Podcast – Walk Into the Future

Success in Black and White podcast

Success

“A podcast is a great way to develop relationships with hard-to-reach people”.

(Tim Paige)

The Walk into the Future blog has provided me with multiple opportunities to share my words, thoughts, and experiences with others.

I started this journey in 2018 with an idea of the direction I wanted to go but had no idea the process would be so much fun for me. The ability to be creative and explore adventures are two key elements that allow me to continue to produce content for the blog. I love the comments, texts, and emails I receive when something I write speaks to others—I guess you can say I am finding my voice as I develop content.

One area that puts a huge smile on my face is when one of my tree branches reaches out and want to produce content with me. My smile gets even bigger when the request comes from TWO tree branches! 😊

My tree branches, Darryl and April Lovett have a successful platform: Success in Black and White.

Proud of these two as they tackle issues others may shy away from, but they have fun as they do it. Love the fact they move forward as a POWER couple; their energy is contagious and makes you want to get up and make a difference in the world.

They asked me to join them for a podcast episode and I immediately said yes. Saw this as a perfect way to catch up with them and share a little bit of Walk into the Future with their growing audience. Please note, recording the episode was more fun than I ever imagined—well done Darryl and April!

We were able to catch up during the podcast and cover a lot of content in the one-hour timeframe. They asked great questions and were not afraid to follow-up for clarity. The question that really got me energized was: What is your calling and why are you passionate about it?

I have been asked this question in multiple ways but really enjoy the opportunity to continue to share my WHY. My why is to leave everyone better than when I met them. It took me a few years to put this down into a simple statement, but it has been with me for some time now.

I was able to dive a bit deeper while speaking with Darryl and April during the podcast. My desire to help others started for me in high school. I had a Guidance Counselor who did not even try to help me plan my life after high school. I had several friends who got excellent advice from this same counselor, but she only told me to join the military. We never discussed how to apply to colleges, how to apply for financial aid or anything about further education and the doors it would open. Fast forward and I hold three degrees without ever having a student loan—so maybe it was a good thing my high school guidance counselor did not help me with the process. 😊

My why is driven by the lack of support I received from my guidance counselor. I provide mentorship to everyone that crosses my path because I do not want them to have to struggle because I would not take the time to help them. I wanted to make sure Darryl, April and their audience understood how important this is for me. The passion I display when working with my tree branches and potential branches is because I want to help them grow. Sounds cliché but it is something I live every day.

A funny but true aspect of how I developed my why is I do not remember the name of my high school guidance counselor. Imagine, this lady fueled my passion with her lack of attention to my future and I do not remember her name, but she has allowed me to touch so many lives in a positive way. Good things come out of bad situations. Please note, I would not change a thing—I seem to be doing okay with this Walk into the Future journey.

Discovered during the podcast episode April also considers herself a running tourist! We got a chance to discuss why I run and the positive impacts it has on my daily journey. Hoping we can all get back to running, exploring, and traveling soon—there are still races out there to run.

So, I repeat the question Darryl and April asked me:

What is your calling and why are you passionate about it?

Thank you, Darryl and April for allowing me to come on your podcast! It was fun! 😊 Irie!

“Podcasting is great. Total freedom”.

(Bill Burr)

2020 Winter Park 10k and a podcast on the side

Podcast March 2020

(Image by Florante Valdez from Pixabay)

“Life is a blank canvas and you need to throw all the paint on it you can”.

(Danny Kaye)

Ventured back down to the Orlando area for the 2020 Winter Park 10k. This race has been on my running calendar the past two years because it allows me to hang out with great friends and family while running a unique course in Winter Park.

Track Shack promotes this race as a fantastic course to run a 10k personal best (PB) and it does not disappoint. There were several runners ringing the PB Bell strategically placed in the runner’s village after the race. Always exciting to see the joy a PB time brings to runners.

Mastering College to Career podcast

Coordinated with an Orlando tree branch to stop on the way down for the race to catch up a bit and record another episode on his Mastering College to Career podcast.

The podcast is Daniel Botero’s way to Walk into the Future and he has added on-line courses, videos and workbooks to go along with the weekly podcast episode. Very proud of his efforts and the difference he’s making with college students transitioning into the workplace.

Daniel provides me with the topic of discussion prior to the podcast and then we get to work. I’ve known Daniel since 2011 so we have a great working relationship and energize each other when we are in the same room. He wanted his students to understand the behind the scenes interactions between on-campus recruiters and career centers. The goal was to provide students with a better understanding how/why employers recruit on their campuses and the work involved to get them there. Was very happy to share my career center and employer relations knowledge with Daniel for the podcast and helping his students.

Found out I’m the first person on Daniel’s podcast to return for a third time. This put a smile on my face, but the smile got bigger because Daniel asked me to cut another podcast episode before I left his recording studio. So, it turns out I’m the only four-time guest on the podcast now. The additional podcast episode was to highlight the recruiting calendar employers utilize when deciding which campuses to visit. What a great way to start my race weekend! Got a chance to catch up with Daniel and cut two podcast episodes to help his students continue to move forward in life. (Both episodes should be live in April 2020).

Left Daniel’s recording studio and headed straight to Track Shack to pick up my race packet. Always exciting to see the Track Shack staff engaging with runners buying new gear. Love they host a spring sale the entire week of the Winter Park 10k race. Always can find some new gear and the sale prices are fantastic. Got a chance to chat with one of the Track Shack owners who I met one morning while running in Tom Brown Park in Tallahassee. Turns out her daughter lives in Tallahassee and works at FSU—small world!

Carb loading

Headed to my favorite Italian restaurant, Café Panuzzo’s with Jayla to carb load and catch up. We normally dine at Café Panuzzo’s or Buffalo Wild Wings prior to my races and Italian dining won this round. Café Panuzzo’s never disappoints when we visit. I stuck to my normal selection of chicken parmesan with pasta and Jayla got adventurous with the calzone. Got a double order of bread since my goal was to get as many carbs as possible prior to the 10k. Most got burned off the next morning, so no harm and their bread is fantastic!

https://cafepanuzzos.com/

Winter Park 10k

The morning started out cooler than expected but was great once we got started. Told several tree branches prior my goal was to run fast this year and wanted to record a good time. Happy to report I ran a 10k PB of 56:41 and felt good during and after the race.

Track Shack does not use the corral format for races so the first mile was crowded with runners of all levels and time expectations. Decided to patiently work my way through the crowd and then pick up my pace once the runners thinned a bit. Made up most of my slow start once the course flattened and went about my plan to go faster this year. Knew my time was going to be good (for me) at the 4-mile mark and got comfortable with my pace and breathing. Decided to pick up my pace at the 5-mile mark to see how much improvements I’ve made in the past year. Was able to pass several other runners and get to the finish line with a smile on my face. Learned to smile crossing the finish line since everyone with a camera is snapping away.

Got my medal, checked my time and rang the PB bell too. Great race, people and after party! Can’t beat drinking a beer and eating donuts at 9 am in the morning. Running is the best way to stay in shape and overindulge at the same time.

Will keep this race on my calendar because it’s fun and they will always have beer at the end! 😊

What podcasts do you listen to? How have the podcasts helped you Walk into the Future?

“Oh, the places you’ll go”.

(Dr. Seuss)

Follow Daniel here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedanielbotero/

Follow Track Shack here: https://www.trackshack.com/

Run Winter Park

Where do leaders come from?

Leadership image

(Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay)

“I’m a leader not a follower. Unless it’s a dark place, then you are going first”.

(Unknown)

Got invited back down to Orlando in October for my recurring speaking role on the Intern Whisperer podcast.

Season 2, Episode 92 featured me discussing all things leadership to include earliest memories of venturing into leadership roles.

The quote above makes me laugh because I know people who perform in their leadership role in a similar manner. No worries when things are going well but no support, help or empathy when things get tough. These so-called leaders also seek the spotlight in good times and hide out during the bad.

Back to the podcast and why I’m discussing leadership in this blog post. The students who produce the Intern Whisperer podcast are extremely sharp and asked great questions from start to finish. One question that really stood out to me was, “What was your earliest memory of taking on a leadership role and how did it make you feel”?

Seems like a straightforward question but I had to think about it for a bit. I have always been an athlete and grew up playing multiple sports; football, basketball, baseball and track (high jump). Never considered being active in sports as leadership, just a way to pass the time and hang out with friends. Yes, I know leadership and teamwork are integral in a team environment, but I was just having fun during this time frame. My interviewers seemed to think my sports background would have been where my leadership foundation started.

My earliest memory of taking on an active leadership role and embracing everything involved was when I became a Master Instructor at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi (Biloxi).

I served at multiple Air Force installations as a Personnel Systems Manager (HR Data Analyst) and got an opportunity to train analysts Air Force wide based on my work performance and knowledge. So, I went for writing computer code for one Air Force base to training every data analyst in my career field—worldwide. Pretty heady stuff for someone from Jasper, Florida!

This role stands out as my earliest leadership memory because I had to expand my personal and professional goals and understand the importance of ensuring my students got a world class education. Everything they needed to be successful in the career field came directly from me. I couldn’t have a bad day in class because my lack of preparation, patience or knowledge would hinder their abilities to perform; in class and when they returned to their respective organizations around the world.

I went from being responsible for myself to leading a group of 25 students on a six-week educational journey. We routinely graduated 10 classes every fiscal year—I spent 4 years as an Air Force instructor at Keesler Air Force Base before moving back into my career field at Kadena Air Base, Japan (Okinawa).

The Air Force Technical School environment is the incubator that taught me leaders must be able to adjust leadership style, inspirational tactics and provide tough love when needed. The students needed different things to successfully complete our course. My ability to lead was needed daily.

It was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done but it laid the foundation for my current leadership and life philosophy: Make a difference daily!

Leadership article

(Instructor of the Year Presentation)

What are your earliest leadership memories? How do these memories impact you today? (Respond in the comments section—thanks!)

Thanks for walking with me!

Listen to the Intern Whisperer podcast, Season 2, episode 92 here: https://www.facebook.com/internpursuit/videos/769036653552348/

“Be a LEADER, not a boss”.

(Calvin Williams)

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