Send us a textToday's episode features one of the greatest, most respected, and beloved commentators in Canadian sport broadcast history, Mr. Rod Black. As soon as you hear Rod’s voice, you will know immediately that he was destined for a career in broadcasting.Sportsnet president Scott Moore met with and told all the on-air talent, “You don’t have to be a jerk to be a star. Just look at Rod Black.”One of Rod’s favorite quotes is something his father used to tell him often. He would tell Rod, “If you find a job you love, you’ll never work another day in your life”. Rod took that to heart and dropped out of college at the age of 19 to pursue his career in broadcasting and the rest, as they say, is history. More than 40 years later, Rod has reached the pinnacle of his profession and continues to fearlessly reinvent himself. In this episode, Rod shares pearls of wisdom hehas collected along his journey that have helped him in both his professional and personal life. Rod’s enthusiasm and endless supply of positivity and energy are sure to inspire you to greatness.Some themes covered in this podcast include: 1. Community: Many people throughout Rod’s personal and professional life provided him with “nudges” to discover and pursue his life’s purpose. He is a firm believer in the need to have the right people around you.2. Resilience: You need to treat your lowest bottom as a trampoline and let it propel you to get back up and continue to move forward.3. Inner Voice: Pay attention to it. Whereas many people have a negative inner voice, Rod provides insight on how to foster a positive inner voice. Trust your own script.4. Acronyms for success: ABC, ICE, WIN, BED: Probably the foundation of Rod’s personal belief system and something he learned very early from a coach. Listen for them in the podcast and write them down and keep them where you can see them every day.5. Feedback: Be willing to seek and accept criticism and feedback.6. Patterns: Your life is full of patterns. Invest the time to study, learn, and act based on what you learn from them.7. Service: Play it forward! Live a life of service to others. You may not have money to donate but there are many ways to invest in the lives of others. Connect With Rod: TwitterInstagram

Send us a textIn today’s episode, Andy connects with former professional baseball player and current Toronto Blue Jays’ TV analyst and commentator Joe Siddall. A quote that comes to mind with this episode is this: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free” This quote attributed to Michaelangelo in reference to one of his sculptures. However, it also applies to Joe Siddall. He is a walking monument to what it means to have an attitude of gratitude. So much so that his daughter MacKenzie created her own brand to encourage the practice of 'gratitude' in order to help others live up to their potential.One of the special things that Joe demonstrates for us is that many of his core beliefs and codes of conduct are actually well-established mindfulness and optimal performance concepts that each of us has inside of us. We just need to learn to look for them. And just like Michaelangelo, if we can simply continue to carve until we set our own talents free, we, too, can create a life that is a beautiful work of art.As you listen to this podcast, see how many of Joe’s “Kevinism’s” come through. These “Kevinism’s” are the inspiration behind many of Joe’s expressed beliefs. You’ll learn why from the interview and will definitely want to hear it from Joe himself.Some of the concepts and themes Joe has practiced and lived himself are listed below. You are sure to hear others as you listen to this interview with Andy.1. Live life with an attitude of gratitude2. Keep moving forward3. We have to take action to realize the opportunities we are given4. Be adaptable5. Be present6. Competence leads to confidence which leads to performance7. You can quiet your inner critic8. Lean on others for support and guidanceJoe has a professional baseball career that spans 13 years playing in the big leagues for three teams; the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins and the Detroit Tigers. Known as a defensive specialist, his skills were excellent and this is the one of the main reasons why he was able to rise the ranks he did in professional sport. This episode is about so much more than his playing days as a professional athlete, but more so how one lives a life rooted in the things that matter most. Through love, life, death and grief, Joe and his family have learned that gratitude and appreciation are the keys to finding meaning and purpose in this one life that we are offered. Hoping you find some takeaway value in this discussion with the inspiring Joe Siddall. Connect With JoeTwitterCheck out Joe's daughter Mackenzie's "Attitude with Gratitude' website.  

Send us a text“Does that own me, or do I own it?” In today’s episode, Andy is talking with Herb Thompson, retired Army Green Beret. And they cover a lot of ground. Herb has had the deck stacked against him many times throughout his life. Any one of them could have easily overtaken him and changed the trajectory of his life. However, that very quote at the beginning has allowed him to keep things in perspective and keep them in order.Herb grew up living a life of poverty in a trailer park. However, instead of allowing his humble beginnings to keep him down, he used it to drive him. He saw many people living around him in the trailer park who had given up and were living defeated lives. When thinking back about those days, Herb sees examples of his core value of positivity throughout.Another mantra he adopted during his special forces training was to “keep stepping, one more step, one more step.” He has applied that to his daily life and shares what it means with Andy.Herb has written a book to help military men and women successfully transfer out of the military and into civilian life. It’s called the Transition Mission: A Green Beret’s approach to transition from military service. After spending 20 years in the military, Herb found himself at another one of those crossroads. He joined the military at 17 and it’s the only job he ever had. What do I do now? How do I get a civilian job? For that matter, what job am I qualified to get? How do I find my calling into a new career. As you might imagine, Herb’s advice and mantra is “Own your journey!” He relied on the skills he learned in the Army and applied them to help him in his career transition. The first thing he did was to get an MBA from Cornell. He knew he was lacking the business language and experience, so he kept taking one more step, one more step. He also intentionally engaged in informational interviews with people in many different professions so he could get a better understanding of those careers. It really served two purposes. First, he learned a lot about business and careers. Second, he met a lot of people. He built an amazing network that has served him well in many ways.Herb admits that his life is as fulfilling today in his new ventures as he was in the military. The last thing I’ll encourage you to listen for in the interview is Herb’s strong sense of who he is. He knows that if he is happy with himself, he’ll be able to help those around him and make them happy as well. Herb is constantly reminded of this concept by his 18-year-old son. When Herb mentions him in the interview, you can almost hear him smiling. His son has Aspergers and marches to the beat of his own drum and Herb couldn’t be prouder. He presents his true, authentic, vulnerable self to the world and if you like him. Great. And if you don’t like him? That’s okay too. You can’t make everyone happy, so you might as well make yourself happy. Good advice from Herb. Hope you find value in this discussion. Please share with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Thanks!Connect With HerbLinkedInWebsiteFind Herb's book hereRead about Herb's harrowing combat experience here

Send us a textThis week, Andy interviews Professor Thomas Curran, Department of Psychological and Behavioral Science at the London School of Economics. His writings have appeared in TIME magazine, the Harvard Business Review, the New Scientist, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times just to name a few. He is fresh off launching his debut book, The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough. He also delivered a TedMed talk on the subject which has garnered more than 3 million views. Not surprisingly, he is widely regarded as the world’s leading expert on perfectionism.Society seems to value the concept of perfectionism, but Professor Curran has a much different take on the subject. Not only does he identify the havoc-wreaking cause underlying perfectionism, he also provides healthy strategies to recognize, overcome, and manage it. Professor Curran even shares what his own battle with perfectionism looks like and how it could have prevented him from rising to his place of prominence on the subject.Hear how perfectionism almost prevented him from delivering his Ted Talk on the subject and how it almost prevented him from writing one of the most powerful and groundbreaking chapters of his new book.Maybe…just maybe, if even a world-renowned psychologist, author, and professor struggles with the ill effects of perfectionism, we can learn to treat ourselves with more kindness in our efforts to deal with it as well.Professor Curran says one of his primary purposes in life is to “bust myths” related to perfectionism, chiefly that it is good for us. Rather than benefit us, it actually blocks us from success and happiness and can result in many adverse psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.He also discusses three dimensions of perfectionism that you will find fascinating; 1) self-oriented perfectionism 2) Socially prescribed perfectionism and 3) Other-oriented perfectionism.In probably his most controversial assertion, Professor Curran highlights the societal and systemic causes of perfectionism. He argues that individual solutions don’t work when it’s a societal/systemic problem to begin with. When you consider that US students take more than 112 standardized tests from kindergarten to twelfth grade, it’s no wonder that our students focus on these scores and derive self-value (or lack of) from them. Then you add in the influence of social media, and the fact that everyone else seems to have a perfect life leaving us all to wonder why ours is not.Hopefully, you will be so intrigued and have so many “ah-ha!” moments while listening to this conversation, that you’ll wonder where the hour went. You’ll love Thomas’ affable, humble approach to life and living and buy his book so that you can learn more about how perfectionism may be impacting your life.Connect With Thomas: TwitterLinkedInWebsiteAs well, you can find Thomas' Ted Talk here. Please check it out. 

Send us a textEver wonder about the meaning of life? In this episode, Andy and Patrick explore this very question from a truly unique and emotional perspective that is certain to encourage you to reexamine your own thoughts on the matter. Patrick shares his power list of 5 things he believes every human is searching for.Patrick’s list is not a cliched list based on formal scientific research. Instead, it’s based on his personal journey that began as an “unsupervised” child in Brooklyn, New York, in the early 60s and is still ongoing at 60 years of age, shaping him into the luminary he is today. Patrick’s list is based on hard-earned life lessons as a homeless alcoholic at his lowest point to his soaring success of becoming a recording artist with the likes of Sade, Chuck D (Public Enemy) and Dan Zanes with many other stops in between. With 23 years of sobriety behind him, Patrick puts his philosophy of life on full display through one very poignant story of having his bicycle stolen in this episode. You get the full range of his process in this one story.  You see that he experiences the full range of human emotion but ultimately returns to his place of equilibrium due to the embeddedness of his own personal philosophy. He has the same initial response that any of the rest of us would have upon learning that something had been taken from us. That we have been violated or disrespected. However, he processes that experience, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously and returns back to his place of gratitude to get back on track. A key thread throughout Patrick’s story, whether in childhood or adulthood, is the idea of the inner voice or critic. This voice often tells us we aren’t good enough, nobody loves us, or we can’t overcome this. And in many cases, we accept it at face value. However, Patrick’s response is to take it under advisement and consciously make his own decision. Patrick shows us that we do not have to accept the inner critic’s assessment. He also makes the point that “the mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master.” He believes we have much to unlearn from what the inner critic has convinced us over time. The beauty is that we can!Today, Patrick has many roles: philosopher, musician, artist, author, and grandfather, to name a few. However, after this interview, I would like to recognize one more role for him. He is a “spiritual being having a human experience.” His understanding of the human condition is uncanny and is derived from the full range of experiences he has hadthroughout his journey with people from all walks of life. He has taken that lifetime of experience and formulated an incredibly resilient and awe-inspiring perspective that works for him. After listening to this podcast, I hope it works for you as well. For additional insight into Patrick’s life, check out the inspiring video featuring him and produced by Green Renaissance (now called Reflections of Life) entitled Am I Worthy? After only a couple of weeks of availability, it has racked up more than 55,000 views and is generating an enormous amount of buzz with more almost 1,400 comments -- a true testament to the power of Patrick's message. Thanks for listening, and please share this episode with others. Connect With Patrick: WebsiteInstagramEmailPlease connect with Justine and Michael from Reflections of Life to see their wonderful short films.Very special thanks to my friend Kevin Nall for his work helping me to produce this e

Send us a textMy guest in today’s podcast exemplifies what it means to take the risks needed to find his passion and true calling in life. His name is Obert Jongwe and he is a Zimbabwean artist who has devoted his life to the craft of painting. When I think of Obert and his life, there is a great quote that comes to mind that truly represents what it means to take the risks needed to thrive in life both personally and professionally. The quote is from Dr. Carl Jung, a world renowned Swiss psychologist who passed away in 1961. "The cave we fear to enter holds the treasure we seek."When you think of your own life, what comes up for you when you think about times in the past that you either took the risk needed to succeed at something that mattered to you or you failed to take the risk needed to pursue something that mattered to you. Obert's ability to take risk and believe in himself is a beautiful story of finding purpose in life. I first came across Obert’s story in an amazing short documentary that was created by the South African filmmakers Michael and Justine from the Green Renaissance project. I released a podcast I recorded with Michael Raimundo last month and in our conversation, he spoke and the work he and his partner Justine are doing with their Green Renaissance project.They  are a passionate team on a journey to inspire change by Creating beautiful, meaningful stories. They’ve done over 250 short films featuring amazingly ordinary people doing wonderful things in the world. I highly encourage you to check out their YouTube channel which you can find by searching for Green Renaissance. I will be doing free promotional work for them as I truly believe in their cause and hope that the listeners of my podcast can tune into their films which are sure to inspire you and provoke you to think differently about your life. When I watched their film featuring Obert Jongwe, I was inspired to reach out to him to invite him on my podcast to share his amazing story of resilience, meaning, and purpose. His work, as a painter, led him from Zimbabwe to South Africa. He has had his work featured in renowned art galleries in South Africa and Zimbabwe. His story is sure to move you to think about your true calling whatever that calling might be. I hope that my listeners will check out Obert’s work and maybe even one day buy one of his beautiful paintings. He is a wonderful person with a kind, caring heart who is hoping to impact the world in his own unique ways. It was an honor to interview him and share his life story. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for listening. Connect With ObertTwitterRoussouw Modern Gallery InstagramFacebookPlease follow Michael and Justine's work at Green Renaissance and consider donating to their cause. Michael and Justine's video about Obert can be found here

Send us a textToday’s episode is devoted to two very inspiring humans, Justine and Michael, who have made it their life mission to spread hope and joy in the world and they do this through their Green Renaissance project which will soon be changing names to Reflections on Life. For the last 7 years, Michael and Justine, who are filmmakers, have embarked on a journey that has allowed them to have a very special glimpse into the lives of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They literally took the biggest gamble of their lives and quit their day jobs to start up their project Green Rennaisance. They had no idea whether or not they would be successful, but leapt into the unknown to follow their hearts and their passion to make a difference a difference in the world in their own unique way. Simply put, Justine and Michael are on a journey to inspire change by creating beautiful, meaningful stories through the films they make.One of the things they are most proud of is that they have no corporate agendas in place. They are not linked to any advertising, brands or products. They create their work for free which is the true embodiment of a life of service. I first came across their work a few months ago. My wife Neila had found their films online and began to share them with me. As I watched more and more of their films, I was deeply moved by what it was they were trying to do. They pay for the films out of pocket, but have established a patron page, so anyone who can afford it, who finds meaning in their work, can donate whatever they can to help offset the cost of making these films. I thank you for tuning into my episode with the inspiring filmmaker Michael Raimondo. Please follow Justine and Michael's work and their Green Renaissance project. Connect with Michael and JustineWebsiteFacebookGreen Renaissance Trailer on YouTubeGreen Renaissance YouTube Channel

Send us a textJoining me on my Run Your Life podcast this week is George Mumford. He is arguably one of the greatest sports psychologists in the world based on the results he has achieved with his work. He has taught mindfulness and meditation to everyone from prison inmates to corporate executives to some of the most extraordinary athletes on the planet such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O Neal. He was also 11-time NBA championship head coach Phil Jackson’s right hand man during a run of 8 NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and the LA Lakers. George Mumford was referred to as Phil Jackson’s secret weapon and helped the Bulls and the Lakers reach a legacy defining run of championships over those years. In Phil Jackson’s own words, he has said, that "Time after time and team after team, I’ve seen athletes transformed and seen championships saved by players who believed in Mumford’s one mind, one breath efforts." A true testament to the impact of George Mumford’s work. However, success did not come easy for George. During his career in high school and university, he was wracked with one debilitating injury after another which resulted in him developing an addiction to opioids which then led to a full on heroin and alcohol addiction that he grappled with for years. After hitting rock bottom, George devoted himself to recovery by focusing on his healing from the inside out. It was during this time, he found the power of meditation and mindfulness, working alongside some of the most brilliant minds in the world in this field of study including renowned experts John Kabat-Zinn, Jack Kornfield and Sharon Salzberg. George has now been clean for 39 years and has made it his life mission to teach and work with others  helping them to find true fulfillment, meaning and purpose in their lives.It’s no surprise he has impacted so many humans through his work including Michael Jordan who credits George with transforming his on court leadership with the Chicago BullsKobe Bryant has also emphasized the impact of George’s work in many interviews and in his book ‘The Mamba Mentality’. He acknowledges George as a key figure in his mental training and personal development, often saying that his teachings and mindfulness techniques had a significant impact on his own ability to stay focused, maintain composure under pressure and perform at a high level. George continues to share his work for free on his YouTube channel At Home with George and every few days he posts a video sharing deep insight into how meditation and mindfulness can be applied in anybody’s life regardless of what it is they are going through or pursuing in their life. You can find this series below. In our conversation today, George and I unpack some of the key ideas embedded within his latest book including the power of mindfulness and ways to navigate through tough times in our life in a way that often leads to our greatest breakthroughs. Connect With George: WebsiteTwitterLinkedInInstagramFacebookLink TreeFind George's books by clicking the links below: The Mindful Athlete

Send us a textMy conversation today is with Joel Monk, the co-founder of Coaches Rising which is a global community of over 6000 coaches dedicated to having the biggest impact they can have. He co-founded Coaches Rising nearly 15 years ago and has done extensive training in multiple different modalities in order to better understand how to help his clients truly thrive, both personally and professionally, in their lives.Based on my own experiences in leadership and in coaching a variety of people from different backgrounds and fields of work, from what I have seen and observed, the ones that are most successful are usually the ones who have gone through a deep process of personal transformation and growth in their own lives. Simply put, they have done a great deal of inner work in order to better understand themselves, their strengths and their areas in need of improvement. The most impactful coaches and educators out there are the ones who have gone through this process themselves and Joel Monk embodies exactly what it means to do the very difficult and deeply challenging internal work needed to continually transform himself so that he can help coach his clients through the turbulent times they face in this ever-changing and unpredictable world.What I truly appreciate about Joel is his ability to continually make himself vulnerable, sharing his real truth without fear of judgement, while demonstrating a strong sense of self-compassion which is the same attuned approach he brings to the clients he coaches and the amazing guests he interviews on his Coaches Rising podcast.In our conversation today, despite only having an hour, Joel and I go quite deep around a number of themes including:The importance of honoring the intelligence inside each of us in order to bring out our bestExploring and identifying our deeper sense of calling in our livesBetter understanding how to cope with emotional triggers Better dealing with difficult moments in our life in a way that allows us to come out better on the other side of the hardshipWe also discuss several other themes in our podcast that I hope will spark you to reflect more deeply about your own life in ways that have you thinking about what might be possible. Thanks for tuning in and I sincerely hope you share this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. About Joel: He's the co-founder of Coaches Rising and very passionate about the role coaches can play in our turbulent times. He's also a coach and has worked with hundreds of executives, entrepreneurs and CEO’s from many different countries around the world.He's inspired to take a cross paradigmatic approach to his coaching and is influenced by – developmental theory, Steve March & Aletheia coaching, Thomas Hübl, Circling, Doug Silsbee, Purpose Guiding, Somatics, Focusing, AEDP….He also hosts Coaches Rising podcast where he interviews incredible people to explore how they work with others to facilitate transformation. Joel lives in Amsterdam with his beautiful family.Connect With Joel at: joelmonk@coachesrising.comcoachesrising.comjoel-monk.com

Send us a textDr. Chris Johnson joins me for episode #237 of my Run Your Life podcast. She’s the author of the book The Leadership Pause and is a highly sought after speaker and executive coach to many successful leaders. The experience she has, as a leadership consultant, has provided her deep insight into the real needs and challenges that leaders face on an ongoing basis. In today's episode, Chris and I unpack some of the key principles from her book the Leadership Pause: Sharpen Your Attention, Deepen Your Presence, and Navigate the Future which was published in July 2022.  In her book, Chris takes us on a guided journey into our most truthful future as leaders.  Her call to action is for all leaders--new and seasoned professionals alike--to take on the important practice of pausing.The Leadership Pause shows how to quiet the noise of the daily hustle so we can hear the still-small voice of purposeful curiosity that lives within us, which breeds wisdom in both work and life.The Leadership Pause teaches us all:the gift of mindful awareness that leads to clarity of mind and heart, reduced stress, and increased resiliencea deeper connection to selfa clearer vision of the natural leader resting just beneath the surfaceChris' book is for anyone looking to deepen their impact on the lives around them, leave a profound mark on their organizations, and build a legacy of intentional focus, pragmatic ambition, grounded compassion, and empathy-in-action. It was a genuine honor to have her on my podcast and I hope that after hearing our discussion today, you get your hands on a copy of Chris' book The Leadership Pause as it's sure to help you sharpen your skills as a leader. Thanks for listening and please share this episode with anyone who you feel will benefit from tuning in. Connect With Chris: WebsiteLinkedInYou can get your own copy of The Leadership Pause here.