Shaping a Legacy of Resilience and Innovation with Meira Spivek

Imagine embarking on a journey where you transform life's toughest challenges into your greatest opportunities. That's exactly what Meira Spivek, our esteemed guest, has mastered through her inspiring work in the non-profit sector and as a consultant helping people set and exceed their loftiest objectives. She imparts valuable lessons on innovation and the pivotal role of choice in overcoming adversity, all while sharing how her own narrative has been shaped by unexpected role shifts and her keen business acumen. This episode is your personal invitation to discover how to reframe obstacles as launchpads for growth.

Books can be windows to new worlds, and sometimes, the right words at the right time can steer the course of our lives. Meira and I discuss the profound influence that thought leaders like Amy Edmondson and the Heath brothers have had on us, serving as virtual mentors on our individual paths. As we navigate the balance between professional fervor and personal contentment, we unpack the essence of OKR (Objectives and Key Results) and how it's far more than a mere goal-setting framework—it's a transformational journey. Whether you're an aspiring writer or a dreamer with a penchant for travel, you'll find kernels of wisdom here to fuel your aspirations.

Leadership isn't just about the title—it's about the impact you leave on every life you touch. Closing our discussion, we delve into stories of seemingly small decisions that blossomed into opportunities beyond our wildest expectations. From turning a worthlessly broken chair into something precious to hiring team members whose hidden talents flourished, these narratives will compel you to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. Meira and I invite you to embrace the call to action, to innovate, adapt, and begin wherever you are. Let this conversation spark your drive to live with purpose and leave an indelible mark on the world. Join us on the Rise from the Ashes podcast, and let's set the world ablaze with inspiration.

Chapters

• 0:00 Rise From the Ashes Podcast Guest
• 9:55 Influential Books and Future Goals
• 14:30 Leadership and Growth Through Challenges
• 23:33 Discovering Opportunities in Challenges
• 27:15 The Power of Innovation and Adaptation
• 33:31 Inspire and Impact

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Rise from the Ashes podcast.

Speaker 1: 0:06

My next guest today has a phenomenal story. I'm so excited to introduce her to you all. The aim of this podcast is for people to get their message out and to shine with their message and their Rise from the Ashes moment. Without further ado, I want to introduce my next guest Now. I'm going to mess this up. I always do. Can you please remind me of your name, because I'm always terrible with names of the people who know residents. As regularly they'll know, I always mess people's names up.

Speaker 2: 0:39

Please. Yeah, it's Miira, miira Spivek. Thank you so much for having me here.

Speaker 1: 0:44

Thank you for being here. It's a privilege to serve in this way. Please introduce yourself to the world.

Speaker 2: 0:51

What do you do? Yeah, so I actually work full time in the non-profit space where I help with leadership, development, management, fundraising, things like that. And then I also have a consulting business on the side where I help people to set and reach ambitious goals. So for everybody that looks different. It could be for a non-profit. They're trying to, I don't know, depends again depending on their focus. It could be for fundraising, it could be to really diversify what they're doing, just really getting clear of what we're trying to do. I help them with time management. I help them with just clear thinking, setting out strategy, and I'm often served as the accountability partner and making sure that people actually are doing the things that they need to get done.

Speaker 1: 1:29

Awesome. So what drive you to what you're doing today? How did you come across when that's a loaded question? How did you enter this space? It's interesting.

Speaker 2: 1:39

It's like a natural thing because I've been in the non-profit space for so long but I have a business type of a head. I would say so, even though I was working in the non-profit space. I've always run the non-profit like a business or I've always approached it like a business. So it was like the natural, I guess, almost like the next step for me. One of the things that I'm really passionate about is running high level professional development workshops. So in my non-profit space it's something that I don't get a chance to do very much. So I really I like doing that. It helps, fill me up, gives me energy. So I do that kind of for others or people that are interested in growing and getting their team to really get to the next level. So it's like something that I do so I could stay in the non-profit space but really just fill me up with that energy that I really enjoy.

Speaker 2: 2:17

I love that what about you located in the world. So I actually live. I'm originally from New York, so that's why I talk all the fast, and but I live in Portland, Oregon. Okay, that's interesting. Where are you actually?

Speaker 1: 2:28

I'm in Colorado. So, yeah, I live just outside of Denver in Colorado. I'm actually a board member on a couple of businesses. One is actually a non-profit we're opening up here in Colorado, so I would love to have a conversation with you after this about something that we're actually planning. Yeah, we'll go into that in a bit. So a lot of our listeners they love having stories of adversity and overcoming trials and tribulations, hence the name of the podcast Rise from the Ashes. Is there anything that you can share with the audience that you may find inspiring for yourself, that could help them identify with a challenge but then turned into a very good prosperity in their life or in your life? That's so interesting.

Speaker 2: 3:14

There's two things that come to mind. On one end, I also trained at a method of innovation, so I teach that and one of the key principles is that every challenge is an opportunity and we have the ability to look at something and say and we face a challenge, and the challenge is real, and we have the opportunity to face it and just get bogged down and just fall apart or we have the opportunity to turn it. We have the opportunity to turn that challenge into an opportunity and I like to give us almost like a business example where Gmail if you think about Gmail, I use Gmail, many people do, and I remember the emails. There was this whole like little challenge, right, because emails are coming out and they see that there's a delay in the server and what happens is they're trying to send emails but they're not instantaneously emailing out. And if you're running it, if you're trying to sell emails, okay, you want people to like, use your email platform and there's a delay. That's like it's a pretty big challenge. Who's going to want to use you if your emails are delayed? But instead of taking this challenge and looking at its challenge, what did Gmail do? They said wait a minute and they asked the key question what are the benefits of having a delay in the email? And, of course, we all know how many times you want to press undo. And now, instead of framing this as we have a challenge our emails are delayed they present it. This is an opportunity. You actually have the ability to undo your email for about a few seconds after you send it.

Speaker 2: 4:29

How is it that two people are both struggling with the same illness, the same disease, and one person comes out they're closer to the family, they're a deeper person and the other person comes out just really shattered, and I really believe that all of us have a choice. So a lot of times, challenges are going to come your way. You're trying to start a business, you're trying to get out there. I want you to start taking those challenges. Yes, their challenges are real and I'm not minimizing the challenges. They are real, but there's always an opportunity that exists and the question is are you going to find it?

Speaker 2: 4:58

And one of the things actually for myself is that this is actually an interesting thing is that I wasn't trained specifically for the things that I've done in my work. A lot of it's just like I just I use the term YOLO a lot. Okay, like my kids are like you're too old to say YOLO, but I still say YOLO. So I'm like YOLO, let's just do this. But my goal is not to get things. My goal is to do something that's good enough for year one, that will get a year two, like it has to be good enough that someone wants to come back. Right, I'm running an event. I want them to come back. I'm running a program.

Speaker 2: 5:28

People have to think, oh, this is good but it doesn't have to be perfect. So if I take I'm like starting a business or whatever's going on in my life and things are happening, I didn't bring in the revenue that I'd wanted or I didn't get the clients that I wanted, so I could focus on those challenges, but it's not helpful. And if I focus on, you know there's an opportunity here, I'm just gonna do what I can. I'm just gonna go for it and it doesn't have to be perfect and I'll get better next year. If you couple all these things together, you're like you're not stopping. You're like I'm just gonna keep going and going and it doesn't like again yeah, is it stink?

Speaker 2: 5:59

They're like I didn't get that client. Yeah, does it stink that I didn't raise that money. Yeah, that stinks, but it's a term that I use a lot. It's TBU, true, but useless. I actually got it in a famous book, right Like TBU, like it's not hopeful, like it's true. It's true you're going through this, but if you could just like not focus on that, like focus on where you want ahead as opposed to where you're at now, things are gonna move the needle and things are gonna make a difference.

Speaker 1: 6:24

I like that and that's a perfect example for people listening that people get lost in the weeds and focus on the micro instead of going to the macro to create your visions. I like what the analogy is. Thank you, in your experience of elevation through your businesses and life, is there any habits that you've defined or you stick to that really sets your day up for success?

Speaker 2: 6:51

I'm gonna actually work with a few clients now and ask the following question what do I do when I'm just not in the mood, like I don't really want to, like do all this work and I don't want to answer my emails now and I don't want to, and it's funny, I guess it's not. I really feel like I'm a consistent person and I strive to be consistent person, but I think it's that consistency that is really helpful for me. It doesn't matter if I'm in the mood to exercise Like today, I gotta exercise right Like it's not. So a lot of times I use the term. Actually I'm very into mantras, like I say things and I repeat them to myself. So there's a book called I don't know if it was a book called Eat that Frog. Okay, now, I've never read the book, but I quoted. Like every day I'm like do the thing you want to do least first, like just again, I'm gonna yolo it, I'm just gonna get it done. Like it's not. It's the consistency, it doesn't matter if it's perfect doesn't matter, but it's. You're getting up and doing those repeated actions every single day where you're making like a principles for yourself.

Speaker 2: 7:46

Structure of this is the kind of person that I am. I'm the kind of person that I do this even when I'm not in the mood. I'm the kind of person that when I stick to something, when I said to do something, I stick to it. And for a lot of people, like I'm not in the mood, like you think I'm in the mood, like I had to do fundraising for nonprofit, you think I'm in the mood to call people. Like I'm not in that mood, like ever, like it's like I ever want to do this, like I wake up in the morning. I'm one of these people that just, this is my dream, it's part of my job, but it just you gotta push through.

Speaker 2: 8:10

And whatever you have to tell yourself, I don't care if you have to reward yourself, I don't care if you have to bribe yourself, I don't care if ever, after every call, you go take a spoon of ice cream, like whatever is gonna do it for you. Just think of that. But it's the consistency, it's the routine, all that stuff. If you think about atomic habits, like laying out the shoes that I perform, making it easier Whatever, it's gonna be easier for you, have those numbers ready for you before you make those calls, like whatever the steps they had working backwards. Right, if I want to start something, I always have to think 10 steps ahead, so it's like being organized about things, but it's a consistency. It's on the kind of person that does things even when I'm not in the mood All myself, that it's like a game changer.

Speaker 1: 8:46

Yeah, I love that and it's about the distinction of no matter what's going on outside, you can just go. This is what I'm here to do. This is the task in hand, and you've developed the self-discipline to actually consistently go and do it. Most people are on this balance and the seesaw of I will do it, but I'll just do this first, and they don't commit to that challenge or whatever it is and they don't go forward, which is why they procrastinate and get in this cycle and spiral all the time. So thank you for sharing that. You mentioned a few books there Atomic Habits, the Frog. Is there anybody that you've aspired or led as a leader? Who is a leader in the industry and you've aspired or used them as a role model, whether they've been a mentor or just someone you really look up to in your industry?

Speaker 2: 9:41

It was interesting because I listened to audiobooks a lot. I actually I listened while I exercised. Okay, because I don't have time, so I just combine everything and that's really when I have a chance to do some of this work and to grow as a thought leader. And I think it's not a specific person. I really think, like when I listen to a book and I'm into it, I'm like I don't just listen to it once, like I read it five times and it becomes like a part of who I am. So when I'm thinking of everything I've learned about psychological safety from Amy Edmondson, like that work again, just appreciating what she's done and how much I've taken from that and helped other organizations my own organization to really create safe spaces for people to speak up. When I think of the Switch brothers I'm sorry, the Heath brothers and like books and getting people to change and all of this work, like so many times I'm in my office and I'm sitting there, I'm facing a challenge and I really like I recall the books that 10X is easier than 2X. That's, this is a game changer, it's expert secrets. When I present, like I look at this and when I'm facing a challenge, it's not even a specific person. It's like the author, it's the book, what it represents, and I'm constantly turning to like the guidelines and the voices of the book and listening to the messages. So I don't have specific, I don't know specific role model per se, but it's.

Speaker 2: 10:56

These are the books that are really a lot of. These books are guiding the way they think, each one for its own thing. My innovation is from the book. Inside the box is really some books. It's funny. I'm actually a OKR specialist and, if you're familiar, it's like a goal setting method used by Google and honestly, I found the book really boring. Every time I tell people I'm like this is from this book, it's very boring, so I don't use that book. But, like I do, a lot of what I teach does do come, comes from that book. But it's really like these books, like they're. These are my teachers, right the law. This is like the mentors that I use. I do a lot of reading and we're listening and growing from there.

Speaker 1: 11:28

Could you see yourself being an author one day? Do you have an aspiration to write your own piece of work?

Speaker 2: 11:33

Yeah, it's funny. I did write almost like an organization book, but not whatever. A very niche audience, I'm not sure. I'm not. I'm the kind of person which is not. This is like probably the bad kind of person I'm like always talking about I should really I should have wrote a book, but because I didn't start 10 years ago like it's almost too late. It's definitely not true. It's not in like my plans at all now, but I can imagine I do. I'm like a little bit random and I like to do a lot of things. I don't see that specifically right now, just because I do so many different things that I would have to find a way to weave them all together, if that's even possible. But you never know, I guess you never know.

Speaker 1: 12:07

I could see you actually writing something, a piece of informative work for you, especially for your industry, because you're such a niche industry and there's so little public information out there to do what you do very effectively. So I think that would be a really good idea for you, if you so desire.

Speaker 2: 12:29

Oh no, I'm gonna go back. I mean, it's on my family, okay, so I think I'm gonna write a book there. I'm like oh no, what are you doing now? I'm like it wasn't my idea.

Speaker 1: 12:38

So you can blame me? I don't know. I'm quite happy to take full responsibility for that.

Speaker 2: 12:43

You could write like the forward.

Speaker 1: 12:44

I'm more than happy to do that Perfect amazing.

Speaker 1: 12:47

By the time this airs, I will share with you. Now In January, middle of January, I actually have a book coming out, forwarded by Tony Robbins, so that's gonna be public and ready to be. It's in the rich code and it's got a few authors in it and it's forwarded by Tony Robbins. It's got excerpts in there by Brian Tracy, kevin Harrington, a few others very obviously well-known thought leaders in the world. So we've all collaborated in doing something, philanthropy and helping other people. So it's all about elevating, and not just your life but your business as well. So that will be available. From when this, I'll have to say it. But yeah, is there anything in the world that you really desire and what you've pinpointed in your life to go? I'm here now this is my next level and actually got a roadmap to get there?

Speaker 2: 13:44

That's a great question. I wish I would say I have a 10 year plan or a five year plan. I do have that in my nonprofit work that I'm involved with every day. So it's actually hard when you're working full time and you have something on the side to be able to like give of yourself you can. It's really hard to give yourself on that level when I'm giving of that of myself in that level to my nonprofit because I'm super devoted. So it's like a little bit hard to do that for another space. You know what I mean. So you put your all into something, like I'm already putting my all into something. So I don't have that. I wouldn't say I have that. I do have like financial goals for myself, but it's really I want to be able to support my family comfortably. It's not like anything more than that. I don't have any like deep desire to, but I do enjoy. I really I do enjoy traveling, and speaking of conferences is a great way for me to be able to do that. So it is something that I enjoy.

Speaker 2: 14:30

Getting out more, I would say in 2024 is on the list. So I would say that's something that I really enjoy. It's more about helping more people and helping the right getting the right clients, because I'm able to have another people. I've enjoyed working. I actually work with schools, I work with principals. I it's really like a fascinating and I enjoy being able to help so many different type of people and what they're working with. A lot of times I'm working with like women entrepreneurs. It's fascinating and I am finding now more and more as I work not just who my niche client is, but it's really more of who my ideal client is right, who is the person Cause I get help a number of people but who. I want that more. So it's really getting that type of clarity and seeing. But it's again just I really want to. I want to.

Speaker 2: 15:12

I like growing slowly in anything that I do, I feel like it's the most healthy. I feel that again I'm seeing in my nonprofit work like I'm really trying to, like I take a goal and then I want to set my eyes big, but I want to do it in a way that I'm not going to crash because it's not about I talk about this a lot. Again, I don't want to win the battle on this door. I'm totally at risk for burning out all the time, because I'm totally at risk just because I do a lot of things and I'm constantly. My life is super full, which is I like it that way to be able to grow and set goals and reach them and look at that.

Speaker 2: 15:43

Which clients am I helping? Who am I doing this for? Like how is my impact growing as a number of people that I'm connecting with growing? Is that number of speaking engagements I have growing? Is all of that? I'm trying to grow that, but in a way that I'm not like again not being a healthy. I'm going to be a healthy person and it's really important to be like self-aware of what you can handle and what you can, and I know I have a high capacity to do a lot of things, but at the same time, there is a cap, so I'm really trying to like be aware of it. I want to grow consistently and steady, but in a way that's really healthy.

Speaker 1: 16:16

I love consistency. It's the old story of tortoise and the hare and, as you pointed out earlier, people try and win the race, but it's not about winning the race. It's about the experience, learning from the experience and how do you actually apply it into what you value, whatever that value you decide is. Many people in the fast-paced world live by their cell phones and they are consuming information all the time. I love what you just said about pausing and just like enjoying what you're doing. Many people don't. Many people think that success is defined by what car you have, what house you are, where you live, and we all go down that pathway at some point. Most of us do.

Speaker 2: 17:06

I certainly did.

Speaker 1: 17:08

But then you come out of it and you think this is not success, this is not happiness, this is not fulfillment. And I love what you're saying about take it slow but enjoy it and learn from the experience. Many people are not doing that and they're getting lost in the ways and they're not getting noticed and, more importantly, they're not living the experience. So I'm glad you brought that up. It's a topic of great, I believe great importance In the world of leaders and aspiring leaders. Is there anything that has been a leadership lesson for you personally that has been invaluable in your role and how you show up within your clients today?

Speaker 2: 17:53

What's really important to me is being a role model. I've seen too many leaders who talk about big ideas and big strategies and then they're not consistent, and it's really important to me If I'm asking the people that I managed to do something, that I need to do it too, and I'm a pretty straight person and I do value consistency. It's really important to me as I've been speaking a lot of that. Words keep coming up, but it's consistency, not just action, but in word, and if you talk about something like it isn't helpful, it's not helpful if you're not going to roll model that and I really like.

Speaker 2: 18:26

To me, I think a leader is someone who again sets the vision but is willing to do the hard work. Roll up or sleeve, show everybody what it is. What is hard work right? I'm not the kind of person that just has other people do well. I sit on the side and I'm not doing the same work as them. I have staff. Everyone's doing a different job. Everyone's part of a team. Everyone has their areas of genius where they contribute. But at the same time, I want to make sure that I am setting that. I want to people to see me as that person who's setting the standards and Keeping the standards.

Speaker 2: 18:55

And I've seen too many times where you have high-level people who they like set their own set of rules and everyone else has to go to do one thing and everyone else has to respond to emails right away and then they're not responding to emails. Everyone else has to have a certain amount of check-ins but they're not doing that. Like, why want to be a leader? You need to walk. You like you know whatever, how does, whatever it goes. I don't just talk to talk like it's time to step up and I'm not perfect at it by far, but I really I strive to that person that also Puts in the work, puts in the effort, shows up, does. The jobs are uncomfortable, it's not about me, it's about this job has to get done. So I don't always love every single job that I have to do. It's okay for the job and I want to model that for people. I think being a leader is being able to put in that effort and modeling proper behavior Even when it's hard, even when it's uncomfortable.

Speaker 1: 19:44

Would you agree, then? It's about walking the walk and talking the talk, not just one or the other.

Speaker 2: 19:51

Yeah, again, what's funny? Because you might be doing putting in the effort, right, and you might be walking the walk, but if people don't know about it, there is something to that, right, like the leader does have to say those words and stress what's important and set the vision. But right, so it's setting the vision and then showing them, like how you're part of that, showing how you contribute to that vision. How is it clear and not, again, not in a bragging way, oh, not an appropriate, but you do. It isn't is a good question. Like you do need both, because it's nice to be a silent leader, but if you want to be a bigger visionary, you need to express what's important and then model.

Speaker 1: 20:22

One of the things that I love you saying there is express it and then model it and it's some for some people who are at the beginning Stages of their journey.

Speaker 1: 20:31

If they got confidence issues, they've got procrastination, they've got so many, so much thing that so many things on their plate. They aren't able to mentally and emotionally step into that alone physically, because you've, before the physical action takes place, you've got to be emotionally, you've got to be invested in it, in an outcome and the pathway. So thank you for sharing that as you offer, as we often do, we think, as Failure is a negative thing. I know we touched on this earlier on, but the negative things aren't necessarily negative. Is there anything that you have been witness to, not necessarily experience, but has been viewed as a negative, but actually turned out to be a giant leap for your industry or mankind, however you want to define that?

Speaker 2: 21:19

I like to share a story just during. When covid hit, what separated who was successful from who wasn't? Right like a great, I would say, the little tense. Right like some people, if you were running a tent company, there's no parties, it's just closed down, right. But the ones who thought about how is this an opportunity? Right, they're the ones who had testing sites in tents and like they did a ton of money.

Speaker 2: 21:37

And I remember in my nonprofit and I needed to hire a staff member and Usually our staff member was kind of person, like we're in the relationship business, a lot in the nonprofit space. So we're talking to people, we're schmoozing, we're hanging out and it was time to hire. I'm sitting here, I'm in Portland, oregon, and I didn't have any staff and it's getting. We work a lot with a lot of youth and at the school years approaching and I'm like hey, we just we still don't have staff and I'm sitting here focusing on all the challenges about this is really bad and everything's going badly and in the bad frame of mind. And then somebody suggested why don't we just hire someone remotely? And I was like, remotely, like we're in the relationship business, what does that mean? Like how are they going to make relationships? How are they going to have see people? How are they going to have them over? Whatever it was and Again, based on my principles of every challenge is an opportunity Okay, but what are the benefits of having somebody work remotely? And we say, okay, it is COVID and they won't have to spend any time driving and they won't have to waste any time and they're just going to do their job. They're going to make tons of meetings and they're just going to be like On meetings all day and I don't know, let's see what happens. So we actually hired somebody remotely they live on these coasts. Okay, to work, to build relationships. That was their job. They were a relationship builder and at the end of the year I will tell you this person because they didn't have to drive anywhere, they didn't have to shop, they didn't have to run any programs, they just made relationships on meetings. Their impact was greater, that impact we had in past years. They actually recruited more um students to post COVID programs that were in person travel programs than we ever had. And I kept reflecting on this, thinking like at the time it was like insane. The idea didn't even make any sense, like why in the world would I hire a relationship person that doesn't even live locally? But because I took something that seemed again, it seemed like I was just almost throwing my money down the toilet, like we were flushing money. But I needed something. I needed to say. We had a staff member I needed, we had the best outcome we ever had, but it was only because we were willing to pivot.

Speaker 2: 23:33

When you see, when somebody presents itself, it looks like the expression of one person's trash is another person's treasure. I'll give an example from the innovation. They teach right, if you have a chair that's, let's say, the legs fall off, it's broken, right? So most people are like what I want to do with this chair, I don't know, bring it to the dump like it's garbage. We're gonna go to the chair. But an sit, systematic, inventive thinking and this method of innovation that I use. It teaches us like this instead of saying I have a problem, I have nothing to do, it's a broken chair, let me throw it out, instead we work backwards and we say Same question what are the benefits of a chair with no legs? Who would want a chair with no legs? What can we do with the chair with no legs? Can I put you on the spot. What do we do? We do with the chair with no legs. Let's see here. You can use it as a ski.

Speaker 1: 24:20

You can use it as a sledge if it's snowing somewhere, but okay, you could use it as a firewood. You need it to, okay you could use it for you.

Speaker 2: 24:34

Use it for itself. Forget burning it in firewood, okay.

Speaker 1: 24:38

So you could use it for sitting on the ground. If you haven't got it, it needs to put it with you. Don't need backpack, it's a compact chair.

Speaker 2: 24:45

Don't need anything. Beach chair Great. What about a booster seat? Yeah, like you want. You have to use a garbage and you can either tell yourself I have something broken, I have a problem, or you could say I have a solution to a problem, I'm just not sure what it is. Yet I want you to take things and start like Asking yourself what is this good for? Remember, I have this staff member that's in new york and I'm like this is so not helpful for what I need, but what is it good for? And he was good. He was great. Great for a lot of things, and maybe not what I thought I needed, but because I was able to pivot, our year was better than ever, and it's really like a fascinating thing.

Speaker 2: 25:21

When you find a challenge again, just keep asking yourself who would want this? What can I do with it? It might not bring you the solution you always thought you were looking for, but it's going to bring you something that is so helpful. It can open up so many doors for you, and just that mentality, the mindset of every challenge, is an opportunity. You just keep doing that again and again. It doesn't matter how bad it looks.

Speaker 2: 25:43

You never know that person that you thought was the worst thing, the house that we bought. I remember it was about, I don't know, maybe 16, 17 years ago. There was wheelchair tracks on the carpet. There was the one house I was never going to buy. It was the one house I was never going to buy. But you know what? We bought the house, of course, and we built up the carpet, and it was an amazing opportunity. We ended up buying it. It was the perfect block. I never thought I wanted to live on that block. It ended up perfect for us. Everything you think of this is never. This is not what I wanted. So the ones I was looking for, yeah, but you know what. It's good for some things. It's not good for everything. There's no perfect solutions. Take a solution that's good for some things and make that your solution. If you use that as your solution, you're going to open up so many doors.

Speaker 1: 26:26

I love that. How is that many examples for you, not just with a house but in the business? By employing someone that was not originally a great idea, did that open up a bigger opportunity in the future and in your business venture? How did that affect you longer? That's interesting.

Speaker 2: 26:45

Actually for us, we ended up again after COVID finished. I didn't hire someone else from New York, so it's not like I'm going to say, oh yeah, we did this, but the principle taught me so many valuable. I've done this time and again, so it doesn't mean that I'm hiring a loser. That's not what I mean. But when there's opportunity that presents itself that doesn't open up every door for you, it's OK, because it'll open up a door that might be the right door.

Speaker 1: 27:12

And again.

Speaker 2: 27:12

So many times I'm trying to think just different. So it's interesting. I met somebody. Ok, here's an interesting example. I met somebody and they asked me to run a workshop for them on Zoom, and it wasn't a great opportunity for me, but I was just like you know what I want to do. It it's nice to help them out. Ok, I was like I don't know, is it worth my time? Not my time, let's see where it goes. Ok, I had the workshop. It was fine. Nothing happened from it. I was like I don't know. I was looking back Was it a good idea? I don't know. I did it, I'm moving on. Ok, I'm not even thinking about it. But guess what? Just a few months later, this person ended up leaving that company and moved to another one, started like CEO of a really big company, ran a conference, knew me, loved the work that I did at the thing, brought me in and it was a huge opportunity for me.

Speaker 2: 27:55

So many times you're just not sure Like things look like. Why did I do this? Should I do this, should I not? You never know where it's going to go. Again, I'm not saying do every single thing and I'm not saying just try every random thing, but if you have something that like it's your only solution right now, if you have something that really it doesn't make perfect sense but it might make sense for something, just go for it, like it really could change so many things for you and I like coming up with that in all years, but innovation in business, especially in this day and age, is so critical for your growth.

Speaker 1: 28:28

Because if you can't be innovative, you can't be adapt, you can't pivot, you aren't going to grow. In this day and age, because it is such a diverse business landscape and even going into 2024, people are saying, oh, I'm panicking about this, stocks, et cetera, et cetera, and they're not seeing a bigger vision. And what you're pointing out here, which I really love, is the ability to adapt, pivot, work with the possibility and you'd be optimistic about the future, and people are so stuck in their ways and so many industries they're not stepping back far enough as a leader and going what about this? And they don't have a diverse team around them to go. Shall we talk about this and what's your opinion on this? Because they're not involving the impact of the team.

Speaker 1: 29:20

Many heads make light thought, many hands like light work, but they're thinking they would have built it all. What you're doing is completely the opposite. You're innovating, you're pivoting, you're imaginative, you're creative with what you've got, and that's the key, not just to financial success, but personal happiness. These are the gateways that unlock many doors, not just one avenue of door where you think it's going to work. Is there anything that you'd like to share with the audience, that they're where they can go to see what you do, how they get in touch with you and, as I said, this is an off service to you, so please share what you want.

Speaker 2: 29:59

Sure, thank you. You can get in touch with me through my website meet your SPVAC that's M-E-I-R-A-S-P-I-V-A-K dot com or through LinkedIn. Definitely enjoy the connections that I make on LinkedIn. I've really appreciated it. I've been on there for maybe I don't know maybe two years now or so, something like that two to three years and I've gained so much just being on that platform. It's definitely connected and I really I just encourage everybody to learn and to read and to explore. Find those authors that you like. Find those professionals on workshops. Find someone who could help you. Find whoever that is.

Speaker 2: 30:31

I serve as accountability partners for so many people and I really I appreciate that work. That's in my zone of genius, or whatever you want to call it. This is what I like doing, and each person has their strengths and get the help that you need. Like you don't have to be a one man show if you don't want to be. So some people are like what's nice is like.

Speaker 2: 30:47

A lot of times I work with people and they always say to me someone said to me wait a minute, are you the kind of person that's going to put me in a full contract for the real long time and then I'm going to be stuck, even if I'm like that's not how I work. I'm like I help people and then, when I'm done and when you're feeling like you've got what you need, I'm just going out to them. I'm done, I'm here to help you and then I'm done. I don't want to overstay my welcome, I only want to help you to exactly what you need. Otherwise, what's the point? I'm here to help people. I'm not here for myself, I'm here to get them to where they want to be and then let them fly. So it's like a fascinating thing. But yeah, please be in touch. I'd love to hear about your challenges, about what's going, what works, what doesn't, and happy to help if I can Thank you very much for sharing that.

Speaker 1: 31:23

Is there any parting thoughts that you would love to share with the audience? That really inspired you to show up the way you do today for other people.

Speaker 2: 31:35

I just think it's not all or nothing and you don't have to. What is it? Perfect as he? How does it go? Perfect as the enemy of the good Is that the expression Like. Just try things. Like, well, the worst that's gonna happen is if it doesn't go. If you have an idea, you're not sure, so don't invest all your money in it. Try something small. If there's something that's just inside of you, it's something you want to do, just go for it. Like you don't have to do big things, you just have to do small things and then get a little bit better every time. Again, I want you to like in that sense you could use me as a role model, because I never was trained and the things like.

Speaker 2: 32:13

I went to college when I got a masters, but like it didn't help me in the work that I do. Everything was just lower than taught. I make a joke Like I've run a golf tournament multiple times. I have never played golf. One time I had someone teach me. I was like I was saying all the wrong words and I was like but I heard you, I should make a golf tournament and they were like okay, can you help me? They're like yeah, I'm like okay, and I made a golf tournament. Like I still don't know how to play golf. It didn't even matter, like just if you think something's important, just try to get the help that you need. I didn't get like a whole team. I had one person who was like I'll help you. I'm like let's just do this. And you know what? And guess what? I did it for multiple years.

Speaker 2: 32:48

After a bunch of years and COVID, I was just like it's not worth my time anymore and it didn't make sense anymore. And we stopped. And that's okay too. Do things for as much as you can get something out of it. And then, when it's time to pivot again like pivot and pivot, keep reinventing yourself, keep trying, but don't be afraid of it's gonna get too big. So don't do big. When I actually I run a camp, when I started the camp, I was like I wanna run a camp. Who's gonna run a? We're gonna do just a one week camp. Let's start with one week. Let's start with 20 kids. Let's start with let's get one client. You don't have to get 20 clients. You don't have to make a million dollars, set the bar so low and get a reward yourself. You got that one client. Go buy yourself something Like start slow reward, a little bit more reward again and just keep going, grow slowly and grow consistently.

Speaker 1: 33:31

I love that. Thank you very much. Remember what that is alluding to is the compound and effect. So if you're out there now thinking I haven't got this, I haven't got that, we all start from somewhere and in the face of adversity, you are tried, you are tested, but the outcome, beyond what you're aware of, is so impactful and it causes a ripple effect around the world, which is why this exists. So thank you very much for joining me today and your time and your passion and I can hear the passion as you speak, which is really nice, and it's a privilege to have you here Thank you For myself. Thank you very much for joining me. I really appreciate this message around the world. You may inspire somebody to change. You may inspire somebody to start a business, to grow that bit extra in their life. For myself, I'm Baz Porter Live with purpose and inspire with legacy. My friends have a blessed day.