DREAM THINK DO | Motivation, Encouragement & Strategy

Rob Harsh | Don't Miss It! (How to live in the moment... no matter what!) This week, Mitch interviews adventurer Rob Harsh: Don't Miss It! (How to live in the moment... no matter what!). Harsh has traveled the globe on climbing, kayaking, and mountain biking expeditions. He's summited mountains on five continents and participated in over fifty of the toughest adventure endurance events in the world. He also recently survived stage 4 cancer. Rob's lived a life of adventure. And he's learned a lot. One of the most important lessons though… is all about how to live in the moment. No matter what. They dig into some great stories as well as some strategies to help YOU live in the moment too. Listen To The Podcast: It's THAT time of year. I'm guessing you're gearing up for the holidays with family gatherings, road trips, and jam-packed schedules. It can be a crazy time… right? And although we may not be hanging off the sides of mountains or navigating class IV rapids on a river somewhere… we can all learn a thing or two about: Living in the moment. Being fully present. Not missing out on the important things. Adventurer, Rob Harsh has some great stories and some practical strategies to help on this front. Rob has been guiding people in business, outdoor adventure and personal growth for twenty years. He helps people to make positive shifts in their lives, as well as… overcome adversity in any area of life and discovering how to live in alignment with who they authentically are. I'm stoked to hear about some of Rob's experiences… but also dig into some of the practical steps he uses to push through the challenges that get thrown at you on mountain tops… and in life… so you can live more in the moment AND live more of the life you were put on the planet to live! Listen in and then let me know what stood out to you. Comment below and join in the conversation.

This week, Mitch interviews Caitlin Pyle, a 30-year-old former freelance proofreader turned multimillion-dollar media-preneur. Caitlin turned a subject (proofreading) she was passionate about into a successful business. PLUS… she did it on her terms. As the founder of the ultra-niche, multi 7-figure blog called: Proofread Anywhere, Caitlin has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company and Business Insider. She talks with Mitch about her story and the steps she took to turn her passion into a 7-figure business. Listen To The Podcast: I love it when I meet people who surprise me. And… Caitlin Pyle is one of those people. Caitlin took her interest in proofreading and turned it into a blog. That's right… I said, proofreading! That blog became a 7-figure business. See what I mean???? SURPRISE! I don't know about you but when I first heard about someone with a blog for proofreaders, I thought to myself, "How could that possibly be a business?" But as I dug into Caitlin's story… she continued to surprise me! Surprise 1: She had some of the same doubts I did. She wondered, "How could I turn THIS into a business?" (Her family and friends wondered too.) Surprise 2: She experimented. Some things didn't work. Some things did. And the things that did work were a surprise too! Surprise 3: Caitlin has helped other people take their passion for various subjects (some mainstream… and many not-so-much) and turn them into profitable businesses. Surprise 4: Well… you'll have to listen to the interview to get THIS one. Plus, Caitlin offers some free resources that will help you to think through your next steps. HERE'S THE LINK TO GET THE PDF! Grab this free (and awesome) resource… especially if you've ever had a passion for something and wondered, "Could I turn this into a business?" I think you'll dig it. And hey… whether you've ever thought about turning an idea into a business or not… I think you'll be inspired by Caitlin's story and her approach to life. Listen in and then leave a comment. Let me know what stood out to you. Can't wait to hear from you. Mitch

Avoid the Success Assumption This week, Mitch Matthews takes a deep dive into something he calls, the "Success Assumption." If you don't understand it, the Success Assumption is something that can hurt your ability to lead, love and communicate. BUT if you do understand it you can build trust, understanding, and connection. In the episode, Mitch walks you through what it is and he also offers you key strategies for avoiding it. Listen To The Podcast: The Success Assumption is something that can get in the way. It hurts your ability to lead and love others. It's something you want to avoid. If you don't… it can tear at your ability to build trust with your team. It can hurt your conversations with your significant other. It can wreck connecting with a friend. FIND OUT WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO AVOID IT Yup… the Success Assumption is bad news. BUT… there's also some good news. If you understand WHAT it is… and HOW it works… you can use it to be a better leader, spouse and friend! It's one of the most important leadership and communication concepts I've learned about in years! And I want to share it with YOU this week. Scroll down and leave a comment. I'd love to hear about a time when you've seen or experienced the Success Assumption! Let's do this. Mitch Here are some show notes to those who like those types of things: Time-Stamped Show Notes [00:00] Introduction to the success assumption with Mitch Matthews. [03:14] The success assumption. [06:00] Generational examples of the success assumption. [11:30] Professional examples of the success assumption. [13:51] Avoiding the success assumption. [18:00] Another angle for asking about success. [19:04] The righting reflex. [21:22] The success assumption and righting reflex from a parental perspective. [25:16] Relationships and the success assumption. The Success Assumption Understanding the success assumption is particularly important right now because there are so many generations currently in the work force, but it has applications that go beyond management and leadership issues. "The success assumption is that each generation expects other generations to define success and work to achieve success in the same way that they do," explains Matthews. In fact, what one generation sees as success, another generation might see as failure. For example, Matthews' mother had been a stay-at-home mother, but when her children were in school, she worked to get a degree and a job. After her graduation, which Matthews' parents saw as a success and an achievement to be proud of, Matthews' grandfather took his father aside and started asking questions about whether the family was okay, if they were in financial trouble, or if they needed money. "My grandpa was actually very concerned," says Matthews. "My parents had shared this good news to everyone, but my grandpa took it in a different way entirely." For his grandfather's generation, a wife having to take a job was a failure. However, Matthews' mother had worked very hard to achieve this goal. "It caused a little bit of a rift for a while," says Matthews. "It was a little bit of a discouragement, a little bit of a disappointment for my parents." It was the success assumption at work. The Success Assumption in the Workplace The success assumption recently harmed a tech company who was about to have public stock offerings. The company had been very generous with bonuses for its employees up to that point, but when getting ready for the IPO, leadership decided to give stock options instead of cash options to their team. Although the stock options were incredibly generous, they went over like a lead balloon. Leadership thought they were giving a great incentive, but the employees wanted cash. The definition of success was different for the team than it was for the leadership.

This week, Mitch Matthews talks with internationally recognized expert in effective time management, Elizabeth Grace Saunders. She's the author of two bestselling books. Plus, she writes on time management for Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, the Huffington Post and Fast Company Magazine. In this interview, they talk about her newest book, "Divine Time Management." They dig into subjects like maximizing your schedule and your time… as well as important concepts like true identity, relationships and asking the big questions in life. Listen To The Podcast: Elizabeth Grace Saunders is an internationally recognized expert in effective time management. She's also the author of two bestselling books on the subject! Plus, Elizabeth is the go-to person for maximizing your day and becoming more efficient with your time for Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, the Huffington Post and Fast Company Magazine. Time management is a passion for her. However… in the past few years she started to feel like the common strategies were falling short. She wanted to feel more peaceful, confident and accomplished… but the time honored concepts weren't cutting it anymore. So she dug in to look deeper. What she found surprised her. But as she applied what she was learning… it started to change things for the better. Then Elizabeth started to share the concepts with her clients and in her writing and people let her know these new strategies were having a profound effect. As a result… she decided to write a new book. It's called "Divine Time Management." In this week's episode, I talk with Elizabeth about the journey to write the book and the strategies that have made a big difference to her. We talk about maximizing your schedule and your time… but we also dig into concepts like true identity, relationships and asking the big questions in life. It's a unique perspective that will get you thinking. Enjoy it and let me know what stood out to you. Leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from YOU! ALSO - Here are the Time Stamped Show Notes from this Week's Episode: [02:20] Introduction and background of Elizabeth Grace Saunders. [04:08] Becoming interested in time management. [07:40] Divine Time Management: The Joy of Trusting God's Loving Plans for You. [13:08] She's still open to clients from all faith backgrounds. [18:23] Her approach and letting go of control. [25:08] Loving your true identity. [31:02] Uncovering your true identity. [36:10] Alignment with God. [40:09] Alignment in relation to planning and time management. [43:54] Hearing from God. [50:35] Cultivating quiet time with God anywhere. Elizabeth Grace Saunders, Divine Time Management From Stress to Balance Elizabeth Grace Saunders was a planner from a young age. As the oldest child, she always liked to know the plan for the day. However, her interest in time investment came out of a struggle with entrepreneurship. "I had started a business, and didn't have any sort of work-life balance in order," says Saunders. "I got to the point where I just felt stressed out all the time, and guilty whenever I wasn't working." She went on a personal journey of finding balance, and now uses that knowledge to help others. She began coaching in 2009, teaching strategies on planning, prioritizing, making to-do lists, and having realistic expectations. Divine Time Management In 2015, two things happened to change her course. The first was a feeling of inauthenticity. "I started to get bored of what I was doing," says Saunders. Not feeling excited about her work anymore made her feel inauthentic and untransparent. "Then at the same time, I felt like God was telling me I needed to start giving Him more of the glory in my business." She began a Christian group coaching program called Divine Time Management and began working on her proposal for her new ...

Kelsey Merritt | Getting Clarity on Your Dreams In this episode, Mitch Matthews interviews Kelsey Merritt. When they first met in 2016, Kelsey impressed Mitch with her list of 300+ things she wanted to do, see or experience in her lifetime. Since then, she's gone to check many things off her list… including setting a World Record. They talk about the importance of clarifying your goals and dreams as well as dig into practical strategies for achieving them… even when time and budgets are tight. Listen To The Podcast: In 2016, Mitch and his Dream Team met Kelsey Merritt when they brought the BIG Dream Gathering to campus. She stood out because she brought her Bucket List of 300+ things she wanted to do, see or experience in her lifetime. Since that time, she's stayed with it and checked a number of items off the list. In fact, Mitch and the crew brought the BDG back to Kent State and helped to make another of Kelsey's goals (involving honey bees) a reality. Check it out it out below: In this episode, Mitch and Kelsey talk about how to get clear on your goals and dreams. Then they dig into practical strategies for making them happen! Comment below and let us know what you connected with from Kelsey's story and strategies. We'd love to hear from you! Also… here's a summary of the interview with a few more details too! Enjoy. Summary Kent State University student Kelsey Merritt met Mitch and the BIG Dream Gathering Team in 2016 and impressed them with her bucket list of about 300 items she wanted to do, see or experience in her lifetime. She'd already checked many items off the list, but she keeps adding items to it. However, this is not a list of mere achievements, it's a list of experiences. Her focus is to be in the moment and enjoy the process. And she's not afraid to dream big — one goal she recently went after was to break a world record. Time-Stamped Show Notes [03:12] Introduction and background of Kelsey Merritt. [06:57] The list. [09:39] Why the list is important. [13:35] Genuine curiosity. [17:34] Education outside of the classroom. [20:22] Failures. [26:20] Don't be afraid of emotion. [28:03] World record attempt. [31:28] Why attempt to break a world record now? [33:45] Challenges in breaking the world record. [40:25] Wisdom of the week. Kelsey Merritt, Getting Clarity on Your Dreams The List Kelsey Merritt's list journey started when she was a junior in high school and her English teacher assigned her class the task of creating a bucket list of 25 items, then completing and documenting two of them. Merritt completed her two items and stashed her list away in her room, only to find it the next year. "I pulled it out around the end of senior year when I was cleaning out my room, getting ready for college," Merritt says. She decided to complete her list. "From there, it exploded into the beast that it is today," she says. Although ever-evolving, at the time of this interview, the list has 348 items, 184 of which have been completed. It's Important "It's important because it's helped me live my best life," says Merritt. "I don't want to go through the motions of life. I want to experience this world as much as possible." People are concerned that she won't finish her list before she dies, but that's not the point. "I'm not preparing myself to die," she says. "It's taking what this world has to offer and just doing it." People who assume it's a death preparation are thinking about it backwards. Experience is what gets people talking, because when you start to talk about something you're passionate about, you light up and your heart starts to sing, and it's opened up doors for her at career fairs and networking events because of that excitement. "It's made me who I am today," Merritt says. "It's pushed me out of my comfort zone. It's taught me a lot about life, living,

This week, Mitch talks with Wes Chapman, the Founder of A HUMAN PROJECT. Wes is also the recipient of Apple's "App of the Year" award multiple times and consultant to Fortune 500 companies. Plus, he holds patents on numerous medical devices. In the episode, they discuss how Wes was able to take the trauma of his childhood and turn it into something that would fuel his success. More importantly, they talk about how he's learned to shut down the cycle of abuse and negativity to live a loving, fulfilling incredibly fruitful and peaceful life with his wife and their kiddos. Listen To The Podcast: As someone who attempted suicide 12 times before the age of 16, Wes Chapman knows all about trauma and overcoming it. Chapman believes that human beings are capable of overcoming any challenge if they understand their inherent self-worth and move forward in that understanding. He's the founder of A Human Project, which gathers the greatest minds to find creative, scalable solutions to global issues in education, health, and society. Time-Stamped Show Notes [01:50] Introduction and background of Wes Chapman. [04:20] Snapshot of Chapman's daily life. [06:30] Chapman's favorite aspects of the back-to-school season. [09:01] Chapman's childhood. [16:35] Shifting your thinking and self-worth. [26:00] Practical tips to reprogram the brain. [32:51] Self-worth. [37:27] Your brain is a highway. [43:43] Overcoming pre-conditioned feelings. [53:50] We're chemical beings. HOW ABOUT YOU? Listen in and let us know what stood out to you from Wes's story and the strategies he offers. Comment below and share your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you! Keep bringing your awesome. Mitch Now… here are some show notes from today's episode too! Enjoy! Chapman's Backstory Wes Chapman's childhood was fraught with trauma. He endured alcohol abuse in the womb and at three months old was diagnosed with Failure to Thrive. At a year old his father abandoned the family, and when he was six years old, his mother left as well. "At a very young age, I was without the community that we're supposed to start with, and the community that had taken me in and adopted me was abusive," says Chapman. He and his younger siblings were abused physically, sexually, spiritually, and emotionally, and that abuse continued throughout his childhood. It was so bad that by the time he was 16 years old, he had attempted suicide 12 times resulting in documented hospitalizations. "That was my childhood. That was my reality," says Chapman. However, awful as it was, he would never change it. "That experience and what I went through was key to what I am now doing," he says. "I look at what happened to me and I look at what I'm now doing, and I look at the ability that I had to endure that, and now I've got this responsibility to share my story and how I actually overcame all of that." Bringing Change to Others Chapman's work with A Human Project focuses on youth and their families and giving them more opportunities to succeed. He has no typical day, and instead lives in two work spaces. When he's on the road, he's out in the communities having conversations with schools and community leaders, working with psychiatrists, and having face-to-face interaction with the youth he's helping. When he's at home, it's more relaxed work on the business side and making sure that they're rooted, strong, and building sustainable and scalable solutions. "I have to wear these two hats, the on-the-tour Wes and then the founder Wes," he says. "It's very hectic, whether I'm home or on tour." It may be hectic, but it's also exciting and rewarding for him. Working on a school-year calendar instead of a Gregorian calendar allows Chapman to see the kids he worked with the previous school year. "To see them completely picking up the pieces and changing their trajectory — some are miraculous changes and some are microscopic,

This week Mitch Matthews interviews The VOICE's Jon Mero. He's been lighting up the stage with Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Jennifer Hudson and Miley Cyrus all vying to have him on their teams. (He went #teamAdam) His story appears to be one of an "overnight success" because he looks so at home on the national stage, but his journey is anything but. In this interview, Mitch and Jon talk about the road to the VOICE and some specific strategies he used to break through fear, take the steps he needed to take and to stick with his dream… even during the hard times. Listen To The Podcast: Jon Mero has been lighting up the VOICE since his blind audition. He's been winning fans from around the world as he continues to learn from his coach Adam Levine and take the stage with new performances. Jon looks like he's having the time of his life as he sings, dances and under this national spotlight. His singles have also been setting iTunes sales records too. It would easy to think that his story is one of overnight success. But Jon has been pursuing this dream for years. In this interview, Mitch and Jon talk about some of the specific things Jon has done to get clear on his dream and to stay on track to make it a reality. Plus… of course… we also dig into some of YOUR questions like… What is Adam Levine REALLY like? How do you get invited to be on the VOICE How do you stay with a dream when you're tempted to give up? And more… Oh… and they also talk about how Jon's experience at a BIG Dream Gathering back in 2011 played a part in Jon taking some needed steps towards his dream. [Here's a video from that BIG Dream Gathering.] Listen in. We think you'l dig it… and be inspired (whether you're a music fan or not).

Mitch Matthews looks back over 150 episodes of DREAM THINK DO to dig into some of the most important lessons he's learned from all the interviews and deep dives from the past (almost THREE) years! He talks about some of his favorite stories as well as some of the key strategies he's used to overcome fear, break through obstacles and make dreams happen! Listen To The Podcast: WOW! 150 episodes! In this episode, I start by pointing to some of my recent favorite interviews... There's the masked superhero... Mark Henson... who helps YOU figure out YOUR super powers. There was the episode with Erik Weihnmayer... who summited Everest and kayaked the Grand Canyon... blind! (His story is jaw-dropping and so inspiring!) There was the surprise convo with Sports Illustrated's Don Yeager about making yourself invaluable... by the way of an incredible story of a backup catcher who played for the Chicago Cubs. I can't forget my "jam session" with drummer (and marketing exec) Tom Pietras... about reinventing yourself and your career. Oh... and there was Switchboard CEO Mara Zepeda who surprised me with one of the most unique, powerful and gender specific time management strategies! I've just been SO blessed to have so many great guests like...Tessa Reeves, Tim Sanders, Craig Ballantyne, Perry Marshall, Michael Hyatt, and Russ Matthews! Plus, I lead up to one of the BIGGEST concepts I've come across in my 150 episodes. It's something that helped so many people face their fears head on... and beat 'em back with a big stick! You'll have to listen to the episode to hear what I'm talking about. How about YOU? What's one of the episodes that stood out to you? I'd love to hear from YOU. Leave a comment below and let me know.

In this episode of the DREAM. THINK. DO. podcast, Mitch Matthews talks with Rob Dionne, the host of Open Sky Fitness Podcast and a lifestyle and fitness expert based in of LA. He specializes in helping busy people and entrepreneurs get out from behind their desks and carve out a better quality of life for themselves and family. In addition, he also runs marathons, competes in spartan races and bodybuilding. He helps his clients create real-world strategies for weight-loss and fitness that anyone can do regardless of their fitness level. Listen To The Podcast: Is your exercise equipment collecting dust in your basement because you're too busy to use it? Or maybe you find yourself sitting behind your desk for 8 hours or more and you simply can't find time to exercise. If you find that you're just too busy to be healthy, then you're not alone. My next DREAM THINK DO podcast guest, Rob Dionne, specializes in working with really busy people and entrepreneurs. He helps them carve out time to have a better quality of life, whether that means finding ways to reduce stress, eat healthier or become more active. Rob understands where his clients are coming from because he had a season in his own life where he became really out of shape and had to fight to get back to a healthier lifestyle again. And he's succeeded. In addition to hosting the Open Sky Fitness podcast, he also runs marathons and competes in spartan races and bodybuilding. Providing real-world strategies for weight-loss and fitness is Rob's passion. He shares small steps in this episode that you can take no matter what your current situation is so that you work toward creating the healthier lifestyle you want. In this episode, you will… Learn how creating structure can help busy people become healthier Hear about why working over 90 minutes increments increases stress Gain insight into how you can become fit in just 15 minutes at a time Learn 9 easy things to do during your break to keep you productive Discover building blocks for creating healthier structure in your day Episode Resources: Open Sky Fitness Podcast openskyfitness.com/coaching openskyfitness.com/dreamthinkdo MitchMatthews.com/149 DREAM. THINK. DO.

In this episode of the DREAM. THINK. DO. podcast, Mitch Matthews talks with Adda Birnir, CEO and Founder of Skillcrush, an interactive learning community teaching total beginners web design, coding and other marketable digital skills. Students are using their skills to pursue entrepreneurship, freelancing, part-time and even full-time jobs. They talk about career pivots, dream jobs and how to surround yourself with the right people! Listen To The Podcast: What do you do when you get laid off from your job? You look for jobs. But when it happened to Adda Birnir she took a friend's advice and only spent a set amount of time each day looking for jobs and used the rest of her time doing something productive. To be more specific...she taught herself computer coding and it started with a book she bought at Barnes & Noble. She devoured the book and then she started experimenting. She read some more. She built a website. She took a class. Then she built another site. She kept going and eventually pivoted and launched a new career. Adda went on to build sites for organizations like the New York Times, ProPublica and MTV! Adda took all of her experiences teaching herself to code and turned it into a SKILLCRUSH.com - a thriving learning community where anyone can acquire skills in web design, coding and all things tech. In this episode, you will… Learn strategies for adapting to changes and setbacks Hear the common denominator about those co-workers that seem to "have it made" Gain insight into how you can acquire marketable skills Figure out how to "pivot" into the career YOU want Episode Resources: Skillcrush.com Check out The Hit Refresh Podcast on iTunes MitchMatthews.com/148 DREAM. THINK. DO.