1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,680 So Don, tell me about your vision. 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:08,400 My vision for entrepreneurs and CEOs 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:14,520 is to lead their organizations and the product or service 4 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:19,240 that they deliver to their customers and clients 5 00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:21,080 with a lot more ease. 6 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:26,600 And what I mean by that is, in my experience as both CEO 7 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,800 and serial founder is we can often 8 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:39,560 succumb to forcing our agenda and our priorities in ways 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,400 that can really grind us down as leaders 10 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,840 and also take a toll within our own organizations. 11 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:50,960 And that's why I emphasize to develop really three things 12 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:55,400 in particular to fulfill this vision of leading 13 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:56,960 with more ease. 14 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:02,280 And that is clarity, presence, and resilience. 15 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:04,280 Those three elements in particular, 16 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,920 and they sound very simple, but they're multifaceted. 17 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,300 And in my experience, when there's 18 00:01:11,300 --> 00:01:14,280 emphasis put on those three elements, clarity, presence, 19 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,480 and resilience, we can really lead with a lot more ease 20 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:20,440 and deliver more value, both as leaders, 21 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:22,600 but then also in our business. 22 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:23,100 Wow. 23 00:01:23,100 --> 00:01:24,260 What a choice of words. 24 00:01:24,260 --> 00:01:26,480 I really love it. 25 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:27,720 I really love it. 26 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:29,680 And leading with ease. 27 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:31,360 That's amazing. 28 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:36,600 Where did this vision come from, Don? 29 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,440 I'll have to say it came from the school of hard knocks 30 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:46,680 in my own experience of early in my career as an entrepreneur 31 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:52,520 succumbing to leading forcefully and not leading with ease. 32 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,680 And from the pain of my experience, 33 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:01,440 hitting a very, very low moment, my rock bottom moment 34 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,040 at that point in my life, five years 35 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,160 after I founded my first company, 36 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:09,400 I recognized that I was gripping the steering wheel, 37 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:13,640 so to speak, of my leadership far too firmly. 38 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:17,640 And I needed to take a different approach because what I was 39 00:02:17,640 --> 00:02:18,800 doing wasn't working. 40 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,240 Well, it was a successful business. 41 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,920 I could see the toll it was taking on me personally 42 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:25,760 when I hit that rock bottom moment, 43 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,880 and likewise for the team that I was leading. 44 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:31,320 So that's where it came from. 45 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,600 My own personal experience and the impacts 46 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,840 of that forceful way of leading that I saw 47 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,520 was backfiring in big ways. 48 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:43,720 Tell me more about that. 49 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:55,400 Yes, I think that my emphasis on driving as a leader forcefully 50 00:02:55,400 --> 00:03:02,280 led to my burning out and being overly consumed 51 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:08,840 with the ways in which I felt like we weren't progressing 52 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,160 as fast as I would have liked. 53 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,560 We were missing expectations. 54 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,960 And in leaving from that sort of forceful place, 55 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:23,560 I just overlooked so much that was so good about all the work 56 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,240 that our team was doing. 57 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:31,440 And also, I was too attached to those expectations. 58 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,960 And it led to me being less present. 59 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:34,460 Why? 60 00:03:34,460 --> 00:03:36,400 Because I was constantly measuring 61 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,880 against where I thought we should have been rather than 62 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,760 where we actually were and acknowledging 63 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,080 and appreciating all the good that we were doing. 64 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,440 Not to say I wanted us to rest on our laurels, 65 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:54,120 but without accepting exactly where we were, 66 00:03:54,120 --> 00:04:01,040 I was too often in my mind's eye jumping ahead 67 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,440 and then looking back and being disappointed at where 68 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,680 we missed those expectations. 69 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,920 So it really came down to just accepting 70 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,280 where things were 100%. 71 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:22,120 And from there, really leaning in on serving 72 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:23,400 from a different place. 73 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:27,400 And what I mean by that is that instead of just sort of chasing 74 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:30,080 more for the sake of more and these expectations 75 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:35,320 that I had out there, it was serving from a place of let's 76 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:39,200 show up at our best, both for clients and customers, 77 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,520 but importantly for ourselves. 78 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:46,920 And in that way, it led to such a much more easeful way 79 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,880 of both leading and operating as a business in ways 80 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:54,840 that I saw very quickly started to have positive impacts, 81 00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:58,400 both in just my experience of the business 82 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:02,000 and also the team enjoying their work more. 83 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:06,680 And lo and behold, it started to become much more productive 84 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,760 as an entire team. 85 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:10,760 Wow. 86 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:12,680 I bet that was a great transition. 87 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:14,880 Like, oh my gosh, I've been trying so hard. 88 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:15,920 It's not working. 89 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,960 And that's what it takes. 90 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:19,600 I know. 91 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:21,600 It seems so slight. 92 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:27,480 But I think for many hard charging CEOs and entrepreneurs 93 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:32,640 that are used to really driving to step back and accept 94 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:36,960 exactly where things are and lead from a different place, 95 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,280 as I've described, it's a small shift 96 00:05:40,280 --> 00:05:42,560 that has very big implications. 97 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,280 And in my experience, no better way 98 00:05:45,280 --> 00:05:49,480 to lead and to operate as a business. 99 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:51,520 That's awesome. 100 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:57,200 Don, what would you say is now the why of what you do? 101 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:01,960 Why is such an important question. 102 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:08,480 And for me, it's answered by the experience 103 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:12,240 I had going through very difficult times as a CEO 104 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:18,160 and entrepreneur and receiving support in so many ways 105 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:24,160 from others who had gone before me, who shared their lessons 106 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:25,520 that benefited me. 107 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:29,120 And that very much is my why, is to do the same, 108 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:33,480 turn to those that are perhaps a little bit behind me 109 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,600 on that entrepreneurial journey and offer the same support 110 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:41,040 that I received from others. 111 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:42,160 It feels so gratifying. 112 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,720 It's a cliche to say, pay it forward. 113 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:50,760 But I had the experience of, as I described, 114 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:52,680 chasing more for the sake of more 115 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,360 and recognizing that it just didn't deliver 116 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:56,520 what I expected it to. 117 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:02,240 Even hitting milestones like achieving a big exit, 118 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,320 which I'm blessed I've experienced, 119 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:07,520 it's not nearly as gratifying. 120 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:12,800 As sharing my experiences and insights and lessons 121 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:16,040 learned in the same way that others shared them with me 122 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:20,160 and benefited me in the moments that I needed the most. 123 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:21,640 That's awesome. 124 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,920 Do you have a story that relates to your why? 125 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:35,000 My story behind my why is coming to my senses 126 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:45,080 at 5 AM on the floor of a hotel bathroom, November 3, 2012, 127 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,640 after a bender that I'd been on the night before. 128 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:50,720 And my life hit rock bottom. 129 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:57,400 And I was CEO of a tech startup, 42 years old, 130 00:07:57,400 --> 00:07:58,680 a distinguished lawyer. 131 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:02,120 And yet here I was in a crumpled mess on the floor. 132 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:06,480 And I recognized in that moment that so much of the way 133 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,760 I was leading in my business and my lifestyle 134 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:13,600 was out of balance in the biggest possible way. 135 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:19,880 And so much of it was tied to that forceful way of leading 136 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:25,240 and being disgruntled by missed expectations 137 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,360 and not satisfying all the things 138 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,680 that I was attached to in terms of outcomes. 139 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,480 That had led me to that rock bottom moment. 140 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:37,120 And my why comes from that moment, 141 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:42,000 the promise I made to myself that I would discontinue chasing 142 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:46,040 more for the sake of more and instead really 143 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:53,560 seek to serve in a way that was beyond my own betterment, 144 00:08:53,560 --> 00:08:57,280 in a way, right, a certain mission and a purpose that 145 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,320 was just beyond my own expectations. 146 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:04,520 And that's led over the years to serving other CEOs 147 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:08,600 and business owners in shifting their perspective 148 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:12,800 on their leadership and the way to really sustainably 149 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:16,280 grow a very, very profitable business that's 150 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:19,080 more enjoyable to operate and lead. 151 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:20,520 Thank you for being here today. 152 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,920 I'm really happy that you tuned into Vision Pros Live. 153 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:25,560 I'm looking forward to seeing your reactions 154 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:27,760 as these episodes continue to move forward. 155 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:29,520 This is going to get more and more fun. 156 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:31,360 We'll have more and more engagement as well. 157 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,480 We'll invite people to participate in the show. 158 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:35,840 And thank you for giving us your time and attention. 159 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,560 Have an excellent time building out your vision 160 00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:56,160 and becoming a Vision Pro yourself.