Ordinary Visionaries are everyday people who have put their visions into the world and taken action to make a difference.
These interviews are with self-employed professionals, consultants, coaches, trainers, speakers, and writers. I’ll also be interviewing artists, musicians, and other creative visionaries. Many have been past clients, friends, or members of my online community.
I start every interview with the question: “What makes you an Ordinary Visionary?” And we go from there.
If you’d like to be interviewed for Ordinary Visionaries, go here for more information.
The latest interviews appear right below and are also posted on YouTube. We’d appreciate if you’d Like and Subscribe on YouTube!
Nancy Boyd
In this episode of Ordinary Visionaries, Nancy Boyd, a coach and writer, shares her unique journey of overcoming personal and professional challenges. Nancy describes how she’s always had a heightened awareness, recalling vivid experiences from as early as infancy. This profound sense of being “different” shaped her life, leading her through struggles such as childhood abuse, academic rejection, alcoholism, and later, a severe bout with multiple sclerosis.
Despite these hardships, Nancy found strength in her visionary perspective, which allowed her to view life’s challenges as opportunities for deeper understanding and growth. After overcoming alcoholism and battling MS, Nancy pursued a career in coaching, guided by a passion for helping others discover and express their true selves.
Her coaching approach focuses on tapping into a person’s “soul” and inner truth to unlock their potential, moving beyond surface-level solutions to create meaningful change.
One of the most impactful stories Nancy shares involves a client named Steve, who was stuck in a soul-crushing corporate job. Through their coaching sessions, Steve reconnected with his passion for writing, sold his home, moved to a more suitable environment, and became a successful published author. This transformative experience illustrates Nancy’s belief in the power of aligning with one’s authentic desires and embracing change.
Nancy also explores the broader theme of “creating a world that no one needs to recover from,” emphasizing the importance of moving beyond anger, shame, and blame. She advocates for fostering love and possibility, which she believes are key to creating sustainable, joyful solutions for individuals and society.
Throughout the interview, Nancy and Robert reflect on the role of visionary thinking in navigating life’s complexities and the potential for a brighter, more expansive future.
Gary Jesch
Gary Jesch is a digital innovator and entrepreneur known for his work with interactive avatars and 3D graphics. Gary shares his unique journey, starting as a broadcast journalist in a small community and evolving into a pioneer in digital art and technology.
He discusses the challenges and opportunities he encountered as he built a career at the intersection of creativity and technology, especially in working with ad agencies, mining companies, and later, large corporations like AstraZeneca.
One of the highlights of Gary’s career was his innovative use of interactive avatars at trade shows, where he attracted crowds by having his avatars engage in real-time conversations with attendees. He describes how this experience took him all over the world, as he pushed the boundaries of technology, even investing in his own software and building a library of characters.
However, as the industry shifted towards more authentic interactions and less reliance on gimmicks, Gary found himself needing to pivot. He explored using his avatar technology for telehealth sessions with autistic children during the pandemic. He turned to new markets like providing remote attendance solutions for funerals and live-streaming services for musicians and businesses.
Gary reflects on the lessons learned from his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the need to constantly innovate and to balance financial risks with personal priorities. He credits Byron Katie’s method of questioning limiting beliefs for helping him navigate difficult periods, both personally and professionally.
As Gary continues to explore new opportunities, he remains committed to overcoming challenges and creating value for his clients while keeping his focus on what truly matters in his life.
Szifra Birke
In this engaging interview, Szifra Birke discusses her journey as an “ordinary visionary” influenced by her father, a Holocaust survivor and entrepreneur.
Szifra shares how her father’s unconventional encouragement—pushing her to introduce herself to David Ben-Gurion—instilled a lifelong belief that no one is more important than anyone else. This experience shaped her willingness to step out of the box in her personal and professional endeavors.
Szifra’s career began in psychotherapy, where she pioneered support groups for adult children of alcoholics at a time when such discussions were taboo. She then transitioned to becoming one of the first “financial behavior therapists” in wealth management offices, focusing on helping clients and financial professionals navigate emotionally charged money conversations.
This work gained recognition, even appearing on Business Week TV, showcasing her innovative approach.
She emphasizes how the value of money and services is subjective and often tied to personal context, sharing insights on pricing strategies from her experience in both her practice and her and her husband’s book, “In Tandem: Pedaling Through Midlife on a Bicycle Built for Two.”
Throughout the interview, Szifra offers rich reflections on relationships, money psychology, and her values-driven work.
The conversation transitions to personal anecdotes, such as Szifra’s experience sharing her story about names and identity on public radio, leading to unexpected opportunities and deeper connections with people from diverse backgrounds. She ends with a touching story about helping others, illustrating how small acts of kindness can have profound impacts on others’ lives.
Listeners will gain insights into personal growth, the complexities of value, and the importance of authenticity in professional and personal interactions. Szifra’s story serves as an inspiration for anyone looking to make a difference, whether in small ways or through larger visionary projects.
Szifra Birk’s Given Origin (short Video)
Browsing through Birke’s Movie
Morton Patterson
In this interview, Morton shares his journey from corporate IT to becoming a consultant focused on helping businesses recognize their true value. He discusses his challenges in understanding his worth, especially regarding pricing his services, and how this stemmed from limiting beliefs about self-worth.
Morton’s breakthrough came from shifting focus from just providing services to understanding and communicating the value of his impact on clients.
Key themes include the importance of self-esteem and challenging limiting beliefs. Morton emphasizes that many small business owners and consultants struggle with pricing because they underestimate the value they provide.
He uses a framework called the “Value Framework” to help clients see the transformative effect of their services. This helps them confidently charge fees that reflect the value of their work.
The conversation also covers the idea that pricing is not merely a number but a reflection of the value perceived by the client. Morton advises not to make decisions for the client by assuming they can’t afford certain prices. Instead, it’s about offering options and letting the client decide based on their perceived value and needs.
Storytelling is a major tool Morton uses to illustrate points and make his concepts relatable, often using real-life scenarios where clients shifted their mindset and succeeded. Overall, Morton’s message is that knowing and communicating one’s value, coupled with empathy and self-confidence, can transform how professionals approach their work and pricing, leading to greater client satisfaction and business success.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up for Morton’s excellent newsletter, “The Business of Value”
Amy Todisco
In this engaging interview, Amy Todisco discusses her journey as an Ordinary Visionary, sharing insights from her lifelong dedication to living and promoting an eco-friendly, non-toxic lifestyle. Amy’s passion for nature, despite growing up in urban New York City, sparked her interest in holistic living and environmental activism.
Through personal experiences, such as discovering the harmful chemicals in everyday household products, Amy made it her mission to educate others on reducing toxic exposure.
The interview delves into Amy’s hands-on activism, including her work in organizing Earth Day events and advocating for stricter pesticide regulations in her community. She also shares practical, impactful tips for living a healthier, greener lifestyle, such as growing your own food, choosing organic products, and eliminating synthetic chemicals in household items.
Amy’s current work focuses on running an organic farm in Vermont with her fiancé, launching a podcast on green living, and offering courses that provide step-by-step guidance on adopting a holistic lifestyle.
She emphasizes that small, manageable changes, such as switching to non-toxic laundry detergents or growing vegetables at home, can make a significant difference in health and well-being.
Listeners will gain valuable insights into how living a more eco-friendly, toxin-free life can improve personal health and contribute to a more sustainable world.
Amy’s enthusiasm for sharing her knowledge and the joy she finds in seeing others embrace healthier choices is inspiring, making this conversation not only informative but also deeply motivating for those looking to make positive changes in their lives.
Green Living Now Mentoring & Retreats
Clifton Warren
In this interview with Clifton Warren, he shares his journey and insights into the financial services industry, particularly focusing on client acquisition and retention.
Clifton describes himself as an Ordinary Visionary due to his passion for helping financial professionals, particularly new ones, build a sustainable client base.
He emphasizes three key components necessary for success: market need, competence, and passion. Clifton’s primary focus is on guiding professionals, including insurance brokers, wealth advisors, and other independent professionals, to build ethical, sustaining client relationships, a skill often overlooked in today’s heavily regulated industry.
Clifton discusses the challenges faced by newer professionals, including the lack of guidance on acquiring and retaining clients in a competitive, compliance-driven environment. Drawing from his own experiences, Clifton developed a “playbook” that outlines essential processes such as client segmentation, continuation plans, and midterm reviews.
He stresses the importance of nurturing relationships with high-value clients through ongoing, meaningful interactions rather than focusing solely on sales.
One of Clifton’s core strategies involves shifting the focus from selling to serving clients. He advocates for proactive engagement with clients through structured processes, including regular touchpoints and stewardship reports.
This approach not only strengthens client relationships but also facilitates referrals, an area many professionals struggle with. Clifton teaches a non-intrusive, relationship-based method for requesting referrals, which he complements with advice on persistence and follow-up.
His philosophy underscores the importance of combining technical knowledge with sales and marketing skills, emphasizing that professionals must master both to thrive in the industry.
Rebecca Morgan
In this engaging interview, Rebecca Morgan, an author, consultant, and speaker, shares her inspiring journey as an Ordinary Visionary with her project Books for Treats. Rebecca explains how she began the initiative in 1995 to encourage people to give children books instead of candy on Halloween, providing a healthier and more meaningful treat.
Over the years, Books for Treats has grown, distributing 5,000 books annually in Rebecca’s community, and has expanded to other cities through volunteer efforts. The initiative has gained momentum, even catching the attention of a popular comic strip, Luann, which featured the project in a series of strips.
Rebecca also reflects on her impressive career, including writing 28 books, co-founding Speaker Net News, and pivoting to virtual presentations during the pandemic. She shares how she transformed her virtual sessions into interactive and engaging experiences, standing out from the typical “talking head” presentations that dominate the virtual space.
We also talked about how she mastered the process of recruiting interns during the pandemic to take on various projects and then helped others do the same.
Her approach has led to significant success, increasing her income and influence during a time when in-person events were impossible.
Additionally, Rebecca discusses how her recent foray into stand-up comedy has enriched her presentations, allowing her to inject humor into her sessions while keeping them dynamic and impactful.
Her creativity, dedication, and ability to adapt make this interview a must-listen for anyone interested in professional growth, public speaking, and making a meaningful difference through visionary ideas.
George Huang
In this interview, we explore the complex, often unpredictable journey of entrepreneurship through the lens of someone who has lived it—an ex-plastic surgeon turned entrepreneur.
George Huang discusses his ongoing quest to find the right solutions to make his business truly successful. Rather than presenting a polished, final formula for profitability, he opens up about the challenges and the messy reality of trying to innovate in the business world.
We delve into his unique approach, the “More Profit Operating System,” which aims to integrate profit, financial, sales, and marketing goals into a cohesive strategy. While the system is based on solid principles and common sense, he acknowledges that it’s not a one-size-fits-all answer.
Many business owners still resist adopting a more holistic, numbers-driven approach, opting instead for conventional methods that may feel safer but are often less effective. This leads to a broader discussion on why businesses fail to see their blind spots and the difficulty of persuading others to embrace a new way of thinking.
Throughout the conversation, we talk about the balance between intuition and data-driven decision-making, recognizing that true innovation often means pushing against the grain and facing a lot of uncertainty. George candidly shares his experiences of doubt, setbacks, and small victories, demonstrating that being a visionary is less about having all the answers and more about staying committed to finding them.
If you’re an entrepreneur or business owner grappling with similar uncertainties and searching for effective solutions, this discussion will resonate with you and inspire you to keep exploring your own path forward.
Richard Friesen
In this interview, Richard Friesen discusses his evolution from pursuing grandiose dreams to embracing a more grounded vision of life. He shares his varied career history, from being a glassblower to becoming a successful entrepreneur and trader.
Friesen highlights his talent for recognizing shifts in the market and being able to act on them, which he attributes to his visionary abilities. His experiences at the Pacific Stock Exchange, where he advocated for all-electronic trading and secured multiple patents, demonstrate his forward-thinking approach.
Friesen delves into the psychological and cultural dynamics of money, which he explores in his book, A Private Conversation with Money. He discusses the “three-chair exercise,” a practical tool he uses with clients to help them uncover their unconscious beliefs and emotions about money.
By visualizing money as “certificates of appreciation” rather than merely a financial commodity, Friesen encourages a mindset that focuses on delivering value to others. This shift, he argues, leads to genuine fulfillment and wealth.
The conversation also touches on broader societal issues, such as the cultural reliance on technology, fragmented communities, and the need for deeper human connections. Friesen advocates for the idea of a new spiritual revival, one based not on traditional religions but on meaningful, human-to-human connections.
He concludes by emphasizing the importance of living with intention, contributing to others, and reimagining our relationship with money and wealth. The interview closes with a discussion on the potential for ordinary visionaries to foster genuine conversations and connections that move beyond surface-level interactions.
A Private Conversation With Money Book
Terri Brinston
In this interview, Terri Brinston shares her journey of becoming an Ordinary Visionary dedicated to empowering youth and improving school healthcare environments. Initially, Terri disliked working with teenagers until a transformative experience with a young girl struggling to read led her to embrace her own learning disability and use her story to inspire others.
This experience ignited her passion for working with youth, eventually driving her to become a nurse and later an educator. After years of nursing, Terri transitioned to teaching, where she noticed a lack of comprehensive support systems for students’ healthcare needs in schools.
Recognizing these gaps, Terri founded her business, “My School Nurse,” to consult with schools on improving their medical policies, training staff, and ensuring a safe environment for students.
Her work addresses the 73% of schools without a full-time nurse, offering practical solutions to better handle emergencies, mental health issues, and daily health management.
Terri also launched a nonprofit, “Nurturing Wellness Group Foundation,” which focuses on helping students overcome barriers like mental health challenges, family incarceration, and homelessness.
Through her vision, Terri emphasizes the importance of holistic care in education—seeing students not just as learners but as whole individuals needing support in all aspects of life.
Her work advocates for proactive, inclusive policies in schools, bridging the gap between healthcare and education, and ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.
Grateful for the Journey – Surviving Covid 19
Carlos Quintero
This interview provides a deep dive into the unique approach of an Ordinary Visionary who integrates a holistic perspective in sales and business relationships. Coming from a multicultural background and starting his career at Procter & Gamble, the interviewee discusses his evolution from traditional sales to a more refined, client-centric approach that focuses on building trust and value.
He emphasizes the importance of being a “trusted advisor” rather than a conventional salesperson, distancing himself from the negative connotations often associated with selling.
One of his key insights is the significance of understanding a client’s business requirements holistically, crafting tailored solutions, and summarizing conversations meticulously to demonstrate value and understanding. His experiences at Xerox Learning Systems, where he honed his approach, laid the foundation for starting his own company in 1997. His desire for freedom and the challenge of creating something of his own were driving factors behind this decision.
He highlights his successful use of non-traditional sales strategies, such as crafting detailed, thoughtful summaries of meetings rather than standard proposals. He underscores the importance of patience, deep understanding, and strategic orchestration in business relationships. The interview also touches on his development of EKG (Empathy, Kindness, and Gratitude) as a business philosophy, which he believes is essential for creating a positive organizational culture and building strong, long-lasting relationships.
Listeners will gain valuable insights into how to transform their approach to business and sales by focusing on empathy, understanding, and genuine client engagement, as well as practical strategies for creating meaningful, impactful connections with clients.
Barney Feinberg
The interview with Barney Feinberg delves into his concept of “The Chemistry Factor,” which combines executive coaching with executive recruiting to focus on empowering values in relationships. Feinberg emphasizes that the key to successful hiring and professional relationships goes beyond skills; it involves understanding and aligning with the core values of the individuals involved.
He describes how the “Chemistry Factor” is about identifying personal values and using them to connect with others on a deeper level. Feinberg helps clients identify at least 20 personal values, which are unique to them and not generalized terms like “integrity.”
This approach moves away from conventional personality assessments like Myers-Briggs, arguing that values are more stable and provide a clearer framework for understanding compatibility and chemistry in professional settings.
Feinberg shares a story from his college tennis days to illustrate how a shift in perspective—triggered by a Grateful Dead song—led to a change in mindset from “playing not to lose” to “playing for fun,” resulting in unexpected success.
He relates this experience to how personal stories and music can trigger values and shift mindsets, empowering individuals to act from a place of inspiration rather than fear or constraint.
The interview also discusses how values like curiosity, sense of humor, service, and empathy can transform interpersonal dynamics. Feinberg encourages people to focus on shared values to foster connections rather than getting stuck on differences.
He provides practical advice for individuals to be more aware of their values and how to empower them in both personal and professional contexts, ultimately leading to more fulfilling and authentic lives.
In summary, Barney Feinberg’s interview explores how understanding and empowering one’s values can lead to better personal and professional relationships, improved decision-making, and a more fulfilled life.
Bill Welter
Bill Welter identifies as an Ordinary Visionary despite not typically envisioning grand futures. His leadership journey began in the Marine Corps, where his father’s advice to “take care of your troops” became a cornerstone of his leadership philosophy. This principle guided him through Vietnam and corporate life, emphasizing the importance of caring for people as the foundation of effective leadership.
Bill’s experiences in consulting revealed a key insight: leadership is less about intelligence and more about actions that prepare organizations for the future. He emphasizes the importance of imagination, reflection, and challenging assumptions, noting that these skills are often underutilized.
Bill argues that organizations must prioritize anticipating and adapting to change, citing the global unpreparedness for COVID-19 as a failure to observe and act on emerging risks.
He underscores the role of middle management, who are closest to the operational realities and often possess insights that senior leaders overlook. Bill advocates for empowering these managers and creating environments where they can voice their observations and ideas.
The discussion also touches on broader leadership challenges, such as the negative impact of greed and the importance of maintaining a moral code within organizations. Bill highlights the need for leaders to listen actively and be open to challenges, sharing stories that illustrate the value of humility and adaptability in leadership.
Ultimately, Bill’s vision of leadership is grounded in practical wisdom: taking care of people, thinking ahead, and acting decisively, all while remaining humble and receptive to new ideas.
Book: The Prepared Mind of a Leader
Ann Tardy
This interview with Ann Tardy delves into her journey as an entrepreneur and mentor. Ann shares how she transitioned from practicing law to launching a business focused on mentoring, driven by a passion for solving problems in a meaningful way. Her journey reflects the essence of being an Ordinary Visionary—seeing a need and taking action to make a difference.
Ann emphasizes the significance of mentoring in personal and professional growth. She discusses how her career evolved from dabbling in various topics to creating a specialized software platform for mentoring, which eventually led her to work extensively with healthcare organizations. She highlights the importance of adapting to her clients’ needs and the role of continuous learning and connection in her success.
The conversation also touches on the challenges mentors face, such as the need to understand their mentees’ goals, ask the right questions, and avoid imposing their own experiences. Ann’s reflections on mentoring underscore the value of being present, responsive, and flexible, and she shares how her weekly newsletter (my favorite!) has become a tool for staying connected and providing value to her audience.
The interview provides a rich exploration of the intersection between vision, action, and mentorship, offering insights into the power of nurturing relationships and staying adaptable in the face of changing circumstances.
Tom Huberty
In this interview with Tom Huberty, he shares his journey of continuous improvement and learning, rooted in a career that spans the Navy, Honeywell, and eventually his own consulting business, Huberty Performance Learning.
Tom’s story begins with a failed first attempt at college, leading him to join the Navy, where he gained his first college credits during the Vietnam War. This experience, along with influential mentors, shaped his approach to quality management and organizational excellence.
Tom discusses his work at Honeywell, where he transitioned from technical writing to quality management, eventually contributing to the broader quality movement in U.S. manufacturing. His career is marked by a commitment to process improvement and performance excellence, a theme that continued as he worked with organizations like Wilson Learning and Northwest Airlines.
Throughout the interview, Tom emphasizes the importance of mentors, the pursuit of excellence, and integrating personal values into professional life. He also reflects on the role of empathy and human relationships in business, drawing parallels between his professional experiences and his personal journey as a marathon runner and a cancer survivor.
Tom’s story highlights the power of continuous learning, mentorship, and a deep commitment to quality and integrity in both personal and professional arenas.
John Thompson
In this interview, John Thompson explains his role in the mortgage industry, emphasizing his approach to helping clients understand their financial situations and make informed decisions. He highlights his method of diving deep into clients’ visions and needs, going beyond transactional relationships to offer lifelong financial advice. John describes his process of assisting clients with various mortgage-related needs, from buying and refinancing homes to restructuring debt and planning for retirement with reverse mortgages.
He underscores the importance of understanding clients’ long-term goals and visions, often related to family and financial security. John details the educational aspect of his work, helping clients balance down payments, manage cash flow, and make strategic financial decisions. He also addresses the emotional and psychological aspects of money, noting how people’s financial stories and behaviors are shaped by their upbringing and experiences.
John discusses the challenges faced by young people and the disparities between income growth and housing costs. He also shares his passion for financial education, especially for younger generations, and his involvement in teaching financial literacy classes.
The interview concludes with John’s advice on aligning financial decisions with personal visions and the importance of seeking professional guidance to achieve financial security and fulfill life goals. John affirms his willingness to assist anyone, regardless of location, to navigate their financial journeys.
Tim Walz
Download the interview here as a pdf.
In this engaging and insightful virtual interview, Tim Walz, the recently nominated Vice Presidential candidate running alongside Kamala Harris, shared his vision for the future of America. Walz, known for his Midwestern roots and grassroots approach, emphasized the importance of unity, resilience, and community engagement in addressing the nation’s challenges.
Walz discussed his journey from a high school teacher and football coach to a prominent political figure, highlighting the values of hard work, humility, and service that have shaped his leadership style. He outlined his strategy for gaining national attention, focusing on grassroots engagement, consistent messaging, and leveraging long-standing relationships.
Emphasizing the critical juncture at which the country stands, Walz stressed the need to restore trust in democratic institutions, promote civil discourse, and address economic and social inequalities. He outlined key priorities such as climate action, healthcare access, and strengthening education, while acknowledging the immense challenge of achieving large-scale change in a divided nation.
Walz’s core message, “Together, We Rise,” encapsulates his belief in the power of unity and collective action. He calls for every American to participate in the democratic process, emphasizing that the future of the country depends on shared responsibility and cooperation.
The interview concluded with Walz expressing his commitment to being a role model and an authentic, relatable leader, dedicated to making a positive impact and inspiring the next generation. His optimistic and inclusive vision offers a hopeful path forward for all Americans.
Download the interview here as a pdf.
Gerrit Cloete
In this interview we focus on Gerrit Cloete’s experiences and philosophies around productivity and creativity. Gerrit discussed the importance of generating creative ideas and consistently putting them into action, despite sometimes losing interest in long-term projects. He emphasized the value of helping individuals and teams improve their productivity by focusing on “getting the right things done.”
A key topic was Gerrit’s philosophy of “be, do, have,” which involves beginning with a “to be” list rather than a “to-do” list, emphasizing the importance of values and being. This approach aligns with Stoic philosophy, particularly Epictetus’ idea of focusing on what is within our control.
Gerrit also shared practical productivity techniques, such as the “1-3-5 prioritizing method,” which involves focusing on one big task, three medium tasks, and five small tasks daily. He highlighted the pitfalls of multitasking, recommending “switch-tasking” and the importance of being present at the moment.
The conversation also touched on overcoming procrastination by engaging with tasks for at least 15 seconds, the significance of a structured yet flexible daily routine, and the importance of willingly accepting what is beyond one’s control. The interview concluded with reflections on Stoic principles, emphasizing emotional regulation and accepting life’s uncertainties.
Bernie Saunders
In this interview, Bernie Sanders shares his journey as an “Ordinary Extraordinary Visionary.” He reflects on his creative and innovative approach to life and his refusal to follow a traditional business plan.
Bernie discusses his work in chemical dependency, starting the first high school for students in treatment, and his experience with the Peace Corps in the Philippines, which transformed his life and helped him discover his strengths in people skills and creative problem-solving.
He also touches on his time working with Honeywell, helping the company transition away from the defense industry, and the challenges of working in a corporate environment.
Bernie’s passion for photography is evident. He describes it as a form of freedom and magic, capturing unexpected moments. He shares his experiences doing art shows with his family and the impact of economic downturns on their work.
A Portfolio of Bernie’s Nature Photographs
Life Shift Transition Coaching
David Hutt
David’s interview offers a deep exploration of humility, self-awareness, and the pursuit of genuine fulfillment. He begins by discussing his “Humility Club,” a forum he has created to delve into humility through various lenses, including quantum physics and psychology. This club, open to all, underscores David’s belief in humility as a universal quality that transcends personal belief systems.
He contrasts the ego-driven self with a more expansive, aware self, emphasizing that humility involves connecting with this larger self and accepting reality as it is. David also discusses how maintaining humility in relationships involves embracing others’ limitations and focusing on positive interactions.
David concludes by reflecting on the ephemeral nature of life and the concept of true wealth. He argues that genuine fulfillment comes from engaging deeply with our passions and living in the present moment, rather than accumulating material possessions. His poetic reflection on the present moment reinforces his message of letting go of past regrets and future anxieties to fully embrace the richness of now.
Linda Claire Puig
In this interview, Robert and Linda, acquaintances for many years, discuss Linda’s journey from a novice in joint ventures to a seasoned professional in online marketing.
Linda’s career evolved from print newsletter services to online marketing. Despite initial struggles, she grew her business with partners’ help, eventually selling it.
She emphasizes the importance of intuition and taking action. Linda’s adventurous spirit led her to work abroad, even in challenging conditions, inspiring her to create programs for digital nomads.
In 2018, she founded Adventurous Life, organizing month-long trips for entrepreneurs over 40 to work and live abroad. The pandemic interrupted this initiative, but it has since resumed.
Linda’s current focus is on her new business, “Get Stuff Done Buddy,” a virtual coworking community offering structured sessions to boost productivity and overcome isolation. This innovative idea supports members in staying accountable and achieving their goals, emphasizing the power of community and action over perfection.
Samuel Luna
In this insightful interview, Samuel Luna shares his transformative journey from a Vietnam War veteran to a dedicated advocate for fellow veterans. After retiring 20 years ago, Samuel’s plans for a leisurely retirement were upended when he attended a program focused on veterans’ trauma.
This experience brought him face to face with the long-suppressed impact of his Vietnam service, leading him to confront his own post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Through therapy, Samuel began to unravel the deep-seated effects of his wartime experiences, which had been buried in his subconscious for decades.
Samuel’s newfound awareness and healing process inspired him to become a visionary, dedicating his life to educating and supporting other veterans grappling with PTSD. He emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing trauma, highlighting the profound impact it has on veterans’ lives and their families.
Samuel founded a nonprofit organization, Texas for Heroes, based in Houston, which offers educational programs and therapy to help veterans understand and manage their trauma. His work has made a significant difference, providing veterans with the tools to achieve peace, joy, and a better quality of life. Samuel’s story is a testament to resilience, healing, and the power of community support.
Tris McCall
In this interview, Tris McCall delves into his life and work in Jersey City, where he has resided since 1992. McCall’s career spans writing, music, and journalism, with a central focus on the essence of living in his community. He has released four albums, playing mostly synthesizers and occasionally guitar. Despite his musical endeavors, McCall primarily makes his living as a writer and journalist.
McCall’s writing extends beyond mere event reporting; it explores the community’s relationship with these events. For example, in his rock show reviews, he investigates why New Jersey residents are drawn to specific shows and what this reveals about their identity. Recently, his attention has shifted towards visual arts, highlighting Jersey City’s vibrant visual arts scene. McCall notes that this art often serves as a medium for exploring local identity, with murals and gallery exhibits playing significant roles.
He discusses the profound changes Jersey City has undergone since his arrival, transforming into a bustling area with extensive development. This rapid growth and transformation are mirrored in the works of local artists and musicians, capturing the evolving character of the city. McCall emphasizes the importance of understanding the community through the artwork produced and the stories shared.
McCall envisions a community where people pay closer attention to each other’s work and narratives, fostering unity and respect. Through his writing and active community involvement, he aims to contribute to a more connected and attentive Jersey City. He hopes to cultivate a deeper appreciation for the local arts and a stronger sense of community identity.
Iris Grimm
If you are a dog lover, you will also love this interview!
in this interview with Iris Grim, we discuss the parallels between corporate leadership and dog training. She explains that her program, “Dog On Leadership,” leverages the ordinary experience of dog ownership to teach critical leadership skills.
Iris emphasizes that there are many similarities between dog behavior and training and effective leadership in the workplace. Her program aims to help leaders thrive in their roles by fostering better relationships and achieving results without compromising either.
Iris highlights that leadership requires adapting to various individuals’ needs, much like understanding and responding to different dogs’ behaviors. Participants can enhance their leadership abilities at work by improving their leadership skills with their dogs.
She also addresses the broader goal of reducing the number of dogs in shelters by encouraging program participants to adopt rescue dogs.
This approach benefits the dogs and offers valuable lessons in patience, communication, and empathy, which can be directly applied to managing teams in a business setting.
The interview illuminates the holistic benefits of this method, illustrating how nurturing leadership skills with dogs can create a more harmonious and effective work environment while also addressing broader societal issues.
TedX Talk – Dogs Make Us Better Leaders
Carl Contino
In this interview, Carl Contino shares his journey as an “Ordinary Visionary” who has overcome significant challenges through creativity and persistence. Carl discusses his background, including a severe birth complication that led to cognitive difficulties, such as stuttering and dyslexia, and his struggles with music due to a unique “flow glitch.” Despite these obstacles, he has developed a method called “Life as a Wave,” which combines principles from music and electrical engineering to help people access their innate abilities by changing mental channels.
Carl emphasizes the importance of perceiving life as a wave, where one can tune into higher states of clarity and creativity by softening transitions and feeling into the flow. He describes this approach as a game that makes it easier and more enjoyable to achieve mental shifts. By doing so, individuals can overcome doubts, fears, and distractions, ultimately expressing themselves more fully.
The benefits of Carl’s approach are illustrated through his personal experiences, including a severe ski accident and his battle with addiction. By reframing his perceptions and finding opportunities within challenges, Carl demonstrates how anyone can transform hardships into a more positive and fulfilling life, embodying resilience and adaptability.
Diana Wu David
Diana is a consultant, living in Hong Kong who “helps people navigate the future and helps them disrupt themselves or their companies before they get disrupted by somebody or something else.”
The future is messy, uncertain, and confusing. But if you don’t know the future, you won’t know what to do next. And that leads to disruption. So you need to create the future you want for your company, for your career, and for yourself.
In this interview with Diana, we dig into how to FutureProof your business and your career. She says: “It starts by scanning the horizon and understanding business as usual. What will happen if you do nothing? From there, imagine a bigger, bolder vision for the future and reverse engineer it to identify necessary steps.
“This process allows for breakthrough thinking and gets people out of their silos. For example, a business owner might imagine how generative AI could change their industry in 10 years and start planning now to be ahead of the curve.”
I think we all need to FutureProof ourselves. This interview will give you some great ideas to get started!
11 Questions to Prepare for the Future
Corey Poirier
Early in this interview, Corey told me a remarkable thing: The first time he read a full book was when he was 27! And that was a book his mother gave him – “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. He was a copier salesman at the time and it dramatically turned his life around. He started selling completely differently, began doing interviews (ultimately 7,000!), wrote his own books, and put on conferences.
In this interview, we discuss some of the key ideas from his new book, “The Enlighten Passenger.” We go into depth on these five potent ideas: Embrace the power of synchronicity, Make “no” a new mantra, Mindset is everything, Practice an attitude of gratitude, and Focus on your one percent.
What struck me about Corey is his boundless enthusiasm to make a real difference in the world and how powerful ideas can make a real difference in one’s life.
The Enlightened Passenger book
Martin Rooney
Martin Rooney is the archetypical self-employed person. At 25, he started his first business, a health food store, in Manchester, UK, when health food stores were rare. The business expanded and morphed over the years. His next step was offering prepared food in the health food store and then opening a vegitarian restaurant and expanding into catering. That evolved into running several health-focused takeaway restaurants in UK hospitals. The final step was to manufacture healthy snacks called flapjacks (like chewy granola bars) that turned into a large wholesale distribution company.
The thing that struck me about this interview with Martin was that he kept putting one foot in front of the other, looking for new opportunities, and taking action. He didn’t have a grand plan, but he kept moving forward with the aim of providing healthy food alternatives. As a result, he can look back on 50 years of a very successful and fulfilling life.
Joanne Lee
This interview is right in line with Ordinary Visionaries. We discuss in great depth the process of creating something in one’s life, whether it’s a business goal or personal vision. Based on her book, Create!, we go step-by-step through her simple but powerful process.
C is for Commit. Without a commitment the chance of achieving anything is impossible.
R is for Remove Barriers. Almost every goal comes with barriers. Here’s how to remove them.
E is for Explore Intention. What is the real intent or reason behind any of your goals?
A is for Activate Brainwaves. Learn how to tap into the brainwaves that accelerate success.
T is for Think Bilaterally. We can learn to access our right and left brain hemispheres.
E is for Engage. How do we get moving and get fully engaged in our aim?
! is for !integrate (get it?) Ultimately, we need to integrate all of these steps toward our goals.
I love it when someone has created a fully-formed, reproducible system for doing something. And what system could be more important than one that will help us realize our visions?
Brad Withers
After working with a training company for several years, flying around the country, and delivering training for thousands of people, Brad discovered that the standard mode of training simply didn’t work. It was boring, insufficient, and didn’t engage people.
What did work in a training scenario was discovering where people were and where they wanted to go. He stopped using his PowerPoints, threw out the workbook, and trained people on the material that would make the most difference. That’s when he became a true leader.
In this interview, we take a deep dive into the many things he’s figured out after years of training people – how managers are different than leaders, what makes CEOs successful, managing emotions, self-leadership, and listening to one’s inner voice – and a whole lot more.
This is one of the most fast-paced and fun interviews I’ve conducted. Check it out!
Book – Getting Unstuck at Work
Patricia Clason
Can we live a life dedicated to service and make a real difference?
My interview with Patricia Clason proves we can. As a child in school, Patricia envisioned “teaching the teachers” and now she’s doing just that by passing on her wisdom to both business people and veterans.
She founded an Organization called “Healing Warrior Hearts” that helps veterans heal from the debilitating effects of post-traumatic stress syndrome through a powerful 3-day retreat.
In her day job as a successful speaker, trainer, and coach, she works with organizations to improve their emotional intelligence and connect the puzzle pieces of success.
This interview with Patricia really inspired me. Her story is a great example of an independent professional who put her vision into action and made a lasting difference to thousands of people.
Healing Warrior Hearts Website
Successful Living Basic Training – $300 discount
Jim Smith
Jim is a master executive coach with a global business who has worked with clients in 40 countries. He guides his clients in every aspect of their leadership role from a place of “executive presence.” He says that when a leader shifts from solving problems to holding the space in which problems are solved, they change the way they impact the world.
Jim is known as “The Executive Happiness Coach” and emphasizes that when he works with people and companies, they will be working in the emotional space. He asks, “Are you in touch with your emotions and the emotions of the people around you?” as those emotions impact the culture and the relationships with the people you lead.
In the interview, we explore in depth what it means to be a leader. Jim starts with a very simple demonstration of how one’s breath impacts how one feels and acts, and we go from there into a deeper understanding of what it means to build a true executive presence.
Ann Weiser Cornell
When Ann Weiser-Cornell was 22, she met Eugene Gendlin, a psychologist and philosopher in Chicago. He taught a process called “Focusing” which came out of studies to determine what actually made therapy successful.
The discovery was startling: therapy was successful, not because of what the therapist did, but what the client was doing in the first or second session of therapy. Understanding this came from studying recordings of the therapy sessions, and then Gendlin discovered how to tap into what successful clients did for themselves. The result was called “Focusing.”
In this interview we explore what “Focusing” is all about. We also explore what she offers through her company, Focusing Resources. One of the most interesting and exciting interviews I’ve done so far.
Larry Mandelberg
Larry Mandelberg comes from five generations of entrepreneurs – starting with the fur trade in the 1800’s! From his great-great-grandfather to the present day, Larry now consults with companies with the vision that every business owner should love running their company and every employee should love working there.
In this interview, we do a deep dive into the three core principles from his book, “Businesses Don’t Fail, They Commit Suicide.”
We cover the essentials of Purpose, Performance, and People in his proven system to facilitate company turnarounds. No, theory, just a lot of hard-won wisdom gained from years as an entrepreneur.
Larry has been a valued colleague for several years, and I always appreciate his insights and clarity.
Cheers, Robert
Larry’s Book: Businesses Don’t Fail, they Commit Suicide
Ordinary Visionaries, Live!
Once a month we’ll hold a live Zoom gathering for Ordinary Visionaries. You’ll have a chance to share your vision (whatever it is) with others, plus break into small groups to connect and get support. Whatever your vision is, this is a space for encouragement and support.
Get my Report: Ordinary Visionaries: Awareness in Action
Robert Middleton
I’ve been conducting Ordinary Visionary interviews for the past four months, but I don’t think I’ve clearly defined who an Ordinary Visionary is or why it matters. Well, it does matter.
So, I asked my close friend, Patrick Summar, to interview me about being an Ordinary Visionary. And that’s what we do in this in-depth interview.
– Who is an Ordinary Visionary as compared to an Extraordinary Visionary?
– Is everyone an Ordinary Visionary or just some people?
– Do you choose to become an Ordinary Visionary or does it just happen?
– What’s the most important aspect of being an Ordinary Visionary?
– What is possible for your life as an Ordinary Visionary?
– What can support you in living as an Ordinary Visionary?
And a whole lot more.
I believe that embracing being an Ordinary Visionary may be the key to a happy and successful life.
Apply for an Ordinary Visionary Interview
Chris Henderson
Chris works with teams in large companies to increase communication, trust, and productivity. In the first part of the interview, he shares about five different types of conversations he has with teams that dramatically turn things around. All are simple but powerful.
Included is an honesty exercise that radically opens up new lines of communication. Next, he shares a powerful exercise in sorting through a team’s highest priorities—teams are often grappling with 40 to 120 priorities. And he discovered how to get it down to seven in 30 minutes!
He says, “If you get those things right, suddenly stuff starts to happen.” What I appreciated about Chris’s approach was the clarity about the things that needed to be explored and resolved with each team he worked with in order to ultimately get better results.
I think you’ll love the story of a failing steel company and how he worked with them to turn things around dramatically.
Sandy Schussel
Oh, how most self-employed people hate selling! What if you could make the selling process easier and more natural? In this interview with Sandy Schussel, we explore a much easier and more natural approach to selling. And I know it works because it’s the same approach I used for my whole career.
Sandy’s early career was as a lawyer, which he found very stressful and which led to three bouts of cancer starting at 41. This was a wake-up call to him, which made him realize he needed to do something different.
So, he started offering services on how to attract and retain clients. In the interview, we talked about how he started to generate new clients and then went into some depth about his whole approach to turning prospective clients into paying clients.
Again, if you’ve struggled with the selling process and want to make this process easier and more natural, there’s a lot for you here.
Audrey Seymour
Audrey had an interesting career trajectory, from computer programmer to Rolfer, back to computer software development, and finally to coaching, where she specialized in working with people in career transitions.
Ultimately, Audrey starts working with her clients on identifying their true purpose. In the interview, we go deeply into what true purpose is all about. We discuss the process of discovering true purpose and how to make that purpose real in one’s life and career.
We also discuss what keeps people from realizing their purpose, a big one being self-doubt. Audrey shares strategies, resources, and approaches to not only identifying one’s purpose but also overcoming the barriers to realizing one’s ideal life.
This interview provides a lot of in-depth insight into discovering how to live one’s purpose successfully.
Lisa Dinhofer
Lisa works with companies that have experienced “shock traumas” in the workplace, from suicides to mass layoffs. However, the most common workplace traumas come from inside the workplace, such as bullying and harassment. This kind of trauma causes upheaval in interpersonal relationships and productivity. It’s a huge obstruction to innovation and creativity.
In this interview, we explore the causes, impacts, and, ultimately, the solutions to workplace traumas. We examine what causes stressful environments and the hidden sources of trauma in companies. If you have ever worked in a high-stress environment that has escalated to the point where you want to flee, you’ll find this interview enlightening.
During the first New York World Trade Center bombing in 1993, Lisa worked on the 79th floor. Her traumatizing tale of going through that horrifying experience was only exceeded by the trauma of returning to the building three weeks later and how the management of her company only made things worse.
Lisa goes on to explain what companies need to do to shift their organizational culture to one that has clearly stated values and knows how to live by them.
If you have ever worked in or consulted with a company, this is a must-listen interview!
Laura Pearl
Laura Pearl’s work with Flip The Vote is all about getting individuals to think differently about political giving and change an ineffective (though understandable!) and deeply ingrained behavior.
Politics is much more than any one election cycle or single candidate. Politics is the air we breathe, the cost of rent, bodily autonomy, and the quality of our schools. So why do donors spend so much money on races that we could never win rather than pouring that money into building long-term community power?
Laura’s work is visionary in that she and her organization provide an alternative for everyday donors who want an evidence-based way to make a difference in our political landscape. In our interview, we get deeply into the ins and outs of political giving.
Salvadore Poe
After a life as a rock and roll star and chronic drug abuser, one day, Sal Poe hit the lowest point in his life and knew he had to find peace and freedom. He gave up his former life, moved to India, and started his spiritual search. After eight years, he found what he was looking for.
It wasn’t religion, philosophy, psychology, or even spirituality. It was a profound understanding of who he was. And with that came the freedom and peace he was looking for.
After eight years of living this freedom, someone asked him if he could help them find that freedom as well. He wasn’t even sure he could do it, but through a series of conversational inquiries, he was able to successfully pass on his message.
He put that message into a book called “Liberation Is” and started to share his work more widely. Being a lifelong seeker, I found his book and then did some one-on-one work with him. Over the years, his work has changed my life profoundly.
I can’t describe his work in two words, but perhaps for me, its greatest value is “ceasing to continually argue with what is.”
In this interview, Sal tells his story in depth and communicates his simple but powerful message.
If you have been or still are a seeker, this Ordinary Visionary interview may be for you.
Hazel Wagner
Hazel Wagner was a go-getter from an early age. She has a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD in mathematics, plus an MBA in international marketing and finance. Her dissertation topic was “mental models in mathematics.” Her favorite book, “Mindset” made a huge impact on her and led her to do a Ted talk on mind-mapping. She has an insatiable desire to learn and to share what she’s learned.
Hazel has been an entrepreneur, author, and speaker. She’s a dynamo who has gone from success to success, including inspiring her three children to be entrepreneurs. In this interview, we explore her path through life, the things that have fascinated her the most, and the difference she’s made.
Ted Prodomou
Ted and I have been friends for years and have both had long careers in marketing and independent professionals. Ted started working in Silicon Valley in the computer networking field and ultimately became one of the top experts on how to use LinkedIn in your business. He then wrote a bestselling book on the topic.
In this interview, we delve into practical strategies for small business success, effective networking, impactful marketing, and successful selling. We share our experiences of starting our businesses, the challenges we encountered, and our most significant triumphs. Our key to success: A very personal approach to building our businesses: providing valuable information and making personal connections.
Denise Barnes
In this interview with Therapist and Coach Denise Barnes, we explore all the things that can throw us off our game. Having been self-employed all my working life and working with thousands of self-employed professionals, I know there are many emotional issues that tend to derail us.
Denise recently published her book Stress to Strength: A Therapist’s Guide to Empower Clients. In the interview, she shares several tools for gaining a better perspective on the things that upset, annoy, or prevent you from achieving your goals.
Mark Thompson
Mark excels in the selling process—converting prospective clients into paying clients. Over the years, I’ve had many conversations with Mark about this and have taught many of my clients what I’ve learned from him.
In this interview, we delve into the selling process, dissecting it step-by-step. If your ideal client is a CEO or top company executive, this interview offers a wealth of insights that can transform your approach to marketing and selling.
Lisa Nirell
Lisa’s mission is to help mindful market leaders cultivate healthy companies and careers. Her clients navigate more easily with ambiguity, accelerate revenues, and fuel marketing innovation. How does she do it? By applying pragmatic leadership and planning models that have taken her decades to discover and develop. Lisa shares how she has set up her business and marketing to make the biggest possible impact.
The Mindful Marketer Podcast on Spotify
Amii Barnard-Bahn
With 20+ years of experience working with and serving as a C-suite executive in Global Fortune 50 companies, Amii knows what it takes to run an effective, high-performance team and to succeed in a high-stakes, exciting career. A Georgetown-trained lawyer, she has over 20 years of strategic experience in legal and HR, developing talent, effective leadership, and healthy workplace cultures. In our interview, Amii shares the exciting ups and downs of working both as an attorney and a business coach.
The Promotability Index Guidebook
Ian Blei
Ian Blei has a singular crusade to spread the understanding that compassion is the most powerful force available to humanity. He has developed a system and a model of human consciousness that allows us to see from within another’s perspective, thus understanding from within. This has inspired books, countless seminars and workshops, and hundreds of happy clients, and he’s far from done! This interview guides you through Ian’s powerful, but simple process of connecting values to to actions that can transform a life or a business.
Ian’s Book, Kind Ambition
Nancy Li
Nancy is a business consultant in the pharmaceutical industry specializing in data, marketing, design, and logistics. But this OV interview is about the vision she had of writing children’s books when she was in a meditation reteat. This vision was actualized in the following year by writing, publishing, and promoting her book. She then developed a workshop on STEAM (science, tech, engineering, arts, and math) to help children connect with science and chemistry in a fun way. During the interview, Nancy led me through a process of connecting with my inner child!
Allan Gorman
Allan Gorman had a long career as an art director and self-employed graphic designer and marketer. I worked with Allan when he was working on his solo design career, but I never knew that his main passion was art and painting. When he retired, he began a new career as a painter. I started to get his newsletters with pictures of his amazing art, and so I asked to interview him about his art career and what was like to be a working artist.
Allan’s website, art portfolio, and CBS video on Allan
Pierre Chretien
Pierre is the leader and keyboard player of the spiritual jazz group, The Atlantis Jazz Ensemble. A career musician, Pierre also founded the Soul Jazz Orchestra. The Atlantis Jazz Ensembel’s first album, the Oceanic Suite (2016) is one of my all-time favorite jazz albums. Click on that link and give it a listen! Because of my love of jazz and this album in particular, I was excited to interview Pierre and learn about his music and his life as a jazz musician.
The Atlantis Jazz Ensemble on Bandcamp
Ralph Dranow
Professionally, Ralph Dranow is an editor who helps writers make their writing more publishable, as well as ghostwriting a few memoirs. He is also a poet who has published eight books of poetry. In this interview, I talked to Ralph about making writing poetry more accessible. He reads a number of his poems, and we discuss them. If you’ve ever wanted to write poetry but had no idea where to start, this interview is a perfect poetry writing primer.
Poetry books by Ralph on Amazon
Lion Goodman
Lion is the creator of the Clear Beliefs Method. He has taught this methodology to more than 400 practitioners around the world. He has coached executives, business owners, entrepreneurs, and mental health practitioners for more than 40 years. He is a Professional Certified Transformational Coach, a subconscious pattern detective, and an effective healer of long-term conditions where beliefs are at the core. In our conversation, we dive deeply into beliefs and how they hold us back.
Sandy Abell
Sandy’s passion has always been to support and empower people to love and appreciate themselves and be the best they can be. Sandy thought that being a therapist would fulfill that need. It did for quite a while, but then she wanted to reach more people than one-hour counseling sessions could cover. In order to do that, she’s written three books, facilitated many mastermind groups, supporting people as a life coach, and has been co-hosting a podcast, “Your Personal Power Pod,” for more than two years.
Patrick Summar
Patrick Summar is my best friend and I’m his biggest fan! He is a business coach who works with business owners to expand their capacity in all areas of their business and life. In our interview, we follow his career trajectory from the time I met him in the early 90’s in San Francisco to the many ways he works with clients to produce breakthrough results. Patrick and I have supported each other in our journey through life and business for 30 years. Anyone who gets to know Patrick is a lucky person!
Debra Cortese
For over 20 years, Debra has worked in the health and fitness industry as a business owner, race producer, and multisport coach. She specializes in working with women who want to feel stronger, boost their energy levels, enhance body confidence, and embrace a holistic approach to fitness. She is the Co-owner and Director of Tri-Now Multisport.
Debra is also a Focusing practitioner, professional, and certified trainer with a specialty in Inner Relationship Focusing (IRF). She founded Focusing Southwest to offer programs, workshops, and private sessions to individuals. She has recently developed a “Focusing Oriented Running Program” to offer a fresh approach to running and, in turn, health and fitness.
Peter Christman
After 25 years as an investment banker, Peter Christman founded the Exit Planning Institute to provide middle-market business owners with specific business exit planning services to simplify and maximize exit planning benefits. Now, in retirement, Peter has made a shift to working with retired people to help them successfully exit their lives with fulfillment and dignity.
Nancy Radford
Nancy is an experienced & enthusiastic mediator who excels at listening to all sides, clarifying and translating views so all parties understand. Clients value her ability to help them step back and discover new perspectives, especially in situations where emotions are involved. Her calmness and clarity enable clients to find their own effective resolutions and solutions. Nancy often sees people whose lives have been blighted by misunderstanding, businesses held back or relationships damaged. Usually, at the end of a successful mediation, someone says, “I wish we’d had this conversation earlier…”
Marsha Sims
A little over 30 years ago, out of a desire to get organized, Marsha Sims created Sort It Out Inc. Professional Organizing Service. Through trial and error, Marsha figured out the simple secret to getting organized quickly. This triggered something so powerful that she immediately went from being disorganized… to being on the fast track to getting organized and, in time, becoming one of the preeminent professional organizers in the United States.
Michael Gidlewski
Michael is the founder of Achievement Unlimited, Inc. He has developed and presented hundreds of leadership development and management programs to businesses across the country. Through his workshops, processes, and mentoring, he helps Clients increase personal and team productivity by improving leadership effectiveness and developing winning attitudes. His results-driven programs have proven enormously successful in enhancing profitability, goals transformation and personal satisfaction for his clients.
Robert Bostick
Robert Bostick and his company, Humor Point, help businesses, both large and small to use humor to get attention, break down walls, and build rapport. He’s also built the first and only cartoon database, The Perfect Cartoon, where you can search any keyword and find dozens of cartoons on the topic. In our interview, we got into the power of humor in both life and business. We had a lot of fun!
Kelli Richards
Kelli Richards has had an amazing career as an employee and consultant in the technology and music industries. Very early in her career, she asked Steve Jobs to be her mentor, went on to work with Apple, and then headed up the initiative to launch music at Apple. She then started her own consulting business at the intersection of the tech, music, and entertainment industries, working to advise, boost, and reinvent leaders – for decades. In the course of her career, she worked with such luminaries as Michael Jackson and Prince.
Christopher Bradford
Christopher is an entrepreneur, owner of a martial arts studio, a husband with five children, and a fellow Boulder Creekian. He is currently running for supervisor in the 5th district of Santa Cruz. Christopher shares his vision for making a difference in our communities, especially after the devastation of the CZU fire of 2020.
https://www.bradfordforsupervisor.com
Jill Konrath
Jill has been a self-employed entrepreneur, consultant, trainer, speaker, and author of five books on selling. She’s been a client and good friend over the years. In the interview, we talk about the visions she has made real in her life and her current project, “What’s Really Possible?”