The Conversation Hub

It was 1994 when I first met our guest for this week's episode.  As the show manager for Up With People's Cast E94, I had the opportunity to travel with Alastair Cameron during our stay/tour of Australia. As you'll quickly find out during our conversation, he's the type of guy you want to have a drink or cup of coffee with. He's been to more than 75 countries and for more than 20 years now has been a true citizen of the world. We caught up with him via Skype in London, England.  Enjoy the conversation! About Alastair Cameron Alastair Cameron is a global nomad.  Since setting off in search of adventure and better cultural understanding in the late 80's, he has continued his journey around the globe seeking out work or being sought out by those needing his skills.  He's worked for and with a variety of organizations around the globe. Alastair operates Global Nomad, a sports marketing consultancy, and has supported four editions of the Olympic Games: Sydney, Athens, Beijing and Vancouver. An Australian, Alastair’s portfolio also includes the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, two Commonwealth Games (Manchester and Melbourne), the Sydney Paralympic Games and the Doha 2006 Asian Games and more recently, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.  Alastair is now in London, UK preparing for the London 2010 Summer Olympics Games.  Find out more about Alastair by visiting his LinkedIn profile. He has also been profiled twice in the online edition of the MercuryBrief: Beyond the vuvuzelas of the World Cup: an operations report from South Africa. The peaceful Aussie army behind the scenes at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Images courtesy of Alastair Cameron and The Mercury Brief.

Welcome to episode #25 - a milestone episode for this little project.  Twenty-five episodes and more that 14.5 hours of inspirational, meaningful and informative conversations. Thanks for coming on this journey with me. We launched our project with my good friend Ian McDonald and a conversation we called The Power of a Life Plan. During that conversation, Ian talked about his coach and accountability partner, Steve Scanlon from Building Champions. I am pleased to welcome them both for this episode and what turned out to be a great conversation! NOTE:  At the end of the episode, we share our call-in number for our Thanksgiving Episode.  We made a mistake and apologies for the inconvenience. The number is 612-568-2180. About Steve Scanlon Since joining Building Champions in 2000, Steve Scanlon has accrued more than 11,000 one-on-one hours coaching business professionals. His consistently full schedule is due to the reputation he has among his clients as a coach with keen discernment, complete honesty, incredible passion and the courage to ask the right question at the right time. Before coming to Building Champions, Steve held positions as vice president of a national mortgage company, owner of an import/export company and owner of a printing company. In addition to his coaching role, Steve is the program director for the Building Champions by-invitation-only Masters’ Coach program. He personally coaches members of the group while also developing the content for their quarterly events and connecting the members between sessions. Steve has completed more than 100 speaking engagements over the past decade and is often hired to present his workshops because of his unique combination of inspiration and action. Steve and his wife, Raffaella live in the Portland Metro area with their four children: Kelsey, Dayne, Paolo, and Sabrina. He is a passionate runner and marathoner, fly fisherman, wakeboarder, snowboarder and anything that involves he and his kids playing outdoors in the Pacific Northwest. You can follow Steve's blog at: http://stevescanlon.buildingchampions.com/ About Ian McDonald Ian McDonald is a practicing mortgage planner for the past 12 years and leads a great team of people on behalf of the Mortgage Advisory Team of Cornerstone Mortgage. Trained as a CPA and coached by Building Champions, Ian's practice is oriented around assisting consumers and small business owners with a wide array of financial issues, including mortgage and debt planning, commercial working capital needs, and, through a partnership with Flagship Capital Advisors, wealth management and financial planning. Ian is blessed with a lasting marriage to his wife, Kathy, and they, together, watch over their two children, Mackenzie and Jacob. Ian was also the featured guest on the inaugural episode of The Conversation Hub. About Building Champions Headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Building Champions has a dedicated team of coaches and support staff, all focused on helping our clients enjoy more purposeful businesses and lives. Each of our Coaches left highly successful careers in the business world to pursue full-time coaching and satisfy their passion to help others. They have experienced the challenges that business professionals face and use that understanding to help lead you to success. Building Champions began in 1996 with one coach, Daniel Harkavy. His vision and determination have allowed the company to grow to serve thousands of professionals across the US and around the world. Each member of the Building Champions team has been carefully selected because of the gifts and passion that they bring to the team. The result of this careful growth and collaboration is found each day in the letters and messages we receive from clients whose businesses and lives have been changed.

It's not everyday you are presented with an opportunity to be in conversation with an internationally renowned expert.  We were very pleased when we were given an opportunity to be in conversation with Dr. David Katz during his recent visit to central Minnesota. Our conversation focused entirely on the NuVal Nutrition Scoring System. The Conversation Hub would like to thank Ms. Jodi Rohe of the Better Living: Exercise and Nutrition Daily coalition for making this conversation possible. About Dr. David Katz David L. Katz MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP is an internationally renowned authority on nutrition, weight management, and the prevention of chronic disease, and an internationally recognized leader in integrative medicine and patient-centered care. He is a board certified specialist in both Internal Medicine, and Preventive Medicine/Public Health, and Associate Professor (adjunct) in Public Health Practice at the Yale University School of Medicine. Katz is the Director and founder (1998) of Yale University's Prevention Research Center; Director and founder of the Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital (2000) in Derby, CT; founder and president of the non-profit Turn the Tide Foundation; and formerly the Director of Medical Studies in Public Health at the Yale School of Medicine for eight years. Katz has published over 100 scientific papers, numerous textbook chapters, nearly a thousand newspaper columns, and 12 books to date. He is the principal inventor of the Overall Nutritional Quality Index utilized in the NuVal™ nutrition guidance program (www.nuval.com), currently offered in over 500 supermarkets throughout the United States.  More information about Dr. Katz is available here. About NuVal Fact panels, package labels, nutrition reports.  There has to be a better way to make decisions about the foods you eat.  Now there is: the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System.  The NuVal™ System does the nutritional heavy lifting so you don’t have to.  Developed by an independent panel of nutrition and medical experts, the System helps you see – at a glance – the nutritional value of the food you buy. NuVal™ Scores summarize comprehensive nutritional information in one simple number between 1 and 100.  Each NuVal™ Score takes into account more than just the nutrition fact panel.  It considers 30-plus nutrients and nutrition factors – the good (protein, calcium, vitamins) and the not-so-good (sugar, sodium, cholesterol).  And then it boils it down into a simple, easy-to-use number; a number you can trust to make better decisions about nutrition in just a few seconds. More information about NuVal is available on their website. Images courtesy of: Dr. David Katz; www.nuval.com and iStockphoto.

It takes a lot of courage to leave the comfort and security of a full time job and go out on your own.  Moving from a W2 (employee status) to a W9 (independent contractor/self-employed) can be a scary thing. It can be an even scarier thing when the work you are passionate about involves social media and at the time you make the leap, not everyone is convinced that social media is relevant and the country is entering one of the worst economic downturns in its history. Wendy Soucie, our guest this week, did just that and today she leads a thriving social media consulting firm based in Lodi, Wisconsin. You can follow Wendy's blog by visiting: http://www.wendysoucie.com You can also connect with her on various social networks by visiting: http://xeesm.com/WendySoucie/ Enjoy the conversation! About Wendy Soucie For more than 30 years, Wendy Soucie has developed and implemented B2B marketing strategies and business development for clients in technical industries and within professional service firms.  She has worked with some of the largest manufacturers in Wisconsin including Harley Davidson, Bucyrus Erie, Twin Disc, Oilgear, Oscar Mayer, Webster Electric, Fairbanks Morse, Beloit Corp, University of Wisconsin, Alliant Energy, Wisconsin Electric, and Madison Gas & Electric.  Her experience covers capital equipment sales, distributors, manufacturer representative, OEM and end user facilities. Soucie’s strength is her blend of social media savvy, engineering process thinking,  hunter sales methodology, and Internet marketing expertise.  As a skilled trainer and speaker, she excels at teaching clients to make the leap from strategy to action and–ultimately–independence. She holds a training certification from Integrated Alliances, the largest national training firm on LinkedIn and social media tools. Wendy holds her Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island.  Wendy is a Certified Social Media Consultant and  founding member (Gold) of the Social Media Academy and has completed course work in Social Media Business Strategy and Leadership.  Soucie is also an elite member of the Black Diamond Consulting Group. Images courtesy of Wendy Soucie's website.

Start with hello. Yes, it's that simple, start your interaction with "Hello, my name is..." and see what comes of it. Our guest for this week's conversation is Jason Simon. A self-proclaimed coffee aficionado and principle voice of caffeinatedconversations.com , Jason believes in creating opportunities for conversations. As you'll hear during our conversation, Jason is passionate about the art of conversations.  He describes his philosophy this way on his website: It’s not necessarily who you know, but who you’ve yet to meet that often becomes the most consequential in shaping what you do next, offering ideas and a perspective that’s different from your own. And even if it’s just hello, short of a conversation, acknowledging someone can make their day—little things can make a big difference. Next time you find yourself in Seattle, I encourage you to look him up.  He's likely to be the guy wearing a t-shirt that reads: "tap me on the shoulder if you'd like to chat." About Jason Simon My Grandma introduced me to coffee when I was young and I still drink it black. I was a casual coffee drinker until college at University of California, Santa Cruz where spending time at coffee shops became the norm. I didn’t know good coffee from bad, but I enjoyed lively conversation. Years later, frustrated with the politics of the day while studying Conflict Analysis & Resolution at George Mason University, I met Lucy at a local coffee shop. Starting with hello, a conversation emerged, and soon enough, we became friends, meeting nearly once a week for coffee. Soon after graduation, I moved to Seattle, the coffee capital of North America, and immersed myself in all things coffee and conversation. I started reading about the history of coffeehouses, attending conversation cafes, and initiating conversations with strangers at coffee shops; weak ties soon became strong and many became friends. Jason also wrote a guest post for our website. You can view it here! Jason's Reading List East of Eden (Affiliate Link) Foucault and Social Dialogue: Beyond Fragmentation (Affiliate Link) Photos courtesy of Jason Simon and CaffeineatedConversation.com

What's your dream?  What are you doing today to get you closer to making it a reality? Our guest for this week is aspiring author Beth Christopher. As you'll hear during our conversation, she's taking the "bull by the horns" and working hard to make her dream of becoming a published author a reality. Enjoy the conversation! About Beth Christopher Beth lives in Broomfield, CO with her husband Darrick, children Sam and Sophie, and Cappy, the world’s most excitable dog. After graduating from the University of Montana, she traveled and worked in marketing and tour management for several years with two wonderful organizations, Up with People and the Colorado Children’s Chorale. In 2009, she left the non-profit sector to pursue her dream of writing. Her work in progress, Disappear, was a finalist in the 2010 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s Competition. Beth's Favorite Book The Book Thief (Affiliate Link) Credits: Typewriter image from iStock Photo.

For the past 15 years, I have had the privilege and honor of interacting with one incredible lady.  This great individual happens to be my wife's grandmother. Gladys Hayes, our guest for this week's conversation, was born in 1921.  She will be entering her 9th decade, but her joy and zest for life has not stopped.  She is the only 90 year old women I know who drives a sports car - that's right, she drives a Mazda RX-7 and it's a stick!!! During her recent visit to Minnesota (she lives in the San Diego, CA area) we took a few minutes to sit down for a conversation. Our conversation touched on many topics. She has lived an incredible life and through it all, has had a front row seat to history. I hope you'll enjoy our conversation! Photo Information: Gladys is pictured with one of her 5 grandchildren, my son Sebastien.

Some projects are just worth talking about! An idea that catches on; a project that sparks involvement and makes a difference, that is something to celebrate. This week, we are in conversation with Dana Nelson, the executive director of GiveMN.org. GiveMN will be celebrating it's first birthday in just a few weeks and we thought it would be fun to introduce you to this incredible idea that has helped raise more than $16 million for thousands of Minnesota causes. Enjoy the conversation! Dana's passion will be an inspiration I'm sure. Also, if you are from Minnesota or have roots in the land of 10,000 lakes, please remember GiveMN.org's Give to the Max Day on November 16, 2010. About GiveMN.org GiveMN.org is an innovative online resource that will change the way Minnesotans give and help create a stronger nonprofit community for Minnesota. New tools and technologies are enabling exciting new ways to give. This cutting edge of philanthropy is engaging millions of people - both new and existing donors - who are drawn by the ability to make new kinds of direct connections with their favorite causes, the organizations that are advancing those causes and the people directly affected. GiveMN wants to put these tools to work for Minnesota and transform the way Minnesotans experience giving. About Dana Nelson Dana Nelson is the executive director of GiveMN. In her role, Dana helps Minnesota nonprofits of all sizes reach new and different audiences and enables donors to find, learn about, and contribute to local and national programs that support the causes in which they believe. Before joining GiveMN, Dana was at Target Corporation for the past 6 years. She led Target's team member engagement strategy and national service initiatives, collaborating with organizations such as the Corporation for National and Community Service, Hands on Network and the Heart of America Foundation, among others. Dana brings many years of nonprofit experience to GiveMN, which includes working with the Minneapolis Public Schools, serving as a program officer and leading development efforts for a start-up nonprofit organization. Dana's Favorite Book(s) Slowing Down to the Speed of Life: How to Create a More Peaceful, Simpler Life from the Inside Out(Affiliate Link) The Help (Affiliate Link)

Maybe it's a guy thing, but I find trains fascinating.  Whether it's a freight train making its way through the Rockies or a passenger train transporting travelers at speeds in excess of 100 mph across the Channel Tunnel in Europe, trains are impressive machines. When my colleague shared that her husband was going back to work for BNSF Railway Company after a year long furlough, I made it my mission to figure out a way to visit with him about his experiences as a certified train conductor. I am delighted to share my conversation with Certified Train Conductor, Mark Mohr with you. I hope you'll enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it! About Mark Mohr Mark Volney Mohr grew up in W. St. Paul Minnesota. In 1972 he graduated from Henry Sibley High School, where an interest and aptitude test predicted a railroading career. For several years, he was sidetracked (pun intended) by jobs in banking and insurance. However, he has finally made his high school guidance counselor proud and proven the validity of standardized tests. Mark is an avid sports fan, a voracious reader and active in his faith life. It might be an understatement to say that Mark is a diehard Gopher fan, considering his wedding ring is maroon and gold.  When Mark is not riding the rails, he lives with his wife, Pat, in Sartell, Minnesota. Mark's Favorite Book(s) KJV Pew Bible (Black) (Affiliate link) BNSF train image courtesy of FreeFoto.com

My good friend, Ian McDonald (guest on Episode 1) introduced me to the work of Carolyn Herfurth late last year.  Ever since my first visit to her website, I've been hooked by her video blog. Carolyn is doing some amazing work with solo entrepreneurs.  She has made it her mission to help people. Like so many of the conversations I've had with our guests, I could have spent an entire day visiting with Carolyn. Her passion and energy is contagious. I encourage you to check out her website.  You may also want to check out The Improv For Entrepreneurs Interview Showcase she is hosting starting on Monday, September 20, 2010. Enjoy the conversation! About Carolyn Herfurth Carolyn Herfurth, founder of The Biztruth, is a serial entrepreneur, author, speaker, trainer and business mentor. She has mentored nearly 1,000 people, helping them make thoughtful decisions about business ownership. She’s also helped launch nearly 100 businesses. She knows that those who sell, succeed & has made it her personal mission to help coaches, healers, consultants & other entrepreneurs learn how to sell so that they can have more fun, make more money & enjoy more freedom. Prior to starting The Biztruth, Carolyn established the Minneapolis office of The Entrepreneur’s Source, North America’s leading business ownership consulting organization. In addition to advising clients, Carolyn is author of Buying a Franchise: Tips, Tools & Tales for Doing It Right (Affiliate link) & cofounder the Minnesota Franchise Spectacular, an annual trade show attracting thousands of individuals interested in owning a franchise. Prior to pursuing her lifelong dream of owning a business, Carolyn enjoyed a successful 13-year sales career with Oracle, Rand Worldwide & several other leading companies. Carolyn's Favorite Book(s) Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life (Affiliate link)

Back in the late 90's when my wife and I lived just outside of Toronto, Canada, we used to watch the Eco-Challenge on the Discovery Channel. We were addicted to the show and amazed by the people who did these races. For this week's episode, we are in conversation with Jan Burley, a participant in the original Eco-Challenge production. I truly enjoyed this conversation and hope you will too! Note: Get all the information you want on adventure racing here! About Jan Burley Jan Burley is originally from St. Cloud, MN. She received her undergraduate degree in physical education and a minor in coaching from St. Cloud State University and went on to continue her education, working on a master’s degree in education and leadership from Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. For 10 years, Jan taught physical education and coached a variety of high school sports. She was a personal trainer for four years to at-risk, inner city, young adults and an in-home personal trainer for two years. Jan has participated in many physical events: 6 marathons and half-marathons, 1 triathlon, 1 duathlon, 10 years of biking the TRAM (The Ride Across Minnesota) for MS., the Eco Challenge adventure school (filmed by the Canadian Discovery Channel), the Eco Challenge Adventure Race, and the Beast of the East Adventure Race. Jan was recruited to race with Team Balance Bar in 1997. Adventure racing was the start for Jan to understand personal limitations and how to push through them. Her longest race was seven days and 300 miles of trekking, canoeing, mountain biking, and climbing. Being on a team of four, Jan found her desire to encourage others to take one more step closer to their finish lines. Jan's Favorite Book(s) To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Edition (Affiliate Link)

For this week's episode, we are in conversation with youth pastor Dave Wollan.  For more than 10 years, Dave has served as director of youth and family ministries at Faith Lutheran Church, my home congregation. I have always been fascinated and inspired by Dave's work. Several years ago, my wife and I joined Dave on a mission trip to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. During that 10 day trip, I witnessed first hand his ability to connect with young people and inspire them to live a life that is centered in Christ. During our conversation, we talked at length about mission trips, the advent of social network tools like Facebook, Twitter and SMS and how that is affecting ministry work. About Dave Wollan Dave Wollan has been involved in youth ministry work for more than 10 years. His innovative and youthful approach to ministry makes him a favorite of young people at his church. He is a graduate of Trinity Lutheran College in Everett, WA. Dave and his wife Andrea and their four children make their home in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Dave's Favorite Book The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings Series, Part 3) (Affiliate Link) Main image courtesy of Youth Works' website.

We live in tough economic times.  The unemployment rate (as of July 31, 2010) stands at 9.5%.  We all know people who have been affected by the contraction of the economy.  You can't escape the story, it's all around us. For this week conversation, we wanted to talk with an expert recruiter - someone who's entire reason for being is helping organizations find the right people to join their team. Enter David James. David and I connected on the professional networking site LinkedIn. Our conversation, both on and offline, explored several topics. At every turn, David was very generous with in insights and shared some things we should all keep in mind whether we are in a job now or looking for one. About David James and Decision Toolbox David James considers himself a natural linguist for his keen ability to pick up dialects and languages where ever and whenever he travels.  He is a California native originally from Santa Barbara.  In past lives he was a soldier, a film maker and a professional poker player. Today David is a Recruitment Partner and Business Development Consultant for Decision Toolbox.  Decision Toolbox is an innovative virtual company that does effective direct recruiting for a fraction of the cost of other competitors.  He joined this innovative firm because he is a “true believer” in what they stand for and what they deliver. His credo is that being of service and helping others is the fastest way to earn the keys to the kingdom. And that being kind to others is the rent we pay while living on this planet. He prides himself on being willing to help virtually anyone and is always willing to try. “If I don’t know how to help you I assure you I can find someone who can.  After all I am a recruiter” He lives with his Wife Rita and his kids in Corona, Ca and his faithful sidekick, his Pit Bull, Bailey. Book(s) David Recommends Golf and the Spirit: Lessons for the Journey (Affiliate Link) Image provided by David James.

Over the past year, as a result of the downturn in our economy and several other factors, several large US based and international newspapers have seen a reduction in newsroom staff and advertising staff.  In some cases, some newspapers have ceased publication altogether. With the advent of the Internet, mobile and tablet devices, more and more people are getting access to news without having to read a newspaper. In March 2010, Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism released a report titled State of the News Media 2010. Highlights of the report indicate that: Newspapers now spend $1.6 billion less annually on reporting and editing than they did a decade ago, the report estimates. I was intrigued by this but also suspected that this story was not necessarily the case for local community papers. For this week's episode, we are in conversation with Matt McMillan, publisher of the Hutchinson Leader, my community local paper.  Together we discuss the changing face of the newspaper industry.  A few days following our conversation, Matt and the Leader's editor, Doug Hanneman published an editorial on the same subject. About Matt McMillan Matt is the publisher, since 1995, of the Leader print and online publications including the Hutchinson Leader, hutchinsonleader.com, Leader Shopper, Litchfield Independent Review, independentreview.net, Meeker County Advertiser, Real Estate Guide, realestateguide.mn, motorbuys.com, myprepsplus.mn, Crow River Media magazines Dockside, Zest and Crow River Business and other media affiliates. The Leader was named top non-daily of its size in the nation several times in the past six years by the National Newspaper Association and Inland Press Association. It won the tops-in-the-nation honor from both organizations in 2009. Matt is first vice president of the Minnesota Newspaper Association board of directors and will serve as president of the state association in 2011. Prior to joining the Leader, Matt was publisher of the Cambridge (Minn.) Star for several years. His first real media job was as an advertising representative for Skyway Publications in Minneapolis..  You can view is complete profile on LinkedIn. Book's on Matt's Bookshelf I'll Always Have Paris (Affiliate link)

For this week's episode we are in conversation with Tommy Spaulding, president of the Spaulding Companies, LLC and author of "It's Not Just Who You Know" (Random House/Broadway Books) and world-renowned speaker on leadership. I have know Tommy for more than 15 years.  We shared a common experience in 1993 as staff members for Up With People's Cast E.  Since our travels together, Tommy has gone on to do incredible things: In 2000, he founded Leader's Challenge - which grew to become the largest high school civic and leadership program in Colorado; Serve as the youngest president and CEO of the world-renowned leadership organization, Up With People; Serve as chairman of East Carolina University's External Leadership Advisory Board and is the university's first "Leader in Residence"; Founder and president of the Spaulding Leadership Institute, a non-profit leadership development organization. Tommy is a genuine leader and someone who believe in the power and value of relationships.  His book is inspiring and builds the case for creating and growing relationships that make a difference. About The New Book It’s impossible to build a successful organization or career in a silo. You need authentic relationships — human connections built on trust, generosity, and the authentic desire to put others first. Most leaders recognize the importance of this relational competence. But they don’t know how to translate its values into on-the-job actions and behaviors that generate measurable results. As a consequence, their organizations suffer from an undercurrent of cynicism, unhappiness, distrust, and under-performance. And their careers leave them unfulfilled. In It's Not Just Who You Know, leadership-development expert Tommy Spaulding provides a road-map for addressing these challenges. He shows how investing in the lives of others benefits not only the recipient but also the giver—enriching leaders’ lives as well as their companies’ bottom lines. In our “me-first” culture, the notion of putting others first may seem counter-intuitive or even “soft.” But relationships have become the coin of the realm in today’s economy. And no leader can afford to ignore them. It's Not Just Who You Know is a must-read for anyone seeking to build relational competence into their own lives and their organization’s culture. Get information on Tommy's book tour and schedule at www.tommyspaulding.com What's On Tommy Reading List Today Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together(Amazon Affiliate Link)