Eating Crow

Jon Macaskill has a lot on his mind. He kept it buried far too long, until it nearly wrecked him.Now his mission is to help other veterans practice mindfulness as they transition from the military to civilian life. We "civies" could learn as well. How to overcome trauma or stress to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.Jon is a true hero, the stuff of movies (not kidding, there are books and movies about his Seal Team). It was an honor to have him on the show, heck just to meet Jon.As with most "real" heroes I meet, it's not just his actions, bravery, and frankly, "badassness", it's Jon's humility. We learn what inspired Jon to join the military (it's really more practical than inspirational - to start).Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:Take a breath. Heroes perform in the most stressful situations (life and death). All of them, including Jon, talk about taking a breath in these moments to collect yourself, allowing your mind, body, and soul to operate in harmony. It's more than physical, it's also chemical. Practicing this in the non-flow moments is actually more challenging for veterans.Keep moving. Even as Jon's mental state was quietly crushing him, he kept moving forward. This was a subtle lesson and so important for those of us who find it difficult to get out of bed some days. Get up, keep moving, then follow the next lessons.Ask for help. When issues are trapped deep inside, don't be afraid to ask for help, or at the very least, say "this is how I'm feeling..." Just talking about your thoughts and emotions can begin to unscramble the issues you are facing and allow others to help you carry the burden. Family, friends and professionals all play a role. Open up to them.This is an ongoing process. Rome wasn't built in a day. It took Jon a while to see results, but he stuck to it. Mindfulness involves relaxing the mind, body and spirit and it doesn't happen over night, nor does it ever stop. Embrace it.Jon's Eating Crow Moments:Recognizing he needed help. Very hard for a Navy Hero to acknowledge these feelings.Staying at it. When Jon first started practicing mindfulness he was extremely skeptical. He stayed with it.Finding his new path. Jon could be successful in any pursuit, but like many veteran's he wasn't sure what his new mission would be. He's on several missions today but he's found his lane AND his voice.You can find Jon here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmacaskill/

Barbie Parsons (OK, Barbie the Welder) created a movement.It didn't start that way.Barbie had a moment, one of those "I knew right then..." things when she decided welding was her thing. At first it was about pursuing her passion.Her movement? Trades are cool.Barbie has always marched to her own drum. She's brilliant, passionate, and more importantly, 100% true to herself.She stood the entire time we talked, coffee cup in hand, and shared the fears and challenges of starting your own business and balancing the work with the art.And I loved every minute of it.She apprenticed as a welder, learned the craft and paid her dues, but then she took it next level. Barbie's work is breathtaking and she does it by feel, look, and raw talent.Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:Outsource. Barbie learned early on that for her business to scale she had to bring in outside help. One of her best moves: Someone to handle her video and social channels.The art of self-promotion, without losing your soul. Barbie's presence on social media feels genuine, her content is there to entertain, impress and help you appreciate art and craft. She recognizes this self promotion puts food on the table, but that's it, it's part of her job, not to drive her ego.Do quality work, promote it, and more work will follow. Barbie rarely looks for work now, people come to her.Barbie's Eating Crow Moment:Ditching the traditional path for her passion. College, the big job, etc. Those things weren't for Barbie and aren't for many people. Thankfully Barbie has shown the way for other incredibly talented people to forgo the norm and pursue careers in trades, crafts, etc. - the backbone of our country.

Jim Loehr is well respected and many would consider him wildly successful. Not Jim, he's still learning.Jim is also a hero of mine. No kidding, a stretch guest for sure.I've used his book, The Corporate Athlete, as a bible of sorts - rules to live by for employee wellness. It's an honor to have him on the program.Jim shares how, after 30+ years of research into human performance, his last book, Leading with Character, revealed a new way of thinking about leaders and high-performers. His learnings and teachings about energy, exercise, nutrition and mindfulness are still critical - but it's character that is the leading indicator of performance.Key Takeaways for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:Most leaders never take the time to identify their own core values, instead defaulting to a reflexive form of decision making.With the right motivation, you can begin to strengthen your character and become a moral and ethical leader capable of creating lasting change.Even good leaders are vulnerable to corruption. Learn how human evolution and contemporary culture can lead us astray without our even knowing it.Jim's Eating Crow moments:Jim eats a bit of crow every day. Through journaling, he reflects on his successes and failures and learns from them.After 30 years, he smiles when he explains how he had no idea how important character is to leadership and performance.Enjoy, but have a pen ready, Jim drops some serious knowledge.Pete