Bellwether Hub Podcast

I’ve been ranting and raving about goals and change and resolutions and all kinds of fun stuff for 2020. And you can’t blame me - new year, new decade, new rules and new excitement. So much excitement, in fact, that I just may pee my pants. But I wanted to step back and go to the basics. Often times, when people get on their soapboxes like I’m wont to do, we jump over some fundamental basic items that we just take for granted. Kind of like the two things needed to make any type of goal or change. Goals, accomplishment and motivation are my business. And I’m good at it. If there is an end state you are trying to reach - I am the person you want to chat about it with. And with all of the people I work with, and with all of the goals I’ve set for myself, I have found that there are two consistent requirements for hitting your goals: Intention and Consistency. Simple, yet difficult. Those are just words. And in order for words to be effective, we have to give them context and detail. So let’s do that.

This week I’m looking to be painfully blunt.  The majority of my job is to help organizations and people plan. One of my gifted skills is the ability to see many things that could go wrong, and in turn plan for them. Maybe it’s my way of becoming a superhero - get people to worry, and help them find a solution.  Getting you to worry Much has been made of technology, AI, and the future of work, especially in the past few years. While nobody can predict the future, we know that technology will impact the way we work. No, a robot won’t take your job in a corner office, but algorithms and AI will disrupt your industry and potentially cause significant consolidation (see Schwab buying TD Ameritrade). It’s time to think about how moves like this will impact you. Most of my corporate clients are preparing for a recession. Bonuses are being cut, hiring is being stalled, and there is a general feeling that a difficult period is around the bend. We can’t predict timing, but eventually it becomes a self-fulf

It’s the big day - a new year. It fascinates me that we are already at 2020.  For many people, I know the feeling they are having right now - the regret of making a New Year’s Resolution. It’s so easy to talk about doing so many things, and now it’s time to take action.  As I mentioned a few weeks ago in my podcast, a new year is just a pivot point - an opportunity to reflect on where you are on your journey and how you can take action to move forward. This is a decade of possibility. You have a month, a year, a decade to do whatever in the hell it is that you want. It will take work, but it’s your work.  Financial independence? It’s in your grasp. New career? Fit body? All in your grasp. It will take grunts, grit, and consistent focus - but it’s there, and it’s possible. The question to ask yourself is, what are you willing to sacrifice to get there?  I often hear at the end of a year people talking about how they need to “wash this year off and start a new one.” I used to like that phrase, un

As we have put a wrap on 2019, it’s now time to focus on the possibility and opportunity that looms in 2020. Each December I set out to create my goals for the next year - and align my focus on what’s important to me and where I want to go over the next 365 days. It’s one of my favorite things to do - unbridled imagination of what’s possible and dreaming.  I’ve never been a fan of creating resolutions - simply because they don’t work. They live and die within a moment of hope, and when the rubber has to meet the road, we drop off. Gym memberships go unused, books unread, misaligned priorities failed. And the reason they fail is because they don’t align with our priorities and our values. If the resolutions were that important to us, we would be doing them already.  But that’s not to say a resolution doesn’t have value. Resolutions are generally a recognition that something needs to change. And when we are creating our goals for the next year, it could be a good place to start. Last week I talked abou

It’s almost time that we put a wrap on 2019, toss it into the memory bin and focus on going forward. We have evolved another year, which is long or short depending on how you look at it. At the end of a year, it’s a good pivot point to ask yourself the important questions of where you are and where you want to be on your journey. If we are lucky, we get about 80 or so of these pivot points, and considering that many of us are at least half way there, it’s important to take it seriously.  When we look back on the year, there are two buckets of questions that we should be asking. The first bucket is reflective (what did I do?) and the second bucket is forward looking (how do I build on this and go forward?).  Annual questions are big ones. They allow us to take bigger stock of what we are doing and accomplishing and separate the forest from the trees. How much have you evolved in the past year, when you think back to the person you were in January? The evolution gets bigger and bigger the more I think

I feel like a zen master with that title.  We are coming up on the end of the year; the time to be reflective, take stock of what we have accomplished, and plan for all that we hope to accomplish in the coming year. And in order to make this time truly effective, there is one primary area on which we should focus: the questions we are asking.  We don’t think about questions. They just exist - like nouns, verbs and Pauly Shore. When I ask my clients to define what a question is, they give a variety of answers that don’t quite ecompass the purpose of questioning. A question, to define it, is a request for information where you legitimately don’t know the answer. This year I’ve spoken often about the value of learning and entering situations with a “learning mindset.” It’s not my unique idea; there’s plenty of information out there on it. But, from what I have experienced over the years, there is no better way to get past any challenge that comes my way.  And in order to have a learning mindset, we n

Last week we talked about the value and purpose of a network. The point of networking is to build a community; a group of people who best represent who you are and can help you grow as an individual.  Our network should be designed to motivate us, get us moving and help us be successful.  We all have a network in place. And a good network is powerful. Each person we know in turn knows many others. Each person in our network is in a position to recommend us to other people. They are our personal PR team - focused on laying the groundwork for a good introduction.  You’d be amazed at who your network knows. When I chat with my network, I learn that they know professional athletes, actors, senior business executives and entrepreneurs. Think for a moment about the most impressive people you know. Now think about how each of them can help each other.  Knowing people is “nice.” But what about when you need something? How do you leverage the expertise in your network to help you get to another level? The

Welcome to the holiday season. With Halloween behind us, and Costco selling Christmas trees, it’s important to think about doing something for yourself during the holidays: Networking. The holidays are the perfect time to network. There are plenty of opportunities for parties and meetups, uber amounts of people getting together in one place, and everyone feels generous and wants to help out. The table is set.  The challenge is that most people don’t like networking. They don’t like it because it tends to be anxiety-inducing and a massive chore. However, with a recession looming and the need for solid relationships growing, people can skip networking at their peril. What is refreshing, though, is that networking can be simple if we think about it in the right way.  People make two big mistakes when networking - which is what’s driving the anxiety. First, people wait to network until they need something. Second, they try to sell to the people standing in front of them.  Network on a High Your net

This past weekend I took the plunge and made the psychotic attempt to run an Ironman. I finished (over 14 hours later), and am thrilled that the anxiety of an unknown mountain is behind me. I’m happy I did it, more happy it's over, and further details on my experience are in the podcast (player below). That said, here are a few of the big learnings I took away from the weekend.  First, Anyone can do it. Training and preparing for an Ironman takes a ton of work, but anyone can do it. Completion takes commitment and desire; that’s it. I saw some people doing it with prosthetic legs; others were all kinds of ages and shapes and sizes. Everyone is different, and everyone has their own time.  But that’s part of the secret to finishing an Ironman - it’s “your” time, not anyone else’s. Focusing on you, and what you need to finish the race, is the only thing that matters as people whiz by you. Which brings me to learning number two.  It’s a mental event. People talk about the physical challenges of com

At Bellwether, we prefer to learn from the best.  And when it comes to mindfulness, focus and performing under pressure, you find the best on one of the most intimidating stages in the world: the New York Philharmonic. Richard Deane, Principal French Horn for the NY Phil, executes with graceful detail in front of one of the most fastidious and discriminating audiences that exist (classical music fans). And he does so with one of the most challenging instruments you can play. Getting to his seat is an arduous journey. Some would argue that staying in that seat is even more challenging.  It takes focus. It takes meditation and mindfulness. It takes humility and grace and all of those other really nice words we wish people used about us.  Richard shares his story - of what got him to where he is, and how he remains focused while playing exquisite music on a grand scale. Most importantly, and this was the question I could hardly wait to ask, is how to get your focus back after making a mistake.

Life lessons from a whirlwind journey to Belfast.

In order to get someone to believe us, we have to show them, not tell them, what we are capable of.

There is a difference between "routine" and "rhythm," and each one affects progress differently.

This week I’m continuing the theme of reputation, and I want to cover the idea of “personal branding.”  I hate the term - I feel like it’s a marketing gimmick designed to sell corporate workshops - but the idea of it is an extremely important one, especially as the economy and work structure are changing. And, since I don’t have a better term to replace “personal brand” - we’ll run with it.  Last week I wrote a bit about “presence” - and what people see of you in the moment. It’s an often-forgotten area of focus for people, especially as we get so busy in meetings and with delivering our work, yet it is a fundamental component of what makes our personal brand. It’s no secret that reputation is key to success. But reputation is only one aspect. Reputation, presence, personal brand - all of these fall under the same umbrella but have nuanced definitions that require different focus.  Presence is what people see in the moment. Reputation is what precedes you, and the story people tell. Your “personal

Managing what you want people to see is fundamental to your success.

You know good, smart people. These good, smart people can help you in many different ways. Why not put them to use as you attempt something new?

If you work for a corporation, you are probably familiar with the annual Individual Development Plan, or IDP. But what about creating one just for you outside of work?

Last week on the podcast I discussed the love of learning. But, as always, learning is one thing and practical application is something completely separate.  With that in mind, this week’s podcast is devoted to some practical examples on how to use learning to improve. True learning for whatever it is that we want to improve comes down to our ability to ask ourselves questions. To learn in the moment, we need to have a level of awareness and challenge ourselves with the difficult questions that are so easy to ignore.  For those not listening to the podcast, here are the three things I highlight:  First - Preparation.  I use running as the example on the podcast. But in order to get started, you have to prepare and that includes the “why.” If you want to start running - ask yourself the “why” question. Is it because of self image and you want to get in shape? Is it because you want to lose weight? Is it because you want to impress another person? All of these questions will impact your ability t

I have a theory. I believe that part of the reason adults are so miserable is that they have stopped learning.  There is something special about being a kid. The awe of new things, wonder and learning - I’d argue it’s what makes being a kid so special. It’s why young people are so happy and engaged and have desires to do new things. As we get older - we lose that. We have to meet the expectations of others. We have to present ourselves in certain ways to meet the needs of the Joneses and impress other people. We evolve from learning internally to showing externally. And that sucks. A client recently told me that his favorite part about coaching is that it helped him realize that “he likes learning.” I thought that was pretty wise and well said. After all, we never think about what we are learning day to day. And the reason for that is because we have our routines. When we get stuck - and by stuck I can mean any kind of rut - I tend to blame it on routine.  Routine takes away learning. It’s the

How we choose to spend our time is what dictates everything about our situation today and in the future, so it's refreshing to remember that yes, time is a choice.