Bellwether Hub Podcast

Ah yes, the dread of speaking in public. We are going to go there again - but not in the same way as before. I love getting feedback from listeners on what they want me to cover in a podcast - and advice on how to write a speech was interestingly a hot request. So let’s do it. I consider the speech process to have three “events” or “phases.”  The first phase is the fear of speaking; that gut wrench when someone asks you to give an update at a Town Hall. We all know it so well - it’s well documented, there is plenty of advice, the dead horse continues to be beaten. That’s something that takes work to overcome - and look back to this episode with speech coach Tony Figliola for some tremendous tips to help you overcome the fear.  Another phase is the actual delivery of the speech, which you want to be engaging, enthusiastic and impressive. We’ll cover that in the future. But in between is arguably the most important phase of the speech process: actually writing it.  Maybe there is a fourth phase -

Obviously, I’m a believer in the value of coaching. I’m also a believer in the fact that there is a lot to learn from all corners of this pebble we call Earth, and each person has a unique perspective to bring to any kind of relationship.  What makes that perspective unique is the culmination of our experiences over time.  Alan Goldstein isn’t young, but they say with age comes wisdom. And if there is an example of a person who has had perspective changes over the years, you won’t find a better one than his.  A self-described radicalized Vietnam Veteran, Alan is a retired dentist from the Bronx who now has a successful life coaching business. There is a lot in that sentence for you to take in.  Alan and I are both big on creating an inner dialogue and finding the questions you need to ask yourself to truly identify what it is that you believe. These beliefs then translate into actions. Change is uncomfortable - we know this. But creating a healthy internal conversation is just one specific,

When it comes to being more productive, everyone has an opinion.  Some people say get your work done in the morning, others get work done after lunch. Some say make a list. Others say to work in time blocks.  The advice is far reaching, it often conflicts, and is based on opinion. Everyone’s model of productivity works for them, and then they proceed to inform you how to be like them. The issue is, not everyone is the same.  Now, I love the tactical approach. Tips and tricks on how to operate, provided people can adjust and make them “their own,” can be very helpful. If nobody shared their learnings, then we wouldn’t learn. Simple as that.  But moving beyond the tactical approach is finding a rhythm. And when people come to me with productivity challenges, often times they are talking about their “rhythm.” They want a system - something to get them operating at a higher level; a silver productivity bullet. It may exist in Ithaca, NY. In this week’s podcast, I chat with Nathan Walz, founder o

In a week celebrating a country's independence, let's focus on your own independence, and how your assumptions can limit your choices.

In case you haven’t heard, or if you were wondering why flags everywhere have a rainbow, June is Pride month.  It’s a celebration of the history and contributions that have been made by the LGBTQ community. And this year, Pride has an interesting milestone: 50 years since the Stonewall riots.  For many, growing up in the 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s meant the constant hearing that being gay was wrong. It was a sin, it was a mistake, it was “against nature.” It was something to be ignored and put away in the closet. And the more I’m learning about Pride and the LGBTQ community, the more I’m realizing that it wasn’t just people who were living in closets - but the fascinating history of the overall community as well. Fortunately, society is changing. And it’s changing in very significant ways. But as we make progress towards equality, it’s important to remember the history of the past fifty years and beyond that took us to where we are. And, as always, history gives us a good guideline on where we need to

It’s no secret that our childhood experiences have massive effect on who we are as individuals. But how about the way that we treat others? This week I learned about Adverse Childhood Experiences, otherwise known as ACEs. I also learned that ACEs have a major impact on how you then proceed to treat other people, in particular your children. As a relatively new parent, there is no shortage of opinion on “how” you are supposed to parent. And those opinions aside, I think most people can agree that being an asshole on the side of an athletic field is not one of the “good things.” Jerry Reynolds has a passion for sports and for helping others. A social worker, he has been diving into the world of parent-child relationships when it comes to sports, and has tapped into how a parent’s childhood experiences affect the way they treat their children in the sporting world. It has major consequences for your children, but this information is also very relevant to the way we interact at the office and in t

Today the topic is self-development. When we think of self-development, we instantly think of self-improvement or self-help. Those terms and ideas bring with them a subconscious implication that we are failing at something where we shouldn’t. And that isn’t the point of self-development at all. The point of self-development, rather, is to increase and develop your conversation with yourself; the dialogue that goes on inside your head. It circles around learning about yourself, and means you aren’t sitting still and just letting the world happen to you. It shows that you are evolving, adjusting. "The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly-that is what each of us is here for. People are afraid of themselves, nowadays. They have forgotten the highest of all duties, the duty that one owes to one's self."Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" Possibly a holdover from my childhood, I’m very aware of when people tell me I’m doing something “wrong.” It was cathartic w

Wrapping up Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m happy to offer up my third and final installment of my Wellness, Organized series: Social Wellness. As mentioned in previous podcasts and posts - I decided to organize my thoughts on what wellness means for me. There are three aspects, and you can read my opinions on physical wellness here and mental wellness here. Now let’s bring it home. First and foremost, I should offer up why I consider social activity as the third aspect of wellness; just as important as physical and mental: I find that there is no greater impact on our physical and mental well-being than the in-person social bonds we create throughout our lifetime. We are social animals. We are wired to pick up social cues from other people. Our sixth sense exists, and it is social. The more neuroscience research that comes out, the more we are finding that social wellness is fundamental to our overall well-being. We now know that seeing other people treated fairly drives the reward center of

Today we cover part three of my Wellness, Organized series: The Mental. For context, there is an overview post and podcast here and my focus on Physical Wellness here. This is Mental Health Awareness month. I’ll start this post with the information that if you are struggling with anything serious - if you need to chat with someone - there are people who care, will listen and are specialized in meeting what you need. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number is 1-800-273-8255. For other countries, you can look up yours here. Mental health, just like physical health, requires ongoing attention to wellness. They are not the same, yet they are inextricably linked. What keeps someone “well” differs from person to person. The statement ‘you need to focus on self-care” doesn’t mean anything. Defining self-care for you, and starting on the learning journey of what you, personally, need is the name of the game. Hence these post. Here is a bit of my focus on mental wellness and I hope it’

As promised in a previous post and podcast, I’ve decided to organize my thoughts on wellness. It’s such a massive topic, that it needs to be broken down into categories. Today, we focus on the physical aspect of wellness. Physical wellness, to define it and get on the same page, is your vessel; the tank that carries around your crap all day. It covers health, weight, and more. In essence, it’s your body. It is not, however, your body image. Save that shit for our mental discussion. Physical wellness is what you are doing day in and out to make sure that you are a fine tuned machine to handle anything coming at you. Like Netflix. And there are three components to physical wellness: Diet, Fitness and Sleep. There is no shortage of information and advice on this topic. I’m aware of that. And I would argue that it’s part of the problem: there is too much advice and information on this topic, so people get confused or disappointed and they give up. But it is also the reason why I wrote this. And I’m

It’s always a risk for a white guy to cover the topic of equality in the workplace. So that’s why I’m thrilled to have Eileen Scully join me to provide her perspective and wisdom on the topic. Eileen is a consultant, speaker and author of the upcoming book, “In the Company of Men: How Women Can Succeed in a World Built Without Them.” When I first met Eileen, she made the comment, “Businesses and organizations operate in a way that was developed by white men ages ago, and that just doesn’t work for many people who aren’t.” As a white guy, that thought, quite frankly, never really occurred to me. We hear about equality in the workplace frequently, especially with high-profile changes that are happening over time (pay, leadership positions, etc.). Yet we don’t often go into the detail on simple, day-to-day operations in the office; those basic assumptions that, when they don’t affect us, are invisible. It’s one of the great revelations that came to me in the past decade: many of my assumptions ma

Defining wellness, and organizing what it actually means, is step one to figuring out what to work on. This outlines the details of physical, mental and social well being.

The conundrum of the digital world is that we have all of this technology to make our lives easier, but what are we willing to sacrifice in order to use it? Stories abound of families glued to their smartphones around the dinner table and the impact of television and phones on young children’s brains, all leading to the frightening, supposed prospect of society becoming unglued due to the destruction of in-person social interaction. But not to worry, because this week we are very happy to have Pete Dunlap, author of "Digital Detangler: A Guide to Mindful Technology Use." Pete’s life work is to teach people how to use technology smartly, and have it become a part of your life, not take over your life. Pete has a realistic view on technology, and recognizes it’s both necessary and can provide value if we can identify how to wield it. He’s overflowing with research and statistics on the impact technology and the digital world have on our lives, but also offers tangible advice on how to get your tech use

This week, we learn from Tricia Barger, owner of Poppy Tree Design and Yoga Instructor, on the benefits of simplicity, the beauty of silence and how empowering minimalism can be. The topic of wellness has been monetized to the point where it no longer makes you “well” - so Tricia resets the button, looks at the forest from the trees and gives some tips on how you can find out what “wellness” actually means for you. In the words of Andre Gide’s “Fruits of the Earth” - “As women in the pale East wear their entire fortune on their persons, so I have always carried with me all my possessions. At every smallest moment of my life, I have felt within me the whole of my wealth.” In her words, “Five minutes of silence can change the world.” And wine, Tricia. Wine can change the world, too. For more on Tricia and her design work, please visit www.poppytreedesign.com.

It’s not every day you get to sit across the table from a pro boxer. It’s exciting and fun and you just feel cool. And once you make sure that you are in no way offending them or opening them up to hitting you, you can then open your mind to learning from them. Dashaun “Too Sweet” Johns is an undefeated professional boxer, with eyes on being world champion in the next two years. Learn about how he keeps his eyes on the prize, and what goes through his mind as challenges try to derail him. He gives extraordinary advice on how to create that goal and use discipline to stay on track. But most importantly, learn about how Dashaun has reshaped his life, overcome adversity thanks to the people in his corner, and is setting himself up for major success, in and out of the ring. It’s relevant to you in many ways, I assure you. And in the meantime, you’ll learn a few things about what to look for in the boxing ring. I believe that boxing is the ultimate metaphor for life. How many times can you get up after

The old joke goes that people are more afraid of public speaking than dying - so they would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. Why are we so petrified of speaking in front of a group of people? When I bring up the topic in front of clients, their eyes go wide with fright. “I can’t do that!” they say. And it’s evident with people beyond my clients at all levels - from high school students to senior executives - public speaking and abject horror and stage fright go hand in hand. Tony Figliola has coached thousands of individuals on how to become both effective and fantastic public speakers. His reputation is unmatched. When you need help with a speech, people know that Tony is where you go. And he has a theory on why we are afraid: “When we give a speech, we give all of us. And if people don’t like it, that’s all we have.” Vulnerability, self-control and confidence are the name of the game. And in this episode, Tony gets tactical in helping you get over your fear of public speaking with

Almost every coaching client I’ve worked with has asked for help creating an “organizational system;” one to help them better manage their time to be more productive, efficient, and effective. Dennis Wayland, Lean extraordinaire, shares how he implements “Lean principles” into his home to help get his family organized and out the door in the most efficient manner possible. By just focusing on the concept of Lean, which is designed to make companies more profitable and efficient, he discusses how to identify and eliminate the waste that affects our ability to be our best and accomplish more. That, and he has a good social media book recommendation for all of you entrepreneurs out there. Thanks, Dennis!