Podcasts about imagine it

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Karen Briscoe, Executive Program Director with PLAY NICE, who highlights the nonprofit organization focused on "providing a holistic youth development experience that prepares students for life beyond the classroom - equipping them with real-world skills, entrepreneurial mindsets, workforce readiness, and the confidence to lead with purpose, engage in their communities, and build meaningful futures through hands-on learning and mentorship."During the interview, Karen shares how the nonprofit organization started in 2019 by Tye Coleman and Kenny Cohen as an anti-bullying program, "Imagine It's You and Do Something," with the Police Athletic League (PAL) in New Jersey and Florida, and then how PLAY NICE was brought to Nashville when Tye Coleman moved back home to Tennessee. Karen highlights how PLAY NICE has grown in Nashville through partnerships, including Boys & Girls Clubs, Kid Power, YMCA, and Metro Nashville Schools, and how their programs still focus on anti-bullying, but have evolved to provide a holistic youth development experience with character education for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The organization's initiatives include building self-esteem, workforce development, and entrepreneurship through mentorship programs, along with year-round activities like summer camps and after-school programs. Karen discusses the positive impact of their programs and talks about the importance of their volunteers, called "Champions for Change." Karen highlights the positive impact on participants, noting increased confidence and improved behavior, and encouraged community support through donations and volunteer opportunities, emphasizing that anyone, regardless of background, can achieve success with the right support.Visit https://www.nbztv.com/ to learn more about PLAY NICE and how to get involved, or you can call Karen Briscoe at 615-755-9718. PLAY NICE is located at The Forge, 217 Willow Street in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Breakdown is live w/ guests Dr. Barbara Walter, Ron Filipkowski, & Noah MillmanOn January 6th, 2021, we witnessed a violent insurrection and attempted coup of the American government live on television. In the year since, our country has seen its institutions destroyed from the inside out. Are we worse off now than we were a year ago?The Breakdown hosts Rick Wilson and Tara Setmayer are joined by attorney Ron Filipkowski, who closely follows Trumpian Republicans and saw the insurrection coming based on their behavior, author of How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them Dr. Barbara Walter, who discusses the state of play in the U.S. from a historical perspective, and filmmaker Noah Millman, whose op-ed in The New York Times describes a future in which Donald Trump wins the presidential election of 2024.Watch as Rick, Tara, and our guests dive deep into what took place on January 6th, what action has been taken since, and where we're headed as a nation going forward.MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEDr. Barbara Walter's book: How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them – https://amzn.to/3HDujFU Noah Millman's op-ed: Imagine It's 2024, and Republicans Are Declaring Trump President – https://nyti.ms/3JIiMHc Blue H.E.L.P.: Honoring the Service of Law Enforcement Officers Who Died by Suicide – https://bluehelp.org/ FOLLOW Dr. Barbara WalterTWITTER: @BFWalterFOLLOW Ron FilipkowskiTWITTER: @RonFilipkowskiFOLLOW Noah MillmanTWITTER: @BloggerGideonFOLLOW LINCOLN PROJECTTWITTER: https://bit.ly/3zwZFva INSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/31yyrHR FACEBOOK: https://bit.ly/3zCBHhT PODCAST: https://apple.co/3G7zr4L

This episode of Attack the Backlog is all about Police Chase, a game where you play as the police and chase NO ONE until the last few missions, where you’re stuck chasing super cars in your stupid and slow police van because no one told you you could walk out of your car and into a different, shiny, fast one, except maybe they did and you just weren’t paying attention due to being distracted by all the terrible voice acting, including a waitress who loves singing country music and saying, “Imagine that!” ...Imagine that...IMAGINE IT, DAMMIT!

Cyber attacks happen all the time. People and businesses needs to understand the importance of cyber security. Marc Miller and his employees at Imagine IT are here to help. Marc sits down with Mike in our latest episode to discusses the importance of being aware of cyber attacks and what to do if your system is compromised.    After listening to the episode, feel free to learn more about ImagineIT and the Gunnar Project by going to the following websites:  ImagineIT: https://imagineiti.com/   The Gunnar Project:  http://www.gunnarproject.org/   

As we move through the ups and downs of life, from joyous highs to the lowest funks, maybe what we are seeking is a greater connection to love itself. We need an arsenal of tools in our toolbox to help us get by! Today, Scott Stabile joins Teri Williams in a conversation of connection and love, providing an abundance of tools to bring you back to the present moment, including an opportunity to connect with Scott deeper through his on-line "Imagine It" workshop. If you can FEEL it, you can achieve it. Scott Stabile is a LOVE ACTIVIST who writes, speaks and give workshops on a lot of subjects — authenticity, trust, fear, compassion, joy, conditioning and, of course, love and self-love — always with the intention of reminding you that you are a worthy, whole and loved human being. As is everyone else.  Connect with Scott Stabile https://www.facebook.com/ScottFrankStabile https://www.instagram.com/scottstabile/ Get your tickets to Imagine It! A live online workshop with Scott Stabile here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this conversation — the 50th episode of Hey Jacob, Hi Scott! — Jacob and Scott talk about the importance of community, and the power within each of us to create community in our lives, whether in person or online. Sometimes, when we're in compassionate communion with others, we are most able to find our way back to ourselves. They talk about integrating rituals into our lives, especially during the times of year that tend to be most difficult. Jacob offers up some great ideas for easy rituals that can be integrated at any time. The friends speak to how difficult the holiday season can be for many, and to remember the importance of the mantra, “this too shall pass.” Sometimes that's the one thing we can hold onto when we're going through a funk. Scott's visualization workshop “Imagine It” to start 2023: https://imagineimagine.eventbrite.com Order signed copies of Scott's books for the holidays: https://www.scottstabile.com/books-1 Julia Cameron Virtual Workshop: Write for Life – https://www.healcreate.org/write-for-life-creative-tools-for-every-writer-workshop-with-julia-cameron/ December Stress Relief Sessions: https://www.healcreate.org/december-stress-relief-sessions/ These include Breathwork with Scott Stabile and Therapeutic Doodling with Carin Channing!

Imagine It's one of the most basic commands in Scripture . . . that every Christian walk in a manner worthy of the gospel. So, what does that walk look like? How do you know if your life . . . well . . . honors Christ? And when you fight temptation . . . when sin frustrates you and your Christian walk stumbles . . . how should you respond? To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/85/29

In This episode I talk to you about my story relating to my destructive relationship with food pretty much my whole life since I was 17 years old. There are several things that make intuitive eating impossible. I speak about those in this episode. Imagine… It took me 36 years to figure this out and I now am feeling that sharing this with others is something important that I must do. This is not something to keep to myself as that certainly will help no one! If you are interested in joining a challenging but dramatically Transformational detox with me, please email me at support@dianegudmundson.com or send me a direct message on my Facebook or Instagram @dianegudmundson

In 1968, The Beatles established their APPLE RECORDS Company, and in addition to release their own group and solo tunes, signed many first-time artists to their label, including Ronnie Spector, Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, Billy Preston, and many others.Not surprisingly, The Beatles also released their own group and solo singles on their Apple Records label, up until their contract as a group legally expired at the end of 1976. From 1977 on, The Beatles released their singles on other labels. Here are all the Beatles Apple singles from 1968-1971. Enjoy!APPLE RECORDS BEATLES SINGLES 1968-1971BEATLES1. Hey Jude / Revolution (8/26/68)2. Get Back / Don't Let Me Down (5/5/69)3. Ballad of John & Yoko / Old Brown Shoe (6/4/69)PLASTIC ONO BAND (John & Yoko)4. Give Peace A Chance / Remember Love (7/7/69)BEATLES5. Something / Come Together (10/6/69)JOHN & YOKO6. Cold Turkey / Don't worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for a Hand in the Snow) (10/20/69)7. Instant Karma / Who Has Seen the Wind? (2/2/70)BEATLES8. Let It Be / You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (3/11/70)RINGO STARR9. Beaucoups of Blues / Coochy Coochy (10/5/70)GEORGE HARRISON10. My Sweet Lord / Isn't It a Pity? (11/23/70)11. What Is Life? / Apple Scruffs (2/15/71)PAUL McCARTNEY12. Another Day / Oh Woman, Oh Why? (2/22/71)JOHN & YOKO13. Power to the People / Touch Me (3/22/71)RINGO STARR14. It Don't Come Easy / Early 1970 (4/16/71)GEORGE HARRISON15. Bangla Desh / Deep Blue (7/28/71)PAUL & LINDA McCARTNEY16. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey / Too Many People (8/2/71)JOHN LENNON17. Imagine / It's So Hard (10/11/71)JOHN & YOKO18. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) / **The B-side, "Listen the Snow Is Falling," is listed separately under "Yoko Ono" on the Apple Singles (Non-Beatles) as part of a two-sided Yoko single.1971-1972 pageThe Beatles' contract with EMI Records (of which Apple Records was a subsidiary) expired on January 26, 1976, thus ending The Beatles' original "run" with Apple Records (1968-1976). Apple Corps./Apple Records. All Beatles recordings would continue to be distributed by Apple Records, although The Beatles would record for other labels after 1/26/76, except for Paul McCartney, who had re-signed with Capitol Records in 1975.

In this New Year's Eve conversation, Jacob and Scott talk about the New Year, and specifically what intentions they hold going into 2022. They discuss remaining fluid as we try new things, not locking ourselves into habitual patterns unless of course, those patterns continue to work for us. They talk about trust, in ourselves, and in life in general, and how the deeper we are able to trust, the more courageous we become in our self-expression. And vice versa. The friends reflect on some listeners' submissions and invite everyone to enter the new year with an openness to more abundant self-love and the love of others as a guiding force in our lives. Enroll in Scott's "Imagine It"online intensive: CLICK HERE Enroll in the Heal + Create virtual retreat: CLICK HERE Attend Jacob Nordby's open gathering, Creative Healing: the Poems & Poetry of Paul David Shea: CLICK HERE (Jan 5 for live gathering or click to watch the replay!) From Toko-Pa Turner's book, Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home I believe we have more than enough creativity to solve the problems of our times, but we have to make a perilous trek into the wilderness within to reclaim it. There is a stand of undeveloped jungle within each of us, that can never be domesticated. It is a borderless land, beyond personality and convention, even beyond thought, where pure creativity arises. Like the signature song of a tropical bird, the spiraling of an arbutus tree, the evening scent of a jasmine bush, there is an essence in each of us intended to be expressed. Few make the trek into this creative wild because the path requires great vulnerability. To come into our true originality, we must surrender the layers of numbness we use to protect our hearts.

In this conversation, Jacob and Scott talk about the difference between “I am” and “I feel” when talking about how we're feeling, and learning to be present with our emotions without becoming them. They talk about not being committed to things playing out the same way they often played out in the past. How can we be intentional about creating different outcomes for holidays or seasons that have proven to be difficult? They discuss opinions versus truth, as well as the limitations created by all of the polarization in our world. When we get locked in our own certainty, we remain closed to new information and ideas. When we stay open to alternative ideas, we are likely to create more bridges of communication and understanding. RESPONSE REQUESTED: The friends ask listeners to go to heyjacobhiscott.com and share a desire they'd like to create for this new year, as well as something they want to release. Scott's January workshop, Imagine It!: https://imagineit.eventbrite.com Jacob's February retreat, Heal + Create: https://healcreate.org/?sld=1 Scott's Substack newsletter: scottstabile.substack.com Poem: Go to the Limits of Your Longing, by Rainer Maria Rilke God speaks to each of us as he makes us, then walks with us silently out of the night. These are the words we dimly hear: You, sent out beyond your recall, go to the limits of your longing. Embody me. Flare up like a flame and make big shadows I can move in. Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final. Don't let yourself lose me. Nearby is the country they call life. You will know it by its seriousness. Give me your hand.

What does it mean to find a way of belonging – and a feeling that we belong in our own lives? In this conversation, Jacob and Scott talk about the social constructs that create the false notion of separation, and the importance of moving beyond us vs. them thinking. They discuss the direct correlation between how we feel about ourselves and how we show up with others, and how critical self-love is in terms of creating more fulfilling relationships. They also speak to the difficult reality for many of us during the holidays and the benefits of not putting too much pressure on ourselves to be wise and awakened humans when we're around our family members. The friends dive into the power of intention and visualization to create more meaningful (and magical lives) and speak about the importance of integrating the tools we learn from podcasts, and books, and workshops, and whatever else. Scott's Substack newsletter: scottstabile.substack.com Scott's January workshop, Imagine It!: https://imagineit.eventbrite.com Jacob's February retreat, Heal + Create: https://healcreate.org

In this conversation, Jacob and Scott talk about self-worth, and how it affects our willingness to put our art/work into the world and ask for money in support of it. They talk about the energy of scarcity and how that naturally limits the opportunities for abundance, and ways in which giving and receiving are actually operating from the same energetic channel. The friends call on us all to bring awareness to how we are seeing ourselves and to understand we set the example for how others see us. There is always an opportunity to consider different choices than those that feel unhealthy, and that the consideration alone creates a shift in what's possible. As always, the friends apply these concepts to day-to-day realities and give tangible examples of how to integrate them into our lives. Scott's Substack newsletter: scottstabile.substack.com Scott's January workshop, Imagine It!: https://imagineit.eventbrite.com

Vibe check!!! We're bringing you real CHAOS ENERGY in this episode folks, cause that's just where we are right now. Do we talk about a game show? Technically, yes. But we also sing horny duck songs and let an AI read us a story. Come and get it! Zach practices his patter songs, Jared ruins Daffy Duck, and Adam regrets bringing an AI to the show. Talking Points: VIBE CHECK!!!, More Hagrid Talk And No Apologies, It Tastes Like Soda Ghost, Sorry Adam We Can't Imagine It, Mr. Teeth is Self-Aware, Horny DNA, Patter Songs, He's a Duck!

News stories this week include:Half Naked Monkey Costume helps kids read"Oh, I'm sorry. Was that YOUR kidney?"Firm and Erect Penis Statues For No ReasonInfluencer Selfie Strikes AgainDon't Drop Your Kid Off On A Deserted Island (But I Understand)Please Don't Take Selfies Of Lightning4 People, 1 Cheater, 49 Stop LightsNaming Your Baby After Your MistressHitler Comments In YearbookOver 100 People See The Rabies ExhibitRingworm? "There's Nothin' Wrong With It"Every Wife Loves To Hear, "You're Crazy"Jungleman Has Never Met A Woman. Imagine It.Nude Woman Brings Out Blues Brothers Type RescueWomans Dolphin Husband Gets OutPlease Rate or Review us on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/burr-martin-nearly-news/id1070884986WATCH EPISODES ON YOUTUBE AT: https://youtu.be/ymGSu9zBEBYWatch my other videos at: https://www.youtube.com/heroicposestudioFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/burrmartinexperience/Twitter @burrmartinInstagram @therealburrmartinQuestion or comment? Email at burrmartinmedia@gmail.comVisit my new and improved website! http://burrmartin.wixsite.com/burrListen commercial free and get other bonus stuff for only $1.00 a month at https://www.patreon.com/pantspendingIn Time by Robbie RobListen on any platform.#Apple Podcast, #GooglePodcast, #Spreaker, #Overcast, #Castbox, #Pocket Casts, #spotify, #buzzsproutBurr Martin Nearly News podcast, brought to you by Pants Pending Studios, is hosted by the Internet's "Selfie Dad", who was made famous overnight by recreating his daughters selfies on Instagram.Joined by his wife/co-host of more than 28 years, Burr brings his unique brand of humor, nerd experience and C List Internet celebrity status to talk about the strange, odd and downright funny news stories from around the World, plus a few other surprises thrown in.A product of Pants Pending Studios. This is a copyrighted internet broadcast. Any reproduction or rebroadcast without express permission of its creators is strictly prohibited. 

In this new series i am talking about "IMAGINE IT" remember this is Series 11 and this is the seveth episode.Enjoy

This week we're learning how to start being a little friendlier to the earth without completely overhauling our lives with help from activists Laurie David and Heather Reisman. Laurie is an environmental activist and an award-winning documentary film producer, having produced such films as Fed Up, The Social Dilemma, and the Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. Heather is the CEO of the Canadian company Indigo Books & Music, as well as a documentary film producer, having co-executive produced Fed Up and The Social Dilemma. Laurie and Heather have published a new book, Imagine It!: A Handbook for a Happier Planet, and they joined us to talk about how we can start to make small but meaningful changes that can make a big difference in helping us to avoid complete environmental destruction. Like the show? Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You may recognize her as the person behind Heather's picks, the CEO and founder of Indigo Books and Music, the author of the new book "Imagine It!", or from the Financial Times' top 50 most powerful women in world business - the point is Heather Reisman knows a thing or two about running a successful retail business. She joins us on this episode to breakdown what COVID-19 has done to the retail industry, where retail will go next, and how automation will be coming to a store near you before you know it. Take a listen and don't forget to subscribe!

Renowned journalist Katie Couric is taking over hosting duties on this special episode of Well Said. Indigo CEO and Chief Booklover Heather Reisman and environmental advocate and award-winning filmmaker Laurie David talk about their new book, Imagine It!: A Handbook for a Happier Planet. They share simple lifestyle shifts you can start today to make a difference, like reducing plastic consumption and avoiding food waste. Plus, they give tips on raising an environmentalist.For a transcript & to shop this episode, click here.Please make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode!To shop books and products mentioned in this episode visit: indigo.ca/podcast 

Setting the right intentions that feels good to your very core. Imagine It better with a new perspective on how to live and be in this world. What do you truly want in your life, here and now and in the future. Take today to allow your imagination to run wild. It is all accessible to you. You just have to let yourself believe you can have it. 

In this episode of Stories from The IT Nation, Susan Rhodes, Director of IT Nation Communications at ConnectWise, speaks with Dan Saxby, IT Nation Program Manager at ConnectWise, about the benefits of peer groups offered by IT Nation Evolve, and more specifically, the unique value of its service executive peer groups. The two are also joined by special guest Adam Hannemann, Director of Operations at ImagineIT, to hear his story of how he’s grown personally and professionally through service-focused peer groups designed for his role. If you’d like to learn more about IT Nation Evolve, please visit: https://www.connectwise.com/theitnation/evolve

This is the last of our series on how people are coping during these challenging times. We’ve been very moved and inspired by all the contributions and we know you will be too. –ooOOoo– I’m not having an easy time … Imagine It’s Already A New Day Read More »

“Whoever said, do what you love, the money will come, they got that right. Lots of work, mind you, in between. As we like to say, your passions determine your purpose. But it's your decisions that determine your destiny.” - Michael Wilkinson I’m pleased to have Michael Wilkinson here with me today for Episode 9 of the Control the Room Podcast. Michael is the CEO and Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, the largest provider of professional facilitation in the country. Michael, who grew up in the projects as what his sister described as a “Sesame Street Gangster,” eventually found himself at a New England prep school through an opportunity found through his job as a paperboy. After turning down an acceptance to Harvard Business School, Michael abandoned his 10-year plan to become undersecretary of Housing and Urban Development to begin a “faith-walk” that ultimately ended in his founding Leadership Strategies. In today’s episode, Michael and I talk about his path to the International Association of Facilitators Hall of Fame, what makes a facilitator great, and the six P’s of preparing for a meeting. Listen in to find out how Michael identifies and trains facilitators with great potential and how to ask the right questions in meetings. Show Highlights [1:38] Michael’s childhood in the projects of D.C. [5:39] Michael’s path to facilitation [10:30] What makes a great facilitator [17:17] Human connection in a virtual environment [26:07] Generating engagement when facilitating virtually [28:58] The only 3 reasons people disagree [35:16] The Six P’s of preparing for a meeting [40:56] Kumbaya facilitators [42:45] Asking the right questions [50:03] Leadership Strategies’ resources for facilitators Links | Resources Michael on LinkedIn Leadership Strategies Website About the Guest Michael Wilkinson is the CEO and Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, a leadership training and strategy consulting firm that specializes in group facilitation. He is also the author of books such as Secrets of Facilitation, Facilitating Strategy, and CLICK: The Virtual Meetings Book. In 2016, Michael was awarded a place in the International Association of Facilitators Hall of Fame. About Voltage Control Voltage Control is a facilitation agency that helps teams work better together with custom-designed meetings and workshops, both in-person and virtual. Our master facilitators offer trusted guidance and custom coaching to companies who want to transform ineffective meetings, reignite stalled projects, and cut through assumptions. Based in Austin, Voltage Control designs and leads public and private workshops that range from small meetings to large conference-style gatherings.  Share An Episode of Control The Room Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Engage Control The Room Voltage Control on the Web Contact Voltage Control Intro: Welcome to the Control the Room Podcast, a series devoted to the exploration of meeting culture and uncovering cures for the common meeting. Some meetings have tight control, and others are loose. To control the room means achieving outcomes while striking a balance between imposing and removing structure, asserting and distributing power, leaning in and leaning out, all in the service of having a truly magical meeting. Douglas: Today I'm with Michael Wilkinson. Michael is the CEO and managing director of Leadership Strategies, Inc., a leadership training and strategy consulting firm specializing in group facilitation. Michael is the author of the bestselling The Secrets of Facilitation, and most recently, Click: The Virtual Meetings Book. Welcome to the show, Michael. Michael: It is my pleasure, Douglas, and thank you for introducing me to your audience. Douglas: Absolutely. It's a pleasure to have you. And I guess, speaking of the audience, I think they'd love to hear how you got started in this amazing work of facilitation. Michael: Well, as you know, because you've been there, and many who are facilitators know, there is no front door to facilitation. It's not like you can go to college and go, “I want a degree in facilitation.” Most people enter through the back door. The major entry ways, many come through H.R. Others come through the processing-quality side. Some come through the I.T., the consulting side; from the D&I, diversity-inclusion side. I was on the I.T. side. So I was one of those kids—in fact, if you back up my story a little bit, I'm a projects kid. I grew up in the projects of D.C.. So for those who know D.C., back in the day, Anacostia, the worst neighborhood in D.C., and I have to confess, at six, I was one of those bad kids, where we’re stealing from the local grocery store. Remember the corner grocery stores that used to exist? We would—and this is really bad—we would, at six years old, we were tying kids to trees and leaving them out all night. I mean, it was before gangs were gangs. My sister called this the Sesame Street Gangsters. It was just not good. And by the time I got to seven, we moved from what I call lower-lower class—the projects of D.C.—to lower-middle class, out in what’s today is Suitland, Maryland. And at that time, and people who believe that place doesn't matter, place absolutely matters. The kids in that neighborhood, they were building clubhouses. They had a chess club. And so me and my brothers, we started doing what they started doing. Even got a paper route, if you can remember the old paper boys, where you deliver papers. Had two paper routes, making money for my family. And the change, the big change, in life came when, at 14, the Post building, the Washington Post, sponsored interviews for private schools, and any of the carriers could come for an interview. I got interviewed, got accepted to a couple of the really big private schools in New England, started going to this New England prep school. My graduating class, 50 people, 50 people in the graduating class, including—and you won't know these names unless you were into that movement—but the Wares of Long Island, Paula Ware; General Patton's grandson, the Stacks of Greenwich is—do you remember all superlatives in the yearbook, “first to make a million”? Well, we had a superlative, “already has a million,” and there were two names. These are trust-fund kids. But I had gotten pulled into that environment. And as a senior, I did a study of grades and test scores. I was a psych major at the time. So a correlation in prep school of the—and I got the grades and test scores of my graduating class. Of course, the registrar stripped off the names, but he left them in alphabetical order, Douglas, so it was too hard to find Wilkinson. And to say my test scores were lower would be true, but an understatement. I was so much lower than the next lower person, I clearly took someone's place. Talk about affirmative action, they reached out and got me. They were looking for a black kid, and I was the only black kid in my graduating class. But I graduated fifth in the class, which means it wasn't really fair that I took someone's place. But it also wasn't fair that I hadn't had the preparation that all the other kids did. So once I got it, I just excelled. Went off to a New England prep school, and I came out. I was going to be undersecretary of Housing and Urban Development. I had a 10-year plan—even back then, Douglas, I was a planner—a 10-year plan to become undersecretary of Housing and Urban Development. I was going to go back to Harvard Business School. I’d gotten accepted. I’d asked for a two-year deferment. Decided I wanted to work for two years in D.C. so I could see how Washington worked and how the different agencies worked. And somewhere along the line, got the spiritual thing. So I'm a son of a minister, so I got really clear on getting directed from the Spirit, and had that what we call the bathroom experience, the second major shift in life. So they’re actually the third. The first, of course, was moving out of the projects. The second, getting the scholarship to go to New England boarding school. The third was hearing in the shower, from out of nowhere, “Michael, if your most important relationship is your relationship with Me, how is going to Harvard Business School going to help you do that?” There you go. There's 10-year plan down the drain, Douglas. So ended up, I quit my job, I told Harvard I wasn’t coming, and went on a six-month faith walk, where just—and things are great when you do a faith walk, Douglas, where these things are great 29 days out of the month. It's when that rent is due, that’s when things get really hairy. But it was one of the most important times of my life and learned some really important lessons. And the most important one, because I was asking, “Okay, God, you don't want me to do this 10-year plan. It was clearly my plan. Well, what do You want me to do? You want me to become a minister? You want me to go off on a mountain and contemplate my navel. Do You want me to stand on the corner and say, ‘Have you asked, talked about, thought about God today?’” And I got that direction, and a really important direction, that each of us is called to ministry. Ministry is service. That's what it's called for. Some people, it takes the form of the pulpit. For other people, it takes another form. Facilitation is my ministry. I ended up facilitating, 1985 is my first official facilitated session, in a session where we were doing requirements analysis, and it was going south. Vendor was presenting, just going all over the place. I was the youngest kid in the room. We have, you know, the consultants. I was with Ernst and Young, the youngest consultant on the team, but nobody was stepping up. So I just got up and said, “You know what, let’s structure this a little differently.” And so here with the client people, with our own consultants, and with this vendor, restructured the conversation and led it for that three hours going forward. Afterwards, someone said, “That was a great facilitated session.” Douglas, I was like, “What? What are you talking about? What's this thing called…” I had no idea. And then when they explained it to me, I said, “Oh, yeah. It's easy. Everybody is good at it.” And that's where I learned everybody was not good at this thing called facilitation that I had been gifted with some natural talents that made me instinctively good at it. And so I started doing it, started facilitating for my church, started facilitating for the nonprofit associations I was a part of. And then the fourth major shift in life came. This is the call that actually changed my trajectory again. Connie Bergeron—I remember. It was March 1991. She called and said, “Hey, we're looking for a facilitator. I've just been named head of Meeting Professionals International for the Atlanta chapter. I'm getting my officers together for a retreat. It's going to be on this particular weekend. Would you facilitate it for me?” I looked over my calendar, Douglas, and said, “Sure. I'd be glad to.” And, again, she said the words that changed my life, “And we’ll pay you.” Really? I mean, I was willing to do it for free because it’s fun. So she paid me. It was great. Two months later she called me back. Mentioned the pay word again. Three months later called me back. It was November of 1992, 1992, yes. I was, at that point, 18 months from becoming a partner at Ernst and Young. I turned to them, Douglas, and said, “I'm having way more fun on the weekends than I'm having during the week,” and left and started Leadership Strategies, the facilitation company. Do you like to say world headquarters, our second bedroom, which is great. Big plans, but just getting started. And it has been an amazing blessing. Today, we're the largest provider of professional facilitation across the country. We have 600 facilitators under contract. We have a core team of 27 facilitators. We've trained 28,000 people in facilitation skills; written six books on facilitation, the two you mentioned and four others. It is crazy. Here's this kid from the projects, and it's been just amazing blessing. Whoever said, do what you love, the money will come, they got that right. Lots of work, mind you, in between. As we like to say, your passions determine your purpose. But it's your decisions that determine your destiny. And so it was just a bunch of decisions that helped me along the way. And it's been just a tremendous blessing. Anyway, long story, but thought your listeners might enjoy understanding, how did I get here? because it's been a crazy, crazy ride. Douglas: Yeah. I mean, wow, impressive. And, you know, I think most facilitators can relate to this kind of moment of—well, kind of two moments that you described—the moment where you start to—these kind of natural talents start to click. You know, for me, it was always, I always found myself in meetings where people were disagreeing, but really they were saying the same thing but just in different ways, or they thought they were agreeing but they were saying different things. And I always had to interject and say, “Hold on for a second. I think you're saying this and you’re saying this,” and they're both nodding their heads. And then they stop for a second and realize that they were saying different things. And that happened enough and enough and enough that I realized that, man, that's something that I'm not seeing enough out of other people. And so I think that's something that's a hallmark of a facilitator, when you realize that in meetings, there's something about what you're observing or the way things are unfolding that really align with this ability to help move things forward in a natural and productive way. So I think— Michael: You really have touched on something that’s really important, and many facilitators may know it or not know it. When we were doing training early on, I was recognizing that there were people who were learning the techniques but missing some things that were going to make them a great facilitator, even though they knew all the same stuff that others knew or that we were training other people in. And I realized, and you put it well, that we talk about now seven key characteristics to look for. And people ask us, “Hey, we've purchased your training class. We're going to have a training for 16 people. How do I choose the 16 people in the class?” And we tell them, “Here's some target characteristics to look for.” We talk about seven, and we tell them, “Really it's three that's really important. And oh, by the way, the first two we can do nothing about.” So those three, just quickly, one is you got to like people, right? If you don’t like people, this is not something you should be doing, because people give you lots of reasons not to like them. So you really have to have a starting point, where you really like people. Two, you have to be able to process information quickly because there's so much coming and your mind has to be listening and processing at the same time and being able to differentiate, yeah, this is the same as that. This is different from this. This is…while you're listening, being able to process that. And if you can't process quickly, really, all you're going to be is a meeting manager. And great facilitators are way more than meeting managers because they're able to capture the spirit of a group; help engage them; and help guide them; can see down the road and around the corner, see the car or the truck that's coming that they're about to crash into, long before they're getting there, because they're processing while stuff is going on. So clearly, you have this skill, and then could recognize, a lot of people don’t, “Well done, sir. Applauding you. Well done.” Douglas: Well, yeah. You know, it's funny. I don't know how many times you've been speaking with someone that's maybe interested in learning facilitation or even a prospect or whatnot, and it turns out they're conflating facilitator and moderator. And I think that's maybe the big—and I think when you say meeting manager, it's all in that same bucket of, like, not facilitator. Michael: Yes. And it really, I mean, it really is because there are some people, people who are great speakers, think, “Okay, I'd be a good facilitator.” People who are great trainers, “Wow. I could be a good facilitator.” And we say, okay, let's separate this, because, as you know, facilitation has got convoluted with a bunch of stuff. So ATD, the Association for Talent Development, uses the name facilitator for trainers. And that's fine. Training facilitators, that's good. We can infer very much. But we are more group facilitators. In our business, it’s kind of interesting because what we find is in general, this isn’t completely true, but in general, our best trainers are extroverts. Our best group facilitators are introverts. One of my people who worked for us many years, she said something to me one day, and it's like, this capsulizes it well. She said, “You know, Michael, I like facilitating, but I really love training.” I said, “Okay, Leslie, I'll bite. Why do you really love training?” She said, “Well, when you're facilitating, you really have to listen to them.” And there you go. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. You get where I get that? Really rings the bell of why introverts, who are, really, they value listening and processing a lot more than extroverts, who generally like expressing. And so if you generally like expressing, you may find that training is way more your passion than facilitating, where you're really listening, contemplating, and helping a group move in a direction and so on. Interesting, yes? Douglas: Yes. And, you know, I can find that really fascinating because usually we like to pair up someone who’s kind of a classical trainer— Michael: Yes. Douglas: —and has that air, that performance aspect with a facilitator in these training sessions, because then that person can put on the dog-and-pony show while the facilitator is making sure that learning's integrated, because if you're not listening and working with them, you don't know if it stuck. Michael: And so what's interesting, I’m going to take you a step further, and I'm really biased here, that I really think we figured out in our company or we'll wait to think about how to make training work, because we don't hire trainers to train people in facilitation. We hire facilitators to train people in facilitation because they understand and role model all the techniques. But then we teach them about how important it is, with one of our eight principles in our facilitation course, all has to do with energy and keeping the energy high because that's one of the hallmarks of our practice. So we have to be able to, we call it show time. As an introvert, I get my energy from within, and people often are surprised when they see me do my thing, and then at the end of it, it’s like I’m the thumb in the mouth. I need a blankie. It happened twice before I realized this was a bad idea, Douglas. Clients who, when I was about, I was going to facilitate a two-day training session. Let’s say it started on a Tuesday. The client said, “Hey. Why don’t you fly in Monday night, meet with the team, they’ll get to know you, and then we’ll get started Tuesday morning?” Douglas, I did that twice. I’d never do that again, never, ever, ever, because what happens is, because I'm a natural introvert, when they meet me Monday night, the side conversations. “This is our facilitator? Really?” because— Douglas: We got a meeting with this guy all day? Michael: —I’m quiet. I’m just, that’s who I am. But once I—I'm glad we meet with them Tuesday night, because after that, they've already seen me. And now they're asking me the questions, not looking for me to entertain them, because I'm not an extrovert. I’m an introvert. So very different. So it's what we do in order to make it work. Douglas: Well, and nowadays we're in the midst of a pandemic. So all the team dinners are a thing of the past. Michael: Well, actually, actually, think about it. It really is. We still need—the social engagement is central. And so we as facilitators have to recognize, how do we make that happen, even in a virtual environment? And so we do that. So we may have this session from eight to five, and then we have a virtual cocktail hour for everyone. We break for 30 minutes, everyone grabs their favorite drinks, and we have a virtual cocktail hour for 30 minutes, an hour, as we would if it was a real session. But it's an important piece, so we can't miss it. That's for sure. Douglas: Yeah. And the human connection is so, so critical. Michael: How are you all doing it in your business? How are you keeping the human connection going during this? Douglas: Man, you know, I think it's always been a part of the design. And I think as long as it's a focus as a guiding principle, when you're designing an agenda for a session, it'll find its way in. I think it's important to start there first, right? Michael: Oh, it always helps. Douglas: Yeah, yeah. And I love this notion of the cocktail hour. Everyone has demanding schedules in this virtual space, right? And so they might have kids to run off to— Michael: Absolutely. Douglas: —or they’ve slotted it in. And it's a lot different than, you know, having taken the effort to drive somewhere and like, “Okay, I’m here. Maybe I’ll just stick around for a little bit longer.” We always just make it clear that, okay, the plenary is done; we're going to be around a little bit longer because I know some people like to stick around. Because I like to refer to it as, you know whenever you're cleaning up the supplies, people stick around and ask you questions? Michael: Yes, yes, yes, yes. Douglas: In virtual, there are no supplies. You can just shut MURAL and Miro or whatever off, and we’re done. Michael: We’re done. Bye. Douglas: So I like to tell people, “All right. Well, now we're cleaning up, and we'll be around for a little bit longer. If you want to ask any questions, we'll be here. But don't feel like you have to stay if you have places to be.” Michael: That’s a great idea. Douglas, I’m writing that down. “Hey, we’re going to have a clean up or stick-around time for those who…” I like that. You’ll see a blog about that soon. I like that. Courtesy of Douglas. Douglas: I love the cocktail-hour notion, too. It's like, I'm just making sure we reserve that time for people. In fact, it was BBC released a report, and the headline was quite hilarious. It was like, “Research Finds That Most Meetings Are a Form of Therapy,” or “Most Meaningless Meetings Are a Form of Therapy.” And the point was, and you hear that and you're like, “Well, that seems kind of crazy,” but it's kind of interesting because it's like people gravitate toward having these meaningless meetings, these meetings that nothing comes out of them because they have this need to have connection. And so if you think about it, if we get really intentional about our connection during meetings and plan them in, then people don't have to plan these extraneous things that then waste time. Michael: Well done. Well done. And we think that the pandemic has changed a lot of things. Unfortunately, one thing it hasn't changed is poor meetings. In fact, they've gotten poorer in the sense that with this virtual thing that people actually think that, well, because it's a virtual meeting, it takes less preparation or because it's—and we are finding, just as in our training work, we've converted virtual sessions where maybe 5 percent, 4 percent of our business prior to the pandemic, now it’s 95 percent. And our facilitators are finding it’s way more work, whether it’s a virtual meeting or virtual training, way more work to prepare for it. Way more. And the key is, we call it the virtual details, that where before you would have, okay, let's say we have a process-improvement session. And so we're going to start with (a) introduction; then section (b) we're going to talk about how does that process work today? Let's say we're trying to fix the hiring process in the company; (c) we're going to talk about the problems and causes; (d) we're going to brainstorm potential solutions; (e) we're going to reformat the process; (f) we're going to put together implementation plan; and so on. Well, that's what we'd do if it was face to face. We'd go, okay, (b) here's what I'm going to do with the flip charts. I'm going to set them up. And we know instinctively to do that. Virtual, whole different world. We say with each of those agenda items, do what you normally would do. But you also have to figure out the virtual details. So (b) you know what, I'm going to do a poll; action (c) I'm going to use the whiteboard; action (d) I'll do annotations; (e) I'm going to use a breakout group with…and then we… So we teach a course now called the Zoom Plus. And what that is, is everyone is now using Zoom, and you know wow. All those people, Zoom meetings, they're not even using all the basic Zoom stuff. Annotation, whiteboard, breakout groups, and so on. So we show them. And we like to say, “We are going to play with the technique so that you do it. You’ll play with them. Then, we're going to take the camera and put it behind the facilitator so that you can see how the facilitator creates the polls, how the facilitator creates the breakout rooms, and then you're going to do it.” So that’s using the basic stuff. And then, Zoom Plus, the plus part of that is we then show them what our facilitators do. And these are 15 virtual-engagement strategies, things like rotating flip charts. How do you use—how do you have the groups rotate through? Last person standing, dump and clump, and all these other advanced engagement strategies, using them, doing them, and doing them virtually. All cool stuff. So we first tried to get them using the basics, which most people aren't using. And then we're showing them, here’s how you use the advanced strategies that will make your meetings absolutely stand out. And people, as we like to say, you know you've gotten there when you hear people go, wow, that was the best virtual meeting I ever attended. And unfortunately, as you can imagine, Douglas, it's easy to be the best, because most are so poor and boring. Douglas: The bar is so low. So low. Michael: It is. Exactly. You’ve had the experience. Douglas: So. Yeah. And, you know, I think there's so much—early on, folks were asking, “Oh, do we get a discount for virtual?” And I’m like, “Man, I’m thinking about charging a premium,” because it's not only the prep time, but, you know, having an assistant facilitator is so much more critical because someone has to manage the tech. Michael: Absolutely. And what we're finding is frequently—I would put it in the 20 percent time—the facilitator has an issue. So as an example, one of our rules is for client sessions, client sessions, you never underscore underscore. Use your microphone on the computer. You always call in over the phone. The reason is if something happens to one of the two, you still have the other. So for some reason, you lose Internet connection, you can still talk to them. Or some reason the audio goes out, you can convert to what's happening. So you actually want to have redundant backup. We often suggest that you have another computer connected. So you have two sessions going, one is the participant computer. So if something happens, you can transfer over quickly to make it seamless. So it's almost like you run out of flip-chart paper. You run out of flip-chart paper, you always have a spare right there. Well, how do you do that virtually? Douglas: Planning on the redundant systems, having the activity by activity, having what is the virtual equivalent of all of this? Have I taken the time to proof it and make sure it's good? I mean, that is a lot of extra work, and not to mention just the fatigue of these environments. And, you know, I recently spoke with someone. They were telling me that—I'm not sure where the research came from, so this is all anecdotal—but they were saying that any time we're typically working in a three foot kind of context, it's typically a fight or a mating scenario. Michael: Wow. Douglas: Because you don't get three feet in someone's face inside the meeting room. That would be awkward. But now we’re doing that with these computers and is very sometimes mostly charged, political, like, we're talking about some really intense stuff. And we go in, and we try to—one mistake we made early on was, let's have an eight-hour session virtually. And, you know, you can't do that virtually. Michael: Yeah, it’s much harder. Douglas: You have to do it much shorter. And so I think there's some training of setting expectations for clients, too— Michael: Absolutely. Douglas: —even ones we've worked with in the past. Michael: Yeah, yeah. And so I'm going to go a step further, because this will be—because you are correct that the virtual sessions, by their nature, the dynamic is very different. And I want to—everyone knows—not everyone knows—many are aware, and it comes out in our polls, when we ask people, what is the biggest challenge in virtual meetings? And we've asked this to thousands of people now through our webinars and so on. It always comes up with the same thing, and it's not even close. It's engagement, keeping people engaged, because people are multitasking, doing other things. And so as facilitators, that's got to be our number one focus. How do we keep people engaged? And here is something that we ask people to consider. We as a company, we do have, we have what we call the PDI Difference—Practical, Dynamic, Interactive. And the way we do that in face-to-face sessions is we ensure that if we're training people or having a facilitated session, there will be significant engagement every 20 to 30 minutes. Thirty minutes will not go by without significant engagement, and mostly 20 minutes. So somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes. Douglas, when you go virtual, cut that bad boy in half. You’ve got to have significant engagement every 10 to 15 minutes. So if you’re getting people together, if you are going 90 minutes between breaks, do the math. Even if you say, “Well, the beginning, there's obviously engagement. People are going.” And the end of that 90 minutes you have engagement, so that means you've got to have at least four others, at least four other engagements. And if all you know is the classic engagement question-answer, question-answer, man, that meetings will wear people out. That's why it's so important for people to have all these other engagement strategies—dump and clump, last man standing, rotating flip charts, all this other stuff, to help put in people's toolbox. And so really important for facilitators to recognize that it takes a lot more if it's virtual. And as you said, training our clients that, “Listen, you know, normally I would charge a day of prep for this, but it's virtual. And so therefore,…” Yeah. And making it clear it's extra. Douglas: Absolutely. Let's talk a little bit about the Secrets of Facilitation. Michael: Oh, my favorite book. Yes. Douglas: You have over 60 secrets in that book. Michael: It is. And really good stuff, I think, personally. Douglas: Yeah. I'm a fan. I have it on the bookshelf behind me. And, you know, beyond the basics, things like preparing and managing for dysfunction, what do you think the biggest secret that most people don't know? Like, what's the one that you’re just like time and time again does no one just…? Michael: There are a couple that come to mind, but let me focus on this one. And I'm about to make a statement, Douglas, that when I say it in our training classes—I mentioned we trained over 20,000 people—there are always people who go, “No, that can't be right.” And by the end of the teaching, they go, “Yeah, that's really true.” Here is the statement: there are only three reasons people disagree. Huge secret. There are only three. Every disagreement in the entire freakin’ world, there are only three reasons people disagree. Only three. Now, that's the good news, and that's really good news. But here's the bad news, and it's really bad news. If you have a level-three disagreement and you try to solve it with level-one techniques, you're going to fail. Level-three disagreements can't be solved with level-one techniques. Likewise, you have a level-one disagreement, try to solve it with level-two techniques, you are going to fail. Can't happen. So we as facilitators have to understand the three reasons people disagree. Have to be able to diagnose which reason it is and have strategies for addressing each one. Now, while that's a teaser, I probably should take a minute to say what are those three reasons people disagree. So let's break it down really quickly. So you probably have figured out one, two, or three of them. You want to take any guesses, Douglas, or you want me to reveal? Your shot. Douglas: Why don't you—well, you do the reveal. You do the reveal. Michael: Okay, I’ll do the reveal. So number one, and it's most disagreements, level-one disagreements, and you actually implied it when you were talking about learning that you were a great facilitator. That is, people disagree because of information. One has information that the other doesn’t have, and they’re arguing, bumping heads, even though once they realize and the information is put on the table, they'll realize they weren’t in disagreement at all. Level-one disagreements always end the same way. “Oh, is that what you meant?” There you go. And as we like to say, when you hear those words, your job is done, because they really weren't in disagreement. In fact, the book Crucial Conversations highlights that, they give it a name, violent agreement. They really are in agreement, but they were arguing. They were just using different words or one had information that the other didn't have. So you saw level-one disagreements, pretty simple. We as facilitators have to understand the difference between advocacy and inquiry. If you ever watched two people arguing, it's like they're fighting back and forth. Statement, statement, statement, statement. Each person is trying to advocate for theirs. If one of them would just step back and just ask the question, “Well, why do you say that? What do you mean by that?” they’ll then would clarify, and you would hear those words, “Oh, is that what you meant?” There you go. Resolved. So we have to move people from advocacy mode to inquiry mode, and you do that yourself by asking questions. In a business environment, there are specific questions we train facilitators to ask, because most level-one disagreements or business are based on either cost, time, who’s involved, or how it’s going to happen. And so we get the questions. Level-two disagreements are different. If the level-one disagreements are about information—again, we find most disagreements are level one—level-two disagreements are about values or experiences, that they have different values or had had different experiences that prefer one alternative over the other. They understand each other perfectly. They just value different things. Well, you can solve a value disagreement simply by identifying and isolating the key values. What are the key values that each person has? And then creating solutions, brainstorming solutions, that combine those values. It's not a compromise activity. It is a creativity activity, where, as we teach it, you can come up with some pretty novel solutions once you isolate those key values. It just works. In fact, we get more letters about that technique than any others because it really does work when you understand what you're looking to do. Level-three disagreement is different. It's not about information. It's not about values or experiences. It's about personality, past history with one another, or some outside factor that has nothing to do with the disagreement. It's not about the disagreement. They basically don't like each other. Can you solve a level-one disagreement by asking questions about the issue? No, because it's not about the issue. Can you solve a level-three disagreement by asking about the values? It’s not—yeah, you solve level-three disagreements differently. Take it to a higher source. You're not going to solve it at this level. You've got to take it up the chain. And so we talk about strategies for doing that. But most facilitators, that secret of understanding there are only three reasons people disagree, and so when you're listening to a disagreement, we train people to say, “Hey, next time you're listening to a disagreement, just say under your breath, ‘level two. Yeah, level one. Yeah, level three,’ so that you can get used to diagnosing what type of disagreement it is so that you keep that mindset of, okay, here's the technique I want to use to adjust this disagreement. So it's cool stuff and really one of those fun secrets out of the 60. Douglas: Yeah. I love frameworks like that, that can—are very actionable and we can kind of lean on them in the moment pretty easily. Michael: Well, you know, I find that the best facilitators are process oriented, Douglas. And I'm just going to give your listeners a heads up. If you were to see the prep work that Douglas had sent out to my office around the thinking that they've already done around how to have a great podcast, it was like, oh, my gosh, this is like a cookbook. All I have to do is this part. They're doing all these other pieces. And some great process thinking, very much appreciate it, because it makes it easy. In the same way, if you can give facilitators a process to use that's been tested, proven, that they can modify and make theirs, it makes all the difference. And that's one of the things I think we're good at: giving people processes. Douglas: Absolutely. If you could change one thing about meetings in general, what would it be? Michael: Oh, my gosh. Wow. You're asking big questions here. If I could change one thing about meetings. Yeah, I guess—yeah, that would have to be it. Douglas, the biggest challenge I find, and we find over and over again with meetings that other people are leading, is preparation. So few people do the preparation necessary. And quite frankly, it's not a lot of work if, as you would say, there's a framework for it. And so I'll just give your listeners a framework. We call it the six Ps. And it doesn't matter whether you are running a meeting for yourself or running a meeting for someone else, ask the six Ps, because once you know the six Ps, you execute on that and you can be really prepared. One, and you know it all starts with purpose. Douglas: Yes. Thank you. Michael: Why are we having this meeting? Douglas: Yes. Michael: Why are we having this meeting? What's the real purpose of the meeting? And then we say, “Okay, now that we're clear…” And so I'll give an example just to make it real for your listeners. Someone may come to us. “Michael, Michael, I’d love to have a team-building session for my team.” First P, purpose. “Really? Help me understand what's really the purpose of the team-building session?” “Well, I need my team working together better because, you know, we kind of snipe at each other sometimes. So I really want us to have a strong, bonding experience so that we can walk out of that room, moving together, working together, feeling better about each other.” “That's helpful.” Second P, product. “So what is the product you want to come out of that meeting?” “Michael, what do you mean?” “Well, think about it this way, in terms of the three Hs. When this meeting’s over, what do you want your team to have in their hands that they can see?” “Well, Michael, it’d be great if we had a team vision.” “Cool. Anything else?” “Well, maybe some team norms.” “Okay. Anything else?” “Well, maybe if we could walk away with what's going to happen if someone violates the norm, so we have that kind of…” “Anything else?” “No, I think that's pretty good.” “All right. Well, thank you. Well, let me ask you this. What do you want them to have in their head when the session is over?” “Michael, what do you mean?” “Well, what do you want them to know that they didn't know before the meeting started?” “Well, maybe I want them to know, hey, what makes a team great? What are the qualities of a great team and know how we assess against that, and what are the things we need to work on to be a great team?” “Cool, cool, great. So what do you want them to have in their hearts when the session is over?” “Michael, you getting soft on me?” “No, no, no. What do you want them to believe that maybe they didn't believe before this session was held?” “Well, I want them to believe that if we do these things, we’ll be a great team. I want them to feel committed to making it happen.” “There you go. Great. Well, so you’ve talked about purpose and product. Let me ask you this. Tell me about the people who are going to be in the room. Who needs to be in the room that we create these products and achieve this purpose?” “Well, I want my whole team there.” “Anyone else?” “Well, you know, do you think, Michael, my E.A., should be there?” “Well, let me ask you, do you think your E.A. is part of the team, work with the team? Is your E.A. part of getting things to happen?” “So, yeah, that's great.” “Anyone else? There we go.” “All right. Well, we talked about purpose, product, participants. Let me ask you this. What are the probable issues that we need to address? What are the things that we absolutely need to talk about if these participants are going to create these products to achieve this purpose?” “Yeah. We've had a couple of things happen over the last few months that we really need to talk about.” “Well, let's talk about what those are. Anything else we need to talk about? Great.” “Well, now let's talk about process. What's the process you're thinking we might want to take the team through so that we address these issues so the participants create the product and the purpose? Great.” And notice, by the way, Douglas, process is fifth. Many people think, “I want to hold a meeting. What's the agenda?” Wrong answer. There’re four questions you have to answer first—purpose, product, participants, probable issues—before you get to process. Never start with agenda. And then the six P is place, meaning—and it's all the stuff around the place. And in these days, the place is virtual. So let's talk about all the things around the virtual platform that needs to be. So we say when you have those six questions answered, the six Ps of preparation, you're now ready to do the work to get well prepared for your session. So we think that's a great way to address and make meetings so much better. Just most people don't do the work. They don't think about the six Ps. Douglas: Yeah, you know, there’re so many meeting—you talked about the lack of preparation, and it’s like— Michael: Yeah. Douglas: And so there's this weird spectrum, because on one end, no one's doing anything. So they're just kind of walking in blind, and they just threw something on your calendar called a meeting, and they're not even—so there's a lexicon and taxonomy problem. Michael: Yes. Douglas: And so that's a whole other thing we could get into. But then on the other hand, when they do the planning, their agenda’s just a list of topics— Michael: Yes. Douglas: —and it’s not thoughtful, it’s not informed by— Michael: Absolutely. Douglas: —the purpose. We were just talking earlier today about the problem with icebreakers and warmups, in that— Michael: Oh, my gosh, yes. Douglas: —people just throw them on the agenda, without thinking about the purpose and why they’re there. And I love this. I have this saying that if you can’t ask your participants after doing something like that, “Why did we just do that?” and have it erupt into a pithy conversation, you need to ask yourself, “Why did we just do that?” Michael: Oh, well said, Douglas. Well said. In fact, our company, in general, when it comes to icebreakers, we hate them because most icebreakers are just stuff. And we say, “It's good to break the ice,” but you want to break the ice with an activity that furthers the purpose and product of the session. If you say, “Hey, you know what, we’d like to spend a few minutes talking about your favorite vacation spot,” that's a great icebreaker if the purpose of our session is to choose a vacation spot. If it's not, leave that icebreaker at home. “Hey, you know what, we'd like to hear about your most embarrassing moment.” That is a great icebreaker if this session is about dealing with embarrassing moments. If it's not, leave that icebreaker at home. Whatever you use as an icebreaker, it should further the session result, not be something, as you said, that’s unpurposeful and inserted into the meeting. Facilitators have a bad rap of, “Hey, we help people hold hands and sing Kumbaya.” Read that from an executive standpoint, “We're great at wasting people's time.” That's how executives view the classic Kumbaya facilitators. Our job is to make sure every moment we spend with executives is productive. It's used to get to a result that they are willing to invest in. If they're not willing to invest, we have just added non-value activity. So non-value added activity is not helpful in a facilitated session. Douglas: Well said, my friend. So I would love to leave our listeners with one last piece of advice. And so if you could ensure every facilitator in the world had one skill, what would it be? Michael: That's easy. That's really easy. When you think about facilitators, when we walk into a room, our most important job is to pull out the most important information that's going to help this group get where they're going. That's our responsibility. To do that, we don't have to be good at asking questions. We have to be great at asking questions. We have to be really excellent at using questions to pull out the information that's going to help the group. As I said in one of my early, early ad set we put together, the ad said, “Hidden inside of your company are answers to some of the most important issues facing your organization. Your people have the answers. We bring the questions.” And so we teach something called the secret of the starting question. If you’ve ever facilitated a session and you asked this really great question and got complete and utter silence, if that’s ever happened to you, what we teach is, more times than not, the reason you got silence is that you asked what we call the “type A” question instead of a “type B” question. Type A questions lead people to silence. Type B questions get people putting up their hands, jumping up and down, trying to get you to respond to them. Or you're old enough to remember Welcome Back, Kotter. We called it the Horshack effect. “Ooh, ooh, ooh, Mr. Kotter. Mr. Kotter, call on me.” And that's what we want to get. And so, how do you get that? Well, it’s all in how you ask the question. And we call it the secret of the starting question. Now, just to give an example. Let’s go back to my hiring process. If we're in a room and we got a bunch of people, we're trying to figure out how the hiring process works today, that's one of the first agenda items. As a facilitator, we go, “Okay, great. We're all together. We're ready to get to that first agenda item. Let's get started. How does the hiring process work today?” Crickets. “Come on, folks. You know how it works. How does it work today? What are the steps?” Crickets. “Come on, guys. You know the…” There you go. Instead, you would ask what we call a type B question, and it sounds like this. “You know, we're ready to get started with documenting the current hiring process. I'd love for you to think about the last time you hired someone. Think about all the steps you had to go through, all the people you had to talk with, the forms or whatever you had to fill out to get that person on board. What are the steps in the current hiring process?” We call that a type B question. How is it formed? They're three steps. It's pretty easy. It's pretty simple, just not easy. Its first step is you start with an image-building phrase. “Think about the last time…,” or “If you were about to...” or “Imagine…” It doesn’t start with “What…” Here comes a type B question. You're going very direct. Or “Why…” or “How…” or so on. It starts with an image-building phrase because you're trying to create an image, because when people can see their answers, they answer right away. Then, you expand the image with at least two other phrases. Then, you ask the direct question. “Think about the last time you hired someone. Think about all the steps you had to go through, all the people you had to talk with,” and so on. Because when people can see their answers, they raise their hand. When people can’t see their answers, if you ask, “What are the steps in the current hiring process?” they're going to go, “Hm, let me think.” What are they doing? They're trying to imagine their answers. Why? Because you didn’t ask a question that helped them do it. Facilitation means to make easy. We've got to get them visualizing their answers. So that's just one of the things. We teach nine different questioning techniques. And if we could do that for every facilitator in the world—in fact, your audience have probably heard of TED Talks. If they were to go to the TED site and type in “secret of the starting question,” they would see me giving a TEDx Talk to the International Association of Facilitators on the secret of the starting question. Douglas: I love it. So good. It's funny, once you were starting to talk about the secret to—or the one thing that facilitators should know, and you started talking about questions, I was going to ask you, what is one of your favorite questions? But then, before I even had the opportunity, you gave us a framework for asking questions. So I'm still going to throw this at you for extra credit. Is there a question…? In fact, you threw out one of my favorites already, and that is, what did you mean by that? I think that's such a disarming question, especially if someone says something that is maybe judgmental or offensive in some way, and maybe there was no intention behind it, and we want to just give them an opportunity to unravel that or explain it. Michael: And it helps them do it. And that’s a great one. And I think one of the things you find is why questions and how questions are often challenging for people. And so you want to be careful, as we say, you want to focus on the tone. And probably my favorite, it's simple, is, “Help me understand, why is that important? Help me understand, why is it important?” because your tone could be, “So why is that important?” That’s a wrong tone. No, thank you. Yeah. So tone as you ask that question, “Why is that important?” is one of my favorite questions. There have to be questions because it gets to, oh, new understanding, because I'm thinking, perhaps if you could see my thought bubble, “What does that have to do with anything we're talking about?” And so sort of just, “Hey, help me understand, why is that important?” Douglas: Also, “Help me understand,” I'm taking the blame for not understanding it, which is great. It reminds me, too—I've been listening to a lot of masterclass. And Chris Voss has a really great masterclass, and he's a master negotiator— Michael: Oh, excellent. Douglas: —and author of that book, Never Split the Difference. And one of his points around not using why, he never asks any why questions when he's negotiating with a hostage. And it's because, remember when you were a little kid and something you broke, something by accident, and your parents were like, “Why did you do that?” So it's just like, it brings you back to those moments. So we don't want to psychologically hijack anyone when we're asking these questions that we don't really have much intent behind. Michael: There you go. Really important stuff. Questions are a key for facilitators. Really getting down a question framework for yourself, really good stuff. Douglas: Absolutely. And I encourage people to check out the type B questions and all the other great stuff, the six Ps, et cetera. It's really awesome stuff. And so if they were going to dig deeper into this, how can they find you? How can they unravel the secrets more deeply? Michael: Well, please, our website, www.leadstrat—that’s short for Leadership Strategies—leadstrat.com, and any of the resource pages. You can also, in our store, we have all the books—The Secrets of Facilitation is probably the one we’ve talked about the most, as well as Click: The Virtual Meetings Book. Those two are ones that in this pandemic people will find most helpful. And again, do check out— Oh, our gift to the industry, we recognize that as part of our—we’re the largest facilitation company in the country, that what we do, we typically do three or four free webinars a month. Most recently, we've been doing them on the virtual side of things, running effective virtual meetings, making Zoom hum, those kinds of things, just, really, free webinars. Of course, we do it because we know that once people get a taste of what we do, they may want to learn more. We’ve been doing them for over a decade now, these webinars. But please check them out. And you know what most webinars, Douglas, are thinly veiled sales pitches. For us, we go, “Okay. Please give us 60 minutes. You're going to get 55 minutes of real content, stuff you can use tomorrow. Then, the last five minutes we’ll talk about for those who want to learn more.” So really hardcore, hit-it content. And so it's really great. They get 400 or 500 people on every webinar, and so it's really fun stuff. Douglas: Excellent. Well, I can't wait to check one out. And, you know, it's been a pleasure to have you on the show today. Michael: Oh, likewise, being with you. It’s just been a fun conversation. Douglas: Absolutely. Well, thanks again, and we’ll be talking to you soon. Michael: All right. You take care. Outro: Thanks for joining me for another episode of Control the Room. Don't forget to subscribe to receive updates when new episodes are released. If you want more, head over to our blog, where I post weekly articles and resources about working better together

Rich Anderson, visionary entrepreneur and CEO of Imagine IT, joins the show to share poignant insights and learnings he’s acquired throughout his career. With a background in accounting, mergers and acquisitions, and social development, Rich is a wealth of entrepreneurial knowledge. In this episode, Alissa and Rich discuss the abundance mindset, the attitude of gratitude and universal laws like the Law of Attraction. What We Covered: 01:58 – Rich’s unconventional entrepreneurial journey 10:58 – The power of culture 17:09 – The Law of Attraction and other universal laws 20:21 – Taking on all organizational responsibilities and an event that nearly destroyed Rich’s business 26:13 – How a single client led to a unique and prosperous partnership opportunity  37:09 – Rich recalls a critical lesson he learned in leadership 39:14 – The number one tip Rich would give to aspiring entrepreneurs Tweetables: “I remember as, a kid, having Dad come ask if he could borrow some of our allowance to go buy groceries. So, entrepreneurialism has it’s knocks, and my story is no different. Some of my first ventures of entrepreneurialism did not go well.” (04:26) (Rich) “I tell people I got my MBA, I just paid for it with elbow grease.” (16:51) (Rich) “The universe provides.” (28:33) (Rich) “One of my coaches pulls me aside as we were working through a hard thing a couple years back. And we’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s gonna be so great when we get through this.’ He goes, ‘You know what the reward is for solving all these problems, right?’ We said, ‘Yeah, we’re done with them.’ And he’s like, ‘No, you have a whole new set of problems to solve.’” (37:30) (Rich) “If we’re expanding happiness in the world, which you know is our ‘why,’ then I’m happy to let everyone else take credit for it because that means it’s working.” (38:55) (Rich) Links Mentioned: Alissa’s Website – https://www.daire2succeed.com/makingthelistpodcast/ Rich’s LinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/richarddanderson/ Imagine IT Website – https://www.imagineiti.com/   Books Mentioned: Good To Great The Power of Vulnerability

The best D&D sitcom: Clockwork Soul Sorcerer and His Wacky Wild Magic Buddies.  Just...IMAGINE IT. Go check out our YouTube Channel, The DM Shower Thoughts, now LIVE here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB2FKRoMr20VPE9LK-_OGrw And our Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMST_Podcast Find the latest podcast episodes here: http://www.adamusdrakeproductions.com/dm-podcast.html Check out our website: adamusdrakeproductions.com, where you can find the GM's Corner, Gray Owls Fiction, Dice and Miniatures for sale, and much more! Help out the editor with some coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/Wzg5QUb Our awesome art is done by the amazing Chelsea Cottle.  Find her and her art here: https://www.instagram.com/ccottleart/ If you like what we do, this podcast now has a crowdfunding campaign to help us continue growing the show: https://patron.podbean.com/QWayGM Our Shower Shout-Outs: Chelsea Cottle, Peter Trueb, Ian Ohlssohn - Thank you for supporting the show!  You are amazing! 

Imagine: It’s the 80’s. You are working for a sprouting tech company called “Apple.” Many of the products that your company makes have never existed, let alone been available to the general public for purchase. Your job is to explain not only what this tech does, but why an average consumer should even want to buy it.  If it sounds like a tough job, that’s because it is; but it’s exactly the job Ellen Petry Leanse took in 1981 at Apple. Her official assignment was to write a newsletter explaining how to talk to customers about Apple’s products and their capabilities. Apple had just gone public and Ellen was in for a wild ride with a company unlike any other, a company that would go on to change the world. In 1983, after a few years of on-the-job training and mentorship, Ellen was invited onto the extended Macintosh team where she became a product manager for Apple’s international products. This was at a time when Apple’s customers were not happy with the Apple II computer and Ellen recognized a disconnect between the company and its customers. To build a bridge between the two parties, she became Apple’s first user evangelist and created the first-ever digital community for a company to directly address user feedback. Ellen’s time at Apple was transformative for her professional career, but it also helped her realize her personal purpose. “A big part of my purpose is to think through how people come together.”  Ellen spent over 10 years at some of the world’s most successful tech companies such as Apple, Facebook, and Google before becoming an executive coach to business leaders and an instructor at Stanford University. Ellen also wrote a book titled, The Happiness Hack: How to Take Charge of Your Brain and Program More Happiness into Your Life, which dives into ways that we can rewire our brains to live a happier and more fulfilled life.  In her work today as Chief People Officer at LucidWorks, Ellen is “encouraging people to step more fully into the talent they know they have inside.” She is taking her wide-ranging experiences to create a culture of safety, experimentation, and equality. On this episode of Mission Daily, Chad and Ellen discuss Ellen’s extensive career from working at Apple to becoming an author, how she creates a culture of experimentation and risk taking at her current company, and how to bring more happiness and meaning into your day to day life.  —  Mission Daily and all of our podcasts are created with love by our team at Mission.org We own and operate a network of podcasts, and brand story studio designed to accelerate learning. Our clients include companies like Salesforce, Twilio, and Katerra who work with us because we produce results. To learn more and get our case studies, check out Mission.org/Studios. If you’re tired of media and news that promotes fear, uncertainty, and doubt and want an antidote, you’ll want to subscribe to our daily newsletter at Mission.org. When you do, you’ll receive a mission-driven newsletter every morning that will help you start your day off right!

If you find that your deals are falling through the cracks or you're losing your prospects to your competition, perhaps the problem is that you're not leaving anything behind.  You might be thinking of brochures and other leave-behinds, but that's not what we're talking about here. Instead, we're talking about the things you should be leaving behind any why these things are so critical to moving your deal forward.  Research phase Unless you're dealing with a referral, when you're dealing with a prospect, that person is probably considering other people as well. Even if the prospect reached out to you and seems completely interested, that person is ultimately looking for the best deal.  You must stay top of mind. Ensure that you stay relevant and always present without being annoying. You must give the prospect something valuable.  Content Consider leaving content behind that ties directly to what you've already discussed. Or leave content that helps the prospect prepare for the next scheduled meeting.  Once you've done this a time or two, you'll understand why it's so important.  Imagine IT companies in this situation that are evaluating service companies. You won't be the only company they are considering, but you want them to forget those other companies and focus on yours.  One option is to determine which other companies the prospect is considering. Create landmines Create landmines for the competitor.  For instance, when I sold document management services, I had a competitor whose services were only good for one department. The competitor served that department very well, but the other departments hated their services.  I planted the idea in our prospects' minds that a tool that only benefits one department isn't really a valuable tool for the entire company. My leave-behind was the idea that the competitor would only benefit a small portion of the company. If it wasn't a good fit, certain departments wouldn't use it, which would result in wasted money because no one used the software.  I suggested to the prospect that a solution that benefits everyone would be a better fit. Format In the past, that kind of content might have appeared in the form of a white paper. Now, however, your prospects are busy and many things are grabbing at their attention. Instead, consider a LinkedIn post or article, or a podcast, or a video addressing the issue. Identify the top things that make your company a favorable choice. Highlight the challenges that your company can solve better than the competition.  Educate your buyer before you return for the next meeting or demonstration. That way, when the prospect meets with the competition, they'll know what issues to ask questions about.  If you're not leaving anything behind, the prospect may simply respond to the flashy, cool presentation.  Notifications Make this tool even more powerful by using tools that notify you when the prospect opens the message or clicks on the video.  Consider, for example, that you send a video for your prospect to watch prior to the next meeting. Maybe it answers questions that frequently occur during the second meeting.  If you send it with BombBomb, you'll know when the prospect watched it, and whether they watched the entire video. It helps you know when and how the prospect is engaging with your content.  Do something different Everyone is leaving a business card, so you must do something that helps you stand out from the crowd. Make your company the obvious choice. Position yourself as the trusted advisor and the one who is helping the prospect understand all the important considerations before making a decision.  If you're not leaving anything behind, your promising deal may disappear.  "You're Not Leaving Anything Behind" episode resources If you haven't connected with me on LinkedIn already, do that at Donald C. Kelly and watch the things I'm sharing there. You've heard us talk about the TSE Certified Sales Training Program, and we're offering the first module free as a gift to you. Preview it. Check it out. If it makes sense for you to join, you can be part of our upcoming semester. You can take it on your own or as part of the semester group. The program includes 65 videos altogether, and we just completed a beta group that helped us improve the program and maximize the information in it. If you and your team are interested in learning more, we'd love to have you join us. Call (561)578-1729 to speak directly to me or one of our team members about the program. This episode is also brought to you in part by Mailtag.io, a Chrome browser extension for Gmail that allows you to track and schedule your emails. You'll receive real-time alerts anyone opens an email or clicks a link. I hope you enjoyed the show today as much as I did. If so, please consider leaving us a rating on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you consume this content and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. It helps others find our message and improves our visibility. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.

In this episode, we discuss the difference between things that make us Happy and what actually brings us Happiness. Marc Miller, Chief Happiness Officer at ImagineIT talks about his Happiness Journey, what he’s learned along the way and some great tips to help each of us get a little better at this each day. The … Continue reading The Happiness Effect →

Do you like feet? You make look at them differently after listening to Pastor Mario's conclusion of the Imagine It series. 

In week three of the Imagine It series, Pastor Mario shares on the power of partnership in reaching other. 

THE MARCH THEY CAN’T IGNORE: In the wake of the epic 700,000-strong People’s Vote March we ask where next for the campaign for a Final Say referendum? And Observer columnist and Alpha Centrist Dad NICK COHEN joins us to talk over the long game in the Tories’ endless fratricidal war, why the Referendum provoked “the greatest outbreak of political lying in a hundred years,” Chris Grayling’s new career as a ferrymaster, and why the Brexit jihadis will “burn down the house for the sake of their idea.Ingrid Oliver and Naomi Smith are your panelists while Dorian Lynskey is back from writing some book or other.“Whatever you find hard to imagine, IMAGINE IT.” – Nick CohenThis week’s REMAINIACS is presented by Dorian Lynskey with Ingrid Oliver and Naomi Smith. Audio production: Sophie Black. Producer: Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production.Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform – plus smart Remainiacs merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoan Support us at our Patreon page.REMAINIACS.comTheme music ‘Demon Is A Monster’ used by kind permission of Cornershop. Buy it here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kathryn Hill is president and CEO of the Levine Museum of the New South, whose exhibits and programming focus on life in the North Carolina Piedmont after the Civil War. Previously, Kathryn served as COO of the History Colorado Center and as a management consultant to more than two dozen other museum and cultural organizations around the country. Her work has included opening Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta, serving on the charter management team of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and creating visitor services programs at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, and Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History. Kathryn earned a bachelor's degree in political science and government from Mount Holyoke College and was a Gates Family Foundation Fellow at Harvard University. This episode is perfect for anyone interested in leading a history museum in a time of technological and demographic change.   IN THIS EPISODE Kathryn explains what is different about the Levine Museum of the New South. She answers whether the Levine Museum is actually about the South.  She describes what a person sees when they walk in the Levine Museum. She talks about how history builds community and how history should be told. Kathryn discusses the particular challenges of telling the history of New South cities. She shares the values that guide the Levine Museum. She considers whether the Levine Museum should be re-named a Charlotte center of community engagement and social justice. She responds to whether the Levine Museum has a decidedly liberal point of view and social agenda. Kathryn notes the central tension point of Southern history. She shares what the Levine Museum initially got wrong in its 'K(no)w Justice, K(no)w Peace' exhibit. She discusses the Levine Museum's new #ShapingCLT series. She says what the Levine Museum is unabashedly about. Kathryn answers whether the Levine Museum would consider a name change. She shares her vision for the Levine Museum if resources were not an issue.  She describes her childhood and how she benefits from those experiences today. Kathryn remembers her time at Mount Holyoke College. She notes how she found her way to museum work and what she loves about it. She reflects on her work at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and at the History Colorado Center.  Kathryn shares what is the core work of her career and why it is important to her. plus Mark's Personal Word Essay: A Turning Point To learn more, visit On Life and Meaning

Cyber security is an extremely important topic for today’s business leaders. In this episode, David and Justin interview Marc Miller from Imagine IT. They focus on how leaders can use the image of the human body to be better prepared for cyber threats.

FOR MATURE AUDIENCES   Oh what a time to be alive! That's what we keep hearing. And yes, it's true, it is quite a time to be alive when you get to listen to another edition of The Simplistic Reviews Podcast. Because, boy, let me tell you what, this one is a real doozy!   DJ, Justin, and Matt cover it all with their monthly news roundup that runs the gamet of nonsense to non-sensical.   And if you thought we liked fighting last month, wait until you get a load of "Simplistic Switcharoo." This time around, these Simplistic Scamps yammer on about who in Hollywood would do the other jobs better. We know you guys and gals have all fantasized about who would do our job better. Right? I mean imagine Betty White, Paula Deen, and Pat Sajak doing what we're doing...just imagine it...and imagine us on the "Golden Girl," cooking a fatty Southern racist meal, and giving the eyes to Vanna White...IMAGINE IT!   That, and we say hello to our PornHub resident scientist; PornHub Snooty Scientist, in what MAY be our last podcast ever....spoiler alert....it's not. Oh, and a conversation on Air Bud: Ninja Dog. May is go fetch....get it....we'll see ourselves out...   NOTES Tom Hardy as Venom Air Bud Rocks Top Gun 2 Armond White Loves Baywatch     MUSIC The Hell Raisers by Syd Dale Cocaine Model By ZHU   Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Letterboxd, and Pinterest

Most people say that business isn’t personal, however if you’ve ever owned or currently run a private business, you know that statement is completely false… your business is a reflection of you and all your values. Your business and your life are inevitably intertwined. Marc Miller, Owner and Chief Happiness Officer at Imagine IT, has made happiness his life's work after experiencing a tragic family event. Even though life threw him a very challenging curveball, he is on a mission to figure out “what it takes to be happy” even if it comes from an unlikely place. If you listen, you will learn: How to keep running a business when you experience a family tragedy Four principles of happiness How to use your business to teach your values How to make happiness actionable in the workplace A Family Tragedy Over two years ago, Marc's son, Gunnar, was in a fatal accident. Gunnar had issues with substance abuse and depression, but that is not what took his life. He was over 14 months sober and wiped out on a skateboard and died. After this tragic and devastating accident, Marc wanted to do something to honor his son. He started a non-profit, The Gunnar Project. He didn't want to create another youth addiction non-profit so decided to go another route with it. “Gunnar had this unique ability to make people happy,” explains Marc. Marc decided to focus on the idea of happiness for the non-profit. The mission of the Gunnar Project is to inspire young adults and others to wake up every morning and pursue happiness.  What Makes Us Happy? Happiness is an intangible thing. It is a buzz word in our society today. Marc has read tons of books and research articles on happiness and outlines the four main principles of happiness in the podcast which can also be found on the Gunnar Project website: Healthy people find more happiness than those who are sick or unhealthy. People who learn, create, teach, grow are happier than those who are bored. People who are closely connected to others find happiness more than lonely people. People who are “good”, who have a relationship with a higher power are happier than those who are bad, who lie, cheat, and steal. Marc urges listeners to plan to intentionally do things every day that make you happy. Outline your day in the morning and avoid doing things throughout the day or talking to people that will make you crabby. Plan and choose to be happy. “The investment you have to make to be happy every day is a 3-minute investment. If you don't have 3, 4, or 5 minutes in your day to pursue happiness, you are screwed.” People may think happiness is this big thing or event. It isn't a milestone or pot at the end of the rainbow. In talking about happiness being more about the journey, not the goal, Marc says, “Happiness can be found in the little spaces in between the milestones, because that is where the action happens.”  Culture of Happiness Marc has created a culture of happiness at Imagine IT. After Gunnar died, Marc changed his title to Chief Happiness Officer to further his mission to drive happiness with everybody he meets day in and day out. Talking about happiness at work isn't a “normal” thing in most companies. Imagine IT puts happiness at the forefront and therefore have a vocabulary around the subject which makes it easier for employees to talk about happiness. Happiness is actionable within Imagine IT's culture. It is talked about in weekly

Most people say that business isn’t personal, however if you’ve ever owned or currently run a private business, you know that statement is completely false… your business is a reflection of you and all your values. Your business and your life are inevitably intertwined. Marc Miller, Owner and Chief Happiness Officer at Imagine IT, has made happiness his life’s work after experiencing a tragic family event. Even though life threw him a very challenging curveball, he is on a mission to figure out “what it takes to be happy” even if it comes from an unlikely place. If you listen, you will learn: How to keep running a business when you experience a family tragedy Four principles of happiness How to use your business to teach your values How to make happiness actionable in the workplace A Family Tragedy Over two years ago, Marc’s son, Gunnar, was in a fatal accident. Gunnar had issues with substance abuse and depression, but that is not what took his life. He was over 14 months sober and wiped out on a skateboard and died. After this tragic and devastating accident, Marc wanted to do something to honor his son. He started a non-profit, The Gunnar Project. He didn’t want to create another youth addiction non-profit so decided to go another route with it. “Gunnar had this unique ability to make people happy,” explains Marc. Marc decided to focus on the idea of happiness for the non-profit. The mission of the Gunnar Project is to inspire young adults and others to wake up every morning and pursue happiness.  What Makes Us Happy? Happiness is an intangible thing. It is a buzz word in our society today. Marc has read tons of books and research articles on happiness and outlines the four main principles of happiness in the podcast which can also be found on the Gunnar Project website: Healthy people find more happiness than those who are sick or unhealthy. People who learn, create, teach, grow are happier than those who are bored. People who are closely connected to others find happiness more than lonely people. People who are “good”, who have a relationship with a higher power are happier than those who are bad, who lie, cheat, and steal. Marc urges listeners to plan to intentionally do things every day that make you happy. Outline your day in the morning and avoid doing things throughout the day or talking to people that will make you crabby. Plan and choose to be happy. “The investment you have to make to be happy every day is a 3-minute investment. If you don’t have 3, 4, or 5 minutes in your day to pursue happiness, you are screwed.” People may think happiness is this big thing or event. It isn’t a milestone or pot at the end of the rainbow. In talking about happiness being more about the journey, not the goal, Marc says, “Happiness can be found in the little spaces in between the milestones, because that is where the action happens.”  Culture of Happiness Marc has created a culture of happiness at Imagine IT. After Gunnar died, Marc changed his title to Chief Happiness Officer to further his mission to drive happiness with everybody he meets day in and day out. Talking about happiness at work isn’t a “normal” thing in most companies. Imagine IT puts happiness at the forefront and therefore have a vocabulary around the subject which makes it easier for employees to talk about happiness. Happiness is actionable within Imagine IT’s culture. It is talked about in weekly

Remember the classic John Lennon song “Imagine”? It’s making a comeback by an amazing group of vocalist Pentatonix.  While the melody is wonderful and the acapella harmonies are beautiful, the lyrics are as lacking as ever. Listen to my brief assessment of the lyrics and why they even matter on today’s podcast.   Casting Crowns – Slow Fade […] --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ponderinggod/support

Brian Lucid is the Associate Professor and Graphic Design Program coordinator at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. Brian highlights what can be learnt from game design, what role narrative plays in game design and the subsequent relation to interactive design practices. He speaks about do-it-yourself Wii modification, game graphic engines and repurposing hardware. The discussion moves towards how the design software environments influence the process and methodology of design and about the Open Source movement and the drive to create these tools for others. Recorded at the ImagineIt 2008 conference in Bologna, Italy. The Reactable :: Reactable video :: Dynamic Media Institute :: File Download (21:02 min / 29 MB)

Henning Brehm (aka Design Tourist) is a graphic designer that specializes in work for the film industry. Under the label Schein Berlin he creates fake labels, packaging, logos, signs and documents for German tv productions and international block buster movies. Brehm tells of the start of his career, his early education and his interest in many fields of design. How he got started in designing fake products, newspapers, magazines and various props for film and television. He discusses the process of working on films, conceptualizing the sets and creating the props. He talks about working on the science fiction films Speed Racer and Pandorum and the typeface made for an imagined future. Recorded at the ImagineIt 2008 conference in Bologna, Italy. Henning Brehm :: Pandorum - movie :: Babelsberg filmstudio :: Speed Racer - movie :: File Download (33:35 min / 46 MB)

Brian Lucid is the Associate Professor and Graphic Design Program coordinator at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, Massachusetts. He speaks about his inability to relax; his early forays in art school and his brief stint as a type designer. He regards the influence of W.A. Dwiggins’ process of type design on his own work and the realization that type design is much like designing software. He talks about his later move into teaching (as a natural extension) and his teaching methodology in teaching students information design, print design and interactive design. He moves on to discuss the challenges in teaching students to deal with complexity, context and graphic design history. And talks about the relation between his professional work and his educational work. Recorded at the ImagineIt 2008 conference in Bologna, Italy. Brian Lucid :: Brian Lucid at Fontbureau :: Brian Lucid Dynamic Media Institute bio :: Massachusetts College of Art and Design :: File Download (35:24 min / 49 MB)

The Italian graphic design collective MEAT give insight into the gestation of MEAT and give a brief history of the collective. They speak of their past graffiti writing, their clients and the types of projects that come through their studio. Being the designers of the printed matter for the Imagine It conference in Bologna, they speak about the design for the identity and ephemera. MEAT collettivo grafico :: Imagine It conference :: MEAT in PaperIdeas :: File Download (15:03 min / 21 MB)

Italian graphic design collective MEAT talk about their favourite designers as well as Italian designer Bruno Munari. MEAT often give workshops and they speak specifically about their workshop at the Imagine iT conference in Bologna. They round up the interview musing about the future of MEAT. Recorded at the ImagineIt 2008 conference in Bologna, Italy. Art Chantry - Speak Up interview :: Jonathan Barnbrook :: Bruno Munari :: File Download (13:18 min / 18 MB)

Cinzia Ferrara is an architect and graphic designer. She is professor of the Master course in design at the Laboratory of Visual Communication in Palermo. Ferrara speaks about the mafia in Palermo and the use of graphic design and propaganda to fight mafia activities. She describes the reactions of the public to the anti-mafia design work, organization and campaigns. Ferrara indicates some directions for future advertising, promotional projects and educational programs in schools. She addresses the damaging ‘myth’ and portrayal of the mafia in the media and entertainment industry and extent of the deeply rooted problems of mafia activities in Palermo. Simone Wolf of Typevents translates. Recorded at the ImagineIt 2008 conference in Bologna, Italy. Cinzia Ferrara’s studio :: Cinzia at SDI (italian) :: Cinzia at PaperIdeas :: File Download (28:36 min / 39 MB)

Heather Shaw is a graphic design and digital media lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Heather speaks about her teaching philosophy and the importance of teaching interactive and information design in graphic design programs today. She presses for the need to integrate new technologies and trends into contemporary design teaching. Recorded at the ImagineIt 2008 conference in Bologna, Italy. Heather Shaw :: Heather Shaw bio :: Processing :: File Download (21:07 min / 29 MB)

Simone Wolf about moderating at Typo Berlin and how to deal with boring speakers. How does Typevents compile a conference programme? Simone talks about their future plans, cross-linking and the design of a new identity. (Recorded at Typeradio’s Sweet16) Typo Berlin :: ImagineIt! Bologna :: Colour lovers :: File Download (14:44 min / 20 MB)

Carlo Branzaglia organiser of the ImagineIt conference in Bologna and Professor at the Accademia Di Belle Arti, talks about the event, the success of the topic and how it is a first of its kind in Italy. Carlo Branzaglia :: Discodesign in Italy :: File Download (8:13 min / 8 MB)