Inside Personal Growth

My very good friend and author Ron Schultz has hit it out of the park with his new book entitled Creating Good Work- The Worlds Leading Social Entrepreneurs Show How to Build A Healthy Economy.  In my interview with Ron we discuss his passion for social entrepreneurship and how this movement can and will change the way and focus of how we do business.  Creating Good Work shows how using free market principles will solve pressing problems and to make a positive difference in the world. Rons personal contribution is a chapter on How Change Happens And Why It Sometimes Doesnt  An important lesson Ron learned from his mentor Howard Sherman who introduced him to a theory of business action is that if the principle is flawed no matter how diligently we try nothing new and novel that can effect positive change will ever emerge from our models if the principle is wrong.  We must realize that at the root of social entrepreneurship we have to embrace change and learn how to thrive in this new environment. Associate Dean Craig Dunn from Western Washington University contributes a chapter on Deliberate Disruptive Design.  Craig states that the term social entrepreneurship, fails to adequately catpure both the head and heart of the matter: thoughtful, caring design that is at the same time deliberate and disruptive, to the point of being fundamentally subversive is what is needed to shift our thoughts and actions about what we do and become in the process of embracing being a social entrepreneur. Much of Creating Good Work is devoted to the amazing stories of individuals who are changing the world through amazing projects and service to our world.  Dorthy Stoneman from Youth Build, Bart Weetjens with Apopo, Bill Shore with Share Our Strength are just a few of the many social entrepreneurs profiled in Creating Good Work.  This books guides you from the theory to the practice and ultimately to success stories of individuals making a big difference. If you have any interested at all in learning about social entrepreneurship and how you personally can make a difference in the world, then I highly recommend that you read and learn from the amazing stories told in  Creating Good Work. Enjoy my interview with author and editor of Creating Good Work Ron Schultz.  You can visit his website by clicking here.

It is not to often that I come across a book that I am as excited about as Business Model You.  Maybe it is because I am the preverbal entrepreneur and I am always looking for ways to improve myself and how I do business.  If you are like me, then you are really going to enjoy  Tim Clarks new book for it is loded with amazing techniques and tools to help you transform your career. Business Model You in essence was crowdsourced.  Tim and his collaborators Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur solicited the thoughts and ideas from 328 work life wizards from around the world.   Some of their profiles are included in the book providing the reader with insight into how they used the Canvas to reshape their careers and lives.   As stated in Business Model You it will give you a distinct advantage, because while many workers define and document organizational business practices, few formally define or document organizational business models.  Even fewer individuals apply the power of business model thinking to their own careers. The whole book is based on something called The Business Model Canvas, which describes how nine components of a business model fit together, is a powerful technique for painting pictures of how organizations work.   Those nine components are: customers, value provided, channels, customer relationships, revenue, key resources, key activities, key partners and costs.  If you would like a picture of the canvas ( a picture is worth a 1,000 words) please click here to be directed to the downloadable PDF of the canvas.   So why is this important?  Author Tim Clark  shows you how to convert the nine (9) components into The Personal Business Model Canvas.  Those same (9) components then then turned into questions that allow you to immediately understand the importance of the canvas: who helps you?, what you do?, who you are and what you have?, what you give?, how you help?, how you interact?, how they know you and how you deliver?, what you get?, how you help?. I hope you enjoy this great interview with Tim Clark about Business Model You.  This book if used properly can truly alter your career and life. If you are interested in watching a great YouTube video about the book click here.  I also encourage you to visit the Business Model You website and join the community of thousands who are collaborating together throughout the world helping one another define new and exciting careers.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing author and futurist Cecily Sommers.  I have always had a personal fascination with people who can predict the future, and while Cecily doesnt state that she predicts the future she does engage her readers into understanding how to look for signs of how to predict and capitalize on the changes we are all attempting to adapt and adopt too. Her book teaches the reader how to engage in new thinking in order to connect todays pressures with tomorrows realities.  Think Like a Futurist explains how the social, economic and environmental crises of our time spring from just four constant and predictable forces.  Those four forces are resources, technology, demographics and governance and these four forces determine our future trends.  As Cecily state over time, humans have been able to harness the power of the four forces for their own benefit. In the process, they have moved from a postion of hand-to-hand combat with the forces in a battle for survival, to one of greater comfort and ease. Cecilys book is not a book about identifying trends, but rather transcending them, which is crucial in todays fast-paced world where success is often defined as movement from deadline to deadline (crisis to crisis).  Throughout Think Like a Futurist you will learn how to make your perspective both more elastic and comprehensiveyou will find a long term vision needed to see opportunities on the horizon and understand how to realize them. I hope your enjoy this great interview with a fascinating author, extremely knowledgable and wise who knows how to help you see the trends that are shaping our future before they manifest.   You can watch a great video about the book by clicking here to be directed to Cecilys website or you can watch a great YouTube video by clicking here.

There has probably never been a book that is as timely at Jonathan Fields, Uncertainty-Turning Fear and Doubt Into Fuel for Brilliance.   We are all living in a world of uncertainty, filled doubt and fearlets face it we are living unprecedented times. In Jonathans new book he speaks about the single greatest determinants of high level success as an innovator or creator in any realm is the ability to manage and at times even seek out sustained high levels of uncertainty, bundled lovely with risk of loss and exposure to criticism. He states these three psychic horseman of creation must often not only be sought, but embraced repeatedly and with increasing levels of intensity over extended periods of time.  In fact, they are often signposts that youve entered your next big creation crux move.    Now while this philosophy might seem contrary to the belief that we need to avoid uncertainty  and the associated stress, this is where Jonathan states we receive our breakthroughs and are exposed to high levels of inspiration and creativity. Uncertainty is about what goes on in your head, your heart, and your gut as you strive to create something truly extraordinary.  It is about the nutty things we do, the gremlins we battle and the decisions we make and action we take in the pursuit of long-term, large scale creative, artistic, entrepreneurial and organizational greatness.   In Uncertainty-Turning Fear and Doubt Into Fuel for Brilliance our author states that it is these three psychic horseman of creation that lead to so much suffering and  in spite of the havoc they so often wreck, that they must remain present. The best part about about this book is that our author provides transformational personal practices that let you feel the uncertainty, risk and exposure necessary to high-level creation, but experience them more as opportunity rather than deep suffering, anxiety and paralysis. So no matter what you fear or doubt might be about the uncertainty in your life Jonathan teaches you personal techniques that will help you  cope with and embrace uncertainty and reframe your vantage point by turning it into a positive.  You will also learn to build the tools and strategies into the fabric and culture of your endeavor, allowing them to fuel your own creative efforts and the work of those charged with moving your venture forward on all levels. If you are interested in learning more about how uncertainty can help you fuel brilliance then I highly recommend reading this book.  The stories and advice Jonathan Fields has for the reader are exceptional.  I hope you enjoy my interview, and should you want to learn more about the author please click here to be directed to his blog, or watch this great TedX video where Jonathan is speaking about fear and uncertainty. 

Many of us are privileged enough during our lifetime to have a wonderful mentor.  Howards Gift is a book about Eric Sinoway and his amazingly wise mentor and professor at Harvard University Howard Stevenson.  This book is filled with compelling stories and lessons that Eric learned from Howard throughout his years at Harvard and beyond.   Howard was a towering figure at Harvard Business School, and the man who literally defined entrepreneurship and taught thousands of worlds most successful professionals. Many of the lessons you will take from this book will be quite valuable, and the way that Eric tells the stories are quite inviting and compelling.  One lesson that Howard speaks with Eric about are inflection points.  So just what is an inflection point and why is it important?  An inflection point as defined by Andy Grove the founder and former CEO of Intel is an event that fundamentally changes the way we think and act.  Usually, an inflection point isnt a little change. It is a moment whenby choice or notwe pivot from the path down which we are traveling and head in an entirely new direction.   I would venture to say that almost everyone has inflection points in their lives, and it is the experiences and moments like this that we remember forever and change us almost always for the better. Howard advocates business planning for your lifes work.  In other words  develop and image of where you want to be and this place is not defined by our title, pay or stature.  As human beings we are complicated souls seeing meaning and purpose in our lives, but when you look at the individuals that have made a difference on our planet they have done so by having a vision of creating something much greater than just making money.  They have a mission to change our culture and society with their inventions; Apple, Facebook, GE, Toyota, Tesla, Google and the list goes on. If you are driven to make our world a better place to live by whatever means, then you owe it to yourself to read Howards Gift.  This book is filled with great stories and lesson learned by Eric Sinoway the author by his mentor and wise confidant Howard Stevenson. Enjoy this wonderful interview with Eric and for more information about the book please click here or watch short video on juggling priorities on YouTube by clicking here.

In my interview with co-author Erika Woolway we discuss her new book entitled Practice Perfect-43 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better.  We have all heard the old adage practice makes perfect, and Erika and her other co-authors Doug Lemov and Katie Yezzi have studied and observed some of the best in the educational fields, authors, lawyers and surgeons in ascertaining  what makes people pros in their respective fields. The how to rules are outlined in Practice Perfect, such as the counterintuitive rule that says: dont concentrate on your weakness, practice what you are good at.   The authors state that effective practice requires a systematic attentiveness to participants rate of success.  You havent taught it until theyve learned it. Coach Wooden like to say, and the best teachers test to see how much student have learneda process called checking for understandingevery few seconds. They realize that lack of understanding builds on itself and get harder to fix the longer you wait, so they are always asking themselves, Are students getting it? The authors borrow a term that is utilized in Dan and Chip Heaths book entitled Switch and this concept is called Bright Spots.  This concept refers to the often overlooked and under-leveraged power of  what works.  Its easy, they note to bewail whats wrong rather than see the power of whats right.  The authors utilize this term to remind us that in a practice setting, immense value can be realized by focusing on things participants are already good at and making them even better. If you are interested in learning all of the rules of getting better I encourage you to click here to be directed to the author website, or click here to watch to a wonderful Youtube video with author Doug Lemov, Erica Woolway and Katie Yezzi discussing the rules. Enjoy this wonderful interview with co-author Erica Woolway.

It is not often that I come across a book and author that has life transforming ideas, and ideas that I believe will have a positive impact on our world. I recently interviewed author Simon Mainwaring about his new book entitled We First-How Brands & Consumers Use Social Media to Build A Better World.  His  book is not only a must read for anyone in business, but for anyone who is part of the socially responsible movement and wants to impact the world for the better. Simon really believes that we need to transform the engine of capitalism  because our current structure is not performing in ways that benefit the whole. As the title of the book eludes, we need to move to a We First instead of a Me First mindset.   He points out that the book is not about doing away with capitalism, is is about recognizing the advantages of capitalism as a generator of progress and prosperity, but at the same time acknowledging the mounting criticismsif left unchecked, a capitalist system will run off it own rails.  Many noted economists, thought leaders, and social visionaries around the world are all recognizing that capitalism has become dysfunctional.  It has lost is way as an effective, self-regulating, and sustainable economic system. It has devolved into a single-minded pursuit of profit and wealth for a small elite at the expense of the overall society. We First points out that the unresolved tension between self-interest and selfishness is no a philosophical debate.  It is at the root of corporate and individual economic behavior, shaping how brands and consumers participate in capitalism on a daily basis. It affects the choices we make about our use of natural resources, or habits of consumption, our views of investment and profit, our attitudes toward both poverty and ethical business conduct, and the political debates that ultimately determine what type of society we want to live in. If you are interested in reshaping your personal beliefs, and join a movement that will have a positive impact on how we consume good and services then I highly recommend that you read and study Simons new book We First.  He also has an amazing course which is both available on the Internet, and there is an upcoming live event in the Los Angeles area in March of 2013. If you are interested in  Simons course offering please click here to be directed to a landing page with more information about the event.  I will be taking the course and attending the live event, you will not want to miss this opportunity.    If you purchase admission to the on-line course you are entitled to attend the live event in Los Angeles in March of 2013, and you are eligible to bring a non-profit of your choice at absolutely no cost. You can also watch a very cool presentation that Simon did at TED Talks by clicking this link. I hope you enjoy this great interview with a man that is going to change our world, through influencing our choices, consumption and behaviors.

Is the element of surprise something that we can all use to create breakthrough in our businesses?  Author Soren Kaplan in his new book entitled Leapforgging believes that surprise is the power that can help businesses jump start their creativity and embrace ways to reinvent themselves.  Kaplan states Instead of fighting against uncertainty we should use it to break down limiting mindsets and barriers to change the game.  We can find both opportunity in both good and bad surprises. Soren encourages leaders to embrace counter-intuitive ideas, manage paradoxes and even welcome failure.  This is what he refers to as the key to Leapfroggingcreating or doing something radically new or different that produces a significant leap forward.  I always appreciated the Albert Einstein quote The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Sorens new book Leapfrogging can certainly assist anyone in finding new ways of looking at and transforming their ideas and thoughts into breakthroughs both personally and professionally.  His book helps the reader overcome existing mindsets by introducing whole new possibilitiesand consequently new assumptionsinto the mix. Soren states that breakthroughs share three common characteristics: 1) They challenge fundamental assumptions about existing products, services, business models or organizations. 2) Breakthroughs transform existing ways of doing business by rewriting rules or revolutionizing current practices. 3) They apply resources in entirely new ways, whether people, knowledge, relationships or technology. Sorens new book is a great resource for anyone who feels stuck. He has provided great stories along with strategic questions after each chapter to challenge your mindset, and help you learn how to Leapfrog into new breakthroughs. If you would like to learn more about Soren Kaplan you can click here to be directed to his website, or you can watch a great Ted-X video presentation by clicking here. Enjoy this great interview with author Soren Kaplan. 

I recently had the opportunity of interviewing author Alan Shelton whos new book entitled Awakened Leadership-Beyond Self Mastery it is a great read.  The book has lots of Alans personal life story, but weaved into the content are life lessons that we can all learn and benefit from if we apply in our life. Alan comments in the preface of the book about being in a seekers hole, a term that I personally can appreciate and relate to from time to time.  I dont know a soul on this planet that is not seeking, and at times we all get frustrated and dissatisfied with the journey.  In essence we forget that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, vs. human beings having a spiritual experiencebig difference.  The key to enjoying our journey is as all times to remember who we are, and why we are here-easier said than done right?. Alan points out that we are not the center of the Universe, even though at times we think we are.  Yes, our egos do take control and we think that we are it!!  Alan reminds us that a life awakened is beyond self-mastery, the belief that we author and control our own reality.  He points out that to become a more effective leader we need to understand what it is like to express our authentic self.  In essence,  not to put on false pretenses or allow our ego to attempt to control or have a negative impact on our relationships. Awakened Leadership is about leadership, and what it takes to become a compassionate and effective leader.  Alan cites author Joseph Jaworski the author of Syncronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership by saying Institutions of all sorts are facing profound change today, with complexity increasing at a speed and intensity weve never experienced before.  Jaworski came to realize that traditional analytical leadership approaches are inadequate for dealing creatively with the complexity.  To effectively face these challenges, leaders need to access the Source from which truly profound innovations flows. If you would like to learn more about accessing the Source, and what is necessary to become a leader in our business world today, then Alans new book Awakened Leadership is a must read.  If you would like to learn  more about Alan Shelton please click here to be directed to his website, or you can watch a great book trailer by clicking here. I hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with Alan Shelton.

I recently interviewed Cal Newport a Georgetown University professor of computer science about his new book entitled So Good They Cant Ignore You.   Cals book title is taken from advice that comedian Steve Martin once gave to aspiring entertainers and that was to be so good they cant ignore you.. Cal bunks the advice that we should follow our passion, or do what we love and the money will follow.  He cites that in Steve Jobs famed address to the graduating class of Stanford that he advocated to follow your passion.  Cal states that the evidence shows that this advice will do your career more harm than good.  Cal reveals that loving what you do is a wise goal, but following your passions isnt the way to get there.   Stop trying to figure out what you are passionate about, instead the secret to building a career you love is to develop rare and valuable skills that you can then leverage to take control of your livelihood. Get good, and the passion will follow.  Not the other way around. In So Good They Cant Ignore You  Cal presents studies and compelling examples that expose the truth about how people end up loving what they do.  He cites experience, autonomy, competence and relatedness each play a much bigger role in motivation and job satisfaction and his roadmap for getting you there consist of four easy rules: 1) Dont Follow Your Passion 2) Be So Good They Cant Ignore You (The Importance of Skill) 3) Turn Down a Promotion (Importance of Control) 4) Think Small, Act Big( The Importance of Mission). If you take Cals advice he states that you will create career capital, and science tells us that the key to loving what you do is to have important traits such as autonomy, competence, creativity and a sense of impact in your working life. These traits are rare and valuable. Basic economics tells us that if you want these traits in your career, you mist build up rare and valuable skills to offer in return. In other words, until you are very good at something, you shouldnt expect a very good job. If you are new to the job market or a seasoned veteran the advice that Cal presents in So Good They Cant Ignore You is compelling and sound.  I highly recommend reading Cals new book, and applying the principles and advice he has for the reader.   I f you would like more information about Cal Newport you can visit his blog by clicking here. I hope you enjoy my interview with author Cal Newport about his new book So Good They Cant Ignore You.

I dont believe their is a person alive that has not been put in the awkward position of being asked what do you do?; and for one reason or another we cant seem to get the answer out to our mouth in a short simple statement.  In Terri Sjodins new book entitled Small Message, Big Impact-The Elevator Speech Effect Terri guides and directs not only the sales and marketing person, but anyone how to crate a effective elevator speech. As Terri states In this day and age of information overload and busier schedules, were limited to fewer opportunities to get people attention, and often only 140 characters to get our message across.  Attention must be earned, and faster than ever, or your opportunity will be gone before you know it.  Whether youre faced with a chance encounter, a one-on-one meeting or presentation for thousands, only a well-crafted elevator speech can take your message and bridge the gap between the goals you set and the results you want. In my interview with Terri she provides some of the steps required to build an effective elevator speech.  She speaks about case, creativity, and delivery the three fundamentals of developing a great elevator speech.  Terri states you have to have s solid and persuasive case, along with a thoughtful, creative and intriguing message combined with a delivery which is genuine and enthusiastic. Once you complete Terri book Small Message, Big Impact you will have crafted a compelling message.  She takes you through the process and provides examples of wonderfully crafted elevator speeches.  If you are someone who is consistently dealing with the public either in sales, marketing or customer service Terri new book is a must read. Terri also has a wonderful book trailer that you can watch by clicking here, or you can access forms and tools on how to develop your own elevator speech by clicking here.  I hope you enjoy this wonderful podcast with author Terri Sjodin.

I personally appreciate the position author Dan Pallotta has articulated about the unjust discriminatory rules that society imposes on charities.  In his new book entitled Charity Case-How The Non-Profit Community Can Stand Up For Itself and Really Change the World. Dan states that virtually everything our society teaches about charity is backwards.  The donating public is told to measure the effectiveness and moral character of charities by how little they spend on overhead never being taught that overhead is really investment without which the nonprofit sector can never hope to solve massive social problems.  The media and government unwittingly perpetuate these views, condemning charities that invest in behind-the scenes infrastructure or attempt to lure talent away form the for-profit sector. I personally have volunteered thousands of hours on charity boards helping to organize and raise money to assist with the funding of this program or that, and believe me the task is a challenging one at best.  Charities are always fight the battle to attract and keep good loyal and committed donors, and those donors frequently are judging the charity on how they control their expenses, and how much of their donated dollar is going to work.  Believe me just like any other business, charities can waste money but the charities I have been involved with have been lean mean fighting machines and truly use the donated dollars quite effectively.   I understand what Dan is saying in Charity Case is that the public sentiment has always been one of suspicion. While we spend money with other private-sector businesses and never once give a thought to how they spend their money on expenses or advertising as long as we receive the good or service we purchased. In my interview with Dan we speak about his movement to help reposition charities in the eyes of the public.  Dan has a very interesting proposition about building an anti-defamation league for charities, the purpose would be to unite charities and create an advertising campaign that would inform the public about all the good that they are doing.  A great example is the ad campaign that Got Milk did that was funded by the  Milk Advisory Board which is comprised of dairy cattleman who have united and created advisory board to help build a positive image about milk.  Dan states that charities have never united together, and put their resources to work building a positive image for themselves with the public.  I personally believe this is a great idea, and one that is long overdue. If you are interested in learning more about how Dan plans to help the charities of the world unite and overcome the ill-conceived views of the public I encourage you to read both Charity Case and Dans previous book Uncharitable.  You can also learn more by visiting his website by clicking here.  Enjoy this great interview with author and activists Dan Pallotta.

We have all read and heard about the work of Daniel Goldman regarding Emotional Intelligence, but now what I believe could prove to be equally important is the measurement of our  spiritual intelligence.  Author  Cindy Wigglesworth has just published a book entitled The 21 Skills of Spiritual Intelligencewhich  provides insight into our spiritual intelligence.  As part of my inquiry Cindy  allowed me to take the 170 question analysis that she diligently developed over many years. The quiz was quite revealing and is certainly a tool that will be quite useful both personally and in the work environment. (For more information on the click here to be directed to her website.) Cindy defines spiritual intelligence as the ability to behave with wisdom and compassion while maintaining inner and outer peace regardless of the situation. Wow, now thats  a skill set  that most corporations would love to instill in their employees.  Cindy states that transcending our smaller nature and growing into our full potential as human beings is the most important and fulfilling thing we can do with our lives.  The set of skills that are collectively known as spiritual intelligence are designed to help you become more fully who you are, to continue to grow and develop, and to live with greater consciousness, direction, wisdom and compassion. Cindy uses her newly defined spiritual intelligence in conjunction with the other identified intelligences, physical, cognitive, emotional intelligence.  When combined and analyzed they become a powerful tool that can assist the management of organizations in defining how employees will best work, inspire and collaborate with one another.  There are 21 skills that have been identified as part of our spiritual intelligence , and those skills have been classified into four (4) quadrants.  Self-Awareness, Universal Awareness, Self Mastery, Social Mastery/Spiritual Presence.  To better understand the spiritual intelligence model I recommend that you click here to be directed to Cindys Deep Change website. I hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with Cindy Wigglesworth, the author of The 21 Skills of Spiritual Intelligence.  You can click here to watch a great PBS interview in which Cindy provides the viewer with insight into her personal philosophy and history.

Everyone today is focused on wellness, and it is a topic that deserves a lot of focus and attention.  I had the pleasure of interviewing both Dr. Matt Mumber and Heather Reed about their new book entitled Sustainable Wellness-An Integrative Approach to Transform Your Mind, Body and Spirit..   I must state that Matt and Heathers approaching to achieving sustainable wellness uses an integrative medicine approach which if followed properly will certainly help one achieve sustainable wellness with lasting results. I found their  analogy of using the three legged stool a great way to explain how they both approach the topic of wellness.  If you can imagine a three legged stool with the seat being spirituality , and the three legs physical activity, nutrition, and stress management all feeding into our spirituality.   The stool rests on awareness, which is the foundation of where all wellness begins.   This provides a great visual of the integrative approach that both Matt and Heather take when working with their clients to achieve truly lasting wellness. Achieving sustainable wellness begins with reflection and exploration.  In the book you will find many opportunities where  Matt and Heather  provide the reader with questions for reflection and thought.  They have also have created and an eight (8) steps process to follow in exploring your personal wellness RX.  Those steps include mindfulness, know thyself, life review and planning, nutrition, physical activity, stress management, spirituality, bringing it all together.  If you follow these steps and practice the wisdom that the authors have outlined in Sustainable Wellness you will most likely  achieve a new level of health and vitality for yourself. I invite you to listen to this great podcast with both Dr. Matt Mumber and Heather Reed while we explore questions for the listeners about obtaining a peak level of health, vitality and wellness.  If you would like to learn more you can click here to be directed to the Sustainable Wellness website, or you can click here to watch a Youtube video interview with Matt.

I recently had the pleasure to interviewing my good friend and author Jeff Frick about his new enhanced book entitled Poetic Ripples for the Knowing Heart.  Jeffs new book is a publication of Wiseologie Media Group a company that I am a partner in and have been publishing enhanced books for over two years.  If you have never experienced watching and listening to a poet through a downloaded book, then this is your opportunity. Jeff explores the deep elements of our human nature and experience with his poetry.  He also has used poetry through his life as a businessman to help develop greater levels of communications with his employees, and well as reflective way to express his thoughts, ideas  ways to transform challenging issues.  Poetic Ripples from the Knowing Heart will move and transform you through the beautifully express poetry. If you would like more information about Jeffs consulting services you can click here to be directed to the Poetic Ripples website.  You can also watch Jeff on Youtube  where he recites many of his poems by clicking here.  Enjoy this great interview with a very gifted poet and businessman.