Meikles & Dimes

Cory Sanford is the Vice President of Culture and Talent at Guidant Financial, where he led the transition of the entire organization to remote work. He has also helped two different companies win #1 best place to work honors. Cory is both a graduate of and an instructor in Cornell University’s Executive Master’s in Human Resource Management program. His book HR You Kidding Me? Surprisingly Simple Steps to Unlock the Power of People is a #1 best seller on Amazon. In this episode we discuss the following: It’s impossible to dive deep while wearing a life jacket. The things that helped us in the past can be the same things that hold us back today. Cory has found power in the words, “I don’t know”, “I’m not sure, let’s look together” or “What do you think?” By being okay with not having all the answers, Cory has accelerated his own learning. Follow Cory: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-sanford/ Website: https://www.guidantfinancial.com/about-us/leadership-team/ Follow Me: X: https://twitter.com/nate_meikle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemeikle/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_meikle/

In this episode Tozer and I talk with Jake Garn, an international law attorney at Garn & Graber, who is Nate Garn's younger brother. We discuss how Jake became Tozer’s first friend and co-tenant, and how Jake set the stage for all of the youth who came after him. Follow Me: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nate_meikle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemeikle/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_meikle/

In this episode we continue our discussion with Nate Garn. We discuss how Tozer helped Nate’s friend from Guatemala (Luis) come to the United States and how Tozer picked out Nate’s future wife. Follow Me: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nate_meikle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemeikle/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_meikle/  

In this episode we bring in Nate Garn, the current president of Sizzling Platter, which owns and operates more than 650 restaurants, and we learn how Tozer supported Nate in both high school and college. Follow Me: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nate_meikle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemeikle/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_meikle/

Ann Tenbrunsel is a business ethics professor at the University of Notre Dame. Her research examines why employees, leaders and students behave unethically, despite their best intentions to behave ethically. Ann is the author, co-author, or co-editor of six books on this topic—including Blind Spots (with Max Bazerman), Behavioral Ethics (with David De Cremer), Codes of Conduct and (with David Messick)—and she has also published 50 research articles and chapters. Her research has been covered in the New York Times, NBC, ABC, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, US News and World Report, the Associated Press, The Guardian, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Huffington Post, Washington Post, NPR, and in blogs for Psychology Today and Freakonomics. Ann was also my advisor when I was a postdoc at Notre Dame, and she is, in a word, awesome. In this episode we discuss the following: No one is immune from behaving unethically. And sadly, over and again we tend to overrate our own ethics. When facing an ethical dilemma, we predict we’ll behave ethically, and after making our decision we recollect that we’ve behaved ethically. But at the time of decision, we all too often feel unexpected pressure, make some excuse, adopt some rationalization, and behave unethically. We’re in a constant battle with our want self and our should self. And all too often we give into our wants, rather than standing by our shoulds. To improve our ethics, we need good sleep, continued education, and practice. Just as we wouldn’t expect to perform well in a meeting without preparing, we shouldn’t expect to perform well in an ethical dilemma if we haven’t prepared. Study ethics. Take a class, read Ann’s book, learn about the ways that power, pressure, and circumstances can lead us to unethical behavior. And then check your ethics with other people, conduct a pre-mortem, and let your “should-self” win. Follow Ann: Ann's Book Blind Spots: https://amzn.to/4cVxgSH Website: https://mendoza.nd.edu/mendoza-directory/profile/ann-tenbrunsel/ Follow Me: X: https://twitter.com/nate_meikle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemeikle/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_meikle/

Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. She’s the author of many bestselling books, such as The Happiness Project, Better Than Before, and The Four Tendencies, which have sold millions of copies in more than thirty languages. Her most recent book is Life in Five Senses. She’s also host of the popular podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and founder of the award-winning Happier app, which helps people track their happiness-boosting habits. Gretchen has been interviewed by Oprah, eaten dinner with Nobel Prize-winner Daniel Kahneman, walked arm-in-arm with the Dalai Lama, had her work reported on in a medical journal, been written up in the New Yorker, and been an answer on Jeopardy! After starting her career in law, she realized she wanted to be a writer while she was clerking for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Raised in Kansas City, she lives in New York City with her family. In this episode we discuss the following: There is no magic. one-size-fits-all solution for happiness No one can tell you the best way or the right way to be happy, just as there is no one best way to cook an egg. One thing that was really hard for Gretchen to learn was what she enjoys versus what other people enjoy. Samuel Johnson: "Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance is difficult." Yogi Berra: "If you can’t imitate him, don’t copy him." Follow Gretchen: X: https://twitter.com/gretchenrubin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenrubin/ Website: https://gretchenrubin.com/ Follow Me: X: https://twitter.com/nate_meikle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemeikle/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_meikle/

Modupe Akinola is a business professor at Columbia Business School, and coach to Chris Hemsworth in the documentary Limitless. Prior to pursuing a career in academia, Modupe worked at Bain & Company and Merrill Lynch. Modupe examines how organizational environments- characterized by deadlines, multi-tasking, and other attributes such as having low status- can engender stress, and how this stress can have spill-over effects on performance. Her work has been covered in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, WIRED, Scientific American, Forbes, The Economist, and The Huffington Post. Modupe earned her undergraduate degree, MBA, and PhD from Harvard. In this episode we discuss the following: We have so much control over how we experience life, and it's within our control to find ways to manage stress so that it doesn’t negatively affect others. If you’re feeling stressed, do a stress check on yourself to see how you can change and dial down that stress in a way that isn't contagious so that other people don't have a terrible day because you are having a bad one. If Modupe snaps at herself or someone else, she pauses and asks herself, “What’s going on?” That often helps her realize why she’s stressed so that she can deal with it. If you are stressed, pause, figure out why, and then ask yourself, “What do I need right now?” Modupe learned a simple phrase that has improved her relationship with her Mom when she’s stressed: “I’m busy right now, Mom, but I’ll call you this weekend.” Working as Chris Hemsworth’s stress coach reinforced for Modupe that everyone has stress, regardless of their fame or success. Follow Modupe X: https://twitter.com/ProfAkinola LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mnakinola/ Website: https://www.modupeakinola.com/ Follow Me: X: https://twitter.com/nate_meikle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemeikle/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_meikle/ Website: https://natemeikle.com

Frank Blake is the former CEO and Chairman of Home Depot, where he led a massive company turn around during his tenure. Frank’s other leadership positions include serving as board member at Delta, general counsel at GE, general counsel for the EPA, deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy, deputy counsel to Vice President George H. W. Bush, and law clerk for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Frank earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard and a law degree from Columbia. In this episode we discuss the following: The single most underappreciated tool that leaders have is the recognition and gratitude they can express to people working for them, and doing it in a way that is memorable for the people who are recognized and celebrated. Frank recognized people by bringing them up on stage and telling stories about them that demonstrated great customer service. Frank recognized people by writing 200 handwritten personal notes every Sunday, thanking them for specific things they had done. Just as kids will root for athletes who take the time to sign autographs, Frank generated support from his team by writing them personal letters of recognition. Every business leader knows the phrase, “You get what you measure.” Frank’s corollary is, "You get what you recognize and celebrate." If I say to someone, “I want you to provide great customer service” that sort of vaporizes instantaneously. But if I share a story of great customer service, everyone understands it and can apply it. When you tell a story that illustrates great customer service, people start talking about the behaviors they're doing that are similar, and the behavior gets reinforced and you get real momentum in the organization. More often than not, leaders are unintentional and undisciplined about how they recognize and celebrate their employees. Frank learned the power of recognition when he worked for George H. W. Bush. As VP, George started every day by spending an hour typing out personal notes. As a staff member, when Frank got a note from the VP, he felt like he walked on air. You can surprise people by thanking them and doing it in a specific way. Follow Frank: Twitter: https://twitter.com/FrankBlake LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-blake-1a99646/ Website: https://crazygoodturns.org/blog Follow Me: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nate_meikle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemeikle/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_meikle/

Laurie Santos is the teacher of the most popular class in Yale’s history, Psychology and The Good Life. She is the host of “The Happiness Lab” podcast, which has been downloaded more than 85 million times, and she is the creator of The Science of Well-Being on Coursera, which has more than four million enrollees. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, GQ Magazine, Slate and O! Magazine, among others, and Time Magazine named her a “Leading Campus Celebrity.” In this episode we discuss the following: We are not our thoughts, and we can change our thoughts. The way we think can affect our behavior in ways that we don't really expect. Rather than yell at ourselves like a drill Sergeant to motivate ourselves, it can be more effective to practice self-compassion by talking to ourselves like we would talk to our friend. To improve our happiness, we need to invest in social connection. Not only does investing in social connection make us happier, it makes us happier than we expect it will.   Follow Laurie X: https://twitter.com/lauriesantos Website: https://www.drlauriesantos.com/ Podcast: https://www.drlauriesantos.com/happiness-lab-podcast Instagram: LaurieSantosOfficial Follow Me: X: https://twitter.com/nate_meikle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemeikle/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_meikle/ Website: https://natemeikle.com  

Brent Dunn is an exceptional teacher, who has taught more than 6,000 students how to “Ace” the LSAT. During his 27 years of teaching, his students’ average score is above the 90th percentile. In addition to teaching people how to be smarter, Brent teaches spin classes and pottery. He also made his own (and his daughter's) wedding cakes, has biked around Iceland, collected all of the original set of Pokemon in Pokemon Go, drove a Zamboni, and poked sticks into flowing lava. He is fluent in English, Finnish, and German, with basic proficiency in French, Spanish, Italian, and Icelandic. Brent is also a writer, and in this second episode with Brent, we discuss the book he is writing, wherein he describes his philosophy on the purpose of life and how to achieve that purpose. I loved his manuscript so much that I gifted it to my wife for Christmas. And I am so grateful that Brent graciously agreed to discuss his book here today, and I’m motivated to be a better person because of his book and this conversation. In this episode we discuss the following: For Brent the purpose of life is to experience joy. And he experiences joy when he sees growth in himself or others he loves. To increase our joy, we can increase our love for others. Combining these ideas led Brent to an equation: Joy = Growth X Love^2. Brent’s parting phrase: “I love you! Have fun! Do your best!” Follow Brent Website: https://acetestprep.com/ Volcano hunting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5Se7FssokU Follow Me: X: https://twitter.com/nate_meikle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemeikle/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nate_meikle/ Website: https://natemeikle.com