Working On Purpose

Are you wondering how to ignite engagement in your workforce? Or perhaps you’re curious about the various ways people experience meaning in their work? In this episode, two long-time colleagues enjoy a conversation about their perspectives on and experience with helping companies address employee engagement. For a twist, David Lee interviews Alise Cortez, the show’s host, about her 10-year plus research efforts to understand how people experience meaning in their work and its relationship to their sense of self or identity. Alise queries David about his views on why employees “just aren’t that into their employers,” and some things employers can do to change that and foster employee engagement.

The biggest problem today in education is determining what you want to do. Once this is done, the next challenge is to determine the correct path to get the career you want, and ultimately, how to pay for the necessary training or education. Even though these questions are basic, they are very difficult to answer without the proper tool and advice. Adding to this burden, consider that a majority of college students take six years to complete their four-year program, and of the 60 percent who do complete it, the extra two years cost an additional $40,000 and $45,000 in opportunity loss. The majority of the students come into college with the intent of “figuring it out.” Because of this “old school” approach the student, and many times the family, incurs debt that impacts the future – buying a house, car, and even marriage. With the solution from College Choice Today, blending the right balance of science, technology, and expert help, there is not an excuse for not getting it right.

Let’s face it – relationships of all types can really be difficult. That’s especially true when we find ourselves living, associating or working with individuals who use psychological or spiritual abuse as a method of harm. A surprising number of people exhibit various personality disorder characteristics that manifest themselves in behaviors toward those closest to them. Our guest in this episode has a unique window on this world in her counseling practice focusing on recovery from hidden abuse. In this episode, we discuss Shannon Thomas’s choice to enter the field, how she developed her career into her own business today, the six stages she uses to guide her clients toward recovery, her perspective of how and why psychological and spiritual abuse occurs today, and the signs we might use to recognize that we ourselves are in a toxic relationship and then what we can do about it.

How can organizations catalyze the exchange of completely different talents while productively connecting the generations in today’s workplace? Consider the benefits of reverse mentoring, which allows new or junior members of an organization to coach longer-term or senior members in areas of their strengths – perhaps such as the use of technology. Imagine how empowering such a culture would be to a company and the increased engagement, performance, and retention that would result. Then imagine the competitive advantage that could be afforded a forward-thinking organization utilizing this human capital strategy. Now, ask yourself – has your organization put forth the effort and created a platform for reverse mentoring to occur as part of your normal, everyday practice? If not, tune into this episode to learn what’s involved and how doing so could make a real difference in your company’s heart beat and bottom line.

As an Adjunct Faculty at Southern Methodist University teaching communication and career preparation courses, I enjoy a unique window on the world of hopeful and anxious students preparing to transition into gainful employment. To share it, I thought it would be fun, insightful, and perhaps inspirational to interview current students wishing to embark on their careers in Communication as well as those who have since found their footing in the workplace. This dynamic interview format representing eight voices showcases the hopes of current students and the steps they are taking to prepare for their chosen careers, as well as short snippets from recent graduates describing their approach to starting their careers and the advice they have for other students about to enter the workforce.

Some people seem to intuitively know how to choose a suitable career. It all just seems to fit – personality, aptitude, talent, pace of work, how we relate to people. When we choose a career that just resonates with who we are at our core, we often encounter less resistance to forge a successful path forward. No negotiation, no pushing through things, just “flow.” We may even find working for ourselves in our chosen field a viable option. If you can relate to this, or perhaps would like to relate to it, this episode has something for you. We’ll be talking with a professional woman three decades into her Accounting career who shares how she successfully navigated her path toward entrepreneurship, how she incorporates Profit First concepts into her own business and service offerings, and why she thinks running her business is far more secure than any job she could ever hold.

Are you an educator ready to strengthen your professional potential or increase your impact in the classroom? Or, did you struggle as a child to navigate the educational system and believe that your struggle can be used to elevate that impact? Do you wish you could recapture the passion for your work you once had? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, this episode has something for you. We talk with Dr. Mary Howard about her 4-decade career in education and her dedication to breathe new life into passion for teachers across North America. She’ll be sharing some key strategies she teaches educators in her popular seminars and some key tips from two of her books, while also sharing her own career journey. Dr. Howard is a dynamic, caring individual who will leave you inspired to pursue your own passion and equip you with some information to help you better connect with those you serve, regardless of the business you work in. Join us!

Think about the pivotal moments in your life and where you were living. What was happening in your career and your relationships? Notice any significant events or patterns? In this episode, we talk with a seasoned real estate professional whose work helped her realize how the homes we live in create the individual chapters of our lives. Such a powerful way to help us make sense of important aspects of life over the course of time. Our guest will also share how her own business lens shifted, what caused it to do so, and the impactful results that came afterwards. Finally, we’ll discuss the power of being in a Master Mind group and the important ways we can all achieve more through this association than anything we can do on our own.

What if every day you knew you were making a life-changing difference to at least one child through the work you do? What if you knew that without the organization you led the children who came through your front door might not see their next birthday? Or would perhaps have to be returned to the very people who took advantage of or abused them? Many people hunger to make a difference through the work they do and yearn for the time or opportunity that lets them do so. In this episode, we learn how a successful corporate executive has unleashed her talents into the nonprofit arena and been transformed herself in the process of serving children while celebrating Jonathan’s Place 25-year service in the field.

Have you been considering leaving your current job to pursue your heart-felt passion? But maybe you’re worried about the loss of stable income and the prospect of an uncertain future? After a long and circuitous career in various corporate America roles, Kim Ortiz decided that life was too short to not do what she loves. So she opened a photography studio to create beautiful heirloom portraits for her clients that will last a lifetime. But just how did she make the leap to ntrepreneurship? What were the twists and turns along the way? And how does she continue to market herself to stay busy and productive? In this episode, Kim shares her unfolding journey to entrepreneurship and what she’s learned along the way that just may help you get your own footing.

Somewhere in the middle of a corporate career spanning over 30 years with a Fortune 500 company, Betti took a trip. She signed up for a cattle drive in south Texas, and riding a horse for the first time in her life herding Texas Longhorn, she began the most challenging and rewarding journey of her life. She learned a lot about not only the magnificent animal she rode, but personally experienced and untimely created a unique catalyst for growth and self-discovery. These powerful skills and concepts shaped what would become the incredibly successful Communicating with HorsePower Program. Betti has delivered to countless audiences and companies these powerful leadership techniques to meet top business trends - including Connecting with Customers, Liquid leadership, Developing Cultures to Grow Revenue, Engaging Clients and Employees, Strengths-Based Leadership, and Working Agility - Embracing Change and Adapting Effectively. Hang on and get ready for the ride of your life.

Running for any office takes enormous amounts of time, energy, and a passion for the cause. Winning the position of Dallas Independent School District Trustee for District 2 is the hope for Dustin Marshall who has long been captivated by the prospect of education reform. His platform includes addressing four main priorities: early education, empowering principals, racial equity, and teacher development. In this episode, Dustin describes his own experience of navigating school and being raised by a single Mom, how he became fascinated by and committed to education, and his rationale behind each of the four priorities he wants to address if elected. Given his full-time role as CEO, husband and father of four young children, Dustin is clearly driven by purpose in his pursuit to win and serve in the trustee position.

Do you love what you do and enjoy working for yourself but feel stretched too thin? Maybe you’re working entirely too many hours without achieving the results you want or deserve? Or, perhaps you aren’t working as productively in your day as you can. Many women start a business to share their professional gifts and hope doing so will allow them precious time for other important parts of life. But for many, the workload becomes consuming without a sufficient return on investment or significant income stream. In this episode, we talk with small business coach expert Leslie Hassler as she shares 7 pillars to help women take their service offerings from hectic and horrendous to sane and successful.

The 1960s women’s movement was of monumental importance to advance the conscious development of women. But what response did it evoke in men? Where do men derive their sense of connection and meaning in today’s times? And how do men navigate their lives against the backdrop of ongoing change in their female counterparts? In this episode, we explore the journey of one thoughtful, engaged man who has spent a quarter century cultivating his own perspective on life on the planet as a man and the wonderful discovery he’s made helping coach his fellow comrades in their common quest toward deeper self-awareness and authentic integration.

If you are considering a career that requires obtaining federal security clearance, or you’ve just been curious about what it’s like to work for the Department of Defense, this episode is for you. Did you know there are countless jobs that require a federal, military, or industrial security clearance, or even a simple background investigation, to be hired? Absent concrete knowledge of the process, many people make avoidable mistakes that result in not obtaining the security clearance they need to start their job. In this episode, a special agent with 21 years of experience conducting such investigations shares his wisdom, experience, and tips to get through the process efficiently and effectively, so you can get to work.

When work is fulfilling and fun, why would you ever want to quit? That’s Bob Hopkins’ philosophy, and with it he has joyously cultivated a long life and career full of profound enrichment while making an impact literally across the globe through an astonishing number of initiatives. His PAVE program, or Philanthropy and Volunteerism in Education, is about changing lives by giving children a new outlook on life through Service Learning and Community Involvement. Bob´s program follows first and second graders for three years. These formative years, with the assistance of college students in their classroom each week, celebrates amazing outcomes. The results have given children self-esteem, that has increased their academics and consequently their choices. Overtime, Bob believes the PAVE program lessen crime rates and eventually eradicate poverty. What an incredibly noble mission and legacy to leave.

Do you constantly feel behind schedule, ever pedaling on the hamster wheel toward an impossible schedule or crazy goals? Are you getting the results you really want – at work, at home, and in life? If not, maybe it’s because you’re not sufficiently inspired or committed to a course of action. Or could it be possible you haven’t yet learned a few simple keys to personal productivity that could literally turn your life around? In this episode, Lauren Midgley will share from her personal arsenal of proven strategies to help you get caught up and on top of your productivity.

People often hunger to find purpose in their work. They wonder, where do others get that sense of mission? And how do I find it for myself? Well, sometimes it appears right in one’s own back yard and is born from simple day to day life. Ask yourself, what do you really care about and spend time and energies on today? And do you know other people who are focused on similar things but need something beyond the current marketplace offerings to address it? If so, you just might find yourself staring straight into the beginnings of your mission and purpose at work, as our guest Charmaine Solomon discovered. And in her case, she and her comrades have taken that initial mission and dream to found a full-day continuing education program for adults with disabilities, and made it into a reality that casts a vision for even broader impact in the future while allowing her to leave a legacy for her special needs son.

Climbing the corporate ladder. Success. Making money. Isn’t that what many of us have been taught comprise the good life? I mean, we live comfortably and can afford a nice lifestyle with lovely vacations. It all should be good, right? Then, how come we don’t feel fulfilled? Why does it seem to get harder and harder to get out of bed and drag ourselves into the office? If you can relate to this story line, this episode may just be one you need to hear. Mary Miller shares her story of career ascent, misery in “living the dream” she worked so hard to achieve, and how she came to see the light on the other side of the tunnel toward a new and ultimately much more rewarding way to do life and career. She shares some of her key lessons along the way and how she has helped other women define their own version of success overruling the “shoulds” they have been told all their lives.

There are distinct moments when life serves up seemingly impossible challenges, predicaments that should completely break us, almost as if to see just what we’re made of. Fresh off a divorce, in career transition, lacking health insurance, and living with a friend in a small apartment, Brandon Cumby was already in a tender place when he received the perfect-storm sucker punch of electrocution and was not expected to survive. Miraculously, with the incredible support of family and friends and his indomitable spirit, Brandon emerged with a new lease on life. He is sharing his story in the hopes doing so will encourage others to dig deep into themselves to go for their own dreams as he is his own. Not only has he recaptured his own health after his devastating accident in 2012, he has since run four marathons and two 50K races. His story is a testament to the human spirit and how living an intentional and purposeful life can be born of tragedy.