Patti Is Still Learning

We talked to Debo Ofsowitz, a local legend in the LGBTQA+ volunteering space and our dear friend, about volunteering, being an ally, building trust, increasing self-awareness, and steps to increase your own empathy for others. We took a little deep dive into The Four Agreements and purposefully practicing checking your implicit bias. When asked what were her motivating factors for volunteering: "The more plugged in you are, the better your experience is. The more you connect with people, the more you feel accomplished... Participating makes the experience better." You can also meet people who have a similar interest and have a passion for something. If anyone wants to be a better ally, reach out to the people that you know and ask them how you can be a better friend to them and a better ally to their community. More often than not, they'll tell you something. The more people you know in a community, and the more you connect with them at a personal level, it is easier to be an ally because you care more about what happens to them. It helps you check your implicit bias, and it helps you hear others' biases and stand up for your friends. If you liked what you heard and want to hear more about these topics, check out our other podcast episodes: S2E11 - Being an Ally, S2E03 - Knowing Your Values, and Season 1 Getting Involved --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Seeing a vast disparity in diversity in the tech world, Josh helped form Black Orlando Tech, a successful nonprofit in teaching adults about technical fields to help them either change or advance their careers. He used his hunger to learn and passion for teaching to become an expert in cloud computing. His book, Venti Fried Chicken, explores his humble beginnings and how he evolved into a leader in the tech community, with all of the detours and speedbumps along the way. We talked to him about cloud computing, how he's helped BOT grow, his history of learning about different fields, and what he's learning about next. If you want to hear more of our thoughts about topics we discussed, you can always listen to previous podcasts that were centered around these themes: S2E11 - Being an Ally, Season 1, Number 9 - How to Juggle, Season 1, Number 5 - Marketing, Everybody’s Doing I, Season 1 - Getting Involved --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Lea Tran, author, speaker, and overall wonder woman, joined us to talk about her story of being a member of the "Boat People" and escaping from Vietnam. We talk about how courage is something you find or create, but it doesn't come naturally. Sometimes it's because you have to have it to survive, and other times you decide to make it so you can thrive. You also have to make your own opportunities and "not miss the boat."  The nonprofit that Lea is working with is called the Refuge Film School, which gives refuge teens a chance to make a living with digital media work. And since we recorded our interview right after the shooting in Atlanta that rocked the AAPI community, we talked about how we could all be better allies to other races. If you want to hear more of our thoughts about topics we discussed, you can always listen to previous podcasts that were centered around these themes: S2E09 - What makes your atoms sing?, S2E02 - Embracing Curiosity, and Season 1 Episode: All The Intentions --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We interviewed Janel Chambers, co-owner of the Minuteman Press in College Park, Orlando. Running a small business has a lot of different pressures, and when you run one with a friend, there are different dynamics you need to consider. We talked about maintaining trust, knowing your strengths and lanes, and keeping it light. You have to understand where a person came from and their environment to know who they are and what they believe. We also bring up time management, self-care, and allyship. If you like the content of this episode and would like to hear others like it, check out the following episodes from past seasons: S1E09 - How to Juggle; S1E10 - Building Trust; S2E01 - Giving and Receiving Feedback. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We are back with the first episode of our third season! We have changed the format and now have full format interviews with our friends. First up is our conversation with Marjorie Phoenix, founder of the Giving Voices Project. She's a leader for advocating for those recovering from violent acts, she's a student getting her masters so she can become a consultant in Diversity & Inclusion in the corporate world, she is an activist for having uncomfortable conversations through her Storytime & Wine program, and she's a Mom! The biggest lesson we learned from Marjorie is the importance of holding the space for listening to others. It's not always about needing to solve the problem, but it is important to listen to understand where the person is coming from. GivingVoicesProject.com All the social: Giving Voices Project Look up Storytime & Wine on Eventbrite If you like the content of this episode and would like to hear others like it, check out the following episodes from past seasons: S1E07 - Asking Good Questions; S2E03 Knowing Your Values; S2E08 - Self Care; and S2E11 - Being An Ally --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

John and Patti took a little hiatus mid-season to learn more about being anti-racists and how to be better allies to People of Color. In this episode, they talk about their learning journey the past two and a half months and encourage all people to learn more about White Fragility and White Privilege. Now is the time to lift up the voices of Black Americans, other People of Color, and other people who have been discriminated against.

In random learnings, Patti has gotten pretty good at hosting Zoom meetings and John has gotten into the music of Steven Sondheim. (Check out his 90th birthday tribute on YouTube!) The theme for this week was to just reminisce on what Patti and John miss bit also what they DON’T miss. Certain activities such as hitting punching bags and and hugs with friends they’re looking forward to getting back to. But they do not miss the commute to work or setting foot in a grocery store. The Microstory for the week was the first stop on their whirlwind Europe trip in Barcelona where they stayed in apartments in El Born... and the many flights of stairs to get into them.

Twenty episodes so far! Wow! In random learnings, video conference calls are better with games and walking lets John experience his neighborhood’s nature better than when he used to run like a madman. The theme for this week was “What makes your atoms sing?” What comes really natural to you that when you picked it up you felt like a fish swimming in water? Or, when you do something, it feels so good and feels like you’re in the right place to be. Your senses are awakened and heightened and you feel like you’re vibrating higher than before. This can even come about with different types of music or smells. It can even happen with the type of work you do during the day and how it helps you grow personally and professionally. Patti and John give examples from their lives on what makes their atoms sing. This time, the Microstory was all about Patti and her solo trip to New Orleans. Most specifically, her day on a Voodoo tour where she visited the grave of Voodoo Queen Marie Lavoie, visited a Catholic Church that recognizes a Voodoo Saint, and had a chat with a Voodoo Priestess about Gris Gris and Juju.

Patti and John talk about their experience putting together a socially distant Easter Bunny event in less than a week. The theme for this episode is self care. Whether when things were normal or in the new normal, you have to take care of yourself! How can you help others when you are depleted? Patti and John talk about their own processes for self care and the steps they’ve taken to set themselves up for success, plus what they’ve learned from others. How can you maintain balance and replenish your own energy levels? The Microstory is told by John as he shares how he travelled around Europe for two and a half weeks on his own!

Patti and John talk about different aspects of their current existence of sheltering in place. They’ve had to make big decisions in their volunteer organizations. They’ve donated to lots of charities. They still do their Date Nights and Nothing Nights. They know that video is important for keeping the humanity in work relationships. They order everything online but sourdough bread. They share how they stay up to date on the news.

Patti and John tell the story of their whirl-wind trip to Paris back in 2014. This Memorial Day weekend was jam packed and there were all the usual flight delays and changes of plans that made them realize that they handled stress well together. They now recommend that for anyone in a relationship ready to take it to the next level should try your hand at planning and executing a vacation that is filled with activities that help get you both out of your comfort zone.

In random learnings, John talks Census and Patti talks about her experience with Deep Work. The theme this week revolves around simplifying your life through routine and how it helps increase happiness and reduce anxiety and decisions. They walk through routines they practice as well as examples from others. If you want to start a routine, it helps to know who which of the Four Tendencies you are so you can set up how you hold yourself accountable for accomplishing the routine. Is there anything you can do in the morning that brings delight and repeatable? How can you take something that you do every day and simplify it? The Microstory focuses on their adventure in Glacier National Park on a snowshoeing tour. They saw a lot of critter prints and enjoyed the solitude of the area.

We made it to the 15th episode! With Patti recovering from the flu, John and she discuss the importance of know what your perfect day is and why visualizing it matters. If you don’t know what it looks like how will you ever know if you’re getting close to having one? Try thinking about it in great detail. When and how will you wake up? What do you do first? Then second? Then third? How do you wind down in your evening? If there’s something in your perfect day that you can incorporate now, then go ahead and do it! And knowing other people’s perfect days helps you appreciate how they want to lead their lives and you can help each other attain it. The Microstory for the episode continues on their adventures in Montana with a highly flatulent horseback riding tour of the Lonesome Dove Ranch. If you have a hankering for huckleberry jam, syrup, or even coffee you can find their brand on amazon by searching for “bounty foods huckleberry.”

In random learnings, John talks about his experience with rating nonprofits as a community voter for the https://www.victorycupinitiative.org/. The big event is usually in February where the chosen non profits compete by telling their story for a chance to a grand prize of $20,000! The theme this episode was Values, why it’s important to identify what yours are. When you know your own values you can use it as a compass for how you behave and the choices you make. When you know others’ values it helps you better understand their priorities and choices. Couples, work partners, friends, and even people across the political divide can look to see how their values are similar and can help with working together. It makes us remember that we’re all human! The Microstory of the week is their adventures with skiing. John is really really good. And Patti? The Florida girl can rock the bunny slopes.

In Random Learnings, Patti talks about the incoming cohort of the Orlando New Leaders Council. To read some of their bios, visit https://www.newleaderscouncil.org/orlando Embracing curiosity is a way to remain present and be fully absorbed in the moment. It takes practice and can really make you remember things in more vivid detail. There becomes a joy in the experience when one remains curious about the situation you’re in. Patti and John talk about how their experiences with starting to embrace curiosity more has led to better memories, as well as how curiosity is different at work and personal life. The Microstory for this episode is about their grocery buying experience in Columbia Falls and wandering all around the town without a car. With all the bags. In the snow. Fun times.

We’re back with season 2! We added some new segments for the season such as Microstory and Kudos. The theme for this episode spans giving and receiving feedback in work, play, and personal relationships. Productive Flourishing, by Charlie Gilkey, was also mentioned in Random Learnings.

On a car ride home, Patti and John reminisce about one of their top vacations of all time, an all-inclusive resort called Twin Farms.

Some Salesforce studying, iPhone 8 reboot instructions, and education on gender judo round out our random learnings for the week. The theme for the week is Building Trust. We talk about the different components for building trust and two books about trust, Tribes, by Seth Godin and The Speed of Trust, by Stephen MR Covey (the son). Some PattiIsStillLearning.com blog posts on building trust with highlights from The Speed of Trust: -http://pattiisstilllearning.com/2018/10/07/trust/ -http://pattiisstilllearning.com/2018/10/28/influence-and-trust/ -http://pattiisstilllearning.com/2018/11/04/maintaining-credibility-and-trust/

We reminisce over the past weekend with framily before diving into this week’s theme, How to Juggle. We mention the apps Slack, Asana and Basecamp as project management trackers we use. We talk about the Evo Planner and how our Four Tendencies personalities affect our ability to use planners in general. We switch up Vertellis for a Vertellis for Couples Edition! Awwww!

Random learnings led us to talking about Hurricane Dorian relief! If you want to donate to the Bahamas for disaster relief, the Giving Voices Project is collecting funds ASAP. You can give a tax deductible donation by calling 386-986-7505. Our theme for this week is Joy & Play. Joy is more sustaining than just doing things that make you happy, and sometimes involves hard work. Doing things that nourish your soul build upon each other and create contentment and joy. And sometimes that means you just need some playtime. But play can also be considered a perspective and an attitude shift. Vertellis questions led us to talking our our Lectin-free diet for the past year. If you’re interested in learning more, check out The Plant Paradox, by Dr. Gundry.

Women empowerment, coaching with compassion and scavenger hunts are the focus for our random learnings for the week. A couples visioning session along with a business retreat visioning/alignment session made Patti have to figure out great questions to ask, and John has always been good at asking questions, so they offer some advice on asking questions as well as the formula of questions that were used from both sessions. And, as always, a rousing game of Vertellis.

We start with random learnings for the week, but found that no theme naturally arose this time. So, we thought we would practice on our storytelling skills by telling the story of how we first met! Awwwwwww.

Our fifth episode! We made some alterations to a couple segments based on feedback from friends. We still talk about our random learnings, this week about Neighborhood Watch and Leadership. We then discuss our theme of the week, our round of Vertellis (hopefully more enlightening), and then our new segment about what we’re personally looking forward to. Mentioned on the podcast: Data Wonderment’s most read blog post https://datawonderment.com/jack-plans-a-smackdown/

So it all started last weekend with two things wrong with the kitchen sink and ended with the door knob falling apart. But does it ever really end? Our theme this week is “Lessons in Home Ownership!” Plus, the usual segments of our Random Learnings from the Week, a future forward game of Vertellis, and where you can join us to learn and play in the next couple of weeks. We referenced Mentimeter in the podcast which is a cool software to showcase active voting during presentations. And we talked about Digress, which is our most favorite wine shop in College Park. If you go, tell Brian and Rob we sent you! (Neither of these are advertisers. We just really like them.)

Some new learnings from the week brought us to the theme of Getting Involved! We chat about how we’ve been involved in local activities and I interview some gal pals who are in charge of a local leadership group I’m a part of. I wrote a blog post about providing feedback the fall of last year.   https://pattiisstilllearning.com/2018/10/21/providing-feedback/   And then I wrote a follow-up piece at the beginning of this year that helped me understand how to help others provide feedback and resolve conflict when you aren’t witness to how the other party is behaving.   https://pattiisstilllearning.com/2019/01/06/empowering-others-to-resolve-their-own-conflicts/

This week we talk about the various forms of intent and intentions. Links for things mentioned in the episode: Blog post on Positive Emotional Attractors - https://pattiisstilllearning.com/2019/06/02/coaching-with-positive-emotional-attractors/ Video about understanding White Fragility - https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/summer-2019/whats-my-complicity-talking-white-fragility-with-robin-diangelo

Cheers to our first podcast!