Mike Michalowicz is the author of seven business books published by Penguin Random House, and I would consider at least three of them to be “must reads” if you are trying to make sense of the business world right now as an employee, owner or founder.  I was introduced to Mike’s work by a wildly successful, generous trusted advisor of mine who attributes much of his own savvy and success to having discovered Mike’s books. After I read the first that my friend recommended, we had a subsequent conversation that included a lot of comments like, “Oh, I wish I’d known some of this when I was just starting out!”   All three of my 20-something kids have all read “PROFIT FIRST”... which I would recommend to everyone listening, no matter their age or stage,  And at the Goodness Exchange, we are actively using your book: FIX THIS NEXT… a road map approach to prioritizing… invaluable to anyone running a business, non-profit, or a small start-up project of some kind… even if you are in the business office of some endeavor.  But we are here to talk about CLOCKWORK today.  The subtitle is “Design your business to run itself” and after reading this book, I know most of us - regardless if we are an owner or a team member - can use the insights in this book to experience lives well-lived.  [00:00- 01:23] Opening [01:24- 03:23] Mike’s bio Some of Mike’s Books: Clock Work, Fix This Next, Profit First [03:24- 05:05] Clock Work focuses on business efficiency Embracing the humanity within ourselves You don’t treat people as a resource but treat them as a human being Leverage of systems and processes [05:06- 11:08] Declaring Your Big Promise What is the most important? From more complex perception to simplified perception Delivering excellent service over and over again builds a reputation for excellence Eradicate entrepreneurial poverty The big promise is the deliverable Purpose is the internal drive  We all have something that’s driving us [11:09- 13:14] You don’t have to leave your vocation to have a form of expression Purpose is not found overnight Find out how you want to express yourself [13:15- 20:21] What is QBR? Heart of an organization The bees Fedex Troubled but not compromised Southwest Figure out what you’re most known for Wrapping around the package [20:22- 23:17] Deductive reasoning Start off with your promise You don’t have to be the same as your competition [23:18- 25:50] Parkinson’s Theory The constraint makes us use it more efficiently and innovatively Cram and scramble technique Intentional disruption [25:51- 27:55] Psychological ownership Owners should be the creators of the job [27:56- 31:06] Closing Fix This Next is like a roadmap How to handle ideas

Liz McKenzie is an Award-Winning Filmmaker, Writer, and Editor. Her eye for sharing small wonders is extraordinary and you will come away with fresh eyes for your surroundings, no matter where you are. In this episode, she tells stories from her work that prove to her that animals can sense our good intentions and they will act accordingly. Liz points to little known wonders like the fact that birds are fighting their battles with songs, and she talks about possible partnerships between humans and animals that could save our futures now.   She gives us examples of hope that demonstrate people and industry are finally waking up.  We talk about how valuable it can be to listen to other voices, not just the human voices.  Liz’s projects have taken her from the arctic to Tasmania. From the decks of fishing boats in the Gulf of Alaska, to creating intimate film portraits of Kangaroos in eastern Australia . Most importantly, Liz is the filmmaker for an amazing nature documentary called “The Singing Planet” that I highly recommend. Liz McKenzie’s view of the world around us will give you access to an expansive feeling whenever you need one.  [00:00- 02:50] Opening Liz has an for sharing the extraordinary Passion for telling unique stories about the natural world [02:51- 10:35] The Singing Planet Sound recordist: Richard Nelson and Hank Lentfer Natural sounds in Glacier Bay National Park, AK Its as if we forget to listen to the element Are we listening? Do we know who those other voices are? We need time in nature as much as we need resources The idea of mindfulness and meditation Creating a natural oasis in your backyard Wild in the Garden State- Dave and Sarah Galloway The Parklit [10:36- 13:29] Space is not the limitation, it’s really the imagination Nature is always trying to be there for us and we have to make room for it Miami [13:30- 22:16] Animals can sense our intentions Two sibling bears feeding on the salmon The bears sensed our intention that we’re not going to do them harm George Schaller- the first researcher who was able to get up-close with mountain gorillas Diane Fossey A bunch of Chum Salmon  Timber slugs [22:17- 26:44] We need to learn to listen to their stories  As a film maker, I really feel like these animals are helping me to tell their stories in a much deeper way  Cornell Lab of Ornithology “The great wisdom of birds is that they fight their battles with songs” Learning to hear the voices and knowing who is making the sounds Knowing who your neighbors are [26:45- 30:34] Partnerships between humans and animals Beavers The Beaver Believers Rewilding [30:35- 33:28] BREAK [33:29- 43:14] The beauty and value of nature that maybe we dont think about They made an intentional decision to put those animals first People are waking up and making positive changes [43:15- 53:47] Greenwashing Younger generations are pretty savvy and they want to make a difference in the world Patagonia Into the Canyon Escalade Project National Geographic Navajo council meeting “You have not consulted the water people, you have not consulted with the wind people…”- Navajo elders Boca Chica, Texas Take a viewpoint where we listening to the other voices, not just the human ones We need to take care our own backyard Alaska We need to put the salmon first Consider the whole big picture, what’s the right decision? [53:48- 58:33] Its okay to be a nature geek There was a kinship with everything else in the world Richard Nelson Native Alaskan villagers Everything in our world has power and spirit and awareness There’s a kinship that we all share so of course we need to take care all the parts of our family [58:34- 01:01:23] Revealing the stories and with the hope of opening hearts and minds… but as mentally important for the well-being of the  planet Having this fundamental shift and how we relate to other than human inhabitants of the world If we consider all of nature as our family, how then do we behave? [01:01:24- 01:04:10] Resources The Singing Planet (thewildchorus.org) Encounters North Liz McKenzie FB Page: Encounters North Bird Sound App we recommended for Slow Birding: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/ The Private Lives of Salmon - Beautiful Documentary to watch.  [01:04:11- 01:04:23] Closing

There is nothing quite as enlightening as listening to the insights of someone who has been to the edge and back. Today’s guest - Lobsang Phuntsok - had been to many edges of human existence. He was abandoned at birth, left under dry leaves by his 13 year old mother, but rescued to grow up as a Buddhist Monk. After an amazing journey of insight, he is now “Dad” to 123 children in an amazing family that is also a school and community that could fundamentally change the goals of education worldwide.  Eventually found himself being one of 10 young monks trained, under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to share Tibetan Buddhism with the West.  He lived in the U.S. and Canada for more than a decade. In 2006, he felt called to leave his life as a spiritual teacher in the United States, and returned to the region of his birth with a dream of rescuing unwanted children like he once was.  His work took him to North America on behalf of the Dalai Lama,  High up in the Himalayan mountains of northeast India, on the border with Bhutan, is a small school for abandoned children that is changing the world. 

If you wish your neighborhood brought more opportunities for delight and connection close to home, you will love our conversation with guest, Blaine Merker. His work with one of the most important Urban Design companies in the world is aiming at unique, inspiring “street cultures” in the future for us all. Blaine has some amazing stories of how our streets are being transformed from places for our cars, to places for people! If ever the future felt bright, this episode will fill you with a sense of possibility.  Turns out, through most of the last century, cities have been designed, not for people, but for cars! Sounds depressingly obvious and also like awakening to a better way. And it is! I suspect most of us have never considered how much wasted space we have created in our world when it comes to 10 lanes of traffic, parking lots that go on for endless acres, and neighborhood streets choked cars? Think about cities like Chicago, where nothing but a sliver of the Lake Michigan shore is accessible to people because Lake Shore Drive, and its 10 lanes of traffic stand between the city and the water. Think about the big dig.. .and planners realizing that it wasn't a great idea to have a huge roadway cutting through the heart of Boston. In the United states, alone, we have more area paved for parking in this country than the entire state of Georgia. [00:00- 02:18] Opening [02:18- 08:08] Blaine’s Bio Jan Gehl Making cities for people Flip cities back to human focus rather that machine focus Historically, streets functioned as a place… The primary public space of a city [08:09 - 12:45] People’s attitude towards strangers Jane Jacobs Robert Moses City- biggest object designed that we have Dawn of modern age Single family zoning [12:46- 17:07] White flight Zoning and transportation design Cars become the primary or default system of transportation Open road Research in Scandinivia Moments of frustration and boredom for most of us is in our cars [17:08- 20:51] Nourishing mobility is to be on foot We have pushed things that we need farther apart from each other Every generation has a great big idea about what a city should be What is it that we can be doing now that will make the planet for them that they need [20:52- 26:55] We spend more of our income on getting around that anything else and we spend more that other countries do Who the system’s working for and who its not Founded Rebar on 2005 and started the experiment on a metered parking spot “Parking Day” [26:56- 29:54] Parklets where develop out of “Parking Days” Learn the value of space [29:55- 32:46] BREAK [32:47- 36:24] Effervescent human activity We look at how the way people behave in streets Jan Gehl and Ingrid Mundt Method taught by Ingrid Mundt using quantitative acknography Italy The more chairs there are, the more people there are sitting on them Nordic, Copenhagen The city embark on the experiment over the next 40 years There was a direct relationship to the amount of space the people were given and the amount of time that they would spend enjoying it Scandinavia [36:25- 40:21] The things that bring us joy is carbon neutral Alignment between climate action and happiness Public spaces work when they are activated by people living near them Sustainable form of urbanism Research from CoolClimate Netwok Berkely Infill Urban Development Invite more neighbors into your neighborhood [40:22- 48:45] Project started in Portland, Oregon called Intersection Repair City of Barcelona-  Super Manzanos There’s all kind of ways that we can create shared stewardship on purpose  Gorilla Gardener Times Square, New York City Monon Trail, Carmel Indiana Mountain View Making the experience the rule rather than the exemption [48:46- 52:27] Segregated societies The more diversity… the more tolerance We need to strive to have cities that create environments where we get to see each other Raj Chetty Research [52:28- 56:12] Pride in place Spaces are devoid of other people What are streets for? Change is definitely tricky Single best way that we have for fixing climate change and other problems [56:13- 57:27] Resources [email protected] Twitter: @blainemerker Ghel [57:28- 57:46] CLOSING

If you’ve committed to spending more time on things that add to your quality of life, then our guest today will bring delight to your everyday experiences. Dr. Hal Urban has traveled over two million miles talking about how small shifts in our positive character traits can help us celebrate the life we are living. He has written eight books on the power of positivity, but with a unique twist on how we can take control of our happiness.  Dr. Urban’s shares story after story about “Living by choice, not chance.” His insights are not from hopeful speculation and anything like the typical “positive thinking” narratives. And they are not from cold research that turns out to be hypothetical in real life. No, Dr. Urban is sharing all that he’s learned from (and with) the students he taught for 35 years.  Turns out, when it comes to gathering some wisdom about improving our perspectives… children can be our greatest teachers.  In this interview, Hal shares many terrific tips about how we can often change the future by simply changing a few words in our standard responses to greetings like “How are you?” Or, how we can put a spring in our step and the steps of others with simple conversation openers like, “You know what I like best about you?”  This episode gets to the heart of the quiet aspect of the Conspiracy of Goodness of our times by pointing out the characteristics most of us admire and love in others.  [00:00- 02:12] Opening See the world in a positive way [02:13-05:44] Dr. Hal is a school teacher for 35 years with emphasis on good character  Adjunct Professor at University of San Francisco His first book “Life’s Greatest Lessons” was selected by Reader’s Digest as most inspirational book of the year on the year it was published Mission in life: helping others by lifting their spirits Favorite quote: “We do ourselves the most good doing something for others.”- Horace Mann [05:45- 08:43] Happy hormones We live by choice not by chance People’s attitude is their choice. Attitude is the control center of life We do have control how to handle our attitude Viktor Frankl “The last of human freedom is man’s ability to choose its own attitude no matter what the circumstances are.” [08:44- 12:06] The Power of Good News Zig Ziglar “You are what you are because of what goes into your mind.” Celebrate what’s right in the world instead of what’s wrong [12:07- 15:38] Whatever energy we have we pass that on to people we come to contact with “Do you know what I like the most about you?” Do the unexpected little things that make people lift up Everytime you make somebody feel good, you feel better yourself [15:39- 17:27] “We become what we think about.” We have to be aware of the impact we have on other people [17:28- 21:49] Dr. Hal’s teaching story Bad news sells better than good news Everyday we celebrate good news Start anything with something positive [21:50- 24:56] Dr. Hal’s father Dr. Hal grew up in a negative environment all the way through highschool How Dr. Hal’s life changed [24:57- 27:48] BREAK [27:49- 32:14] BACK The unpublicized good news  Be a good finder  We take things for granted Dr. Hal’s mother “The happiest people in the world aren’t the people who have most things, the happiest people are the people who are most thankful for what they do have.” [32:15- 38:50] Shawn Achor   I look upon everyday as an opportunity especially an opportunity to do something good It's important to be informed If you’re concentrating so much on the big negative things, you don’t see the good little things Dr. Ben Shahar Endorsement from Ken Blanchard [38:51- 44:43] I try to find a newscaster that appears neutral “United we stand, divided we fall” John Dickinson 2 keys to make sure unity: golden rule and win-win  See the possibilities of what we’re capable of Stephen Covey [44:44- 49:56] 2nd Book: Positive Words Powerful Results Our words have enormous power Words can hurt, words can heal Every word that comes out of your mouth is a choice Digital communication Your words can change somebody else’s world [49:57 - 59:48] We live in a culture of complaint The wealthiest one will complain the most and the one with least will complain the least Dr. Hal’s college friend that has great impact on his life - Bruce The story of Bruce “Change your attitude, change your life” The Bruce Diazo Memorial Challenge It took me 23 years to find someone that could go 24 hours without complaining We are creatures of habit Develop the habit of appreciating instead of complaining [59:49- 01:01:47] How to say “How are you?” to people you see everyday [01:01:48- 01:06:12] Resources Celebrate with What’s Right in The World  Mike Sullivan If you want a signed copy of Dr. Hal’s book, you can go to his website Hal Urban Lessons from the Classrom : 20 Things Good Teachers Do [01:06:13- 01:06:50] Closing

Ever dream of traveling the world? Is it possible to visit places less traveled with almost nothing more than a radiant smile? It is! Our guest today—YouTuber Doug Barnard—has attracted a global following of almost 500,000, at age 26. People in places like Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, and Alexandria, Egypt are recognizing him, and often embracing him on the street. Best of all, his popularity is not due to outrageous behavior, but rather his sense of celebration of every person he meets. His energy is contagious.    Doug’s wonderful videos are improving (and wildly expanding) the way we think about the world “out there.” It is not nearly as frightening as the news would have us believe, and he is discovering how very, very much we all have in common.    He is essentially telling us the rest of the story about humanity and giving us a fresh, warm feeling about places that the mass media has given a bad rap.   He gives us reasons to hope, and demonstrates in living color how we need to all get more savvy about believing the narrative we are getting about the world… It is so limited!   In the course of our conversation, Doug reveals a kind of timeless wisdom that we can all use every day to think better of others, assume good intentions, and enjoy dramatically better results in our interactions. And he also gives us some amazing travel tips!    Show Notes: [00:00 - 04:00] Opening segment   [04:00 - 07:00] Most people are good.   [07:00 - 08:15] Places Doug has traveled to. It’s not always comfortable but it’s a great experience.   [08:16 - 15:00] Doug’s story - being laid off and then traveling full time. The experiences you’ll have would have been worth it. 100% of the time you are going to have takeaways that will be a positive for you at the end of the day. Manage the meaning of the bad things that happen to you.   [15:01 - 21:00] Doug’s trip gone wrong. Appreciation for experiences of people in different parts of the world. The secret to happiness is low expectations.    [21:01 - 23:30] Picking places that have a bad reputation.   [23:31 - 27:00] Traveling to places with a stable government. Taking precautions when traveling. No dark papaya.   [27:01 - 31:20] Doug’s surprising experience in Iraq. The kindness and hospitality of people in Iraq.   [31:21 - 36:30] Separating the government from the people.   [36:31 - 42:00] Doug’s trip in Turkey. Travel helps you see things out of the box.   [42:01 - 45:00] Doug’s trip in Sudan. Pause before following your emotions and what you think you know.   [45:01 - 52:00] Making a very complex topic simple should ring alarm bells. Growing edges. Honesty helps you connect with people. Shared struggle in communicating and connecting.   [52:01 - 57:00] The best way to see how things have changed in a place is to go there. Doug’s travels in Colombia. Go someplace that you never thought that you would go to.   [57:01 - 01:00:00] Taking measured risks when traveling. The whole story is never simple.   [01:00:01 - 01:01:29] Closing Segment   Resources Mentioned: Doug Barnard’s Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/dougbarnardtravel

If you want to hear a rare, fresh take on the present and future - a conversation full of progress and wonder -  then join Liesl Ulrich-Verderber and I as we share what we’ve learned through 8 years of curating the internet for “good news.” The remarkable stories of newsworthy insight and innovation are out there, but going uncelebrated. Liesl will be changing that soon as she bursts onto the scene with a young, exciting, and brilliant voice, amplifying a “Conspiracy of Goodness” happening right now, across the world.    In this conversation, Liesl helps us all look at the future with fresh eyes, and gives us the tools to start finding information sources that are “solution-based” instead of “problem-based.”    The next generation of information consumers will be insisting that their news sources leave us with three things: hope, dignity, and agency.    Get ready for the opening of a new chapter in content creation with a lot more joy and a lot less fear if Liesl has anything to do with it.    Liesl is our CEO at the Goodness Exchange and the founder of three other platforms in the Goodness Exchange orbit: our education site at EWCed, our endeavor to improve business and healthcare culture at Amazing World Media, and she is becoming a thought partner with leaders who need her perspectives to help them shape the future.    She is a Harvard grad who has found a way to use her background in design, economics, and education to make the world a better place for us all.   Liesl grew up on a farm in Vermont, but is also a world traveler since the age of 6, having been to over 30 countries by the age of 22. With those grounding life experiences, she also brings a global perspective to her work, weaving together a narrative about our world that is founded in experience and the mindset of a global citizen.   [00:00 - 02:10] Opening Segment   Live life actively and make a difference   [02:10 - 05:51]   Celebrating the 100th episode of Conspiracy Of Goodness podcast. 8 years in the making of Goodness Exchange - The idea of writing one article everyday on any subject under the sun as long as it proves it’s still an amazing world.  Big change in Goodness Exchange: bring people more goodness in the world, celebrate more people, and connect more deeply with people Reflecting on where we are, what we’ve learned and the power that we are harnessing, the kind of media that we are producing to create more good in the world and to give people what they need.   [05:52 - 09:52]   Why media matters. The home life, working life, and digital life. Producing media that matters.   [09:53 - 12:18]   Solution-based journalism versus problem-based journalism. We have the agency to be activated and we can be activated to do something about the world's problem. Solutions-based media is pointing you in a direction on what’s to do next   [13:19 - 15:50]   Examples of solution-based media.   [15:51 -18:55]   Celebrating the solutions not the problems Once you become immersed in it, you start to look at solutions in a different way Be a person that can be helpful Be an active participants and make a difference   [18:56 - 24:20]    It doesn’t have to be “save the world”, it can be doing something that you’re uniquely built to contribute in your little corner. Looking at the world through the lens of something they love, and the problem that they have, and then finding ways to put them together.   [24:21 - 31:10]   The importance of sharing. The more we share it, the more things are likely to get in front of the right people  How sharing can change someone’s life   The concept and power of sharing   [31:11 - 38:50]   Slow media Fast media is changing the way that we respond to other people, it’s changing the way we make decisions, it’s changing the way that we live, and all these ways that we can’t really see   [38:51 - 42:00]   Choosing and then deciding to practice. Remembering to check-in on the choices you make.   [42:01 - 48:40]   The Facebook test. Being aware of how the interactions we are going through the day with, or how what we’re listening to, watching, reading is impacting us. Decide on what emotional state you want to be in. Notice the mood that you’re in after you consume a piece of media. [48:41 - 52:30]   What’s newsworthy? Consume media like you consume a balanced diet.   [52:31 - 57:10]   There are a huge number of folks creating internet content specifically and designed to trigger our most primitive impulse. How to check if a journalist is unbiased. Are we consuming media mindlessly, or are we consuming it because we’re curious? [57:11- 01:01:29]   Stories and how our process works in Goodness Exchange. You have to have unbridled enthusiasm in order to get so ecstatic about everything that you want to share, that you want to get out into the world Each one of us brings our own special spark to the writing because we have unbridled enthusiasm. It’s so critical to let joy be a part of the work that you do. [01:01:30- 01:07:15]   There’s something for everyone at the Goodness Exchange. Benefits of having a membership with Goodness Exchange. We get to choose what we first lay our eyes on - will be like a cactus or like a blanket?   [01:07:16- 01:07:39] Closing Segment Reources: Steven Pinker: https://stevenpinker.com/ Humans For Abundance Helping the Rainforest at the Click of a Button with Chochi Iturralde Single Mothers are Saving Africa’s Endangered Wildlife Nature Does it Better: Why Whales are the Best Carbon Capturing Technology We Have ? Man fixing pot holes in India ? ? Man who went fly fishing to fix his PTSD ? ? Maryliz Bender ? ? Cole Baker Bagwell ?

The best medicines for overwhelm these days are joy and wonder. Both, when you can get it! And today’s guest, Dr. Jonathan Reisman brings us exactly that. He is a pediatrician and ER physician with a penchant for adventure travel, nature and food, and connecting ideas that no one ever thought to combine. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Slate, and Discover Magazine and now he has a book that is one of the best “bedside reads” you might ever come across: The Unseen Body: A Doctor's Journey Through the Hidden Wonders of Human Anatomy.   Dr. Reisman has practiced medicine in some of the world's most remote places, including Russia, Antarctica, the Himalayan Mountains, rural Appalachia, in the urban slums of Kolkata, and India. All the while, he was collecting cultural wisdom that often points back to the wonder of our bodies: How fat is a hero not the enemy. How knowledge of watersheds in landscapes can improve a doctor’s diagnosis. How urine tells us the story of human origins. Did you know your skin is amazingly smart?   In this conversation you will hear him tell stories that leave you with insights that you can’t “unsee.” And the wonder in that knowledge will make you a better patient, a broader thinker, and he may just expand your skills at connecting things that no one ever thought to combine! That is surely his most remarkable zone of genius.    He is co-creator of the anatomy- and physiology-based dinner series Anatomy Eats. He runs a non-profit called "World Health and Education Network" (also called "Calcutta Rescue USA") dedicated to improving healthcare and education for some of the world's poorest people.      [00:00 - 03:55] Opening Segment Live a life of rigorous intention.   [03:56 - 05:10] Jonathan Reisman’s book. The wonder of each vessel that we each have. In the end all we have is our character.   [05:11 - 07:30] The wonder that is the human body.   [07:31 - 13:30] Knowing which branch to take is as simple as knowing as having a map of a network of rivers in your head. Rivers and watersheds, and the human body.   [13:31 - 19:35] Fat is not the enemy, it’s our hero. The story of humans in the arctic is a story of fat.   [19:36 - 23:30] The fat in our diets, on our bodies, and the fat in our bloodstream are all connected with each other. Your appearance doesn’t always correlate to how healthy you are.   [23:31 - 27:40] What you see is really just the person’s skin. Our skin is a brilliant mechanism.   [27:41 - 37:10] Urine and the tale of humanity’s origin. Our blood and its connection with ocean water. We all have a personal little ocean inside of us.   [37:11 - 40:30] Our kidneys are very good at managing what we eat and drink.   [40:31 - 46:00] Where does the brain end and the mind begin? Going up and far away into the mountains to get a new perspective and reflect on things in your life.   [46:01 - 50:25] Neuroplasticity and the wonders of the brain. The brain is not static, it is plastic. Every brain is beautiful.   [50:26 - 58:20] Food and the human body. The most anatomical meal of Jonathan’s life. Using every part of an animal as food.   [58:21 -  ] Closing Segment Resources Mentioned: Anatomy Eats - http://www.anatomyeats.com/ Calcutta Rescue - https://calcuttarescue.org/ Connect with Jonathan Reisman M.D.: http://www.jonathanreisman.com/  

Making an amazing hand out of the cards you’ve been dealt can seem impossible. But today’s guest - Stefanie Schaffer - has mastered the process and shares insights we can all put in practice tomorrow.    The “bad hand” she was dealt, was very bad: losing both her legs in a tour boat accident while on a family vacation at age 22. But, in just 4 years, she has recovered from one setback after another, and managed her responses with so much clarity that she has recently found herself modeling for Kim Kardashian’s company, traveling, writing a book, and finding perspectives that are useful through every chapter of her recovery.  This interview is a Part 2 to a remarkable conversation Stef and I had just two years into her journey. And I have to tell you that even today, when I look back on that conversation, I still get goosebumps. She made comments that seemed almost otherworldly in their wisdom and foresight.    I encourage you to listen to that when all seems lost. Stef was then on the path to becoming a great teacher for us all, and now she is living the life she was then aiming for.  This story can be a constant reminder for us all that anything is possible.  [00:00 – 04:30] Opening Segment  Live better lives with the cards that we’re dealt.   [04:30 - 10:10] Stef’s story and what she has been up to in the past years. Stef’s Bahamian vacation when she had her accident that changed her life.   [10:11 - 14:00] The kindness of strangers. Stef’s mother’s love for her daughter.   [14:01 - 18:00] Being kinder than the moment calls for.   [18:01 - 20:40] You learn to look at the bigger picture and you get better at it. Choosing to work everyday to get stronger instead of wallowing in self-pity.   [20:41 - 24:30] Modeling for the Kim Kardashian SKIMS line. Inclusivity in the fashion world.   [24:31 - 29:50] Talking to people with disabilities like they’re human. Putting everything through the lens of intention. Uncomfortable conversations are a learning process.   [29:51 - 36:00] Not labeling things good thing or bad thing and just letting time evolve. Time and memories are the most precious thing.   [36:01 - 40:50] It is still a great world, it just depends on what you look for and surround yourself with. Surround yourself with people who believe in you.   [40:51 - 41:55] Just do what you can do. It might be everything they need in that moment.   [41:56 - 45:00] Random choices and how they make outcomes.   [45:01 - 47:55] Being an observer. Choosing to give your attention to your gains and not your losses.   [47:55 -  53:50] Everyone has a story. Forgiving is the strongest thing that you can do.   [53:51 -  55:17] Closing Segment               Resources Mentioned: Stafanie’s first podcast with Goodness Exchange - Finding New Roads While Redefining Yourself with Stefanie Schaffer Good Thing, Bad Thing, Who Knows? Silencing the Mental Chatter with Dr. Srikumar Rao (Episode #05)     Connect with Stefanie Schaffer: Website - https://www.stefanieschaffer.com  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stefanieschafferrr/  Stefanie’s Book (amazon) - Without Any Warning: Casualties of a Caribbean Vacation

In today’s episode of the Conspiracy of Goodness Podcast, we have Michael Shauch, and he talks about his journey in the Himalayas and what he learned from it.   Michael Schauch is a mountaineer, entrepreneur and award winning author who lives to explore remote places around the world and to share the depth and beauty of human connection he discovers along the way.   With early success as an entrepreneur at age 15, and over 20 years of global financial investment experience, Schauch brings his business acumen and altruistic heart to lead and support local and international mentorship, fundraising and educational initiatives. These include the education of girls and student mentorship in Nepal, outdoor youth leadership for those facing barriers to access nature and holistic Indigenous leadership development in British Columbia. He holds an MBA from Queen’s University and is a member of the Explorers Club.   He and his partner in adventure Chantal make their base camp in Squamish, nestled in BC’s rugged Coast Mountains and temperate rainforests. [03:25 - 05:40] How Obstacles Became Wins. Michael’s dream to go to the Himalayas.   [05:41 - 07:56] The Values We Have When Growing Up. The Bardo: Place of transition. Experiencing many incarnations across one lifetime.   [07:57 - 11:10] Noticing Things When You Are In Moments Of Chaos. Om mani padme hum.   [11:11 - 19:00] Who Is Karma? Life pulls you with other people you are destined to. The simple experiences are one of the most magical experiences in your life.   [19:34 - 23:09 ] Life Gives You WHat You Need At The Right Time. School for the Himalayas. The whole journey taking them back to right were they started.   [23:10 - 24:45] Changing The Fate Of Thousand Of People. It’s impossible to know the impact of our actions.  It takes a snowflake to start an avalanche.   [27:40 - 29:27 ] A Gift Of Expansion. If we open ourselves up to receiving, we can the greatest gifts. Nothing in nature happens randomly.   [29:28 - 34:17 ] Deciding What The Best Course Is At That Moment. Nobody has the right answer.   [34:18 - 40:51 ] Having Diverse Choices. Looking at the richness of what you have. Looking at life from a perspective of abundance versus scarcity. We have to understand both sides of the coin to have compassion.   [40:52 - 46:39 ] Money Doesn’t Give Happiness, Just More Choices. Are we helping in a way that’s empowering the person? Growing in a changing world and still keeping your cultural values. We have to learn from others.   [46.40 - ] Closing Segment. Not get too caught up in our own expectations. Let’s support each other in our own journeys. Connect with Michael Schauch: www.michaelschauch.com  His Instagram profile   Resources Mentioned: Michael’s book: A Story Of Karma   Goodness Exchange Social Media Links: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/goodness_exchange/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/exchangegoodness LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodness-exchange/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjBu-o4CG6V7PGq8QOANEg