450 episodes. Over 337 hours of conversations and interviews. Thousands of hours of research. And if Mitch Matthews had to boil all of it down to one game-changing practice? 

It would be this: The Subtle Art of Noticing.

In this milestone solo episode, Mitch reflects on what 450 episodes of Dream Think Do have taught him and he lands on a concept that's been quietly showing up in almost every DTD conversation he's had. 

It's a powerful theme and once Mitch saw it, he couldn't unsee it. Whether it's in your leadership, your relationships, your creative work, or your next big dream… this concept represents one of the most powerful skills you can develop… and one of the greatest gifts you can give. \

Plus, Mitch shares a practical 7-Day Win Challenge you can begin… TODAY...

Read the Full Show Notes Here: https://mitchmatthews.com/450/

If you've ever gone from calm… to full-blown "Formula 1-level" worry in 2.6 seconds flat… this episode is for you.

In this powerful (and very personal) solo episode, Mitch opens up about his lifelong battle with worry - from illnesses as a kid… to becoming really good at hiding anxiety as an adult… to the wake-up call that finally made him say, "Enough."

But this isn't a "just don't worry about it" talk. (Because we all know that doesn't work.)

Read the Full Show Notes Here: https://mitchmatthews.com/449

In this inspiring and deeply authentic episode, Mitch sits down with someone he recently shared the TEDx stage with - Dr. Angela Walker Franklin. Dr. Franklin is the President and CEO of Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences, and not only is she the first woman and first person of color to hold that role in the university's 125+ year history… she's also a licensed clinical psychologist, a published author, and a powerful voice for leading with empathy, courage, and clarity.

They dive into her unique upbringing in a small South Carolina town - where her family ran a funeral home - and how that shaped her perspective on life, leadership, and compassion. You'll hear how her father made a bold, sacrificial pivot from medical school to embalming school to support the family's legacy… and how Dr. Franklin has brought that same spirit of service and innovation into her work today.

They also explore the origins of her impactful TEDx talk, "How to Call Out the Elephant in the Room," and how she brought this strategy into leadership meetings, creating a safe space for honest dialogue and collaboration.

This episode is filled with laughter, heartfelt stories, and powerful strategies for anyone looking to lead well, connect deeply, and navigate hard conversations with grace. Let's go!

READ THE FULL SHOW NOTES NOW:  https://mitchmatthews.com/440/

Travis Crutcher is back as my guest… and THIS time we're talking about how important the concept of "Personal Branding" needs to be to EVERYONE right now.  No matter what you do for work… whether you own your own business or you work for someone else… personal brand matters.  AND… let's be real… personal brand… at least how we're going to define it… matters in LIFE too.  Now, we're not talking about trying to be famous or to go all Cardasian.  What we're talking about is how do you present yourself to the world?  And we're going to talk about heart stuff… mental stuff… business strategy and life strategy and I think you're going to dig it!  Especially if you're wanting to make an impact on the world in some small or big way.  With your career… your business and… or… your life!  And hey… if you're listening to DREAM THINK DO… I know that's true for you!  

Now, I'm going to be talking with my friend Travis Crutcher for this episode.  You may remember from episode 344… but Travis is a Success Coach and Speaker who helps dynamic people get clarity, increase impact, and live a life they love!  He's a Retired Army Ranger and he spent some time in the corporate space as an executive too. After all of that… he launched his coaching and speaking business and I'm VERY proud to say that he's a key member of Acceleration… my mastermind for coaches and speakers.  And that's given me a front-row seat to see him applying the concepts we're going to be talking about in his business and more importantly… he's also using them to make the world a better place!  

Oh… and make sure you listen to the very end… because even though my bride Melissa isn't "officially" on this episode… I tell a story about her that Travis and I agreed… allowed her to steal the show!  So yeah… stay with it!  I think you're going to dig it… so let's dive in!

MORE ABOUT THE "PERCEPTIONS - Next Level Branding - LIVE EVENT

Here's where you can find out more about the LIVE event Travis and Mitch will be hosting in Kansas City in April: www.mitchmatthews.com/perceptions   

 

MORE ABOUT TRAVIS:

Travis's Website: https://traviscrutcher.com

Travis's Podcast: Above Average Podcast

 

RELATED EPISODES:

3 Keys to Breaking Free from Your Past with Travis Crutcher: www.mitchmatthews.com/344

5 Keys to Launching Your Own Podcast: https://mitchmatthews.com/350 

Busting Free from Analysis Paralysis with Amanda Zwanziger: https://mitchmatthews.com/338/ 

 

MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE:

Questions we dig into:

• What is "PERSONAL BRAND" and why does it need to matter to everyone?
• What is PERSONA and how does it get in the way?
• Where have you screwed up when it comes to your personal brand?
• How do we break through to our TRUE IDENTITY?
• Why is it important to function from your true identity?
• What are some of the ways to do that in business and in life?

 

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 Let's talk about personal branding
• 2:45 Why you need listen to the end of this episode
• 4:11 The definition of a "personal brand"
• 7:40 Why faking it till you make it never works
• 11:20 The best time to grow a network
• 13:44 The freedom we when operating out of identity
• 18:45 When Mitch started to drop the persona
• 27:10 The longer you fake it, the faster you can lose yourself. 
• 33:23 Sometimes your personal brand will rub others wrong
• 37:03 Never play yourself small again
• 42:10 How to better build your personal brand today
• 47:07 Don't dismiss something just because it's familiar
• 55:22 Being the change you want to see more of in the world
• 1:01:21 Mitch's minute

I want to hear from YOU!  

What's something that clicked with you?  What's something that didn't?  I want to hear from YOU!!!

More importantly… where are you going to start to do something a little differently with YOUR personal brand?  Leave a comment and let us know!!!  I can't wait to hear from YOU!

Lastly, don't forget to share this episode!  And when you do either tag me or include the #dreamthinkdo.

You can find me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.  Let's connect there too!

We're answering a great question from a fellow DREAM THINK DO listener this week.  He asked, "As a Success Coach… what's one of the most important questions you ask people?"  Whew.  I love that and… as you'll hear… I get pretty fired up to answer it.

In fact, the question that we dig into is one that you can use to get more clear, build your confidence and help you to stay inspired.  But it's also a question you can use at work with your teams, your co-workers and… heck, even with leaders above you.  Plus, you can use it with your family and friends too.

I don't want to sound like I'm trying to over-hype this question… but seriously… it's THAT powerful!  And it's sooooooo important to ask (in multiple scenarios)!  So get excited.  Let's dive in!

RELATED DREAM THINK DO EPISODES:

How to WIN more in 5 minutes or less!  (SPEED). - Success, People, Experiment, Evaluate & Determined. www.mitchmatthews.com/336 

Jake Thompson: BEAT Pandemic Fatigue! [A Guide to Survive and Thrive!]: www.mitchmatthews.com/281   

4 Keys to Developing a Confident Mind with Dr. Nate Zinser: www.mitchmatthews.com/349 

5 Keys to Creating a Dream Date: www.mitchmatthews.com/348

Lots of questions come in... especially after episode 346 - RESET WEEK - where I said we'd be spending MOST of our upcoming episodes on:

• The Abundant Life Playbook
• The Elite Coach Playbook
• The Growing Business Playbook

By the way… if you'd like to ask a question and/or give me a suggestion for topics for future DREAM THINK DO episodes, be sure to leave a comment!

One recent question really applies to BOTH the "Abundant Life Playbook" and the "Elite Coach Playbook," is:  "As a coach... what's one of the most important questions you ask?"

THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION!  And I couldn't help myself but dive into it!  And as you can imagine… since I've been a full-time coach for almost 20 years… I have a lot of favorite questions.  BUT one of my favorites and one of the most important has to be:

"What does success look like"

This is a powerful question if you're a coach or a mentor.  This is a powerful question if you're a leader or a manager.  This is a powerful question if you're a parent or a friend.  It even is important to ask in a romantic relationship.  So yeah… as you can see… it's a favorite!

It's a great question to ask others… but it's also a great question to ask yourself as you're journaling, meditating, and praying.  

I love this question because it's MACRO and it's MICRO:

• MACRO - Large scale... EVERYTHING... All-encompassing… BIG PICTURE.
• MICRO - Minute by minute... the small stuff... the little but important stuff… day-to-day!

Are you sold?  I hope so.  So let's dive in!

MACRO-LEVEL EXAMPLES:

Let's talk about some examples of "MACRO" versions of this question.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR:

• This year?
• This season of my career?
• My team... this year?
• • [NOTE: You can sure talk to your team about this and ask THEM too!]

You can use this question as you consider the different ROLES you have in life: 

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR:

• For me as a parent?
• For me as a spouse?  (If you're dating… What does success look like in this relationship?)
• For me as a leader?
• For me as a volunteer?
• For me as a team member?

It can also be a question to ask yourself… when it comes to the way you want to live life:

What does success look like for how I want to LIVE?

Now… let's talk about the question at a MICRO LEVEL:

As in… how can you apply it TODAY?  How can you use it to help guide you a moment to moment… today?

I like to add the "Rule of 3" here to drill down to some specifics.  So I simply add "three things" to the question.

For example: 

What are 3 things that would make today a success?

If I journal that… I might come up with things like:

• Engage well with others.  
• Stay present.  
• Focus and get XYZ done.  
• Have gas left in the tank for my family tonight
• To have FUN as I work today.
• To show people gratitude throughout the day.
• To bring my best work as often as possible.

Then… I'd pick the 3 most important for that day.

Or another example is if you're prepping for a hard conversation, you might ask:

What are 3 things that are within my control that would make this conversation a success?

You might come up with things like:

• I will be prepared.  
• I will show the person I love/honor/respect them... no matter what (even in a business situation) 
• I'm ready to share my perceptions and I'm open to theirs.

Another example is I recently hired a new VA.  So… I asked myself, "What are 3 things that would make my new team member's onboarding a success?"

Some things I came up with were:

• Help her to feel welcomed.  
• Help her to know we believe in her.  
• Help her to know what success looks like.  (Ironic… right? LOL!)

THIS makes for a great prayer too.  Some of my favorite questions as I pray are:

Lord... what do you want me to know... today?

Lord.. what do you want me to do… today?

Lord… what does success look like... today?

NOTE: The topic of favorite questions I ask during prayer could TOTALLY be its own episode.  So, if you dig that or you'd want me to dig into that more... leave a comment or send me an email and let me know!

TIME TO TAKE ACTION:

Where do you want to apply this question... this week?

• Work?
• Life?
• Relationships?
• Volunteering?
• Leadership?
• Entrepreneurship?
• Family?

Go big... and ask a MACRO QUESTION or two.

Then be sure to go MICRO too… and experiment with the "Rule of 3" to bring it to something specific... today.

Minute by Minute: 

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 2:22 The new Dream Think Do Playbooks
• 6:16 The most important question we can ask
• 13:17 More ways to learn more about this topic
• 18:04 Clarifying this important question even more
• 23:30 Listener shout out! Did you hear your name?
• 25:43 How to practically apply this question today
• 38:00 Another example of how tangible this success hack is
• 42:28 Your action step today!

I want to hear from YOU!  

What's something that stood out to you?  More importantly… what are you going to try as a result? 

Let me know!  And hey… if you have more questions… let me know!  I can't wait to hear from YOU!

Lastly, don't forget to share this episode!  Your friends will thank you! 

And when you do either tag me or just include the #dreamthinkdo.

You can find me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.  (Let's connect there too!)

Keep bringing your awesome, 

Mitch

Have you ever thought about launching your own podcast?  You've got a topic you're passionate about or a group of people you really feel called to help… and you've wondered, "Should I start a podcast?"  Well… if that's you (or you just curious about some of the behind-the-scenes on the podcast industry) THIS episode is for you!  By the way… should everyone start a podcast?  The answer is NO!  An emphatic no!  BUT more people should start a podcast than you might think!  We'll talk about WHO should think about launching a podcast and we'll talk about HOW to get one started (it's easier than you might think).  Plus, we'll help you to beat out 85% of all podcasts almost immediately!  Oh, and since this is episode 350… we'll also reminisce a bit.  We'll dig into some of my favorites and some fun behind-the-scenes stories that have gotten us here!  So let's get to this!

 

OTHER RELATED EPISODES and LINKS:

• Antonio Neves: 3 Keys to Beating a Mid-Career Slump! (Click Here)
• Jamie Kern Lima: Dump The Doubt! - Mitch Matthews (Click Here)
• Howard Berger | "Don't blow up the house!" - Mitch Matthews (Click Here)
• Jillian Michaels: "This Might Surprise You!" (Click Here)
• Dr. Donny Jackson: "Bet On Yourself!" (Click Here)

 

Some Surprising Stats on Starting a Podcast:

At this time, there are still less than 3 million podcasts worldwide, BUT there are over 37 million YouTube channels, and over 1 billion blogs.  (Yeah… that's BILLION… with a "b.")  

According to Edison Research... about 65 to 75% of Americans have heard a podcast.

• 37% of the US listens on a monthly basis
• 28% of the US Population Listen to Podcasts on a Weekly Basis
• 70% of all podcasts are listened to via Apple Podcasts

Get this… ONLY 15% of new podcasts make it to 11 episodes.  And only 15% of those podcasts will make it to 100 episodes!  BUT... the longer you stay in... the better the chance you have of finding your audience and thriving!

5 Tips for Starting A Podcast:

1. Start with WHO
2. Start small… but start!
3. Go in with a STARTER PLAN… but commit to figure most things out as you go!
4. Research for your INTRO and 3 questions!
5. Honor your Guests and make them feel safe

Minute by Minute:

• 0:02 Before you tune out, this episode could be for you!
• 3:17 Conversations starts
• 7:40 Who should and shouldn't start a podcast
• 13:14 The story behind Mitch's first podcast 
• 19:02 The fun rewards of having a podcast
• 31:45 Commit to learning as you go
• 36:26 Th practical tips you need to get started
• 41:30 What your first 10 episodes should be about
• 44:01 How often you should release new episodes
• 47:30 Mind mapping your episode
• 50:34 The importance of a good introduction
• 1:00:00 It's okay to to ask for help

I want to hear from YOU!  

What's something that stood out to you?  More importantly… are you more excited about launching a podcast… OR… did this episode help you learn that podcasting isn't for you?  Let me know!  And hey… if you have more questions… let me know!  I can't wait to hear from YOU!

Lastly, don't forget to share this episode!  And when you do either tag me or just include the #dreamthinkdo.

You can find me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.  Let's connect there too!

Today we're talking about what it takes to build a confident mind… no matter what.  Our tour guide for this discussion is Dr. Nate Zinsser… who's the Director of the Performance Psychology Program at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He uses applied performance psychology to help cadets prepare for and perform in high-stakes situations.  But he also helps world-class athletes, Olympic medalists, professional ballerinas, NHL All-Stars, college All-Americans… as well as countless business professionals and leaders!  In fact, NFL MVP Eli Manning said, "Studying confidence with Dr. Zinsser helped me win two Super Bowls!"  

He teaches people how to overcome pressure and succeed.  By the way… Doc Z has applied these concepts himself… to allow him to deliver consistently… but to also become a world-class mountaineer and accomplished martial artist.. just to name a few.  His brand new book is called, " THE CONFIDENT MIND: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance." It's a book designed to help us all better understand confidence… build it… protect it… and rely upon it when performance matters most!  It's a powerful conversation I think you're going to love so let's get to it!

 

RESOURCES:

• Dr. Nate Zinsser's book: "The Confident Mind - A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance" - Click here
• Dr. Z's website: www.natezinsser.com/

 

RELATED DREAM THINK DO EPISODES:

• Two Minutes To Confidence (A deep dive with Mitch): mitchmatthews.com/246/ 
  
• Let Me Go Do It Like It's Never Been Done - An interview with The Orville's J. Lee: mitchmatthews.com/j-lee/
• Breaking Down Barriers & Setting New Records - An interview with McKenna Hasse. mitchmatthews.com/mckenna-haase/

 

EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 Have you noticed this in people lately?
• 2:35 Get to know Dr. Nate
• 4:20 Conversation starts
• 8:15 The fruit of having higher confidence
• 11:38 How to avoid becoming overly confident
• 17:00 The starting point of confidence
• 20:03 Why Dr. Nate changed the name of his book
• 27:07 Being ridiculous honest about execution
• 29:50 How to actually believe your positive self-talk
• 33:42 How Mitch started to overcome worry
• 37:37 Keys to upgrade your confidence in the moment
• 44:14 How to connect with Dr. Nate
• 44:45 Mitch's minute

 

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Leave a comment and let me know what stood out to you from this interview with Dr. Z.  

More importantly, let me know which strategy, story, or pearl of wisdom (BIG or small)… inspired you to take action.  What's something (Big or small) you're going to experiment with as a result?  

I can't wait to hear from you!

Valentine's day is right around the corner… so today's subject is CRITICAL!  And hey… it's always good to find ways to inject some extra romance into a date.  The good news is… it's a lot easier than you might think!  And whether it's early in your relationship… or you've been together for a while (my bride and I have been married for 29 years!!!)... you can use these strategies to bust out of the norm, and take a ho-hum date to "dream date" status!  We're going to get you real-world strategies that won't break the bank and won't involve a two-week trip to Fiji!  You'll be able to apply these concepts and have more romance, connection, AND fun!  So let's get to this!

RELATED DREAM THINK DO EPISODES:

Melissa and I talked about the 5 Love Languages in www.mitchmatthews.com/214 

3 Keys to Breaking Free from the Past with Travis Crutcher: www.mitchmatthews.com/344 

"Surprised By Prayer" - Another interview with my bride Melissa: www.mitchmatthews.com/207

 

RESOURCES:

5 Love Languages:

You can find out more at: Discover Your Love Language - The 5 Love Languages®: (www.5lovelanguages.com)

The FIVE Love Languages are:

• Quality Time
• Words of affirmation
• Physical Touch
• Acts of Service
• Receiving Gifts

      Grab Mitch's game: "Q Dates" at www.mitchmatthews.com/store

 

STEPS:

1. Know YOUR Primary Love Languages
2. Know your SIGNIFICANT OTHER'S Primary Love Languages
3. Plan THIS date... around your SIGNIFICANT OTHER'S LOVE LANGUAGES

 

BONUS TIP 1: Create a Mixtape!

Playlist - Mixtape!!!

Put a playlist together of songs that mean something to you as a couple!

Use Apple... Spotify… or put a literal mixtape together!

Examples from "Our History" Playlist:

• "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton
• "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel
• "I will always love you" by Whitney Houston
• "Crazy Love" by Van Morrison
• "I can't help falling in love with you" by UB40
• "My One and Only" by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

Other romantic examples (you're welcome):

• "At Last" by Etta James
• "I want you back" by Colbie Caillat
• "I'd love you all over again" by Alan Jackson
• "I won't give up" Jason Mraz

 

BONUS TIP 2: Ask and then REALLY LISTEN!!!

Grab Mitch's game: "Q Dates" at www.mitchmatthews.com/store 

 

Conversation Starter Questions:

Complete the following sentences:

• My favorite class in high school was _________? (Why?)
• A perfect Saturday morning is when I get to ______________________.
• One of my favorite things about my week is when I ________________.
• One of my favorite TV shows from my childhood was ______________. (Why?)
• My favorite season of the year is ____________. (Why?)

Other questions:

• If you could meet any celebrity, who would you want to meet and why?
• If you could have a personal assistant do one thing for you, what would you have them do?
• If you could instantly learn how to play an instrument, which instrument would you want to be able to play?  Where would you want to perform?
• If you could take a trip anywhere in the world (cost is not an issue), where would you want to go and why?

 

BONUS TIP 3: Be a Tourist:

My friend and coaching client, Lisa Even (www.EvenConnection.com) suggests giving yourself permission to be a "Tourist" in your own town.  Try things you haven't tried.  Go somewhere you haven't gone.  Be willing to risk looking like a "tourist" to see something for the first time.  And/or to see something you've seen a hundred times… through new eyes!

 

BIG SHOUT OUT TO SOME NEW REVIEWERS ON APPLE:

Thanks to Aree and Mandy who left reviews on Apple Podcasts!  We couldn't do this without you guys!  If you haven't already, please leave a review wherever you listen to the podcast.  You can get to the show on Apple here: www.dreamthinkdo.com.

 

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 A new topic for Dream Think Do
• 2:58 Let's start planning your next dream date
• 7:50 Focus on romance even if you're busy
• 13:24 One resource every couple needs 
• 19:10 Date night example from Mitch and Mel
• 26:32 Having fun with acts of service 
• 28:21 Mitch's romance playlist
• 34:30 Shout-outs! Did you hear your name?
• 37:53 Ways to love your significant others
• 43:11 Little things can make every day better
• 46:00 What's coming up next on Dream Think Do

 

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Leave a comment and let me know what stood out to you from this episode.  More importantly, let us know a favorite way to take a date to the next level?  BIG or small… what's some of YOUR special sauce?  I can't wait to hear from you!

Lastly, don't forget to share this episode!  And when you do either tag me or just include the #dreamthinkdo and we'll send 5 lucky sharers a copy of "Q Dates!" 

You can find me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.  Let's connect!

Have you ever felt STUCK? If so… you're not alone!!  Maybe it was when you wanted to try something new.  Write a book. Launch a company. Volunteer for an organization you were passionate about.  Or maybe it was when you were experiencing a plateau with your career.  Deep down… you wanted something… but you felt stuck.  You could see your goal on the horizon… but it felt like you were running in mud!  If you've ever been there… this episode is for you.  In it… I walk you through 4 surprising strategies to help you get UNSTUCK!  Oh… and the REALLY good news is that each strategy is something you can start to use immediately!  So let's get to it!

Minute by Minute:

• 0:02 What's inside this episode
• 2:12 A look into Mitch's life this week
• 5:00 Why Mitch loves the DO-ers ion the world
• 8:45 The side effects of fear (and how to overcome)
• 12:00 The four keys you may need to get unstuck
• 12:30 Keys to get unstuck #1 
• 20:45 Keys to get unstuck #2 (listen in to hear #3 and #4!)
• 34:00 A stat from a post-pandemic world that will break your heart
• 44:22 How to get connected with a great coach
• 48:50 The daily "small things" that create big results
• 52:28 Why Mitch is glad he didn't say NO to this event
• 1:00:35 Coming up next on Dream Think Do

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Leave a comment and let me know what stood out to you (big or small) from this episode.  Then include something you're going to do the next time you feel STUCK!  And hey… be sure to share some of your favorite hacks for getting yourself unstuck too!  I can't wait to hear from you!

Lastly, don't forget to invite a friend to join you!  Share the episode with them and come up with your ways to get UNSTUCK and make this year a great year… no matter what!

 

We're declaring this week (the 3rd week of January) as our first annual: "RESET WEEK!"  Why?  Well… I think we can all agree that it's a solid idea to establish a specific time each year to set some new goals and start some new habits.  That's a good and healthy thing.  Right?  But who's the jackhole who suggested we try doing that during the holidays???  Seriously?  That timing is nuts!  Heck… I think it's the biggest reason why most New Year's resolutions fail so quickly!!!  Think about it… is the best time to start a new diet really the same week you're just coming off a glutinous multi-day tour of Christmas meals with four different sets of family?  Is the best time to establish a new exercise plan really the same week you haven't gotten out of your PJ's for 3 out of 7 days?  Is the best time to experiment with better spending habits the same week the employees at Target started to greet you by your first name when you walked in for that one last "quick" gift?  The answer is no.  A very solid no.  On all counts.

That's why we're calling THIS week our first… official… "RESET WEEK!"

In this podcast, I walk you through three powerful and deceptively simple (and fun) strategies to help you set some new goals, get clear on what you want and truly thrive this WEEK and this YEAR!  Let's give ourselves some grace and some space to "reset" and to set ourselves up for a MUCH better year!  Who's with me?  #letsdothis

RELATED EPISODES:

Manage Time & Live more Intentionally: Click here

A Calendar-Driven To-Do List: Click here

You've Got a Dream… Now How Do You Ask for Help?: Click here

Dream BIG. Start Small: Click here

MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE:

We're digging into 3 questions to help guide you through your "RESET WEEK!"

Question 1: What's something you want to give yourself PERMISSION to be a NOVICE at?

Question 2: What's something you want to BE more this year?

SPECIFIC STRATEGY for QUESTION 2: It's always good to ask yourself "What do I want to DO today?"  Right?  That's a solid question.  But it can also be powerful to first ask yourself, "What do I want to BE more today?"

I'll talk you through this more on the episode but here are some sample "BE" words to get you started: CLICK HERE TO SEE THEM!

STEPS:

• Come up with some of your "BE" words this year
• Create a list and keep them so you can refer to them weekly / daily
• As you're planning for your week and/or day… decide on a few "BE" words to focus on
• Then tie some specific items on your "To-Do" list to those words to keep them top of mind

Listener Spotlight: Click here to see if we gave you a shout out!

If the Dream Think Do podcast has helped you in some small or big way… please leave a review on Apple's platform.  You can find the show here: www.dreamthinkdo.com. 

And… we always love to hear from YOU and get your thoughts on each episode.  So please leave a comment below and let us know what you think of THIS episode!

EVEN MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE:

Here's the 3rd question to help guide you through your "RESET WEEK!"

Question 3: What's something you want to change or tweak this year?

It can be big or small… but here's a simple process to help you get clear on a few specific things.

STEP 1: Create a list of "possible" areas for tweaks and changes. 

Here are some areas to consider.

Internal:

• Mindset
• Outlook
• Spiritual-Life
• Beliefs
• Habits

External: 

• Career
• Business
• Relationships
• Network
• Team

STEP 2: Pick one to three and ask yourself, "Why would this be important to change this year?"

"If you get clear on your WHY, your HOW will always come!"

STEP 3: Ask yourself, "What's one small but significant step I could take this week?"

PERSONAL EXAMPLE: I love doing this DREAM THINK DO podcast, but as it grows… it's possible to fall out of love with it.  It can get overwhelming.  Example: We get 50+ pitches a week to be on the show!

But I prayed about it and took this 3-step process.  As a result, I realized for 2022, I'm going to simplify and only teach from 3 different playbooks I'm excited about!  

• The Abundant Life Playbook
• The Elite Coach Playbook
• The Growing Business Playbook

Then… as another small but significant step, I put a schedule together for the Q1… listing out all the things we could dig into based on those 3 playbooks… and I started to get more and more excited!

So strap in folks… 2022 is going to be an AWESOME year and we're going to get a LOT done!!!

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Leave a comment and let me know what stood out to you (big or small) from this episode.  Then include something (big or small) you're going to do to RESET!  Oh… and if you think giving yourself some intentional time and space to RESET is important… let me know you agree!  

Lastly, don't forget to invite a friend to RESET with you!  Share the episode with them and come up with your ways to RESET and make 2022 a great year… no matter what!

We're doing a DEEP DIVE this week on 3 surprise gifts from the Manger story.  That's right!  You and me.  We're talking about a story that may feel "familiar," BUT there's a danger when something feels familiar… right?  The danger is that we might tune out or we may miss some of the surprise gifts that can still be tucked inside.  I was reminded of this recently, when I was asked to teach on the shepherds from the Nativity story and the birth of Jesus.  Specifically, I was asked to dig into Luke 2:8-18.  As I did… and I went deep… I uncovered some elements I'd never seen or thought about before… even though it was a very familiar story.  And wow… they were good surprises.  Whether you're a big fan of reading the Bible or not… this episode has something for you.  At the VERY least… you'll hear some things you can use to impress your friends at Christmas parties!  But… if you listen in and stay open… I think you might really appreciate unwrapping these surprise gifts as much as I did!  So let's get to this!

RELATED POSTS & DREAM THINK DO EPISODES:

This post helps to explain some of why I believe what I do: mitchmatthews.com/our-6-miracle-story/ 

Melissa (my bride) joins me and we talk about some fun prayer stories: www.mitchmatthews.com/207 

I talk about 3 Keys to Having Your Best Holiday Season Yet: www.mitchmatthews.com/105

MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE:

We're diving into a familiar (awesome) story from Luke 2:8-18.  Yup.  We're talking about the Shepherds from the Nativity story and the birth of Jesus.  Here are the specific verses we're referring to from the New Living Translation (emphasis added):

The Shepherds and Angels

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger."

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,  "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds' story were astonished…

___________________

In the episode, I also refer to one of my other favorite stories from the Bible. It's the story of David and Goliath.  Now, THAT is also a "familiar" story… so it might be easy to dismiss.  But trust me… it's stories like this that kept those Shepherds (and us) inspired and OPEN to the crazy cool stuff God was going to invite them into.  

And since I'm referring to elements of it in the episode, I'll include the full story here too.  

1 Samuel 17-12-51 - New Living Translation… emphasis added.

Jesse Sends David to Saul's Camp

Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had eight sons. Jesse's three oldest sons—Eliab, Abinadab, and Shime—had already joined Saul's army to fight the Philistines. David was the youngest son. David's three oldest brothers stayed with Saul's army, but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem.

For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army.

One day Jesse said to David, "Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing." David's brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.

So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries. Soon the Israelite and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. David left his things with the keeper of supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers. As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, came out from the Philistine ranks. Then David heard him shout his usual taunt to the army of Israel.

As soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright. "Have you seen the giant?" the men asked. "He comes out each day to defy Israel. The king has offered a huge reward to anyone who kills him. He will give that man one of his daughters for a wife, and the man's entire family will be exempted from paying taxes!" David asked the soldiers standing nearby, "What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?"  And these men gave David the same reply. They said, "Yes, that is the reward for killing him."

But when David's oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. "What are you doing around here anyway?" he demanded. "What about those few sheep you're supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!"

"What have I done now?" David replied. "I was only asking a question!" He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer. Then David's question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him.

David Kills Goliath

"Don't worry about this Philistine," David told Saul. "I'll go fight him!"  "Don't be ridiculous!" Saul replied. "There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth."

But David persisted. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats," he said. "When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock,  I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.  I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!"

Saul finally consented. "All right, go ahead," he said. "And may the Lord be with you!"

Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before.

"I can't go in these," he protested to Saul. "I'm not used to them." So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd's bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd's staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

Goliath walked out toward David with his shield-bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. "Am I a dog," he roared at David, "that you come at me with a stick?" And he cursed David by the names of his gods. "Come over here, and I'll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!" Goliath yelled.

David replied to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven's Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord's battle, and he will give you to us!"

As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd's bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.

___________________

We're going to talk about 3 surprise gifts.  And as you'll hear… I needed them, and you might too!  

NOTE: If history is your jam… and you'd like to dig into more of the historical dialogue around the manger that I mention, you can click here and here and here to start THAT journey.  If you go down this trail… enjoy!  Heck… nerd out!  My encouragement is that as you dive deeper into the information… it builds your sense of awe and wonder around the humble beginnings of Jesus' entry into this world as well as the very tangible historical aspects of this amazing story.

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 - What to expect today
• 1:57 - Conversation begins 
• 2:48 - How Mitch found these 3 surprise gifts
• 4:08 - This is a safe place
• 7:10 - What Mitch learned in his Jeep classroom
• 8:14 - What Luke tells us about that time
• 16:35 - The beauty of story 
• 28:25 - A clue you don't want to look over
• 36:19 - Miracles can happen even at your day job
• 40:03 - An introverts prayer
• 48:02 - The third and most important question
• 58:49 - The power in a prophetic act
• 1:02 - Merry Christmas! See you in 2022.

I want to hear from YOU!

What do YOU think?  What resonated with you?  Which gift (question) did you need?  Where could you apply one of those questions… this week?  Let me know because I'd LOVE to hear from YOU!

And hey… if it clicked with you… please share this episode with a friend!

Travis Crutcher is my guest.  Travis is a Success Coach and Speaker who helps dynamic people get clarity, increase impact, and live a life they love!  He's a Retired Army Ranger - with some amazing stories of heroism and leadership thanks to multiple tours in the Middle East!  After retiring and spending some time in the corporate space as an executive… he launched his coaching and speaking business.  I'm VERY proud to say that he's a member of Acceleration… my mastermind for coaches and speakers.  And that's given me a front row seat to see him killing it with his business and more importantly… he's making the world a better place!  His podcast "The Above Average Podcast with Travis and Jess" is now in the top 1% of all podcasts!  (By the way… his bride Jess is pure awesome!)  Travis has a true passion for helping people live their best lives… and as you'll hear… he's had to make some decisions to let go of some things in order to live HIS best life.  So we're going to talk about 3 KEYS TO BREAKING FREE FROM THE PAST!  Because… let's be honest… we ALL have things we need to let go of and move past… in order to live our best life!  And this DREAM THINK DO episode is going to help you do it!

RELATED DTD EPISODES:

GUEST: Jilian Michaels "This Might Surprise You" https://mitchmatthews.com/323

A Deep Dive with Mitch: "Dealing with the B.S. of your Blessings" https://mitchmatthews.com/339

GUEST: Amanda Zwanziger* "Busting Free From Paralysis"  https://mitchmatthews.com/338

NOTE: I'm honored to say both Amanda (Episode 338) and Travis are amazing members of ACCELERATION - my Mastermind for Coaches and Speakers.  

If you're interested in finding out more about ACCELERATION send us a note here.

MORE ABOUT TRAVIS CRUTCHER:

Travis' Website: www.TravisCruther.com 

The Above Average Podcast with Travis and Jess: www.traviscrutcher.com/aap 

Travis on the Instas: https://www.instagram.com/travis__crutcher

PHOTOS OF STRYKER BRIGADE:

Travis mentioned that BEAST of a vehicle the Army Rangers were tasked with learning and maximizing!  Well, here it is!  BOOM! (Literally!)  CLICK HERE!

SPOILER ALERT:  

The 3 Keys To Breaking Free are:

• "Question everything" 
  • Be sure to listen to the interview to find CRITICAL ingredients you have to add to the "Question Everything" strategy to make it work! (It might surprise you!)
• "Decide" 
  • This might sound TOO simple… but listen to the episode to find out how to walk it out... no matter what!
• "Rewrite the script"
  • Travis and Mitch both had to apply this KEY and it made all the difference, but be sure to listen to the episode to hear about a potential pitfall to avoid!

I want to hear from YOU!

What do YOU think?  What's something that stood out to you from what Travis shared?  Heck, what's something that has helped YOU to let go of the past?  Let me know what YOU think!  Drop a comment below.  I can't wait to hear from YOU.

We're welcoming Chandler Bolt BACK to DREAM THINK DO!  

If you know him… you love this guy.  Chandler Bolt is the host of the wildly popular Self Publishing School Podcast and he's the author of 6 bestselling books including his most recent book titled "Published."  He's also the founder & CEO of Self-Publishing School… which is an INCREDIBLE online resource for writing your first book.  And in recent news… Chandler was just named to Forbes' 30 under 30 list due to SPS's success with helping more than 6,000 authors to write… publish and market their books!  He's doing a lot of good in the world… and since I know A LOT of you want to write books… I wanted to have Chandler back to help us to dig in and figure out the steps needed so you can finally get your BEST SELLER done!

 

HELPFUL LINKS: 

The first 50 People can grab their FREE copy of Published here: www.publishedbook.com/published

Check out Self Publishing School here: http://self-publishingschool.com 

Watch Self Publishing School training videos here: http://bit.ly/SPS-YT 

OTHER DREAM THINK DO EPISODES MENTIONED:

3 Keys to Publishing your FIRST BOOK (with Chandler Bolt): www.mitchmatthews.com/160 

Write and Publish YOUR Best Seller (Part 1): www.mitchmatthews.com/061 

From Sky Slopes to Bestseller (An interview with Chandler Bolt): www.mitchmatthews.com/006 

New Perspectives, Simple Truths & Tree Houses (An interview with Chandler's brother, Seth Bolt from NEEDTOBREATHE): www.mitchmatthews.com/043

MINUTE-BY-MINUTE:

• 0:02 Spoiler Alert! We have a gift for you.
• 2:11 Welcome back Chandler Bolt
• 4:07 How Chandler and Mitch met
• 5:22 Who? not, How?
• 8:20 Why Chandler is republishing his book
• 12:51 The best advice for beginner authors
• 16:36 How to overcome overthinking in your writing
• 18:00 Never deal with imposter syndrome again
• 21:38 The importance of niching down
• 28:43 Chandler ideal writing day
• 33:30 Start before you're ready
• 34:44 Mitch's minute

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

What did YOU think?  What stood out to you?  What helped?  What got you thinking you could do this (which you can!!!)?  Drop a comment below and let me know.  I can't wait to hear from YOU!

In this episode, Mitch sits down with the brilliant and bold Dr. Julia Garcia - a psychologist, behavioral researcher, and the author of the powerful new book, The 5 Habits of Hope. 

With 20+ years of experience working with students, educators, CEOs, and entire communities to create space for hope, Dr. J brings the science and the soul - blending tactical tools with raw honesty and deep life experience.

This isn't toxic positivity. This is real, grounded, authentic hope. And it couldn't be more timely.

As we head into the holidays - a season that can stir up a lot of different emotions - this conversation offers practical tools and a fresh perspective to help us navigate burnout, disappointment, and disconnection… and choose hope anyway.

You'll leave this episode with powerful strategies to reconnect to your values, build healthier relationships, and actually feel more like yourself again. 

It's inspiring, it's practical, and honestly… it's healing. Oh… and make sure you stay until the very end… because Dr. J drops one of the most specific moments in DREAM THINK DO history!  So… let's go!

READ THE FULL SHOW NOTES HERE:  https://mitchmatthews.com/439

This week we're talking about GRATITUDE!  Why?  Well… gratitude is our brain's superfood.  If we can feel gratitude... it helps us to feel happier, less depressed, more creative, and more abundant. Heck… it can even work in our brain's memory centers to help us remember more! 

ALL the good stuff!  BUT... how do we stir it up?  Especially on those days when it might be a little hard to feel grateful?  On those days circumstances make it a real stretch to feel gratitude?  We know we want to… but how do we get there? 

In this episode, I share some science and a few of my own favorite strategies.  BUT I also share 12 tips from YOU…

Dream Think Doers who answered the call… "How do YOU get to gratitude?" It makes for a very special episode that I think you're going to love.  Most importantly… we're going to help YOU to find YOUR "Gratitude Secret Weapon!"  So let's get to this!

RELATED DREAM THINK DO EPISODES:

The "Christmas Carol Method" of getting to Gratitude: https://mitchmatthews.com/304/

The "Rest vs. Restoration" Experiment: https://mitchmatthews.com/330/

DREAM BIG… No Matter What (with Amberly Lago): https://mitchmatthews.com/310/ 

The FIVE Non-Negotiables for an Ideal Day (with Sarah Yourgrau): https://mitchmatthews.com/294/

MORE ABOUT THE The Gratitude Secret Weapon EPISODE:

Gratitude is our brain's SUPERFOOD.  (The upside is that it doesn't taste nasty like Kale. LOL!)  There's PLENTY of science to show that when we intentionally stir up Gratitude… it makes a BIG difference IN our bodies and WITH our perspective on the day and our world!  BUT the question is: HOW do you get there?

With this episode, I'm going to walk you through 14 different strategies to help you fill your Gratitude ToolBox!  The extra-special part of this episode is that 12 of those ideas come from YOU!  That's right!  I posed the question on Facebook and you guys BROUGHT IT!  (By the way… if we're not connected on Facebook… make sure to reach out there! Let's friend it up… friend!)

The "Gratitude Secret Weapon" is a simple two-step process:

 1.) Acknowledge the importance of Gratitude

 2.) Find YOUR way to stir it up!

My GO-TO Gratitude Strategy:  "Gratitude… NOW!"

Listen to the episode to get the full story, but I like to ask the simple question: "What can I be grateful for... RIGHT NOW?"

Melissa's GO TO Gratitude Strategy:  "Gratitude for YOU!"

Again… listen to the episode to get the full story, but my bride finds that her "Secret Weapon" for stirring up true gratitude is to relay her gratitude to someone else.  She LOVES to tell others how she's grateful for them.  It's a true gratitude win/win!

SO… I asked YOU what YOU do to stir up gratitude… to get your brain some of that superfood!  And you BROUGHT it!!!  You submitted ideas… and I'll admit I added names to make them a bit more memorable!  But here are the ideas… in your own words.  So… here we go!

1.) "Snooze Bar" Gratitude

Denise Griffitts: "What a lovely idea! I used to be one of those people who would hit the floor running and as my mom would say, oh crap she's awake. But over time I have learned to stay in the bed, breathe, and examine what I am so grateful for. It starts the morning in a perfect kind of way. There's a lot to be said for quiet moments of reflection."

2.) The "Tuck the Day Away" Strategy:

Annie Caves: 

"Honestly I think it was realizing it is good and bad in every day- and what you focus on is made bigger. I heard that how you end your day is how you "tuck it away" in your mind- so I ask the questions:

• What good thing happened today?
• What am I grateful for tonight?

It helps me to tuck each day away as a good day!

It is truly a practice - and when life SUCKS is when I am more mindful of finding what I'm grateful for."

NOTE: A LOT of people suggested keeping a Gratitude Journal.  Chuck Thuss brought his to our recent "Next Level Speaker Event" and he showed folks how he's been doing this for YEARS and it's made a HUGE impact on his life.

3.) "Dinner Table" Gratitude

Dan Zehner: 

"Every night with our kids, everyone in the family shares at least one thing we're grateful for. My 3-year-old is constantly grateful for pre-school (too cute). Sometimes it's a favorite toy, time with mom and dad, or just getting to watch their favorite show. It's a great time as a family!"

4.) Find It and Turn it UP!

Denny Ransom: 

"My daily(ish) practice: 

• I pull up mental images of the people and things in my life that I'm most grateful for. 
• I cycle through those images until I feel a sense of gratitude in my body. 
• Once I have that feeling, I turn all of my attention to how gratitude feels in my body, which tends to amplify it. 
• Once I have that feeling 'turned up as much as I can get, I start repeating a little mantra I have:

            "My life is filled with blessings, I am grateful." 

• Through repetition with this process, I've pretty much anchored the feeling of gratitude to that phrase. 
• If I'm struggling, or need quick access to a state of gratitude, now I can just say that phrase a few times and the feeling of gratitude comes alive in me almost instantly. 
• This practice was a game-changer for learning how to quickly access resourceful states."

5.) "Happy Memory" Gratitude

Julie Thompson: 

"I learned recently to think back on a happy memory and remember the feelings of gratitude and joy I had. I might think about a family vacation, a special holiday, or a time that I experienced joy while in nature, like standing on a mountain and being captured by the view. I also name things out loud for which I am grateful, and I use Ann Voskamp's monthly gratitude list of ideas from her website."

6.) The "Gratitude Together" Strategy:

Cheryl Swisher: 

"I am part of a group and we submit 1 thing daily that we are grateful for the next 30 days."

Create a group and start doing this!

7.) The "It's Not ALL Me" Strategy:

Patricia Ortega: 

"I can be a little prideful, so I start with what I'm most proud of (big success at work, owning a home, good marriage...) then I stop and think about how it was NOT all me who made that happen (sometimes it's not me at all!)... I have been blessed by other people, circumstances, resources, that made these things possible. 

For example my husband's amazing grace, patience, love, and leadership play a major/primary role in making our marriage great, and it's what I'm soooo grateful for ❤️.  So my little activity works on both my gratitude and humility. Because God knows we need both. :)"

8.) The "It's a Wonderful Life" Strategy:

Nicholas Andrew:

"For me, gratitude starts with selflessness. I meditate on what I have and then picture my life specifically without those things. 

I get deep into what it would feel like to not have who and what I have. I then look again at what I have In my life and the fact that I wake up every morning to it. I thank God for waking me up and then just have a moment of silence with myself.

But going deep on the emotions of what life would be like if you lost everything puts what you do have in perspective. I don't take little things for granted as much. My Attitude is Gratitude!  For me, it starts and ends with Flip'n your mindset to Flip your Reality."

QUICK LISTENER SHOUT OUT!!!

See if it's you! Click here.

9.) The "Grateful TOGETHER" Strategy:

LeeLee Genovese:
"Gratitude is the single most important practice I have ever taken on. I do it daily, usually in my journal, but also focusing on things I am grateful for, happy about, excited about, proud of, committed to, who I love, etc.. to mix up the focus. 

I also have categories to spread the grateful love around and think about my mind, body, spirit, family, nature, experiences, beliefs, friends, tangibles, and intangibles, ohhh Love it so. 

***BUT, the single most exciting part of my gratitude practice is that at the beginning of last year my husband and I started one together. 

Simple and sweet and my favorite part of the day. It is also a blessed way to end the day as we do it just before we go to bed, pillow talk gratitude if you will. 

I started asking my husband what he was grateful for and he loved it so much we often race to be the first to ask. Just the asking warms my heart. The things we share always fill my heart with happiness and love.

Communication is powerful as we often learn about each other, or are reminded about the wonderful things we both like doing together, dream together, set goals and intentions together. It is surely a powerful practice for any relationship, I highly recommend it. I'm addicted and can't sleep without it."

10.) The "Random Acts of Gratitude" Strategy (RAGS):

Heather Medford:

"I practice random acts of kindness. I'm pretty good about doing that often, but especially if I am in a funk, I will go out and intentionally share smiles and kindness! It's the best way to snap myself back into gratitude!"

11.) The "Write a Letter" Strategy:

Aree Bly: If I really want to go big, I write a letter. 

Full-size paper. 

Pen. 

Envelope with a stamp. 

It's like writing a journal entry about how an individual has impacted me, and also letting them know it. 

So I get my own gratitude and I get to share it with them. Win-win.

12.) The "Send it Ahead" Strategy:

Sonja Sorenson Arnold:

"In the morning I send my gratitude ahead of me. I think about (sometimes write them down) what is happening today that I will be grateful for.  I think about who I will see and activities I will engage in and let myself feel that gratitude. Then when they happen I can add a second layer of gratitude... even when if they play out differently than expected!  I'm still thankful and move into gratitude!

So there you have it.

12 + the two from Melissa and me.  

14 different ideas for sparking gratitude.

REMEMBER: The key is:

1. Recognize the power of gratitude in our lives
2. Find YOUR secret weapon 

a.) That thing that YOU do!

b.) Maybe it's one of these 14

c.) Or maybe you adapt one of these

d.) Find YOUR way… and that will be YOUR "Secret Weapon"

One last note… In the end… I've found that having a number of different tools to get to gratitude is my secret weapon… because I like to mix things up AND I have a short attention span… so I need to keep things fresh!  If you can identify with THAT… I hope these 14 added some new tools to the toolbox!

Okay… well… if you're in the US… I hope you have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving!  And no matter where you are listening from in the world… know that I'm GRATEFUL FOR YOU!  Seriously!!!

Please share this episode with someone who might need it!  And if you haven't already… please leave a review wherever you listen to the podcast!

LASTLY… I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Let's keep the conversation going!  What's one of YOUR favorite tools for getting to GRATITUDE?  Big or small… comment and let me know!  I can't wait to hear from YOU!

And until next time… keep bringing your awesome!  Because the world needs it! 

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 2:02 Episode starts
• 2:12 The scientific truth behind gratitude
• 6:28 What sparked the inspiration for this episode
• 12:22 Step up to the gratitude buffet
• 14:23 The snooze bar strategy
• 17:53 Keep a gratitude journal
• 18:59 The dinner table strategy
• 20:01 The Find it and turn it about strategy
• 26:17 The it's not all about me strategy
• 30:31 Shout-out time!
• 33:17 The grateful together strategy
• 34:04 The random acts of gratitude strategy
• 36:07 The write a letter strategy
• 38:03 What's your secret weapon?

Dr. Mike Patterson is a lifelong learner dedicated to helping leaders and teams get stuff done!  He's the author of the book, "Mission First, People Always: The Definitive Guide to Balancing People and Performance."  I can say that Mike is a leader you want to learn from… because he was actually a leader for me when I first entered the corporate world YEARS ago… and his leadership style had a huge impact on me.  That's why I'm so excited to introduce him to YOU!  In addition to an impressive pedigree in education, Mike has also been an officer in the Army; and he's been a leader in sales, marketing, and training with the corporate world.  More recently… he's teaching doctoral programs AND doing consulting and speaking… that allows him to work with leaders and teams from many of the world's top organizations. We're talking about what it takes to be "Mission Focused" and how we can get there as individuals and as leaders!

RESOURCES:

Mike's Website: drmikepatterson.com

Mike's book: https://www.missionfirstpeoplealwaysbook.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichaellpatterson

Mike's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealdrmikepatterson

OTHER RELATED EPISODES:

Lindsay Strage: Someone who's living her MISSION: https://mitchmatthews.com/337

Is being a SPEAKER part of YOUR mission: https://mitchmatthews.com/332

Jess Ekstrom: Someone else who's LIVING her MISSION: https://mitchmatthews.com/242

MORE ON ARTHUR GUINNESS:

During our conversation, we mention that Mike pointed to the founder of the Guinness Brewery as an example of someone who LIVED true to his MISSION.  Here's a few fun (and inspiring) facts you probably didn't know!

https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/facts-arthur-guinness

https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/content/pdf/archive-factsheets/general-history/arthur-guinness.pdf

MORE ON MIKE PATTERSON:

Mike teaches in the doctoral programs at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology and California Baptist University. 

Other academics: 

• Wheaton College on a 4-year Army ROTC scholarship
• While on active duty in Germany, Mike earned a MPA from Troy University. 
• A few years into his business career, he earned a MA in organizational leadership with high honors from Biola University.
• Followed by a Certificate in Biblical Studies from Biola's Talbot School of Theology. 
• Then Mike completed his doctoral work at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology. 

His consulting firm is Ambassador Associates. Their goal is to help clients bridge the gap that sometimes exists between people and performance. 

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 1:20 Conversation starts
• 2:17 How Mitch and Mike met
• 6:23 The importance of "seeing" people
• 9:55 Why your mission truly matters
• 18:27 You are blessed to be a blessing
• 19:42 How to get more clear on your vision
• 24:48 Conflict triggers and how to use them
• 31:09 Help your team (and yourself) staying on mission
• 38:31 What Mike wishes he understood sooner
• 40:05 Mitch's minute

NOW… I want to hear from YOU!

Comment and let me know what stood out to YOU from my convo with Mike.  

More importantly… what might be your MISSION for 2022 and beyond?

Here's some questions to guide you:

• What do you want to see more of in 2022?
• What change do you want to be a part of in 2022?
• What's a small but significant step you can take towards THAT… today?

Comment and let us know.  

What's YOUR mission for life and/or leadership?  And/or why do YOU think it's important to get clear on your mission?  Or… why do you think it's not?  Or… how do YOU get clear on your mission?  What questions do you ask yourself?  What questions do you suggest for people to help them get clear on THEIR mission?  Let me know your thoughts.  I can't wait to hear from YOU!

Jon Acuff is a creative force for good.  Heck, I'd even call him a creative juggernaut.  He's written 7 NYT bestselling books in the last 11 years… including "Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done," and "​​START: Punch fear in the face, escape average and do work that matters."  His most recent book is "Soundtracks - The Surprising Solution to Overthinking."  (It's crazy good!)  Guys… 7 books in 11 years?  Creatively… that's like having 7 babies in 11 years.  Not only that… but he's talking with and creating content for a lot of people.  He's an INC Magazine Top 100 Leadership speaker and has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences and companies around the world.  Plus, he's creating content for his "robust" (total understatement) social media following.  Oh… and he's got his podcast too… "All it takes is a goal."As he delivers all of this amazing content… he brings powerful tools and strategies… with some serious doses of humor… truth and hope.  During our conversation… we're going to talk about how he creates all of this content AND how he has to apply the strategies from his own book… to bust through the overthinking trap that can shut us all down!  It's a powerful and fun conversation I think you're going to love!  So let's get to it!

FIND JON ON THE WEBS:

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/authorjonacuff/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonacuff/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonAcuff

Websites: https://acuff.me 

https://www.amazon.com/Soundtracks-Surprising-Overthinking-Jon-Acuff/dp/1540900800 

 

EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 1:27 Episode begins
• 4:30 A look into Jon's creative process
• 10:02 Why speaking is perfect for introverts
• 15:41 Jon's journaling routine
• 20:36 How Jon sets his week up for success
• 27:11 Your key to stop overthinking for good
• 32:02 Finding your "broken soundtracks"
• 41:12 Jon's Doppelganger
• 42:48 How to add more honest humor to your life
• 44:43 A new project Jon is working on
• 50:26 Mitch's Minute 

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Okay… so I shared some of my biggest takeaways during my Mitch's Minute (which may have been a little bit more like 10 minutes!).  How about YOU!?  What's something that struck you from this conversation?  I want to hear from YOU!  

 

• Somewhere you've been overthinking and you need some new "Soundtracks"
• Something you needed to hear
• Something that resonated (big or small)
• Something you TOTALLY agreed with
• Or… something you DIDN'T agree with at all
• Or… what's a NEW "soundtrack" that you're playing after listening to this convo

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment and let me know.  I can't wait to hear from YOU!

With a podcast called "DREAM THINK DO," it's not a surprise that we talk a lot about the keys to ACCOMPLISHING our goals and dreams.  But recently, I realized that we don't talk a lot about what happens when we actually ACHIEVE some of those goals and dreams.  And let's be real #realtalk.  We need to celebrate those blessings and be grateful when a goal is achieved and a dream is realized.  AND at the same time... we need to recognize that there can be some challenges that come when we actually receive some of the blessings!  We can experience some discomfort… heck... even some problems… when some of our dreams are realized.  The very things we'd wanted... the very things we'd prayed for...  can… at times... cause some "stuff." You know what I'm talking about.  Those blessings can also sometimes bring some new challenges to navigate. It's something we're calling the B.S. of your blessings.  It's critical… and we need to talk about how to acknowledge the BS and then what to do with it!  Oh… and we need to have some fun as we do all of this too!  Let's get to it!

RESOURCES & PODCASTS REFERENCED:

The NEXT SEASON: https://mitchmatthews.com/331

From FREE to FEE: Becoming a PAID Speaker: https://mitchmatthews.com/332

A Hiro's Journey: What I've learned from our Akita puppy so far: https://mitchmatthews.com/322/

MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

Okay… if full transparency… when I say "BS" I may not be talking about the "BS" that might come to mind. LOL!  But… I did that to have some fun... and to make this concept even easier to remember.  

The BS I'm talking about is something I've started calling: "Blessing Shift."

What is BLESSING SHIFT?

Blessing Shift is what happens when we experience some discomfort… some change… some pain… after we've achieved a goal or a dream.  We all have to acknowledge that sometimes… some "tough stuff" can come with the "good stuff."  Right?  

The big thing is we need to ACKNOWLEDGE it and then decide what to DO with that BS.

I give some examples in the episode… of some recent BS that I've experienced (with one story involving Hiro) as well as BS some friends and other Dream Think Doers have been experiencing lately.  Then… we'll dive into the steps to deal with the BS.

STEPS to DEAL with the BS:

• STEP 1: 
  • Acknowledge the BS
• STEP 2:
  • ACCEPT the BS
  • ADAPT to the BS 
  • or...
  • ALTER the BS

QUESTIONS for each STEP:

STEP 1: Acknowledge the BS

• What are some of the blessings in my life currently (big and small)?  - Feel the gratitude
• What are some of the possible "blessing shifts" that I might be experiencing right now?
• Where do I need to acknowledge some of the blessing shifts?
  • Now… pick one to walk through STEP 2 with

• STEP 2: ACCEPT, ADAPT and/or ALTER the BS
  • Where do I need to ACCEPT the Blessing Shift? (Maybe even celebrate them?)

• Where do I need to ADAPT TO the Blessing Shift?
  • How could I make some small but significant changes to help adapt?
  • Where could I get some additional training to help me adapt?
  • Who could I be learning from to help me to adapt?
  • Where might I need to give myself a little grace AS I/we adapt?

• And where do I need to ALTER them?
  • Where do I need to set some new boundaries?
  • What's something (small or big) I need to STOP doing because of this BS?
  • What's something (small or big) I need to START doing because of this BS?
  • Do I need to just sell the Mercedes?  
    • (As in… do I need to dump, ditch or delegate the BS?)

NOW… I want to hear from YOU!

Comment and let me know where you're seeing a "Blessing Shift" right now in your life.  Big or small… what's an example of some BS for you right now?

Then… let's keep this convo going.  If you're up for it... let me know how you are either ACCEPTING it... ADAPTING to it... or ALTERING it.  I can't wait to hear from YOU on whether this resonated WITH you… helped you or offended your delicate sensibilities. (LOL!) 

Let's have a BS CHALLENGE!

As we're ramping up for the big THANK YOU DAY of Thanksgiving here in the US… I thought it might be a good time to explore the potential BS in our lives.  I mean… what if we got people talking about what they're grateful for AND we got them talking about how they're either ACCEPTING, ADAPTING to or ALTERING any BS they've been experiencing this year.  Heck… it could be gooooood.  Right?

So… invite a friend or some family to this episode and have a little discussion about the BLESSINGS from this year as well as some of the BS that may have hit too!  Then talk about some of the ways you want to Acknowledge... Accept... Adapt and/or Alter those amazing freeeegin' blessings in your life!  

Tag me... and/or share the link for the episode and include a hashtag #blessshift and let's see where this goes!  You in?  I hope so!  #letsdealwithourBS :)

Amanda Zwanziger is the author of the bestselling book, "The Paralyzed Movement." She's also a speaker and coach focused on helping people to chase their dreams and change their lives. She's both an entrepreneur as well as… as she calls it... a ministry"preneur!"  Since she's a long-time friend… AND a long-time coaching client… I can tell you she walks her talk.  We're going to dig into strategies to help you to break through paralysis and the things that can cause us to feel stuck.  She knows because she's needed these strategies herself.  Plus, she and her amazing husband Todd, also learned a lot about breaking through literal paralysis… after he was healed from a spinal cord injury that had left the entire right side of his body paralysed.  As you can imagine… that experience taught Amanda what it takes to go from being paralyzed to moving in the ways you're called to move… physically… spiritually… vocationally… relationally… all the "lly's" really.  And she's fired up about this.  So… if you've got a crazy cool idea stirring deep down inside you, AMANDA has a passion for helping you to move past those places where you feel stuck… so you can make it happen!

RESOURCES:

Amanda's website: www.amandamotivates.com

Amanda's author page on Amazon.

Amanda's book on Amazon.

Francesca Battistelli's "It's Your Life" song: click here

Amanda and Todd's Miracle Journey:  https://mitchmatthews.com/338

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 1:55 Get to know Amanda
• 4:14 A snapshot into Amanda's career
• 10:00 The day everything changed
• 16:11 Lessons from miracles
• 20:10 What can move us towards paralysis
• 27:17 Amanda's tips for getting started
• 35:42 How to connect with Amanda's content
• 37:00 Wisdom of the week
• 42:02 Mitch's minute

MITCH'S MINUTE:

So a number of things struck me from our conversation, but one of the biggest may have also been one of the simplest.  (Isn't that how it often works?)  I mean… hey… I LOVE the story of Todd's miraculous healing story and where it's taken them since.  Plus, I love that Amanda has broken through some of her own paralysis in life to step out in faith… launch her own business… and write a book too!  So cool.  BUT one of the key things I needed to be reminded of is that we need to have a breakthrough mindset.  We need to set our mind towards breaking through.  Sure… we need to acknowledge it's going to be tough… and maybe even scary at times… BUT if we set our minds towards breakthrough… there's a MUCH greater chance we will in fact experience that breakthrough!  And THAT is the epitome of dreaming BIGGER, thinking BETTER and doing MORE of what you were put on the planet to do!  Right?  So that's what I needed to hear.  How about you?  Comment below and let me know.  What struck you… and what stuck with you?  A story?  A strategy?  A thought?  Post and let me know!

We're talking with Lindsay Wrege.  Lindsay is the co-founder and CEO of 321 Coffee… which is a coffee shop and roaster in Raleigh, NC that employs individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Get this gang… 80% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are unemployed.  But Lindsay is doing something about this!  Her staff, features amazing people with down syndrome, autism, and other neurodiversity.  Together… they are modeling inclusion for other companies to follow. And THAT is inspiring.  But what is ALSO inspiring is to find out that Lindsay started this as a freshman in college with ZERO dollars, some folding tables from the student union and a few friends and it's blossomed into something amazing!  (Oh… and by the way… Lindsay is just 22 years old!)  Whether your 15, 35 or 75… I think you'll be encouraged by her story, her heart and some of her specific steps to making this all happen!  So, let's get to it!

RESOURCES:

WEBSITE: https://321coffee.com/

321 Coffee's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Drink321Coffee/

321 Coffee's IG: ​https://www.instagram.com/Drink321Coffee/

An Episode of Matthew's Minute:  https://mitchmatthews.com/337

OTHER DREAM THINK DO MENTIONED:

Finding the Bright Side (In a Bad News World) with Jess Ekstrom: https://mitchmatthews.com/242/

5 Keys to Journaling When Life Feels a Little Crazy with Jess Ekstrom:

www.mitchmatthews.com/328 

The NEXT Season - A Deep Dive with Mitch: https://mitchmatthews.com/331/

MORE ABOUT THE 321 Coffee:

Again… Lindsay Wrege is the co-founder and CEO of 321 Coffee, a coffee shop and roaster in Raleigh, NC that employs individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 321 Coffee is a nonprofit coffee shop that employs adults with IDD. Their mission is to provide meaningful employment for adults with IDD and to model inclusion for other businesses to follow. 

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 1:37 Episode starts
• 3:29 A look into 321 Coffee
• 10:06 How and why Lindsay decided to experiment
• 18:21 One of the scariest decisions Lindsay had to make
• 22:37 Lindsay advice for anyone building something
• 26:51 Tips for being more inclusive
• 31:40 The power of speaking your dreams out
• 33:51 Mitch's minute

MITCH'S MINUTE… & LET'S HEAR FROM YOU!

I'm blown away by Lindsay's story and her get it done approach to this.  When she said, "Dream BIG but start small" I just wanted to give her a big ol' high five!  (You could probably hear it in my voice!)  I think that is THE way to start pursuing our dreams and goals.  Find those small but significant ways to START and then… well… START!  Experiment and figure it out as you go!!!  

How about YOU?

What do you think?  What was something that stood out to you from Lindsay's story and her outlook?  What did it inspire YOU to… dream about… think about… or DO?!?  Leave a comment and let me know!

And PLEASE share this one because the world needs to hear stories like Lindsay's!  You agree?  If so… spread it!!!  Thanks in advance!

Our self-talk is key. The questions we ask ourselves… minute by minute…  are critical.

How we make decisions (BIG and small) have a huge impact on our lives.  In short… if we do it right… we WIN more.  If we do it wrong… we lose more.  I don't know about you… but I want you to WIN more.  I bet you're right there with me!  So… today… I'm going to walk you through a decision making process that can take you 5 minutes or less… but can make all the difference.  It's a series of some of my favorite coaching questions put into a powerful sequence.  These are questions I love to ask my coaching clients AND when they start to use them… they see results!  And… OF COURSE… we have an acronym to help us remember.  S.P.E.E.D.  That's it. Better decisions… faster.  Winning more.  You in?  I hope so.  Let's get to this!

RESOURCES:

PAST EPISODES WE MENTION:

Rock Thomas: "60,000 thoughts a day!" https://mitchmatthews.com/rock-thomas/

Melissa Johnson-Matthews: "Being Bi-Lingual in the 5 Love Languages" https://mitchmatthews.com/being-bilingual/

TWENTY Really Good Questions: https://mitchmatthews.com/245/

The THREE Questions that Change Everything: https://mitchmatthews.com/7-the-3-questions-that-change-everything/

 

MORE ON THE EPISODE:

Researchers debate a little on this… but people who dive deep on this say that we have somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 thoughts a day.

We're aware of some… not aware of others… BUT as you can imagine… our self-talk is CRITICAL!  So… we have to get intentional about this!

As a "recovering-worrier" I know alllllll about this!  If we're not careful: We can lose the day… even before it starts.  We need a better way to be INTENTIONAL about our thought life.  So we can WIN the day more.  That is what we're digging into today.

S.P.E.E.D.

It's a simple acronym that helps us be INTENTIONAL about our inner-thought life… and the decisions we're making on a day to day basis.

Made up of some of my favorite coaching questions… put into a specific order.

Here are the elements:

S: Success 

What does success look like?

Examples: 

• What does success look like for today?
• What does success look like for my business in 5 years?
• What does success look like for me as a dad?
• What does success look like for this meeting? 
• What does success look like for dinner with my family tonight?
• What does success look like for this Saturday?

P: People

Who's involved?  

Question for THEM (TEAMS/OTHERS): 

• What does success look like for them?
• What does success look like for this meeting?
• What does success look like for our vacation?

Questions for YOU when it comes to OTHERS:: 

• How do you want to treat them?  
• What do you want people to experience around you?

E: Experiment

How do I/we want to experiment to achieve this?

________

ex·per·i·ment

noun

noun: experiment; plural noun: experiments

/ikˈsperəmənt/

1. a scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact.

________

EXPERIMENT COACHING QUESTIONS:

• What do I/we want to try?
• What's a small but significant step I/we could take?
• How could we improve this incrementally?
• How could we tweak it to make it better this time?

A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO DREAM THINK DOers who are contributing reviews, sharing and commenting!!! 

Click here to see if you were featured:  https://mitchmatthews.com/336

E: Evaluate

How do I/we want to  evaluate this? 

EVALUATE COACHING QUESTIONS:

• What worked?
• What would I do again?
• What would I want to change?
• What's something I learned?
• What do I want to try next time?
• What's something I want to remember when I do this again?

D: Determined

How do I want to remind myself I'm committed?

• Calendar blocks
• Involve other people
• Reminders 

Example from Mel and my world!

Review the elements again.

Point them to Parkinson's Law!

 

PARKINSON'S LAW:

This process could take 5 hours… and in the beginning… it will take longer.  BUT remember "Parkinson's Law:"

 "A task expands to fill the time it's given."  

So… you can do a version of this in 5 minutes… as you start your day… and end your day… as you get ready for a meeting… and as you create a vision for you life.

Taking the elements of the S.P.E.E.D. approach can make all the difference!

MITCH'S MINUTE:

When I teach on this… people will sometimes ask… "Where does prayer fit into this?"  The added BONUS of the S.P.E.E.D. approach can also be a prayer.  How cool is THAT?  For those of you who LOVE prayer and for those of you who are curious about prayer… and/or anyone in between… have at it and see where it takes you!

That's one way I've adapted S.P.E.E.D.  So… how about you?  How do YOU want to apply it?  Where are you already using questions like these?  What's working for you?  What's something small but significant you're going to try as the result of listening in?  Leave a comment below and let me know.  I can't wait to hear from YOU!

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 0:02 If you want to WIN more, this episode's for you
• 2:16 Episode starts
• 4:45 Let's talk about S.P.E.E.D
• 8:40 What does success look like?
• 13:19 P is for people
• 17:39 The freedom in experimenting
• 19:53 Shout out to a few Dream Think Do-ers!
• 24:00 What every great experiment must have
• 29:23 How Mitch is living this acronym out practically
• 40:39 A refresher on Parkinson's law

Singer and entertainer Jon Mero is with us! His voice is incredible… his musical acumen is nothing short of astounding… but his heart… and who he is as a human... is even more impressive.  He was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa… and now resides in Atlanta, Georgia building an incredible career.

He's been a finalist on NBC's The Voice. He's gotten to sing on movie soundtracks like Pitch Perfect 3 (alongside Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson).  And most recently… a single he did with LONIS… was featured on the ABC tv show "Station 19."  He's walking out a true story of talent, grit, faith and entrepreneurial spirit and I can't wait for this conversation!

RESOURCES:

Jon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonmero/

Jon's Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/jonmero

Jon Mero's The VOICE Blind Audition:  https://mitchmatthews.com/335

Jon's first appearance on DREAM THINK DO: www.mitchmatthews.com/151

"3 Keys for Sticking with a Dream (in 15 minutes or less): mitchmatthews.com/320/ 

"Dreaming BIG No Matter What" with Amberly Lago: https://mitchmatthews.com/310/

"True Grit: Stories you didn't hear in History Class but should have!" with Ben Stein: www.mitchmatthews.com/173 

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 1:30 Get to know Jon
• 7:00 What gave Jon the confidence to sing
• 15:24 Looking within and bettering yourself
• 23:30 Developing a life of continual growth
• 26:58 What success looks like for Jon
• 31:27 Mitch's favorite The Voice moment
• 35:30 Tips for staying in the moment
• 46:36 Jon's little known dream
• 53:32 Mitch's minute

MITCH'S MINUTE:

I loved this convo.  

One of my favorite moments was Jon's quote:

"The reason why we miss today is because we think there is a moment in the future that's more important than today."

Whew… that's wisdom.  AND a cautionary tale… right?

I love how Jon says he's still working on living in the moment, BUT that understanding was at the core of him KILLING his blind audition for The Voice.  He was in THAT moment… fully.  And you could TOTALLY tell.  True joy.  Fully there.  No matter the outcome.  Okay… it didn't hurt that 4 chairs turned and they almost got in a fist fight over him… BUT living in the moment helped.  HA!

How about YOU?  What stood out to you?  Was it something Jon said?  Was it the vibe?  Was it a thought or a memory that this convo sparked?  Let me know.  I shared some of my favorites… now I want to hear from YOU!  Leave a comment below and let's do this!

In this episode we are going to talk about the importance of injecting a little adventure into our lives.  C.S. Lewis once said, "Some journeys take us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny."  Sure, adventure can mean climbing peaks in Peru or Nepal… but there are other ways that we can inject a little novelty and adventure in our daily lives… even if you live in the burbs, like I do!  In fact, I make the case using some good ol' research-backed arguments, but I also share a way that I've been experiencing a little "adventure" lately.  And it doesn't cost me a thing… but it's been a way that I've been finding some rest and restoration.  And as you'll hear… it's also been teaching me A LOT about life and business.  Check it out… and then join me in finding a little "adventure" no matter where you live!

EPISODES MENTIONED:

Ruth Soukup | Surprising Secrets For Living the Good Life - (click here) 

Beating the "MEH" with LAURA SANCHEZ-GREENBERG - www.mitchmatthews.com/308 

A Hiro's Journey - mitchmatthews.com/322

The Rest vs. Restoration Experiment - mitchmatthews.com/330

MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

For some ADVENTURE might mean a trip to the big city... or it might be going to the other side of the planet.

"Some journeys take us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny."

- CS Lewis 

Amelia Earhart once said, "Adventure is worthwhile in itself."

"You can't define adventure... and what it means to you... until you've wrestled with it.  True adventure happens beyond what you might think is safe... or obtainable.  That's where you see miracles happen.  Adventure is the distance between the present and the fulfillment of your dreams!  And how you navigate the "in-between" is the great unknown."

- Clay Croft - Creator of the Expedition Overland 

(Find out more here:  www.xoverland.com)

BUT... you might be saying... 

"THAT IS NOT ME!!!  I LIVE in the burbs... I have a house filled with kids, schedules, dogs, cats and a bird... I can't be traipsing around the globe looking for ADVENTURE!!!"

I get it... I'm right there with you!!!  

Here's a brief history of "Adventure and me":

• I grew up a scared kid... but I learned a motto... "I may be scared... but I'm going to do it anyway!"  Or... a shorter version is... "Do it scared!"
• I grew up afraid of heights... but at the same time... I've climbed the tallest mountains in Montana and some of the tallest in Colorado!
• I was afraid of leaving home... so I hated my first summer camp experience... BUT when I got older... I moved to England at 18 and went back when I was 20.
• When my bride and I lived in Montana (two places)... we'd camp in the mountains countless weekends… then we had cubs... and decided to move back closer to family.  We first spent a year in Chicago... and then we landed back in Des Moines and we've been here for over 20 years!

ADVENTURE NOW:

As a result… I live in a suburb of a moderate sized city... in a state where the highest elevation is 1,670 feet.  Literally, it's: Hawkeye Point Hawkeye Point which is the highest natural point in Iowa at 1,670 feet (510 m). It is approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of Sibley on the eastern side of SR 60 and approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of the Iowa-Minnesota state border.

My favorite part is the directions say, 

"The high ground lies 100 feet (30 m) due south of an old silo."

But remember: 

ADVENTURE isn't a location... it's a mindset!

Also remember…

"Stay curious. It will lead to a life of adventure!"

- Mitch Matthews

It's sooooo important... and this is backed up by SCIENCE!!!

I'm betting you remember Episode 308 - Beating the "MEH" with LAURA SANCHEZ-GREENBERG. www.mitchmatthews.com/308  (More from Laura below.)

In that episode, we talked about how novelty is critical.  Mixing things up.  Trying new things.  Stretching yourself.  Growing.  

So sure... if you can go climb a mountain... DO it!!!

BUT if you're in a suburbs in the flat lands… (like me)... you need to find other ways to experience adventure!

DEFINING ADVENTURE

For OUR purposes, let's define adventure as:

• Staying curious
• Pursuing novel experiences 
• Stretching... growing... putting yourself in situations from time to time... where you might actually fail.

Yvon Chouinard... rock climber, world adventurer and founder of Patagonia once said,

 "It's not truly adventure until something goes wrong."

You might get some of that at work... or at home.  You might say... I've got a teenager... stuff goes wrong all the time! LOL! BUT seriously... what if you introduced some adventure WITH your teenager.  What if?

My Invitation:

• Pursue some adventure...
• Try something new
• Do something where you might fail
• Stay curious.
• Walk in awe.
• See where it takes you!

Dreaming BIGGER... thinking BETTER and doing MORE is all about living an amazing life and that's what I want from you... if you're living in Nepal... or Fiji... NYC… or a really nice little  suburb.

Adventure is out there... we just have to find it.

Amen?

RESOURCES:

In the episode, I mention that past DREAM THINK DO guest Laura Sanchez-Greenberg had provided some SCIENCE and RESEARCH to back up today's episode… so I wanted to provide it here… in her own words.

She shared...

"Novelty and "sustainable happiness" studies suggest that doing new things is good for our well-being and some authors have suggested that fulfilling our need for novelty is a basic requirement for optimal functioning (Gonzalez-Cutre et al 2016).  

Research here tied to the self-determination theory (SDT is the so-often-attributed to Daniel Pink's Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose triangle from his book "Drive" – this model is actually research by Deci and Ryan (1980, 2000) which Pink translated.)  The research notes that novelty is a basic tenant of being self-determining.  Without novelty, then you wouldn't know if you were self-determining as it would just be more of the same.  In simpler terms: How do you know if you are choosing for yourself (autonomy), if you are competent (mastery) if nothing changes?

Some suggested things to read: 

• The Importance of Novelty » Brain World (brainworldmagazine.com)
• The Role of Novelty and Adaptation in Well-being - The Positive Psychology People

Laura continues…

"I'd say pointing to Barbara Fredrickson's work "Positivity" is also good.  

The bottom line is, although there is novelty specific research, the word itself takes on all the research that's there and gives it name.  

When we change our view, our brain activates, it learns, it absorbs.  

So the important role that awe plays in happiness, that nature plays in happiness, importance of learning in happiness… all of these are related to novelty – we change our environment, learn something new, feel awe… all novelty.  

So "novelty" is a catch all for so much of the research (I use the word as a shortcut). 

Super nerdy research:

• Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology - Google Books (Chapter 34)
• Acts of Kindness and Acts of Novelty Affect Life Satisfaction: The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol 150, No 3 (tandfonline.com)

 In the Suburbs… grab your lip smacker… put out a bird feeder and let that Cardinal surprise you; better yet, let the seeds call it to you in winter where the red pops on the snow background (they don't migrate). Smell coffee. Take a peek at a chipmunk… take a walk and for a minute, check out how bark on a tree can form art… all sorts of novelty."

• 0:02 Let's go on an adventure
• 1:24 Episode starts
• 5:30 Mitch's background in adventure
• 14:34 One adventure you can take every day
• 19:58 How Mitch gets his adventure in
• 26:25 Mitch's Narnia moment
• 36:06 Adventure is a mindset
• 39:23 Closing thoughts 

I want to hear from YOU!

What do YOU think?  Is finding some adventure… some novelty important?  Did you need to be reminded of that?  (I know I do!!!)  What's one way you want to inject some adventure into your world?  What's a way to experience a little novelty?  Share something you love to do… or something you're going to try!  I can't wait to hear from YOU!  Comment and let me know.

George H. Xanthis is our guest.  He's an amazing actor from Australia who plays John in the TV Series, "The Chosen." You're probably aware… but if not… The Chosen is the first ever multi-season TV series based on the life of Jesus.  It's a phenomenon… from a spiritual sense but also from an entrepreneurial perspective.  In fact, it's the #1 crowd funded media project of all time!  With over $10 million raised… two seasons done and available… and as of today… over 270 million views in over 180 countries.  Incredible.  And George is in the middle of all of that!  Plus, he's a force for good inside AND outside the show.  We'll talk about how he got his start in acting, how his journey with "The Chosen" began, what it's been like playing such a significant role and what he's learned about life, work and faith… as a result.  Plus, this represents our first interview in this NEW season.  So I take a slightly different approach with the conversation… and I think you're going to dig it. So, let's get to the conversation!

 

RESOURCES:

Would you like more info on The Chosen?  Click here

George's Instagram:/www.instagram.com/georgehxanthis

If you're an actor and/or you know someone who is… be sure to check out George's "ACT UP!" Podcast: Click here

Check out George's efforts to help the Sydney Children's Hospital on Cameo: Click here

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: George's NEWEST role is in FX's newly announced "American Crime Story" called "Impeachment" where he plays George Stephanopoulous.  (NOTE: We couldn't talk about this during our interview because he wasn't released to announce it yet.) Check it out here: Click here.

 

Other "RELATED" episodes:

A Prayer for YOU and YOUR dreams! www.mitchmatthews.com/314

Hiro's Journey [so far].  What a Puppy's been teaching me about pursuing dreams and living life: www.mitchmatthews.com/322

DREAM BIG… no matter what! (With Amberly Lago): www.mitchmatthews.com/310 

The Gift of Being Fully Present [Part 3]: www.mitchmatthews.com/304 

 

More about THIS episode:

George Xanthis came through acting training, comedy and improv as well.  He even spent some time with the The Groundlings Improv troupe in LA.

He's had a lot of different experiences… and he's also got a heart for helping other actors… so he has his own podcast called "Act Up" where he and his guests discuss their craft and specific strategies to navigate everything from the audition room, day-to-day on set as well as performing in front of live audiences.  

He also believes in giving back… so he's on CAMEO… where he's doing video messages to fans… but he's also raising money for The Sydney Children's Hospital.  Plus, he and some of his fellow cast members just did a marathon session on instagram to help raise funds for people who are hurting in Afghanistan.  

Plus, I asked YOU for your input via Facebook and we got a LOT of response… so I'll be peppering them in during our convo!  (Click here to follow me… so YOU can get in on our next "Listener Lightning Round Questions!")

I love the guy… and I think you will too!  Let's get to this.

 

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 Welcome to 333 and what to expect
• 4:33 Get to know George
• 8:52 How George got started acting
• 14:43 What gave George the courage to move to LA
• 33:31 What life is like on the set
• 37:30 George's favorite moment filming
• 49:10 One of the most powerful in The Chosen
• 52:40 George's final thoughts and advice 
• 58:17 Mitch's minute 

MITCH'S MINUTE & NOW… I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Okay… obviously… we're doing things a little differently in THIS season.  I've added the official "Mitch's Minute" at the end to offer my thoughts.  I got fired up… so I think it was more like 7 minutes… but I really wanted to share some of my favorite take aways.

How about YOU!?  What's something that stood out to you?  What's something that grabbed you?  What did you think?  I'd love to hear from you.  Drop a comment below and let me know!

We've got an inspiring and eye-opening conversation for you this week as Mitch sits down with Shawn D. Nelson - the founder and CEO of LoveSac. 

If the name sounds familiar, it should. LoveSac has become a billion-dollar disruptor in the furniture space, known for their ultra-comfy bean bags and their game-changing modular couches that are built to last a lifetime.

But long before LoveSac became a publicly traded company with hundreds of retail stores… it started in Shawn's parents' basement with a roll of vinyl, some foam, and a wild idea.

Since then, Shawn's story has included entrepreneurial highs (like winning Richard Branson's The Rebel Billionaire) and deep valleys (like navigating bankruptcy and rebuilding the company from scratch). Through it all, he's remained committed to building things that last - and helping others do the same.

In this episode, we get real about Shawn's journey, his mission to inspire people to buy better stuff so they can buy less, and what it really takes to stay in the game long enough to win.

This one's packed with powerful takeaways, candid stories, and practical wisdom for anyone who's chasing a big dream, yearning to lead more effectively or just wanting to live their best life!

CONNECT AND READ THE FULL SOW NOTES HERE: https://mitchmatthews.com/438

You asked for it… so I'm digging into it!  How do you go from being "interested in becoming a speaker" to actually building a speaking business?  It's not easy… (run from anyone who tells you it is) BUT the steps to get there are a lot clearer than you might imagine.  In today's episode we're going to get you the 5 keys to becoming a PAID speaker!  The EXTRA good news is that ANYONE can start to implement these steps IMMEDIATELY!  So, if you've got a message that's burning in you… something you know would help people… something that could make an impact… then THIS episode is for YOU!  We'll show you a path to start speaking more AND increase your chances for being paid well as you do!

RESOURCES:

To find out more about Mitch's "Next-Level Speaker Event 2021" Click Here.

This event will help you get the marketing pieces in place to reach more of the people you want to reach, score the stages you want to speak on and get paid well to do it!

Download the PDF at https://mitchmatthews.com/332

 

MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE:

While I was on sabbatical… I'd asked YOU… the DREAM THINK DO family… about what you'd like me to dig into once I got back.  I listed off a number of themes and topics:

 

THEMES: 

• Entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial mindset
• Speaking and building a speaking business
• Podcasting and growing YOUR OWN podcast
• Coaching and mentoring

 

SPECIFIC (or more general) TOPICS:

• Faith in the workplace and "real world" convos about that stuff
• How do you get back up… when you're knocked down
• How do you have the guts to go after a big idea
• Time management in an era when no one seems to have boundaries 
• Really cool people with really inspiring stories
• AND/OR… YOUR suggestions too 

Well… I heard from you and one of the big areas that many of you wanted to hear about was "Speaking and building a Speaking Business."  

I wanted to go after that right away… so we're digging in today!

5 Keys to go from "FREE" to "FEE" as a Successful (and profitable) Speaker.

 

Key 1: START!

It's not a surprise, but when people ask me about the best ways to get started as a Speaker… my response is always short, sweet, accurate and to the point.  I say, "Get started!"

It's not a throw away answer.  It's the absolute truth.  The best way to start… is to start.  

_____________________________

"START where you are.  Use what you have. DO what you can." - Arthur Ashe   

_____________________________

In the episode, I share some of my "humble beginnings" stories but I also explain how those speaking events… where it felt no one was looking… led to my first paid gig with a Fourtune 100 company!

Key 2: Create a Tangible Talk

That's right.  Before you ever get paid… get started by creating a talk.  In the episode, I explain why… but I also introduce you to the  strategy of Creating an Idea Map.  (Make sure to download the Participant Guide… above.  It will give you an example of what I'm talking about!)

 

Key 3:  Deliver that Tangible Talk

Once you have your tangible talk… find ways to deliver it.  We'll talk about ways to do it AND I'll share a story of how giving a "free" talk in a public library led to a $20K gig!

_____________________________

"Getting STARTED gets you needed practice and it gets you into what we call

"The Speaker Jet Stream!" 

• Mitch Matthews 

_____________________________

KEY 4: Know The Process!

This was something that was totally in my blindspot!  I didn't know the process for being selected as a speaker for bigger events and stages.  And since I didn't know… I wasn't confident.  And Event Planners and Selection Committees could pick up on it… so I didn't get the opportunities.  

BUT once I started to understand the process… and more important… the BIGGEST concern of decision makers (which surprised me)... I was able to secure the types of stages and events I'd hoped for! 

KEY 5:  Create a One Sheet!

You want to make it easy for the Search Committees to SELL you to the final decision-makers.  Having a solid One Sheet will help you to do that.  More importantly… the process of putting an effective One Sheet together will help you get all your KEY marketing in place!

 

MINUTE BY MINUTE 

• 0:02 - You asked, I'm going for it! What to expect today
• 1:34 - Conversations tarts
• 3:23 - Let's talk about public speaking
• 7:00 - If you want to be a speaker, this parts for you!
• 14:00 -  Where to start
• 16:02 - Where to test your talk
• 17:55 - What an idea map is and why you need it
• 22:00 - The real power behind stories 
• 28:33 - You have to put in the reps
• 35:50 - The perks of hosting your own event 
• 46:15 - Two things you need to impress any search committee 
• 53:33 - 5-key recap 

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

What stood out to you?  What's something small but significant you are going to try?  Let me know by dropping a comment below.  I want to hear from you! 

Maybe it's just giving yourself permission to START!  Maybe it's putting together a talk on a subject you LOVE.  Maybe it's scheduling a space to give that talk.  Maybe it's reaching out to organizations who might need your help and your message!  Maybe it's joining us for our Next Level Speaker event so you can get a powerful ONE SHEET in place and done in one weekend!  Whatever it is… BIG or small… BOLD or more subtle… take a step. 

And hey… one step would simply be to comment below and say, "I'm IN!  I'm going to START!"  I can't wait to hear from you… because hey… I know the world needs to hear from YOU!  (You've got wisdom and stories in you the world needs!!!  So let's do this!)  Amen?

You asked for it… so I'm digging into it!  How do you go from being "interested in becoming a speaker" to actually building a speaking business?  It's not easy… (run from anyone who tells you it is) BUT the steps to get there are a lot clearer than you might imagine.  In today's episode we're going to get you the 5 keys to becoming a PAID speaker!  The EXTRA good news is that ANYONE can start to implement these steps IMMEDIATELY!  So, if you've got a message that's burning in you… something you know would help people… something that could make an impact… then THIS episode is for YOU!  We'll show you a path to start speaking more AND increase your chances for being paid well as you do!

RESOURCES:

To find out more about Mitch's "Next-Level Speaker Event 2021" Click Here.

This event will help you get the marketing pieces in place to reach more of the people you want to reach, score the stages you want to speak on and get paid well to do it!

Download the PDF at https://mitchmatthews.com/332

 

MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE:

While I was on sabbatical… I'd asked YOU… the DREAM THINK DO family… about what you'd like me to dig into once I got back.  I listed off a number of themes and topics:

 

THEMES: 

• Entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial mindset
• Speaking and building a speaking business
• Podcasting and growing YOUR OWN podcast
• Coaching and mentoring

 

SPECIFIC (or more general) TOPICS:

• Faith in the workplace and "real world" convos about that stuff
• How do you get back up… when you're knocked down
• How do you have the guts to go after a big idea
• Time management in an era when no one seems to have boundaries 
• Really cool people with really inspiring stories
• AND/OR… YOUR suggestions too 

Well… I heard from you and one of the big areas that many of you wanted to hear about was "Speaking and building a Speaking Business."  

I wanted to go after that right away… so we're digging in today!

5 Keys to go from "FREE" to "FEE" as a Successful (and profitable) Speaker.

 

Key 1: START!

It's not a surprise, but when people ask me about the best ways to get started as a Speaker… my response is always short, sweet, accurate and to the point.  I say, "Get started!"

It's not a throw away answer.  It's the absolute truth.  The best way to start… is to start.  

_____________________________

"START where you are.  Use what you have. DO what you can." - Arthur Ashe   

_____________________________

In the episode, I share some of my "humble beginnings" stories but I also explain how those speaking events… where it felt no one was looking… led to my first paid gig with a Fourtune 100 company!

Key 2: Create a Tangible Talk

That's right.  Before you ever get paid… get started by creating a talk.  In the episode, I explain why… but I also introduce you to the  strategy of Creating an Idea Map.  (Make sure to download the Participant Guide… above.  It will give you an example of what I'm talking about!)

 

Key 3:  Deliver that Tangible Talk

Once you have your tangible talk… find ways to deliver it.  We'll talk about ways to do it AND I'll share a story of how giving a "free" talk in a public library led to a $20K gig!

_____________________________

"Getting STARTED gets you needed practice and it gets you into what we call

"The Speaker Jet Stream!" 

• Mitch Matthews 

_____________________________

KEY 4: Know The Process!

This was something that was totally in my blindspot!  I didn't know the process for being selected as a speaker for bigger events and stages.  And since I didn't know… I wasn't confident.  And Event Planners and Selection Committees could pick up on it… so I didn't get the opportunities.  

BUT once I started to understand the process… and more important… the BIGGEST concern of decision makers (which surprised me)... I was able to secure the types of stages and events I'd hoped for! 

KEY 5:  Create a One Sheet!

You want to make it easy for the Search Committees to SELL you to the final decision-makers.  Having a solid One Sheet will help you to do that.  More importantly… the process of putting an effective One Sheet together will help you get all your KEY marketing in place!

 

MINUTE BY MINUTE 

• 0:02 - You asked, I'm going for it! What to expect today
• 1:34 - Conversations tarts
• 3:23 - Let's talk about public speaking
• 7:00 - If you want to be a speaker, this parts for you!
• 14:00 -  Where to start
• 16:02 - Where to test your talk
• 17:55 - What an idea map is and why you need it
• 22:00 - The real power behind stories 
• 28:33 - You have to put in the reps
• 35:50 - The perks of hosting your own event 
• 46:15 - Two things you need to impress any search committee 
• 53:33 - 5-key recap 

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

What stood out to you?  What's something small but significant you are going to try?  Let me know by dropping a comment below.  I want to hear from you! 

Maybe it's just giving yourself permission to START!  Maybe it's putting together a talk on a subject you LOVE.  Maybe it's scheduling a space to give that talk.  Maybe it's reaching out to organizations who might need your help and your message!  Maybe it's joining us for our Next Level Speaker event so you can get a powerful ONE SHEET in place and done in one weekend!  Whatever it is… BIG or small… BOLD or more subtle… take a step. 

And hey… one step would simply be to comment below and say, "I'm IN!  I'm going to START!"  I can't wait to hear from you… because hey… I know the world needs to hear from YOU!  (You've got wisdom and stories in you the world needs!!!  So let's do this!)  Amen?

Have you been feeling like you're wanting to make some changes?  A new day?   Some new perspectives?  A shift that YOU create as opposed to something that you're told to do.  A new mission.  Me too!  Seriously… I'm BACK and as you'll hear... I'm fired up!  That's right… after a sabbatical… I'm excited to be back.  And in this episode, I'm going to invite you into what's NEXT!  We're going to get "R.E.A.L." to talk about where we're headed with the podcast but also (maybe even more importantly) where I'm wanting to go with my own life.  And as you hear it… you believe this is going to be really encouraging for YOU on YOUR journey into YOUR next season too. Of course... I tell some fun stories along the way… like what happened when a potential client told me to "toggle it back." (It was a kick to the gut at the time… but it was also a true turning point!)  I'm so excited for you to listen to this one and join me as we move into what's NEXT.  Strap in and I guarantee it's going to be an ADVENTURE!  Let's do this!!!

STUFF and FORMER EPISODES MENTIONED:

I mentioned my son Alex's new book was just released.  Check it out here.

Here's my interview with Alex when his FIRST novel was published: https://mitchmatthews.com/271/

I talked about my sabbatical (and why it was needed) along with rest and restoration here: https://mitchmatthews.com/330/

 

MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

I'm so excited to be back!  We're talking about where I'm feeling called to take DREAM THINK DO in this next season.  We're going to be talking about being REAL and taking that to new levels.

And hey… I'm a speaker and a teacher… so I HAVE to work an acronym into things.  Job hazard.  LOL!  So, when I say, "Being R.E.A.L. at new levels," this is what we're talking about:

The "R" stands for being REAL and AUTHENTIC.

"Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day.  It's about the choice to show up and be real.  The choice to be honest.  The choice to let our true selves be seen." - Brene Brown

We're going to talk more about what THIS actually means for us DREAM THINK DOERs… especially as we move ahead.  But we're taking the REALNESS to new levels and it's going to be goooooood!

The "E" reminds us that we're going to be ENTREPRENEURIAL and ENTREPRENEURIALLY-MINDED as we move forward.

You don't have to be an entrepreneur to benefit from some of the things that we'll be talking about… but I want to encourage you to be entrepreneurially-minded!  And hey… I heard from you all loud and clear that it's time to start bringing entrepreneurial concepts and strategies back into DTD and I can't wait!  

 "Learn to sell.  Learn to build.  If you can do both, you will be unstoppable in ANY role or position you find yourself!" - Naval Ravikant 

The "A" stands for ADVENTURE.

With all of the wildness in life… it may feel a little wild and overwhelming at times.  BUT you were MADE for adventure.  We were made to do incredible things.  And sometimes the best way to deal with some of the craziness and unpredictability that can come in life… is to inject some ADVENTURE that you choose!  Intentional… calculated… risk.  Being a novice.  Trying something.  Taking a step.  You agree?  You in?

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." - T.S. Eliot 

 The "L" stands for… well… you're going to have to listen to the episode to hear THAT one.  

It may or may not surprise you… but it may be the MOST IMPORTANT principle as we move forward into this next season!

Lastly… an INVITATION:

If you're IN (woot woot)… please do one of the following:

• Hit subscribe wherever you listen… so you don't miss a future episode!
• Leave a review on Apple (www.dreamthinkdo.com) and let me know you're IN!
• Take a screenshot of the episode and share it on social media!
• Invite a friend to join us (by sharing this episode) as we move into what's NEXT!

It's time to dream bigger dreams… it's time to think even better… it's time to do more of what you were put on the planet to do AND it's time to be more YOU than you've ever been!!! 

You in?  I hope so!  Let's do this!!!

THE EPISODE AT A GLANCE:

• 0:02 - What to expect today (and thank you!)
• 2:53 - Episode starts
• 5:37 - Life on sabbatical 
• 13:23 it's about to get R.E.A.L
• 20:02 - E: Let's talk Entrepreneursh!p
• 34:04 - A: Achieving new levels of adventure
• 36:59 - Find out what the "L" stands for

In this episode, we're doing a deep dive into the subject of "Rest and Restoration."  As in… "How can you feel more rested?" And, more importantly, "How do we move past rest into full restoration?"  We're talking specific ways to help YOU find the right mix of strategies and activities that work for you.  So you can feel more rested and restored… more often.  That means your energy levels and your "inner gas gauge" can be FULL more often!  You can be your best self… more loving… more present… more kind… more fun… and be all those things more often.  As you know… this is wildly important.  And… true confession… it's been easy to let my gauge get dangerously close to "E" lately.  Can you identify?  I bet you can relate… because it's been this way for a lot of people that I've been talking to.  So, I thought it was time for us to dig into this… and get us specific strategies (big and small) to help you feel more rested and restored.  So, invite a friend and let's get to some experimenting!!! 

RESOURCES:

Here's a few of the studies and articles I mention in the episode:

The "Awe Walk" Study from Virginia Sturn: Click here

The 7 Types of Rest from Inc.: Click here

Why it takes 60 days to create a new habit: click here.

Dream Think Do Episodes Referenced:

330 Episodes at a Glance: Click here

Hiro's Journey (so far) - What  a Puppy's been teaching me about pursuing dreams and living life: Click here

Being Fully Present and Cultivating "AWE" Click here

Let's Connect!

I'm always asking for YOUR input for Dream Think Do episodes, especially on Facebook.

In fact, here's the post that kicked things off on FB: https://mitchmatthews.com/330

MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE:

This week, we're diving into specific strategies to help you move to "RESTORATIVE Rest" more often.  

Rest vs. Restoration:

Rest: "To cease work or movement in order to relax or refresh oneself."

Restoration: "The act of restoring. A return of something to its former or unimpaired condition."

Dr. Caroline Leaf does a deep dive on this subject.  You can check it out here: Click here

What do YOU think?  Are rest and restoration different things?  Can one exist without the other?  Does it matter?  

60 Days to Create a New Habit:

Some say it takes 21 days… others 28.  But science-backed research shows it takes 60.  Want to learn more on the WHY and the HOW… click here.

BEST MIND vs. ANXIOUS MIND:

Like I said in the episode… I'm working on being intentional about trying to be in my "Best Mind" more often and my "Anxious Mind" less and less.  Your "Best Mind" intentionally focuses on things like gratitude, hope, love, strength, generosity and kindness… as a result… our ability to love and serve goes up… our innovative and creative thinking go up… our ability to be in the moment and fully present are much easier.  BUT we have to be intentional about being in that state… right?

What are some ways that you've found to stay in your "Best Mind?"  Small things?  Big things?  Let's keep the "experiments" and the idea share going.  Comment and let me know below! 

Creating Guilt-free "White Space" in your Calendar:

White Space is dedicated time (preferably scheduled into your calendar in advance).  The intent is to allow (and sometimes force) guilt free time for you to take a breath, look at things from a different perspective, reflect, relax, and refuel.  It doesn't need to take hours.  In fact, intentionally taking 15 minutes… a few times a day… can make all the difference.   

If you're looking for additional reasons WHY to do it… and some specific strategies for HOW to do it… you can click here.

I'm curious.  What works for you when it comes to creating a few windows of "White Space?" Does it make a difference?  Does it help you? How do you get it done?

7 Types of Rest:

Saundra Dalton-Smith writes that too many people think that rest is limited to the amount of sleep we get.  But, she says, "In reality we are missing out on the other types of rest we desperately need." In her TED article, she points to seven types of rest that are essential for us to thrive. 

1. Physical rest 2. Mental rest  3. Sensory rest 4. Creative rest  5. Emotional rest  6. Social rest  7. Spiritual rest 

What do you think?  Do you agree?  Which of these are easiest for you?  Which are the most difficult?  Which are the most important?  Comment below and let me know what you think!

For me… they're all important BUT I probably forget about the "Sensory Rest" most.  Because I do a LOT of my work in front of a computer… it's easy to forget about the importance of shutting things OFF and chilling out without electronics.  Yup… just being honest.  That's why those "awe" walks have been so important lately.  How about you?

Listener Lightning Round Ideas:

Here's some awesome ideas from other Dream Think Doers!

1. Intentional Breathing Exercises  2. Getting out into nature (even for 15 minutes) 3. A 30 minute bath  4. Noise-cancelling headphones + Dark Space + favorite tunes 5. Making sure you're getting enough sleep 6. A good 15 minute "Power Nap" in the middle of the day 7. And Beth's "I'd never say no to a taco in a quiet car!"  Amen sista. Amen.

What would YOU add to this list of favorite ways to rest and restore? Comment and let's keep sharing the ideas!

NEXT STEPS:

So, here's the "Experiment" if you choose to join me.  (And I hope you do!)

Over the next 60 days, let's do something small but significant each day to rest and/or restore.

And let's get specific:

• Pick a day you want to start
• Invite a friend (or two) to join you
• Experiment with different strategies to find the right "mix" for you
• Share with your friends what's working and what's not (and encourage each other to learn and adjust as you go)
• Leave a comment below and let us know how it's going!
• And of course… check out some of the other Dream Think Do Episodes to keep you on track!

I can't wait to see what the next 60 days (and beyond) will do for all of us!

Who's in?  Let me know in the comments below and/or on social media.

Let's do this!

INSERT EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE HERE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 2:40 Episode starts
• 3:13 The need for rest is real
• 10:00 How to rest and restore everyday
• 17:50 Working on the micro habits
• 21:10 Moving into the best part of your mind
• 28:08 The power of awe
• 37:50 The 7 types of rest
• 46:00 What to expect over the next few weeks

We're talking with children's author, Lexi Young Peck. Even as a young girl, Lexi was known far and wide as the "baby whisperer."  She's just always been incredibly gifted at calming babies and connecting with kiddos. She took that passion and natural gifting and got her degree in psychology... and focused on childhood development.  Now, her heart is to create easy, straightforward ways for parents to navigate the complexities of raising kids. We're talking about her new book and specific ways to navigate fear with your kiddos and for yourself.

RESOURCES:

Lexi's Website: www.lexiyoungpeck.com 

Lexi's Book: What Do You Say to a Dragon?

MORE ABOUT LEXI AND THE EPISODE:

Lexi's heart is to create practical and useful tools and strategies for parents to navigate the complexities of raising kids.  

She's doing that in a number of ways… but one of the most recent… and the most powerful… is her new children's book, "What do you say to a Dragon?"

It's a refreshing take on what to do when your kiddos… and frankly… when YOU… are facing fear and anxiety. 

So, we'll be talking about THAT… because who doesn't need some new tools for the tool box when it comes to overcoming worry.

Especially…  that temptation to freak out… when a dragon… real or imagined… walks in the room!

By the way… Lexi is not handing out advice without having to apply these strategies herself… on a daily basis. 

She and her husband, Josh, have two young children, Vivian and Xander.  

And speaking of kiddos… Lexi is the daughter of my friend and former DTD guest… William Paul Young.  Paul is also a successful author who's written many books, including The Shack and Crossroads.

In fact, Paul pointed me to the book and I was instantly hooked and wanted Lexi to come on immediately!

That's why I'm so excited for this convo so let's get to it!

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 1:20 Quick announcement
• 2:53 Get to know Lexi
• 4:58 Why Lexi decided to write a kids book
• 10:03 Engaging your fear
• 13:33 How Lexi helps kids overcome fear
• 17:59 How Mitch handled fear with his youngest
• 20:16 The feedback Lexi has received
• 25:53 Meeting your kids where they are
• 27:31 Mitch's biggest takeaways

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:

So… what did YOU think?  I want to hear from YOU!  

What are some of your favorite strategies for helping kiddos face their fears?  What's worked for you?  What hasn't?  Where do you struggle?  And most importantly, what are some ways you inspire the kiddos in your life to dream big? 

And as for THIS convo with Lexi... what's something you're going to try?  What's something that really resonated with you (big or small)?  

What's something you're going to DO (big or small) as a result?  

Let me know in the comments below. I can't wait to hear from you!

Jess Ekstrom is back and we're talking about strategies to help you journal, especially when life feels a little crazy!  You probably remember Jess from episode 242.  She's the founder and CEO of "Headbands of Hope."  And check this out, that for every headband Jess sells... a headband is given to a child with cancer… and almost a million headbands have been given away so far.  How awesome is THAT!?

Since founding Headbands of Hope… she's also become a best selling author with her amazing book, "Chasing the Bright Side" AND she has her own awesome podcast called "Business on the Bright Side."  By the way…  Jess has been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, and the VIEW… as well as in Forbes, Seventeen, Vanity Fair, and People Magazine.  After all of that… you might wonder how Jess does it all.  And that's something we're going to dig into today… because one of the most powerful tools in her toolbox is journaling.

It helps her to dream bigger, think better and do more of what she's put on the planet to do.  So we're going to dive into exactly what she does… so you can be doing it too.  

RESOURCES:

Jess's first appearance on DTD: https://mitchmatthews.com/242/ The episode is called, "Finding the Bright Side in a Bad News World.)

Jess's Bright Pages site: www.brightpages.com 

Grab a month for free at: www.brightpages.com/dtd

Jess's site: https://jessekstrom.com/

Jess's book: https://jessekstrom.com/buy-the-book

EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 2:11 Welcome back Jess!
• 5:17 New problems need new solutions
• 6:55 Mitch's experience with journaling
• 11:16 How to know it's a good business idea
• 12:47 How journal can help you dream bigger
• 18:00 Creating conversation with yourself
• 22:22 How Jess  practically uses journaling day-to-day
• 29:13 Jess's advice for anyone starting or starting again with journalling
• 30:34 Mitch's closing thoughts

What did YOU think?  I want to hear from YOU!  

Do you journal now?  Has it ever gotten stale for you?  Are you needing something to bring some fresh ideas?  I know I did and I loved this convo!

Which of Jess's strategies for journaling… and heck… for life… stood out to you?  What's something you're going to try?  What's something that really resonated with you (big or small)?  

What's something you're going to DO (big or small) as a result?  

Let me know in the comments below. I can't wait to hear from you!

Kim Kaupe is my guest and she's one of the hardest people to introduce… because her background is sooooo diverse and freakishly cool… it's hard to encapsulate.  BUT… I'm going to try.  In short… she's a dynamic female entrepreneur.  She has her marketing agency called "Bright Ideas Only."  Through that… Kim has helped people and brands like Oprah, Paul McCartney, Katy Perry, The New York Mets, ACE Comic Con, Miller Coors and KISS to create raving fans!  Now… she's taking what she's learned and applying it to help individuals to grow their networks and relationships.  Call it an updated and revised approach to "Winning Friends and Influencing People."  We dig into her specific strategies so you can spread your ideas, grow relationships and get your dreams done!  Let's get to this.

RESOURCES:

Kim's website: https://kimkaupe.com/ 

Kim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimkaupe/

Mitch on Kim's Podcast: https://kimkaupe.com/mitch/

OTHER DREAM THINK DO EPISODES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

Antonio Neves - A Bolder Happier You: https://mitchmatthews.com/307/

Mitch Matthews - How to Meet 50 Really Interesting People This Year: https://mitchmatthews.com/255/

3 Keys for Meeting New People: https://mitchmatthews.com/nice-to-meet-you-3-keys-to-meeting-new-people/

 

MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

With all the wildness that COVID brought… Kim Kaupe uncovered a superpower. 

In addition to helping celebrities and major brands grow a relationship with their audience… she's also started to help individuals harness the power of building relationships and influence.  

Not by generating millions of followers on Instagram… but by being intentional about what you're putting out on social media and online… as well as how you're showing up for people in day to day life.  I think of a lot of what she's doing as "How to win friends and influence people… version 2.0."

She's doing all sorts of innovative things… like her weekly LIVE podcast called "Coffee with Kim."  Which by the way… I was recently on and I loved it!

Kim also has created courses that run in partnership with LinkedIn… and about 200,000 people have utilized those!!!  So THAT's huge.

Plus… I've got to say… that if name-dropping past clients like Oprah and Katy Perry isn't enough to establish her street cred… Kim's also been named to:

• Forbes 30 Under 30, 
• Ad Age 40 Under 40 
• Inc. 35 Under 35
• PLUS… she's been on Shark Tank 
• & a judge on the Miss USA Pageant

Lastly… I'll just say that friend and past Dream Think DO guest Antonio Neves introduced us a few months ago… and since that time Kim's become one of my favorite humans on the planet!  So I can't wait to get to this!

EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:01 What to expect today
• 1:39 Get to know Kim
• 4:18 Conversation starts
• 6:46 How entrepreneurship found Kim
• 11:50 Two winning strategies to build influence 
• 16:31 The importance of growing in influence 
• 20:57 How Kim is helping high-performers convert more
• 27:57 I know my superpower - now what?
• 32:40 Get quite and get away from the noise
• 35:18 Why you need to be on LinkedIn now
• 44:15 Helping others always helps you
• 46:48 Mitch's biggest takeaways

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

What did YOU think?  I want to hear from YOU!  

Which strategies stood out to you?  Where are you needing/wanting to work on your growing your influence and being more intentional about building your network and developing new relationships?  

What's something that really resonated with you (big or small)?  And… most importantly… what's something you're going to DO (big or small) as a result?  

Seriously… let me know. I can't wait to hear from you!

May marked the 15th Anniversary of the BIG Dream Gathering! It's been a wild ride since that first "accidental" Gathering at our house... but we're wildly blessed to say it inspired countless events and thousands and thousands of dreams too!  And we have loved DREAMING BIG with so many of you over the years.  So, we wanted to have a special episode of DREAM THINK DO where we celebrate with YOU!  My bride, Melissa joins us!  Plus, we have some surprise guests who have inspiring stories to tell about pursuing and achieving BIG dreams.  Oh… and... we'll be sharing some behind the scenes stories we've not shared before… and we'll answer audience questions too!  It's time to celebrate.  Who's in?  Let's do this!

RESOURCES:

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE BIG DREAM GATHERING and WATCH SOME OF THE VIDEO SERIES: www.BIGDREAMGATHERING.com 

 

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

Adam Carroll: www.AdamSpeaks.com 

Mandy Franje: www.instagram.com/mandyfranje/

Lindsay Palmer: www.hirealindsay.com

 

UPCOMING BIG DREAM GATHERING:

BIG Dreams happen in small towns!  That's why we're teaming up with the innovative people in Earlham, Iowa to hold a BIG Dream Gathering this summer!  

WHEN: Saturday, June 26th - 10am to noon. 

Click Here to find out more and register!

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

It's designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with others so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!  

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

• STEP 1: Download the app.
• • Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE
  • Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE
• STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
• STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
• STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

MORE ABOUT THE BIG DREAM GATHERING:

The back story is in 2006, one of Mitch's big dreams was on the ropes and he was about to give up.  As a last ditch effort… he decided to host something he called a "BIG Dream Gathering" at his home.

It was an opportunity for friends to come and write down their dreams and goals, and then post them on the walls of his family home. Next everyone could read all the dreams and see if they could help with encouragement, connections or support.

It was supposed to go for a few hours… but it wound up lasting a full week!

And as a result… all sorts of dreams were launched. Everything from helping kids in Africa to a couple of dreamers scoring a contract with NIKE!

These BIG Dream Gatherings have continued and Mitch and his Dream Team have seen this revolution take off with countless dreams reawakened and incredible connections made.

To find out more about the BIG Dream Gathering, visit: BIGDreamGathering.com.

To follow along with the adventures and to help inspire YOUR dreams, join Mitch and the BDG team on Facebook by clicking here.

 

THE EPISODE - MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 Welcome! It's time to celebrate.
• 1:59 Download the Dream Together App
• 3:11 Episode starts
• 3:41 What to expect from the event
• 4:11 Welcome, Melissa, and a look back at the first Dream Big Gathering.
• 13:47 Start messy but try your best
• 16:42 Melissa's dream to own a farm
• 21:19 The week-long instigator: Meet Andy
• 27:30 The role of prayer in Mathew's journey
• 29:19 Some of the Matthew' favorite dreams over the years
• 35:28 Granting permission to dream
• 40:37 The power of encouragement
• 42:00 Meet one of our first dreamers, Mandy!
• 46:51 You never know where your dreams will take you
• 53:07 Meet the women behind the scenes, Lindsey Palmer!
• 59:28 How Lindsey's dreams have evolved
• 1:03:31 Q&A with Mitch and Melissa
• 1:14:27 Closing thoughts

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

Leave a comment and let me know what stood out from all the great stories!  What do YOU think?  How important is it to go after dreams?  How do YOU decide which dreams to go after? Why do you think it's important to encourage other people to go after their dreams?  Seriously… let me know. I can't wait to hear from you!

Rachel Rodgers joins us! Rachel is the founder of Hello Seven, a multi-million dollar company that teaches women how to earn more money and build true wealth. Her dream has been to teach women—especially women of color—how to end the cycle of overworking, under-earning, and financial stress, once and for all. She's the creator and host of the wildly successful "Hello Seven Podcast." And her brand new book was just released and it has been an instant BESTSELLER. It's called "We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman's Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power. Rodgers has been featured in Time, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company… just to name a few. She resides in North Carolina with her husband and four kids on their 53-acre ranch!  How awesome is THAT? She's truly living the DREAM THINK DO life and I can't wait to dive into her story… so let's get to this!

RESOURCES:

Rachel Rodger's Website: https://helloseven.co/

Rachel's Book: "We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman's Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power."

Rachel's Instagram: instagram.com/rachrodgersesq/

Hello Seven's Instagram: instagram.com/hello7co/

OTHER DREAM THINK DO EPISODES TO HELP WITH YOUR MILLIONAIRE MINDSET:

DTD Episode 194: Frank McKinney - Philanthro-capitalism, living life, making money and giving back!

DTD Episode 233: Jaime Cross - She asked for a Billion Dollar Idea

DTD Episode 228: J Lee - Let me go do it like it's never been done before

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 2:24 Welcome Rachel
• 3:40 Conversation starts
• 6:05 What life was like for Rachel growing up
• 11:16 Giving yourself permission to make a career change
• 15:48 Don't let people talk you out of your ideas
• 17:30 Why we should all build wealth
• 23:40 Becoming a millionaire stats with your mindset
• 33:11 Practical tools you can use to start making the money you want
• 41:15 What Rachel wishes she would have known sooner
• 43:42 Mitch's biggest takeaways

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

What did YOU think?  I want to hear from YOU!  

Which stories stood out to you? Where are you needing/wanting to work on your money mindset? 

What's something that really resonated with you (big or small)?  

And… most importantly… what's something you're going to DO (big or small) as a result?  

Seriously… let me know. I can't wait to hear from you!

Erin Rollenhagen is joining us!  Erin is the founder and CEO of Entrepreneurial Technologies - which is a people friendly-tech company based in Des Moines, Iowa.  She's also the author of "Soul Uprising - which is an incredible book that encourages entrepreneurs and business leaders to trust their purpose and embrace IMPACT as the true measurement of success.  Erin joined us back in episode 253…where we talked about how you can be strong AND authentic.

It's a powerful episode and one of our most popular of 2020… so I encourage you to go back and check it out.  Since that time, Erin has continued in her leadership at Entrepreneurial Technologies… AND she's also found herself consulting entrepreneurs and other business leaders to navigate the wild emotional ride of entrepreneurship and leadership… in life in general… as well as during crazy times.

We recently reconnected and as I heard about that work… I wanted to have her back on the show to talk about some of the strategies she uses herself… and well as what she suggests for her clients… especially when it comes to our emotions… and thriving at any time… but especially during unpredictable times.  So let's get to it!

RESOURCES:

Erin's first DTD appearance: https://mitchmatthews.com/253

ERIN'S BOOK: "Soul Uprising"  

Please link to: https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Uprising-Erin-Rollenhagen/dp/0578531860/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1578696966&sr=8-1

ERIN'S WEBSITE: erinrollenhagen.com

ERIN'S INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/erollenhagen

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 Can you resonate with this?
• 3:36 Welcome back Erin!
• 5:54 One myth about emotions that most leaders believe
• 9:26 The most common answer to "How are you?"
• 10:14 How to start freeing up your schedule
• 14:45 Categorizing your schedule
• 20:38 Practical tools that make your schedule easier
• 25:35 Is your ego running your schedule?
• 32:18 How Erin avoids burnout
• 38:10 What Erin wishes she knew earlier
• 39:25 Mitch's biggest takeaways

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

What did YOU think?  I want to hear from YOU!  

Which strategies stood out to you?  Where are you needing/wanting to work on your emotions and being more intentional about your emotional state?  

What's something that really resonated with you (big or small)?  And… most importantly… what's something you're going to DO (big or small) as a result?  

Seriously… let me know. I can't wait to hear from you!

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today!
• 2:39 Jillian 'Juggernaut' Michaels
• 5:28 What Jillian wanted to be when she grew up
• 6:11 Jillian's journey to finding her dream job
• 11:56 Why Jillian almost turned down The Biggest Loser
• 15:11 The downside of being a reality tv star
• 20:33 Holding both your dreams and reality
• 25:43 Why Jillian hates social media
• 35:55 Dream Think Do-er Q&A
• 36:14 What drives Jillian
• 37:52 Bring it back to your 'why'
• 39:16 How Jillian balances a healthy lifestyle with her family
• 42:40 Jillian's hope for the future
• 47:31 Wisdom of the week
• 29:21 Mitch's biggest takeaways

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

What did YOU think?  I want to hear from YOU!  

What inspired you about Jillian's story?  What stood out to you about her journey?  What resonated?  What made you wonder?  What's something that you heard?  What's something you're going to do as a result?  Seriously… let me know. I can't wait to hear from you!

In this solo episode, Mitch Matthews shares an honest, behind-the-scenes story that started with a season of struggle, turned into a desperate idea… and accidentally launched a movement that's now inspired thousands of people to get clear on their big dreams and goals and move forward with courage and clarity. 

You'll hear about the surprising origin of the very first Big Dream Gathering - an experiment that started in their living room and eventually led to events hosted around the country.  These events have helped people to get clear and get connected and get big dreams done.

But this episode isn't just about the past - it's about how to move forward. 

In it… Mitch breaks down what he calls the "Category Compass" - a science-backed tool that helps you cut through the pressure, bypass fear, and start dreaming again (or maybe for the first time)… even if you feel stuck, tired, or unclear on what's next.

Whether you've got big goals or you're just trying to figure out your next chapter… this one's for you.

Listen now - and then share it with a friend you want to dream with. Because we're not meant to do this alone.

FULL SHOW NOTES HERE: https://mitchmatthews.com/437

Jillian Michaels is our guest this week.  As you probably know… Jillian is one of the world's leading fitness experts.  She's also a renowned nutritionist.  And… you may or may not know this… but she's an incredible entrepreneur.  Listen to this… in the past decade… her company, Empowered Media has become a juggernaut within the wellness industry… providing products and solutions spanning all aspects of... living a healthy life… as you live your best life.  One of their most recent huge successes has been their app.  It's simply called:  Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App.  It's one of the top rated fitness apps and it's won multiple awards from Apple and Google!  You'll want to check it out… because it is impressive… and incredibly helpful!Plus… and let's just bullet point a few more things here… she has over 100 million followers worldwide on the interwebs, she has a top rated podcast  (Keeping it Real with Jillian Michaels), she's released 20 fitness DVDs that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide.  There's so much more too!  But the biggest thing is that she's a big believer in dreaming bigger, thinking better and doing more of what you're planet to do.  So we talk about THAT and how she's done those things in her own life.  I think you're going to love this one so let's get to it!

What's that piece of wisdom you wish you'd known earlier when it comes to getting clear and going after dreams and goals?

RESOURCES

• Website: https://www.jillianmichaels.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillianmichaels/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillianmichaels/ 
•  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillianMichaels

Her newest book: The 6 Keys: Unlock Your Genetic Potential for Ageless Strength, Health, and Beauty, is available now on Amazon.    

ABOUT THE FITNESS APP BY JILLIAN MICHAELS:

It's so comprehensive.  Customizable fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness features in one single, seamless platform. There's a free trial and variety of premium subscription options available at: https://www.jillianmichaels.com.  (FYI: We don't receive any payments for this endorsement.)

 

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

Speaking of apps… the DREAM TOGETHER app is here!  It's designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with others so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

• STEP 1: Download the app.
• • Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE
  • Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE
• STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
• STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
• STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

MORE ABOUT JILLIAN AND THE EPISODE: 

Here's a few more stats and facts about Jillian Michaels:

• She has over 100 million followers worldwide on the interwebs
• She has a top rated podcast  (Keeping it Real with Jillian Michaels) 
• She's released 20 fitness DVDs that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide.

And...

• Jillian's the author of EIGHT New York Times bestsellers… including her most recent book… The 6 Keys: Unlock Your Genetic Potential for Ageless Strength, Health, and Beauty, is available now.   

Most importantly…  

She's the mom to two amazing kiddos… and she's an incredible human.  Jillian is living the DREAM THINK DO life… so it's a true honor to have her on the show!  Let's do this… Jillian Michaels… welcome to DREAM THINK DO.

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today! 
• 2:39 Jillian 'Juggernaut' Michaels
• 5:28 What Jillian wanted to be when she grew up
• 6:11 Jillian's journey to finding her dream job
• 11:56 Why Jillian almost turned down The Biggest Loser
• 15:11 The downside of being a reality tv star
• 20:33 Holding both your dreams and reality 
• 25:43 Why Jillian hates social media
• 35:55 Dream Think Do-er Q&A
• 36:14 What drives Jillian
• 37:52 Bring it back to your 'why'
• 39:16 How Jillian balances a healthy lifestyle with her family
• 42:40 Jillian's hope for the future
• 47:31 Wisdom of the week
• 29:21 Mitch's biggest takeaways

 

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

What did YOU think?  I want to hear from YOU!  

What inspired you about Jillian's story?  What stood out to you about her journey?  What resonated?  What made you wonder?  What's something that you heard?  What's something you're going to do as a result?  Seriously… let me know. I can't wait to hear from you!

Jillian Michaels is our guest this week.  As you probably know… Jillian is one of the world's leading fitness experts.  She's also a renowned nutritionist.  And… you may or may not know this… but she's an incredible entrepreneur.  Listen to this… in the past decade… her company, Empowered Media has become a juggernaut within the wellness industry… providing products and solutions spanning all aspects of... living a healthy life… as you live your best life.  One of their most recent huge successes has been their app.  It's simply called:  Jillian Michaels: The Fitness App.  It's one of the top rated fitness apps and it's won multiple awards from Apple and Google!  You'll want to check it out… because it is impressive… and incredibly helpful!Plus… and let's just bullet point a few more things here… she has over 100 million followers worldwide on the interwebs, she has a top rated podcast  (Keeping it Real with Jillian Michaels), she's released 20 fitness DVDs that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide.  There's so much more too!  But the biggest thing is that she's a big believer in dreaming bigger, thinking better and doing more of what you're planet to do.  So we talk about THAT and how she's done those things in her own life.  I think you're going to love this one so let's get to it!

What's that piece of wisdom you wish you'd known earlier when it comes to getting clear and going after dreams and goals?

RESOURCES

• Website: https://www.jillianmichaels.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillianmichaels/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillianmichaels/ 
•  Twitter: https://twitter.com/JillianMichaels

Her newest book: The 6 Keys: Unlock Your Genetic Potential for Ageless Strength, Health, and Beauty, is available now on Amazon.    

ABOUT THE FITNESS APP BY JILLIAN MICHAELS:

It's so comprehensive.  Customizable fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness features in one single, seamless platform. There's a free trial and variety of premium subscription options available at: https://www.jillianmichaels.com.  (FYI: We don't receive any payments for this endorsement.)

 

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

Speaking of apps… the DREAM TOGETHER app is here!  It's designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with others so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

• STEP 1: Download the app.
• • Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE
  • Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE
• STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
• STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
• STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

MORE ABOUT JILLIAN AND THE EPISODE: 

Here's a few more stats and facts about Jillian Michaels:

• She has over 100 million followers worldwide on the interwebs
• She has a top rated podcast  (Keeping it Real with Jillian Michaels) 
• She's released 20 fitness DVDs that have sold over 100 million copies worldwide.

And...

• Jillian's the author of EIGHT New York Times bestsellers… including her most recent book… The 6 Keys: Unlock Your Genetic Potential for Ageless Strength, Health, and Beauty, is available now.   

Most importantly…  

She's the mom to two amazing kiddos… and she's an incredible human.  Jillian is living the DREAM THINK DO life… so it's a true honor to have her on the show!  Let's do this… Jillian Michaels… welcome to DREAM THINK DO.

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today! 
• 2:39 Jillian 'Juggernaut' Michaels
• 5:28 What Jillian wanted to be when she grew up
• 6:11 Jillian's journey to finding her dream job
• 11:56 Why Jillian almost turned down The Biggest Loser
• 15:11 The downside of being a reality tv star
• 20:33 Holding both your dreams and reality 
• 25:43 Why Jillian hates social media
• 35:55 Dream Think Do-er Q&A
• 36:14 What drives Jillian
• 37:52 Bring it back to your 'why'
• 39:16 How Jillian balances a healthy lifestyle with her family
• 42:40 Jillian's hope for the future
• 47:31 Wisdom of the week
• 29:21 Mitch's biggest takeaways

 

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

What did YOU think?  I want to hear from YOU!  

What inspired you about Jillian's story?  What stood out to you about her journey?  What resonated?  What made you wonder?  What's something that you heard?  What's something you're going to do as a result?  Seriously… let me know. I can't wait to hear from you!

In this very special episode of DREAM THINK DO… we're talking about our "Hiro's Journey (so far).  That's right!  We got a new puppy and I'm sharing some of the fun (and messy) adventures we've had in THIS dream journey that's been 30 years in the making.

We'll talk about pursuing buried dreams.  How prayer played out in THIS story.  We'll talk about road trips involving 1,700+ miles… VEGAS baby… messes… mistakes… and majestic views.

In this end, this is a very real… very raw… look at the last few months and some of the things a very cute (and messy) puppy has been teaching me about pursuing dreams and living life.  Let me know what you think!

RESOURCES:

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

That's right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!

The "Dream Together" app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

STEP 1: Download the app.

• Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE

• Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE

STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo

STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!

STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

Let's do this!

KEY POINTS & CUTE PUPPY PICS:

"If one of your dreams isn't right for this season of your life, it doesn't mean that it's a bad dream.  It just means it's not the right time to pursue it.  Dig into the dreams that are right for this season… and know that the right season will come."

I prayed a dangerous prayer…

"If you want it to happen, make it an adventure."

Avoid "Future Tripping." It's where you spend all your time thinking about the future.  Instead, focus on what you can be doing in the present moment.  That's where the real magic happens.

Some fun pics: Click here to see the pics

 

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 2:00 Episode begins
• 3:16 The dream that has been in the works for 30 years
• 11:48 When Mitch's puppy dream started to come true
• 17:41 How prayer played into Mitch's dream journey
• 24:51 How even the random people you meet can serve your dream
• 32:06 Looking for the adventure in everything
• 39:15 Remind yourself of the truth
• 39:55 Where the name Hiro came from
• 43:27 The dangers of perfection
• 48:24 The puppy policy and how to apply it
• 50:54 What are your thoughts? Connect with Mitch!

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

What do YOU think?  I want to hear from YOU!  Which parts of the story do you resonate with?  What clicked with you?  What are your thoughts on puppy training?  What have pets taught YOU about life?  How does prayer fit into your dream pursuits? Seriously… let me know. I can't wait to hear from you!

Today, we're talking with Karena and Mia Steir.  These are two amazing humans… with incredible stories.  But we're going to focus on ONE particular story from something that started at a BIG Dream Gathering a few years ago.  I mentioned this story in episode 311 and you guys let me know you LOVED it.  It was the story of Mia… who came to the BIG Dream Gathering and decided that one of her big dreams was to write a book.  Well… she was really inspired by a number of people in the room… (and her mom Karena).  So… with the support of her parents… Mia got 'er done and wrote that book ("Victoria… the Drama Investigator) in record time!!!  Not only that but she was able to get that book into schools across the country!  So, we're going to dig into their inspiring story… and more importantly, talk about the power of pursuing dreams at ANY age and the surprise gifts that can come along the way.  Let's get to this!

 

RESOURCES:

Click here to find out more about Mia's book, "Victoria - The Drama Investigator."  

Click here to connect with Kerena Steir on LinkedIn

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

It's designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with others so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

• STEP 1: Download the app.
• • Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE
  • Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE
• STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
• STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
• STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

PICS from Mia's Dream Journey: Click here

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 1:48: Download the dream together app
• 2:50 Karena and Mia Steir
• 4:11 Conversation starts
• 4:57 When Mia knew she could dream big
• 6:23 How Mia turned her dream sheet into a reality 
• 11:45 Why Mia's book should be in every school
• 17:20 What Mia has learned chasing her dream
• 19:40 When Mia went on a mini speaking tour
• 25:11 Learning challenges and gifting
• 31:50 Advice for anyone scared to dream
• 33:06 Advice for parents that have a dreaming kid
• 35:04 Mitch's biggest takeaways 

 

MORE ON THE EPISODE:

After I shared Mia's story in episode 311 of DREAM THINK DO, her Mom, Karena, reached out with an update.  And once I heard THAT… I asked if I could have them both join me on the show to share it.  Because… well… you guys HAVE to hear the "rest of the story!"  It's a great example of what we talk about in the fact that when you start out to pursue ONE dream… you never know where it might take you.

We're going after the BIG question of "How do you stick with a dream?" This is one of the most common questions we get at LIVE events and as people are using our "Dream Together" app.  It's totally understandable.  They get excited about a new dream… but then the fear starts to creep in.  They start to wonder if they can stay with it and achieve their goals.  So the dream gets shut down before they even get started.  Well, in this episode, we dive into 3 powerful strategies in 15 minutes.  These concepts will help you START and STICK with it!  Let's do this!  

 

RESOURCES: 

3 Things I've learned from 250 Episodes of DREAM THINK DO: https://mitchmatthews.com/250/

Forged By Adversity - with Navy Seal Chad Williams:  www.mitchmatthews.com/295

Post Traumatic GROWTH: www.MitchMatthews.com/172

Antonio Neves: "STOP LIVING ON AUTOPILOT."  www.MitchMatthews.com/307 

 

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

It's designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with others so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

• STEP 1: Download the app.
• • Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE
  • Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE
• STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo
• STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!
• STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

QUOTES:

 

"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the   

  seed of an equal or greater benefit." – Napoleon Hill

 

"Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, 

  and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity." – Lou Holtz

"Truth 1: Adversity is going to come… 

And Truth 2: You're tougher than you think!" - Mitch Matthews

"Adversity causes some people to break; others to break records." – William Arthur Ward

 

"The most successful people see adversity not as a stumbling block, but as a stepping-stone to greatness." – Shawn Anchor

 

Post-Traumatic GROWTH: 

"A positive psychological change experienced as the result of adversity leading to 

  a higher level of functioning."

 

PRE-Traumatic Growth - Definition 

"Positive psychological changes leading to more focus, energy, engagement and joy in the face of life's challenges.  

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 1:06 Download the Dream Together App!
• 2:10 Today's Question: How do I commit to a dream?
• 4:39 The magic of learning something new
• 5:56 Decide to do it! But…adversity may arise.
• 11:11 Learning from others' stories
• 12:54 The power in finishing
• 14:47 Do the math: Go after small wins

MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE (TRANSCRIPT):

All right. DREAM THINK DOer, like I said, this is a part of our Dream Together series. So we're going after big questions, questions that we've gotten at our live events over the years and questions that we get as people are using our Dream Together app to go after new dreams, new goals. The one we're going after today is something that so often happens. It's something that can kind of bubble up. I can remember at so many different live events, people would step to the mic at the end of the event to do this Q&A, and they would ask a version of this question: How can I stick with a dream? And you could feel all the emotions that were tied to a question like this. Sometimes it was fear, sometimes it was weariness, but you can also feel these elements of hope, sometimes excitement, sometimes life, because people had gotten clear on a new dream or maybe unearthed, kind of helped and remembered a very dream.

And now they're asking this question of how do I know I'm going to stick with it? You could tell they didn't want to waste time. They didn't want to look silly. At the same time, they were also maybe feeling a little childlike wonder, giving themselves that permission to ask, what if? That feeling of life that starts to happen when we start to recognize a new dream or an old goal that might be percolating to the top. Right? And if you've had that question, how do I know I'm going to stick with it? How can I stick with it? I want to give you three strategies to help some concepts that you'll be able to apply immediately.

All right. So let's get to this. Truth number one, strategy number one is be willing to be a novice. That's right. Give yourself permission to be new at something. Now, we talked a little bit about this in episode 250. It's something I've had to learn, and it's something that I know a lot of you have had to learn. Here's the thing. With DREAM THINK DO, we've got a lot of people that listen, obviously, a lot of successful people. And success is fantastic, it's awesome, right? But success can also be dangerous because if we're successful in one area, it can also make us start to be scared to be a novice in another area. Right? It's one of those things where a success is wonderful.

But when it starts to make us kind of limit ourselves, to start not allowing ourselves to try new things, to go and learn new things because we don't want to look new, we don't want to look like a beginner, but isn't it amazing? I mean, when you think about it, when you've given yourself the chance to learn something new, hasn't there been magic in that? Maybe that whole thing of not having to be great at something? Kind of feels like freedom to be able to explore something with relatively no expectations other than to learn. Right? That's what we're talking about, to be able to say, "Hey, I want to learn as I go." Because if we give ourselves that permission, there's really no failure. Because as long as we're learning, as long as we're moving forward, there's no failure.

And I know for me, with some of the different businesses that we have launched, sometimes some of our attempts, some of our experiments have gone down in flames. But when I look back, I also realize that's when we've learned the most, whether it's learning the most about what we need to be doing or learning the most about ourselves. And so it's one of those things to be able to say, hey, give yourself that permission to be a novice, to learn something new, try something different. It's what brings a lot of magic to life. It's also what allows us to pursue and stick with those new dreams and goals. Right? So give yourself that permission. Be a novice once in a while. All right.

Truth number two, strategy number two is decide to do it and know that adversity is part of the ride. Now you might be like, "All right, Mr. Good News." Right? To be able to talk right out of the gate about adversity. But I think it's something we have to talk about, and that's something we do with DREAM THINK DO. Right? We operate in truth. We speak to the hard truth of things. And I think if you're a DREAM THINK DOer, you appreciate that. And I know this sounds simple, but it's easy I think for people, when they start to experience adversity, to say, "Oh, I must be doing something wrong. Oh, I must not be supposed to do this." Right? But here's the thing is, when we start to realize adversity can also be a sign that we're onto something big, sometimes that helps us to flip the script.

I love what Chad Williams said in episode 295. You may remember, but Chad is a retired Navy SEAL, and the Navy SEALs are these elite fighting force for the United States, and in many ways they're the best of the best. But they had truly flipped the script on adversity. They've started to appreciate adversity. In fact, one of their main mottos, one of their creeds for a SEAL is forged by adversity. They celebrate it. They know it's coming. And instead of just trying to avoid it at all costs, they know that it makes them stronger, not in some kind of misogynistic way or masochistic way, all that, but they actually understand that adversity makes them strong. And if we're going to be honest, adversity also is sometimes what makes life rich. I love what Napoleon Hill said on this point. He said, "Every adversity, every failure, every heartache, carries with it a seed of equal or greater benefit." One of the greatest coaches of all time, Lou Holtz said, "Show me someone who has done something worthwhile and I will show you someone who has overcome adversity."

So going after our dreams and goals, we know that we're going to face some adversity, adversity is going to come, but also want to encourage you that you are tougher than you think. You are stronger than you think, and I think we need to be reminded of that as well. Right? The topic of grit, the topic of resiliency is a very popular topic right now, and that's good. Right? And I know that sometimes it's easy to look at someone and say, "Oh, that person's really resilient." Maybe it's a World War II survivor, or somebody that's done something huge, and maybe they're further along in their life, and you look at that person, you go, "Man, that person is resilient." They don't have to necessarily be a Navy SEAL, but you can look at that and go, "Gosh, am I that resilient?" And it's one of those things where all of a sudden comparison can start to come in, especially on this topic and say, "Gosh, am I as resilient as filling the blank?"

And that's why I personally like this term called micro-resiliency. Micro-resiliency, and those are small daily choices to stick, small but significant choices to stay with it. Micro-resiliency literally is being able to choose day to day, minute by minute, to be just a little bit more resilient. I love this quote from William Arthur Ward. It says, "Adversity causes some people to break, but others, it causes them to break records." Come on. And it's one of those things where resiliency, and more specifically, micro-resiliency... Not say or try to weigh whether you're resilient or not, but to say, "I'm going to try my best to be resilient in this moment." Well, that can make all the difference. It also helps to understand some of the fields of research when it comes to positive psychology on this front.

One of the things that's bubbled up is something called post-traumatic growth, which is a positive, psychological change experienced as the result of adversity leading, to a higher level of functioning. Post-traumatic growth. Now we know trauma can be brutal, right? And I'm definitely not trying to dismiss that at all, but it's one of those things where we can also say when we look back on a lot of the challenges. I know that that's also oftentimes some of the most rich times in our life, or at least it produces tremendous fruit. Now here's the thing though... And by the way, we go after post-traumatic growth, that concept, in-depth in episode 172, and I'll include all these show notes in this particular episode, so you can go back and check out those in more depth if you want to.

But as I dug into this concept of post-traumatic growth, later I realized there's also something called pre-traumatic growth, which sounds pretty good. And what that is, is that is actually learning from other people's adversity. Pre-traumatic growth, and what that is, if you want to flip that definition a little bit, pre-traumatic growth is positive psychological changes, leading to more focused energy engagement and joy by learning from other people's stories and strategies of facing adversity. Now, I like that, and that's probably one of the big reasons why you listen to DREAM THINK DO, is you're willing to actually lean into a little pre-traumatic growth, to be able to say, "Hey, I know adversity is going to come. That's life. That's also what happens when you pursue dreams. So I want to learn from other people's adversity. I want to learn from other people's stories."

Because I'm guessing that as you've learned from some of the episodes that you've heard, some of the interviews that you've heard, some of the stories that you've heard, that you can say, "Hey, gosh, I haven't faced that particular adversity, but I can learn from her story. I can learn from his story," and that's what we want to do. So I just want to encourage you to say, "Hey, I'm going to go after this. I'm going to decide to go after this. I know that adversity is going to come. That's a part of life. That's what in many ways makes life rich. And I am going to learn from others. I'm going to learn from my own adversity, but I'm also going to learn from others." And that's why I want to commend you for listening, listening to DREAM THINK DO, investing in yourself and growing. So that's tip number two.

Now tip number three, truth number three, strategy number three is going to bring us home, and that is simply to finish something. I know it sounds so simple, but it is so powerful. My friend and pastor and DREAM THINK DO guest, Antonio Neves, just wrote a book called Stop Living on Autopilot. I talked with him in-depth about it in episode 307. And I got to tell you, Antonio was just interviewed on The Today Show, and he killed it. He absolutely killed it. They were talking with him about this book. And one of the subjects that came up when it comes to not living on autopilot anymore, not living on cruise control anymore, is he spoke to the power of finishing something. Again, the field of positive psychology tells us over and over that regular ongoing achievement leads to higher levels of competence and higher levels of joy.

Now we're talking about small wins on a regular basis, right? But we also know as DREAM THINK DOers that a job left undone, gosh, there is nothing more draining than a job left undone. Right? Now, what I love about this concept, the concept of finishing something is... Antonio digs into this concept in-depth in his book, and again, the book is called Stop Living on Autopilot. You're going to want to check it out. But he makes the point that finishing something doesn't have to be big things all the time. You don't have to finish the Mona Lisa. You don't have to write the next greatest American novel to finish something, to have that feeling. It can really be small wins. And when we're going after a new goal, a new dream, that's what we're looking for is the small steps that you can take and take them over time. Celebrate those wins.

So if you're needing to learn something new, search for a TED Talk on that subject and celebrate watching a kick-butt 18-minute presentation on the subject as opposed to getting lost in your social media feed. Or if you want to expand your network, reach out and do a coffee, a virtual coffee or a real coffee with someone and celebrate taking 30 minutes to connect with someone that inspires you. Don't beat yourself up for not having the whole thing done. Celebrate, finish that small, but significant step. Maybe if your goal is to get in shape, don't beat yourself up for not being able to run a marathon yet, but get out there and spend 20 minutes walking around your neighborhood and enjoy the simplicity of soaking up some sun and actually feel that accomplishment. Or maybe if you're wanting to write a book. I know a lot of people using the Dream Together app, that's one of the big goals that's out there, right? They want to write a book. And maybe you're beating yourself up for not finishing the book yet.

Here's what I want to do is I want to encourage you, go after those small wins. Think about this, just do the math. If you just write three pages a day and celebrate that, finish three pages a day over the course of a hundred days, that's just a third or a little less than a third of the year, you'll have 300 pages. That's pretty amazing. And it's one of those things that you could be celebrating those wins, those mini goals, and finish those along the way. And like we said, when you finish something, it increases our sense of happiness, our sense of confidence and our ability to be resilient. And that's what I want for you. Those are three keys to sticking with it.

Number one, be willing to be a novice, give yourself permission to start something and be new at it. Enjoy that. Number two, decide to do it and know that adversity is going to be a part of the ride. It's a part of the journey. It's something that makes it rich. And number three, finish something. Give yourself permission to finish something. Small wins along the way will make the journey so much better, and it'll also help to bring joy, confidence, strength, and resiliency as you do. Those are the three strategies, three keys, three truths.

And I want to hear from you. What do you think? Plus, I want to hear from you, what's something that helps you stick? All right. Let me know. You can go to mitchmatthews.com\320. That's where we'll include links to all the show notes, as well as all the episodes I mentioned, some other resources to be able to dig into, all of that. Plus you can leave a comment and I do want to hear from you, what's something that helps you stick? Or what's a way that you're going to try one of these truths, one of these strategies today? I want to hear from you. Let me know, again, at mitchmatthews.com/320.

Now I'm going to give you one last bonus, one last tip, and that is don't do it alone. Okay? That's our fourth truth, and maybe even the most important. We're going to keep it short though, because what I can do is to say, "Hey, don't go after that dream by yourself, dream together." Now that's a little bit of a pitch to get you over to download our app called Dream Together. If you're not already there, it's going to be something that's going to allow you to write down some of your dreams, capture some of those dreams, get clear on some of those dreams, but also to not do it alone. You'll be able to dream together with other like-minded people.

So download the app, it's called Dream Together, and when it asks you to create the profile, it's going to ask you for a code. Go ahead and plug in DREAMTHINKDO, make it one word, and that's going to allow you to dream together with other DREAM THINK DO listeners, other like-minded people that are going after their dreams, people that want to dream bigger, think better and do more of what they were put on the planet to do, and they want to see you do that too. So go ahead and download the app and join us because hey, that fourth truth is so, so true. Don't do it alone. Remember to dream together.

All right. That's it for this episode. I think I did go a little over our 15-minute goal, but hey, hopefully, you got a little grace because that's important too as we walk out our dreams and goals together. Have a little grace for each other and it makes it so much sweeter. All right. Hey, we've got some amazing episodes coming your way, some incredible interviews, some additional deep dives and more in our Dream Together series. But until we connect again, please keep bringing your awesome because the world, it needs more of it. Talk soon.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

Leave a comment and let me know what YOU think!  How do you stay resilient?  What are some things that you do to STICK with a dream.  I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts!

Leave a comment and let me know!

Katie Russell Newland is a writer and sports enthusiast based in Austin, Texas.  She has a PhD in language and literacy from the University of Texas. She's a survivor of both Hodgkin's lymphoma and melanoma… and I'm grateful to say… she's fully in remission.

Now… in 2018, Katie took an epic adventure and walked out a life-long dream. She traveled over 30,000 miles to visit 30 Major-League-Baseball parks in a single season to honor her late mother.  And this all culminated in her taking the mound at Wrigley Field... home of her absolute favorite baseball team of all time… to throw out the first pitch of a Chicago Cubs game!  How cool is THAT?  Now… Katie has a brand new that chronicles this incredible journey called, "A Season with Mom."  It's a true story of love, loss, baseball AND a dream that really did come true.  I can't wait to talk with Katie about it… so let's get to this!

RESOURCES:

Katie's Website: https://www.katierussellnewland.com/

Katie's Book on Amazon.  

KATIE'S DOCUMENTARY:

CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

Dig this one? Here are some other DREAM THINK DO Episodes we think you'd like:

Time to Dream Together: www.mitchmatthews.com/311

Permission to Dream (Again): www.mitchmatthews.com/309

Rob Harsh - How to Live in the Moment: www.mitchmatthews.com/157

 

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

That's right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!

The "Dream Together" app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

STEP 1: Download the app.

• Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE

• Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE

STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo

STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!

STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

Let's do this!

EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 Welcome to 319
• 2:20 Don't forget to download the Dream Together App
• 3:23 Get to know Katie
• 5:03 How Katie's dream journey began
• 7:56 When Katie gained the courage pressuring her dream
• 10:07 What you can learn from the game of baseball
• 14:02 Tips for sticking to your dreams
• 19:01 Katie's first pitch story
• 22:53 The feeling that Katie hopes her readers feel
• 25:06 Katie's advice for dreamers who are scared to move forward
• 25:51 Mitch's closing thoughts
•  

 

MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

Some Key Concepts from the Interview:

1. Dreams don't have timetables. 

Even if it takes thirty years, like it did for Katie, or one hundred eight (like it did for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series), dreams really can come true. It starts with finding a way to do what you love.

1. Dreams often fade over time, losing the brilliance of their original inspiration. 

We've all experienced it, even rationalized it. Circumstances change, nudging you to give up. You age, take on family responsibilities, face health concerns, lose loved ones before their time. 

As a result, dreams get written off. 

But maybe they don't have to be. Maybe there's a way of reimagining them. When Katie's mom died, she thought their shared dream of visiting all thirty Major League Baseball ballparks died too. Six years later, she took a journey of a lifetime, proving our thirty-year-old dream was still alive. 

1. Baseball reminds us that we can fail often and still be a Hall of Famer. 

One bad game doesn't determine our identity, and one losing season doesn't define our career. We need to know that in challenging moments, the potential for redemption remains. After all, baseball is the game of perpetual chances. Katie hopes her story sends the message that while you might be down now, it's never too late to stage a rally or a comeback. Trust that every wrong turn, every challenging moment is leading you to exactly where you need to be.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

 

Leave a comment and let me know what stood out from Katie's story!  I can't wait to hear from you!

We're doing a deep dive into the subject of asking for help.  That's a BIG question that comes up during our LIVE events all the time.  That makes sense though.  When people start to get clear on goals and dreams… they're often struck with the realization they can't do it alone.  We all know that if we want to accomplish BIG things… we can't fly solo.  BUT… asking for help can be hard.  So that's why we're going after this REALLY IMPORTANT SUBJECT!  And… since it's a part of our "Dream Together" series… we're keeping it to just about 15 minutes.  So let's get to it!  

RESOURCES:

RELATED DREAM THINK DO EPISODES:

JT Fox - Scoring Your Dream Job: https://mitchmatthews.com/jt-fox-scoring-dream-job

Mitch Matthews - 3 Keys to Meeting NEW People: www.mitchmatthews.com/198

Jamie Lieberman - HashTag Legal www.mitchmatthews.com/122 

Erin Rollenhagen - Be Strong and Authentic: https://mitchmatthews.com/253

Sheri Salata - Finding LOVE for Life Again:  https://mitchmatthews.com/312

 

EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:21 What to expect today
• 1:10 How do I ask for help?
• 2:20 Strategy One: Be ready for it to feel different
• 5:30 Strategy Two: Be open
• 6:17 Strategy Three: Don't be selfish
• 9:05 Strategy Four: Be real
• 9:33 Strategy Five: Be kind
• 10:15 Strategy Six: Be honoring
• 13:47 Strategy Seven: Keep it simple
• 15:05 Strategy Eight: Be grateful
• 16:15 Strategy Nine: What did you hear and what will you do about it?

THE EPISODE - WORD FOR WORD:

All right. Hello and welcome Dream. Think. Doer to episode 318. That's right, this is another in our Dream Together Series. These are special episodes to get you specific strategies in 15 minutes or less. And this is all about helping those folks that are going after dreams, specifically, a little bit more specifically, those folks that are now using our Dream Together app.

It's been absolutely amazing to see this thing start to reach people around the world. Dream. Think. Doers and others are starting to use the app to dream together, but we've had questions come in, right? And I love this. I love that we're getting to respond to this, but what we wanted to do is go after some of the most common questions with this Dream Together Series. And in this particular episode, we're going to go after specific strategies to answer the question, "How do I ask for help?"

So whether you're using Dream Together or not, I'm guessing that if you're listening to this, you are Dream. Think. Doer. You are going after dreams. And here's the deal, something that I've learned, I'll bet it's something that you've learned. That when we go after dreams, when we pursue dreams, when we are trying to grow something, we eventually have to realize at some point, we're going to need some help. We can't do it on our own. Listen, I know you are a wildly talented, amazing individual, but if we're going to grow something that's bigger than ourselves, we have to ask for help, right?

In this episode, I'm going to get you some quick tips, thoughts, strategies, even dare I say, musings. All of which, each one of these, I could go probably 45 minutes to an hour on, but I'm going to try to get these tips strategies to you in two minutes or less, to get an all total of 15 minutes or less on this episode, we'll see how we do. But the whole goal is to get you what you need so that you can truly get out there and go after and achieve more of your dreams and goals. All right?  So let's get after this. 

 

NUMBER ONE: BE READY FOR IT TO FEEL DIFFERENT: 

Be ready for it to feel different. 

Listen, if you are a highly successful person, you're an achiever, there's a good chance that you know you need to ask for help, but it may not in fact be what is your norm, right? It might feel like there's some dissonance when you go to do it. You'll like this.

Recently I came across some information that may sound tangential, but I believe it relates. And that is we learn to communicate in two different ways. One is called formulaic language theory. You'll be able to amaze your friends at dinner parties with this.

Now formulaic language theory is something that our brain loves to do. It's where we start to use formulas for communicating. There's a good chance that when you walk into a store and somebody says, "Can I help you?" you say, "No, thank you. Just looking." That's formulaic. That's where our brain starts to use these patterns so that we don't have to think as much.

Now the challenge with formulaic language thinking or theory, is that this starts to actually have an impact on all of our relationships. Maybe you have a good friend. Maybe you are in a long-term relationship, maybe your spouse, you start to move into formulaic language theories. Maybe dinner starts to sound pretty similar every night. Maybe those phone calls start to sound pretty similar every day. That is formulaic language theory. Your brain is trying to get you to use patterns, so it doesn't have to think as much.

Now here's the thing. The opposite of that is something called generative language theory. Now it feels different, as you can imagine. But that is where we treat each individual as an individual, each conversation as something to discover, something to engage in. And it's one of those things that, to be perfectly honest, our brain can rail against a little bit, because it takes more energy. But at the same time, that's where the magic happens, isn't it?

If we treat a conversation with an individual, whether it's our spouse, a good friend, or even somebody at the store, sometimes we can uncover some of the most amazing conversations, right? I don't know about you, but I've had amazing conversations with people standing at a cash register, just because I was in the moment and stayed with it, right? That generative language theory.

Now, again, when you start to move into this, your brain rails against it, because it's going against the patterns that you've learned are efficient and all of those things, right? So in the same way that when we start to ask for help, our brain may in fact rail against that because it steps outside our norm. So just because it starts to feel uncomfortable, doesn't mean that it's wrong, right? It just means that it's new.

Okay, so formulaic language theory versus generative language theory. How about that for a little bit of science? Okay. That's a little heady, but the rest of these I think are going to go faster and a little bit smoother. But hopefully that helps to just help you to know that when we go to do this, it might feel a little weird, it might be a little new, but that doesn't mean it's wrong, okay?

Now that leads us to number two…

 

NUMBER TWO: BE OPEN

which is be open. And that's exactly what we've been talking about. Sometimes when we try something new, as in asking for help, it's going to feel different. And sometimes different feels wrong, right? Our brain is trying to process that as, "Wait, this feels different. This feels uncomfortable," right?

But as we start to grow, as we start to move forward, as we start to go after those things that are bigger than ourselves, we have to know we are growing. And a lot of growing means that we're going to experience new things. And a lot of new things means that it's going to feel different. And what we need to do is we need to be open to saying that different isn't bad, different is new, and I'm going to learn from that. Okay. So be open.

The next one might surprise you. 

 

NUMBER THREE: DON'T BE SELFISH

Now here's the thing. I used to think that it was selfish to ask for help, right? "Oh gosh, I'm going to be a burden. That's just selfish to ask somebody for help." But over the years, as we've done Big Dream gatherings around the country, as I've worked with my coaching clients one-on-one, as I've thought about my own life, my own business. When I look back, I realized that it's not selfish to ask for help. It's selfish to not ask for help.

Because I believe that when you need help, that means you're kind of walking around with a puzzle piece. And you may not in fact know, if you've ever put a puzzle together, you know how satisfying it is. There's those moments where you've got that puzzle piece and you're like, "This doesn't fit anywhere," right? You're about ready to give up, but then you find that locking piece, that piece that fits. And you're like, "Oh," the satisfaction that comes, right? So often when we're walking around needing help, it's like we're walking around with a puzzle piece. And that also means that somebody else has a puzzle piece that needs to lock in with yours.

I'll give you an example of this. One of my businesses is we help coaches around the world; life coaches, success coaches. And what's amazing about this is that I could not do this alone. I have a business partner in this. His name is David Nadler. I should have him on the show. He's one of my great friends. He's an incredible strategist. He's amazing.

Now what's amazing about David is that his skill sets are wildly different than mine. He doesn't want to do what I do. I don't want to do what he does. But we, years ago, were two people walking around with puzzle pieces, right? And I actually almost wanted to hide my puzzle piece, because some of the things that I couldn't do, I was embarrassed about. But David at the same time, was walking around with his puzzle piece and realizing the things that he wanted to do, he was needing somebody else to partner with him. And he was a little embarrassed about that too.

But boy, boom, when our puzzle pieces connected, when we were able to experiment and grow and learn from each other and try things, some things went down in flames; I can tell you ugly, messy flames, but some things have hit. And it's allowed us to reach people around the world to sell coaching programs and training and all of those things to thousands of people around the world, and more importantly, connect with great people, help great people to make more impact, all of those things. We couldn't have done it. If we'd been hiding our puzzle pieces, we only did it because we let those puzzle pieces show brightly.

So don't be selfish. Don't hide your puzzle piece, right? Recognize you need some help, but realize that when you find that locking puzzle piece, you're going to be helping somebody else walk out their dreams, walk out their goals, right? So that's number three.

NUMBER FOUR: BE REAL

Be real. And what I mean by that is, you need to admit you need help. 

As a recovering perfectionist… this is so hard. I know for me, it is so hard sometimes, because we want to feel like we got it all together. We want to feel like we're in control. We want to feel like we've got it covered, right? But we have to be real. We have to admit to ourselves and to others that we need help. And confession, confession is good for the soul, right?

NUMBER FIVE: BE KIND 

As you ask for help, be kind. I love this quote on kindness that I found from Eric Hoffer, he's an American philosopher, and author. And he said, 

"Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind." 

How awesome is that, right? He had another quote on the same subject and he talked about the juxtaposition, the opposite of that. He said, 

"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength." 

So let's be kind. As we ask for help, let's be kind.

Which also leads us to number six, which is be honoring, 

NUMBER SIX: BE HONORING

So, as we think about who might we ask for help, maybe we need insight. Maybe we need perspective. Maybe we need experience. Maybe we need wisdom. 

As you start to think about those people that may in fact, have some help for you, ask yourself, "Is this someone that makes their living from the area that I need help in?" 

And if it is, that's okay. Offer to pay them. 

Offer to pay them. Don't expect them to give it away. There's a good chance they have worked hard to learn the knowledge and the wisdom that they've achieved. So if they make their money from where you need help, then offer to pay them.

Here's a good rule of thumb. If you're tempted to send an email or a message asking to pick someone's brain, I just did air quotes. "Can I pick your brain?" ask yourself, does this person's job, does the work the way they make money, the way that they get paid, is it in relationship to the information I'm asking for? And if so, just offer to pay them for it.

Now some of you might be like, "But I don't have much money." 

Okay. And that's just fine, right? And if you're in those shoes, say, "Hey, if you make money from this, I want to honor that. I don't have a lot of money right now, but I would love a little bit of time just to run the idea past you." Just even asking 15 minutes. But at the very least, maybe even offer to pay them for 15 minutes.

Now there's a good chance that they will say, "Now, let's meet." There's a lot of people that if in fact they make money from where you're needing help, they will have a way for you to get a little bit of that help without having to pay. I know for me, as I do my coaching sessions and work with coaching clients, I always do a complimentary session on the front end. Because I want people to know what it's like to work with me, and I want to get to know them, see if we're a good fit.

I know that Jamie Lieberman, as an example, she is an attorney that I've interviewed for Dream. Think. Do. I have sent countless entrepreneurs to her. She specializes in working with online entrepreneurs. Jamie Lieberman, as an attorney, she gets paid for this information. She will do an introductory session with someone, get to know them a little bit, spend some time with them to get to know what their needs are. And then to be able to offer a little bit of information and then obviously, if she can help in some way where she gets paid, then she'll walk you through that.

So that's something to be able to speak to that, to honor that. At the same time, if they don't make money from what it is you're asking for help on, still honor them. You might offer it to buy a cup of coffee, take them to lunch. Now I know in our current pandemic scenario, that's a little bit hard to do, or it might be somebody on the other side of the planet. You can still do it though.

I just recently was asked, "Hey, could I pick your brain?" It was somebody that had been a guest on Dream. Think. Do. I loved their story, all of that. And they said, "Hey, I'd love to buy you coffee." And I'm like, "Okay, well you live on the other side of the planet. How are we going to do that?" And he said, "Uber Eats, I will send you a cup of coffee over Uber Eats, and we can have a Zoom call." Now, it was awesome. It's one of those things where I didn't expect that, but that was honoring. And I did, I took him up on it, because you guys know I love coffee. And it's just a great way to be able to say, "Hey, I want to honor your time," right? So that's number six, honor them.

NUMBER SEVEN: KEEP IT SIMPLE 

Letting people know, "Hey, I need your help," and be able to speak to it. 

To be able to say, "Hey, I can keep this short." And also let them know you have no expectations. Don't expect anything, especially before you have that conversation.

But here's what I'd suggest is, when you do connect, just let them know what you're working on and then just see if it resonates with them. That's what I like to do, is the only expectation is a couple of minutes to let you know what I'm working on, and then let's just see if it resonates. And if it does, then we can talk about the possibilities of working together on it. And if it doesn't, no harm, no foul. I love you. We're all good, right? That's powerful.

Now I will point to an extra tip here. This comes from JT Fox and my conversation with JT in episode 41. You can check it out at www.Mitchmatthews.com/041. JT used this strategy to get his dream job. He worked his way through a company that was his dream company and met and connected with a number of people. And one of the questions he always asked at the end of these conversations, whether the person was able to help him or not, one of the questions he always asked was, "Hey, whether you can help or not, who would you suggest? Who else should I be talking with?" Powerful question. That's the golden question, right?

NUMBER EIGHT: BE GRATEFUL

Be grateful. Say thank you. Be a blessing, right? If that person says yes and they help you, wonderful. If that person says, "No, I don't have time," still be grateful. Say thank you, right? I always say, my goal is that when someone thinks of me, my hope is that I've done something to bless them, so a smile comes to their face. That may sound cheesy. I don't know, but that's a good rule of thumb. And it winds up helping you to be more of a blessing as you walk around. And that's never a bad thing, right? So those are some of the strategies that I want you to be able to think through.

But here's the thing. What I want to do is we're going to wrap up with two last questions. Those questions are, as you think about the things that we talked about today, the things that we covered today, let's just walk through them. Be ready for it to feel different, to be open, don't be selfish, be real, be kind, be honoring, keep it simple and be grateful.

LAST TWO QUESTIONS:

As you think about those things, going to leave you with two last questions. 

The question are: 

• What did you hear? 
• What do you want to do as the result?

As I spoke, as I talked into your ear, as I whispered to you, what's something that stood out to you? What's something that's going to stick with you? And then to follow that up and say, what's something specific you're going to do with that information? What did you hear today, as you listened to this episode? And what's something specific, what's some small but significant action that you can take to move forward on that idea? All right. Those are the things I want to leave you with.

And I will say, as we wrap this up, this whole episode is about asking for help. So of course I want to ask you for help. You're a Dream. Think. Doer. We're in this together. So I've got some specific areas where I need help as well. So hopefully, it's okay. I'm going to ask. And that is hey, if you could help us out with the podcast, I would so love that. And that means that if you haven't left a review, wherever you listen to this podcast, please do. Every review counts. I read every review. It's a blessing. It helps us to grow the podcast. It helps us reach new people.

If you haven't already, hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. We've got more of these Dream Together Series coming your way. And also, please share this with a friend. If you know somebody that's working on something and they need that boost to go after the dream, to ask for help as they do, please share this with them, because that makes all the difference.

I can tell you that it's always amazing, it's always amazing when we get some help from a Dream. Think. Doer out there. I'm so grateful for you. And I'm so grateful that we're on this journey. I'm so grateful for your help along the way. And I'm so glad that we're in this together.

All right. So I will admit, I went a little over the 15 minutes. Hopefully you've got grace for me there, but I'm hoping that also something stuck with you today, because I know you're growing something. I know you're going after it. And as you do, you're going to need help. But know that as you ask for that help, there's a very good chance the person you ask for it, the people that you involve, they're going to be able to walk out some part of their dream as they do as well. So don't be selfish. Share that dream. Let's make it happen, all right?

Hey, I'll tell you what. We've got some more of this series. We've got some great interviews coming your way, so stay tuned for those. But until we connect again, keep bringing your awesome, because the world, it needs more of it. Talk soon.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

Leave a comment and let me know what's something that stood out to you from these EIGHT?  Just as importantly… what would you add to the list? I can't wait to hear from you!

Jessica Zweig is an award-winning entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of the SimplyBe Agency. It's a premier personal branding firm based in Chicago but they're serving clients across the globe. Jessica's got an amazing story of going from being a theater major… to launching her own magazine… to growing it to be the largest online magazine for women in Chicago for 7 years running.

That experience lit a passion for digital marketing… AND she realized she was REALLY good at it. Plus… she also started to live by her mantra of BEING fully authentic. All of this set her apart… and led her to create SimplyBe.

We're talking about her journey and what it takes to pursue your dreams, and do it in a way where you're true to yourself!  Let's do this!

RESOURCES:

Jessica's Book - "BE. A no BS guide to increasing your self-worth and net worth by simply being yourself"  Click here

Jessica's Instagram:www.instagram.com/jessicazweig

Jessica's Website: www.jessicazweig.com

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

That's right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!

The "Dream Together" app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

STEP 1: Download the app.

• Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE

• Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE

STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo

STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!

STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

Let's do this!

MORE ABOUT JESSICA AND THIS EPISODE:

Jessica's brand new bestselling book is called: "BE. A no-BS guide to increasing your self-worth and net worth by simply being yourself."  

Zweig's work in defining personal brands has gained her some impressive awards, including being named one of Crain's Chicago's 2020 Most Notable Entrepreneurs, one of Inc.'s Top Digital Marketer to Watch, and she's been named one of the Chicago Tribune's Top 10 Entrepreneurs to Follow. 

Zweig also received TWO Stevie Awards® of "Female Entrepreneur of the Year." 

Zweig is also the host of The SimplyBe. Podcast, one of the Top 20 Marketing podcasts on Apple Podcast. Guests of the show include NYT best-selling author Candace Bushnell, global peace ambassador Prem Rawat, and designer Rebecca Minkoff to name a few.

We're going to be talking about the importance of giving yourself room to pursue dreams… and be authentic and true to yourself as you do.  

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 1:36 Download the Dream Together App
• 2:49 Get to know Jessica
• 4:16 Conversation begins
• 5:55 How Jessica found the courage to go after her dreams
• 8:11 How Jessica kept herself going even in the hard times
• 12:09 Does fake it until you make it work?
• 16:22 Branding your dream
• 19:49 The different ways you can share your message
• 26:11 How Jessica lives and remains authentic
• 29:50 Wisdom of the week
• 31:07 Mitch's biggest takeaways

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:

What did you think of Jessica's story?  What stood out to you?  

Drop a comment below… and let me know.  I want to hear from YOU!

And hey… don't forget!  Join us on our DREAM TOGETHER app.  

We've got Dream Think Doers who are dreaming together AND some are setting up their own "Dream Together" groups too.  

The info is above or at: www.DreamTogether.co. 

Lastly, if this episode resonated with you… please share it with a friend!  

And as you do it… know I'm so grateful for YOU!

Keep bringing your awesome! 

Welcome to our special "Dream Together" Q&A series.  We're going after the biggest questions we've received over our 15 years of BIG Dream Gatherings.  That's right.  As we held these events around the country, we'd always wrap up with a Q&A with the audience.

That's when we'd go after the biggest questions and the biggest challenges people face when moving forward on their dreams and goals.

In today's episode, I'm going to offer some simple but powerful strategies to help you to get CLEAR and help you to get STARTED.  So… let's do this.

RESOURCES:

Episode 195: Shawn Askinosie: Finding Your Call and Feeding Your Soul: www.mitchmatthews.com/195 

Episode 250: 3 Things I've learned from 250 Episodes of DREAM THINK DO  (I talk about perfectionism in this one!) https://mitchmatthews.com/250/

Episode 262: Dan Grec: Finding Happiness Amid Chaos: https://mitchmatthews.com/262/

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

That's right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!

The "Dream Together" app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

STEP 1: Download the app.

• Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE

• Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE

STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo

STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!

STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

Let's do this!

MORE ABOUT THE EPISODE:

Okay… so as we've held our BIG Dream Gatherings around the country over the last 15 years… we'd always try to include a Q&A session at the end.

Now… if you're new to DREAM THINK DO… and you're not familiar with what a BIG DREAM GATHERING is… the short version of the story is… these are fun… HIGHLY interactive events that we'd hold… that would bring people together in a room… anywhere from 30 to 800 people at a time… I'd kick it off with a talk… but then we'd have people write down some of their goals and dreams on sheets of paper… post them on the walls… and then we'd invite everyone to go around the room to look at each other's dreams and then write notes on the "dream sheets."  

People could offer encouragement… ideas… suggestions and offers to help.  

Now… with the current season we're in… we've created an APP called "Dream Together" to provide the same opportunity… to… well… dream together… but now instead of being in the same room… we can do it from our phones and dream with people around the world.

It's pretty cool!

Well… as I was saying… when we'd hold our BIG DREAM GATHERINGS… we'd do a Q&A at the end to give people the chance to ask any questions about things that were holding them back.

And one of the biggest questions… one of the most common questions… that would almost ALWAYS come up was… "Which dream do I go after?"

It makes sense though… right?  People would come to this event… and come up with a couple… all the way to sometimes 20… to 30… dreams.

STORY ABOUT IAN.

So… they get excited… but then their brain starts to spin because they're thinking, "Great!  Now that I have clarity on all these things I want to do… things I could do… where do I start?  Which one should I go after first?"

And this is an important question for several reasons.

1. If you're a perfectionist… this question can KILL your dreams before you even get started!  You're sooooooooo worried about starting out with the PERFECT choice… and doing it PERFECTLY… that you never start.

"Perfectionism is the mother of Procrastination."
- Michael Hyatt

"The fastest way to break the cycle of
perfectionism is to give up the idea
of doing it perfectly and
instead embrace uncertainty and imperfection."
- Arianna Huffington

Or as I like to say…

"Progress beats perfection."

And…

"Let's learn as we go!"

 

2. Another reason it's a BIG question is… a lot of people are VERY busy… busy schedules… lots pulling at you… lots on your plate.  You probably don't have TONS and TONS of time… days and days… to just throw around.  SO… you want to be smart with how you're spending your time.  Hey… you're listening to DREAM THINK DO… so I'm betting you don't want to waste a day of the time you've got on this rock.  Am I right?

Those are 2 reasons… and there are many more.  BUT… since we're keeping this episode at 15 minutes… we'll leave it at that.

So let's get to those questions I promised you.

All right… maybe you've been using the DREAM TOGETHER app… and you've got a few dreams in mind… let's help you decide on which one to go after next.

So… the first question I like to ask in this scenario is… 

"Of all the dreams and goals you could go after… which might be the best in THIS season of your life?"

It's a simple… but powerful question.

It's all about thinking about your CURRENT SEASON… and then weighing out which dreams would be the best fit for you… right now?

And I think it is important to mention… that just because a dream isn't right for "this season" of your life… it doesn't mean that's a bad dream… or a silly dream.  It's just not right for THIS season.  So give yourself some grace and say, "It's a good dream… it's just not for right now."

At the same time… a powerful follow up to our SEASON question can be:

"What might be a way to take a small but significant step towards one of my bigger dreams?"

I'll give you a few examples.

You may have a big dream of traveling the globe… but right now… there's a flippin' pandemic… so it's not physically possible… or maybe you're in college and the funds just aren't there quite yet… or… you've got little kids and you're navigating a full house… so the thought of global travels lights you up… but then almost starts to feel soul crushing… because it might be a while.

Well… what if you gave yourself permission to run some experiments…

To run some drills.

To have some fun with it.

What if you gave yourself permission to take 15 minutes a few times a week… to plan a dream trip.  To ask, "If I had the time… where would I go?"

Or… "How have people like me taken a trip like this?"  And do some research.

Heck… we've even talked to people about this very thing on DREAM THINK DO.

People like Dan Grec… who got the idea to drive from Alaska to Argentina in a Jeep.  He didn't have the money or the vacation time when he got hit with the idea… but over 3 years… he just gave himself permission to do the research on how he MIGHT do it.  And then gave himself permission to take mini-trips… to see if he even liked taking short road trips… to be sure he'd actually want to do a marathon trip like that.  But as he kept experimenting… he kept falling deeper and deeper into more loooooooove with the dream.  AND he kept finding more doors opening to make it possible.  And the dream… the one that seemed IMPOSSIBLE when he started… became a reality.  He drove from Alaska to Argentina… and then he drove AROUND Africa… and he continues on… and adventure travel and photography is now his day job.  Just because he was willing to ask these two questions.

https://mitchmatthews.com/262/

Another example… might be… that you don't LOVE your current job… and one of your big dreams is to find a job… or a career that you LOVE.  BUT you're not even sure what THAT dream career might be.

Well… maybe you can ask yourself…

"What might be some small but significant steps towards figuring this out?"

https://mitchmatthews.com/195  

I'll give you an example of this type of approach.  In episode 195, I talked with Shawn Askinosie who had been a successful criminal defense lawyer… but he'd fallen out of love with it.  So he started to give himself room to experiment with other types of types of work.  As he did… he allowed himself to take night classes, watch TED talks, invite people he was curious about to coffee to hear more about what they did… and as he did that… he discovered an unknown passion for chocolate.  

This journey eventually inspired him to start a bean-to-bar chocolate factory and he's never looked back.  And NOW…  Askinosie Chocolate is a small batch, award-winning chocolate factory located in Springfield, Missouri. 

They source 100% of their cocoa beans directly from farmers across the globe… and Shawn is active in helping to create sustainable farming in each area he partners with.

NOT ONLY THAT… but Askinosie Chocolate was recently named one of the 25 Best Small Companies in America by Forbes and Shawn himself was named by "O magazine," and Oprah Winfrey as one of the 15 guys who is literally saving the world. 

How cool is that?  

But he found that passion… because he was willing to give himself permission to DREAM… to start small… to experiment… and to learn as he went.

His dream was to find his DREAM CAREER.

But he didn't know what that was.  So he asked a better question for THAT season.

"What might be some small but significant steps towards figuring this out?"

So… if you've been wrestling with the question: Which Dream should I go after right now?"

Some questions to ask yourself can be:

"Of all the dreams and goals you could go after… 

which might be a good one in THIS season of your life?"

 

If the dream seems TOO big to pursue right now, you can ask:

"What might be a way to take some 

small but significant step towards 

one of my bigger dreams?"

And hey… if your dream feels pretty BROAD… like how Shawn wanted to find his next dream career, but he wasn't sure what that might even be, you can ask: 

"What might be some small but significant 

steps towards figuring this out?"

And then… it's all about giving yourself permission to START.

Keep taking those small but significant steps forward… and more clarity… will come.  Not to mention some amazing experiences too! 

 It's like Abraham Maslow once said,

"In any given moment we have two options:

To step FORWARD INTO GROWTH 

or to step back into SAFETY."

And hey… I don't know about you… but I find the best moments in life tend to come when we're growing.  

Amen?  Amen.

Let's do this!

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!:

Let me know.  Join the conversation at mitchmatthews.com/316.  You'll be able to grab the questions we talked about… you can check out the episodes and interviews I mentioned… plus you can grab the DREAM TOGETHER app too… if you haven't.

Plus, leave a comment and let me know about one of those small but significant steps you're going to take this week.  I can't wait to hear from you!

Also, know that we're going after topics like… "How do you ask for help on your dream?" and "how to make space for your dreams" in this DREAM TOGETHER series.  So be watching for those… and heck… leave a comment on subjects YOU would like me to go after!

Until then… do me a favor.  Please leave a review for the podcast wherever you're listening to it… and please share it with a friend.  Because those are the ways we can work together to help the world to dream bigger… think better and do more of what we were all created to do!

Let's do this!

Talk soon my friend!

 

EPISODE MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 2:32 Download the Dream Together app
• 5:31 What dream should you focus on?
• 7:01 The underlying problem to today's topic
• 8:23 Breaking up with perfectionism 
• 10:20 What is the dream that makes sense for this season?
• 14:38 Getting clarity on what your dream is
• 17:48 How can you start today?
• 18:13 How to get more resources

We're talking with Jamie Kern Lima! Jamie is the founder of IT Cosmetics.  She and her husband Paulo started IT in their living room in 2008.  Through a long road of overcoming the tough knocks and naysayers… they were able to build it into the #1 luxury makeup brand in the United States!  Not only that but they were able to sell IT to L'Oréal for over a billion dollars… and… as they did…

Jamie became the first female CEO in L'Oréal's 100+ year history.  It's an incredible story… that Jamie chronicles in her brand new book, " "Believe It - How to go from underestimated to unstoppable!" We talk about the journey… but more importantly… we dig into the backstory of how she got clear on this dream… how she found ways to dump the doubt… and defy the naysayers… to do it her own way.  It's an inspiring and very raw conversation.

Plus... Jamie tells us a heartfelt story she doesn't typically share about the specific and surprising "nudge" she got the first day she set foot in her brand new office!  It shocked her… but also set her up for this next exciting chapter in her life.  I loved this convo and I think you will too!

RESOURCES:

• Jamie Kern Lima's Website: https://jamiekernlima.com
• Jamie's book: Believe IT!: https://www.believeit.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamieKernLimaPage
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiekernlima

 

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

That's right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!

The "Dream Together" app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

STEP 1: Download the app.

• Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE

• Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE

STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo

STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!

STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

Let's do this!

MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

Jamie Kern Lima didn't grow up sitting at the "cool kids table."  She was dismissed because she didn't look like what people told her she needed to look like.  But… she'll be the first to tell you that it was tough and felt like a "set back" at the time… but later she realized all of that was a "set up" for an amazing future.

That's because when she and her husband Paulo started IT Cosmetics… they did it in a way that industry experts said would NEVER work.  As a result, she was shut out.  She was turned down.  She was told "NO more times than she could count.  

But they stayed with it.  And as they did… they featured REAL women of REAL beauty in the REAL world.  She pushed through and went from the underestimated… dismissed underdog… to become an unstoppable force for good that she is today.  

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 2:31 Get to know Jaime
• 5:40 How Jaimes journey started
• 10:15 When Jaime's business turned into a mission
• 12:24 The secret sauce to business
• 15:40 Finding courage to take the next step
• 19:08 The honest feedback that changed everything for Jaime
• 24:08 Lighting round questions from YOU!
• 24:34 What Jaime had to unlearn to achieve success
• 28:19 How Jaime stays true to herself
• 34:54 Mitch's biggest takeaways

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:

What did you think of Jamie's story?  Have you read the book?  Are you enjoying it?  What was a stand out story for you?  Drop a comment below… and let me know.  I'd love to hear from you!  

What if you could actually feel good about money? Not just make more of it - but feel less stress, more clarity, and a sense of freedom around your finances? 

That's exactly what we're talking about this week with our guest, John Kennedy.

He's a Certified Financial Planner, yes… but his superpower is helping people unpack the emotional side of money, build simple systems that work, and finally take control of their financial life - without shame or overwhelm.

John is a partner and senior wealth advisor, and the co-host of the Above Board Podcast, which ranks in the top 2% of business shows globally. He's also a husband, dad, 5K runner (with his dog, Chipper!), and a dedicated Braves fan who believes financial health starts with mindset.

In this candid convo, we talk about real-world money hangups - even for successful people - and how to shift from scarcity to freedom. Whether you're building a business, launching a new season of life, or just tired of feeling stressed about your finances, this episode offers fresh perspective, relatable insights, and practical tools to help you rewrite your money story.

READ THE FULL SHOW NOTES: https://mitchmatthews.com/436/

If we're going to achieve our 1 million dreams goal for the year… we need some help.  And for me… one of the biggest places I go for help… is prayer.  Over the years, prayer has brought me a sense of peace in tough times… it's brought me clarity when I felt scattered… it's brought me hope when I felt like I was down for the count… AND it's brought me encouragement when I needed it.  And that's what I want for you too!

So that is what we're talking about in today's episode.  If prayer is your jam… awesome.  Or… if you're curious about prayer… hang with me. I think this will help.  BUT… if prayer is NOT your jam… or… worse yet… you've felt a little beat up… or judged… when it comes to the subject of Spirituality… or prayer… I'd really invite you to stay with me in this convo.

Trust me.  I'm not trying to convince you that way of thinking is right… I just want to offer some stories, some strategies AND… specifically… I want to pray FOR you.  See how you feel and then we'll go from there.  My hope is you're going to be encouraged to keep moving forward as you go after your dreams and do more of what you were created to do!  You with me?  I hope so.  Let's do this.

RESOURCES:

We've talked a little about prayer before on DREAM THINK DO.  

If you want to dig deeper on the subject… here are a few episodes:

"Surprised By Prayer" with Melissa Johnson-Matthews: www.mitchmatthews.com/207

The "We Agree to Pray" Project with Mitch Matthews: www.mitchmatthews.com/293 

"We Agree to Pray" BONUS Episode with Hope Generation's Ben Courson: www.mitchmatthews.com/285

"We Agree to Pray" BONUS Episode with Human Rights Advocate, Ashleigh Chapman: www.mitchmatthews.com/287 

"We Agree to Pray" BONUS Episode with "TLC's: Say YES to the Dress'" Lori Allen: www.mitchmatthews.com/289 

"We Agree to Pray" Bonus Episode with Bestselling Author, Brant Menswar: www.mitchmatthews.com/291

"We Agree To Pray" Bonus Episode with Illusionist, Harris III: www.mtichmatthews.com/293 

Mitch's 6-Miracle Day Post: Click here

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

That's right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!

The "Dream Together" app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

STEP 1: Download the app.

• Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE

• Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE

STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo

STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!

STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

Let's do this!

MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

I'm excited about this episode.  In it… I want to show you a way where I get encouraged… where I get help… where I get bolstered… on those days where I'm excited and charged up… AND on those days where I'm sad… or tired… or feeling overwhelmed.

So this episode is extra special for me… because I'm going to get to tell some stories… and THEN… I'm going to get to pray for YOU… yes YOU.  And I believe… that even though we're not in the same room as I'm recording this… and as you're listening to this… I believe that something amazing can happen… when we pray together.

So that's it.  This is not a debate.  This is sure not me trying to prove myself right.  This is just me… wanting to encourage you… in a way that I get encouraged.

To put some more tools in your tool box.

If this is new to you… I invite you to be open to it.  If prayer is NOT new to you… I'd still invite you to be open to it… because it might sound a bit different than you're used to… or I might point to a different version of the Bible than you're used to.. 

But hang with me and see how you feel.  See what resonates with you.

Now… if that's STILL not your thing… no harm… no foul.  I'd just invite you to jump to one of our other 313 episodes of Dream Think Do… and as you do that… know you're loved and I'm sooooooooo glad that you're here.

BUT… if you're still with me… I think we're going to have some fun.

And again… the game plan is to:

• get you a few stories
• share a favorite scripture 
• I'm going to pray FOR you
• Then… offer you a short prayer that you can pray yourself… if you want to.

Sound good?

Cool…  Let's go for it!

QUOTES ON THE SUBJECT:

I like how Bono talks about his spiritual journey…

"For me… it is probably more accurate to say, 

"I was really lost, I'm a little less so at the moment… 

And then a little less and a little less again.  

That to me is the spiritual life… it has slowly rebuilt me...  

It has taken years though and it is not over yet." 

- Bono

 

BY the WAY… as I was doing my research for this episode I also found this quote:

"Dream up the kind of world you would want to live in.  

THEN… dream out loud." 

- Bono 

----- "Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer

 is too small to be made a burden." 

- Corrie Ten Boom - 

Dutch Watchmaker,

Along with her family - helped 

many Jewish families survive the Holocaust 

______________________

"I remember my mother's prayers and 

they have always followed me.  

They have clung to me all my life." 

- Abraham Lincoln

______________________

"Prayer is talking with God.  

God knows your heart 

and is not so concerned with your words 

as He is with the attitude of your heart." 

- Josh McDowell 

 

"BIBLICAL CREDIBILITY:" 

We're going to dive into some specific scripture.  

There are TWO THINGS I'd love for you to hear:

1. God LOVES us… God LOVES you.
2. He wants you to live an AMAZING life (adventure).

Ephesians 3:14 - 21 - New Living Translation:

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 

19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. to God, who is

 able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

The word we dig into is: perissos: "Exceedingly Abundantly Beyond…"

Here's what it looks like in the Greek: click here

Here's me getting my tattoo of the word (also… looking away so I don't pass out because of the needle!) click here

 

A PRAYER FOR YOU!!!!

This is a prayer you can use… and/or adapt for yourself:

Lord… Thank you for loving me.  Thank you that I don't have to understand how that works to know it can be true.

Help me to walk with you and walk in your love today.  Help me to LOVE others well today.

Help me to experience more of the life you want for me and help me spread that around too.

Help me to know that achievement is good but it has nothing to do with my worth… in your eyes.

You are amazing Lord.

You say I am priceless… that I am carefully and wonderfully made.  Help me to remember that today… and help me to remind others of that they are too.

Help me to DO… BE… and Experience ALL you have for me today.

Help me to partner with you… to be loved by you… and to love my neighbor well… whomever that neighbor may be today.

Thanks!

Amen. 

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU:

Okay… I hope you dig this.  If you do… let me know.  Drop a comment below.  If you have questions OR an "amen," let me know.  And hey… if you don't dig it… let me know too.  I want to hear from YOU!

And hey… no matter what… join us on our DREAM TOGETHER app (details in the RESOURCES section above).  We've got Dream Think Doers marching towards our million dreams goal and I want you there.  The info is above or at: www.DreamTogether.co. 

Cool?  Cool.

Please share this episode with a friend who might need it… and when you do… tag me!  I'd love to thank you personally.  And know that I've got some awesome interviews coming your way… so stay tuned for those.  But in the meantime… keep bringing your awesome! 

We're talking with Jonathan Pitts who's a bestselling author, speaker and he's an executive pastor at The Church of the City in Franklin, Tennessee.  He's also the proud dad and a big dream advocate for his 4 amazing daughters.  Jonathan has pursued a number of big dreams… and has encouraged his family to dream big too.  In fact, his oldest daughter had a major role in the movie "War Room" at the age of 10!

But Jonathan will be the first to tell you that life can bring major challenges and tough setbacks too.  In fact, Jonathan was married to his beautiful bride Wynter… who was a successful author and magazine publisher.  And just as they were putting the finishing touches on their book on marriage… Wynter passed away unexpectedly… leaving him a widower and the father of four grieving daughters.  As you can imagine… this totally rocked his world and the future and the big dreams Jonathan and Wynter had planned together completely dissolved.

So he… along with his daughters had to decide how they were going to live life and move forward.  And it's been a tough… beautiful… messy… and wonderfully inspiring journey since.  Now… Jonathan has written a new book that offers us a real... intimate… raw... and ultimately hope-filled look at grief… and how to live life to its fullest after tragedy.  It's called, My Wynter Season: Seeing God's Faithfulness in the Shadow of Grief. We're going to talk about it… and what it takes to continue to dream… and encourage others to do the same on the other side of grief.  Let's do this!

RESOURCES:

Jonathan's newest book: My Wynter Season: Seeing God's Faithfulness in the Shadow of Grief.

Jonathan and his wife, Wynter, co-wrote Emptied: Experiencing the Fullness of a Poured-Out Marriage and She is Yours: Trusting God as You Raise the Girl He Gave You. 

Jonathan now serves as president of the ministry he and Wynter founded together, For Girls Like You––a nonprofit organization featuring a magazine and resources for girls that grew out of Wynter's desire to empower and equip their own girls and to provide parents with the resources and support needed to raise strong women. 

Jonathan's Instagram: www.instagram.com/pittsjr26

 

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

That's right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!

The "Dream Together" app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

STEP 1: Download the app.

• Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE

• Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE

STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo

STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!

STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

Let's do this!

MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

As you probably know… this year we're going after launching 1 million dreams this year!  It's been amazing to see your response and your support.  LOVE that so many of you are on board with this mission.

At the same time… we need to acknowledge that in the midst of a global pandemic where many people are hurting from the loss of family members, it's important to speak to the "tough stuff" too.  That's exactly why we're talking with Jonathan Pitts… because his unique perspectives can bring comfort and encouragement based on his own first-hand experience with unfathomable loss. 

In his book, "My Wynter Season," Jonathan takes his readers on the emotional journey from "love at first sight" to complete blindsided loss in the midst of a season of losing family members (in a period of two years the Pitts family lost 6 family members including Wynter), to finding the beauty in seeing Wynter's continued impact on the world.  

During our conversation… we talk about the importance of finding hope amidst the hardest days and the deepest grief.  Plus, we dig into ways to dream and/or dream again… after experiencing loss. 

I think you're going to love this conversation.  I sure did!

 

DREAM THINK DO MINUTE BY MINUTE:

• 0:02 What to expect today
• 2:08 Download the Dream Together App
• 3:12 Meet Jonathan
• 5:05 Conversation starts
• 5:59 When Jonathan and his wife started dreaming
• 8:45 The best thing about dreamers
• 11:24 When Jonathan and his wife started building the company together
• 15:35 When everything changed for Jonathan
• 19:20 How Jonathan and his family started to move forward
• 23:22 Jonathans advice for anyone learning how to dream again
• 30:05 Who Jonathan's new book is for
• 31:36 Mitch's final thoughts

 

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Powerful stuff.  What did YOU think?  I want to hear from YOU!  

Leave a comment below and let me know what stuck out to you!  And hey… please share this episode with someone who might need it!  Thanks.

 

Our guest is Sheri Salata. She's a writer, producer and podcaster. Her current adventures are an evolution of her twenty+ year career with Oprah Winfrey.

Over that time she served as executive producer on The Oprah Winfrey Show as well as co-president of Harpo Studios and The Oprah Winfrey Network. But after years of telling other people's makeover stories and featuring so many inspiring journeys... Sheri decided to "produce" her own life transformation.

Out of that… she wrote her bestselling book, "The Beautiful NO - and other tales of trial, transcendence and transformation" which beautifully and authentically chronicles her journey to find LOVE for life in new ways! So… we're talking about ALL of THAT! 

RESOURCES:

• Sheri's Website: sherisalata.com
• Sheri's Podcast: thepillarlife.com/sheri-nancy-show
• Sheri's Book: The Beautiful No    

Check out Sheri in the Documentary: "25: Oprah Behind the Scenes:" Click here

THE "DREAM TOGETHER" APP IS HERE!

That's right! Our DREAM TOGETHER App is here!

The "Dream Together" app is designed to help you clarify your goals as well as connect with like-minded individuals so you can "dream together" to make those dreams (big or small) a reality!

So… HERE ARE THE STEPS:

STEP 1: Download the app.

• Find "Dream Together" for your Apple Device: HERE

• Find "Dream Together" for your Android Device: HERE

STEP 2: Sign up and enter the group code: dreamthinkdo

STEP 3: Be inspired by the dreams that are already there.  Then… follow and encourage a dream or two!

STEP 4: Post at least one of your own dreams… and then invite friends to join you so you can DREAM TOGETHER!

Let's do this!

MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

When Sheri decided to write her book, "The Beautiful NO - and other tales of trial, transcendence and transformation," she knew it meant digging into her past successes and setbacks, excavating the lessons she learned, and boldly reimagining her future.

Some might say it's equal parts "cautionary tale," mixed in with some stand up comedy,solid  life strategies AND a really loud "Middle-of-Your-Life Rebel Yell!"  

It's a powerful and fun example of someone giving themself permission to choose to dream bigger, to think differently and to do even more of what they were put on the planet to do!  And to lay some things down and boldly enter into a new season on her own terms!  That's why I'm so excited to get to this conversation!

LISTENER LIGHTNING ROUND QUESTIONS!   

Stephanie asked: 

She's held some impressive positions… how does she stay creative at all levels and what word(s) of advice does she have for staying creative?

Tracey asked: 

(She can't wait to hear the episode btw...)

I'd ask what does Sheri think is one the most important things to dream… think… or do for a woman who is reinventing herself in the middle-of-life?

Mona asked: 

What was one of her most important Ah-ha moments as a leader?

Helen asked:

Her work with Oprah was so demanding.  What's one key for motivating staff in really busy times?

EPISODE MINUTE-BY-MINUTE:

• Welcome to 312!
• 0:15 What to expect today
• 3:20 Download the Dream Together app
• 4:28 Get to know Sheri
• 7:35 A look into Sheri's book
• 13:16 The downside to quick success
• 15:28 How Sheri started to take control of her life
• 19:06 Use your past success can give you the confidence to dream bigger
• 22:20 The healthy fear that should drive every dreamer
• 26:16 How to bust out and stay out of any rut
• 28:39 Listener lighting round!
• 37:29 What's on the horizon for Sheri
• 40:00 Wisdom of the week to anyone who needs help dreaming
• 41:26 Mitch's biggest takeaways

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Wow.  What a conversation.  What did YOU think?  I want to hear from YOU!  

Leave a comment below and let me know.  One of the things that really stood out to me was Sheri's willingness to reinvent herself.  To go from a "typist" and a manager of a 7-Eleven to running one of the most successful media brands of all time… to then giving herself permission to do it again in THIS season.  Yup… I loved that.  It's such a good reminder that it's never too late!  

Yeah… that was one thing that stood out to me.  How about YOU?  Comment below and let me know.  And hey… please share this episode with someone who might need it!