Aug. 31, 2026

From Tragedy to Triumph

From Tragedy to Triumph

In this episode, we sit down with Nick Anderson, the driving force behind One Accord. While many know Nick as a top-tier business consultant, his journey began long before the boardrooms and strategies. Nick’s early life, exploring how he navigated the loss of his father to suicide as a child. That experience became the foundation for his empathy, leadership style, and the unwavering commitment to helping others. Join us for a raw, honest, and inspiring conversation finding one's purpose.

ASharpe Outlook is broadcast live Mondays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). ASharpe Outlook TV Show is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).

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WEBVTT

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Hello, and thank you for tuning in to A Sharp

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Outlook on.

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K4HD Radio and Talk4TV. I am Angela Sharp, your host.

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Our armchair discussions with industry experts will give you the steps, tools,

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and information to be successful in business.

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And to prepare you to be your best self.

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Hello, I'm Angela Sharp, and welcome to A Sharp Outlook.

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And today we want to talk about....

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How do you go from tragedy to triumph?

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And in this episode, we're going to be sitting down

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with Nick Anderson, the driving force behind One Accord. While

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many know Nick as a top-tier business consultant, his journey

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began long before the boardrooms and strategies. And we're going

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to dive deep into Nick's early life, explaining how he

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navigated his the devastating loss of his father as a child.

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And Nick is the CEO of One Accord, a consulting

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firm helping small and mid-sized businesses business owners build stronger,

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more valuable companies. At one accord, he leads the firm's

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advisory work in strategy planning, leadership development, and enterprise value creation,

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guiding owners through growth, succession, and exit. Before entering consulting,

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Anderson spent 25 years in banking leadership. He holds a

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master's degree in nonprofit leadership from Seattle University in 2018,

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was named the Puget Sound Business Journal Under 40 List 2017,

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and is an alumnus of 2015 of Seattle Civic Leadership Program,

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Leadership Tomorrow. And so we are really happy to have

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Nick on our show today. and discussing how he became

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so successful in his business after going through a very

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tragic moment of his life. The show is going to be,

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you know, how that profound experience can become the foundation

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for the empathy, leadership style, and unwavering commitment to helping

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others succeed. And right now, We need voices to help

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others succeed who are struggling. We want you to listen

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to this podcast, share it with others, and let them

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know that there is a way of being able to

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find one's purpose. I want to invite Nick to join

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us right now. Welcome, Nick. Good to have you.

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Thanks for having me.

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Great.

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What I want to do is, because you have achieved

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a lot, I'm jealous.

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I wanted to be on the 40 list, but that's okay.

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I want to go back to the beginning of your

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life and what was the environment like at home when

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you were a child and how did that The things

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that occurred shape your life, initial understanding of what it

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meant to be a man and a leader. Tell us

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your story.

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Oh, wow.

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Those are some big questions. Thanks for asking them. So

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home for me was a modest living arrangement. I think mom, dad,

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and I, my biological father We shared 780 square feet

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in what was kind of a World War II era

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military housing that had then been, you know.

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In the years since became a neighborhood. But it was home.

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I remember only because I had a photograph of this

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that my grandfather, who's a woodworker, constructed for me an

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airplane And if you can imagine, it was probably four

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feet long and three feet wide. They hung it by

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ropes from a tree, and I would sit on it

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like a swing. My grandfather was a World War II

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Marine fighter pilot. But that was in the backyard. There

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were trees in the backyard, and there was this swing

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in the backyard, and that sounds like lovely Americana.

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I also remember my mother and my father arguing.

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More than anything, if I think about their relationship, that's

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what I remember was fights. And my dad left when

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I was four. And I used that language intentionally. What

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was actually the truth was that my mother invited him

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to leave, told him to leave. At four years old,

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three years old too, of course, I wouldn't understand why.

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Right.

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Didn't understand what fights meant like that.

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Didn't understand his mental condition. And I have said that

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my biological father was both mentally ill and chemically dependent.

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I had this thought just the other day. The first

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time I saw touched, smelled marijuana. I think I was

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eight years old from dad's sock drawer. Cause I was

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in there snooping around in a place where I probably

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shouldn't have been. So at four years old, uh, I

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remember dad leaving and the way that the home was constructed,

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there was a, there was a street and we walked

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downstairs to the front door and I remember him walking

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up the stairs and not understanding why daddy was leaving.

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Yes.

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Um, you know, the story goes on, but that's, those

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are some points of the origin story. And, and so,

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you know, mom raised me mom, uh, very strong woman

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in her own lived experience.

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Uh, didn't have it easy.

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She lived in a number of, places in and around

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the Seattle area, many homes, many, um, many father, many men, uh, in,

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in her life.

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My grandmother was married five times.

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Um, and so here, here we were just, just mom

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and me when I was four.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, as you're looking back at your childhood, what are

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some of the earliest lessons about work and character that

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might have stuck with you before everything changed?

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Yeah, mom was an entrepreneur. She and my aunt.

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Founded and operated a hair salon in what is known

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as the Northgate area.

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Northgate Mall used to be a thing.

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And they had Trendsetter Styling Salon across the street from

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the mall for a number of years.

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And they ran a successful business.

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And I recall that Thursday nights were mom's night to

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close the salon. So she would work late. And I

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would stay with my grandmother on Thursdays after school. And

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mom would pick me up at 9. That was one

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of the first.

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Indications or, you know, signals that I had of what it,

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what it takes to be an entrepreneur, what it takes

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to be responsible for the business is you've got to

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be there when nobody else will.

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And I spent a number of days in.

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That salon when there wasn't a babysitter, when there wasn't

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somewhere for me to go. And it was fun for

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about 10 minutes and then boring for the rest of

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the day. I'll tell you what, there's not much to do.

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or a seven year old boy in a, in a

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hair salon.

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Right.

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Once, once you start playing with the chemicals and get told, no,

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don't touch those, then, then what do you do?

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Yeah. Yeah.

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Yeah, definitely. But you did learn, you did see the

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fact that sometimes work is hard, but you have to

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maintain that fortitude to keep going and In spite of

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the fact that it's long hours and it's a lot

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of invested time, but if that's your dream.

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Later in life, so not the early years, but maybe

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the adolescent years, when I endeavored to get a job,

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my first job, mom told me something that stuck. She said,

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if you want to work full-time, you got to work

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full-time at getting a full-time job. So if you want

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40 hours a week worth of work, you better be

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working 40 hours a week to get the job. and

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you know that that's a nearly impossible task like how

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does how does one go about attempting to get work

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for eight hours a day but she was right i

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put in that level of effort and bring that all

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the way forward today If I want my firm, if

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I want One Accord to have growth and if I

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want all of my team to be fully employed and

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growing and adding jobs, well, I bet to be working

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more than 40 hours a week to find new clients

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and grow the business.

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So that's a lesson that's carried forward for decades.

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Yes, yes, absolutely. And it's kind of a lesson.

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That I think... So when you don't understand how much

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commitment is needed to achieve those dreams, you have to

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put the time in. If you're wanting to receive something back,

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you invest, and you invest in your time, your skills,

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your knowledge, your abilities, just to be able to be

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a recipient of what's going to happen from your dedication.

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I know that many of us face adversity. I think

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about my life, you know, facing adversity. Well, one of

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the things is you experience a profound loss at your

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young age with the passing of your father. How did

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that moment shape your view of the world as a

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young person?

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In every way imaginable. That's that's how.

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The some of the lessons that that i could say

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if i label them as such and here again i'm

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you know i'm 47 mike ended his life in suicide

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when i was 10 so i've had 37 years to

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look back and process and make sense of this yeah

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some time ago maybe 10 years ago i was going

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through some boxes of memorabilia from from that era of

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my life things that my mother had saved one of

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them was a journal that i was writing in in

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sixth grade and i wrote to myself that my friends

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were asking me the question how do you how do

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you do it how how do you some version of

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you know how are you doing this right now how

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are you showing up they don't understand mm-hmm The words

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that I put to the answer came to me later

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in life from a friend, Harlan Barkas, and he would

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say that the only way out is through.

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The only way out is through.

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Right.

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I would have said back then, I don't have a choice.

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One of the things that I know about myself today that.

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Showed up in that experience is I'm a visionary.

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I can imagine a future that that is better than

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the present.

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That also makes me an optimist. And I would say

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that in.

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Every case I've ever, every human being I've ever met,

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it is true that a person's greatest strength is also

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their greatest weakness.

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So I can over-index on optimism.

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But if I just bring those ideas together, in the

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midst of tragedy, I could see a better life, I

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was optimistic about it and I knew then without having

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the words for it that the only way out is through.

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I would have said I don't have a choice. At

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the same time, I was deeply ashamed. Ashamed that I

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wasn't good enough for my father to choose to stay alive.

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I never thought about That way that a child takes

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on that kind of emotion that they feel that they

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have something to do with their parent making that decision.

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It's difficult.

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Children do it. Adults do it. From my observation, it's

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a part of the human condition. When a couple divorces.

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Children personalize it.

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When there's fighting, those around us personalize it. I've heard

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it said, too, that we are all just extras in

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the movie of someone else's life.

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So in the moment where my.

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Father was the star of his show, he was maybe

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a supporting actor in the movie of my life.

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So, of course, it's all about me.

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Of course, the reason he made the decision that he

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did had something to do with me.

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That's how we are wired.

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So that notion of not being good enough for my father,

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that shame of believing that, That manifested in a way

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that was, well, I will always be good enough. I

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will always be the best. I will always be someone

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worthy of love or choice. That was a psychological, that

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was a mental decision with the emotional belief that I

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wasn't good enough.

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And so there was conflict there. And when there's conflict between.

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The mental and emotional, I would often just describe that to.

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Insecurity.

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So I wanted to be a way. I didn't feel

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that I was, so I was insecure. Caused me to

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do some things that you might label as acting out,

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but also caused me to show up in ways that

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looked really good. So I'm competitive and, because people like

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winners and I like to be liked. But I'm also

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a people pleaser because I want to be liked and

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I don't want people to leave or abandon me. There

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are several elements of my persona that I can attribute

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right back to that 10-year-old boy trying to make sense

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of an impossible question.

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Which is why?

240
00:17:09.529 --> 00:17:13.089
Yeah, absolutely.

241
00:17:13.650 --> 00:17:17.329
You know, a lot of people feel stuck, especially these days.

242
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And they're stuck by their past. They're stuck by negative experiences.

243
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They're stuck by things that have happened with their parents,

244
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their friends, and things like that.

245
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But when did you realize that your story.

246
00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:41.640
what you went through, what you experienced, the emotions, the hurt,

247
00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:48.609
the pain, it could actually be an asset to the

248
00:17:48.650 --> 00:17:52.730
people you lead and coach in your business today. When

249
00:17:52.750 --> 00:17:55.990
did you realize that it could actually be more of

250
00:17:56.009 --> 00:18:02.150
an empowerment than something that actually wraps you up and

251
00:18:02.190 --> 00:18:03.089
you can't get loose?

252
00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:09.579
There's a prelude to this story, I think.

253
00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:15.319
I left my high school campus early and without a diploma.

254
00:18:16.299 --> 00:18:19.880
So at 17 years old, I was.

255
00:18:22.039 --> 00:18:24.160
Doing that thing that mom told me to do. I

256
00:18:24.579 --> 00:18:28.140
was working 40 hours to get a 40-hour job. And

257
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I was hired by a local bank. And I was

258
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hired to be a part-time bank teller in a branch

259
00:18:37.259 --> 00:18:42.440
office that was located inside of a grocery store. And

260
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the grocery store branches had extended hours. So that, that

261
00:18:48.910 --> 00:18:51.849
ended up being the start of a 25 year career.

262
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And in order for me to work in a bank,

263
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I had to wear slacks and a shirt, a tie.

264
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So I, I bought two, two pairs of dress pants

265
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and two shirts and two ties. And well, that combination

266
00:19:08.150 --> 00:19:11.730
made up six or eight different outfits. And I went

267
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into the bank putting on my costume, putting on this

268
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image that I was something that I didn't feel like

269
00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:31.410
I was. And at 17 years old, standing behind the

270
00:19:31.470 --> 00:19:35.700
counter in a bank, people made a lot of us assumptions.

271
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Right.

272
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And in, you know, in the, in the modern vernacular,

273
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there was, there was a lot of privilege afforded to me.

274
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So, you know, today, today.

275
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I can put words to that, that may or may

276
00:19:52.630 --> 00:19:57.130
not make, you know, make sense to everybody, but people

277
00:19:57.369 --> 00:20:01.279
assumed things about me and I didn't work to change

278
00:20:01.319 --> 00:20:01.799
their mind.

279
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I let them do.

280
00:20:05.099 --> 00:20:05.279
It.

281
00:20:05.480 --> 00:20:08.509
People assumed that, that I, well, of course I had

282
00:20:08.549 --> 00:20:11.190
graduated high school. They assumed I was older than I was.

283
00:20:11.230 --> 00:20:13.880
They assumed that I was in college. They assumed maybe

284
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that I had even graduated college because I'm wearing a

285
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shirt and a tie. And I wasn't consciously aware of this,

286
00:20:24.460 --> 00:20:32.430
but I was letting it happen and subconsciously observing. And

287
00:20:32.450 --> 00:20:37.220
it felt good, felt really good for people to see

288
00:20:37.259 --> 00:20:40.829
me as the person that I wanted to be and

289
00:20:40.869 --> 00:20:42.869
assume that I was the person that I wanted to be.

290
00:20:44.569 --> 00:20:45.309
And so.

291
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Maybe it was in that, in that time and in

292
00:20:49.130 --> 00:20:53.730
that space that I began to share with my colleagues,

293
00:20:55.539 --> 00:20:59.519
most all of whom were literally twice or three times

294
00:20:59.619 --> 00:21:04.720
my age. I was 17 years old, you know, professional

295
00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:10.029
office workers at, 35 or 55 years old would make.

296
00:21:09.890 --> 00:21:11.390
Sense, right? I was a kid.

297
00:21:12.369 --> 00:21:17.480
And for me to share my story with them and

298
00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:20.940
they would say things back to me that were positive

299
00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:25.759
and affirming and encouraging, they gave me permission to tell

300
00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:33.450
my story. And so that started pretty, pretty young. And

301
00:21:33.470 --> 00:21:38.130
then I was promoted. I was promoted into a full-time

302
00:21:39.089 --> 00:21:42.930
banker role when I was 18. I was promoted to

303
00:21:42.970 --> 00:21:46.950
become an assistant manager when I was 19. One of

304
00:21:47.069 --> 00:21:50.470
the youngest maybe of all time in that bank's history

305
00:21:50.509 --> 00:21:53.799
and certainly the youngest at that time. And even that

306
00:21:53.880 --> 00:21:57.819
year I was named assistant manager of the year. So

307
00:21:58.500 --> 00:22:04.049
now I have professional experience. accomplishments and achievements and accolades

308
00:22:04.109 --> 00:22:09.569
and recognition. And all the while I was saying the

309
00:22:09.650 --> 00:22:14.190
truth about my life. Most, most of the truth of

310
00:22:14.259 --> 00:22:23.940
my life. Um, and it was here again, supported, affirmed, encouraged. And,

311
00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:29.660
and it was also, um, starkly different from everyone around me.

312
00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:30.779
Okay.

313
00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:35.880
The people around me would maintain the status quo kind

314
00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:43.039
of persona. Nobody would share vulnerable. So I became now this,

315
00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:51.009
a different type of person who was successful, but also

316
00:22:51.089 --> 00:22:59.390
transparent and vulnerable. I became attractive to people around and

317
00:22:59.430 --> 00:23:02.799
labeled courageous. or something like that.

318
00:23:03.480 --> 00:23:03.720
Yes.

319
00:23:04.140 --> 00:23:06.130
And so I leaned into it more and more over time.

320
00:23:07.210 --> 00:23:11.609
Yes. Well, when you think about it, you started your

321
00:23:11.650 --> 00:23:14.210
story talking about you got dressed and you had this

322
00:23:14.509 --> 00:23:17.250
persona and you had this look and you had this

323
00:23:17.369 --> 00:23:18.269
mask on.

324
00:23:18.710 --> 00:23:19.099
That's right.

325
00:23:19.450 --> 00:23:25.519
And those people are walking around wearing this mask and

326
00:23:25.660 --> 00:23:31.230
behind that mask is There's trauma. There's all sorts of things.

327
00:23:31.690 --> 00:23:38.250
And even no confidence, insecurities, don't even believe it themselves,

328
00:23:38.730 --> 00:23:44.589
but they're going through the act. And what I want

329
00:23:44.789 --> 00:23:49.259
to say at this time is what you did, you

330
00:23:49.400 --> 00:23:53.380
opened the door for other people to be authentic and say,

331
00:23:53.400 --> 00:23:54.420
you know what?

332
00:23:55.579 --> 00:23:59.750
If he could do that, What can I do?

333
00:23:59.769 --> 00:24:06.960
I haven't even experienced nothing like he has experienced. And

334
00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:12.240
I'm sitting here just twiddling my thumbs. Gosh, I'm going

335
00:24:12.259 --> 00:24:13.900
to get up and do something.

336
00:24:13.960 --> 00:24:15.279
I mean, it just kind of just.

337
00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:20.099
Maybe because of ego or whatever. It kind of makes

338
00:24:20.299 --> 00:24:24.619
others get up and want to make a difference, want

339
00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:29.470
to make a change, want to actually change. feel what

340
00:24:29.509 --> 00:24:33.880
they're trying to pretend they are. Because that within itself,

341
00:24:34.210 --> 00:24:37.920
it's difficult to keep wearing the mask. It's difficult to

342
00:24:37.980 --> 00:24:42.519
keep doing that because you're just really, you got two

343
00:24:42.579 --> 00:24:46.619
people inside of you that you're fighting with all the time.

344
00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:49.940
The one that you want people to see and then

345
00:24:49.980 --> 00:24:52.799
the one that's like, no, I want to be out.

346
00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:56.099
I want them to see the real me. And so,

347
00:24:56.759 --> 00:25:01.730
but just sharing your story with others, what kind of

348
00:25:02.349 --> 00:25:06.630
responses did they have, you know, the empathy and the

349
00:25:06.690 --> 00:25:13.089
strength that helped it forge, you know, your early years

350
00:25:13.269 --> 00:25:18.339
so that you're even able to use those stories to

351
00:25:18.619 --> 00:25:24.339
take the masks down from the CEOs, the corporate executives,

352
00:25:24.420 --> 00:25:26.740
and all of those that are trying to achieve but

353
00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:29.660
they can't get where they want to go because they

354
00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:32.420
still are wearing a mask and not coming out from

355
00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:36.200
under it and getting whatever the issues are worked out

356
00:25:37.339 --> 00:25:41.359
to become what it is they want people to think

357
00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:45.259
they have become. Just go do it. Take off your

358
00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:48.680
mask and be you and get to the place you

359
00:25:48.700 --> 00:25:49.329
want to be.

360
00:25:52.410 --> 00:25:59.849
I've had the honor, privilege of keynoting several events, um,

361
00:26:00.910 --> 00:26:08.099
sharing this story to audiences of hundreds, um, thousand, you know,

362
00:26:08.279 --> 00:26:12.200
and I'll have a ballroom with a thousand people and sharing, uh,

363
00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:18.180
here's my read on, on it. Uh, if I was to, uh,

364
00:26:19.079 --> 00:26:22.799
keynote a conference of, in fact, I'll be in Akron, Ohio, uh,

365
00:26:23.799 --> 00:26:26.480
in a couple of months this year, speaking to the

366
00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:32.940
international executives association, a collection of owners, founders, CEOs of companies.

367
00:26:37.109 --> 00:26:39.269
My first, my first trip, I look forward to seeing

368
00:26:39.289 --> 00:26:44.069
the rock and roll hall of fame. So, so I

369
00:26:44.150 --> 00:26:46.910
imagine there'll be a few hundred people in the room

370
00:26:47.210 --> 00:26:51.299
and all owners, founders, CEOs, executives, and in companies.

371
00:26:51.900 --> 00:26:53.039
And I will share my story.

372
00:26:54.950 --> 00:26:59.589
And if there's 300 people in the room, I would

373
00:26:59.930 --> 00:27:04.930
anticipate that some number like 10% of those people, 30

374
00:27:04.930 --> 00:27:08.390
or so, will hear my story and it will connect

375
00:27:08.950 --> 00:27:17.190
deeply because there is a shared wavelength that we will

376
00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:18.319
connect on.

377
00:27:18.819 --> 00:27:19.079
Yes.

378
00:27:19.660 --> 00:27:19.920
Yes.

379
00:27:20.460 --> 00:27:25.420
And some number like 30 or 60, will have zero

380
00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:27.880
interest in the story that I'm telling for one reason

381
00:27:27.940 --> 00:27:28.359
or another.

382
00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:32.140
And that's fine and that's fair.

383
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:39.180
The other 70 or 80% of the group, I would believe,

384
00:27:43.369 --> 00:27:47.670
are living closer to their authentic self than not. And

385
00:27:48.549 --> 00:27:54.990
have some level of self-awareness, have some level of self-assurance

386
00:27:55.099 --> 00:28:01.240
and security that my sharing of my story, because I

387
00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:06.519
will bring in humor and some entertainment, you know, 80%

388
00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:07.859
will say, yeah, that was a good keynote.

389
00:28:08.039 --> 00:28:12.809
I enjoyed, I enjoyed my time. 10% will say, that

390
00:28:12.829 --> 00:28:14.349
was a waste of time. I don't like this guy.

391
00:28:14.809 --> 00:28:20.470
And 10% will become raving fans and will follow me

392
00:28:20.529 --> 00:28:22.529
on social media and like everything that.

393
00:28:22.450 --> 00:28:23.769
I post and engage.

394
00:28:25.309 --> 00:28:27.289
And so, you know, with that, you know, I don't,

395
00:28:27.650 --> 00:28:33.410
I don't take the position that my story, my message is, uh,

396
00:28:33.490 --> 00:28:35.819
is going to reach the masses and change the world.

397
00:28:35.859 --> 00:28:40.240
And I actually don't, that that's not important to me.

398
00:28:41.380 --> 00:28:43.720
If there's a room full of 300 and there's one

399
00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:47.119
person in that room that I might connect with that might,

400
00:28:47.640 --> 00:28:50.099
that I might give the same permission that was afforded

401
00:28:50.160 --> 00:28:51.839
to me, uh.

402
00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:55.220
That's a good day.

403
00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:58.119
Yeah. Good. Yeah, absolutely.

404
00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:03.289
Uh, it just, it's, it's timely to be on this topic.

405
00:29:03.349 --> 00:29:06.529
I had a, a very deep conversation with a friend

406
00:29:06.549 --> 00:29:10.150
of mine, Christopher Thompson. He goes by CT, uh, and

407
00:29:10.390 --> 00:29:17.309
amazing facilitator, also keynote speaker, uh, leader coach guide. And

408
00:29:17.349 --> 00:29:21.680
we talked last night about Maslow's hierarchy of needs. And

409
00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:27.009
when we, When we have satisfied the base level, we

410
00:29:27.049 --> 00:29:29.589
have food, shelter, safety, security.

411
00:29:30.130 --> 00:29:31.849
We're in relationship. We're loved.

412
00:29:31.910 --> 00:29:35.809
We have purpose. And we get closer and closer to

413
00:29:35.849 --> 00:29:43.900
that self-actualization. There's a question that came up or a

414
00:29:43.980 --> 00:29:48.400
challenge back to a group that he is teaching right now.

415
00:29:49.640 --> 00:29:50.859
And that is to say.

416
00:29:52.900 --> 00:29:56.680
That we, you and I, or they, his group, should

417
00:29:56.740 --> 00:30:01.089
not be defined by what they do. you know, you,

418
00:30:01.170 --> 00:30:06.519
you are not what you do and your identity, your job.

419
00:30:07.799 --> 00:30:10.480
And I offered back to him, but wouldn't it be

420
00:30:10.519 --> 00:30:16.519
great if what you do is who you are, that

421
00:30:16.539 --> 00:30:19.619
the work that your vocation, that how you spend your

422
00:30:19.660 --> 00:30:25.519
time is coming from that place of authenticity, that that

423
00:30:25.539 --> 00:30:27.420
the work I do reflects who.

424
00:30:27.380 --> 00:30:31.069
I am rather than I am a reflection of the

425
00:30:31.109 --> 00:30:35.690
work that I do. And I just, you know, as

426
00:30:35.730 --> 00:30:38.450
you say the word authenticity, that's what comes to mind.

427
00:30:38.970 --> 00:30:39.289
Right.

428
00:30:39.690 --> 00:30:42.569
And it is not the case. Unfortunately, it just is

429
00:30:42.630 --> 00:30:46.390
not true. The world gets to do the work that

430
00:30:46.450 --> 00:30:47.490
is true to who they are.

431
00:30:47.970 --> 00:30:48.250
Right.

432
00:30:50.529 --> 00:30:51.910
Although I believe.

433
00:30:53.910 --> 00:30:58.640
On the whole, Society wants to wants to be there

434
00:31:00.660 --> 00:31:07.789
and our current Economic situation particularly in the United States

435
00:31:08.829 --> 00:31:14.990
and the technological evolution that everybody calls AI Bringing us

436
00:31:15.089 --> 00:31:18.750
so much closer to that place where we have it's

437
00:31:18.869 --> 00:31:24.259
it's within reach all all of us are can engage

438
00:31:24.299 --> 00:31:26.859
in the work that is true to who we are.

439
00:31:28.859 --> 00:31:30.279
At some point. Yeah.

440
00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:31.759
Instead of just a job.

441
00:31:32.759 --> 00:31:35.029
Yeah.

442
00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:38.109
You know, like, like mama taught me, sometimes you just

443
00:31:38.150 --> 00:31:39.769
got to do the hard work of doing the hard work.

444
00:31:40.230 --> 00:31:47.210
That's actually my friend, Richard Bruin, but it, it, it

445
00:31:47.250 --> 00:31:48.589
checks out. It checks out.

446
00:31:49.920 --> 00:31:53.099
Right. Yeah, I say all the time here on the show,

447
00:31:54.059 --> 00:31:57.240
you're going to spend a lot of years doing some

448
00:31:57.339 --> 00:32:03.140
form of productive work. You should at least find what

449
00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:08.180
really makes you happy and that you enjoy doing and

450
00:32:08.339 --> 00:32:11.920
work hard to making that a reality instead of just

451
00:32:11.960 --> 00:32:14.960
showing up for 40 hours and getting a check because

452
00:32:15.720 --> 00:32:18.990
you're not going to be happy. You're not even really

453
00:32:19.029 --> 00:32:21.369
going to be as good as you probably could be

454
00:32:21.950 --> 00:32:24.480
at what you're doing because you're not happy doing what

455
00:32:24.519 --> 00:32:29.160
you're doing. Find what's in your heart to do and

456
00:32:29.240 --> 00:32:32.619
make that happen. Spend the energy and the time and

457
00:32:32.660 --> 00:32:37.220
the research and whatever it is to make that happen.

458
00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:41.140
Even if it means you need to start your own

459
00:32:41.180 --> 00:32:46.529
business or collaborate with others in a like-mind business or

460
00:32:46.609 --> 00:32:49.529
something like that. But to go and be in an

461
00:32:49.609 --> 00:32:52.829
environment where you just show up every day, you're hating

462
00:32:52.869 --> 00:32:55.710
going to work. I mean, you just hate getting dressed

463
00:32:55.730 --> 00:32:59.130
to even go to work. That's a miserable way to

464
00:32:59.210 --> 00:33:04.509
spend that many hours of your time. Find what really makes,

465
00:33:05.730 --> 00:33:10.410
turns the lights on for you, that makes you energized

466
00:33:10.470 --> 00:33:14.170
and makes you feel that you are actually doing something

467
00:33:15.009 --> 00:33:17.250
that will fulfill your purpose.

468
00:33:17.569 --> 00:33:17.769
Yeah.

469
00:33:18.420 --> 00:33:20.839
That's the top of the pyramid for, for Maslow.

470
00:33:21.119 --> 00:33:27.960
And, you know, I might, I might say back to that, um, to,

471
00:33:28.420 --> 00:33:34.410
to find that, that thing, um, it cannot be done

472
00:33:34.890 --> 00:33:38.109
sitting idly in the couch and it can't be done

473
00:33:38.910 --> 00:33:44.819
from a phone scrolling Tik TOK. It, it sometimes requires

474
00:33:45.140 --> 00:33:47.799
a person to actually do the stuff that they don't

475
00:33:47.880 --> 00:33:54.509
like to do. I think having a wide array of experiences,

476
00:33:55.890 --> 00:34:01.670
maybe that's get a job in fast food and recognize,

477
00:34:02.049 --> 00:34:03.470
you know, this is not the place for me.

478
00:34:03.509 --> 00:34:04.750
Then get a job in retail.

479
00:34:05.170 --> 00:34:07.940
And Nope, this is not the place for me. Then

480
00:34:07.980 --> 00:34:11.280
get a job in a warehouse. Nope, this isn't the

481
00:34:11.320 --> 00:34:16.179
job for me. Like, Another friend of mine, Chris Patterson,

482
00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:20.340
who's also a business advisor and business coach, he says

483
00:34:20.400 --> 00:34:27.849
the words something like speed and movement create clarity. And

484
00:34:27.869 --> 00:34:33.309
that is that I watch some young people.

485
00:34:34.469 --> 00:34:38.530
Do nothing and label it as trying to figure things out.

486
00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:44.920
And I'm certain that you share this experience with me

487
00:34:44.940 --> 00:34:47.139
and that we share it with everyone in the world.

488
00:34:47.880 --> 00:34:50.940
There are those nights when we can't sleep and we

489
00:34:50.980 --> 00:34:52.380
like the lights are out.

490
00:34:52.440 --> 00:34:53.280
Maybe our eyes are.

491
00:34:53.219 --> 00:34:56.760
Closed and our thoughts just go in circles and in

492
00:34:56.820 --> 00:34:59.360
circles and we can't stop the loop.

493
00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:04.070
Well, the way to break that loop is to do something.

494
00:35:05.630 --> 00:35:09.860
It's, uh, it's to write down or, uh, These days,

495
00:35:09.940 --> 00:35:11.940
I just grab my cell phone and make a voice

496
00:35:11.980 --> 00:35:14.579
note or some kind of transcription of the thoughts that

497
00:35:14.619 --> 00:35:16.440
are in my head. I take some kind of action.

498
00:35:18.219 --> 00:35:21.679
And that action, that movement helps.

499
00:35:21.500 --> 00:35:23.000
To bring clarity.

500
00:35:23.900 --> 00:35:26.619
And so for those that don't know what they want

501
00:35:26.679 --> 00:35:30.699
to do, those that are stuck in a job that

502
00:35:31.139 --> 00:35:37.929
they don't like to do, my recommended solution is take action.

503
00:35:38.280 --> 00:35:38.820
Do something.

504
00:35:39.429 --> 00:35:45.789
You know, I was blessed to start my career in

505
00:35:45.829 --> 00:35:50.929
the banking industry, in the financial services industry. I've worked

506
00:35:50.969 --> 00:35:53.860
for some very large organizations, Bank of America, one of

507
00:35:53.880 --> 00:36:00.440
the largest banks in the world. The banking industry provides

508
00:36:00.780 --> 00:36:03.199
a lot of training and development.

509
00:36:05.320 --> 00:36:08.420
And so I was the the beneficiary of that.

510
00:36:08.440 --> 00:36:13.019
And I've gone through dozens of leadership development courses and

511
00:36:13.039 --> 00:36:18.219
I've gone through dozens of courses that helped me understand myself.

512
00:36:18.579 --> 00:36:22.840
The Myers-Briggs assessments, the true colors, the Clifton strengths finders

513
00:36:22.889 --> 00:36:28.030
and all of these things. When I retired from banking

514
00:36:28.130 --> 00:36:32.150
after 25 years and that's, that's the way I say it.

515
00:36:32.650 --> 00:36:36.530
I left the retirement and I changed my LinkedIn profile.

516
00:36:37.500 --> 00:36:39.360
Uh, title to ski bum.

517
00:36:39.739 --> 00:36:42.019
And I, I did a lot of skiing and playing

518
00:36:42.059 --> 00:36:46.050
pickleball and there's, there's some story there, but I also

519
00:36:46.289 --> 00:36:52.570
created a leadership development curriculum, a six point course that

520
00:36:52.730 --> 00:36:58.110
is specifically designed for individuals aged 19 to 25, a

521
00:36:58.170 --> 00:37:02.710
very narrow age demographic because it was based on my

522
00:37:02.750 --> 00:37:08.650
own experience. Uh, And this curriculum I call Chosen to

523
00:37:08.710 --> 00:37:15.300
Lead is, or forgive me, it's called Prepare to Lead.

524
00:37:15.320 --> 00:37:20.079
There's a thesis in there about what leadership really is,

525
00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:20.360
and it.

526
00:37:20.559 --> 00:37:21.539
Has to do with a choice.

527
00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:27.179
This six-module curriculum is based on everything that I have learned.

528
00:37:27.860 --> 00:37:29.920
None of it is a new idea for me. I've

529
00:37:29.940 --> 00:37:32.539
just repackaged it in a way that made sense to me.

530
00:37:33.199 --> 00:37:35.360
And that I think would make sense to that 19

531
00:37:35.360 --> 00:37:38.179
to 25 year old demographic.

532
00:37:39.619 --> 00:37:42.579
That really was the start of my entrepreneurial career.

533
00:37:42.969 --> 00:37:46.769
I created that curriculum and, and I wrote a book,

534
00:37:47.869 --> 00:37:51.989
went on to write several other books and that's where.

535
00:37:51.869 --> 00:37:53.650
The keynote speaking began.

536
00:37:55.230 --> 00:37:58.030
And, you know, some corporate training and some individual training

537
00:37:58.070 --> 00:38:02.380
and coaching and within all of that, There are roots

538
00:38:02.679 --> 00:38:06.800
in this notion that action and movement create clarity.

539
00:38:07.420 --> 00:38:14.699
Right, right. Right. It sounds that you have really learned

540
00:38:14.719 --> 00:38:19.079
a lot from your experience as a child to the

541
00:38:19.239 --> 00:38:23.789
point today. We have a lot of young people that

542
00:38:23.829 --> 00:38:28.469
are out there that need that wisdom, the experience you've

543
00:38:28.510 --> 00:38:34.929
been through. the fortitude to just keep on going to

544
00:38:34.989 --> 00:38:40.530
keep on pressing and and even being authentic during that

545
00:38:40.710 --> 00:38:44.460
whole period of time if you could speak to the

546
00:38:44.519 --> 00:38:48.920
younger version of yourself you know the one that has

547
00:38:49.039 --> 00:38:54.800
navigated through all of these dark days what is the

548
00:38:54.929 --> 00:38:56.030
one thing you would tell him.

549
00:38:59.739 --> 00:39:02.800
You know, that's a fun question.

550
00:39:05.940 --> 00:39:08.079
It's in the ethos of, you know, if you could

551
00:39:08.099 --> 00:39:10.539
change anything in your life or if you could, you know,

552
00:39:10.599 --> 00:39:11.699
do something different.

553
00:39:11.780 --> 00:39:14.539
And the answer I arrive at every time is, well,

554
00:39:14.659 --> 00:39:15.260
I wouldn't.

555
00:39:15.739 --> 00:39:20.679
Because the absolute truth today is that I'm living the

556
00:39:20.719 --> 00:39:22.940
life that I imagined. I told you early on I'm

557
00:39:23.000 --> 00:39:28.710
a visionary, optimist. The life that I live today is...

558
00:39:30.059 --> 00:39:34.099
nearly precisely the life that I imagined that I wanted.

559
00:39:35.699 --> 00:39:37.719
And so what I would say.

560
00:39:37.400 --> 00:39:43.849
Is actually what I did say to myself. It's possible.

561
00:39:44.550 --> 00:39:45.190
It's possible.

562
00:39:46.550 --> 00:39:47.119
Just do it.

563
00:39:47.869 --> 00:39:53.630
There's a speech from the 80s Uh, and it's effectively entitled,

564
00:39:53.849 --> 00:39:58.130
just do it. It's a speech I think given to

565
00:39:58.190 --> 00:40:01.210
a chamber of commerce in Texas or something. And the

566
00:40:01.250 --> 00:40:04.610
fellow up there says, you know, if you want that thing,

567
00:40:04.650 --> 00:40:07.469
you just, well, just, just do it. If you want

568
00:40:07.489 --> 00:40:10.099
to graduate and go to school, we'll just, just do it.

569
00:40:10.110 --> 00:40:12.750
If you want to start, start a business, just, just

570
00:40:12.849 --> 00:40:16.190
do it. And you know, Nike, I don't know if

571
00:40:16.230 --> 00:40:18.309
that's where Nike got it from and Phil Knight got

572
00:40:18.349 --> 00:40:23.780
it from that speech or if, But it's so simple.

573
00:40:24.559 --> 00:40:27.440
It's not easy, but it's so simple.

574
00:40:27.940 --> 00:40:28.260
Right.

575
00:40:28.599 --> 00:40:31.780
If you want the thing, do the thing.

576
00:40:32.500 --> 00:40:34.840
Yeah. Just do it.

577
00:40:35.710 --> 00:40:35.929
Yeah.

578
00:40:35.949 --> 00:40:41.650
Just do it. I tell you, and that's probably a

579
00:40:42.090 --> 00:40:49.269
good message for today, is be envisionary. take the time

580
00:40:49.369 --> 00:40:55.590
to look inside yourself and, and imagine what you would

581
00:40:55.690 --> 00:41:00.590
love to do, want to do, do the research or

582
00:41:00.710 --> 00:41:05.190
go work somewhere where you can get the experience. So

583
00:41:05.309 --> 00:41:09.030
you can just go do it. Yeah. Yeah.

584
00:41:09.250 --> 00:41:13.489
You know, and, um, on some level it's, you know,

585
00:41:13.639 --> 00:41:14.760
just do something.

586
00:41:15.420 --> 00:41:15.699
Yes.

587
00:41:15.980 --> 00:41:19.050
Because doing nothing now, I hadn't thought of this, you know,

588
00:41:19.090 --> 00:41:22.659
that the prepare to lead course that I developed, I

589
00:41:22.719 --> 00:41:27.440
don't actively market because it's not core to the work

590
00:41:27.480 --> 00:41:29.039
that we do at One Accord.

591
00:41:30.559 --> 00:41:32.980
But it is actually still available.

592
00:41:35.389 --> 00:41:39.250
Honestly, in this moment, I don't even know what the.

593
00:41:39.210 --> 00:41:40.630
Price tag is on the course.

594
00:41:40.670 --> 00:41:44.420
I've I would sell it, um, in a couple of

595
00:41:44.500 --> 00:41:48.590
different ways, you know, either asynchronous, somebody could buy the

596
00:41:48.610 --> 00:41:53.070
course and just go through it themselves. It's all online, um, uh,

597
00:41:53.190 --> 00:41:55.349
with me as a, as a coach. And I, I

598
00:41:55.429 --> 00:42:02.239
can't offer myself as a coach today, um, that demographic. Um,

599
00:42:04.300 --> 00:42:06.980
but I'll tell you, Angela, if there's anybody listening to

600
00:42:07.039 --> 00:42:11.239
this that, you know, would be interested in, um, the

601
00:42:11.280 --> 00:42:16.460
prepare to lead course, I would make it available again,

602
00:42:16.480 --> 00:42:23.650
you know, at some very approachable price point that made sense.

603
00:42:23.710 --> 00:42:28.530
And the reason I'm bringing this up is I can

604
00:42:28.590 --> 00:42:34.019
say all day, you know, spend the time, do the research, self-reflect, but,

605
00:42:34.260 --> 00:42:34.719
you know.

606
00:42:35.780 --> 00:42:36.599
That's right. That's right.

607
00:42:36.619 --> 00:42:37.900
But that's right.

608
00:42:41.730 --> 00:42:45.889
Could you share your contact information so that those who

609
00:42:46.010 --> 00:42:52.119
are stuck, those who are struggling, those that have or

610
00:42:52.840 --> 00:42:58.349
are still stuck in the past from different situations, how

611
00:42:58.429 --> 00:43:00.210
can they get in touch with you?

612
00:43:01.889 --> 00:43:05.389
I am as active as anyone can be on all

613
00:43:05.409 --> 00:43:06.760
of the social media channels.

614
00:43:08.340 --> 00:43:13.039
LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube.

615
00:43:13.219 --> 00:43:17.659
Probably the easiest way to reach me, just broadly speaking,

616
00:43:17.699 --> 00:43:22.050
would be LinkedIn. Nick D. Anderson, CEO of One Accord.

617
00:43:22.130 --> 00:43:23.989
There's a lot of Nick Andersons in the world, but

618
00:43:24.789 --> 00:43:30.269
somebody looking intently there. And a DM in LinkedIn. Somebody says, hey,

619
00:43:30.329 --> 00:43:34.269
I heard you on Angela's show, and I'd like a

620
00:43:36.309 --> 00:43:37.849
access to that, to that course.

621
00:43:38.429 --> 00:43:40.840
Um, you bet. Yeah.

622
00:43:41.659 --> 00:43:42.000
Great.

623
00:43:42.239 --> 00:43:42.539
Great.

624
00:43:42.619 --> 00:43:47.559
Because I, like I said, I, I, I'm staying in

625
00:43:47.900 --> 00:43:50.260
contact with a lot of what's going on in social

626
00:43:50.280 --> 00:43:53.900
media because I have grandchildren and just wanting to see

627
00:43:53.960 --> 00:43:58.329
what's going on for this generation and what's needed. And

628
00:43:58.369 --> 00:44:05.360
I am seeing a lot of, um, younger people that, um,

629
00:44:06.750 --> 00:44:09.309
seem to be stuck. They're not sure what they need

630
00:44:09.329 --> 00:44:12.860
to be doing in life. They're in it, and with

631
00:44:12.880 --> 00:44:16.880
the economy and different things that's going on, they're falling

632
00:44:16.940 --> 00:44:23.440
into like a depression. They feel lost. They don't have

633
00:44:23.500 --> 00:44:27.940
someone to talk with them, to guide them, because it

634
00:44:28.000 --> 00:44:31.539
seems that people they have talked to, they were more

635
00:44:31.639 --> 00:44:40.909
judgmental instead of more understanding. And more encouraging. And so

636
00:44:42.260 --> 00:44:45.599
just having you here, that opens up a voice that

637
00:44:45.659 --> 00:44:49.079
those that are stuck, those that are struggling, those that

638
00:44:49.420 --> 00:44:53.280
don't know how to get out of that negative voice

639
00:44:53.340 --> 00:44:58.050
that they're in right now, you know, they need someone

640
00:44:58.090 --> 00:45:04.449
to talk to. They need that help. And sometimes it

641
00:45:04.489 --> 00:45:07.980
can't be a family member. or maybe it can't be

642
00:45:08.320 --> 00:45:10.719
one of your closest friends because they're in the same

643
00:45:10.760 --> 00:45:14.039
position you're in. Well, it's reach out.

644
00:45:14.280 --> 00:45:15.000
Yeah.

645
00:45:15.179 --> 00:45:18.420
That's a, that's a story I resonate with in my, um,

646
00:45:19.019 --> 00:45:22.440
in my professional career, I noted, or I can look

647
00:45:22.500 --> 00:45:27.900
back and say that, uh, I found a father figure

648
00:45:29.440 --> 00:45:34.630
in people that I worked for. Now my mother, um,

649
00:45:36.320 --> 00:45:40.679
when I was, uh, 11 remarried. So dad left when

650
00:45:40.719 --> 00:45:44.219
I was four, he was a weekend dad until he

651
00:45:44.300 --> 00:45:49.079
ended his life when I was 10. Um, my mother remarried, uh,

652
00:45:50.159 --> 00:45:52.849
a man, she remarried the man that she married. I

653
00:45:53.210 --> 00:45:57.889
called dad, Jim is my dad. Um, and so, you know,

654
00:45:57.949 --> 00:46:03.630
I had a very good loving father from the time

655
00:46:03.710 --> 00:46:07.650
I was 11 until he, uh, he passed away a

656
00:46:07.690 --> 00:46:15.480
couple of years ago. Um, but I also recognize that, uh,

657
00:46:16.679 --> 00:46:18.539
Jim was, Jim was a blue collar guy.

658
00:46:20.460 --> 00:46:22.380
I aspired to be a white collar guy.

659
00:46:23.760 --> 00:46:28.610
So I found executives in the banks that I worked on, um,

660
00:46:29.329 --> 00:46:32.989
men in leadership positions, uh, and, and really kind of

661
00:46:33.050 --> 00:46:37.510
attached myself or there, there was, you know, some, subconscious

662
00:46:40.219 --> 00:46:43.980
role playing there that they weren't aware of. I probably

663
00:46:44.019 --> 00:46:46.719
wasn't even aware of at the time. Here's the thing

664
00:46:46.780 --> 00:46:50.619
that I would take away from that. I would listen

665
00:46:50.719 --> 00:46:53.800
to these men and think to myself, well, I want

666
00:46:53.820 --> 00:46:58.639
to be like these guys. They're wearing a $ 2, 000 suit,

667
00:46:58.679 --> 00:47:04.329
driving a new Mercedes, making the big bucks. And they

668
00:47:04.369 --> 00:47:08.539
would say to me, the kid, they'd say, you know,

669
00:47:09.280 --> 00:47:12.280
the most rewarding part of my career is helping you,

670
00:47:12.920 --> 00:47:17.820
they helping me, helping the next generation.

671
00:47:18.820 --> 00:47:20.179
Discover our full potential.

672
00:47:20.820 --> 00:47:23.090
And I tell you, when they would say that, I

673
00:47:23.130 --> 00:47:25.269
thought to myself, you're lying to me.

674
00:47:25.570 --> 00:47:25.949
BS.

675
00:47:26.309 --> 00:47:28.829
Like the most rewarding part of your career is your,

676
00:47:29.369 --> 00:47:35.309
is your quarterly bonus, right? Like, but, but what I

677
00:47:35.369 --> 00:47:42.199
decided was, at the wise age of 19, let's say,

678
00:47:43.079 --> 00:47:46.199
is if these guys talk like that, I need to

679
00:47:46.239 --> 00:47:48.340
start talking like that, even if I don't believe it.

680
00:47:49.730 --> 00:47:51.329
The little bit of fake it till you make it.

681
00:47:51.369 --> 00:47:53.429
It was a little bit of, you know, I'm going

682
00:47:53.449 --> 00:47:57.750
to be like the people that I admire. So at

683
00:47:57.769 --> 00:48:01.829
a very early age, before I had any place in

684
00:48:01.869 --> 00:48:07.150
doing so, I oriented myself to becoming that, that mentor,

685
00:48:07.170 --> 00:48:11.389
that developer, that, that coach. And I would, you know,

686
00:48:11.449 --> 00:48:14.699
maybe I was 20, 21, 22, and I'd hire, you know,

687
00:48:14.900 --> 00:48:17.559
new tellers into the bank that were 18 and 19.

688
00:48:17.559 --> 00:48:19.320
And I'd say, you know, this is the best part

689
00:48:19.340 --> 00:48:21.380
of my career is helping you grow in your career

690
00:48:21.679 --> 00:48:26.969
because mostly full of it at the time. But here

691
00:48:27.030 --> 00:48:30.190
I am today. And I can tell you with a

692
00:48:30.289 --> 00:48:38.219
hundred percent integrity that I, being a mentor to someone

693
00:48:38.280 --> 00:48:43.280
who has the drive, the energy, the passion, there are

694
00:48:43.300 --> 00:48:43.639
a few.

695
00:48:43.559 --> 00:48:48.179
Things more rewarding than that.

696
00:48:49.659 --> 00:48:58.170
I think because I've had a long journey and I

697
00:48:58.210 --> 00:49:02.579
can say within myself, Regardless of all the wonderful companies

698
00:49:02.639 --> 00:49:06.760
I've worked with and the titles and the compensation, I

699
00:49:07.360 --> 00:49:11.400
can't say it was terrible. But the one thing that

700
00:49:11.500 --> 00:49:14.329
I have found in life that was the most rewarding

701
00:49:14.409 --> 00:49:18.090
thing that actually made me feel good, it's nice to

702
00:49:18.110 --> 00:49:22.760
get my pay. but when I have spent time with

703
00:49:22.800 --> 00:49:27.030
somebody that's down at the lowest level that they can be,

704
00:49:28.269 --> 00:49:31.389
and I talk to them, and I see the lights

705
00:49:31.449 --> 00:49:36.550
come on, and I accidentally run into them crossing the street.

706
00:49:36.949 --> 00:49:42.909
Angela, Angela, Angela. I'm in college now. I'm like, what?

707
00:49:43.170 --> 00:49:46.570
And I've talked to so many people, I don't quite

708
00:49:46.630 --> 00:49:50.250
remember them. How do I know you? I used to

709
00:49:50.289 --> 00:49:53.190
be in the drug addiction center and you used to

710
00:49:53.230 --> 00:49:57.409
come and visit there. There's nothing that gave me more

711
00:49:57.489 --> 00:50:02.340
satisfaction to know that the words that I spoke, that

712
00:50:02.360 --> 00:50:03.449
I had spoken many.

713
00:50:03.300 --> 00:50:05.380
Times, actually changed a life.

714
00:50:07.530 --> 00:50:11.449
That is the most rewarding thing. I say it all

715
00:50:11.489 --> 00:50:16.929
the time for those that have the financial wherewithal. You

716
00:50:16.969 --> 00:50:22.449
would find more happiness and joy if you shared and

717
00:50:22.530 --> 00:50:23.789
helped someone.

718
00:50:23.909 --> 00:50:25.099
That is less fortunate.

719
00:50:26.880 --> 00:50:30.119
I know there is a leader listening to this right

720
00:50:30.179 --> 00:50:35.099
now who is performing at high level but is secretly

721
00:50:35.159 --> 00:50:42.010
crumbling on the inside just like You once were. I

722
00:50:42.030 --> 00:50:46.340
would like to invite them to contact you so they

723
00:50:46.380 --> 00:50:52.800
don't have to wear that mask any longer. I really

724
00:50:52.860 --> 00:50:56.030
appreciate you being on the show today. You have given

725
00:50:56.329 --> 00:51:01.590
great advice. You have given people the ability to be

726
00:51:01.670 --> 00:51:08.159
honest with themselves and to just go do it. I

727
00:51:08.179 --> 00:51:13.570
just want to say this is a sharp outlook. We're

728
00:51:13.590 --> 00:51:19.670
here every Monday at 8 a.m. Pacific Time, 11 a.m.

729
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Eastern Time. We're here to give you information for encouragement,

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for empowerment, so that you can be your best self

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and to be successful in whatever it is, your own business,

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your job, your life, being with your children, whatever. The

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one thing that is important, though, is information. And so

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we try to bring you information from experts. But while

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you're out there searching the web, look for information that

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empowers you. Whatever you do, stay informed. I want to

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thank you for joining us on A Sharp Outlook. We

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have been informed and energized to take the next steps.

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We have posted links to websites and videos to learn

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more on today's topic. Please join us again next week

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for another thought-provoking conversation right here on K4HD Radio and Talk4TV.

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Listen to the podcast on all the podcast apps. And

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until next week, stay informed.