The Business of Meetings 91: Authentic Leadership with Keith Roberts
Today, we are excited to speak to Keith Roberts! Keith is a true inspiration! He has had a fascinating journey as an entrepreneur, digital marketer, author, and Founder of the OAK Journal. His tools have helped change the lives of many, and are sure to do the same for many more going forward.
In this episode, Keith discusses his purpose in life and inspires others to become the very best version of themselves. He also shares his knowledge and experience, talks about the OAK Journal, explains what he is doing to help kids in the future, and shares some valuable tools that you can apply immediately to help you in your journey as an entrepreneur.
We hope you enjoy our conversation with Keith Roberts today!
Keith Roberts’ bio
Keith Roberts is an author, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker. He created the OAK Journal to fulfill his personal why - Through kindness and generosity to help others see who they could become. Keith regularly speaks to entrepreneurs, start-ups, and corporate clients to empower them with the tools to achieve any goals. You will learn to be the best version of yourself through positive psychology and scientifically proven techniques.
Keith’s life purpose is to inspire others to be the best possible version of themselves. He continuously accomplishes this with science, spirituality, and gratitude.
Growing up in the 80s
Keith grew up in the 80s. He was expected to follow a safe career path and become an engineer. However, when his seventh-grade teacher described an entrepreneur as someone who would have a life of hardship and go bankrupt many times, Keith set his sights on becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Photography
Two years later, he watched a photo develop and fell in love with photography. After leaving school, he went to Brooks Institute of Photography, got a degree specializing in undersea photography, and spent several years working for Bob Carey from the Tutu Project, a foundation that raises money for breast cancer survivors. After that, he worked for Vic Huber, the world’s top automotive photographer, and then broke out on his own and spent a year struggling as an artist.
Graphic design
Keith got a job at Barnes and Noble as a graphic designer. After a couple of years, he started running a business at night. Then he got into doing freelance design work and later web design.
Zenman
Keith started his agency, Zenman, in April 1998. It grew into becoming one of the top agencies in Colorado. Keith sold Zenman at the beginning of 2021, but he still works there.
Not a path he would choose again
Even though he learned a lot and gained valuable experience from running the agency, he would not choose that path again because egos got involved, it took a lot of money to keep it going, and there were too many peaks and valleys.
The OAK Journal
The OAK Journal is a 90-day-structure journal based on positive psychology and neuroscience. It helps people set goals and then achieve them. It is based on the life-changing practice of starting each day with ten minutes of meditation, ten minutes of reading, and ten minutes of journaling.
The Entrepreneurial Master’s Program
Keith found the Entrepreneurial Master’s Program at MIT life-changing. It inspired him to create the OAK Journal.
Great results
It took three years before Keith and his partners had a version of the OAK Journal that they were ready to present to the public. It was designed for entrepreneurs and highly driven individuals, so Keith was shocked to find that people suffering from depression and other challenges got the same results.
A life-changing tool
A life-changing tool from EMP is The Four Sevens: Imagine you have seven years left to live and write down the things you would like to accomplish. Do that again for seven months, then seven weeks, and finally, seven days. That will clarify what truly matters in your life.
Finding your icky guy (Ikigai)
Ikigai is a Japanese term that means life purpose or reason for being. It consists of four concentric circles representing what you love, what the world needs, what you are good at, and what you can be paid for. It helps you find the center of all those things so that you can have financial freedom and the time to do what you want. That will keep you happy and let you live a happier and longer life.
Success
If you want to be successful in today’s world, you need to be authentic. Don’t be a hypocrite, and walk your walk.
Personal branding
Keith hates personal branding because it’s not authentic. Your company might be a brand, but you are not!
Keith Roberts’ thoughts on character
The best measure of a person’s character is how they treat someone who can do nothing for them.
Finding a balance between authenticity and respect
There is a fine line between being authentic and remaining respectful, and it is hard to find the middle ground. If we try to change history, we will be forced to repeat it. On the other hand, we should not be offended by descriptive words that are not insulting to anyone or anything.
Entrepreneurship is essential
Entrepreneurship is essential. Keith believes that politicians are not going to save the planet, but entrepreneurs most certainly will.
Meditation and mindfulness
Keith has seen that high-performing individuals from all walks of life practice meditation. Meditation and mindfulness clear the mind, bring focus, and inspire creative thought.
Good leadership
Good leaders stay in touch with their workforce. Leaders get the best results when they have an intimate connection with everyone in their organization and treat everybody with equal respect.
The Acorn Journal
COVID has been a lot harder on kids than it has been on adults. Keith decided to create the Acorn Journal to help this generation overcome the challenges of the last eighteen months of social distancing and isolation. It will be similar to the OAK Journal, but for tweens, and will be given away for free.
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Connect with Keith Roberts
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Email Keith: keith@oakjournal.com
Book mentioned:
The Lies My Teachers Told Me by James W. Loewen