Vision Is Greater Than Anything

Cordell Taylor made his way from Waterloo, IA to California and hasn't looked back. He is a certified life coach and speaker sharing his difficult upbringing with the goal of being an example for the youth and everyone else around him. Hope you enjoy!

Finding balance between taking care of family and pursuing a dream is hard work. My good friend, Peter Tran, is tackling both in his home country of Sweden!

Aspiring actor, musician, poet, and all around content creator out of the UK, Christian Reeve shares his approach to building his brand. He applies his talents through multiple avenues giving him more opportunities to grow and freedom to be himself.

This podcast started on January 1st of 2020 and it's already 2021! This episode is a recap of the year where I talk about how and why it started and where it's at now. Hope you enjoy!

Music Performing Artist Wesley Bates, aka Wes B, joins me in this episode to talk about using his craft to spread peace, positivity, love, energy and joy. (Recorded on Zoom)...Please excuse the barking dogs!

There is no "one size fits all" approach to podcasting, sometimes it takes thinking outside of the box to come up with a unique idea. My guest this week, Logan Lofgren, did just that. (Recorded on Zoom)

Life, money, and personal identity are just a few of the topics that I talk about in this episode with The Crazy Man in the Pink Wig, Michael Finley. (Recorded on Zoom. Thank you for your patience!)

Podcasts will come and go. Some will make it and some won't, but all of them are allowed a new chapter. A new beginning.  Vision is Greater than Anything, the podcast, is ready for that new chapter. Welcome, this is: don't dream, enVISION

Vulnerability is one of the greatest strengths a leader can show. My guest this week and founder of The Restoration Project, Lindsay Leahy, is a prime example of that. She empowers leaders to find the humanity in themselves which takes her one step closer to expanding her own vision, restoring humanity in the workplace.

At-Risk Student Supports Coordinator, Gina Weekley, joins me in this episode to talk about how being an at-risk student herself has inspired her to be the light that the kids in her community of Waterloo, IA, need her to be. At-risk programs have changed over time and many do not offer the services that were available to Gina when she was coming up in the Waterloo area. She believes that needs to change and has set out to lead by example in that effort.

Sports have the power to teach lessons about life that cannot be learned in the classroom. Every young athlete dreams of being a professional in their respective sport, however a very small number actually get there. Pursuing a dream in sports is about a lot more than just playing professionally, it's about what you can learn along the way that could have an impact on others. How we pass on what we know is a testament to who we became on our journey. Sharing that journey is more than worth it. Tim Williams, founder of T.Will Sports, joins me in this episode to talk about how his journey through basketball has impacted him as an individual and how he uses everything that he learned to run his business today.

Is there life after soccer if soccer is life? Mounir Darbaki, founder of Shoof Productions, a sports media company out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, shares with us how soccer is still very much a part of his life even though the "dream" is over. Soccer, and sports in general, have a unique way of teaching us some of life's most difficult lessons. Athletes of all ages and levels will learn this through their own experiences and hopefully one day, share those experiences with others to help them along their way. Mounir and I talk about some of the struggles that we had and how we handled them so for those soccer players and athletes out there that are either going through your own sports struggles right now or are not sure how to handle life after sports, this one is for you!

"Happiness is important in a career. Work that provides vision, meaning and purpose gives value beyond a paycheck" - Nate Clayberg Work is something that will fill up a great deal of our time for the majority of our lives and if we spend too much of that time not enjoying what we do, we will spend long periods being unhappy. This affects not only our lives, but the lives of those around us. Not everyone is going to get their dream job right out of the gate, in fact, we may not even be suited for what that job is. Finding that out is critical for our long term mental and financial well-being. The more often that we are exposed to different career paths, the closer we get to identifying what we may be suited to do. Nate Clayberg offers this kind of exposure and experience in the professional word to high school students and he tells us all about it in this episode!

Steph Phillips is the proud owner of Muddy Pirate Coffee Traders, a very unique coffee company based out of Cedar Falls, Iowa. They offer 100% Arabica coffee from the Caribbean but what makes them truly different is their focus on bringing the customer insight into the origin, history, and culture surrounding pirate life in the Caribbean throughout time. Coffee is a universal language that brings people together from all walks of life and that's just one of the many topics that Steph and I talk about in this episode. We have a very deep and honest conversation about where Steph came from and how her upbringing shaped her positive mindset which ultimately lead her to break the mold of a lot of the stereotypes she faced coming up. She uses her story to inspire others that feel stuck and need to do a little mold breaking themselves. Arrgh you ready?

Bringing people together for a positive cause is a beautiful thing. Looking after ourselves and making the effort to improve our wellness is also a beautiful thing. Tarelle Hoskins of Waterloo, Iowa is doing both of these things through a program called Community Wellness Club. He offers fitness classes weekly at a very low cost and nutrition advice online for free so that everyone has a fair chance to work on their well-being regardless of circumstance. COVID-19 has forced him to close down the wellness center for the time being but he is still putting up at-home workout videos for people as well as nutrition tips daily on the Community Wellness Club Facebook Page. I hope you enjoy this episode, Tarelle and I approach life in a very similar way so we had a great time making it, our conversation could have gone on for hours!

Can the world be changed through music? I certainly think so and so does my guest this week, Joe Dean, aka "Thesanity", in fact he is making an attempt to do just that with his own music. Joe is a rapper out of Iowa and at just 19 years old he has decided to pursue rap as a profession. His style is very motivational and inspirational which is something I really enjoy and do not see enough of these days. Music has the ability to inspire and motivate you, to uplift you and put a smile on your face and so much more. If you enjoy music(get yourself checked if you don't) and inspirational stories, this episode is for you! I hope you enjoy and thank you for your time.

Peanut butter, bananas, and bread. What do these all have in common? Aside from being ingredients to a delicious treat, they are responsible for teaching me one of the most valuable lessons that I've ever learned in my life: You need way less than you think you need in order to get by. Once I experienced this for myself, taking risks became a hell of a lot easier to do. I realized that if I can get by on these three simple and cheap items with very little else then there really is no excuse for not taking a chance on my dreams. The world doesn't end if I try and fail. I hope this one helps somebody out. Thank you for your time.

Be who you are, where you are, and when you lack strength, have the courage to ask for help. Regardless of where you are in your professional or personal life, there is no greater sign of strength than knowing you don't know it all and asking for help when you know you could use it. No one is an expert at everything, it doesn't matter who you are or what you do. We as individuals can only handle so much and its important to recognize that and practice humility often because it's only a matter of time before our egos come back to bite us. This is the vision of Meta Hemenway-Forbes, a very close family friend of mine, which I normally just refer to as my second mom. Ever since I was 7 years old and her family moved in a few houses down from mine, we have been in each other's lives non-stop. Growing up I probably spent more time at Meta's house than I did my own so it's no surprise that we have become as close as we have. This was a unique episode to do because this is the first time I've done one with somebody so close to me so I hope that you enjoy listening to this one as much as I did recording it! Thank you for your time.

Listen. Explore. Create. That's got a nice ring to it. Simple yet powerful, also happens to be the vision of my guest this week, AJ Vens. He is an old coworker and current friend of mine that is responsible for helping me find my footing with this whole podcast deal. He has been doing his own podcast for a few years now and knows his way around the production side of things when it comes to running a podcast and was an amazing resource when I was starting out. He educated me on different recording styles, different mics and equipment needed depending on what I was hoping to accomplish, he made getting started much easier to say the least. Use your resources! If you don't have any, then ask. If you don't want to ask...ask Google! In this episode, AJ and I hit on a number of interesting topics ranging from his vision and how it impacts the way he approaches his clothing brand, Wolf Den Wares, to a discussion on the impact that certain parenting styles had on us when we were growing up and how we feel about them now as adults. When it comes to goals and dreams, AJ and I have a very similar approach: Earn them. Our goals and dreams are not something that we deserve just because, they are there to be earned if we put in the time and effort. There is plenty that is out of our control and if we spend too much time thinking about that stuff we get nowhere, but if we choose to focus on the stuff that we do have control over, our chances of reaching our goals and dreams increases by a ton! If you are someone that is working towards a goal or pursuing a dream, keep going, it isn't meant to be easy. Only you know if you are giving it your best shot and if you truly are, you are awesome. If you are sacrificing a lot and doing the right things but nothing is going your way, you have two options. You could complain and feel sorry for yourself because it just doesn't seem fair, but if you choose that option you definitely will not be moving any closer to whatever it is that you are pursing. Or, you could shift your focus to EARNING it. Instead of telling yourself that you deserve something because you are trying really hard, start telling yourself that you will EARN it no matter how tough it gets. If you think that you deserve, you will find reasons to complain when things aren't going your way, if you decide that you will earn, you will come up with ways to make it happen. I hope you enjoy this episode and as usual I hope you take something valuable away from it! Thank you for your time.

If you've been wanting to do something you're passionate about for a long time but just haven't done it yet, why not? That can be an uncomfortable question to answer because it takes some being honest with yourself and let's face it, that ain't easy. I know for a fact that we all have passions and desires but the number of people that are actually doing something about it is way too small. Most fear either judgement or failure or both which stem from insecurity. The part about being honest with yourself is where you tell yourself truthfully what it is that you want to do and then asking yourself why you are not doing it. If it's judgement from others that's holding you back, here is some good news, you are going to get judged regardless! Whether you are attempting to do something that makes you happy or not doing anything at all, you will be judged either way and since you will get judged either way, why not just do the thing that makes you happy. When it comes to failure, the only way to fail is to not do anything at all. If you take some action you will get a result and that result can tell you a lot. If the result is something you desired, then congratulations, if the result is one that you did not want, then congratulations, you just learned something about yourself and you have an opportunity to take another action! It is not supposed to be easy, we all have our own struggles and our own obstacles, that's what makes us different, but that also means that we have a choice as to how we navigate those struggles and obstacles and that's what makes us unique. Edina Okanovic (Dina) is a very old friend that I reconnected with recently. She is someone with a passion that has struggles and obstacles just like everyone else, but now she is doing something about it. Dishin' up with Dina is the title of a podcast that she has been wanting to get out into the world in hopes of helping and inspiring people through their obstacles but something was holding her back from committing to it. She is a mother to one daughter and has experienced two miscarriages and she is only 25. She has struggled with taking a chance on her passion and opens up on why that was the case and how she came to a point where she felt that it was time to do something about it in this episode. Her story will resonate with all the moms out there, especially ones that have had to deal with the tragedy of a miscarriage, but even more so with people in their mid-twenties struggling with taking a chance on themselves. I hope you enjoy but more importantly, I hope you can find something valuable in this episode that you can relate too. Thank you for your time.

Why are excuses so easy? There is something that is really comfortable and convenient about them and unfortunately we as a people value comfort and convenience a little too much. It takes less effort to say "I can't" than it does to say "I can" because when you say to yourself that you "can't" do something, your job is done, you don't have to think about it anymore. When you say to yourself that you "can" do something it starts to get a little uncomfortable because you then have to think about HOW you are going to do it, you have to brainstorm some course of action and then, most importantly, you have to ACT. Taking action is progress but it isn't always enough because sometimes the actions you take do not cut it or they do not bring the results you hoped for, which means that you have to think some more, come up with another course of action and then ACT all over again and hope that it turns out better the next time. This is a process that has to be repeated over and over again which will bring you closer and closer to whatever it is that you hope to achieve, there is no other way and if you can see it through you will be rewarded. There is no greater feeling than knowing you earned it. William Burt is the man leading the charge in overturning a law that prohibits the operation of mobile barbershops in the state of Iowa. His vision is to provide haircuts to those that do not have the resources to get them on their own, he wants to bring the barbershop to them. He spent time in prison for mistakes that he's made in his past but has completely turned his life around. Will is using the skills that he has developed over the years to cut hair and to move him one step closer to realizing his vision. It is easy to tell after 10 minutes of talking to him that excuses have no place in his life. He see's something on the other side of the current struggle that he is in and he is putting in the time and effort now so that he can enjoy it later. He is setting a great example for anyone out there that is fighting for a dream or a vision because regardless of where you come from or what you've done, you are in control of what happens next. You and only you. Henry Ford once said, "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right". If you are struggling with making a decision or lack the confidence to take a chance, look yourself in the mirror, tell yourself that you can, and then do something about it. Thank you for your time.

Ever feel like you have to live up to other people's expectations? You don't. Most people have either found themselves attempting to live up to the expectations of others or, at the very least, felt pressured to do so. Regardless of where those expectations come from, it is never up to someone else to decide what you are capable of. Derrick Kirkpatrick is someone who felt that pressure at an early age through a rocky relationship with his parents but was able to find a way to stand up for himself and for what he believes in and turn it into something very positive. Derrick holds on to the belief that he has all the power and control to contribute something positive to the world in his own way and regardless of the cards he has been dealt, he sticks to his guns. He is a work in progress just like the rest of us and his awareness of that keeps him motivated to keep adding small bits of positivity to the world whenever he can. I found his story very powerful and inspiring because we are very close in age and although our experiences are very different, we we're both able to find something positive in our struggles. We both agree that no matter how bad things get, it's up to us to decide what we do about it going forward. Sitting at home and complaining about all the stuff we could be bitter about gets us nowhere and if you are someone who spends a lot of time feeling sorry for yourself, nobody cares. I hope that you enjoy the listen and find something positive to take away from it! Thank you for your time.

This is the one to drink a cup, or cups, of coffee to. DeAngelo Seay is a coffee shop owner in North Liberty, Iowa and he is someone I'm glad to call a friend. We've known each other for about a year and a half now but based off of some of the conversations we've had, it feels like I've know him for years. I first met DeAngelo when I interviewed for a job at his shop and in the short time that I worked for him, we developed a great relationship. We are both passionate individuals and although we come from very different walks of life, we are passionate about a lot of similar things and neither of us are too shy to express them. He is the type of person that knows everyday is not necessarily a good day but that there is good IN everyday, if we choose to look for it. This was apparent to me through his attitude and how he treats the people around him whether it's his team at work or his family. He has had his fair share of ups and downs in life but those experiences are what has helped shape the man that he is today and in this episode he shares with me some great stories about how his mindset has changed and developed throughout the years. This one is for those that find a way to keep on keeping on no matter what. DeAngelo runs a business full time and is raising a big family but he still makes time for others and never makes excuses. He is a great example of someone who has a vision and sticks to it. He walks in purpose on purpose. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it! Thank you for your time. (**I recorded this one in a coffee shop so there will be a little background music and fan noise. I did my best to have it edited. I am learning as I go so thank you for your patience in advance!**)

My first episode with a guest but the first of many! Darian Powell is a former professional soccer player out of La Porte City, Iowa that I got to meet through the beautiful game. I was one of her personal coaches after she finished playing in college and was preparing for an opportunity at the professional level. I felt that she was the perfect guest to start off this podcast because 1) she loves soccer just like me, and 2) she pursued her dream and came to a point where she knew that she didn't want it anymore, just like me. Explaining that to yourself is one of the most difficult things in the world, let alone to other people, but when you know, you know. It takes a lot of courage to open up about our life experiences, our ups and downs, our dreams and aspirations but it's even more difficult to be honest and transparent about them with ourselves. Fortunately for me, Darian has no shortage of courage, that's why this episode was possible. She talks about her story and how her journey unfolded and brought her to where she is now. Whether your story involves soccer or not, there's still something for you in this episode. Chances are that wherever you are in your journey, you've either felt, experienced, or thought about some of the stuff that Darian and I talk about. I hope that you enjoy this episode and you find something that you can relate too. Thank you for your time.

This one is all about me! In part 2 of the introduction to Vision Is Greater Than Anything, I go in-depth into my journey so far and myself as an individual. I pursued soccer, my childhood dream, for a very long time and the experiences I had along the way helped shape the person I am today. There were many ups in my soccer journey but just as many downs, if not more, as is the case in life, but it was the downs that really taught me everything I needed to know about myself and about the world as I understand it today. Soccer took me in so many different directions that I could never have imagined and no matter how ugly or difficult things got I always understood that it was a privilege to pursue my dream, it was a privilege to even try and that is something that I will never take for granted. Soccer was my everything, my best friend, my life and I hope that this episode will give you a hint of what it really meant to me because without the experiences that soccer gave me, I would not be here talking about it today. Thank you for your time.

Yes. The answer is yes, you do have a story worth sharing and a vision worth fighting for! I am Stevo, just a kid from somewhere, welcome to Vision Is Greater Than Anything. This episode is an introduction to my podcast and as you can tell by the title, vision is kind of important to me. When I use the term vision I am referring to big-picture thinking, my eyesight is most definitely not greater than anything, that's for sure! You don't need perfect sight to fit in here nor do you have to have a clearly defined vision for your life, this is a place where inspiration happens. Sharing our story and fighting for our vision is everything to me and this episode will give you a taste of what Vision Is Greater Than Anything is, how it started, and where it's going. Thank you for your time.