Why Did You Become an Entrepreneur, Speaker, Author, Etc. in the First Place?
Like many Catalysts, I have moved in and out of corporate roles, startups, starting my own companies. I’ve gone wherever the next most interesting challenge or opportunity arose.
I feel so fortunate to be able to start this global Catalyst movement with my amazing Co-CEO Tracey. Turns out the best way we could do that was by starting our own business.
I never had an ambition to be an author, but our Advisory Board pointed out if you’re creating a movement, you need the tome that helps create a shared identity, language, framework, which then allows for others to help evangelize and others to lean in. I also was excited to write the personal operating manual I wished I had had 20 years ago.
How Do You Deal With Fear?
I am an adrenaline junkie. I didn’t really understand how deep that physical wiring is for me in terms of neurologically connecting fear with endorphins until my son and I were taking a road trip. We were on a remote desert road, going around a blind bend when a huge tractor trailer came barreling around the corner and almost drove us off the road over a cliff. As soon as both of our brains realized that we were ok, my son burst out crying at the exact same minute I burst out laughing. I get a flood of endorphins from overcoming fear (skydiving, rock climbing, riding my motorcycle, you name it). There is a problem with that line though, because you have to keep constantly upping the ante.
How Do You Deal With Rejection?
Rejection is tough for me. I am a born people pleaser. I also have an incredibly strong inner critic. So most times when people reject or criticize me, it’s not something that I haven’t thought or told myself.
Over the years I have come to learn that the overactive inner critic isn’t helpful and not all rejection is bad. I have been actively developing self-compassion and mindfulness over the decades, rejection has gotten easier. It’s ok that I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s so much more fun to spend time with the people who get me, what I’m about, and support me.
