reader to identify and understand when we have all played each of these roles in our life, and how we can empower ourselves to a new way of life orientation as a creator.

I highly recommend, “The Power of TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic)”.  David Emerald has just posted a newly revised website that is a great resource both for individuals and organizations that are in need of making a shift in their organizational culture.  Please click here to link to David’s website.

Podcast 75: Running the Numbers by Chris Jordan

Chris JordanChris Jordan, is an artist and an activist that is truly helping to awaken us to our convenient lifestyles, and the impact they are having on our environment.

It is important to remember that we are all in this together, and the sooner we realize that we are equally responsible for our own environmental destruction, and that there is no  “they” that is responsible, then we will become awaken to making better choices for the environment.

We can start to look inside, become more aware of our purchasing patterns, conveniences, and the material conveniences that we take for granted.  It is the ingrained, “I am not enough”, thought that we have learned that is at the primary root of many of the challenges that Chris’s artwork depicts.

Chris’s new book entitled, “Running the Numbers: An American Self-portrait“, is both an artist’s and an activist’s way of helping us wake up to our habits, and possibly make an effort to shift them, and not be enslaved to them.

“Running the Numbers “, looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on.

The following are just a few of the many examples depicted in Chris’s book that hopefully will bring awareness to the issue that we are all in this together:

Oil Barrels, 2008 Depicts 28,000 42-gallon barrels, the amount of of oil consumed in the United States every two minutes (equal to the flow of a medium-sized river). Light Bulbs, 2008 72×96″ Depicts 320,000 light bulbs, equal to the number of kilowatt hours of electricity wasted in the United States every minute from inefficient residential electricity usage (inefficient wiring, computers in sleep mode, etc.). Toothpicks, 2008 60×96″Depicts one hundred million toothpicks, equal to the number of trees cut in the U.S. yearly to make the paper for junk mail. Plastic Cups, 2008 60×90″ Depicts one million plastic cups, the number used on airline flights in the US every six hours.

Chris’ hope is that images representing these quantities might have a different effect than the raw numbers alone, such as we find daily in articles and books. Statistics can feel abstract and anesthetizing, making it difficult to connect with and make meaning of 3.6 million SUV sales in one year, for example, or 2.3 million Americans in prison, or 32,000 breast augmentation surgeries in the U.S. every month.

This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs. Employing themes such as the near versus the far, and the one versus the many, Chris hopes to raise some questions about the roles and responsibilities we each play as individuals in a society that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming.

I know you are going to enjoy this podcast with Chris, and I can highly recommend his new book entitled, “Running the Numbers”.  Please listen to the underlying message in this podcast, for Chris has an important message.

Podcast 74: Thrive the Vegan Nutritional Guide with Brendan Brazier

Brendan BrazierI was fortunate enough to be referred to Brendan Brazier through a friend, Brian Johnson, who has a great website called Philosophers Notes. Brendan Brazier, the author of, “Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life,” is a vegan, and also just happens to be a professional Ironman Triathlete and the formulator of Vega nutritional foods.

In my interview with him we explore how he found the right formulas for eating nutrient rich foods with less calories, while and at the same time improved his performance as an athlete. He explains that his stress levels decreased, and his recover rates improved significantly. He helps to debunk the myth that professional and amateur athletes need to carbo load before an event, as a matter of fact he has proven just the opposite. That eating nutrient rich foods will actually give you more energy, and your performance and recovery times will improve.

If you really want to learn more about what stress is doing to increase your cortisol levels and increase the fat in your body, listen carefully to how important it is to reduce the stress from the external sources and to improve your performance as an athlete, and in all other areas of your life. Brendan’s, “Thrive Diet” is really more than a diet, it is a lifestyle change.

Brendan states that many, if not al,l of our modern-day health problems are caused by stress. Obesity, fatigue, mental fog, sleep disturbances, digestive problem and prematurely wrinkled skin, depression…and the list goes on. If stress, and therefore cortisol, remains elevated, several problem arise to hamper our body’s smooth functioning. One is that the body shifts fuel sources. Instead of burning fat as fuel, a stressed person’s system will burn carbohydrate in the form of sugar, and the body begins to store the body fat instead of using it for energy.

If you would like to learn more about Brendan’s Thrive Diet, he has a real cool free Thrive in 30 program where he emails to you a brief very well done 4-6 minute video with tips for improving your health and performance as an athlete. If you click here it will take you to the sign up page for this wonderful program. You can also learn more about Brendan’s Vega nutritional supplemental products by clicking here.

I hope you enjoy the great interview with a real guru in the field of professional athletes, and nutrition.
Brendan is the real deal, and I highly recommend his Thrive Diet program as well as his book, “Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life“. Remember you don’t have to be vegan to learn some great tips from Brendan and his incredible book.

Podcast 73: Die Trying, One Man’s Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits with Bo Parfet

Bo ParfetIn this wonderful interview with a very heartfelt young man, I get to explore the inner drive and ambition that developed within Bo Parfet to motivate him in his quest to become an amazing mountain climber and conquer the Seven Summits.

For a dyslexic guy who was told he wouldn’t graduate high school, Bo Parfet has achieved a lot in his 31 years. A graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, the Chicagoan scaled the 29,028-foot summit of Mount Everest on May 17, 2007 , and in so doing became one of only 80 people to have successfully climbed all eight of the world’s “Seven Summits,” the tallest mountain on every continent.

You see, the overall list comprises Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania; Mt. Aconcuaga in Argentina; Mt. McKinley (aka Denali) in Alaska; the Vinson Massif in Antarctica; Mt. Elbrus in Russia; Carstensz Pyramid (aka Puncak Jaya) in Indonesia; Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia; and Everest in China. Since mountaineers differ on whether Australasia’s should be Kosciuszko, the highest on the Australian mainland, or Papua New Guinea’s much taller Carstensz Pyramid, Bo decided to cover all bases.

While either working as an investment banker on Wall Street, bio-prospecting for lifesaving micro-organisms in extreme environments, or getting his MBA from Kellogg; Bo not only took on the Seven Summits he helped several students in impoverished areas of Africa get scholarships to complete medical school through his personal efforts and a little help from JP Morgan to help fund their educations.

All of these stories are related in Die Trying: One Man’s Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits, yet this is far more than an action-adventure along the lines of Jon Krakauer’s smash-hit bestseller Into Thin Air (Villard, 1997), among many, many other mountain-based books: Joe Simpson’s Touching the Void (HarperCollins, 1989); David Breashears’ High Exposure (Simon & Schuster, 1999); Beck Weathers’ Left For Dead (Villard, 2000); even Seven Summits by Dick Bass (Grand Central, 1988), the man who first climbed each of the continents’ highest mountains.

Die Trying: One Man’s Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits expands on Bo’s most dramatic, traumatic, and triumphal experiences by not only documenting the different revelations experienced during each of the expeditions, but also describing how these have enabled him to “turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones” in all areas of his life; at home, in the workplace, on the side of a mountain.

As such it will appeal to a far broader readership – gripping people with its graphically-related, death-defying adventures, speaking to them in terms of their own life challenges, and inspiring them with its delineation of human potential; of the inner strength derived from dealing with discouragement and overcoming adversity; of one man’s declaration that he will not be limited.

I know you will really enjoy my interview with Bo, and I encourage you to visit his website to view some of the photos from his expeditions.  You will also love the music at his website.  Click here to be linked to his website.

Podcast 72: To Touch The Timeless Mind with Guy Finley

Guy FinleyI always thoroughly enjoy my interviews with Guy Finley. I find our interviews mentally stimulating, and hope to provide our listeners with an opportunity for deep personal growth.   In my latest interview with Guy, we are discussing a workshop that Guy presented at the Message Companies  The International Conference on Science and Consciousness in Santa Fe, New Mexico last year.  The title of the talk was, “To Touch The Timeless Mind“.

In our time together we will discuss what Guy refers to as, “the two paths to liberation”,  one being the gradual path and the other being the direct path. It is Guy’s thought that individuals can make a million year leap in consciousness. The way this is accomplished is by following the direct path to liberation. We begin to understand during this podcast the deeper elements of finding truth within ourselves, and that liberation and true freedom can be found by just learning how to let go. As Guy states it,  “we cannot think our way to wholeness”.

While on the direct path, there really is nothing to achieve. The true dichotomy of our existence is that we are constantly attempting to achieve something, and in the attempt to achieve this imagined “something” we miss much of life. I encourage you to listen very closely to Guy’s  words as he very eloquently explains how one can live a life of freedom and liberation.
Guy Finley  has recently launched his new website entitled, “Guy Finley Now“. This new website is loaded with video, audio and text based upon over 20 years of material that Guy has delivered through his, “Life of Learning Foundation“. If you would like to learn more about Guy Finley, please click here for more information. I hope you enjoy this podcast, for this material is really mind expanding.