Podcasts about what color

*Patreon-only Bonus Episode Teaser* Kristen and Jolenta live by What Color is Your Parachute? Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success, 2022 updated version by Richard N. Bolles with Katharine Brooks. To hear the entire episode and get lots of other great bonus content, including a live monthly book club with Kristen and Jolenta, join patreon.com/listentobythebook  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Shell Mendleson, an experienced ADHD career coach, brings over 35 years of expertisein career coaching and counseling to the table. With a master's degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling and training under the renowned author Reid Miles, Shell has guided and impacted the lives of over 1500 clients. Her passion lies in helping individuals navigate career transitions, aligning their skills with personal aspirations and work environment preferences. Through her interactive and instructional masterclass, she empowers individuals to gain clarity on their career direction and take confident steps towards their goals. Shell's profound understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with ADHD in the workplace makes her an invaluable resource for those seeking effective career guidance and job search strategies.Reid reconnected with Shell Mendelson, an experienced ADHD career coach, during this episode. Shel's journey began with a master's degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling and guidance from Richard Bowles, the author of "What Color is Your Parachute?" She has positively impacted around 200 clients through her "Your Next Career Move Masterclass," which combines instruction, interaction, coaching, and support. Shel emphasized the importance of honing in on one's career direction, aligning personal values with job choices, and seeking the necessary training for specific roles. Her insights revealed the significance of clarity, confidence, and assertiveness in the job search process, highlighting the need to become a "job developer" rather than a "job beggar." Shel's engaging narrative and practical advice resonated with Reid and the audience, providing valuable strategies for navigating the challenges of job searching with ADHD.,In this episode, Reid engaged with Shel Mendelson, a seasoned ADHD career coach, whose career counseling background and training under "What Color is Your Parachute?" author, Richard Bowles, has shaped her expertise. Shel's extensive experience, spanning over 35 years and impacting around 200 clients through her "Your Next Career Move Masterclass," underscores her commitment to empowering individuals in their job search journey. Her emphasis on aligning personal values with career choices, seeking specialized training, and fostering clarity and confidence resonated with Reid and the audience, offering valuable insights into navigating job searching with ADHD. Shel's unique approach, advocating for individuals to become "job developers" rather than "job beggars," struck a chord with listeners, providing practical strategies for success in the competitive job market.To purchase Shell Mendleson's book A Course for ADHD Adults and Teens: Unlock Your Career Path, visit Amazon.com and search for the book by the title or the author's name.To order the book directly from the author's website, visit the course book section and place an order there.Keep an eye out for the book on other platforms such as LayFlat Books, where it will be available in the future.For more information about Shell Mendleson and her work, visit her website to explore additional resources, services, and updates.Consider engaging with the content in the book to gain clarity on your career path and take actionable steps towards a fulfilling professional journey.www.passiontocareer.com

Jonny and Mark return to their regularly scheduled venture, by watching and discussing the beginning of "The Venture Bros." fifth season, "What Color is Your Clean Suit?" and "Venture Libre". 

Send us a textSummaryIn this bonus episode, Valerie interviews several contributors to the Go Bible project, including author Amy Parker. They discuss their favorite Bible stories, the importance of the Go Bible project, and their motivation to read the Bible. The Go Bible is a comprehensive resource for children that includes color illustrations, special pages with activities and devotional stories, and memory verses. The contributors emphasize the power of the Word of God and the transformative impact it can have on children's lives.00:30- Amy Parker01:45- Amy Parker's Favorite Bible Story07:30- Amy Parker's Joy in working on the Go: Bible's Special Pages and Highlighted Bible Verses14:07- Joshua Cooley ( Interview about Joshua's Book Can't Believe my Eyes )14:27- Joshua's Favorite Bible Story17:57- Joshua Cooley Intentional added to a team that work on the Introductions to each book of the Bible.21:18 - Tama Fortner ( Interview about Tama's book God I Feel Scared)21:46 - Tama's Favorite Bible Story25:14 - Tama added to the Know and Grow Sections of the Go: Bible29:14 - Jesse Florea30:12 - Jesse Florea's Favorite Bible Story 36:26- Jesse Florea added his love of God's word to the Introduction sections of each book of the Bible as well as a Seek and Find Challenge40:45 - Xochitl Dixon (Interview about Xochitl's books What Color is God's Love ) 41:21 -Xochitl Dixon's favorite Bible Story47:41 -Xochitl added her love and wisdom to the Choose to Change elements of the Go Bible51:01- Conclusion Let's discover great books together!Follow for more:FB: @bookworthypodcastInstagram: @bookworthy_podcastYouTube: BookWorthy Podcast - YouTubetiktok: @valeriefentress

Support the show via my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AspergersStudioShell Mendleson, an experienced ADHD career coach, brings over 35 years of expertise in career coaching and counseling to the table. With a master's degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling and training under the renowned author Reid Miles, Shell has guided and impacted the lives of over 1500 clients. Her passion lies in helping individuals navigate career transitions, aligning their skills with personal aspirations and work environment preferences. Through her interactive and instructional masterclass, she empowers individuals to gain clarity on their career direction and take confident steps towards their goals. Shell's profound understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with ADHD in the workplace makes her an invaluable resource for those seeking effective career guidance and job search strategies.Reid reconnected with Shell Mendelson, an experienced ADHD career coach, during this episode. Shel's journey began with a master's degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling and guidance from Richard Bowles, the author of "What Color is Your Parachute?" She has positively impacted around 200 clients through her "Your Next Career Move Masterclass," which combines instruction, interaction, coaching, and support. Shel emphasized the importance of honing in on one's career direction, aligning personal values with job choices, and seeking the necessary training for specific roles. Her insights revealed the significance of clarity, confidence, and assertiveness in the job search process, highlighting the need to become a "job developer" rather than a "job beggar." Shel's engaging narrative and practical advice resonated with Reid and the audience, providing valuable strategies for navigating the challenges of job searching with ADHD.,In this episode, Reid engaged with Shel Mendelson, a seasoned ADHD career coach, whose career counseling background and training under "What Color is Your Parachute?" author, Richard Bowles, has shaped her expertise. Shel's extensive experience, spanning over 35 years and impacting around 200 clients through her "Your Next Career Move Masterclass," underscores her commitment to empowering individuals in their job search journey. Her emphasis on aligning personal values with career choices, seeking specialized training, and fostering clarity and confidence resonated with Reid and the audience, offering valuable insights into navigating job searching with ADHD. Shel's unique approach, advocating for individuals to become "job developers" rather than "job beggars," struck a chord with listeners, providing practical strategies for success in the competitive job market.To purchase Shell Mendleson's book A Course for ADHD Adults and Teens: Unlock Your Career Path, visit Amazon.com and search for the book by the title or the author's name.To order the book directly from the author's website, visit the course book section and place an order there.Keep an eye out for the book on other platforms such as LayFlat Books, where it will be available in the future.For more information about Shell Mendleson and her work, visit her website to explore additional resources, services, and updates.Consider engaging with the content in the book to gain clarity on your career path and take actionable steps towards a fulfilling professional journey.Contact Me:https://www.youtube.com/@AspergersStudiohttps://www.Instagram.com/InsidetheAspergersStudiohttps://www.twitter.com/AspergersStudiohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/reidmiles/https://aspergersstudio.com/https://www.facebook.com/InsideTheAspergersStudioHosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

SummaryIn this episode of Book Worthy, Valerie interviews Xochitl Dixon about her picture book, 'What Color is God's Love?' They discuss the inspiration behind the book, the importance of embracing diversity, and the impact of colors and emotions. Xochitl also shares her journey of becoming an author and her upcoming projects. The conversation highlights the power of colors in conveying God's love and the need to challenge negative connotations associated with certain colors. Overall, the book encourages children to celebrate diversity and recognize God's presence in all things.Takeaways Colors can be used to convey God's love and evoke emotions.It is important to embrace diversity and challenge negative connotations associated with certain colors.Children's books can play a significant role in teaching faith and promoting inclusivity.Nature and colors can serve as reminders of God's unchanging character. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Favorite Color01:04 Family and Personal Background03:10 Becoming a Christian and Embracing Diversity04:45 Inspiration behind 'What Color is God's Love?'08:17 Exploring Colors and Emotions09:07 Challenging Negative Connotations of Colors10:18 God's Presence in Nature and Colors12:38 Additional Resources and Activities15:13 The Inspiration behind 'Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown'20:24 Childhood Dream of Becoming an Author25:31 Most Impactful Book (Other than the Bible)29:39 Upcoming Projects33:37 Where to Find More Information34:05 ConclusionFind out more about Xochitl and her books here: Home | Xochitl Dixon (xedixon.com)Amazon.com: What Color Is God's Love?: 9780593579015: Dixon, Xochitl, Varma, Darshika: BooksLet's discover great books together!Follow for more:FB: @bookworthypodcastInstagram: @bookworthy_podcastYouTube: BookWorthy Podcast - YouTubetiktok: @valeriefentress

[00:00:00] Bob Lonac: And the authenticity part — I believe everybody wants to run into people that have that freedom.  When you don't have anything to hide — I think that's what authenticity is. It's you are you. And being you, when you start discovering it and relaxing, it is a lot easier than always thinking, what do you think? +++++++++++++ [00:00:29] Tommy Thomas: My guest today is Bob Lonac. For people that have been regular listeners, you will remember Bob was the guest on our first episode, and I was so grateful that Bob would agree to be a guest on a podcast that never had occurred yet. And so, thank you, Bob. We're 126 episodes in now, so we've got more listeners and I trust I've gotten a little bit better in my interviewing skills.  Bob had a successful career. 30+ years with Young Life. And then he was on the ground level with the International Justice Mission and finished his career with Crista Ministries in the greater Seattle area. [00:01:09] Tommy Thomas: So, Bob, welcome again to Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership. [00:01:13] Bob Lonac: Great to be here, Tommy. So, what you're doing, man. Thanks for all you've done for me. [00:01:19] Tommy Thomas: I read your newsletter this week. Maybe go back and just refresh our listeners. You retired from Crista, and you started consulting and this newsletter is a way for you to share what you're thinking about. [00:01:36] Bob Lonac: Yeah, newsletters may be an old word right now in today's world, but I always read newsletters on different things, finance whatever. And I thought, I am the kind of guy that's always thinking about stuff. And I think one of the things I do that over time people have told me is like put ideas into a way to communicate and help people grow, including myself. Because I'm always thinking about how can I be better and what can I do? So, I just threw out the idea of hey, you want to sign up? So, if you do want to sign up for what I do have, I've got several hundred subscribers. It's free. So you just go to boblonac.com and you can sign up there. [00:02:20] Tommy Thomas: I read the one this week and it had to do with giftedness and stewardship of your gifts, giftedness and honoring God with the way he created us and somehow that just that resonated with me, so I immediately got on the phone and called Bob and I said, let's do a podcast.  Let's discuss this. Bob, I remember back from our first conversation. You know, you mentioned, probably midway in your career with Young Life, or maybe late there, that you read the book, What Color is Your Parachute? by Dick Bowles. And was that your first introduction into giftedness or that kind of things? [00:02:55] Bob Lonac:  Probably, I think in most ministries and a lot of businesses there are like tests you take. Who is this person? And what should you really do? And the parachute one was one of the first that I did read. And a guy gave it to me that was helping me through a transition. [00:03:18] Bob Lonac: And I just got interested in that good question. Who am I? And it's really, I think a central question to those of us who want to be followers of Christ and, Jesus said, I've come, you might have life more abundantly and what does that mean? What is abundance? Does that mean getting rich?  I don't think so, but what is it and how do you understand it and how can you have more of it? [00:03:49] Tommy Thomas: Years ago, probably 10-12 years ago now, Max Lucado, the pastor down in San Antonio was going through a, maybe struggle. That's probably not too strong of a word on figuring out what his best giftedness was. He was trying to be a pastor of a mega church, but his passion was really writing and speaking. And so, he came to our organization, and we took him through the assessment SIMAÓ and he reorganized his whole church staff. He got an Executive Pastor to run the thing and freed him up to do what he does best, and that's to speak and to write. So, I think there is an element of stewardship there, of honoring God. [00:04:30] Bob Lonac: No doubt about it. My mentor in life, theologically, was Earl Palmer, who used to speak a lot of Young Life things. Great speaker, one of the best, and just a wonderful person. And he took me through a class on the Book of Romans with a small group. And he said this is the central understanding of the Christian faith is, what's the gospel, chapter 1 through 8, what happened to Israel, 9 through 11. And then starting with chapter 12, therefore, present your bodies as a living sacrifice to God. [00:05:05] Bob Lonac: And in chapter 12, the Apostle Paul talks about what are you supposed to do? Who are you supposed to be? And he says, the first three verses, are present your body as a living sacrifice. But the third one says, don't think more highly of yourself than you ought to. And don't think less of yourself than you ought to. Socrates started the whole thing way back in 400 BC, right? Know Thyself. And a lot of times people ask me, I'll say something on a subject or something that I'm talking about, and they say, how'd you know that? What'd you do? How'd you do that? I'd go, I don't know. I just did it. It just came out of me. [00:05:52] Bob Lonac: I think that's what happens when you're operating on your gifts and who you are. It's not hard. [00:05:59] Tommy Thomas: From your experience, and you've supervised countless people, what keeps people from going there? [00:06:06] Bob Lonac: It's exactly the same thing in chapter 12. The beginning of chapter 12 is “don't let the world squeeze you into its own mold, but let Christ renew you from within”. And boy, in today's world, it's so full of insecurities from people looking around and wanting to be. I don't even understand all the words out there. I got ghosted. I got whatever. And how can I be, how can I be popular and all that kind of stuff. And if you're not in your sweet spot being you. And I do think the Bible talks about this a lot then you're trying to fake it. [00:06:53] Tommy Thomas: You probably know Ross Hoskins with One Hope. Ross says surround yourself with people who know you better than you know yourself, and they will tell you the truth out of love. That's how we grow. Sounds like you've got a little bit of that going on in your mindset here. [00:07:10] Bob Lonac: I think I got a lot of that going on. I have been blessed with unbelievable jobs that I, God brought me here, but whatever. And people ask me how did that happen? As a COO at International Justice Mission, I was the president, CEO of Crista, a big organization. How'd you do it? I think the one thing I'm good at is choosing other people who know stuff more than I do. [00:07:36] Bob Lonac: So, leadership is not about, look at me, how good I am, I can do this, let me help you do it. Leadership is about making other people successful. And that's the biblical idea. Oh, think about Jesus in the long haul too. Like, why did he die for us? Make us like the kind of people we were created to be. +++++++++++++++++ [00:08:02] Tommy Thomas: At what point at Young Life, did you get comfortable in your leadership skin? Did you acknowledge that this is how God put me together? This is what he wants me to do. And that's who I'm going to be. [00:08:16] Bob Lonac: I want to say that I'm still in that process.  I don't think we get to this deal where oh, okay. Now I got it. I do understand a lot more about myself. And I do want to very much be who God wants me to be and do what God wants me to do, but it's a lifelong process. We all are broken people. We all live in a world of sin, and it's a lifelong process that is chiseled away. I think the scripture says God is chiseling on me all the time to become the person he wants me to be. [00:08:58] Tommy Thomas: Here's a couple of quotes about authenticity. I'd like your response. There's great power in authenticity. Arthur Wiles said, Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. As St. Catherine of Siena put it, Be who God meant you to be and you'll set the world on fire. [00:09:17] Bob Lonac: In that newsletter, I said that Irenaeus in the year 300 said “the glory of God is man fully alive”. And, when you're being you and you are in connection with God, Christ, that doesn't mean things will go great. I'm facing some incredible personal challenges in my life right now. [00:09:39] Bob Lonac: I didn't get older and get better and everything got more wonderful all the time. It's up and down all the time. If it's not happening to you, the chiseling, it'll happen to you tomorrow. So, it's not easy. And the authenticity part is what everybody, I believe everybody wants to run into people that have that freedom. When you don't have anything to hide, I think that's what authenticity is. It's you are you. And being you actually, when you start discovering it and relaxing, it is a lot easier than always thinking, what do you think? Here's a classic one. One of my grandsons, he's in the eighth grade, he's out helping me work in the yard. And he comes over to me and grandma, I have a great relationship with my kids and great kids. He says, grandpa, I have a question for you. What is it? Hey, I can hardly wait till I get old like you. Okay. This guy can hardly wait till I get old. I said, why? He said, then I can say no to people. [00:10:59] Bob Lonac: And I go, oh, why do you think you can say no to people, grandpa. Yeah, I tried to do it nicely. Yeah, you shouldn't, but you should be able to say no to people too. Oh, I don't know. I got this opportunity to do this. I got this opportunity. These people want me to do this. You gotta be with this crowd. And he's really an intelligent kid doing great at school, but he's like the world around him is trying to make him into something that he doesn't want to be. And that's, that was such an interesting little real-life story about that. [00:11:38] Tommy Thomas: In your newsletter you cited four ways to help people discover and affirm their identity.  And I'm sure you probably use this in your consulting, and you probably used it when you had a staff, but can you go into that a little bit and let's unpack those a little bit. [00:11:55] Bob Lonac: You want to take them one by one for me? [00:11:58] Tommy Thomas: You started with affirming your identity. [00:12:01] Bob Lonac: Yeah, that's you know, and there's a lot of ways to do that. You have the Enneagram; you have all kinds of tests and other things which are really helpful. I think really helpful. And I've done a lot of those things. So, I think our identity has a lot to do with what kind of person you are, but your identity also must center on who you are in Christ. What does Christ say about you and that freedom that comes from unconditional love in your relationship with him is. [00:12:41] Tommy Thomas: Your second point, you said what lights your fire? The power of story. [00:12:46] Bob Lonac: Yeah. What lights my fire is getting into relationships and talking to people one on one. I was picking my wife up from getting her hair styled.  Two hours, right? So I talked to her hairstylist. Start talking to her who's starting a new hairstyle business where she's going to be the owner and I don't know, she's an easy person to talk to and I thought she's gonna say goodbye, I got another deal. We talked for about a half hour sitting there, the two of us and my wife and I walked away from that, and it was totally fun. I was talking to her about stuff. I knew in my consulting business thing. Oh, yeah. Oh, gee, never thought about that. Thank you. And they asked me questions and I thought that's me. [00:13:39] Bob Lonac: That's what I love to do. And in fact, that's where my whole life has gone right now. I do one on one conversations with people, and I don't mean that all in my consulting deal. That's really important. I love doing that, but my neighbors, my people I run into, it's just who I am and what I do. And when I do that, it's totally fun. [00:14:10] Tommy Thomas: When you know what lights your fire and you do it more often than not, I think that's part of this element of stewardship of who God puts you together to be. [00:14:19] Bob Lonac: Absolutely. Yeah. [00:14:21] Bob Lonac: I don't think I don't buy that he gave you the deal of, hey, I'm going to send you to be a missionary and it's going to be miserable, but you're serving me. [00:14:33] Tommy Thomas: Your third point was exploring your strengths. [00:14:37] Bob Lonac: Yeah, I had one as a leader. I had one very simple thing, do what you do well and find other people that do what you don't.  It's so hard to shore up my weaknesses. And I think that's my experience with other people and it's miserable to try to do it, at least for me, whereas you're working to your strengths. That's the game. [00:14:57] Tommy Thomas: Yeah. Your fourth point, find people who really know you and love you and invite them into the process. [00:15:07] Bob Lonac: Speak the truth in love. I think this is, especially if you're a leader, I have a little small group of business owners who are Christians. It's really hard to get people, especially if you're the CEO or you own a small business, to tell you the truth. And it's hard to get anybody to tell you the truth or even tell you what they think, which may not be the truth. [00:15:35] Bob Lonac: But here's another point, Tommy, that I could talk all day about. I don't think mature Christians should be defensive about anything. Defensiveness is not a spiritual virtue because if you find your self-worth in your relationship with Christ and in whom he made you. You're going to be a hard guy to offend. [00:16:05] Tommy Thomas: What can you think back to when you got comfortable with that? When you realize that, yeah, I don't have to fight back. [00:16:14] Bob Lonac: Yeah, I think it's been a lifelong process. It still is. And one of my, I don't know if it's a gift or some things are like this. I don't know if they're a gift or a pain because I like to talk. And so, for me, like shutting up is a, what I'd say is a self-control virtue. Christ talks about, you don't have to say that, Bob, you're right. You know what you're saying, but you don't have to say that, shut up. [00:16:46] Bob Lonac: Now right there is a battle that I'll probably take to the grave, I think it's always an interchange, but it's centered and matured in, I know it is God's work in us. It's not performing. It's hard to do it under your own strength. So, to me, it's relinquishing everything to Jesus.  Nevertheless, Lord, not my will be done, but Yours. [00:17:12] Tommy Thomas: And your last point in that section of the newsletter was to keep discovering who you are in Jesus and be you. [00:17:21] Bob Lonac: There's a point when, and I think it could be fairly early life when you think you discover what your talents are and what your spiritual gifts are. And I think those are two different things. Natural talents, I can't run fast. I was a fast catcher in baseball. I was stuck with that. I didn't have much to do. So, whatever your natural gifts are, you got them and the spiritual ones you learn and grow as you explain, find them and then learning how to connect those two ideas with the Word of God. And this is easier, I retired four years ago, so now my consulting business, I get to control how much I work. [00:18:03] Bob Lonac: And I'm just fascinated by the Bible. I've been teaching the Bible all my life, but I'm more fascinated than ever at what, what happens here, and what, did that really say that? And what does that mean? So that is, I would say my wonder and joy experience is, and then that's sometimes what I talk to other people. And a lot of times leadership is asking questions. People think leadership has to do with giving answers and questions, going, I, that's what I do. A little small group thing. I'd say, hey, I read this the other day. You guys, what do you think of this? What do you think that means? We talked about that idea of the abundant life two weeks ago in our group.  What does that mean to you? Man, that thing, that's all I asked. The rest of them went at it forever. +++++++++++++ [00:18:53] Tommy Thomas: Interesting that I guess the private sector and maybe the secular organizations they've picked up on the strengths thing. I was reading an article in the Harvard Business Review. It says a lot of professional development programs focus on the negative, what you're doing badly and need to improve. But if you focus on the strength it provides a powerful way to grow. And then, the people at Case Western David Cooperrider and his Appreciative Inquiry expounds on what's working well and what's the potential there. [00:19:26] Tommy Thomas: I guess that's not to say you don't work on improving things, but you probably make a lot more headway if you start with what's going right. [00:19:34] Bob Lonac: Yeah, I certainly believe that, but I also think that people think there's a big difference between a nonprofit or a Christian organization and a for profit organization. And I don't think there's one bit of difference. I think leadership is leadership. Leadership is explained in the Bible. The Bible is the truth of God. And when you try to figure it out yourself, you're probably going to go down a rat hole once in a while and try to simply understand what God's Word is and become that and count on the Lord's involvement in your life and spend your time thinking about those kinds of things. [00:20:24] Bob Lonac: What are you learning? Are you curious about your own relationship with God? I take guys on retreats once in a while, and the one of the questions we send them out is hey, how do you hear God? How do you hear God's word? How do you hear God's voice? I've had numerous people say, I've never heard God's voice. And I'm going, I'm not sure I've ever heard God's voice that if you talk out loud to me, no, I think there's a lot of ways to analyze how you can hear and listen to God and learn how to do that. And I'm talking to another grandson about the same thing. He thinks he wants to go into being a missionary overseas. [00:21:10] Bob Lonac: He's only a junior in high school. And I'm like let's talk about that. What do you want to do? You got to listen to God. And how does that happen? And watch for open doors, walk through the open doors, do this, do that. So it's again, this whole thing, I think Christians have wanted to put everything into a nice neat package and tell you what you shouldn't do. You shouldn't smoke, shouldn't drink, shouldn't do this. That was my era. And then here's what you should do. Here's this and here's what you don't do.. It's never been like that. Every time I tried that kind of approach it didn't work. Especially if I faced my own feelings and thoughts and I love this idea that we can't run away from sins. We must run towards something better. We have to be captured by something we really want. Somebody told me recently, you are going to get what you want. Everybody gets what they want. Now you've got to start thinking about that one, right? The question is, what do you really want? And if you look at the average American out there, what they really want is a good job, great kid. [00:22:40] Bob Lonac: You could put a lot of nice things, put a lot of bad things, but the idea of a living, vital relationship with Christ. is not what they really want. They would like it, but the things you really want, you try and make happen. [00:23:02] Tommy Thomas: Let me ask you a closing question. You've got a lot of time to think now that you're retired. And as you say, you control your work schedule. What do you understand about yourself or life now that you probably didn't understand when you walked out of Crista? [00:23:20] Bob Lonac: Oh gosh, that's a good question. There's no doubt about it. Like a lot of people, I've been blessed with good health. I'm a high energy person. I like doing stuff. And the doing stuff is how I got my jobs, right? And I liked doing it. Nobody had to tell me to go to work. I liked going to work. I had a great job. I thought, and I never ended for enthusiasm for the day. Be still and know that I am God. So, I am now learning another great calling in life. And it's, and see, I don't think that it's a part of a natural progression. Maybe, I don't know. For me, it's cultivating an interior sense of peace in the ability to love others unconditionally. [00:24:25] Bob Lonac: Love others unconditionally. I was talking to a Catholic buddy. He works in my yard. And I love talking to the guys that work in my yard. And I said, oh man, the drivers around here were crazy. I almost got in an accident. They're crazy. And he said to me, Bob, you know what the priest told me? No matter what happens to you, you say, God bless them, help me. I'm like, holy mackerel. See, that's the kind of person I want to be. I want to be that kind of person. And the only way I become that person is in my own knowledge because I'm in a personal position right now of having to live most all my day in a completely loving, serving, caring relationship with my family and I don't get much time for me now. Where do I get the energy for that? It's easy to be the CEO. Everybody goes oh, Mr. Lonac - Oh, you're the president of blah blah blah blah blah. If you feed off that stuff, you're in trouble. I get to love people and I get to try and learn and experience not looking for anything from it. The founder of Fuller Seminary came to share with me, not the founder, but what the teacher shared with me a Buddhist saying, Nishkama Karma, okay? And God's truth is everywhere, right? Here's the saying, do your duty to God without regard to the fruit of your labor. You don't do things for God for what you can get out of it.  How else can you explain the life of Jesus? Everybody says, take care of yourself. And Jesus said, let this cup pass for me, but nevertheless, Lord, not my will be done. Your will be done. That is what's passionate in your heart is for God's will to be done through you. No matter what, that's how we have martyrs. [00:27:09] Tommy Thomas: That's how we have people that really make a difference for the world for Christ. I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Bob Lonac.  Bob is someone that I never tire of talking with. Every time I read his writing or talk with him. I come away with a nugget that I can use in life. In the show notes, I will leave Bob's contact data as well as links to his newsletter. Additionally, I will put the link to the pilot episode of this podcast where Bob was my guest. [00:27:39] Tommy Thomas: Thank you for joining us today. If you are a first-time listener, I hope you will subscribe and become a regular. You can find links to all the episodes at our website: www.jobfitmatters.com/podcast. [00:28:03] Tommy Thomas: If there are topics you'd like for me to explore, my email address is tthomas@jobfitmatters.com.  Word of mouth has been identified as the most valuable form of marketing.  Surveys tell us that consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all other forms of advertising. [00:28:27] Tommy Thomas: If you've heard something today that's worth passing on, please share it with others. You're already helping me make something special for the next generation of nonprofit leaders. I'll be back next week with a new episode. Until then, stay the course on our journey to help make the nonprofit sector more effective and sustainable.   Links & Resources JobfitMatters Website Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas The Perfect Search – What every board needs to know about hiring their next CEO Bob Lonac's Website Email Bob Lonac: blonac81@gmail.com  Pilot Episode of Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership with Bob Lonac   Connect tthomas@jobfitmatters.com Follow Tommy on LinkedIn   Listen to Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership with Tommy Thomas on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts    

Today the Dads welcome back superstar Shell Mendelson! Shell is an ADHD career coach who has trained with Richard Bolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute? She helps adults with ADHD navigate career decisions and transitions. She published A Course for ADHD Adults and Teens: Unlock Your Career Path. Mendelson has been on numerous podcasts and helps individuals unlock their purpose and discover true happiness in their careers. This week the Dads discuss with Shell the benefits of advocating for ourselves in our path toward a career, as well as in the workplace. If there's one thing we can stress, it's to advocate for your best self wherever you are, and when you're an adult, you're often at the office. Shell shares with the Dads some strategies to discovering our paths, and making them work for us. Website www.careercoachingwithshell.com Your Next Career Move MasterClass A Course for ADHD Adults and Teens: Unlock Your Career Path Purchase on Amazon We are incredibly grateful for Shell's return to the podcast. If you feel moved to purchase her incredible workbook, please let us know. And as always, thank you for your support! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theadhdads/support

Stephanie welcomes Xochitl Dixon for an inspiring conversation about the transformative power of faith, the significance of abiding in God, and the reality of God's love represented through colors and Scripture. Xochitl Dixon's dedication to celebrating diversity and promoting racial reconciliation is illuminated through her children's books. Her narrative and intent behind her books, such as "Different Like Me" and "What Color is God's Love," illustrate how she uses Scripture and colorful imagery to spark conversations about diversity, racial unity, and the value of God's love for all individuals. Her books are a testament to the power of storytelling as a tool for fostering understanding and embracing God's diverse creation. Xochitl Dixon emphasizes the significance of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, enabling believers to serve one another and be filled with God's love. Her profound reflection on the spiritual concept of "be still" verses in Scripture resonated deeply, echoing the notion of finding peace and abiding in God's presence amidst life's challenges. Xochitl's personal journey of navigating chronic pain unleashes a profound message of resilience and faith. Her deep commitment to "be still" despite overwhelming pain serves as a powerful testimony of finding solace and strength in God's love. The transparency and vulnerability of her experiences resonate deeply, offering a source of hope and inspiration for those facing their own struggles. Xochitl Dixon's journey and insights shared on Gospel Spice serve as a testament to the transformative power of faith, the abiding presence of God's love, and the potential for inclusive storytelling to foster unity and understanding. Her unwavering dedication to uplifting diverse voices and experiences through her work encapsulates the profound impact of faith in action. MORE ABOUT THE BOOK This playful rhyming picture book invites young readers to discover all the ways God's love can be displayed through a rainbow of colors. All the colors displayed in this world that God made— every glorious, fabulous, beautiful shade— show how good God is and will always be. But what is the color of love? Come and see! God created all the colors in the world, and in each one, we can discover how great His love is for us and how we can let that love shine to others! With each turn of the page, the focus shifts to a specific color—orange, yellow, blue, green, pink, black, white, gray, brown, red, purple—and explores a different attribute and expression of love through its many shades.   MEET XOCHITL DIXON Xochitl (So-Cheel) Dixon encourages readers through the ministries of Our Daily Bread and the ECPA bestseller God Hears Her, through her custom designs at Worship Expressed, and through her books, Different Like Me and Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God's Plan and Pace. Serving God with her beautifully diverse family and her service dog, Callie, Xochitl loves Jesus, her neighbors, and readers like you! Author Website/Blog: http://www.xedixon.com Instagram: @xochitl.e.dixon https://www.instagram.com/xochitl.e.dixon/ Facebook Author Page: Xochitl E. Dixon https://www.facebook.com/Xochitl-E-Dixon-239776362714751/ YouTube Channel: Pause for Prayer https://www.youtube.com/c/xochitldixonauthorspeaker A word from Xochitl: “My name is Xochitl (So-Cheel) E. Dixon. I love Jesus and people! But that wasn't always the case. I didn't surrender my life to the Lord until I was thirty years old, after I stole my first Bible. Don't worry. I eventually paid for it . . . two years later, as soon as I figured out that they weren't free! I'm a first generation Mexican-American who grew up in the 1970's, torn between assimilation and the Chicano Pride Movement. My parents believed in God but never took me to church. I knew God existed, but I believed He was into punishing not loving His children. I spent the first few years of my childhood living with my immigrant grandparents, Papa Chato and Mama Luna, speaking Spanish and being told that I wasn't allowed to speak Spanish in public, especially when I went to school. My parents changed my name when I went to school because my first name, an Aztec name meaning Princess of the Garden, was too hard for teachers to pronounce. I don't remember when my family stopped calling me by my real name. As a child, I remembered loving books because I could escape the turmoil around me. My parents separated then got back together when I was in early elementary school, which led to my mother moving us away from our family in California to follow my father to Washington state for a fresh start. I hated everything about Washington and missed being away from my cousins, who felt more like siblings. Once we were in our new home, I became a latchkey kid. My parents worked fulltime. So, I was at home alone or at the library. Though some bad things happened in my life. I can now see how God protected me from even worse things that could have happened. I can now see how He was calling me through some of the books He placed in my hands, before I even knew His name. God taught me about prayer and faith through Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. God showed me the power of sacrificial love when I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. As a teen runaway, He protected and provided for me even though I still didn't know Him or seek Him as I scrambled in search of myself, my purpose, my lost innocence, a place to belong, a place to call home. Though I had reconciled with my parents in some ways, moving back into their house wasn't an option. So, as I prepared to graduate from high school, I planned to return to my grandparents home in California. The week of finals, my Papa Chato died. My parents left me alone to take my tests and graduate as they attended the funeral with my younger sister. When my mom returned from her trip and I turned eighteen, I asked her to help me fill out the paperwork so I could legally change my records and begin using my real name again. I applied to a university and vowed to leave my old life behind me. That's when I began reclaiming my identity! The only problem was that I had no idea that the identity I thought I was reclaiming was not really who I was meant to be, who I was created to be . . . because I hadn't even met my Creator. I moved back to California in 1990, shortly after pledging Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. I planned to go back to school after working a few months, but after I was a victim of a crime my life spun out of control. I moved in with my Cousin Rose, the same cousin who felt more like a sibling when I was a little girl. I was filled with fear, anger, bitterness, and confusion. I was planning to live with Cousin Rose for a few months then move to Los Angeles, start school again, and get back track. That's when I met Alan. So much happened between that day and December 14, 2001, when I surrendered my life to Jesus. Alan and I have a beautifully diverse growing family. Between the good and the bad of life on this side of eternity, Jesus remains the same and loves me through each day. I'm looking forward to sharing His truth and love with You as He leads me to write and share each message He places on my heart. For now, I would like to thank you for being a member of my blog family. This is where I want to be rooted in God's Word while growing with God's people! With everything that I write, I want to share God's truth and love, to get to know Jesus more and to make Jesus known more and more. I want to celebrate diversity and inclusion, alongside my beautifully diverse family and my amazing service dog, Callie. I cross cultural, generational, and international lines, by sharing biblical encouragement and Scripture-based prayers and seek to inspire the development of deeper, authentic relationships with God and others. Living with chronic pain and fatigue isn't always easy. But I have a heart filled with compassion for hurting people. I want to encourage others to inhale the God-breathed words of Scripture and exhale prayers and praises, while resting in the peace of God's constant presence and walking with Spirit-empowered courage, joy, and enduring hope. I'd like to do this with you, because I know I can't do this without God or your ongoing prayers and support.” We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ God's glory, our delight  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Embracing Emotions With Leslie Lindsey Davis Blossom Your Awesome PodcastLeslie Lindsey Davis, acclaimed inspirational speaker and best-selling author of “You Can't Eat Love,” "The Journey From FAILing to HEALing," and the upcoming "What Color is My Shirt: Trusting Your Emotions," is a transformative force for your podcast. With her impactful message centered around embracing emotions, cultivating self-love, and fostering healthy relationships,To learn more about Leslie click here. To follow me, get bonus content from the show, my own takeaways and favorite quotes, along with access to my newsletter Check me out here at my Substack. This is the best place to support my work. Or sign up for my Weekly Newsletter here. To see more of my work check me out at my website where I write and cover mindfulness and other things to help you Blossom Your Awesome. Or checkout my other site where I right about arts and culture, wellness, essays and op-eds. Or follow me on instagram where I post fairly regularly and ask an inquisitive question or two weekly in hopes of getting you thinking about your life and going deeper with it. My Instagram - i_go_by_skdTo see more of who I'm talking to on the Podcast, to advertise your brand on the Blossom Your Awesome Podcast or just get in touch click here.

What COLOR is your personality?

Listen to the podcast here - https://www.northamericanag.com/north-american-ag-spotlightIn this week's North American Ag Spotlight Chrissy Wozniak talks with David Magaña, Senior Analyst – Horticulture at RaboResearch/Rabobank. In his role, David is tasked with analyzing the fresh fruit and vegetable industries in the United States and North America. With a rich background in agriculture, David brings extensive experience to his current position. Prior to joining Rabobank, he served as the deputy director of economic research for FIRA – Banco de México, where he conducted in-depth analyses of the agricultural sector for over a decade. David's expertise encompasses various aspects of the agricultural landscape, including ag market integration, consumer trends in fresh produce markets, food security, and food price dynamics. Additionally, he has shared his knowledge and insights as a professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey.David holds a bachelor's degree, along with a master's degree and a PhD in agricultural economics, all earned from Texas A&M University. His academic background coupled with his practical experience uniquely position him to offer valuable insights into the intersection of agriculture and finance.Recently, David delivered a compelling presentation at the Association of Agriculture Consultants Conference in Fresno, California, where he provided a comprehensive report on the economy and the state of the industry. Today, we have the pleasure of delving deeper into the current challenges facing producers, particularly in the realm of vegetable and specialty crops, and exploring how these issues reverberate throughout the broader economy.David Magaña is the Senior Analyst in Horticulture at Rabobank/RaboResearch, specializing in the analysis of the US and North American fresh fruit and vegetable industries. With a distinguished career in agriculture, David's journey began as the deputy director of economic research for FIRA – Banco de México, where he dedicated over a decade to conducting thorough analyses of the agricultural sector. His expertise extends across multiple domains, including ag market integration, consumer behavior in fresh produce markets, food security, and food price dynamics.In addition to his professional roles, David has contributed to academia as a professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey, where he shared his knowledge and passion for agricultural economics with students. He holds a bachelor's degree, as well as master's and doctoral degrees in agricultural economics, all earned from Texas A&M University.David's recent presentation at the Association of Agriculture Consultants Conference in Fresno, California, showcased his ability to provide insightful analyses of the economJoin us this February 14-17 at the National Farm Machinery Show, tell us why you love your tractor color and have a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode of What Color is Your Tractor!Learn More at https://fastline.com! The New York Farm Show is the leading farm show in the Northeast since 1985. The show hosts more than 400 exhibitors displaying the latest in farm equipment, tractors, combines and farm implements; seed and crop protection products; farm supplies and services, dairy and beef production, woodlot and related industry supplies.Learn more at https://newyorkfarmshow.com FASTLINE AUCTIONSAuctions is the only auction platform with over 40 years of data to target more farmers than any other. We also make it super simple for our customers – our auctions are embedded directly into Fastline.com's current website listings, so there's no need for buyers to visit a separate website. Learn more at Fastline.com!Subscribe to North American Ag at https://northamericanag.com

In this week's North American Ag Spotlight Chrissy Wozniak talks with Kevin Barley, President of The Florida Bamboo Growers Association. We dive into the lesser-known but deeply rooted agricultural landscape of Florida with a focus on the citrus industry and the emerging bamboo market. Our guest today has a heritage deeply embedded in the Florida citrus industry, tracing back to 1900 when his great grandfather planted their first citrus grove. From a stint on the NYC trading floor during college to leading his father's commodity trading business, he's now at the forefront of the bamboo farming industry as the President of Greenfield Bamboo Investments. Join us as we explore the rich history, opportunities, and challenges of Florida agriculture with Kevin Barley. Tune in for an insightful conversation you won't want to miss!Learn more about The Florida Bamboo Growers Association at https://fbgabamboo.com/Learn more about Greenfield Bamboo Investments at https://www.greenfieldbamboo.net/#bamboo #bamboofarming #agricultureNorth American Ag is devoted to highlighting the people & companies in agriculture who impact our industry and help feed the world. Subscribe at https://northamericanag.comThis episode is sponsored by Fastline - A LEADER IN FARM EQUIPMENT FOR SALEVisit https://agr.fyi/fastlineWant to hear the stories of the ag brands you love and the ag brands you love to hate? Hear them at https://whatcolorisyourtractor.comDon't just thank a farmer, pray for one too!Join us this February 14-17 at the National Farm Machinery Show, tell us why you love your tractor color and have a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode of What Color is Your Tractor!Learn More at https://fastline.com! The New York Farm Show is the leading farm show in the Northeast since 1985. The show hosts more than 400 exhibitors displaying the latest in farm equipment, tractors, combines and farm implements; seed and crop protection products; farm supplies and services, dairy and beef production, woodlot and related industry supplies.Learn more at https://newyorkfarmshow.com FASTLINE AUCTIONSAuctions is the only auction platform with over 40 years of data to target more farmers than any other. We also make it super simple for our customers – our auctions are embedded directly into Fastline.com's current website listings, so there's no need for buyers to visit a separate website. Learn more at Fastline.com!Subscribe to North American Ag at https://northamericanag.com

In this week's North American Ag Spotlight Chrissy Wozniak visits with Gary Hirsch, Founder and President of Global Opportunities. Gary shares his insight into how increasing and strengthening our ties with Africa could be an excellent strategy on many levels.Global Opportunities was founded in order to deepen the economic ties between the people of Africa and the people of the United States and is committed to identifying those opportunities where by working together, jobs and economic growth can be created on both sides while also strengthening the "personal bonds" between Africa's people and the people of the United States. For too long America's adversaries have taken advantage of the United States being economically focused elsewhere and it is time to change this through the building of new partnerships between American and African businesses.Gary Hirsch is the founder and President of Global Opportunities Inc., a United States based company dedicated to increasing trade and economic ties between  U.S. and developing countries, primarily in the Middle East/North Africa region as well as those in Sub Saharan Africa. Mr. Hirsch developed the concept for Global Opportunities based on his concern that in a globally competitive world, increasing  interaction between United States companies and developing economies will not only result in opening up new markets for American products but can also help to provide tremendous opportunities for citizens of the developing world in terms of increasing access to the American market and providing new training opportunities helping to lift local standards of living and address high rates of developing world unemployment. Mr. Hirsch has an extensive background in political and governmental affairs. With over 30 years of experience in the operation and management of Municipal and County political campaigns, Mr. Hirsch is recognized as one of the leading municipal campaign consultants serving the Central New Jersey region. Having participated in and/or managed numerous successful political campaigns, he has been responsible for all facets of campaign operations including but not limited to message development, fundraising,  volunteer recruitment, voter identification and targeting ,  opposition research, budgeting, grass roots support building,  and the development and implementation of all Get Out the Vote efforts leading up to and including Election Day for both  local and County candidates  and  in coordination  at the Municipal Level , with campaigns at other levels of government including State Legislature, Governor, Congress and U.S. President. In addition to this experience, Mr. Hirsch also served in the campaign of President Bill Clinton as Regional Field Coordinator in the early primary Join us this February 14-17 at the National Farm Machinery Show, tell us why you love your tractor color and have a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode of What Color is Your Tractor!Learn More at https://fastline.com! The New York Farm Show is the leading farm show in the Northeast since 1985. The show hosts more than 400 exhibitors displaying the latest in farm equipment, tractors, combines and farm implements; seed and crop protection products; farm supplies and services, dairy and beef production, woodlot and related industry supplies.Learn more at https://newyorkfarmshow.com FASTLINE AUCTIONSAuctions is the only auction platform with over 40 years of data to target more farmers than any other. We also make it super simple for our customers – our auctions are embedded directly into Fastline.com's current website listings, so there's no need for buyers to visit a separate website. Learn more at Fastline.com!Subscribe to North American Ag at https://northamericanag.com

In this week's North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak talks to Ryan Jacobsen, CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, about the regulations affecting California and how these regulations tend to move east. Farmers across the nation should pay attention to what could soon end up on their doorstep, Ryan explains why. Ryan also talks about the incredible ag industry in California, and especially in his home county of Fresno. Ryan Jacobsen brings a deep-rooted connection to Farm Bureau and a profound understanding of agriculture as the fourth generation of two esteemed Fresno County farm families. With a notable history within the organization, Jacobsen previously held roles as FCFB's governmental affairs coordinator and membership coordinator, beginning his service in 2004. A graduate of California State University, Fresno, he holds a master's degree in business administration and a bachelor's degree in animal science. Jacobsen's academic achievements include serving two terms as associated student body president at Fresno State and receiving recognition as the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Dean's Medalist and Craig School of Business Graduate Dean's Medalist. Currently, he is extensively involved, serving as the president of the Fresno Irrigation District Board of Directors, vice chair of the Kings River Water Association, chair of Fresno County's Agricultural Lands Conservation Committee, and contributing to the boards of California Farmland Trust and the Rotary Club of Fresno Foundation.Follow Ryan Jacobsen on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjacobsen/Learn more about Fresno County Farm Bureau at - https://www.fcfb.org/#farm #farming #agricultureNorth American Ag is devoted to highlighting the people & companies in agriculture who impact our industry and help feed the world. Subscribe at https://northamericanag.comThis episode is sponsored by Fastline - A LEADER IN FARM EQUIPMENT FOR SALEVisit https://agr.fyi/fastlineWant to hear the stories of the ag brands you love and the ag brands you love to hate? Hear them at https://whatcolorisyourtractor.comDon't just thank a farmer, pray for one too!Join us this February 14-17 at the National Farm Machinery Show, tell us why you love your tractor color and have a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode of What Color is Your Tractor!Learn More at https://fastline.com! FASTLINE AUCTIONSAuctions is the only auction platform with over 40 years of data to target more farmers than any other. We also make it super simple for our customers – our auctions are embedded directly into Fastline.com's current website listings, so there's no need for buyers to visit a separate website. Learn more at Fastline.com!Subscribe to North American Ag at https://northamericanag.com

Listen to the podcast here - https://www.northamericanag.com/north-american-ag-spotlightIn this week's North American Ag Spotlight Chrissy Wozniak sits down with American Agri-Women Past President Heather Hampton+Knodle to discuss what to expect this year in terms of the election, policy and how to manage the constant barrage of incoming information. American Agri-Women is a grass roots organization of women from farms, ranches and agri-business forming a nationwide coalition of state and commodity affiliates and at-large members with a mission to provide networking and leadership development opportunities as we educate each other and the public about issues impacting our ability to feed, fuel and clothe our country and others around the world.Heather Hampton+Knodle grew up working on her family's farm near Windsor, Illinois and continues to farm with her husband Brian and their four children in Montgomery County where they grow corn, soybeans, winter wheat and black Angus cattle. Their use of technology informs their efforts to apply regenerative practices across their farm and capture data to improve management. Heather earned her bachelors in agriculture news/editorial with emphasis in geography and economics and the equivalent of a minor in Russian language and area studies from the Univ. of Illinois, including an academic year at the University of Nottingham, England and exchange with St. Petersburg Agricultural Institute in Russia. Her masters work in post-socialist privatization was at University of Illinois Springfield as she launched her communication consulting business that quickly evolved into association management. Heather has served as Executive Director for the Upper Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri Rivers Association and statewide organizations in Illinois as well as the volunteer Past President of Illinois Agri-Women. She was the founding chairman of the public-private Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation and the $250 million, 11-county bond authority Central Illinois Economic Development Authority. In her time as an elected official on the Montgomery County Board, she helped leverage $6000 in coal royalty funds into a more than $15 million privately-funded fiberoptic to the premises buildout.She has been appointed by four governors to serve on the Illinois Governor's Rural Affairs Council and was reappointed in 2021 by the Federal Communications Commission to serve on the Precision Agriculture Task Force and chair the Examining Current and Future Connectivity Demand Working Group. Heather also serves as Farm Journal Foundation's Lead Farmer for Illinois to advocate for agricultural research investments and training for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Learn more about American Agri-Women at https://americanagriwomen.org.Read the NY ruling mentioned in the discussion here - https://regs.health.ny.gov/sites/default/files/proposed-regulations/Investigation%20of%20Communicable%20Disease%3B%20Isolation%20and%20Quarantine.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3Z-HBjs_0qyCJPgx9FjxQdhPMs5_xDtOOTRnEsjO7ksecn4GC8qUA3uXg#agwomenunite #farm #farming #agricultureJoin us this February 14-17 at the National Farm Machinery Show, tell us why you love your tractor color and have a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode of What Color is Your Tractor!Learn More at https://fastline.com! FASTLINE AUCTIONSAuctions is the only auction platform with over 40 years of data to target more farmers than any other. We also make it super simple for our customers – our auctions are embedded directly into Fastline.com's current website listings, so there's no need for buyers to visit a separate website. Learn more at Fastline.com!Subscribe to North American Ag at https://northamericanag.com

Today on the podcast, we talk about laying the groundwork for your job hunt in your personal life, we learn a hack to help give you time and sanity back as we combat decision fatigue and we continue our journey of self-inventory for our final Petal in the “What Color Is Your Parachute” mini-series by putting laying our purpose and our person mission.What Color is Your Parachute 2024 and the Workbook Prioritizing Grid And remember to send your comments, stories, and random thoughts to me at TeachersinTransitionCoaching@gmail.com!  I can't wait to read them.  The transcript of this podcast can be found on the at Buzzsprout. 

Grateful Friday - a beautiful story from Bailey about her Dad who was in the hospital on Christmas. What COLOR to wear to get better customer service. In Music News: Usher is hinting at who will join him on stage for the Super Bowl halftime show.

In this week's North American Ag Spotlight Chrissy Wozniak hears from Dean Barke, President of Fastline. Dean shares his insight into big iron trends for 2024. With more than 40 years of experience, Fastline's commitment to the agricultural industry, it's customers, and farmers is unparalleled. With Fastline Print, Fastline.com, and Fastline Digital, they offer integrated marketing solutions for the evolving agricultural community. Simply put, no one else has their combination of audience and wide array of marketing tools. Fastline Auctions is the only auction platform with over 40 years of data to target more farmers than any other. They make it simple for their customers – auctions are embedded directly into Fastline.com's current website listings, so there's no need for buyers to visit a separate website. Fastline Auctions are heavily promoted through their robust digital marketing campaigns as well as Fastline's print catalog.Learn more about Fastline at https://fastline.com#farm #farming #agricultureNorth American Ag is devoted to highlighting the people & companies in agriculture who impact our industry and help feed the world. Subscribe at https://northamericanag.comThis episode is sponsored by Fastline - A LEADER IN FARM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE Visit https://agr.fyi/fastlineWant to hear the stories of the ag brands you love and the ag brands you love to hate? Hear them at https://whatcolorisyourtractor.comDon't just thank a farmer, pray for one too!Join us this February 14-17 at the National Farm Machinery Show, tell us why you love your tractor color and have a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode of What Color is Your Tractor!Learn More at https://fastline.com! FASTLINE AUCTIONSAuctions is the only auction platform with over 40 years of data to target more farmers than any other. We also make it super simple for our customers – our auctions are embedded directly into Fastline.com's current website listings, so there's no need for buyers to visit a separate website. Learn more at Fastline.com!Subscribe to North American Ag at https://northamericanag.com

What Color is That is a sweet story of two cousins learning and matching their colors of the rainbow by taking a trip to the museum and seeing all the colors they have learned to love. What Color is That?: Nandi and Amena Adventures https://a.co/d/aigQgX7 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/slothslovetoread/message

Listen to the podcast here - https://www.northamericanag.com/north-american-ag-spotlight - Navigating Your Career in AgricultureIn this week's North American Ag Spotlight Chrissy Wozniak talks to Dustin Toberman about how to navigate your career, whether you're just starting out, or changing lanes mid-career. Dustin shares his story of starting out as a barge deckhand on the Mississippi, and the lessons he learned as he climbed the ladder. He shares what led him to start his company, OMNI Ag, and his podcast "Boot Pit to Boardroom".Being raised around a family-operated grain business gave him the opportunity to witness how important good people can be to an organization. His father and grandfather showed him that without the right people who are true to your company's values, your business will die. Early on, he recognized the need for leaders to support and champion their people. He took that philosophy with him throughout his career outside the family business in the agriculture industry.Dustin's first job in the industry was as a barge deckhand on the Mississippi. The work was physically demanding and dangerous but it allowed him to see the world from the perspective of those at the foundation of a company. On a daily basis, he was reminded that the company could not succeed without their buy-in and hard work. As his career advanced he was awarded more responsibility and the opportunity to lead people, starting out in operations and eventually in the corporate office leading an entire district. Dustin's travels took him to new locations meeting new challenges with a diverse array of teams. No matter where he went, he took with him the lessons learned on the barges and in the bins of his family's grain business.In Dustin's 20+ years in the industry, he's learned that no matter what business he's worked with, the key to success was always the same: Having the right people on your team is the difference between winning and losing. Many of those he's worked with have gone on to find success leading their own teams. Although different in many ways, all of those people carried with them certain winning traits.OMNI Ag is in the business of building futures, with career placement services focused on lasting success for talent and businesses alike. With proven methods for talent acquisition and retention, they partner with businesses to define and strengthen company culture. Learn more about OMINI Ag at https://omni-ag.com/#farm #farming #agricultureNorth American Ag is devoted to highlighting the people & companies in agriculture who impact our industry and help feed the world. Subscribe at https://northamericanag.comThis episode is sponsored by Fastline - A LEADER IN FARM EQUIPMENT Join us this February 14-17 at the National Farm Machinery Show, tell us why you love your tractor color and have a chance to be featured on an upcoming episode of What Color is Your Tractor!Learn More at https://fastline.com! The New York Farm Show is the leading farm show in the Northeast since 1985. The show hosts more than 400 exhibitors displaying the latest in farm equipment, tractors, combines and farm implements; seed and crop protection products; farm supplies and services, dairy and beef production, woodlot and related industry supplies.Learn more at https://newyorkfarmshow.com FASTLINE AUCTIONSAuctions is the only auction platform with over 40 years of data to target more farmers than any other. We also make it super simple for our customers – our auctions are embedded directly into Fastline.com's current website listings, so there's no need for buyers to visit a separate website. Learn more at Fastline.com!Subscribe to North American Ag at https://northamericanag.com

Today on the podcast, we talk about the power of no – and how to use it!  We learn a quick teacher hack to save time when loggin grades, and we continue our journey of self-inventory for Petal 5 in the “What Color Is Your Parachute” mini-series by putting deep thought into our required salary. What Color is Your Parachute 2024 and the Workbook Parachute Budget Worksheet The book, “F*** No” by Sarah KnightAnd remember to send your comments, stories, and random thoughts to me at TeachersinTransitionCoaching@gmail.com!  I can't wait to read them.  The transcript of this podcast can be found on the Episode's page at Buzzsprout. 

Today on the podcast, in our segment on stress and health, we talk about overcoming adversity during the winter months when many people deal with seasonal affective disorder, the absolute BEST place to put that family calendar, and we'll refine our quest to figure out our transferrable skills as we continue our mini-series in the What Color is Your Parachute book.  Vanessa shares one of the stories she uses to pull out her skills What Color is Your Parachute 2024 and the Workbook PDF of Parachute Skills Grid Prioritizing GridSome prompts for your stories (taken from the book): ·       A situation that made you feel part of something larger than yourself·       An experience that stood out because you were proud of what you accomplish·       Helping someone, or making someone else's life better·       Something you did despite others saying that you could not do it·       Something you did that you would like to do again·       A strong skill or interest of yours and how you used it ·       Something that was exciting or inspiring to you·       An experience you look back on fondly·       An experience that taught you something even if it wasn't fun at the time·       An experience that required you to take a risk Gretchen Rubin's QuizzesAuthentic Happiness Main Page 

Show Notes  Today on the podcast, in our segment on stress and health, we explore the guilt and gaslighting that teachers experience and how to use lists to halt anxiety and overwhelm, and we'll start figuring out our transferrable skills as we continue our mini-series in the What Color is Your Parachute book.How to Recognize the Signs of Emotional AbuseWhat is Gaslighting and How to RespondWhat Color is Your Parachute 2024 and the Workbook PDF of Parachute Skills Grid And remember to send stories to me at TeachersinTransitionCoaching@gmail.com!  I can't wait to read them.  Transcript of this podcast

Today on the podcast, Vanessa talks about how noise affects our stress levels and our health, she shares a teacher hack to that helps increase student focus right before the Winter Holiday Break, and we'll begin envisioning our ideal work environment as we continue our mini-series in the What Color is Your Parachute book.Environmental Noise-Induced Effects on Stress HormonesDrop Dead Healthy by A. J. JacobsWhat Color is Your Parachute 2024 and the WorkbookThe Sound of Encroaching Deafness; Two and a Half Men, CBS is the copyright holder. Transcript of Episode 180

In this episode, we explore Four Rules and their importance in being flexible in an ever-changing, stressful environment.  We also answer the question: Is it weak to cry in your classroom? (Spoiler alert:  I say no, it is not).  And we start to work on our self-inventory so that know exactly what kind of a job we want when transitioning out of teaching.Here are the links referenced in the show:*to the article on the Benefits of Crying:*An Amazon  link to the book, What Color is Your Parachute 2024 and the companion Workbook Transcript of episode 179 Remember to follow rate and review!!  Thank you so much for listening!

For the 300th episode of the show, we are joined by a special guest, Dr David Ireland. In this important conversation he speaks with Mike about the importance of preachers having a clear argument in their message and a persuasiveness in their presentation. He speaks about his preparation process which involves reading himself full, thinking himself clear and praying himself hot. There is also two stories that he shares about prophetic dreams and visions that have both called him into ministry and have given him insight into a need for his own personal growth. Dr. David Ireland is founder and lead pastor of Christ Church, a thriving 10,000-member multiracial, multisite worship community in northern New Jersey. He and his wife, Marlinda, have been married since 1984 and have two adult daughters and a son-in-law.Dr. Ireland grew up in Queens, New York and invited Jesus Christ to become the Lord of his life during college. At that time he was an engineering student. Dr. Ireland earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a master's degree in civil engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. Shortly after he began working in consulting engineering, he answered God's call to plant a new church. In 1986, with only six other adults, the Irelands founded what is now known as Christ Church.Early in the life of the church, Dr. Ireland sensed God's heart deeply leading him to become intentional about ensuring that the church would reflect the multiracial mix of society. Dr. Ireland poignantly remembers the moment he tearfully embraced the church's God-given mission to unite people to God and people to people. “I was on a routine errand for my then-pregnant wife in a local supermarket when suddenly I became mesmerized by the melting pot of races gathered in the store,” Dr. Ireland says. “At that precise moment I heard the Holy Spirit speak this question to my heart, 'David, why can't it be like this in My house?' I knew right then and there that God wanted me to grow and lead a multiracial, multiethnic congregation.”While leading Christ Church, Dr. Ireland has also authored over 20 books including What Color is Your God?, Secrets of a Satisfying Life, One in Christ, The Skin You Live In, and The Kneeling Warrior: Winning Your Battles Through Prayer and has earned a master's degree in theology from Alliance Theological Seminary and an earned doctorate degree in organizational leadership from Regent University. He completed his post-doctoral education at the University of Pennsylvania, and holds a postgraduate degree in social innovation from the University of Cambridge in England. Dr. Ireland formerly served as an adjunct professor at Drew University focusing on training doctoral students in the area of leadership and church growth.Former diversity consultant to the National Basketball Association, Dr. Ireland has led chapel services for the New York Giants, New York Jets, and at the U.S. Pentagon. Ireland has appeared on numerous television shows including The Dr. Phil Show, The CBS Evening News, and The 700 Club. Through his community development corporation, he offers a youth leadership institute, as well as a statewide abstinence-based program in partnership with New Jersey schools. The Reverend Ireland is an appointed member of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Faith-Based Initiatives and serves on the boards of Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary.Resources Mentioned: A Rulebook for Arguments - Anthony Weston: https://hackettpublishing.com/a-rulebook-for-arguments-4146 The preaching of A.B. Simpson : https://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/bring-back-the-king Recommended Episodes: Jon Tyson talks about learning from "the master" preacher : https://cgnmedia.org/podcast/expositors-collective/episode/theology-that-cannot-be-dismissed-power-that-cannot-be-denied-jon-tysonJohn Hwang on mentorships (+ Panel discussion ) : https://cgnmedia.org/podcast/expositors-collective/episode/preaching-mentorships-with-john-hwang-panel-discussionMentorship Exemplified ( 12 testimonials) : https://cgnmedia.org/podcast/expositors-collective/episode/mentorship-exemplifiedFor information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the CGNMedia, Working together to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. For more content like this, visit https://cgnmedia.org/Join our private Facebook group to continue the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpositorsCollective

In today's show, Shell Mendelson joins Eric on the podcast!  Since January 2021, Shell's Your Next Career Move MasterclassSM  has empowered ADHD adults to create confident career options and was trained by Richard Bolles, the author of “What Color is Your Parachute?”   With a Masters in Career Counseling, Shell offers more than 35 years of client experience while bringing her counseling, coaching, teaching, training, and nurturing gifts to help others clarify and focus on a well-defined direction and abundant livelihood.  Following her own diagnosis of ADHD later in life, Shell profoundly understands how ADHD can impact one's work and to reliably choose the best career direction: one that takes our “interest-based ADHD brain wiring” into consideration. Get in touch and find out more about Shell's Next Career Move MasterclassSM on her website at CareerCoachingWithShell.com Questions/Topics:  [00:01:23] Introducing Shell [00:02:35] Training with Richard Bolles and how it changed Shell's life  [00:07:13] What are some examples of some of the questions Shell might ask when someone is trying to figure out a career direction?  [00:09:32] Looking beyond money and Safekeeping Self  [00:10:32] Addressing potential deficits in self-awareness and answering self-assessment questions   [00:25:44] So what is the “best” career for someone with ADHD?  [00:26:55] If you were to ask 100 people if they knew exactly what they wanted to do for work, what is the percentage of people who could actually answer this question?   [00:30:11] The role of stepping-stone jobs and the difference between someone who doesn't know what they want and someone who does know what they want  [00:31:44] Addressing the person who holds a marketable skill set in a lucrative profession but hates the work [00:32:19] Stories that Shell hears from people who reach out to her  [00:34:40] Looking at other career options: “How do we figure this stuff out?”  [00:36:36] Once you discover your “what,” the “how” appears, and a discussion next steps and different types of research  [00:47:40] What is Shell's 8-Week Masterclass and who is her class for?  [00:52:21] How to get in touch with Shell, closing thoughts, and words of wisdom  Resources & Honorable Mentions: Book: What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles

Today's guest is country music singer/songwriter, and Adam's former roommate, Rob Snyder! Rob and Adam talk his musical origins, West Chester, PA, his friendship with Ryan Dunn, Nashville, and songwriting with Luke Combs.Check out Rob's new single with Ashland Craft, "What Color is Happy?", Rob's solo album, and listen to these records he co-wrote with Luke Combs and Tim Montana!Special thanks to 10th Ward Barbershop - Proudly serving the historic 10th Ward in Lawrenceville and surrounding areas, 10th Ward Barbershop is a full service barbershop offering quality haircuts, beard trims, and hot shaves. Schedule your appointment with Finn Balor and Corey Graves' favorite barbershop today!Host/Executive Producer: Adam BarnardAdditional Production/Narration: Sam KreppsEngineer: Carl PannellSpecial Thanks: Greg Mead, Joe Keane, Geoff Quinn, and Dr. Ruth AlmyIntro Music: "Ugly" by Dumb UglyOutro Music: "Rug Burn" by Dumb UglyMusical Accompaniment: EnrichmentCover Photography: Dylan EddingerInstagram/Twitter/Threads: @thisisgooberA Butts Carlton Media production, in conjunction with Premier Podcast Network.

A daily commute to a job where you do the same thing every day. A workplace filled with coworkers who do the same. A long career in one industry. We've all heard this before. These are the old definitions of work, or at least the stories most of us were told about it. But this isn't really the way things work, is it?There are new rules of work. And a critical aspect that we all need to understand is that there will be another new set of rules tomorrow because we're in a constant state of transition — so understanding and preparing for what's next requires more than just learning a new set of definitions.Gary Bolles shares what we need to know about The Next Rules of Work — and the next ones after that. Gary is the author of “The Next Rules of Work,” Chair for the Future of Work for Singularity University, and co-founder of eParachute.com, which builds on the insight from his father's hit book, “What Color is Your Parachute?”Learn more and find the complete show notes at https://www.conniewsteele.com/podcastResources:Learn more at https://www.gbolles.com/Read “The Next Rules of Work:” https://www.amazon.com/Next-Rules-Work-Organization-Uncertainty/dp/1398601632

Shell Mendelson is an ADHD career coach who has trained with Richard Bolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute? She helps adults with ADHD navigate career decisions and transitions. She has an invaluable resource coming out in the form of a workbook titled A Course for ADHD Adults and Teens: Unlock Your Career Path. Mendelson has been on numerous podcasts and helps individuals unlock their purpose and discover true happiness in their careers. This week the Dads pick Shell's brain about what this process looks like, and how she helps adults with ADHD unlock their potential. For more episodes and other content, check out TheADHDads.com. And thanks for the support! Email shell.mendelson@gmail.com Website https://passiontocareer.com Books https://passiontocareer.com/author-page-2/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theadhdads/support

Gary A. Bolles is Chair for the Future of Work at Singularity University, co-founder of eParachute.com, and Author of “The Next Rules of Work: The Mindset, Skillset and Toolset to Lead Your Organization through Uncertainty”. After a first interview in April 2020, Gary returns to the show to report on how he sees the Future of Work progressing and our ongoing adjustments for it. He shares insights about important work trends, mindsets, behaviors, and balance. Gary describes how concurrent waves of old work rules, transitional models, and the next rules of work are impacting leaders and our multigenerational workforce with its shifting weighting of employees and non-employees.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:20] Revisiting our first podcast discussion at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Gary recalls his article about the Great Reset.   [03:54] The helpful visual of multiple waves to understand the evolution of work.   [05:10] Some leaders have bungeed back to old rules of work while others have embraced new rules and operating systems.   [07:02] The effect of perceived incentives and disincentives on changing habits and rules.   [08:05] How to benefit from pandemic learnings and accept the messiness of adapting new practices.   [10:50] Zooming out to shift your mindset about how to solve problems across your ecosystem.   [11:36] Imagining leading without ego and with trust in order to alter leaders' approaches.   [14:53] How media's mischaracterizations don't help as three waves of work try to co-exist.   [15:32] The inevitable trend of continuous co-creation which young people especially seem to embrace.   [16:30] The power dynamic had tilted towards employers which flexible work is rebalancing to some degree.   [18:29] Picture ourselves as icebergs. We employ entire people, not just the tip of the iceberg which we recruit.   [19:32] In the new era of work, leaders are responsible for workers, their lives, and communities.   [21:43] Sophie anticipates smaller core employee groups and more non-employee workers in future.   [22:50] Future employee “agency” achieved through a “worknet” - a flexible flow of talent with varying degrees of organization membership.     [24:05] How to help increase degrees of membership in your company, enable people to feel connected, co-create effectively, and be rewarded.   [25:00] Cybersecurity provides a similar framework for the worknet model.   [27:00] Using words and concepts that reflect people's sentiments and realities helps us reach balanced understanding and outcomes.   [29:10] Aren't young employees manifesting the Future of Work rather than disrupting work norms?   [30:15] How young people are responding to new market signals as new work practices endure.   [32:09] Why older leaders are bereft at Gen Z's behaviors and miss the opportunity of co-creation.   [33:23] Why aren't younger employees' deciding their careers now, and other related outcomes?   [34:45] How the precarity of the world is driving youth to hedge their bets with a portfolio strategy.   [35:32] Looking at the three stages of life horizontally not vertically (sequentially) as proposed by Gary's father who wrote “What Color is Your Parachute?”   [36:47] Parents ask “Why won't my kid get a real job?” It's a hedge strategy. It's ensuring optionality.   [39:00] How culture can be a journey, defined by a mindset and behaviors that are reinforced.   [41:30] What is the process and ongoing actions that empower agency and co-creation?   [43:46] Gary defines empathy as lived experiences. He focuses on caring for coworkers.   [47:19] The sea change ahead as more capable tools come online.   [48:08] Work involving synthesis is greatly enhanced by AI-boosted tools.   [49:46] Leaders need to focus on helping workers be upskilled and utilize the tools to solve current problems.   [51:18] Starting with a growth (vs fixed) mindset and focusing on flex (or soft) skills for today's business needs.   [52:15] Companies must invest in training employees as education systems are still biased towards teaching bodies of knowledge, not flexible skills that augment interactions and social situations.   [55:40] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: Reframe managers and supervisors as team guides. Rethink the process, what their role is, and how you can help them to guide teams throughout your organization, “un-boss” meetings, and be there to remove roadblocks so team members can co-create solutions.   RESOURCES   Gary Bolles on LinkedIn Gary Bolles on Twitter @gbolles Gary's book “The Next Rules of Work: The Mindset, Skillset and Toolset to Lead Your Organization through Uncertainty” Gary's website eparachute.com Carol Dweck's book Mindset: Changing the Way You Think to Fulfil Your Potential QUOTES (edited)   “We're pattern recognizers, we're general-purpose problem-solving machines.”   “I think that's actually a failure on our part, wasting a perfectly good pandemic. We showed that we can trust. We showed that we can imbue teams with the power to be able to decide when and where and with whom and how they work. And then we took it away from them.”   “We're going to find that once you've given people agency and some level of autonomy, they don't want to give it back. And I think that's a perfectly reasonable request.”   “Along comes a pandemic, and suddenly you and I are looking into each other's homes on Zoom calls. And we realize: that's a whole person and if I'm an employer I have to be responsible for their physical health, their mental health, their emotional health, the whole person. And that's not what I signed up for in the old rules of work!”   “I don't hear a lot of workers complain to me that they're not engaged. That's not the way that a worker would say it. A worker would typically say ‘I want to feel motivated by my work', ‘I want to feel like I have meaning in my work', ‘I want to feel well compensated', ‘I want to feel recognized.'”   “Gen Z was born around 9/11. They were children through the global recession and young adults in a global pandemic, on a planet on fire. There aren't a lot of other generations that have had that sequence of precarity.”   “In a world of almost complete uncertainty, there are no safe jobs.”   “Why are you waiting to enjoy life until retirement? Does that make any sense in a world on fire? No. We're going to do it now.”   “We keep thinking “Just shove more bodies of knowledge into those little heads”. And that's not the way the world is working. The shelf life of that information, of those skills, is decaying so rapidly.  We have to explicitly teach these much more flexible skills and then employers have to demand them.”     

ADHDers tend to be good at a bunch of different things, but just because we're good at something doesn't necessarily mean it's the right career path for us. In fact, career counselor Shell Mendelson is here to ask us: forget about the things you're good at, what are the skills you love using?    As a career coach and counselor of 30 plus years, Shell specializes in supporting ADHD adults in building lasting, fully satisfying careers and businesses. She has developed a unique career counseling system based on Richard Bolles's book What Color is Your Parachute? that involves taking a deep dive into all the aspects of what would make up an ideal job on an individual level.   During our conversation Shell shares her own ADHD backstory before getting into how to identify whether you're in the wrong job, why building a career foundation based on what excites you is so crucial for ADHD health and happiness, ways to advocate for your specific needs during the hiring process, and much more.    Shell believes in focusing on the skills that bring us joy rather than simply what we excel at, a simple yet important mindset shift that just may have you considering a whole new career path.  Resources: Website: Facebook: Career Coaching with Shell  LinkedIn: Gmail: Tracy's program: spyhappy.me/mc  

German journalist Sarah Tekath exposes the ironies of progress and struggle in the Netherlands, discussing the challenges faced by people of color. Sarah is the reporter and scriptwriter behind Europe Talks Back's previous episode, What Color is Dutch? Lifelines twisted by bias. In that episode, Sarah highlighted Marisella de Cuba's activism against racism and colonial history.About Sarah TekathSarah Tekath is an experienced freelance journalist and foreign correspondent who has made Amsterdam her base since 2014. Specializing in social issues, particularly women's rights, Sarah has collaborated with multiple German and international media organizations to bring vital stories to light. Her podcast, AmsterDames, provides a platform for discussing relevant topics, including institutional racism in the Netherlands. Key moments 00:01:52 - The state of Women Rights in the Netherlands,00:03:57 - The meaning of Racial Profiling, 00:06:51 - Why the debate on Institutional Racism needs to continue,00:08:41 - Europe Talks Back press review on current European affairs related to racism. ResourcesListen to the episode What Color is Dutch? Lifelines twisted by bias on Europe Talks Back.Check out Amnesty International's analysis on the impact of the upcoming EU A.I Act on racial profiling.Credits and staff The second season of Europe Talks Back is produced in partnership with Sphera Network, the first network of independent media in Europe to reinvent the media space and paint a new picture of the continent through impactful, unbiased, raw and authentic stories.The producer of Europe Talks Back is Maria Dios. The host and narrator of Europe Talks Back is Juli Simond. Sound editing and mixing is by Jeremy Bocquet. The executive producer of Europe Talks Back is Alexander Damiano Ricci.Social Mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/linkedin.com/company/bulle-media/https://www.twitter.com/twitter.com/europodpodcastshttps://www.europod.eu/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Jim Herbert, Professor of Counselor Education and Rehabilitation and Human Services at Penn State, joins us in the studio today. In this first part of a two-part series, Jim discusses the recruitment challenges identified in his study- Recruitment and Retention of State Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors: A Mixed Methods Analysis.   Please listen in as Carol and Jim unpack this study and discuss the four significant challenges and possible solutions you can apply to your situation.   Stay tuned as the focus shifts to the retention side of the study by Dr. Jim Herbert in the next episode of Manager Minute.   Listen Here   Full Transcript:   Music} Speaker1: Manager Minute brought to you by the VRTAC for Quality Management, Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time, one minute at a time. Here is your host Carol Pankow.   Carol: Well, welcome to the Manager Minute Doctor Jim Herbert, Professor of Counselor, Education and Rehabilitation and Human Services at Penn State, is joining me in the studio today to discuss his recently released study, Recruitment and Retention of State Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors, A Mixed Methods Analysis. I am so happy to have you here today. How are things going in Pennsylvania?   Jim: Well, first off, I'm happy to be had and things are going very well in Pennsylvania. It's a beautiful summer day and the nice thing is that many academician might appreciate it. While we love students, summer session, they're not here, which means you can get parking spaces downtown, lots of restaurants. You don't have to wait a long time to get in. So it's a good time and good place to be in State College, Pennsylvania.   Carol: Oh, that's awesome. Say, are you getting any of that wildfire smoke from Canada?   Jim: You know, it's funny you say that because we just got an alert that indicated like over the next couple of days, Yeah, it's going to be coming this way.   Carol: Yeah, we definitely got hit with it the last two days. And I saw it moving off to the East Coast, looked like the apocalypse here. It was very, very weird. So to set the stage for our listeners, I first met you through the CSVAR Operations and Personnel Committee, and I used to co-chair the old version of that committee. It was called The old HRD with Cynthia Speight, and I continued to participate in it when I entered the TA world. And so back in the day, Cynthia and I were super interested in recruitment, retention issues of counselors. And I'm talking like, this is probably like eight years ago now. And we had done several surveys with state agencies to kind of gauge where they were at with getting new counselors. And we kept seeing this shrinkage of people entering the field and the reduction in universities offering a master's in rehab counseling. And then you came to that committee to collaborate on a study you were doing that was partly supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehab Research or NIDILRR,   Jim: right.   Carol: And so in the executive summary, you noted that there had been a consistent shortage of qualified rehab counselors employed by the state federal VR program for actually several decades. I mean, we're kind of thinking this is a new deal. And it's like this has been going on for quite some time and the Covid 19 pandemic really exacerbated the shortage. And you were also looking at the funding RSA provided to graduate programs that encouraged individuals to work and to be in VR. And you wanted to see like what happened after that two year kind of payback phase. And really, I found that interesting, that the funding had been provided for 65 years, but there had been no formal study about the scholars continuing their employment with VR after that period of time. So your study primarily examined recruitment, retention, concerns of the state vocational rehab agencies, and you identified strategies to address those. And in addition, you looked to see if there was a mechanism to track that long term employment outcome of the former RSA scholars working for the state VR program. So we're going to do this in two parts because you have a lot of stuff you did, and I think our listeners will kill us if we're going to do a two hour podcast. So we're not everybody just stay buckled in. We're going to tackle in two parts. And Jim and I are going to talk today about the retention side of the project. And then next month we are going to talk about the recruitment part of this. So, all right, enough background. Let's dig in. So, Jim, can you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself, like how long you've been in academia? How did you get there?   Jim: How did I get here? Well, I've been an Academician here at Penn State for 37 years. And where did the time go in terms of kind of how I got here? Probably like a lot of your audience, when you think about people that work in the rehab field, a lot of times you get in the rehab field because they have either personal experience with disability or a family member. And that's exactly what happened to me. I had a brother who had Down syndrome, and so I got interested and did volunteer work on high school and in college. And I loved working with people with developmental disabilities. That's how I got interested in rehab. And then during my, you know, college, I knew I wanted to work with people. But a lot of times, you know, when we teach career development, we kind of make it sound like it's this very logical process that you, you know, pluses and minuses and I going to do this. And yet we fail to acknowledge there's a lot of things by fate that impact on your career choice. You just happen to be in this office who you just happened to say something who happened to know somebody else who happened to have this job. So when I look back at my own career, one of the things I tell my students is that, yeah, you can plan and you want to be in a position to have opportunities. To come, but there's a lot of things you can't control and there's a lot of things that just sort of happen, if you will. Some might say by divine providence. I don't know if that's the case. But anyway, there's a lot of things that you can't plan. So in my own career, how I got that was sort of a combination of just fate happen to be in this place at this time. And then obviously preparation in terms of formal education and experience. But yeah, it's gone by fast.   Carol: I love that when you said 37 years, we probably have some listeners out there going, I'm not even 37 years old right now. And I was thinking this year I just had my 37th anniversary. And so you and I have been around for a little bit more than a minute. I think that's cool. But I love that that you said by fate, I think a lot of us have fallen into our career trajectory truly by fate in whatever kind of circumstance. Like you said, you came into it at the time. So what went into approaching this study and kind of how long have you been at this?   Jim: Yeah, it's funny. As far as doing this study, how I kind of got interested in it was I mean, I've been a project director for many RSA training grants throughout that time period. There's a lot of investment that you make and help students become rehab counselors and Penn State I think like many universities, we have a strong commitment to the state VR program. You know, I've always said that I feel that State VR people, you should have the best trained people to address the difficult needs and complex needs of people with disabilities have. So there's a lot of investment that's made. And then also, as you know, after they graduate and they get supported through RSA traineeship, they'll typically work for every one year of support, two years of full time employment. So if they work for a state agency, there's a lot of investment the agency makes. You'll often hear it takes 2 to 3 years before you just kind of feel like, I know this job. So when you combine that, you see the amount of financial investment and professional investment that educators and practitioners make. And so over the years when I've had a chance to meet with a number of our former alumni and what are you doing? And one of the things I notice is some of them would be working for a state agency, and then after a couple of years, they do their two year payback and said, I'm out of here. It's like, man, you know, what's going on? What's happening here? What are we doing? And what I came to learn talking with other educators across the country is it's not something I think, wow, is this something just unique to us? Maybe we're doing something wrong here. Maybe we need to do a better job, which of course, we could always do. But what I learned anecdotally was that, no, this seems to be kind of a nationwide problem. So you had that on top of I was interested. So what research has been done to look at the long term effectiveness of the RSA training program? And what I learned was I could not find any study throughout that whole history. I thought that was kind of interesting because I know we followed in the first two years, but after the payback period, that's it. So that started a pilot project that I had done. So I was just interested what happened with the people that came through Penn State, received the RSA Scholarship and worked. And what I learned from that pilot study, even though the data was a small sample size, I learned when we look at the percentage of people who are at the agency versus those that worked at Non State VR, I learned that it was significantly higher. The rate of people who are intending to leave the state VR. So that kind of rang some bells for me. And from there, with that pilot data, we then decided to undertake this three year study to investigate what's going on and more maybe not necessarily more importantly, but just as importantly, what can we do about it? So we are just finishing our second year of data and today and next month, we'll talk about some of the results of what are some of the things that we found from that study. So that's really kind of how this whole thing emerged.   Carol: I really love that you tackled this because that was so interesting to me, especially when you were looking at 65 years of this program. But there was nothing done like there had been no study of what happened to the people. I'm sure as you were talking to directors and I used to be a director, you know, anecdotally we could see and tell you, like we knew in Minnesota, I felt like we were the training grounds for the VA. And so, you know, staff would come in, they would do an internship with us, come on board, Yay, you know, and all of that. And then the next thing you know, there's skedaddled over to the VA because they could make like 20,000 more a year starting. It was crazy. So it's like, how do we combat that? And we'll get to some of that. You had definitely some ideas for folks on how to do it, but I was really super pleased to see what you had undertaken there. So let's talk about the recruitment challenges that you identified in the study. What are the top challenges that VR is facing?   Jim: Right now, the first thing I'm going to tell you, I'm sure your listeners are going to go, duh. I mean, the first big challenge is we don't have enough applicants. We don't have enough people applying for the jobs. And there's a lot of reasons for that. And I'd like to unpack maybe just a few of them. But one of the big things that states are constantly saying is years past, maybe we'd have a job opening and we might have 15-20 applicants today. We might be lucky if we can get a couple and in some cases we get none. So the big problem is we don't have a sufficient number of qualified job applicants. That's, you know, the big thing. So it's like people don't know about us. People don't know how to kind of how's this process work? To varying degrees, I think educators do kind of a mixed job on how do we market this. So why would you want to become a state VR counselor? You know, if you ask college students who want to be counselors, social workers, psychologists, and say, hey, there's this thing called a state counselor, it's like, what? What is that? I don't know. What do they do? That's a big, big problem. Another big, big problem that we have is look at the bureaucracy. You and I, we've had a history of and I'm still working in the bureaucracy here at Penn State as much as I love it. But the big thing is in that bureaucracy, the time it takes to recruit somebody, then you have to kind of review all the applicants. You have all the policies and procedures and steps and levels of people that need to review and sign off on this. Well, that process typically takes 2 to 3 months. And so you're thinking like, okay, for states that are looking and I know that regulations are changing, hiring more baccalaureate people, but especially for master's level credentialed persons, they don't have time to kind of wait two, three months to hear back from a job. If you think back to like when you know, way back in the Stone Age, when I'll just say when I graduated, you finish and you were poor and you needed money and I need to get a job and a job fast. So to ask them to wait for 2 or 3 months after they graduate, we're losing. We're losing a lot of qualified people. We need to do something about how do we reduce that time that's a little bit more manageable and a little bit more reasonable.   Carol: I hear about that from directors all the time, that hiring practices. In fact, we're doing a little bit of a pilot on recruitment retention within our VRTAC for quality management. And so you've been aware I've been working with John Connolly and Ron Vessel, John Walsh, Missy Deal and Crystal Gary on our team where we've been talking about this. We've been also coming to the Operation Personnel Committee. But one of the states we're working with, you know, it's taking them 7 or 8 months to be able to make the offer. So they literally interviewed people. And then by the time HR worked through their processes, it was eight months later. And then you're going to offer to somebody and they're like, we thought this was done because we haven't heard from you. Gosh, you're going on a year, for Pete's sakes. People aren't hanging out. And if they are hanging out, there's probably a reason they're hanging out and somebody else didn't pick them up.   Jim: You're absolutely right. Typically with state directors who we spoke with and we spoke to about 20 in the first part of this study, usually it was about 3 or 4 months. So, boy, if it's 7 to 8 months, oh, my lord, that's really, really bad. So on top of that, another big problem and this is where I think educators need to do a better job. A lot of applicants really don't understand what is it that a state VR counselor does? This might be a little controversial to say, but I think one of the things when we kind of went through the new accreditation process from CORE to CACREP and all and the counselor identity, now this is just my personal opinion. I'm not saying it represents, you know, any other constituent group. But in my opinion, I think what we've lost in that transition is we've lost a bit that the importance of career development, of job placement. We've lost, you know, kind of career counseling. And so I think students really don't understand that while I want to work in private practice, so they have this kind of idealized expectation, like, you know, I just open up my shop or I work out of my house and people just be coming and it'll be great. I'll provide good services, I'll make a good income. It doesn't work that way. It takes time to kind of do all that. And then my wife is a therapist had been doing this for 40 years. Even when you do that again, you have some idea of how you think it's going to work, and they don't really understand, like, Hey, well, what are some of the downsides of kind of private practice? And so a state view job has lots of benefits, I think, that make attractive. And one of the things I say to my students is where should I start? For me, working as a state counselor is a fantastic way to kind of get on the ground floor because you learn different systems, different agencies. You understand the whole network, and you'll also get connected in the community so you understand, you know, other providers and kind of what they do. That takes time. I think that's another problem because people have some understanding and we'll talk about the paperwork and all that. And there are definitely downsides, but there's a lot of upsides. The other big thing, no surprise, surprise, money. We don't pay them enough. We can talk about later on this podcast or the next about what certain states are doing and all. But the big problem is and you just alluded, not alluded, you actually stated that years ago, you take like the VA offer is just one example and it's like, okay, the credentials are the same. So why would I want to work at this place? It's going to pay me $20,000 less to do basically kind of very similar kinds of jobs. And so while some states have been successful in getting higher compensation, others have not. And we'll talk more about this probably in the next podcast because I do have some ideas about what you can do to address the compensation issue. So when you look at those four reasons, the fact that we don't have enough people, the fact that it takes time to go through all the recruitment that applicants, they don't really have an understanding of what's this job about? And the money, that's a deadly combination. And so we need to now think about, well, what are things that we could do to kind of make this more attractive to recruit them?   Carol: I know when we were talking money, so I did a podcast. It was in April with Scott Dennis from Maryland. For our listeners, if you didn't catch that episode, definitely go back and listen, because he was successful in getting a significant increase for his counselors and the supervisors and the regional administrators because he's in this unique position where he's surrounded by like DC and all these other states. So he goes, Gosh, we're the training ground for RSA. Like they're stealing all my people. And folks were making significantly more well by him. And this wasn't overnight. Like everybody needs to know like any of these solutions that we're going to talk about, like it takes time. Literally. They've been working on this for several years. And finally, we're able to get it through. It almost immediately stopped the bleeding because he said he was every week getting everybody was reporting up like all these resignations. And it stopped and they actually started getting people back in that used to work for him, came back and said, hey, we love that job, but now you're paying a decent wage. I will come back. I know it struck me in the study, when you go the range of pay was from like 16,000. When you're talking about like an intern, you know, and it might be like the aid type of thing up to 101,000 and you go, that is a big spread. And there's a whole lot of states talking about, you know, those master's level counselors coming out and they're making $36,000. That's not going to cut it like that is not going to cut it. So I am definitely excited as we kind of get into talking about some of the other strategies folks could use. Now, I know you called out directly that VR agencies do not have an overall strategy to develop a comprehensive recruitment plan. And recruitment really is a reactive process. When somebody leaves the agency and I know we're going to chat about retention next month, so let's talk about some strategies that might help folks on the recruitment front.   Jim: Yeah, that's right. So the first thing is, okay, when you look at traditionally like how does a state VR advertise? And often what we find is they'll do it through the State Civil Service Commission. And because that's the mechanism that historically that we've used. So we're going to continue. That's great. That's fine. But we've got to expand other outlets because number one, as I said, job applicants, many may not even know what civil servant. What is that? I don't know what civil service. I don't even know what that is. Well, we advertise there, but we have to look at accessing other networks. So the things that, you know, like indeed, and LinkedIn and ZipRecruiter, Facebook, there's just tons of social media networks that we need to be aware of. Again, I'm kind of old school, so Facebook. But yeah, I mean, my son, who's 26 TikTok and Reddit is a bunch of it anyway, so I'm not an expert on all that. But the point being is we have to think broader. So when we think about that, we have to recognize there's other tools that we're not using. Now, with that being said, and states are already starting to do this to again, historically, they've sought out rehab counseling programs as a source to say, hey, we're going to have some positions. If you have students coming out, we'd love to interview them. Great. But there are a number of states that you don't have an accredited program in your state and Savannah were fortunate because we have several, but there are some states that have none. So what they have to do in those instances, they've got to look at other programs, mental health programs and social work programs and school and psychology and substance abuse. So there are universities that have those kinds of programs. So we need to establish and I'll talk about this in a minute or two, a better working relationship with individual university program coordinators. Historically, we've had that. But in some cases, I think maybe because of the pandemic, things have kind of necessarily evaporated. But I think, you know, that relationship has been tested a little bit over the last couple of years. And not just that in terms of the network. And I think historically, State VR has done a good job in this area, but they could still do better in terms of the diversity of workforce. So there are groups I'm thinking in terms of ethnic minority groups in particular here where we need to do a better job in terms of recruitment. And so what that means is maybe we can't always rely on kind of traditional sites that many people use, but there are certain job boards and certain postings that are specifically devoted to access to underrepresented groups in terms of disability, may be wrong on this,. I think it's called recruit disability. I think there's another one called 70 million Jobs. So we have that. The other thing too, and sometimes in rural areas we have to do more and want to get back to something actually you mentioned, Carol, was I have to say this was a surprise to me. Originally we were going to do the study. We were going to interview state VR executive directors, and then the HR person who is responsible for recruitment and retention. And based on the people that responded to our surveys, we didn't find anybody. There's nobody that says this is my job title. Like, my job is to focus exclusively on recruitment and retention. And I think that's a big problem because that gets to what you were talking about a little bit earlier and that being that unfortunately, recruitment is kind of an afterthought. It's a reactive process. It's like, Oh, we just lost somebody. We got to recruit people to refill that well, that's the wrong way to kind of do things. That's sort of like we're reacting to something that actually happened and well, we'll get into retention next month. You know, part of that is how do we keep people? That's a separate issue, but also how do we recruit them? So we have to think, you know, what are we doing? So having a designated person who is responsible for this, I can't think of a more important aspect than recruiting and retaining your workforce. Lots of problems. But if you don't have a qualified workforce that is going to be around, everything else is kind of a moot point.   Carol: So I agree 100%, because I even think back to our old agency that I came from in Minnesota, we didn't really have a recruitment strategy. And in our agency, we were in a labor agency. We had all these programs. You know, you've got adult dislocated worker and Wagner-Peyser, and we've got unemployment insurance and disability determination services and all this stuff. And they finally did. They they're like, Oh, we're going to get one dedicated person who's recruiting for all of it, like for every division. And you go, okay, for one, we all vastly do way different work and having some strategies, you know? So you've got this one person I'm going to go to the career fair over at blah blah, blah place. Oh, good grief. You know, we had to all kind of help pitch in to get the message out because a lot of times, you know, on that state website, you know, your career opportunities for the state our ads suck. I mean, they aren't very good. They're not very appealing. It's like, oh, come work for us, blah, blah, blah. It doesn't sound very interesting. And I remember the very first time I was like, okay, heck, no, we are not having that. And I rewrote that advertisement and like, come and join us for this like, mission driven organization and all of that. And people were like, Oh, I don't know if we're allowed to do stuff like that. And we had people apply because they're like, We've never seen an advertisement like that, you know, just getting in some of that fresh thinking. But that is something that VR can think about. Maybe you do only have one person in the agency, but then within your own group, is there a way you can have someone that can assist in helping to like make those advertisements appealing? Can they help to get the word out? I know our colleagues in North Carolina, General, they did a really cool thing through Facebook. They were writing really cool, like, why you want to come and be on my team? I'm like, I would answer that ad like, that was awesome. I think VR has got to get in there and advocate and see how they can help be part of the solution for this.   Jim: You're absolutely right. And again, that's where, you know, kind of the history. Well, we've always done it this way. Well, that doesn't mean that we need to keep doing it that way. In any kind of professional reports that I've written about the study. I wouldn't say, you know, the way we post is sucks, but actually you're absolutely correct. That's exactly I mean, you read these job postings and say, well, is this intriguing? Like, my God, this thing sounds boring as hell. Why would I ever want to work that? No, thanks, but no thanks. And you mentioned North Carolina. That individual also participated in the study. And one of the things I remember that she had done was talking about not just how we do it, but the consistency. In other words, a state position, the same job. It's written one way in one city, it's written another way in another city. So wait a minute, how can we have the same job? And it's, you know, so we got to make sure that, number one, that the information is consistent across. But number two and the larger point that you're hammering on and I would agree, we have to think, especially with the newer applicants, again, I'm baby boomer I'm just about boomed out. But the Gen Z the millennials not to stereotype but I think they have a different view, a different way of thinking as it relates to this job seeking process. So we have to make it present, not just the job. Why do you want to work here in this office? What's unique, if you come in the Philadelphia office, what is it that we got that's so doggone special that you're going to love as opposed to Pittsburgh as opposed to Altoona or Harrisburg? So that's where we have to think a little bit more about on a unit level like and you know this and I know our listeners know this, you can go into one district office and the climate may be you can feel the vibe and you can go to another district office and there's another vibe. And that largely depends on the leadership and the sensitivity. And so you can go in and go, Wow, You know, these folks, they look like they're having fun and then, oh, this doesn't look like much fun. This is not fun. And so you have to be sincere, but you have to think I mean, that gets into a whole other issue in terms of climate, which we'll that's another topic. But anyway, the point being is if you feel like, you know, this is a good place to work, what makes it a good place? Explain to me in simple language why you want to come here. And so that's something. So while you can have the standardized because sometimes states regulations and all it has to be you can have standardized narrative, but you can also incorporate a section on why do you want to come here at this office? This is what we can offer you. This is why it's cool to work here.   Carol: And that's completely controllable, you know, like having that little added narrative, just by like we need to use our words and speak up. I think people get used to the system sort of happening to us and with our situation happening in VR, like we got to stand up and go, Hey, like that isn't working because I'm getting zero applicants from that crappy announcement. Can we just change this wording? I know we need to have in our very specific things, you know, there's required, but can I have a paragraph that I can add at the top and it can be done? We've talked to people and they're like, Well, I don't know if we can do that. Did you ask? Because for sure you're never going to get to do it if you don't ask. You need to at least use your words and ask and show them an example like, Here's all your blah blah stuff, but I need this in there to just like punch them right away. Like how and grab them. This is going to be a really cool opportunity and that is in our control.   Jim: Again, you're hammered that point very well. And sometimes people like the system or those guys, it's like, who are those guys? You know, to quote a line from a Butch Cassidy Sundance movie. So that's a movie for the baby boomers. But any rate, who are those guys? Well, we are those guys. And you're right, so often we don't even ask. We just assume this is the way. Well, could we? Oh, I don't know. No one's asked that. The other thing, too, that we talked about is the time, the time it takes before you get the job announcement and you go through this whole rigmarole and you actually hire can be months or, you know, in your case, three quarters of a year. I mean, that's unbelievable. So the question is, well, what can we do about that? It's funny because now I got North Carolina on the brain and because for confidentiality, I could probably mention but indicate I wouldn't mention people's names, but just say North Carolina, I'll leave it at that. You know, one of the things that what was happening that they identified was, well, why does it take so doggone long? What is going on there? Because the director is here and, you know, all kinds of complaints. Why, you know, from the managers and blah, blah, blah. So what things that she found that was important is like, well, let's talk with the HR people and say, can we do anything to kind of make this a little bit shorter? And so you had these like everything else, it all comes down to the R word relationship. So suddenly, like, I have a relationship with HR and I can contact them. They know me, I know them. We've built up mutual trust here. We're not just sort of a voice on the telephone or that kind of a thing. And so what they learned is, well, there are some things that we can do for reducing that lag time, but it all really kind of depended on staying on top of it. You know, so, hey, we advertise this thing last week. Where are we? What's the process? So we have to monitor and see this again. That makes a big difference when you have a designated person that says, my job. We have 25 vacancies in the state office this year. My job, part of it is finding out where are we? What's happening? What's going on? How many people? So it's that constant monitoring, following up, asking questions. So you have that. The other thing is like, well, procedurally we said, well, kind of reduce. Well, agencies, there's all kinds of background checks. You know, you got criminal background checks, you got child abuse, history clearances, motor vehicle. Sometimes you need to have those kinds of records. Some of that documentation could be done up front. So, in other words, as the application. So maybe that's part of the you know, hey, be aware that we need these. So you're already telling the applicant get started on this because it takes usually 2 to 3 weeks, sometimes a little longer. But if you kind of start that up front as opposed to 3 or 4 weeks into the, well, now we've just added on to that. So what can we do? So one of the things I know, like what I'll say to my students is most places now require you to do these background checks, whether you're going to state or not, to have these kinds of background checks, especially obviously if you're working with children or adolescents, get all that documentation from the very beginning so that when you begin the process, we're all ready to go. So I already have that information. Now, the other thing, too, again, I don't want to get too far in the retention aspect, but, you know, a lot of times like, okay, why do people leave? And one of the reasons is we'll talk about next month is people leave because they don't really understand the job as it relates to recruitment. Then there are a couple states at the moment, I can't say exactly which ones, but I do remember there are a couple states that what they had done is and I found this really interesting, is part of the recruitment process and to address the problem of what were you expecting, what was your understanding about this job? So as part of the recruitment process and the interview process, what they did was they would allow the applicant to actually job shadow a state counselor for maybe a day. You can learn a lot of information. And we know that when we have greater samples of behavior, we have stronger predictive outcomes. You know, they can see like the good, the bad and the ugly of this job. So some people might say, well, boy, if you do that, you know, we might not get that person. Well, maybe that's a good thing. Like this person. I'm not really sure this job is for me now after doing it. Yeah, I kind of think no, I don't think this is the job for me. At the same token, you have people like, Hey, I get this a little bit more. You know, I think this would actually be kind of a pretty cool job. The other thing and I can just talk more from my experience working with students who predominantly, not surprisingly, they're going to work for the state VR program would be here in Pennsylvania. And I get it. Because of hiring, you know, we have to be consistent. But sometimes, like that whole process almost sounds robotic. It's like you can't be human. You know, you have to ask these questions and you can't kind of deviate. And I'm not saying kind of break policy on that, but I would ask the again, this is the point that you made. Well, we've always done it that way. Well, did anybody ask do we have any kind of latitude here? Can we do some other things? So in other words, as they go through that initial screening process, one of the things happened is not that you have kind of the formal but you also have kind of an informal process. So one of the things that I know students really appreciate is if they have an alum who's working at that district office. So it's like, well, yeah, you graduated from Penn State two years ago as Dr. Herbert. Yeah, that guy, he's still there. They can't get rid of him. So then they have kind of a natural connection. So what states are doing is like, well, want to have kind of informal kind of get together. So maybe after you go through the formal process, you give everybody the opportunity. Some would say, yep, that sounds good. Others, no, I don't want to do that. But you give everyone the same opportunity. Would you like to talk with some of our, you know, Richard Bolles, who maybe some of your audience might not know who he is, wrote a book called What Color is Your Parachute? It's all about career and fantastic. Well, anyway, one of the things I remember many, many, many years ago when I first saw him, he said there's two decisions being made in the interview. The first is, do we want you? Do we want the job applicant? But the more important decision is do they want us? We got to pay more attention to that aspect we represent. So when you're interviewing, you know, like who are they interviewing with? It's like, what's the energy that you're communicating with? Yeah, we need to do a better job with that. The other thing I'll just kind of finish up on. This aspect is I talked about the importance of relationship, and that's the same thing here, states and rehab educators. We need to kind of reengage, if you will. I think because of the pandemic. I think that relationship to some extent has kind of impacted. And so make sure that you have a working relationship with your individual program directors and also to think about like, well, when jobs are going to be available, you know, let's say, hey, we're going to have something in May, well, usually they might contact us maybe in April. If you can be a little bit more proactive, if you know something's coming down the pipe, let us know earlier because then we can kind of, hey, these are coming available. I guess the final thing I'll just say, we've done this historically in Pennsylvania and over the last couple of years, it's been phased out. I'm hoping it'll get back phased in. Think about allocating a portion of your budget to offering paid internships. If you can give students the opportunity to say, look, it's a paid internship, you're going to get some income because they're poor, even though they have the training grant. Most programs, that's not going to cover all of the expenses. So providing that kind of paid internship. And in Pennsylvania, I'll say we're fortunate they also provide medical benefits. So you do the paid internship if you do a good job, you know that, Wow, you're going to be hired here. Maybe not this particular office. We do an internship, but one of these offices. And so giving that kind of opportunity and also more importantly is then you can see, I mean, the job interview, anybody can fake it for an hour or two. But when you have somebody for 15 weeks, you know, whether or not, you know, hey, this is a person we want to retain or we don't want to retain. Yeah. So I feel like I've been a little gerbils speed up, but hopefully that that kind of covered it.   Carol: No, I love it. Jim. I think the important thing is to take away from this conversation today is that really VR has got to look at this differently. We cannot be operating the same way we operated 20 years ago. Like times have changed. So we have to deal with the situation where we're at today. We need to be proactive instead of reactive. There are a number of things within our control and we should be good at like we're people, people, relationship building that's in our… like we're good at that, Like buy a muffin for those people. I used to tell folks that whatever you need to do to grease the skids to get things rolling, like really working proactively, looking at your messaging, looking at I love that. Paying for the internships for the folks. Absolutely. We started doing that. I can't believe when I first came, it's like, okay, we're going to have interns come in and we're not going to pay them. Well, nobody has any money. Like, what's wrong with minimum wage or something? Let's give them some money so they'll come and do that. And it is a great insight into how folks can work. I really look forward to us continuing the conversation next month to go through the rest of the study. So I really appreciate your time today and definitely I will put the link for your study out with our podcast announcement as well. So thanks for joining me today. Really appreciate it.   Jim: Thank you. It's a wonderful time and I look forward to talking with you next month.   Speaker1: Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time, one minute at a time, brought to you by the VR TAC for Quality Management. Catch all of our podcast episodes by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening!

Shell Mendelson has built her 35-year career in education and career counseling. There are a lot of career counselors, though. What makes Shell indispensable for us today is that she has ADHD herself and has spent that career helping others make career choices that reflect joy and passion for their unique ADHD brains.This week on the show, Shell brings us new insights into jobs and the ADHD brain. We talk about finding the right match, how to target those deal breakers we've been thinking so hard about the last few weeks, and how to approach discussing ADHD with hiring managers. We review what it takes to find a career coach that can help you with your unique career direction and how to work with a career coach to get the most out of the relationship.One other thing about Shell that is germane to this conversation: she was mentored by Richard Bolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute?: Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success She's custodian of the methodology now and has taken it in her own wonderful direction to help the neurodiverse population. Even so, we're intrigued by just how well the Parachute model aligns to our thinking around ADHD and encourage you to check out the book. It's a classic. And Shell has an updated working for ADHD adults which should be available in the next two months. Keep an eye out!Learn more about Shell right here, and make sure to connect on LinkedIn if you're on the hunt and need a coach!Other LinksThe Damn Good Resume Guide, Fifth Edition: A Crash Course in Resume Writing by Yana Parker and Beth Brown (00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast (01:19) - Support the Show: Become a Patron and Join the Community! https://patreon.com/theadhdpodcast (03:29) - Introducing Career Counselor Shell Mendelson (09:23) - What Color is Your Parachute? (15:54) - What makes the ADHD hunt hard? (18:53) - Where is ADHD in the process? (23:51) - The ADHD Disclosure Question (29:51) - The "Means to an End" Job (37:55) - Performance Plans (44:29) - Moving into the Job Hunt (49:05) - The Job Market (53:56) - Learn More ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Alexandra Goodwin is from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She lives under her mango tree where her desk is except when there is a hurricane. She's the author of Exchange at the Border, Whispers of the Soul, What Color is Your Haiku?, and Caleidoscopio. Her essays and poems have appeared or are upcoming in Ariel Chart, The Centifictionist, Loch Raven Review, Stick Figure Poetry Quarterly, The Miami Herald and Twists and Turns. This is her second story for the Personal Story Publishing Project.

Episode 76 of Ask Dr Jessica with Dr David Heber MD PhD!  Dr Heber is a professor Emeritus at UCLA and an accomplished expert in nutrition.  He is the author of the national best-seller “What Color is Your Diet” and the Founder of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition.  In this episode, why it is important to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet.  We also hear Dr Heber's thoughts on the newly approved weight loss medication Ozempic, what diets actually work, the importance of exercise,  and how to live a life with quality life years.  Dr Heber is currently the Chairman for the Herbalife Nutrition Institute.  He attended Harvard Medical School. To find more about Dr Heber please refer to his website:  www.drdavidheber.com and follow him on Instagram @drdavidheberDr Jessica Hochman is a board certified pediatrician, mom to three children, and she is very passionate about the health and well being of children. Most of her educational videos are targeted towards general pediatric topics and presented in an easy to understand manner. Do you have a future topic you'd like Dr Jessica Hochman to discuss? Email Dr Jessica Hochman askdrjessicamd@gmail.com. Dr Jessica Hochman is also on social media:Follow her on Instagram: @AskDrJessicaSubscribe to her YouTube channel! Ask Dr JessicaSubscribe to this podcast: Ask Dr JessicaSubscribe to her mailing list: www.askdrjessicamd.comThe information presented in Ask Dr Jessica is for general educational purposes only. She does not diagnose medical conditions or formulate treatment plans for specific individuals. If you have a concern about your child's health, be sure to call your child's health care provider.

Mike Finely is a 26 year U.S. Army veteran who came upon a solution that changed the course of his life. That solution involved money and building a foundation for a more meaningful and purpose driven life. He shares what he has learned with his classes, presentations and his four books: Financial Happine$$, What Color […] The post Ep.73 – Mike Finely appeared first on Mark Matteson.

$55,000 in scholarships paid his tuition, AND his books, fees, gas, food, etc., so that he didn't even have to work while in school! The clincher? He did this with 4 recycled essays. WHAT. You are just going to be floored by the story of my cousin today! I know I've said that for many other guests, but literally I've known this guy my whole life, and I didn't even know how deep or impactful or UNCONVENTIONAL his story went! It is definitely a testament to how God really provided. Yes, you can reuse scholarship essays you've written. Learn more about that, and his other tips and tricks, in this iconic episode! LET'S GOOOOOOO!! Grab your cold brew and TI-89, because class is now in session.   1. Reuse your essays, but make them personalized in the intro and conclusion. 2. Prep for scholarship interviews like job interviews. Prep with a family or friend. 3. Ask about who the scholarship is in memory of and use a personal touch. 4. Look at school, honor's college, major department, and minor department's scholarship applications. Be politely pushy and inquire. 5. Look at your emails from your schools to find scholarships with deadlines out of the normal deadlines! 6. Check out your parents' work and/or unions for potential scholarships. 7. Keep reapplying for scholarships each year. 8. Apply for local scholarships. 9. The FAFSA is required to be filled out, even if you won't qualify for aid. 10. Think about applying for scholarships like you're paying yourself/working for yourself. Take those 2 hours to potentially earn $1000 (just as an example)! 11. Let your passion for your upcoming career come through! Check out the book "What Color is Your Parachute" if you're not sure what your passion is.   P.S. Come join our FB Christian College Girls Community where you can ask questions, request prayer, and vent about ALL THE THINGS! Facebook --> Christian College Girl Community ~ Scholarships & Graduate Debt-Free | Facebook Instagram --> @moneyandmentalpeace Email --＞ info@moneyandmentalpeace.com Website --> Home (moneyandmentalpeace.com) Online course The Debt-Free College Blueprint --> debtfreecollegeblueprint.com Facebook --> Christian College Girl Community ~ Scholarships & Graduate Debt-Free | Facebook   Related Episodes: 78 - How to Find $10,000 in Scholarship Opportunities in an Hour a Week on Apple Podcasts 100 - Apply for This $1000 EASY, NO ESSAY Scholarship Around Your Hectic Schedule on Apple Podcasts 146 - This New Year's resolution has me on track to become a millionaire! Only takes 20 mins a week (: on Apple Podcasts   ** Find God's Path for College and Graduate Loan and Debt-Free **   Do you want guidance on where to go and what to study… wonder if you should change majors? Do you find yourself up late at night searching for scholarships, and ways to pay for college without parental help? Do you wake up worried about everything, and just want to make sure you're following God's plan for your life?   In this podcast for Christian college girls, you will learn to find GOD'S path for your college journey, and graduate with no loans or debt!   I get it! It is so tough doing things the world‘s way, when everybody else is doing life without God and in their own strength, making poor choices, and taking out loans. So, if you're ready to stop dreading making decisions, and find EASY solutions to help you pay for college while following His path for your life, this podcast is for you!   Hey there! I'm Kara Walker, a twenty-something entrepreneur, amateur snowboarder, recovering over-achiever, and debt-free college graduate. In college, I too was a stressed college student, looking for money and mental peace. I wondered if there were other ways to pay for college besides loans, and wished for clear direction on how to make college and career decisions! Not only was I worried about drowning in debt, but also afraid I hadn't heard Jesus correctly. Was I studying the wrong thing? Was I completely off track?   I felt semi-out of control and was spiraling, until I learned how to hear from God and follow His direction. He guided me and gave me the stepping stones to pay for college.  Scholarships, grants, testing out of classes, and other weird school hacks got me through debt-free!   And, I'm here to teach you HOW to do this, too.   If you are ready to find answers about your future, have an intimate and fruitful relationship with Jesus, and have enough money to KILL it at college, this pod is for you! So grab your cold brew and TI-89, and listen in on the most stress-free and debt-free class you've ever attended: this is Money and Mental Peace.    ** Scholarships, Student Loans, Christian College Girls, Pay for College, College Major, Declare Major, Student Loan Forgiveness, Federal Student Loans **   ** Debt-Free College Coach, College Financial Strategist, College Money Mentor, College Budget, Scholarship Coach, Debt-Free Degree **

What Color is the best flavor?? what kind of question is that even?? Well thats what we do at the LWG pod ask silly questions and provide fun answers, yet very compelling answers! Come join us on this journey to decide which color has the best flavors. Also we get a breakdown of the upcoming matches from Wrestle Kingdom Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments! You can also listen to the podcast on your favorite platform and visit the Los Wise Guys website below! loswiseguys.com https://linktr.ee/loswiseguys And be sure to follow the guys at: Dan - @lwg_danrosado Eslam - @lwg_eslam Disco - @emperor.disco #food #foodie #colors #lwg #loswiseguys #wrestling #wrestlekingdom

This week we are learning about work and money in the chart, and it's not just the 2nd house! What Color is your Parachute? 2023: Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success https://amzn.to/3CtX3kw * (paid-link) Donna's advice about testimonials: https://skywriter.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/testimonials-that-work-promote-yourself-with-integrity-credibility%e2%80%94and-class/ Michael Leo Asc, Sun in Capricorn in the 5th Ruler to 2nd house = Mercury in Capricorn in the 6th Ruler to 6th house = Saturn in Capricorn in the 6th Ruler to 8th house = Neptune in Capricorn in the 6th Ruler to 10th house = Venus in Aquarius in the 6th The 6th house is pretty important in his chart: routine, plans, written work, writing    *As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Alexandra Goodwin is a transplant from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and as such, nourishes her soul like an air plant without apparent roots. As she works toward semi-retirement, she has taken residence in her imaginary tree house above her mango tree in Florida. She's the author of Exchange at the Border, Whispers of the Soul, What Color is Your Haiku?, and Caleidoscopio. Her essays and poems have appeared or are upcoming in Ariel Chart, The Centifictionist, Loch Raven Review, Stick Figure Poetry Quarterly, The Miami Herald and others. alexandragoodwin.com

After a career in the US Coast Guard, Jason Heering retired from an overseas location which added an extra layer of complexity to his transition. Throughout his military career, he served in several positions related to facility and construction project management. As he weighed his options closer to retirement, Jason made the decision to accept a role with the federal government. Hired as the Deputy Director of Facility Maintenance for the US Space Force at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Jason reflects on navigating the federal job application process.Jason's last duty station was in El Salvador, and it was there that he and his family lived during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jason began teleworking during the pandemic and took advantage of virtual networking and informational interviews while working from home. Learning about Vets2Industry during the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), Jason connected with various mentors who gave him career advice. While Jason categorizes himself as an introvert, he successfully built new relationships through networking and always followed up with a personalized thank-you note as a token of his appreciation. Two questions that often get mentioned on this podcast are “What do I want to do after the military?” and “What is my why?” While the two are related, they are separate questions. Reflecting on his transition, Jason admits he wasn't ready to answer, “What is my why?” After taking a few personality tests and reflecting on the results, Jason decided it wasn't the right time to change career paths and fell back on the skills he had developed during his service. Transitioning is a process that should start months, if not years, in advance and needs to include asking and answering those two questions. With enough time, it's possible to take advantage of education benefits while serving to reskill or upskill. Additionally, it's important to look at all the factors when considering your next career. For many service members, family plays an important role in determining salary needs and job location. Jason applied to 20 jobs both in the private sector and in the federal government. He successfully navigated the federal job process and landed several interviews. With each federal resume he created, he pulled bullets that matched the job description from a master list that included all his positions and accomplishments. Jason was ultimately hired for a role under a Direct Hire Authority (DHA). In this scenario, Jason was selected through a resume review without an interview. As a first-time federal government employee, Jason took the opportunity to negotiate his salary and annual leave hours.Jason encourages people interested in a federal job to take advantage of the HR representative information located at the bottom of each job announcement. Search for people on LinkedIn with federal jobs and start networking. Recently, Jason joined the Air Force's Civilian Leadership Development School's book club. The program is still relatively new but has already inspired Jason with its first three books. He encourages everyone to continue learning and gaining new perspectives through reading. His recommendation list includes:What Color is Your Parachute by Richard BollesStart with Why by Simon SinekCrucial Conversations by multiple authorsMake Your Bed by Admiral William McRavenHead over to the Lessons Learned for Vets YouTube channel at https://tinyurl.com/llforvets22 to hear a bonus clip from Jason. You can connect with Jason at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-m-heering/SUBSCRIBE & LEAVE A FIVE-STAR REVIEW and share this to other veterans who might need help as they transition from the military!

Business Coach and Author Susie deVille believes that the process of creating is fueled by five essential practices that assist entrepreneurs and leaders in reclaiming their power and inspiration. She shares how many business owners gravitate toward analytical "left-brain" actions and lose access to their most potent tools: intuition, imagination, and ideation.  Susie shares her process known as the 5Ms™: meditation, morning pages, movement, moments of inspired learning, and making something. The 5Ms™ are powerful ways to interrupt your pattern of thoughts and behaviors. Susie encourages listeners to "get in the balcony of your perspective" and completely shift their lives and businesses.Podcast host Christopher Miller shares his passion for Richard Nelson Bolles' book, What Color is Your Parachute? and one of its exercises that focus on writing down past achievements. Susie calls the process "Play Histories" and asks her clients to write stories and, upon completion, go back and circle the verbs. These verbs are powerful hints about your core essential self and help us remember what brings us alive.Creativity is a state of connection and ground for an entrepreneur. In the moments of creating, we send down a taproot into our depths, allowing intuitive hits to rush to the surface. Once our intuition is ignited, we learn to trust ourselves, break through being stuck, and enjoy newfound clarity that powers our ability to reach our goals.Susie cautions the listeners on the tendency to avoid their truth by engaging in habits that buffer us from experiencing our feelings, such as overworking, perfectionism, numbing food, and alcohol, and letting negative thoughts go unaddressed. Use her process to relax, recenter into your authentic vitality, and access your creativity back channels.Susie deVille is a speaker, author, and Founder & CEO of the Innovation & Creativity Institute, a coaching firm connecting entrepreneurs and business leaders to their innate capabilities, guiding them to lead from a place of creative confidence. Susie is on a mission to show entrepreneurs and creators the power of trusting themselves and how to work lighter while making higher profits. Her book, BUOYANT: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Becoming Wildly Successful, Creative, and Free, is available wherever books are sold. For more information, visit InnovationandCreativityInstitute.com. 

Whirlwind to Kansas, What Color is Your Parachute?, Creative Calling, A prayer regarding false friends, and the advice of St. Louis to his son. EPISODE 441 SHOWNOTES & LINKS

Thank you to our Sponsors: Download DoorDash App use code: badfriends2022 & Trojan & https://buyraycon.com/badfriends code: badfriends15 YouTube Subscribe: http://bit.ly/BadFriendsYouTube Audio Subscribe: https://apple.co/31Jsvr2 0:00 See Us in NYC at the Grammercy & Go To Andrew's Special in Denver 2:30 Juicy Hates Her Nickname 4:15 Comedy Store Tours 14:40 The Most Dangerous Bear 17:10 Rudy Calls Out the Bad Friends Name 22:50 How Rudy Got Her Job 29:56 Our Controversial Tips Take 45:15 What Color is Your Name 53:15 How We Would Rob A Bank 1:02:30 Banksy in Los Angeles 1:04:10 How Rich Do You Want To Be? More Bobby Lee TigerBelly: https://www.youtube.com/tigerbelly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyleelive Twitter: https://twitter.com/bobbyleelive Tickets: https://bobbyleelive.com More Andrew Santino Whiskey Ginger:  https://www.youtube.com/andrewsantinowhiskeyginger   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheetosantino Twitter: https://Twitter.com/cheetosantino  Tickets: http://www.andrewsantino.com More Rudy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badfriendrudy More Bad Friends iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bad-friends/id1496265971 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badfriendspod/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/badfriends_pod   Official Website: http://badfriendspod.com/ Opening Credits and Branding: https://www.instagram.com/joseph_faria & https://www.instagram.com/jenna_sunday Credit Sequence Music: http://bit.ly/RocomMusic // https://www.instagram.com/rocom  Character Design: https://www.instagram.com/jeffreymyles Bad Friends Mosaic Sign: https://www.instagram.com/tedmunzmosaicart Produced by: George Kimmel & Bryce Hallock - 7EQUIS Podcast Producers: Andrés Rosende & Pete Forthun This video contains paid promotion. #bobbylee #andrewsantino #badfriends Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You are just going to be floored by the story of my cousin today! I know I've said that for many other guests, but literally I've known this guy my whole life, and I didn't even know how deep or impactful or UNCONVENTIONAL his story went! It is definitely a testament to how God really provided. $55,000 in scholarships took him not only through college tuition, but paid for his books, fees, gas, food, etc. that he didn't even have to work while in school! The clincher? He did this with 4 recycled essays. WHAT. Yes, you can reuse scholarship essays you've written. Learn more about that, and his other tips and tricks, in this iconic episode! LET'S GOOOOOOO!! Grab your cold brew and TI-89, because class is now in session.   1. Reuse your essays, but make them personalized in the intro and conclusion. 2. Prep for scholarship interviews like job interviews. Prep with a family or friend. 3. Ask about who the scholarship is in memory of and use a personal touch. 4. Look at school, honor's college, major department, and minor department's scholarship applications. Be politely pushy and inquire. 5. Look at your emails from your schools to find scholarships with deadlines out of the normal deadlines! 6. Check out your parents' work and/or unions for potential scholarships. 7. Keep reapplying for scholarships each year. 8. Apply for local scholarships. 9. The FAFSA is required to be filled out, even if you won't qualify for aid. 10. Think about applying for scholarships like you're paying yourself/working for yourself. Take those 2 hours to potentially earn $1000 (just as an example)! 11. Let your passion for your upcoming career come through! Check out the book "What Color is Your Parachute" if you're not sure what your passion is.   P.S. Come join our FB Christian College Girls Community, and tell us what traditional degree you're getting, and how you want to use it in an unconventional way(: Facebook --> Christian College Girl Community ~ Scholarships & Graduate Debt-Free | Facebook Instagram --> @moneyandmentalpeace Connect --＞ info@moneyandmentalpeace.com   **Scholarships & School Hacks for Christian College Girls to Graduate Debt-Free!** Get a debt-free degree, find easy scholarships and money for college, and more tips for Christian college girls! Hang out with me, Kara (Scholarship Coach, College Money Mentor, Get Out of Debt Guru), every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or connect with me below!

On this episode of Financially Naked: Stories from The Financial Gym, Joy, Head of Trainer Academy, is joined by one of her long time friends, Belma McCaffrey, Founder of Work Bigger. Belma's story resonates with Joy and a lot of the clients that come through The Financial Gym. Today, they're talking about finding your ‘superpower' and how you can use that to connect to your life's purpose. For anyone who is looking to make a change or is asking the question, ‘what do I want to do with my life?' this conversation is not one you'll want to miss.  Podcast Notes Work Bigger is for dissatisfied big achievers, asking the question, ‘What do I want to do with my life?' It is the resource Belma needed in her 20's. At the time, she struggled to know what she wanted to do with her career but knew she wanted to make an impact. When she went back to business school, Belma quickly realized she was not the only person with this problem. Work Bigger was born to be the solution and is helpful for people who feel a little lost.  Joy works with a number of clients who go through this struggle. A huge aspect of building a financial plan is setting goals that are meaningful to you. Once it's clear what those goals are, it's easier to set action steps and make them happen. Changing your mindset without knowing the bigger purpose can be challenging.   Joy asks Belma to define ‘superpower' and why it's important to know what yours is.  It's ‘what do I care about, and why?' Your thumbprint, or what really makes you unique. It's about identifying what is the special value that you can add to this world. Once we know and understand our superpowers, they can be activated. How do you start the process of finding your superpower?  Belma has a class that goes into more detail: linked here, but shares the highlights.  There are four clues: emotions, actions, feedback, & understanding your WHY.  Emotions: What are you doing when you're feeling in the flow? We have positive and negative responses, identify what you're doing when you are feeling positive.  Actions: What do you find yourself doing when you're in a place of flow? Understand that behavior.  Feedback: What are other people reflecting back to you your superpower is?  Your WHY: Understanding who you are and what drives you. Once you're clear on that, you can get more clear on the work you do every day.  It's a journey of self-discovery and is totally normal to not have all the answers without going through the process.  Joy asks, ‘How did you get to the clues and what are your superpowers that lead you to Work Bigger?'  It took Belma a lot of work to figure out the four clues and did so by tapping into her own journey. She thought her dissatisfaction with the workplace was the workplace's fault. But she pivoted and started having conversations with people in similar situations, connecting with them mentally and emotionally.  She started by reading a lot of books including What Color is my Parachute? and Big Book of Jobs. She thought if she could see the job, something would click for her.  She spent time researching and speaking with therapists and coaches. She put together a beta and it was a culmination of worksheets and questions that she was working on with other people.   Understanding your emotional landscape is foundational. Before the resume, the cover letter, or any of that, the foundation must be built. Navigating the external world is easier once the internal compass is set. Joy asks, ‘What are some emotional or behavioral cues that led you to this work and guiding others?'  Belma has always gravitated towards the big picture, strategic thinking, which comes into play when she is coaching clients. She feels energized and connected when she is teaching, speaking, and supporting clients.  Joy talks about how guiding people through a transformation or action that they wanted to do, but couldn't quite make happen themselves.  She gets to meet people where they are, ask questions, and present solutions. It's about finding pathways to accomplish the things they want with more ease. She previously worked in advertising and uses the skills from that job in this role, which is more fulfilling for Joy.  Belma talks about how they encounter this a lot at Work Bigger. Working a job that is unfulfilling or one that isn't helping with your financial goals can be a real barrier in the process. Using what you're naturally good at can help propel you to your goals.  Joy asks Belma what are some common struggles people are facing when they join Work Bigger? What inspires them to join?  Money and career are so connected. Belma talks about how they see a mindset and fear around money at Work Bigger. There's a fear of pivoting because making a change has financial impacts. It's important to have a healthy mindset around money and leverage a career that will serve your life and your well-being. With clarity comes the ability to make more intentional decisions. You don't have to stay at a job that isn't paying you enough or is unfulfilling.  Joy asks Belma to share some of the pivots and transitions she's witnessed.  They see people launching their own businesses and projects. Sometimes what they thought was going to take years, they're able to accomplish in a few months. Others make smaller pivots because they realize they don't need a huge change. They see it all at Work Bigger.  What really matters is that each individual is clear on what they want. The best thing that can happen through this process is discovering what's best for you.  There are stories out there where people make it happen really quickly, but that's not most people's reality. At Work Bigger, the focus is on following the path in a healthy and sustainable way. Belma didn't jump into Work Bigger full-time, she was able to do it by cutting back from her full-time job.  Through the process of discovery, you may find what lights you up isn't necessarily related to your work. The corporate job can be more bearable when you know it's a tool to help you do what really lights you up. It doesn't have to check every box.   The superpower can take different forms. Knowing your superpower is wonderful and it can come up in other areas of your life, like a side hustle or hobby.  Work Bigger has a free class about how to find your superpower. It goes through the internal process but also how to manifest that into the world. What does that look like, is it your next job, a new business, or something out. It helps you let go of the pressure and to help you find a way to feel connected every day as much as possible.   If you're looking to dig in and find your superpower, check out workbigger.co and register for the FREE class.  Connect with Work Bigger  Website: Work Bigger Instagram: @workbiggerLinkedIn: Belma McCaffrey Meet The Trainer Joy Liu, Certified Level 2 Financial Trainer & Head of Trainer Academy 

If you've ever wondered whether there really is such a thing as truth, today that's what we're going to talk all about. We're taking a deep dive into the difference between perception and reality and talking about how truth is different from opinion. We talk about WHY truth even matters and how it will ultimately bring you the most joy and happiness in this life. And we give you the formula for how to always find it. Time Stamps: [01:00] - Corrine and Neil talk about a funny story that started from seeing the movie The Italian Job. [04:00] - Corrine thought a Mini Cooper was her dream, but reality said otherwise. [05:32] - How are statistics related to this? [08:11] - Neil talks about the evolution of information on the internet. [09:51] - We have rules and laws so we know how to find happiness. [13:14] - What are eternal truths? [15:19] - Corrine and Neil talk about the feeling of truth and how to seek the truth. [18:12] - Ask believing that you'll get an answer. [20:48] - Corrine and Neil reminisce about the viral dress that doesn't look the same for everyone. What happened? [23:24] - Truth is different from having varied perspectives. [25:36] - Corrine shares an inspiring story of a Russian journalist during the situation in the Ukraine. [27:03] - Once you feel the truth of something, you can no longer deny it. [29:58] - Neil shares that understanding the truth helps people accept reality. [32:06] - Sometimes we need to experience hard truths to accept reality and learn for ourselves. [35:06] - It's not possible to find joy if you go against the truths that bring you happiness. [37:51] - Truth will be revealed. [40:36] - Corrine and Neil encourage everyone to put their trust in their gut feeling. [43:25] - Life is just a fraction of what's to come.   Supporting Resources: “Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation” Talk by Russell M. Nelson. “What Color is this Dress?” CNN