Middle Aged Wisdom

In this episode we talk about the difference between chronic and acute.  Acute events get all the publicity - these are dramatic and rare occurences where we usually have a story to tell afterwards.  In Nancy's field of dentistry, this is akin to a child getting his front teeth knocked out from a nasty fall.  In Dave's field of engineering, this would be akin to a flood event because floods are rare, dramatic,  and newsworthy.  But the real pain, the real damage, comes from chronic and slow moving degradation, not the rare but dramatic events.  The same holds true for relationships, be they marriages or friendships.  Years can go by and you can find yourself in a place and wonder how they heck you got there?  Listen in as we talk about how this relates to our work, our relationships, and our health.   

It's been so easy to lose at least some of our motivation during this pandemic.  Just look at a typical person's work from home wardrobe.  It might be business on top, but it's probably sweatpants or pajamas on the bottom.  This lack of motivation to dress for success is symbolic of all of us having our sense of motivation down a notch or two compared to pre-pandemic.  In this episode we talk about getting back to your "why", your source of motivation for work, parenting, and health.  Hint:  make it about something (or someone) other than yourself.  

One of the most important decisions any business leader can make involves who to hire and who to let go.  As Jim Collins said in his book, Good to Great, "It is better to first get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats, then figure out where to drive."  Over 15 years of business ownership, we've learned some hard lessons about finding the right team members and parting ways with the wrong team members.  Listen in so you can learn some tips for getting the right people on YOUR bus.  

As COVID infection rates are on a downward trend and vaccination rates are on an updward trend, it's starting to feel like the post-COVID world is around the corner.  In this episode we talk about our recent experience with the vaccine, how some aspects of our work lives have changed forever, and what we've learned about exciting new communication mediums like Clubhouse that have popped up during the pandemic. 

Wisdom is not a place we can arrive at, it's not a mountain we can climb.  In fact, the older we get the more we realize we don't know.  While academics laid the foundation for our professional success, our post academic learning has probably been the most profound and the most sastifying.  That's because we get to choose our own adventures.  Join us as we talk about one of the keys to success in life - being life long learners.    

As the great Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care."  Whether it's in life, business, or relationships, do the people around you feel understood?  This could be a family member, a customer, or a client.  Showing genuine interest in the people around you - truly trying to understand them - is the key to succeeding in any long term endeavor in your life.  Because in the end all success is enabled by and through people.  Listen in as we talk about how we've seen this at play in dating, dentistry, and engineering.  

In a previous episode we gave our advice for overcoming procrastination related to things you really want to do.  Even though these are things you may WANT to do, they can be tough to get started.  In this episode we get into overcoming procrastination related to things you actually DON'T want to do, but know you'll have to do eventually.  Listen in as we offer advice for overcoming the chronic anxiety that can build up from pushing things off until tomorrow.  

Having trouble sticking to your New Year's goals?  If so, then this episode is for you.  This is a celebration of the small, consumable steps that can lead to big results.  The beauty of small steps?  They're pretty easy, but the key is consistency over time.  Listen in as we talk about how this can relate to health, finance, and business.  We want to help you reach your 2021 goals.

Nancy has spent the better part of the past 10 years gobbling up everything she could learn about breathing.  And Dave has been her guinea pig.  Listen in as we talk about how chronic illness can stem from how we breathe, who is at the highest risk for breathing issues, and what to do about it.  

We recently had a family dinner conversation centered around interesting questions that helped us reflect back on the year that was 2020.  We're hoping both the questions and our answers will help you process the good, the bad, and the ugly from 2020, and how to use that experience to have a great 2021.  

From manual labor, to restaurant work, to retail, to clerk - listen in as we talk about 10 jobs we had in our youth and how they shaped who we are today.  

Did you ever think about how a habit forms? Good ones and bad ones tend to form from our environment: the people, places, and time that trigger our habits.  We explain how environment works in forming habits, discuss the habits we want to change, and provide tips for changing your own.  

Is it too early to think about building your retirement nest egg?  Have you avoided even having this conversation with your significant other?  Listen in to learn how planning is your best friend, and how there's no such thing as too much preparation.  No matter your age, this topic is always timely and relevant.   

What do the holidays mean to you?In this episode we chat about the holiday season: how we grew up, how we celebrate today, budgeting, supporting small businesses, and more!  We share our approach to surviving this time of year, and how we give meaning to the season in spite of all of the commercialization.      

On Thursday we're celebrating Thanksgiving in the U.S.  This year we had to think a little harder about our Thanksgiving list.  With this episode we are shining a light on all of the good that's there if you look for it.  Join us for some much needed reminders, with a call to action that will make your heart feel full.  

In the memorable words of author Brene Brown, "Empathy fuels connection while sympathy drives disconnection".  In this episode we explore the difference between sympathy and empathy, and discuss the three types of empathy that Dave learned about in a recent training course.  With so many social issues present in our country, it can be hard to know how to show someone the empathy they need in a given situation.  Listen in to hear what we've learned.

There are bad interpersonal behaviors that ALL of us can be guilty of at times, and it can be painfully easy to be unaware we have them or how they may be damaging our most important relationships.  These bad habits can even limit what we're able to accomplish in life.  While lessons in self-awareness may have been less important when we were fresh out of school or just starting in our careers, they have become vital as we have moved into leadership roles.  Because how we show up matters.  Listen in as we share our own journeys in developing self-awareness.  Our discussion is framed around lessons from the book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There, by Marshall Goldsmith.    

Does the pandemic make you feel sluggish and unmotivated?  Well join the club!  Listen in to hear 5 things we are doing to feel our best, do our best, and keep our minds clear in spite of the craziness around us.

Over the past 15 years we've had our relationship ups and downs.  From dating, to moving 10 times, to dealing with PTSD from a robbery...we've been through some stuff.  Listen in to hear our reflections on these stories, as well as what we would change if we could (hint:  it involves cubic zirconia).

Did you ever really want something, but it didn't work out as you had hoped?  Maybe it was a relationship, or a job, or perhaps a school you wanted to get into.  Dave and Nancy revisit some of their own unanswered prayers - things they each thought they wanted at the time, but in each case the heartbreak led to something even greater.  

Nancy is a dentist.  Dave is an engineer.  Listen in to hear what their working worlds have been like during the COVID pandemic.  They share their pandemic struggles, successes, and where they think this is all headed.  

How much should we push our children to grow into our vision of who we think they should be?  Conversely, how might our children benefit from having some say over what they end up doing with their lives?  Listen in as Nancy and Dave discuss this quandary as it relates to their own parenting experience.  

Did you ever notice that people who accomplish great things tend to have one important thing in common?  Self belief.  Believe it or not, self belief is something you can work at, and it may just be the single most important ingredient to fulfilling your potential as a human being.  Listen in as we share our own ups and downs, lessons we've learned from others, and how self belief can even improve your health.  

We hear so much about being a good seller or how to provide good customer or client service.  But what about the flip side?  Why might it matter to be seen as a desirable customer?  We are all customers, patients, or clients at some point.  For some of us, our very livelihoods can be depend on vendors or businesses being there when we need them.  Listen in to see how this applies to you and to learn about this overlooked aspect of life and business.

If you stripped away limitations or obstacles, what choices might you make?  These choices could be related to your career, where you live, or something about your lifestyle.  Consider, are your current limitations real?  Or are they only in your mind?  Sometimes your potential will only go so far as your imagination allows.  Listen in as Dave and Nancy share their philosophy for how to dream BIG.  

How many possessions does a person REALLY need?  If you feel buried in stuff piled up around your home, where do you start if you want to downsize?  In this episode, we share our experience that led us to downsize our home and our possessions and how having "less" led to a whole lot more.

One of our favorite quotes is, "If you really wanted to (fill in the blank) you would."  What's your "blank"?  In this episode we share our experiences in learning to prioritize what matters most - from improving daily habits to achieving big aspirational goals.  We'll help you achieve your "blank".

Have you noticed that people tend to respond to this pandemic in one of two ways?  They either gravitate towards empathy, thinking about others, or they succumb to being self-centered, focusing only on themselves and their personal grievances.  In this episode we talk about the benefits of rising above the negativity, and offer advice for pivoting your business to make lemonade out of all the lemons this experience has been serving up.  

Have you ever gone to a dinner party where you came across a couple or another person that you found endlessly fascinating?  That happened to us recently.  Listen in to find out the three lessons we took home from a few hours spent with our older, wiser neighbors.  

In this episode, we discuss how to "read the room" by observing what makes other people tick, and how to adjust your verbal techniques to maximize your influence.  You will learn to identify how people receive information, which will help you better understand your clients, gain acceptance by your team, and nurture lasting relationships with your spouse, loved ones, and colleagues.  

Have you ever been talking with someone, and a few seconds into the conversation you realize he or she is such a bad listener you don't even want to finish the conversation?  Being a good listener isn't as easy as it sounds.  Listen in to learn how to avoid being a sentence finisher, a cutter offer, or a conversation hijacker, so you can become a more effective communicator.

Can you live a Ritz Carlton lifestyle on a Motel 6 budget?  You may be able to pull it off for awhile, but eventually your finances will come crashing down.  How do we know this?  Because we experienced it first hand.  Learn some ways to keep more money in your pocket, to bring you closer to the RC lifestyle.  

In this episode we share a memorable, and at times painful, anecdote about our first venture into becoming business owners.  The story involves a swindler, an ancient Chinese proverb, and how to make lemonade out of lemons.  We hope you benefit from hearing our lessons learned from an early business failure.