Motivated Life with Ravi Raman

#27 - Alan Heymann on Making Successful Career Transitions

Alan Heymann is an Executive Coach who excels at helping leaders in transition and those looking to do great work. With a special knack for coaching introverts, Alan brings a warm and energetic presence to his coaching practice.

 

In this episode, we explore Alan's experience working with a coach during his time as an executive leader. We also discuss the subtle moments of inspiration that catalyzed a major career transition, culminating with his leaving the public and non-profit sectors to become a coach. We go further, and discuss what it takes for anyone to make a successful career transition, and how the pandemic has created a groundswell of people who are trying to figure out what they want out of life and work.

 

...among other things, you'll also hear the story about how Alan ended up meeting the Dalai Lama!

 

To learn more about Alan, please visit his Website, Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

www.PeacefulDirection.com

https://twitter.com/alanheymann

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanheymann/

#26 - Rolf Evenson on Helping Leaders Find Clarity in Chaos

Rolf Evenson is an Executive Advisor and Coach. As the co-founder of ClearMind Advisors, Rolf works with leaders and teams globally, helping them create positive and lasting change. 

 

In this conversation, we explore the transformative insight that led to Rolf's healing of a traumatic childhood experience, and how his realization points to the natural capacity we have to overcome obstacles and thrive. Along the way we explore the mysterious nature of the human experience, the value of insight, and the innate human capacity to bring about lasting change without struggle.

 

Full of stories from Rolf's wide array of life experience - from Wilderness Adventure Guide to Rock Climber to Architect and now Executive Coach - this conversation is full of practical wisdom and engaging stories that anyone seeking to have a better experience of work and life is bound to enjoy. 

 

Connect deeper with Rolf at ClearMind Advisors or on LinkedIn.

 

Want to go deeper into the topics we discuss? Check out Rolf's recommendations for further study into the nature of human potential, including books and videos regarding the work of Sydney Banks, a mystic whose simple understanding of how life works has had a profound impact on Rolf and countless others.

#25 - Andrew Barry on Transformational Learning

Andrew Barry joins me on the podcast to explore Transformational Learning. Andrew is a learning expert, who has spent well over a decade helping organizations, teams and individuals accelerate and improve their learning. Currently a Program Director for On Deck and CEO of his learning consultancy, Curious Lion, Andrew helps leaders and course creators improve how they design effective learning experiences for their communities and organization.

 

Tune in as we explore:

• Why dinner parties can save the world!
• What inspired Andrew to leave his corporate career as an Accountant to follow what makes him "tick".
• The value of life-long learning for any knowledge worker.
• How to create a "flywheel" and strong culture for continuous learning in any team.
• and much more!

Follow Andrew on Twitter and subscribe to his Curious Lion newsletter for free resources on leveling up your learning potential.

#24 - Jonathan Armes on Thought Intelligence for Higher Business Performance

Jonathan Armes joins me on the podcast. Jonathan is an occupational psychologist who, through his firm Capital-Shift, specializes in helping business leaders and teams reach higher levels of leadership and performance. His approach, coined "Thought Intelligence", is at the cutting edge of psychology and is striking in both its impact and simplicity.

 

If you are a business owner, team leader or simply curious about how to elevate your performance, you don't want to miss this episode where we explore: 

 

• Jonathan's "ah-ha" moment that shifted his focus from traditional psychological approaches to new, deeper and authentic, ways of working with clients.
• Why "Thought Intelligence" and understanding how the mind really works, is vital to unlocking greater performance in business.
• What mental "interference" is and how it creates trouble for anyone trying to be their best.
• Going beyond the deluge of "instruction" available online and waking up an innate capacity to learn and perform well.
• ...and much more!

To connect with Jonathan, visit Capital-Shift and follow him on LinkedIn.

 

To view this podcast as a LIVE video interview, visit my YouTube Channel. 

#23 - David Kadavy On Unleashing Your Creative Genius

David Kadavy joins me on this episode. David is an independent writer, blogger, and podcaster. He has written several books, including the best-selling "Design for Hackers", "The Heart to Start" and the soon to be released "Mind Management (Not Time Management)". 

 

In this conversation, we explore David's career journey and intuitive call to step off a promising career track in Silicon Valley to become an independent creator, the nature of creativity, and why it matters that we unleash more of our full potential as artists. We also explore a few strategies for doing more great creative work that are relevant for everyone, even if you don’t consider creativity a vital aspect of your job.  

 

Follow David on Twitter, https://twitter.com/kadavy, and at https://kadavy.net

 

Get "Mind Management (Not Time Management)”, David’s latest book, at https://kdv.co/mind 

#22 - Adam Tank On Taking The Entrepreneurial Leap

Adam Tank joins me on the podcast to explore what it’s like to leave the safe confines of a corporate career to find his way as an entrepreneur. We also dive into his passion for the water industry, the value of writing and blogging, the key qualities of an entrepreneur and much more. 

 

Connect with Adam, and check out his writing, on his website on Twitter.

#21 - Jeff Kinsey on Finding Your Path in Life and Leadership

Jeff Kinsey joins me on the podcast to explore the insights that led to a radical lifestyle and career transformation. We also dive deep into his unique way of helping leaders and teams be more human as a coach and organizational consultant. A former banker, Jeff discovered that there was a different way to live, and followed insight and wisdom in moving with his family to the mountains of Colorado. His current vocation soon emerged, serving clients through his company, The Logos Group.

In this podcast we discuss:

• What being stuck in a snowstorm at 13,000 feet taught Jeff about dealing with challenges.
• How the mind works and it’s our natural capacity to find peace and calm.
• Finding direction and solving problems through wisdom and insight.
• Jeff’s motivation for taking the road less traveled, and reimagining life and work.
• The single master skill every leader needs to cultivate.
• Why suffering is optional when it comes to doing great work.

...and much more!

Connect with Jeff:

Follow Jeff on LinkedIn.

The Logos Group.

Jeff’s blog.

Mentioned during our conversation:

A Tale of Adventure Survival [and Leadership Lessons Learned]

Mt of the Holy Cross

#20 - Uday Dandavate: SonicRim's CEO on Poetry, Design Activism and Creativity

"Every human being has the ability to transcend their reality and think constructively and imagine a different future.” ~ Uday Dandavate

 

Uday Dandavate joins me for this podcast to discuss his new book of poetry “a window for a home without walls”, the importance of collaborative innovation, and why design activism - not design thinking - is needed now more than ever. 

 

Uday has had a long career at the intersection of design, innovation, and technology; as the CEO of SonicRim, a firm that has supported creative initiatives at leading companies such as Google, Microsoft, and eBay. I partnered with SonicRim over 10 years ago during my career at Microsoft to explore consumer needs and trends in support of product innovation. It was nice to catch up after so many years to discuss how we can apply a design activist mindset to today’s pressing leadership issues. By the way, even if you aren’t a reader of poetry, I think you will find his book of poems both thought-provoking and inspiring. 

 

In this podcast we discuss:

 

Skills every designer needs

Writing a book can be a fun and playful act

Value of having the right questions, not the right answers

Listening to inner wisdom 

Fearlessness as a way to see the world objectively

Being authentic in business

What the pandemic is teaching us about leadership

Moving beyond design thinking to design activism

Comics as a storytelling vehicle

What leaders can do to unlock creativity

…and much more! 

#19 - Flexing Your Creative Muscle

When was the last time you created something from scratch? If you need to think more than a few seconds about it, chances are you are missing a key ingredient to a satisfying and successful day.

 

We worry about not getting enough water, sleep, fresh air, sunshine or protein. There are books and podcasts dedicated to filling up our physical tank with the “good” stuff. Yet, very few talk about the value of being insightfully generative and creative. I argue that it’s as important as sleep. The feeling of satisfaction that comes from creating something from scratch is remarkable. It trumps a runners high, and I’ve done a lot of running in my years!

 

In this podcast I cover:

• What happens when we aren't using our creative talents
• Research on the role creative tendencies play in work and business performance
• An easy method for unlocking your innate creativity

#18 - Austin Belcak Shares His Best Strategies For Landing Your Dream Job

Austin Belcak joins me on this episode of the podcast to discuss unconventional methods for landing your dream job. Austin and I both believe that the current system for finding and landing jobs is broken (both for hiring managers and those seeking jobs). There is a lot of noise and not enough signal. Early sidetracks (or missteps) in one’s career or education also can be seemingly insurmountable barriers to overcome when trying to level-up in a career or make a radical change in vocation. What can we do about it?

Austin was forced to think creatively when it came to landing his job at Microsoft. With a 2.5 GPA and a modest amount of work experience, he discovered a variety of methods and strategies for finding ways to add real value to employers and convince decision-makers to bet on him.

Listen to this episode where we cover:

*How Austin landed a great job at Microsoft, without a stellar GPA or prior career experience.
*What motivated Austin to start a side business while working full-time.
*The most viciously misleading advice most job seekers blindly follow.
*How to start a career in a new field, with no connections.
*Why applying to jobs online is ineffective, and what to do about it.
…and much more!

Free Bonus: Austin’s Best Job Search Strategies:

As a special bonus to listeners of this podcast, Austin has pulled together a few freebies for you, including (1) a guidebook with 5 strategies his students have used to land job offers at Microsoft, Goldman Sachs and Facebook without applying online and (2) free access to his “Resume Revamp” course. Visit https://cultivatedculture.com/motivatedlife/ get your free stuff!

Connect with Austin Belcak at https://cultivatedculture.com/