Bring Your Whole Self To Work

In this week’s episode, I talk about our ability to fully express ourselves and bring all of who we are to the work that we do. We are just over a week into our new calendars, and many of us have started, or are preparing to start, moving forward with our intentions for 2017. Have you considered where you can bring more of who you are into the work that you do in 2017? Bringing ourselves more fully into our work, requires us to be present and engaged on a daily basis. If we depend solely on the outcome of a project or goal, what aspects of ourselves will be left untended? How can we incorporate all of who we are, to become more fully expressed in our work?  I discuss these and other questions related to this in today’s episode.   Key Takeaways: [2:18] How will you show up for work in 2017? [3:45] My personal journey to entrepreneurship. [11:50] School wasn’t for me, so I designed my own curriculum. [16:14] The Ten-Minute Sweaty-Palmed Conversation. [18:53] Using the outcome of a project as a gauge, doesn’t al

In this week’s episode, I talk about how we can create the life we want for ourselves in 2017. This special time of year has an energy, a newness, and a freshness about it. It’s time to set our course for what we truly want from life. Setting our intentions for the year ahead should be done from a place of truth and authenticity. Are we able to accept ourselves more completely? Are we able to set goals and resolutions based on our heart’s desire, instead of from our ego’s demand? Are we able to recognize, acknowledge, forgive, and change things which may have held us back in the past? If 2017 were your last year on this planet, what changes would you make in your life or in your work?   Key Takeaways: [4:25] Completion questions to help you move forward to 2017. [5:30] Creation questions to orient yourself with your intentions for the new year. [7:13] Resolutions may include intentions, actions, goals and practices. [9:58] Are fear and shame driving your New Year’s resolutions? [14:06] Being unplugged from te

In this week’s episode, I talk about one of my favorite topics - consciously completing the year.  We often focus so much attention on the new year ahead, that we don’t take the time to bring the current year to a close.  This year has been challenging for many of us - with events in the world and politics, as well as in our personal lives.  For me, 2016 was filled with lots of change, loss, growth, and challenge.  Whether we had a great deal, an awful year, or a mix of both, it can be really powerful and useful to reflect on the year as it comes to an end.  I talk about some of the questions I ask myself and have asked my coaching clients over the years, and share some rituals you can use to bring the year to a close in the most mindful, helpful, and growth-filled way possible.   Key Takeaways: [1:41] The world has seen a great many challenges in 2016. [4:01] I have seen many changes in my life this year. [8:38] Be careful not to rush through completion, to get to the new resolutions of 2017. [10:05] The Hof

It is time to heal, and change, and transform. In this solo episode, I explore how we, Americans, can speak up and engage in an ongoing productive conversation, about things that are uncomfortable and disruptive. I explore how we can connect to each other, when there is an overwhelming desire to fight. I ponder about our abilities to adapt and adopt and engage in meaningful conversations, which could influence significant change.   Key Takeaways: [1:48] Looking at the state of the U.S. and the state of the world, after the recent U.S. election. [3:17] How to engage, when you feel compelled to speak up. [8:19] What happens when you have the desire to fight. [9:42] The undiscussed differences between males and females, in terms of physical safety. [14:06] The tribal ‘us against them’ phenomenon. [16:35] The third option of, we are all in this together. [19:18] Do you have the courage to engage in uncomfortable but important conversations? [23:40] Look for a solution and a way to connect. [25:06] Adopting an awa

Dan Henkle is a smart, successful industry leader who is one of the most humble and accessible people I have ever met. He started his career directly out of college, working for Oracle, and moved to Gap Inc., where he has worked for over 25 years. As soon as he started working for Gap Inc., Dan says he felt an immediate values connection with the management team. Employees were encouraged to share their input, wisdom, and expertise directly with the organization’s leaders. Dan is currently the President of the Gap Foundation, an organization that leads initiatives in the developing world, as well as hiring programs for low-income youth in the communities where Gap Inc. does business. He also serves as the Senior Vice President of Gap Inc.’s Global Sustainability division. Dan blends cross-cultural awareness with humanness, to improve working conditions for employees in the U.S. and abroad.   Key Takeaways: [2:46] What does ‘Bring Your Whole Self to Work’ mean to Dan? [7:35] Dan lives in the protected bubble o

Mark Shapiro is the founder of AreYouBeingReal.com and the host of the podcast, The One and Only. Mark reached out to me about my work on authenticity a while back and invited me to be a guest on his podcast, right around the time I was planning to launch this podcast.  We did the interview, hit it off, and he has helped me in some wonderful ways. In this interview, Mark shares the story of what it took for him to trust and challenge himself enough to leave his 12-year, steady paycheck job at Showtime; how the breakdown of a personal relationship may have been the catalyst he needed to change his life; and how choosing to be authentic led him to follow his calling.   Key Takeaways: [2:57] What does ‘bring your whole self to work,’ mean to Mark? [4:17] Mark’s career dream was to have an impact on what aired on Showtime. [15:26] Mark’s big wake-up call came when his boss told him his ideas were not valued. [23:06] Going back to the drawing board, to figure out what you really want. [25:51] Mark was told he was

This week I decided to do a special episode to share my thoughts, insights, and perspective about the election here in the United States.  It’s just me on this one, no guest, and I share openly, vulnerably, and passionately about how I feel about the election and this past week, as well as where we go from here as a nation. I also talk about how we can bring our whole selves to conversations about politics, even and especially when it is scary and uncomfortable…and, how authenticity is so important for all of us at this time.  Whatever our views are on politics and the election, our country and our world are getting smaller – we’re all in this together.   Resources: Mike Robbins Website Mike Robbins Podcast Mike Robbins on Facebook Mike Robbins on Twitter

Today’s guest is my friend Jonathan Fields, the founder of a mission driven media and education venture called Good Life Project.  His books, Career Renegade, Uncertainty, and his brand new release, How to Live a Good Life, are his own soul-searching journeys, as he attempts to answer some deep and important questions that we all face as human beings. Jonathan enjoys hosting The Good Life Project podcast, where he shares powerful ideas and interviews with his global community on a quest to live more meaningful, connected, and vital lives. Jonathan is thoughtful, curious, and passionate about learning. He gives amazing advice. He is someone I truly believes brings his whole self to work.  And, he’s someone I’m grateful to know and to have had a chance to chat with here on the podcast.   Key Takeaways: [4:16] What does Bring Your Whole Self to Work mean to Jonathan? [5:56] The course, How to Live a Good Life, should be taught in schools, because not enough of us know how to do it. [8:02] When did Jonathan start

On today’s episode I interview my new friend Tom Kelly.  The first time I met Tom, he blew my mind. He is so full of life and love. My friend Robert recommended that we attend a yoga class Tom was leading. He truly brought all of himself to that class - it was extraordinary.  After class, when Tom and I first spoke, there was an instant connection. He is a one-of-a-kind guy with a one-of-a-kind story. In this conversation, Tom shares details and insights from his 25-years as a monk in the Self-Realization Fellowship, how he came to his decision to leave the ashram back in 1999, and how he lives and breathes love, every day of his life.  He also talks about starting his own yoga studio, The Soul of Yoga, and his new venture, Love Force Revolution, Inc.   Key Takeaways: [3:55] What does Bring Your Whole Self to Work mean to Tom? [7:22] Tom began the connection to the deepest part of himself through yoga. [9:55] When Tom added yoga to his life for the better, his friends were the first things to fall away. [14:1

I fly solo in this episode as I explore the common themes of these first fourteen episodes of my Bring Your Whole Self to Work podcast. I also share openly about some of what has been going on in my life, with my work, and behind the scenes with this project.  I ‘ve been fortunate to have amazing thought leaders, business leaders, and changemakers on my list of interviewees. My guests have been gracious enough to share the experiences that have shaped their perspectives, and the wisdom they have acquired during their wide-ranging careers, life changes, and personal adjustments. Recurring topics of conversation include passion, gender, change, sexual orientation, body image, leadership, culture, and more. Each guest has inspired me to look deeper within myself, to investigate what judgments I may have adopted in my own life, where I hold myself back, and how to bring more of myself to my work and life. I look forward to introducing my listeners to more amazing guests, on my quest to gain insights for my upcomi

My guest on today’s podcast is my friend Joe Greenstein. Joe’s latest creation, InnerSpace, focuses on teaching founders of startups how to take care of themselves and how to build cultures in line with their passions and products. Joe’s career history seems to align perfectly with what he is creating now. He had an entrepreneurial mindset as early as high school, and while in college a paper he wrote turned into a joint business venture with his professor at the time. His early attempts at the next big thing caught the public’s interest, but never showed the promise of longevity. It wasn’t until he created Flixster and acquired Rotten Tomatoes, with his friend and business partner, that he started to move the needle towards financial prosperity. While he is happy to have experienced the chaos of Silicon Valley during his start-up experience and the ultimate sale of his company to Warner Brothers, he is passionate about the work he and his team are doing at InnerSpace, and also about his new adventure of fath

My guest on today’s podcast is Anne Robie. I met her at a Wisdom 2.0 conference. IBM hired Anne immediately after she finished her graduate studies and sent her to Raleigh, North Carolina. She later transferred to the San Francisco Bay area to become the Head of People for StubHub and to spend time with her ailing father. Anne has recently started Darshan Leadership Consulting, a private leadership consulting and executive coaching business. Anne joins me to discuss the diverse meanings of Bring Your Whole Self to Work, her process of personal grieving, the mindfulness movement in business, and how a person’s gender may impact their ability to be accepted authentically in this new era of leadership.   Key Takeaways: [2:30] What does Bring Your Whole Self to Work mean to Anne? [9:16] Does Bring Your Whole Self to Work mean sharing everything that happens in our lives? [16:14] We all have the same fears, we all want to be seen and we all have the same stuff going on. [19:11] How do we simultaneously appreciate,

My guest on today’s podcast is Stuart Crabb. Stuart and I met five years ago at a Wisdom 2.0 conference (notice a running theme?). At the time, he was working at Facebook and was kind enough to take a small group of us on a tour of the social media company’s Palo Alto campus. As the Head of Global Learning, Stuart helped design and grow Facebook’s Learning and Development program. When he started at Facebook there were about 500 employees, and when he left earlier this year, there were about 15,000.  He has recently started a new venture, Oxegen Consulting, and shares a wealth of insight with us on the podcast today.   What does Bring Your Whole Self to Work Mean to Stuart? Stuart understands bringing your whole self to work isn’t just good for organizational cultures, it’s actually good for individual performance. The opportunity to be the same person you are at work and still be the same person you are when you are not at work is the essence of bringing your whole self to work. Stuart says when a person is

My guest on today’s podcast is my friend Chantal Pierrat. Chantal and I first met at a Wisdom 2.0 conference a few years ago. I remember being struck by her passion and her authenticity. She was in the process of leaving her job at Sounds True Publishing to found her organization, Emerging Women. Chantal and I hit it off instantly and we began discussing, among other things, the importance of feminine leadership in business and the world.  I appreciate the great work that Chantal and her team at Emerging Women are doing to empower female leaders and entrepreneurs, and all of us.   What does Bring Your Whole Self to Work Mean to Chantal? Chantal says the concept of the whole self has shifted for her over the last few years. To bring her whole self to work she needs to include her spiritual self. Part of being a whole human being is being a spiritual human being. Her belief that there is something larger than her at play in the universe should integrate with who she is at work.    Her Spiritual Quest Chantal fe

My guest on today’s podcast is Jay Allen. Jay recently retired from his role as the Chief Administrative Officer at Charles Schwab, which is where he and I met a few years ago.  Schwab is one of my favorite clients and getting to know Jay and work with him and his team in recent years has been a real honor for me. He retired last year to keep a promise to himself. Early in his work life, Jay vowed to have time to follow his passions. His career history before Schwab includes working for IBM, NBC, GE, a start-up, and his own consulting business.    What does Bring Your Whole Self to Work Mean to Jay? Jay shares a story of when he was given the role of manager over a group of people within his existing department. A peer who was also a friend was waiting in line to talk with him. When it was her turn she walked in and said something he will never forget. She said “They didn’t give you this job because they thought you could be a good manager. They gave it to you because they liked who you were.” Jay says it was

My guest on today’s podcast is my friend Michelle Gale. Michelle and I met at a Wisdom 2.0 conference back in 2011. Wisdom 2.0 is an organization that holds events all over the world which focus on bringing technology and mindfulness together. After working in sales, as a teacher, and as a recruiter, Michelle became a coach.  Her experience as both a recruiter and a coach led her to an opportunity to work at Twitter in the early days of the company as it was beginning to grow.   Michelle left Twitter back in 2012 to focus on coaching full time.  Today she works with organizations, as well as with parents and families, focusing on mindfulness.     What does Bring Your Whole Self to Work Mean to Michelle? Michelle believes it’s all about showing up as your authentic self at work. She says during part of a person's time at work they should be sharing their greatest gifts by working in their flow or their genius.   A Transformative Year Michelle realized she was ready for something new after working amid chaos as

My guest on today’s podcast, Lisa Earle McLeod, is a good friend and the author of five books including Selling with Noble Purpose and Leading with Noble Purpose. Her consulting company created the concept of Noble Purpose which is a declarative statement about the impact an organization has on its customers. It incorporates telling the market what your company stands for and why your organization exists. Lisa is an expert in sales and leadership. She writes for Forbes.com and she has been featured on NBC Nightly News, the Today show and Good Morning America. She has delivered keynote speeches all over the world for Apple, Pfizer, Hootsuite and many other well-known organizations.      What does Bring Your Whole Self to Work Mean to Lisa? The phrase bring your whole self to work makes Lisa feel relaxed. She relates it to her job as sales manager for a college newspaper when she was authentically herself without being conscious of it. In contrast to her first “real job” after college (in sales in the 1980s) wh

Today’s guest, Melissa Daimler, is someone I’ve known for 15 years. She knows a ton about the coaching world because she was the very first employee of Coach University, which is one of the top coach training schools in the world. She moved from New York City, where she ran her own very successful coaching business and arrived in the San Francisco Bay Area in time for the dot-com boom. Melissa’s desire to be part of a team led her to the Epylon Corporation, as their Director of People. She then moved to Adobe where she spent 10 years in various HR and Talent roles.  Four and a half years ago she took a job at Twitter as their Head of Learning and Organizational Development. She sits on the board of the Association for Talent Development and she’s written articles for  the Harvard Business Review.    What does Bring Your Whole Self to Work Mean to Melissa? Melissa has always been interested in how to use work as an opportunity to grow and learn. Throughout her non-traditional career journey, she has had both g

My guest on this podcast episode, Matthew Luhn, worked for over twenty years at Pixar - helping create the stories for some of the most successful animated films in history: including Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Cars, UP, and Finding Nemo.  Today, he is a keynote speaker and consultant to some of most influential businesses and brands in the world like Apple, Charles Schwab, Google, Adidas, Disney and many others.  These companies contact him when they want to know how to inspire creativity and innovation internally as well as how to make better connections with their customers. Matthew’s unique story creation experience with Pixar, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), and The Simpsons, along with his anybody can succeed attitude, make his “Story for Business” seminars and workshops a sought after experience.       Fostering Creativity  With his father’s encouragement, Matthew attended the California Institute of the Arts instead of running the family’s popular toy store business. His father exposed him to obscure

My guest today, Bob Andrews, is someone I’ve known for many years.  He is a dear friend and someone I greatly appreciate.  Bob has had an interesting career - working as a teacher, then as a retail store manager, and ultimately building his career in the field of Human Resources.  He was the head HR for Jamba Juice and held various HR jobs at Gap Inc.  Bob is now working for himself, doing something he has always felt passionate about - executive and leadership coaching.   What does Bring Your Whole Self to Work Mean to Bob? Bob says the phrase “Bring Your Whole Self to Work” pushes a few of his buttons. He has been challenged by bringing his whole self at work throughout his career and has worked with others who struggle with being fully themselves and with showing up fully at work. As an example, early in Bob’s career he completed a survey answering each question the way he imagined a strong leader would. He answered in the voice of the person he wanted to be instead of who he really was. Then, after 25 yea