The Conversation Hub

One of my favorite things to do is to engage in a meaningful conversation with friends or loved one over a glass of a great wine. My wife and I - joined by some great friends - have traveled to California's wine country a few times and since our first trip, we've been enamored by good wine - specifically Elizabeth Spencer's Cabernet Sauvignon. For our conversation this week, we engage in a great conversation with wine expert and certified Sommelier, Leslee Miller. Our conversation was a lot of fun - and that's a big part of approach - making wines fun! We recorded our conversation in her home, joined by her three furry friends (you'll hear her dog chew on his bone during the conversation). Enjoy the conversation!  I recommend a glass of wine for maximum enjoyment!!! About Leslee Miller and Amusée Wines Leslee Miller is a certified Sommelier and owner of Amusée; a wine consulting and event planning firm, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her energizing personality and great passion for wine and food are evident in her work with customers and friends. Educated in the Pacific Northwest, Leslee has returned to her Midwest roots and now works with Twin Cities clients. Amusée provides wine education, marketing, and consulting services from wine buying, commercial and residential cellar management, corporate and private event planning, to wine education classes and private wine tasting. You can follow Leslee's Crush Pad Blog or catch her musings on Twitter.

During my college years and my time living outside of Toronto, I was an avid listener of the Canadian Broadcast Corporation - Radio One's service.  One of my favorite reporter and fill-in host was Dick Gordon. When I moved to Minnesota in 2000, I quickly became a fan of Minnesota Public Radio/National Public Radio. In September of 2001, a few days after 9/11 a familiar voice came on the air … Dick Gordon was now the host of a WBUR show called The Connection. As the host of The Story with Dick Gordon, he's been the source of many "driveway moments" for me.  His interview style is second to none. It was an honor and a privilege to engage him in conversation … and now, to share it with you. As a side note … hopefully you can't tell, but I was really nervous for this one! Enjoy it! About Dick Gordon & The Story Dick Gordon was a foreign correspondent and regular fill-in host for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's national radio program, This Morning. He was also a Parliamentary reporter, and correspondent in Moscow and South Asia. Before coming to The Story, Dick was host of The Connection. The Story has many 'parents'. They are the listeners to North Carolina Public Radio-WUNC, who seized the opportunity to help make this program happen. Our listeners knew Dick Gordon from The Connection out of WBUR in Boston, a program he'd been hosting since 2001. But when the station canceled production of the show in 2005, many listeners were upset -- especially here in the Triangle. Many of them called or sent e-mail messages to the Chapel Hill station urging WUNC to bring Dick Gordon to North Carolina and to continue the program from here. To find out when The Story with Dick Gordon airs in you area, please click here. Photos courtesy of The Story and North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC © All rights reserved.

For our conversation this week, we welcome NCAA Football Official Mike Cannon.  For more than 30 years, he's been patrolling the football field as a Field Judge. Just recently, he was selected to be on the officiating crew for the 2010 BCS National Championship featuring the Oregon Ducks and the Auburn Tigers game in Phoenix, AZ in early January 2011. You'll quickly realize that when it comes to football, I don't know much - I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact that I am Canadian and was practically born with skates on!!!  Regardless, it was a fun and educational conversation for me. Enjoy! About Mike Cannon Mike Cannon was born and raised in Campbell, MN.  He graduated from Campbell-Tintah High School in 1978.  He pursued his studies at North Dakota State College of Science, Wahpeton, ND (graduating in 1980 with A. S. in Business Administration) and in 1982 graduated from Moorhead State University with B. S. in Business Administration. He started officiating high school basketball in 1979 and high school football in 1980. Since then he's officiated the following: college football in the NCAA Division II North Central Conference from 1988-1999; college basketball in NCAA Division II & III conferences from 1984-2006; college football in the Big Ten Conference from 2000-present, He is currently a Field Judge (primary position) and a Referee on a part-time basis.  He's officiated 9 bowl games including the 2005 and 2010 BCS National Championship Games. When he is not on the field officiating, Mike works at Citizens Bank & Trust Co., Hutchinson, MN where he serves as Executive Vice President.  Mike and his wife Amber have three children. Photos courtesy of Citizens Bank & Trust (Hutchinson, MN) and Mike Cannon.

For this week's episode, we are joined by StoryCorps' mobile team member, Jenna Weiss-Berman.  As noted in an earlier post, we are very big fans of StoryCorps.  After you listen to the conversation, we invited you to join our Facebook Community - once we reach 300 fans, we'll give them $100. To find out how to bring StoryCorps to your community click here! You can follow StoryCorps on Twitter at @StoryCorps or on Facebook! Enjoy the conversation! About Jenna Weiss-Berman Jenna Weiss-Berman was born and raised in Northampton, Massachusetts. She moved to Brooklyn after graduating from Oberlin College where she studied politics and was the proud Station Manager of WOBC, Oberlin’s college and community radio station. She joined StoryCorps in 2006 and was a Facilitator for over a year, spending eight months out on the open road in StoryCorps’ MobileBooths. Her experiences on Mobile inspired her to join the Mobile Team, and there she remains. Read blog posts from StoryCorps' MobileBooth Facilitators. About StoryCorps Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 30,000 interviews from more than 60,000 participants. The heart of StoryCorps is the conversation between two people who are important to each other: a son asking his mother about her childhood, an immigrant telling his friend about coming to America, or a couple reminiscing on their 50th wedding anniversary. By helping people to connect, and to talk about the questions that matter, the StoryCorps experience is powerful and sometimes even life-changing. Images courtesy of StoryCorps and storycorps_west (All rights reserved.) Studs Terkel audio clip courtesy of StoryCorps © All Rights Reserved

We all need a support system.  When you are in business for yourself, it's even more important. Our guest this week is business consultant Rochelle Shirk. Leveraging years of corporate experience, she's now making a difference by helping and supporting entrepreneurs. I was especially intrigued by The Alternative Board program she offers. Enjoy the conversation! About Rochelle Shirk She’s an advisor, she’s a facilitator and she’s a coach. But perhaps the best metaphor for the kind of work Rochelle does is training. Rochelle is a personal trainer for building business skills. She helps you develop business “muscle.” And because she knows you can’t stop doing your regular work to develop these skills, she provides on-the-job training for business leaders. Practical skills that can be put to use immediately, so you see results quickly. Rochelle earned her Bachelors degree in Public Relations from Moorhead State University (Moorhead, Minnesota) with additional studies at Oxford University (Oxford, England). Her post graduate work includes an MBA in Marketing from the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Minnesota) and business leadership training through the Executive Education Center at the University of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin). More information is available at www.savvyplanning.net. Images courtesy of Rochelle Shirk and iStockPhoto #11171930

I first introduced you to Steve Gasser during our second episode. This week, we re-engage the conversation with Steve on the topic of "being remarkable." Like me, Steve took a cue from Chris Brogan this year and chose three words to guide his work.  Our conversation today is on one of these words: Remarkable. I encourage you to follow Steve and his company, Vivid Image, by visiting his websites at www.vimm.com or www.stevegasser.com. About Steve Gasser As President of Vivid Image, I can often be found strategizing with business colleagues, experimenting with new technologies, or assisting our team with initiatives that will have a profound impact on how we will provide value to our clients and community.  I am always looking for ways to inspire new ideas with others so that we can continue to help others achieve their business dreams. Even after 14 years in business, I continue to be as passionate about inspiring possibilities for those around me as the day Vivid Image first opened its doors. About Vivid Image, Inc. Vivid Image is Minnesota's premiere web design, marketing, and small business consulting business for 14 years. We have experts on staff who love integrating technology with businesses. Everyone at Vivid Image wants to make a difference for our customers and each person brings a passion and energy to their particular function. Attend one of our training seminars or speaking engagements and find out for yourself how much we love what we do! Their Purpose: to experience the joy of helping our clients take small daily steps that make a difference and lead to a brighter future. Their Mission: Inspiring possibilities. Developing strategies. Producing results. More information about Vivid Image is available at www.vimm.com.

Do more great work!  It seems like an easy task, but at times it can be challenging, especially with all of the distraction and the "must-do" and "have to-do" items on our lists. Enter Michael Bungay Stanier - our guest for episode #35. I think the words of David Allen (the GTD guy!) say it very well: "Michael Bungay Stanier has an ability to shake our tree and make us more conscious and responsible ... and the best part – he makes it easy and fun!" It was a honor and privilege to be in conversation with Michael.  I hope you enjoy it! You can follow Michael on Twitter at @BoxofCrayons.  I also recommend you check out some of the inspirational movies he's created.  You can view them here! About Michael Bungay Stanier Michael Bungay Stanier is the founder and Senior Partner of Box of Crayons, a company that helps organizations do less Good Work and more Great Work. Michael’s latest book is Do More Great Work (Workman Press, 2010) a revised and expanded version of Find Your Great Work (Box of Crayons Press, 2009). His first book, Get Unstuck & Get Going …on the stuff that matters, won a number of awards and was endorsed by Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, the management expert Peter Block, business author and coach Marshall Goldsmith and many others. Michael has also created The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun and The 5.75 Question You’ve Been Avoiding, short Internet movies seen by millions of people around the world. Michael was a Rhodes Scholar and the 2006 Canadian Coach of the Year. He is Australian and now lives in Canada. Images courtesy of Michael Bungay Stanier and Box of Crayons

As we commemorate the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, we thought it would be interesting to engage in a conversation with the leader of an NGO that has been doing work there since the early 1990's. "For Haiti to be a developed country", that is what drives the work of Dale and Haiti Outreach.  Sustainable development is more than a buzz word for Dale and his group.  During our conversation you'll hear about Haiti Outreach's work and Dale's hope for the future of this country he has come to love. If you are interest in getting involved, please visit their website. About Dale Snyder Dale Snyder, Haiti Outreach Executive Director: Dale has been involved in Haiti since 1990. He helped found the nonprofit organization in 1990 that was renamed and reorganized as Haiti Outreach in 1997. He has been on the board of directors of that organization until he resigned to take up the position of Executive Director in 2002. A former business owner, Dale has an MBA from the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota. He manages all the activities of Haiti Outreach, including fundraising, from the office in Minnetonka, MN. He also leads groups of people to Haiti. About Haiti Outreach We were started in 1997 by a group of volunteers in Minnesota and a young man from New York state who moved to Haiti eight years earlier, when he was 23 years old, and stayed to make a difference. Beginning with just one half-time employee in Haiti, Haiti Outreach now has 37 employees, 34 of which live there. Since then, we raised almost $7 million to work with the people of Haiti to create sustainable projects that improve their lives. Because our board of directors make donations that cover most of our administrative and fundraising expenses, 95 – 100% of all other contributions go directly for our community development programs in Haiti. More information available at Haiti Outreach.

I first heard Steve Farber speak at an event in Minneapolis in August of 2004. My good friend Steve Gasser and I were deeply move by Steve's message and quickly became fans of his work. I am especially fond of his first book, The Radical Leap and his most recent, Greater Than Yourself. I was delighted when he agreed to join me for a conversation. Enjoy! Win An Autographed Copy of Greater Than Yourself! Interested in getting an personalized, autographed copy of Greater Than Yourself? It's simple, simply leave a comment below and your name will be automatically entered for a chance to win a copy of the book.  It's that simple - just leave a comment.  While you're at it, we invite you to join our fan page on Facebook! About Steve Farber Steve Farber is the president of Extreme Leadership, Incorporated, an organization devoted to the cultivation and development of Extreme Leaders in the business community. His latest book, Greater Than Yourself: The Ultimate Lesson In Leadership (affiliate link), was a Wall Street Journal® and USA Today® bestseller. His second book, The Radical Edge: Stoke Your Business, Amp Your Life, and Change the World (affiliate link), was hailed as “a playbook for harnessing the power of the human spirit.”  And his first book, The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership (affiliate link), is already considered a classic in the leadership field. It received Fast Company magazine’s Readers’ Choice Award and was recently named one of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time. “Approach the act of leadership as you’d approach an extreme sport: learn to love the fear and exhilaration that naturally comes with the territory.” A Universal Message. A subject-matter expert in business leadership and a frequent guest on news-talk shows around the country, Farber is a senior-level leadership coach and consultant who has worked with and spoken to a wide variety of public and private organizations in virtually every arena, from the tech sector to financial services, manufacturing, health care, hospitality, entertainment, retail, and even the US government. More information about Steve Farber is available at www.stevefarber.com and at www.greaterthanyourself.com. Note: We thank author Tommy Spaulding (our guest on episode 12) for connecting us with Steve Farber.

Some people are just plain interesting.  Some professions are just plain fascinating. That is the case with our guest this week and what he does for a living.  Sam Whittingham is a custom bicycle builder.  For more than 15 years now, he has hand-crafted bicycles for people across Canada and United States.  It all started as a young boy when he took apart his bike to fix something that wasn't right.  From there, he's turned a passion for cycling into thriving business. Sam is so good at what he does - even Lance Armstrong owns one of his bikes! We caught with Sam just before Christmas.  On the night of our conversation, whilst talking about bicycles and his passion for building them, the weather outside was frightful. Winter storms were the order of the day in both Minnesota and Quadra Island, British Columbia. Whether you are an avid cyclist or just a casual rider, I know you'll enjoy the conversation. About Sam Whittingham & Naked Bicycles Sam Whittingham, founder, designer and builder for custom bicycle fabrication company, Naked Bicycles and Design, has been building custom frames one by one with love, logic and elbow grease for over a decade now. “I have a definite style which I cannot help but bring to each and every bicycle, but I am greatly influenced by the needs and desires of each customer.” Bike making is in our blood. You could say this company really started 30 years ago as Sam ripped apart his first coaster hub to make it “skid better”. Or maybe it was when he duct-taped a broom stick to his “girls bike” to make it a “boys bike”. Sam worked in bike shops and learned to weld, draft, machine and paint long before he put together his first frame. Sam spent years racing and perfecting bike fit and riding analysis for various disciplines. This is definitely one of the things that sets naked bikes apart; Making each bike fit just right. The first Naked frame was built for Sam’s good friend Neil Carson nearly 12 years ago. And that bike is still being ridden daily. These first few bikes were made late at night in the dungeon of Fairfield Bicycle Shop in Victoria, BC. Later, we moved into a little garage in Victoria and started building bikes under the name of Forte! This lasted for a number of years before we realized that things were really taking off and we needed more space. After a brief stint on Gabriola Island, we have now settled permanently on Quadra Island. This was a return to my home town and we changed the name one last time to naked. The name reflects our desire to build bikes un-adulterated by hype and the latest fads. Sam's Favorite Book Life of Pi (Affiliate Link)

This year, like every year, parents all across America are preparing for the day their son or daughter goes of to college.  It's an annual ritual many families have already experiences and many more will in the years to come. This week, we're in conversation Kristin and Kurt Thompson, parents who are experiencing the last year of high school for their daughter Betsy.  What's unique about them - Betsy is their only child.  For the past few months, they've been living through a series of "last events" and, as you'll hear during our conversation, the most difficult ones have yet to happen. As noted the adventure they are on is not exclusive to them, but one that is shared and will be shared by all of us who are parents. As you listen to this conversation, I encourage you to think back to your last year of high school and what that experience was like for you and for your parents. Enjoy the conversation!

Our guest for this week's conversation with Dr. Eddie Thompson, founder and CEO of Thompson & Associates, a values-based estate planning firm. We connected during his recent visit to St. Cloud, Minnesota.  Our conversation covered several topics, but focused primarily on the crossroads we now find ourselves at as a nation. As you'll hear from Dr. Thompson, we need - more then ever - a commitment to conversation.  Our nation is facing difficult challenges and together, through conversation, we shall overcome. I could have spent hours with Dr. Thompson.  I found his views of our current situation very refreshing. Note: We apologies for the background noise you'll hear during this conversation. We were unable to turn off the H-VAC unit. I guess that's what you get when you have a good quality microphone!  Thanks for understanding. About Dr. Eddie Thompson Dr. Eddie Thompson founded Thompson & Associates. As CEO he provides leadership and direction to Thompson & Associates. Additionally, he provides consulting services to nonprofit organizations, foundations and charities assisting them in developing their planned giving policies. Eddie obtained his Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from Vanderbilt University. His doctoral dissertation was on successful fund raising methods. His academic achievements include two MA degrees and a BA and Associate of Fine Arts. Eddie was recognized by the National Society of Fund Raising Executives as a Certified Fund Raising Executive from 1986 to 1996. He speaks to organizations from coast to coast on fundraising. Eddie began his career at David Lipscomb University where he served as Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Assistant to the President, and Director of Planned Giving. His career advanced to The EAR Foundation, a national nonprofit, where he served as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Thompson has garnered many honors during his distinguished career. He was selected by Freed Hardeman University as its 2000 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year. In 1992 he was selected as a Kellogg Foundation Board Trainer assigned to Special Olympics International; International Directory of Distinguished Leadership 1988; Who's Who in American Education 1992; Personalities of America, 6th edition; and 2000 Notable American Men, 2nd edition. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of four nonprofits: Institute of Board Certification, The Barnabas Foundation, African Christian School, and The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville. He is also a member of the Middle Tennessee Planned Giving Council. A native of Florida, Eddie and his wife have made Nashville their home. Eddie and his family are involved in many community organizations and are active members of their church.

Throughout the past 28 episodes you've heard me refer to - in one way or another - Up with People. My parents were generous enough to provide me with the opportunity to travel with them in 1988. I owe a lot to that organization.  My experiences in Up with People, both as a student and as a staff member, changed my life.  My perspective is a global one - I owe that to Up with People. For this week's conversation, I am pleased to welcome Alain Thiry, president and CEO of Up with People. I could have spent hours with Alain.  We only skimmed the surface when it comes to Up with People, there is so much to talk about.  I hope you take a moment to visit their website and, if they come to you community, take the time to go to one of their shows (a complete touring schedule is available here). If you are student and want to have a life changing experience - call them today!!! Follow Up with People on Facebook or on YouTube and check out their Cast Blog! Enjoy the conversation. About Alain Thiry Alain L. Thiry was named President & CEO of the international educational and cultural organization Up with People in February, 2009. Thiry, 53, is a native of Belgium with permanent U.S. residency and is a former student and field staff member of the Up with People program himself Prior to leading Up with People, Thiry founded EMSi, LLC, a management and marketing services company. He has also held multiple executive positions with major organizations, including: President – Carlson Marketing Group Europe (Belgium); Executive Vice President – Carlson Event & Sports Marketing Division (Minneapolis, MN); Executive Vice President – Carlson Performance Improvement Group; Vice President & General Manager – Carlson Learning Company; Vice President & Account Supervisor – Ross Roy Group (Detroit, MI); Vice President Sales & Marketing – Center for Leadership Studies (Escondido, CA); and, Director of International Business Development – Sandy Corporation (Detroit, MI). Thiry received a Diploma in Business and Economic Sciences at the Athenee Royal de Seraing (Belgium) and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Wayne State University (Detroit, MI). He also attended the Executive Leadership Program (Executive MBA) at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. Thiry has served on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota International center (World Affairs Council) for the past six years, where he was recently a member of the Executive Committee and the Chairman of the Development Committee. He also presently serves on the Board of the Intercontinental Hotel Montreal, the Hyatt Regency in Montreal owned by the Swedish company Pandox AB. About Up With People Up with People differentiates itself from other leadership, service, and study abroad programs through its unique combination of program components. For over four decades, participants who traveled in UWP have gone on to become enthusiastic leaders in their communities and the world.  Equipped with the life skills and broad perspectives learned 'on the road,' they have made tremendous differences through a myriad of career and life choices and have truly become global citizens. Traveling, living and learning with young people from more than 20 countries, participants learn how to work cooperatively while exploring the similarities and differences of people from other nations and cultures. Though both casual interactions and facilitated in-depth discussions, participants have countless opportunities to see each culture through the eyes of its own people; to see beyond stereotypes; to challenge and re–evaluate views and beliefs often taken for granted. Many even learn to speak new languages. Up with People participants take time to learn about others and, as a result, find they’ve learned a lot about themselves in the process. For additional information on Up With People and how to get involved, please visit their website!

Through conversation, knowledge is shared. This week's episode (#28) aligns perfectly with that statement.  Earlier this fall my daughter Cecilia joined the local 4-H group and absolutely loves every minute of it. I was not familiar with the 4-H program and honestly only associated it with county fairs and state fairs and the showing of farm animals. To learn more, I turned to Trudy Lickfelt. Trudy has been involved in 4-H since elementary school. She currently serves as an adult leader for the McLeod County. I found our conversation fascinating and was pleased to learn about everything 4-H can offer my daughter as it relates to leadership skills, community involvement and many other things that will help make her successful in the future. Enjoy the conversation! About 4-H Since its humble beginnings more than 100 years ago, 4-H has grown to become the nation’s largest youth development organization. The 4-H idea is simple: help young people and their families gain the skills they need to be proactive forces in their communities’ and develop ideas for a more innovative economy. That idea was the catalyst to begin the 4-H movement, and those values continue today. As one of the first youth development organizations in America, 4-H opened the door for young people to learn leadership skills and explore ways to give back. 4-H revolutionized how youth connected to practical, hands-on learning experiences while outside of the classroom. 4-H’ers across the nation are responding to challenges every day in their communities and their world. What Is Your Experience with 4-H Have you benefited from being a 4-H member?  Take a few moments and share your story in our comment section! Photos courtesy of 4-H Flickr Feed. All rights reserved by 4-H

Welcome to episode 27, our Thanksgiving episode. Unlike our other episodes, there is no specific guests on this one.  Earlier this month, we encouraged people to call our comment line and answer the following question: "What are you thankful for this year?" We've received several calls and write-in submissions via our Facebook fan page. So, this episode is a collection of what our listeners are thankful for. On our end, we are thankful for your continued support of The Conversation Hub project.  We look forward to bringing you more great conversations in the weeks and months to come. Be well and Happy Thanksgiving! Tell Us What You Are Thankful For Didn't have the chance to call in?  No worries! Take a few moments right now and comment on this post.  Let us know what you are thankful for! Image courtesy of Fabulessly Frugal