Always be Acting

The other day, I was talking with a friend about something this week’s guest on the Higher Purpose Podcast said: “If you keep choosing action, you’ll keep finding clarity.”My friend nodded and said that was exactly right. She said: “when I’m stuck, even getting up and doing the dishes can be enough to get things moving forward again.”Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Goins, soon after his annual event Tribe – and we had a fascinating conversation about how to find your clarity, and your calling and your purpose by consistently taking action – even if you don’t YET know where you’re going to end up.You can listen to the full episode here – and I invite you to do so – but right now, I’d like to dig into that idea a little bit more.One of the ways Jeff recommended USING this principle of consistently taking action was at conferences.So often you go to a conference and get overwhelmed by information – hearing and seeing and learning so much that it’s hard to actually DO anything with it.And that’s such a shame because the real value of learning at an event like a conference, or reading a book, or even listening to a podcast comes from the action that you take because of it – the application of the new knowledge or idea that is going to bring a change to your business or your life.It’s better to take action on one single thing than to have 25 new things rattling around in your head going nowhere. I think this is a fantastic idea – especially as we’re preparing for the Navigating North Summit – to commit BEFORE you enter a “learning phase” to finding one thing you are going to take immediate, concrete action on.That’s my challenge for you today – when you are next planning to attend a conference, or read a book, or listen to an episode of a podcast, commit to finding one single thing in that pile of new information, and taking action on it immediately.You see, and Jeff talks about this in more detail in our interview, you can just BE the thing that you want to be and DO the things that you want to do – often what holds us back from that is fear of not knowing enough or being ready enough – but that’s a myth. As you act, you start to believe, and the more you believe the more true it becomes. This is a pattern that repeats itself in so many areas of our lives – and there is ALWAYS something that you can do next.There’s one more point to this that I think it’s important for you to take away and start acting on. It’s a point we’ve touched on before – that we don’t always have an awareness of how much we are affecting the people in our lives.  The people who create content and events and information, who give of their time and knowledge in dozens of ways often don’t get to see the results of their work – and there’s nothing that is more satisfying than hearing from a customer, or listener, or reader or friend that something you said made a measurable, noticeable difference for someone.So when you take action based on what you have learned from someone tell them!Some of the other topics that we talked about during our call were the three ingredients that make up a calling, the steps you need to take to get the most out of a mentorship relationship, and how having trust is more important than having clarity.This week in the Higher Purpose Facebook Community, we’re going to be discussing how clarity comes froma ctions not words, and the times in our life this has been true... or not.  I would love for you to join us there and share your thoughts.Until then, if you have done something lately, based on a new piece of information or advice you received – send a note to the person who shared it with you- I guarantee you that you’ll make their day.And if you’re looking for your next source of information, I invite you to register for a free ticket to the Navigating North Summit, where we have inspirational and revolutionary interviews scheduled with 15 guests to help you find and live the purpose you were wired for.

HPP Episode 13 - Interview with Jeff Goins

Jeff Goins is the best-selling author of five books including The Art of Work and Real Artists Don't Starve. Jeff believes we all have a creative gift to share with the world – our art. Today, Jeff and Kevin take a behind-the-scenes look at tribe as it relates to purpose and passion.Listen to the full episode now:

• Every story of success is a story of community, as Jeff likes to say, and Tribe is a conference about creatives, communities, and connecting people. Learn what Jeff's idea of a perfect community is – and you might be surprised that he calls it an 'excuse.'
• Jeff distrusts when someone says they found their calling. Find out why he believes finding your calling is a lot like finding your path, and you will spend your life walking it. You might not know where it ends, but you know it will take you somewhere good. Jeff also explains the three things you must consider before you begin walking a path: demand, skill, and passion.
• Jeff shares an amazing story about why he will never deliver one of the greatest demands people make: clarity. He talks about one of the things Mother Theresa believed about clarity, and takes it a step further to explain where clarity comes from. More importantly, he explains why it's not something another person can give you.
• Are you a 'conference consumer?' Do you know someone who attends conferences regularly, leaves with a notebook full of action steps and ideas, and then never applies them? Jeff talks about how to get the most out of conferences, and you might be surprised to know that you shouldn't be applying everything you learn. Find the One Thing and do it.
• You know when you talk to someone amazing, you need to take away from it as much as you can. Jeff talks about the interesting experience he had with a mentor who taught him how to take the most away from his coaching session. It's simple and common sense, but most people don't take the final step.
• Jeff talks about his zigzagging path that led him from touring with his band in Taiwan all the way to where he is now. He talks about how myths can be true. Remember this: Believe, Behave, Become.
• Jeff closes with something you really can't miss if you're a closet creative, if you've got an idea burning in you, a desire to do something. When will you actually do it? What will be the thing that pushes you from stagnating to creating? It's something that people tell you not to have: fear.

Are you ready for more purpose in work and in life? What if you could learn from personal, intimate conversations with people who are living their lives passionately and purposefully, and making a massive impact? For 5 days, you can. Get more information - and your free ticket at NavigatingNorthSummit.com

HPP Episode 12 Interview with Thom Winninger

Thom is an author and a brilliant mind when it comes to purpose, meaning, gifting, and opportunity. He and Kevin talk about some topics on how to use your gifts, and more importantly, how to FIND your gifts. They also discuss what happens to you and your life when you do.Listen to the full episode:

• Thom talks about liminal space, that painful place between two points. Do you try to avoid your liminal space? Do you run from it and what the wisdom of recognizing it could bring you?
• There was a time when Thom came up against a big patch of liminal space. It came right in the middle of a very successful career. He found himself on stage, in front of an audience who thought he had everything, but he had nothing. He was empty. Learn how it changed him.
• If you listen to your true self, if you are intentional in your thoughts, you can discover your gift. From your gift is what points to your purpose, and your purpose is what directs your life. Want to know what simple exercise you can do daily to find your gift? Thom shares what he does every day.
• Everyone has a gift. It's the thing you can do that you can't explain, something that comes to you without effort. Thom explains how you know your gift when you apply it, and the reason why some people seem to have limitless energy when applying their gift.
• Do you know the difference between possibility and opportunity? Thom explains how you have probably been wearing yourself down to nothing chasing one of these, and not opening yourself to the other.
• Do you understand what divine intent is? And do you realize that divine intent wants more of you than you ever thought possible? Kevin and Thom discuss those 'inklings' that influence your life.

Get Thom's book at YourTrueDNA.com- for free! Pay only shipping before October 24th.There's also something exciting coming up at the end of this month - the very first Navigating North Summit - and Thom is one of the featured conversations that we're including! You can get a free ticket, and listen to Thom, and 14 other experts on living a life of purpose.

Finding Gifts in the Space Between

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast I had the pleasure of being joined by Thomas Winninger, who is currently promoting his new book Your True DNA which is going to be released on October 24^th of this year.Thom is a modern-day philosopher whose work is deeply informed by his faith, and we had an absolutely eye-opening conversation about what it means to understand your divinely provided gift and have it be a powerful force in your life.I invite you to listen to the full interview, but first I want to explore one idea Thom mentioned that really caught my imagination.That idea is liminal space.Liminal means relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process; the space in between one thing and another.In our lives, this can be the times in between events or jobs or relationships – that unsettled time in between the end of one thing and the beginning of something else. Often these are times filled with fear or regret, and we get tempted to try and minimize or avoid them all together.We avoid them by hanging on to things after they stop serving us, or racing from one relationship to the next, or having so many different things to occupy us that there’s no time to reflect on what has happened or what might happen next.That’s a feeling you can recognize, isn’t it? The discomfort that comes from a shift from one thing to another, and uncertainty about whether we made the right decisions to get to this place, or will be able to make the right choices moving forward.Sitting with discomfort is never easy.Thom however, posits that these liminal spaces are valuable - even critical - to our growth and development as people. Without taking the time provided by liminal space to really consider what is happening and why, and what we want to happen next we never have the time to really identify what our true gift is and how we can be using it in our lives. Even if it’s hard, or hurts or is frightening. Tragedy can wake us up to reality in a way that comfort can’t.This idea is expressed by people from all industries and walks of life; Dan Miller, who we had on the podcast earlier this year makes room for new growth and ideas by eliminating (do you see the root word there?) 15% of his business activities each year to conscientiously create the space for change. Nature works the same way, when lightning strikes cause the fires that remove old growth and make a place for new saplings.Liminal space is so fundamental to finding happiness, joy and fulfilment that it’s a natural part of the world, and we are mistaken to try and remove it from our lives, or avoid it all together.That’s something I would like to invite you to reflect on this week – when is the last time you experienced liminal space, and what did you find out about your life or your gift?This was just one of the many topics we touched on in interview – some of the others were:

• How your gift gives you energy, and when you stray from it is when you get bogged down or lose motivation.
• How to identify your gift if you aren’t sure what it is, or what it could be.
• The difference between possibilities and opportunities.

And of course – you should absolutely get yourself a copy of Thom’s Book – Your True DNA – before October 24th it’s available for free (pay only shipping fees) as a pre-order. I can say honestly that this is an important and powerful book, so if any of this has interested you at all, go to YourTrueDNA.com and get a copy.Over on the Facebook Group this week, we're going to be talking about how it's neither Success nor Failure that defines us. It’s not the road to meaning, or to purpose. Purpose is found in the discovery of your gift. What is your gift, and how does it define you? I invite you to come and join the conversation.

HPP Episode 11 Interview with Joe Pine

Joe Pine is the author of The Experience Economy and several other books. He and his partner Jim head up an organization that teaches businesses not just to sell, but to be the authentic, experience-based organizations that speak to customers' wants and needs.  How does purpose play into this? In every single way.Listen to the full episode now:

• Joe explains what his purpose is in business. Some refer to him as a futurist, but that's not exactly correct. Joe sees things as they are, but that things business owners and managers do see yet.
• Joe's book, The Experience Economy, is a staple of the business world. He shares why business has shifted to the experience customers have. Why is it that way? Why is Starbucks so successful? He explains.
• Stores like Target, Sears, and even Macy's are struggling to survive. Discover why they are floundering in a time when customers embrace brands. They are making one excruciating error in thought. They merchandise.
• Do you want to know why consumers care what businesses believe? Joe reveals the thought process that goes into what people care about – transformation and world view.
• Do you know what 'authenticity' means? You probably know what it doesn't mean. Joe explains the three things that affect authenticity, and the strange contradiction that exists with today's business. The whole idea of authenticity is an experience, not the reality.
• People want to distinguish the fake from the authentic. They want to connect. Joe discusses how this desire drives them to search for real offerings from genuine companies. Most importantly, if you aren't purpose driven as a company, they will know.
• Joe shares one of his own mentors who really inspired him in terms of thriving and flourishing. Joe explains how he took this from a personal level to a business level.

If you feel like you don't have purpose at work, or you want to clarify your purpose at work, we have a free 5-day email course you can take with daily challenges and action steps to help bring the meaning you are meant to have into your everyday. Go to kevindmonroe.com/workpurpose.

Purpose and Authenticity in Companies

We all interact with big companies in many ways, every day, and more and more what we expect from them is changing.That’s what I spoke about with Joe Pine of Strategic Horizons this week on the Higher Purpose Podcast: what purpose and authenticity mean for companies. Listen to the full episode here, and if you haven’t already, don’t forget to leave us a rating and a review on iTunes!What I’d like to discuss today is what that means for those of us who engage with them!Joe brings up the idea that as our society as developed, we have moved from one kind of business to another – from agrarian communities, to commodity-based industry, to a service economy and now, to an EXPERIENTIAL economy, where in order to compete and succeed, companies need to help their customers have an experience that resonates with them, and possible, helps them transform from one way of being into another.This is a fascinating idea because it turns a company from a provider of a product or service to something that plays a significant role in our lives.The danger inherent here is that we don’t necessarily know what the purpose of a company is, or if they are fulfilling on it in a way that we agree is authentic.I think most of us have had the experience of learning that a company we knew and trusted was engaged in abusive or exploitative practices, and because we’re in the age of experiential business – that can feel like a real betrayal of trust as well as something that is independently wrong or illegal.Because we have these emotional ties to the companies we work with, it becomes more and more important for us to choose to align ourselves with organizations whose values are in line with our own. Similarly, companies are making more and more effort to find the people whose views align with THEIRS.“Worldview Segmentation” is something that didn’t exist 10 years ago, but now it plays a huge part in how companies approach and consider us for engagement and advertising. Companies consider how we vote, worship, relax, travel, browse the internet, work and spend time with our families – they know a lot about us from our behavior, and it’s often much more difficult to learn about the real values and practices of companies that we interact with.This is a pretty theoretical topic for the week – so in the Higher Purpose Facebook group, we're going to be very practical ;-) and talk about how keeping a focus on your PURPOSE even through changes (either personal or professional) will mean that you always have clarity.I’d also recommend you listen to the whole interview to get more information about how companies are thinking about purpose and authenticity, and what it means to you.Other things that we talked about during the interview were:

• How people want to buy things that are real from people who are genuine.
• How Joe developed the philosophies behind his several books.
• What it means to have almost everything we buy be customizable.
• How mindset affects how well businesses perform.

What do you think about this? Do you try to engage with companies who have similar values to you?Do you think the workplace is becoming more human? Do you see this in your own work? If you are feeling less than fulfilled in your work, I invite you to join the 5-day Purpose at Work email challenge! Every day for 5 days, I’ll send you a challenge to help you find more purpose in your work.

HPP Episode 10 - Interview with Garry Ridge

Gary Ridge is the CEO of the WD40 company and author of Helping People Win at Work, a Business Philosophy Called Don't Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A. Gary tends to take a contrarian position on business and purpose at work, but he's also very practical.Listen to the full interview!

• Kevin and Gary talk about how a need for purpose doesn't always happen in our youth. It's something that we develop over time, and Gary shares his own experiences from a radio DJ to the CEO of WD40. But his real purpose is helping people create positive, lasting memories.
• Learn how Gary's purpose came from something the Dali Lama said, and how it includes Billy Joel and Elton John. This is something that enriched Gary's life and shaped how he discovered what his purpose is now, and how it relates to the WD40 company.
• Gary talks about tribe, but he addresses it much more deeply than the general use you hear in audience building and purpose. He also has an interesting saying: "Profit is the applause." Find out what that means.
• Gary's company has been tracking employee engagement for nearly 20 years. They started where everyone else is, around 40%. But now they've been at 90% plus for several years. Kevin shares one story he heard about employees who refused to leave work for lunch because they wore uniforms.
• There were many people who have shaped the way Gary thinks. He and Kevin talk about the way Gary 'cherry-picked' ideas, messages, and strategies from all the different people to create the amazing culture of WD40, and more importantly, his own life.
• Gary talks about what helps him continue to navigate his true path amidst all the facts of his busy life. What can you cherry-pick from this to apply to your own life?

If you feel like you don't have purpose at work, or you want to clarify your purpose at work, we have a free 5-day email course you can take with daily challenges and action steps to help bring the meaning you are meant to have into your everyday. Go to kevindmonroe.com/workpurpose.

Creating a Tribe Out of a Company

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast, I had the chance to speak with author, Garry Ridge the CEO of the WD40 company (who used to be a radio disc jockey!)Garry has had some amazing successes with his business, and is responsible for employee engagement is responsible for a pretty incredible statistic.98% of the employees of the WD40 Company say that they LOVE telling people they work for the WD40 company.Think about that for a moment. How many people do you know who can say they LOVE working for the company they work for? I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that it isn’t 98% of the employed people that you know.Now, you can hear all of the details, and some of the strategies about how Garry achieved this by listening to this week’s episode of the Higher Purpose Podcast, but right now, I want to think a little bit more about one of the ideas we touched on during our conversation.The teams at the WD40 company aren’t called ‘Teams’ – they are called Tribes.This isn’t very common in the working world, and Garry said that it came down to the values he, as CEO, and the rest of the workforce collectively decided were important to them as an organization.Those values are all about belonging, taking care of each other and supporting each other to achieve their own and the company objectives.You see the WD40 company isn’t just a lubricant vendor. Their goal is to create positive, lasting memories by solving problems, making things work smoothly and creating opportunities.This purpose is very closely aligned with Garry’s PERSONAL purpose – and the effects on the company have been profound. While the product hasn’t changed much in 20 years – they’ve grown by 13%.Prioritizing learning, growth, community and support makes the WD40 company a wonderful place to work – and as Garry says – profits are the applause! If you are creating a strong company culture then profits are going to be a natural side effect.Now this is all well and good if you’re the CEO and have the POWER to institute a nurturing and caring company culture, and prioritize the human element of your work, but what do you do if you’re a rank and file employee who has a supervisor and another supervisor and a boss and a corporate hierarchy that isn’t exactly accessible?Other than sending your boss Garry’s interview  – there are ways you can align your own individual purpose with the work that you do, which I have laid out into a 5 Day Challenge that you can sign up for by clicking right here.Some of the other ideas we discussed were:

• Identifying the what, why and how of your business – a way of thinking about your company (or personal!) values that is more natural and intuitive than mission or values statements.
• The attributes that keep people together, whether they are team (or tribe!) members or friends, family or colleagues.
• The practical changes and results that happened when Garry was able to align his individual purpose, with the purpose of his organization.

This week in the Higher Purpose Facebook Community we're talking about our favourite memories at work, and how we can make more of them.If you’re enjoying these discussions and interviews, you can help support the Higher Purpose Podcast by giving us a rating and a review on Itunes!

HPP Episode 9 - Interview with Julie Bauke

Julie Bauke doesn't mince words when it comes to having purpose at work. Her book is Stop Peeing on Your Shoes, and in it she talks about the seven mistakes that will screw up your job search. The title sounds like just another career advice book, but as it turns out, Julie communicates so much more than just how to land a job. She and Kevin discuss how your purpose should drive your work, and how to find purpose IN your work.

• Julie is the Chief Career Happiness Officer… not just of her own job, but of the universe. She believes it's possible for anyone. She talks about how many people have high degrees of career happiness, a shocking number, and she talks about what career happiness is. The simplicity of it might shock you.
• Julie digs into each of the four criteria in the Career Happiness Formula that lead to career happiness. She also talks about the correlation between purpose and happiness, and what happens when people's focus isn't on the actuality of purpose, the metrics, the meaning.
• Leadership is essential – you don't leave a job; you leave a boss. Julie and Kevin discuss some of the other reasons your job might not be right for you, and how your sense of purpose might be withering where you are. Have you ever said something like 'I don't know what I want to do, but I know I don't want to do this'?
• You can't always jump from where you are to where you want to be. Often it happens in a series of steps toward that goal. When you're looking for purpose at work, one of the best things you can do is look for that next step when the big leap isn't available yet.
• Every 'yes' you've committed yourself to is also saying 'no' to something else. You must cultivate the ability to say no to things that aren't in line with your purpose and goals, so that when the opportunity you want comes along, you have enough room for a big yes.
• Career success and career happiness don't always correlate. Julie goes into insightful detail on the trappings of money and titles, lifestyles, and how difficult it can be to walk away from it. You have to ask yourself: is appearing happy more important than being happy?
• Purpose at work isn't always exactly what you think. Perhaps your work is a means to an end: it gives you the paycheck you need to pursue your purpose in your free time. That's not something to discount; it's just as valid as intertwining your purpose with your work.
• Julie lost her husband 9 months ago. She talks about the way she dealt with the loss. Like everyone else, she grieved. It was hard to move on. Learn how Julie did it, and what motivated her to do it.

If you're interested in learning more about the career happiness formula - you can read our full blog post here!If you feel like you don't have purpose at work, or you want to clarify your purpose at work, we have a free 5-day email course you can take with daily challenges and action steps to help bring the meaning you are meant to have into your everyday. Go to kevindmonroe.com/workpurpose, and start today!

The Career Happiness Formula

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast, I had the opportunity to speak with Chief Career Happiness Officer Julie Bauke.Julie is the author of Stop Peeing On Your Shoes: Avoiding the 7 Mistakes that Screw Up Your Job Search, and the owner of The Bauke Group, where she offers career and transitional coaching.You can listen to the full interview here, but I want to explore one of the ideas we talked about in a little more detail today.In the interview, Julie said something that kind of stopped me in my tracks.“You’re a grown-up now, the career fairy isn’t coming.”The context for this rather fabulous statement is a common refrain heard from her many clients “I don’t know what I want to BE when I grow up. It should be pointed out that Julie’s clients tend to be senior level executives, and her response, that the career fairy isn’t coming, speaks to something very, very important.We have to be the driving force of action in our own lives. If we’re unhappy, it is our responsibility to DO something about that.It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that happiness, fulfillment, purpose or success are just around the corner, if we work a little harder or achieve a little more we’ll suddenly get there, and things will become clear.That isn’t the case. We need to decide what we want in our lives and go after it. That isn’t the same thing as knowing what you want the next ten, fifteen or twenty years are going to look like – none of us can tell the future, but it does mean understanding what it is that you want in your life, and making changes that bring you closer and closer towards more and more of it.Like most truisms, that is much easier said than done, but Julie has a few questions that can guide that decision-making process, and help you get over the paralysis of not really knowing what you want.Here are those three questions:

• What do I want more of in my life?
• What do I want less of in my life?
• What do I never want in my life again?

How might that look? If you are unhappy in your job, or with the work that occupies most of your time right now and knowing that you want to make a change, you could ask yourself these questions and find out:I want more time to spend with my friends and family.I want less of a commute – just driving back and forth every day.I never want to work in an environment where I’m going to be belittled for my suggestions again.This gives you some important information. You’re coming to a point in your life where you are prioritizing personal time, and a long commute gets in the way of that. It might mean that you’re ready to move jobs to something closer to home or cut back the amount you’re working. Knowing that you’re unwilling to ever have that kind of toxic environment again means that you’re also prioritizing your own self-esteem and insisting that you be valued for what you contribute.This means that you have the information about the overall direction you want your life to take that you can make a smart, informed decision about what to do next. A far cry from feeling lost and paralyzed, isn’t it?Now, our conversation focused mainly on happiness and purpose at work – but those questions are transferable to any major decision you need to make in your life – especially those around making changes or going in new directions.In the interview we also talked about:

• The formula for Career Happiness – and how to look through the lens of the 4 variables to help identify what you need to change if you aren’t happy.
• The correlation between happiness and purpose – and how that can and should be different for every person.
• How saying no to projects, jobs or opportunities that don’t serve us, or that we can’t serve to our highest ability is a mark of career maturity.

I hope you listen to the full interview, and I hope you join us in the Higher Purpose Community this Thursday, where we’re going to be talking about these three questions, and how we can apply them to the decisions we make about work and the direction we want to go in.I'd like to hear from you! Are you happy in your work?Do you have all of the necessary elements as Julie describes them? Is there one you need to work on or change? If you want to explore these ideas an more - you can take the Purpose at Work 5-Day email challenge to help find more fulfillment and happiness in what you do every day!

HPP Episode 8 - Purpose at Work

You spend a third of your life working. Have you thought about that? What about when you add commute time? How about those times you sit there when you aren’t working, but you’re thinking about it? Are your thoughts darkened on the weekend by the knowledge that Monday is coming? It shouldn’t be, and today Kevin talks about how to find purpose in your work.Listen to the full episode now:

• Do your mind scream that you aren’t fulfilling your purpose in your life? If you’re on a hamster wheel in your professional life, then you MUST listen to this episode. Kevin starts with a very personal story about his father, a member of the Greatest Generation. He told Kevin: find work you love doing. And he lived that example.
• The very first man, Adam, was given work to do, even before the Fall. Kevin discusses how work changed before and after, from a delight to thorns, thistles, and sweat. He talks about a misunderstanding he’s had about a popular saying, ‘find work that you love and you will never work a day in your life.’ It’s not true, at least, not the slothfulness of it. What SHOULD it mean? Find out.
• Kevin talks about his six keys to finding purpose at work, starting with WHY you work. Whether you’re a cashier or brain surgeon, there can be purpose in what you do. Kevin’s father wasn’t a bus driver; he was an entertainer. You can do the same work as someone else, but why you do it can change everything.
• Your job can be drudgery if you forget one important thing: what is your work making possible? It’s not just what the work achieves, but also, what a job allows you to do when you aren’t working. Similarly, who benefits from your work, directly or indirectly?
• Did you know that having a best friend at work is critical for happiness there? It’s just as important as those who benefit from your work. There are times when you find purpose and meaning at work, or when purpose or meaning at work find YOU.

If you feel like you don't have purpose at work, or you want to clarify your purpose at work, we have a free 5 day email course you can take with daily challenges and action steps to help bring the meaning you are meant to have into your everyday. Go to kevindmonroe.com/workpurpose.

Sometimes It Takes a Neighbor

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast, I spoke with Danielle Strickland about what it means to flourish and to live a life truly free of oppression. We discussed some inspiring and often misunderstood stories from Exodus, and you can listen to the whole episode here, but what I want to explore in this post today is a story that Danielle Shared during the interview. Actually, it’s the story that led to our having the interview.I won’t share too much of the story here – you’ll have to listen to the podcast for that! – but Danielle had an experience where, in order to gain access to a brothel in order to start making connections with sex workers who may have been trafficked – it took a neighbor of the establishment bearing a basket of cupcakes rather the Salvation Army professional whose mandate it was.This is a tremendously important idea – that sometimes the human connection of a friend, neighbor, or family member can vastly outperform the presence or, I might even say ‘meddling’ of a professional.At the end of the day, people are people, and we relate to each other at the emotional and spiritual level in a way that we don’t or can’t always connect with professionals entering a situation with all of the gravity of authority.Now, this is a fairly intuitive concept – of course, people connect on the PERSONAL level more easily than the professional one – but its impacts are profound.  It means that whether or not you have credentials, or authority, or some kind of institutional backing, you still have, at this very moment, in your hands, the power to create change and make a difference in the world.To illustrate this point, consider Moses, and the task he was given by God to set the Israelites free. God commanded Moses to use what he had – and what he had was a staff. And so when he needed to, he was able to use that simple tool to perform miracles.What you have available to you now: your skills, your abilities, and your connections in your community are all tools that can be used effectively to make changes in your life and the lives of others. All too often, we hesitate to put ourselves forward, to speak out or challenge the status quo, because we feel that we aren’t strong enough, or powerful enough, or that people won’t take us seriously.But that is a myth – you have everything you need to follow your calling, and serve the Lord as you are meant to. When you are aligned with your purpose, and know what it is you need to accomplish – you will arrive at the question of how.God has answered and continues to answer this for us every day.He says to use what you have – and everyone has something.That is what I invite you to reflect on this week, and what we’re going to be discussing in the Higher Purpose Facebook Community on Thursday this week – what you have available to you NOW to follow God’s plan for you, and do you hold back out of the fear that it isn’t enough?You ARE enough, God made you that way, and just like there are times when a neighbor with cupcakes can be more successful than a professional with a uniform and title, sometimes there is a job that only you can accomplish.I encourage you to listen to the full interview with Danielle, and if you like what you hear (which I am confident you will!) please subscribe to the podcast, and leave us a review to help more people connect with our community.Next week I have a special solo episode ready for you – I am going to be talking about something many people have brought to my attention as difficult or challenging for them is finding purpose at work. So in the coming weeks I have interviews with a series of professionals who all have different and valuable answers to that question.

HPP Episode 7 - Interview With Danielle Strickland

Danielle Strickland is an officer in the Salvation Army, an ambassador for Stop the Traffick and Compassion International, and the author of five books. She’s a wonderful speaker, and her depth of faith in insight in the Bible will delight you.Listen to the full interview now:

• Danielle talks about the simple practice that she has with her son about how he is made. She asks him, ‘Who made you, and how did He make you?’ The simple answer her child gives is the same answer that can liberate you from so much pain, shame, doubt, guilt, and more. If you hear nothing else, listen to this.
• Danielle named her son Moses. Find out how her understanding of the journey, trials, and growth of Moses in the Bible has shaped her own life, and why it made a big enough difference for her that she decided to name her son after the leader of the Israelites.
• Hear the interesting story of the parallels Danielle sees between her good friend and Moses. It begins with her phone number being two digits different from a local legal brothel, moves on to cupcakes, and ends with visiting 68 brothels week, as a neighbor.
• Danielle wasn’t always on the solid, purpose filled path she’s on now. She suffered from addiction. She was in a jail cell, and one visit from someone special began the radical change that took her from rock bottom to where she is now.
• Danielle talks about her own daily ritual that keeps her honest, in tune with who she is and how God made her, and what her own support group looks like. She also talks about how she does her part in doing this for others.

Please visit Danielle and be inspired by her work. Also, help out the Higher Purpose Podcast by subscribing and leaving a review. Help us grow so we can help others find their purpose in life and fulfill it.Want to read more? Check out our blog post about how sometimes, what you really need is a neighbor. 

Making Room For Growth

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast, I spoke with Dan Miller, best selling Author of 48 Days to Work You Love and No More Mondays.Now, Dan Miller has always been an entrepreneur, finding and following opportunities as they presented themselves, and believes meaningful work, whether as an entrepreneur or member of a team, happens when you blend your natural skills and abilities with your dreams and passions.You can listen to the full interview here (and subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player so you never miss an episode), but I want to really explore one of the ideas that Dan and I touched on during the call.If you are constantly adding and adding and adding to your business or your life – you’re never going to have the space to think, breathe and reflect on what you truly want to be doing. You’ll have no time to find your WHY. If you add and add and add to what you have to do every day, week, month and year, then at a certain point you are going to see both the quality of your life and your work degrade.And that kind of degradation is unacceptable. We want to be bringing our best selves to all of the facets of our life – our faith communities, our families, and our work. We can’t do that by consistently trying to add to our plates.Sometimes, you need to step back, and mindfully choose NOT to do things.Here’s Dan Miller’s method.Dan makes it a practice to, when the plan for the next year is finished, choosing 15% of his activities, projects, and tasks, and eliminating them. They won’t continue into the new year and are going to be either finished for good or shelved for another time. These aren’t small things, time wasters or leisure activities. They are real, significant parts of his business that he conscientiously decides to STOP doing.(Fun fact – the specific date for this decision to be made is November 14^th – 48 days before the new year Find out WHY that is significant here.)And that 15% of newly freed time and space is room to grow.Nature abhors a vacuum and will rush to fill it, but if there is no vacuum in your life or your business, then there is no room for something new and different to grow.The space created by eliminating 15% of what you are currently doing could be the ‘breathing room’ to experiment, take risksSo that is our question for this week – what would you do if you had 15% more time to do ANYTHING? And can you make that time in your life?Head on over to the Higher Purpose Community Facebook group, where we’re going to be discussing this topic, and anything else that has inspired us from the podcast this week on Thursday.In the meantime, you can listen to all of our podcast episodes, and make sure you never miss an update by subscribing to the Higher Purpose Podcast on iTunes, or your favorite podcast player. If you like what you hear, please share, and give us a rating!

HPP Episode 6 - Interview with Dan Miller

Every once in a while, when you scanning your email, there’s a subject line that jumps out at you. Even more so when it’s from someone you know, and goes against what you know about them. Today, Kevin talks with purpose-driven Dan Miller, whose headline said simply, “I’ve drifted from my why.” Discover how Dan drifted from his purpose, and how he got back on track.Listen to the Episode Now!

• Learn about how Dan realized he had become a commodity marketer instead of a coach and leader who helps people discover their own purpose, their why, and what they’re supposed to do in this life.
• Dan shares the very moment when he realized he’d gotten off track after a discussion with one of Dave Ramsey’s employees who reminded him, during a three-minute conversation, the way he used to teach.
• Do you believe that asking ‘why’ five times can get you to the heart of the matter? Dan shares how he asks the question why to find the source of a problem, and he talks about the time he turned it around on himself to challenge himself.
• Do you feel like if you get that dream job, get enough money not to worry, or achieve the station in life where you get respect you’ll be happy? This is your comfort zone, and Dan talks about how he can’t stand his own comfort zone. It’s not where he wants to live. Ask this: Why am I doing what I’m doing?
• Sometimes your drift is unnoticeable. You begin looking for external things and you begin to lose clarity. Dan teaches you how to look internally first, and how he has done the same to get back in line with his original ‘why.’
• Is it the why that changes over your life, or is it your understanding of your why that changes? Dan discusses how his own why has remained the same, and how his understanding of it has changed through his drifts and returns. He explains how he has had many iterations of reaching his why, and how he could do it as a used car salesman.
• Dan tells the story of a pastor who was mistaken in his why, and how he went from preaching in the same church for twenty plus years and is now a famous painter.
• Everyone needs a mentor. Dan shares who his mentors are, and he talks about why you don’t even need to know the person who is your mentor.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, make sure to subscribe and leave a review! Want more information? Check out the blog post!

HPP Episode 5: Interview with Paul Sohn

Paul Sohn has just released his latest bestseller, Quarter-Life Calling. Today, he joins Kevin as they discuss being driven versus being called. They also discuss what to do when you’ve reached a point in your life where you feel like you should have a calling, but don’t. Listen to the full episode here, or download it from your favorite podcast player!

• Paul talks about being vulnerable, sharing, and how it feels like getting naked. People understand it when you’re real and transparent in sharing YOUR story.
• Paul explains what a quarter life calling is – it’s a midlife crisis that happens a lot earlier. Paul shares his own quarter life crisis; he was ‘living the dream.’ But he felt miserable deep down, and it only got worse.
• Have you heard of the be-do conundrum? Are you supposed to be something, or are you supposed to do something? Paul explains the concept of the primary and secondary calling, and it’s unique and specific to each person.
• Paul explains how being and doing should affect how you live your life. Often, the first place to start is with your own health. You need energy and stamina to carry out your calling.
• Millennials are hungry for purpose; they want to be a part of something greater than themselves. When you think about the transitions they’re going through, it’s a tough time. And it’s those experiences in their 20’s that can leave them empty, or with purpose.
• Inspire, equip, and empower: Paul focuses all his efforts on this as he raises up the next generation of leaders. He talks about the organization he’s launched in his calling to help the 20-somethings.
• Kevin points at the concept that first connected him with Paul, servant leadership. For many of us to do good work, we need to do it through service to others. Paul describes how that looks in his own life.
• Despite having your life in line – your calling, your health, your purpose – you will still have off days. Paul talks about how he deals with those. He also explains how he’s changed in the way he looks at the challenges he faces.

Interested in going more in-depth with this topic? Make sure to check out the blog post on our site. Learn how to name your calling.We hope you’re enjoying the Higher Purpose Podcast. If so, consider subscribing and leaving a review! And share it with someone in your life who might need encouragement and purpose. They’ll thank you for it.

What Happens When You Name Your Calling?

This week on the Higher Purpose Podcast, I had the opportunity to speak with Paul Sohn, author of the Quarter Life Calling, and founder of QARA.We talked about what it means to have a calling, and the experiences we have in our lives as younger people inform and influence that calling - you can listen to the full interview here. Paul experienced what he calls a ‘quarter-life crisis’ when he was in his twenties. He spent a lot of time reflecting on what he was truly called to do.Through prayer and reflection, Paul left a high-paying job at a Fortune 500 company. He devoted his time and energy to help and support the next generation of leaders in the world. But it wasn’t right. He might have taken the world’s ‘right’ path to wealth and success, but it was wrong for Paul.It wasn’t his calling.Paul began to follow his true path and everything changed. It was more than how he made his living; it was his peace, satisfaction, and sense of direction. He found fulfillment in his work that didn’t exist before, because he was finally able to NAME his calling.[clickToTweet tweet="Do you know the difference between a having a calling and being driven? http://bit.ly/2wBxk5f" quote="Do you know the difference between a having a calling and being driven? "]It’s overlooked in so many discussions around purpose but there’s a simple distinction. If you are being called, someone is the caller. And that caller is God.If you want to put a name to your calling, live in a way that is mindful of God’s purpose for you and pursue that path mindfully. Paul’s realization of this allows him to help others avoid that quarter life crises and to achieve their goals and truly flourish.You might be wondering, “What if I’ve already passed the first quarter of my life?” You’ve already experienced most if not all the major milestones: marriage, moving out, going to college, starting a career. What do you do if you haven’t found YOUR calling yet?Just because you already experienced those things doesn’t mean they can’t reach across the years and touch your life now. You’ve had time to reflect and learn. You’ve gained new insights and you have the hindsight that only experience can bring. When you look back at your path and choices, you do so with clarity you couldn’t have managed back then.You can use all of this to identify, to NAME your calling, no matter what your age is.The growth (and the pain that comes with it) never stops. Neither does our ability to learn from it and discover where we are meant to be, what we are meant to be doing, and why.That’s what I want you to reflect on this week. Are you driven or are you being called? How has your path transformed who you are? Are you living in alignment with your calling?This is just a glimpse of everything we covered in the podcast. Some of the other ideas we pulled apart are:

• Looking at your habits, from nutrition to fitness, to help you better follow your calling
• How writing a book is like getting naked in front of the world
• Growing in character can be painful, so we should seek out that pain or we will never grow

You can listen to the full podcast episode here, and if you want to discuss this theme in more detail, join the Higher Purpose Facebook Community. We’ll be holding a discussion this coming Thursday! Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes - and if you like the podcast, please rate and leave us a review!

Can You Be CEO Of Your Own Family?

This post is an exploration of the ideas Mark Timm and I discussed during our conversation for the Higher Purpose Podcast, which you can listen to in full right here. If you had asked me a month ago if you could (or should!) be the CEO of your family – I might have looked at you like you were growing antlers out of the top of your head.But after a conversation with Mark Timm, CEO of the Ziglar Family Corporation – AND his family of 7 (they really are incorporated!) I have changed my mind.The idea seems really counterintuitive, doesn’t it?CEOs are tough and no-nonsense, focused on profits and growth, leading teams of hundreds (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of people to bring goods and services to market.What could that possibly have to do with your spouse and children?The idea didn’t occur to Mark either until well into his career as both a CEO and a father, but when it did – everything changed.One day, feeling a little hesitant to go into his home after work, he realized that the qualities that made him a good CEO – understanding company vision and goals, decisiveness and collaboration, ability to delegate and ideate – they weren’t restricted to professional life. You don’t have to leave the things that make you good at your job in the workplace when you go home at night. They are part of who you are – often a tremendous and powerful part of who you are.You give these important and valuable parts of yourself to your colleagues, and sometimes there isn’t a lot of you left at the end of the day when you’re going home to the people you live with.So what if you reframed how you looked at your family? More like it was a business. A business with a vision and a mission and goals and different individuals working together to achieve them.[clickToTweet tweet=" Businesses are composed of people, just like our families are. http://bit.ly/2vYIWjg " quote=" Businesses are composed of people, just like our families are."]Our family members are all unique in how they see the world, what they value, and what they want to achieve, but, much like the different individuals who make up businesses, they can be rallied around a common cause to work together and support each other.And for people who feel less comfortable navigating the dynamics of a family unit, looking at one through the lens of your personal strengths as they express themselves professionally can be a be a way to bring your best self to the people you love most your best self.Spend some time thinking about the corporation of YOUR family. Consult with them, share this idea with them, and see if you can get them on board.As a family – what is your goal? What is your mission? What values do you hold to be the most important?What unique strengths do each of you bring to the table, and how can you support each other in your weaknesses?Over in the Higher Purpose Community Facebook Group we’re having a discussion about these topics. Please come join us, and share your thoughts!Being the CEO of your family is only the tip of the iceberg of interesting, important topics that Mark and I discussed. Some of the other exciting points were:

• Being intentional with your time, energy, and decisions – especially regarding your family.
• Always apologizing authentically when you have wronged someone, or failed to do as right by them as you could – even your children.
• How the greatest joy is helping others achieve things – and other wisdom from Zig Ziglar.

Listen to the full episode here.I'd love to hear from you - what do you think about being the CEO of your own family? Leave a comment below! Next week we're talking with Paul Sohn, Author of Quarter Life Calling, and founder of QARA - make sure to subscribe on Itunes so you don't miss it!

HPP Episode 4 - Interview with Mark Timm

Failing On the Quest for Higher Purpose

Our first guest on this podcast is an amazing one. Mark Timm is a serial entrepreneur. But he’s also something else: a purpose driven leader. But he’s most excited about a business he started about 5 years ago. He currently leads Ziglar Family, and he’s got some amazing insights to share for those who are failing on their own journey to finding and living their higher purpose.Listen to the episode now:

• Believe it or not, Mark Timm is a farmboy. He shares some of the lessons that his family learned and passed down generation after generation, especially what their children would need to leave with to be successful.
• Mark shares his experience hearing an inspirational speaker for the first time. It was a tipping point moment for him, and that speaker was none other than Zig Ziglar. Mark shares how he implemented what he learned in his life.
• Bringing your higher purpose to the workplace can be a challenge. But the truth is it can revolutionize the culture of your workplace in the most positive way possible. It all comes back to Zig Ziglar’s most famous quote. Do you remember what it is?
• Want to know how you can change who you are and where you’re going? We go back to Zig Ziglar for another quote. Mark recalls how it changed him from the age of 15, and how he wore out the cassette tapes.
• Mark admits that his success at work made him wonder why he was so terrible at being a husband and wife. How could he grow, sell, and manage huge businesses but not be able to do the simple task of being the man he needed to be at home. Find out what question he asked that changed everything.
• Kevin draws out the mentality of working parents that strangles them. It’s clear with Leave it to Beaver all the way through pop culture today that we aren’t treating our family as the most important business we’re a part of. Remember: if you aren’t leading your family, then someone or something else IS.
• It’s okay if you’ve gotten it wrong a lot more than you’ve gotten it right. The only mistake you can make is to do nothing and say it’s too late. And in your moments of greatest vulnerability, your loved ones will see you at your greatest strength.

Make sure to subscribe on iTunes to get all new episodes as soon as they are released! You can read the blog post where we examined the concept of Being CEO of Your Family in More detail, and you can join the Higher Purpose Facebook Community to join us for our discussion about the values that matter as a family this coming Thursday.Interested in the Seven Day Challenge? Go here!

HPP Episodes 1-3 - Join the Purpose Revolution

Welcome to the Higher Purpose Podcast! Here you'll find the first three episodes of the show - and you can read all about the 7 people challenge

Episode 1: Welcome to the Higher Purpose Podcast

Have you ever felt a disconnect between your work and your values? Or that your pursuits, even the successful ones, aren’t fulfilling you the way you imagined? If so, this podcast is for you. In today’s episode, Kevin Monroe talks about his own unusual search for purpose, and why he’s so determined for this podcast to serve you.Listen to the Episode now:

Episode 2: What is the Higher Purpose Podcast?

It’s tempting to jump right into the amazing amounts of content Kevin has in store for you, like the frameworks he’s developed for purpose along with incredible guest interviews, but there’s something we need to look at first. How will this podcast serve you well? Today, Kevin talks about the cornerstone that will guide the journey of this podcast.

• Purpose is everywhere you turn these days, especially purpose-driven leadership. But did you know that living with purpose can affect not just your mental wellbeing, but also your physical health?
• Kevin discusses why he chooses the guests he does: less than 20% of business leaders work with purpose, and of those, only a small handful can articulate it. Those are the people who Kevin has lined up.
• People often talk about purpose, but when the conversation is turned to higher For some, it takes an interesting turn. They ask, ‘are you one of them?’
• Do you believe that the quest for purpose is limited to the younger generation? Think again. There is no discrimination: not age, generation, time period, background, faith, and anything else.
• Remember when there were just three channels on the TV? In our lifetime today, we have the world at our fingertips. Entertainment, possessions, fine foods, and more; power, prestige, monetary success… our lives are filled but not fulfilled.
• Even Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg knows that purpose is about being connected to something greater than yourself.
• Money, success, and other rewards: these are not the goal. They are the by-product of the true goal, which is fulfilling your purpose. Learn what the ‘economy of purpose’ is, and why it matters to you.
• There is more to this life, than this life. Don’t fall for the lie that this life is all there is.

Become a part of the Higher Purpose community on Facebook! We’d also appreciate it if you subscribe to the podcast. If you can think of someone this podcast can help, share it with them! Until next week, think about your why. Your higher purpose.Listen to the Episode now:

Episode 3: The Seven People You Meet on Your Path to Purpose

We've got a whole blog post talking about the idea of the 7 people - so listen to the episode, then learn more by Joining the Purpose Revolution! (That's where you'll find the worksheet, too!) I hope you enjoyed the launch episodes of the Higher Purpose Podcast! If  you have an idea for a show topic or a guest, email Kevin personally at Kevin@HigherPurposePodcast.com, or leave a comment below!