Live it Well with Richard Dedor

Sometimes the speed goes up, or goes down. 

Sometimes the incline goes up, and sometimes it goes down. 

But through it all, you stay on. You find a way to keep going. This is a reminder to sometimes slow down; and sometimes speed up. 

So excited to welcome Christina to this week's episode ... she was a bookworm like me growing up and that took her to the far-reaches of the world as a reporter where she covered stories on gangs and peace deals. In the end, she has always followed her passion and has now written two novels and gives her time to various groups to inspire writing among those who often get left behind. 

I recently closed a chapter of my life: my first real business closed for good. It was bittersweet and I have no regrets (outside of it not working out!). I'm proud of the work we did and what I learned along the way. But it doesn't make it any easier. :) 

A true explorer, Julie Laurin, joined me to talk about the incredible journey we are one: one of personal exploration and discovery. She tried going to college seven times, became famous on Twitch, and even through a medical mystery, kept being curious about the world. Enjoy this conversation with Julie and keep your curiosity alive!

Never forget to say thank you. That's all. 

You're going to love this episode! I welcome a Twitter-turned-real-life-friend, Sam Taggart! He joins us from Egypt where he is currently living and working. We worked together in a startup in New York City and he joined the show to talk about how he decided to ditch "standard" living and begin to live wherever the winds take him. 

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After a shift in plans this week, I was reminded that sometimes you have to embrace the moment you've been given and just say, "F it, I'm going to get going." It was true for me this week, and it should be true for us all every day. 

Lifting others up and creating awesome events has long been Anne's M.O. We met about six years ago when she was interviewing for a job. It was a great hire and it's been fun growing as people and professionals together. We talk COVID, her interview, and how she ensures she puts people first.

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After years of hearing about stress management techniques, last week it finally hit me how wrong that approach is. Instead of stress management, we all need to focus on managing the stressors, not the stress itself. Take a listen ... 

I met Adam 15 years ago when I wrote a profile on him as a young reporter and a young member of the UNI Panthers Men's Basketball team. We were business partners and now friends. We talk about how he learned about hard work, his life as an athlete, and what's up next in the personal training world. 

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Lately, I've been letting myself by bothered by cosmetic issues. In trying to understand them, I was reminded of a scene in the West Wing about this very issue. Bam! Problem solved! Don't waste time on cosmetic issues. 

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What do you get when you put together an emotional story, a families love, and a creator with a unique skill to tell a story? You get "Can I Have a Mask?" from my friend Sahan Jayawardena. The short is the winner of the Best Animated Short (Venice Shorts Fest), Best Animated Short - Gold Award (Independent Short Awards), Outstanding Achievement in Animation (Indie Shorts Fest), and the Best Animation - Honorable Mention (Top Short Awards). 

In our conversation we talk about how he got into film, how his siblings paved the way and no one stopped him in the pursuit of his dreams, and what he is focused on today. 

Here we are: 2021. Do with the year as you wish and we start Season 5 with a quote from the great Ernest Hemingway about how to do what you can with what you have. It's not about aiming low, it's about aiming smart. 

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It's not only the final episode of 2020 (WE MADE IT!), but also the final episode of Season 4. I reflect on the things I've learned an dhow to best prepare for a better 2021. It starts with you focusing on ... well ... YOU! 

That's right. They are the crew who will keep you focused on your goals, notice and call out your weaknesses, and stand with you when things get tough. Make this a part of your 2021 plan. 

2020 was ... different. But we've mostly gotten out of it without too many broken bones. 

My family had one trip to the ER (non-COVID), a few sunburns, but a lot of laughs. And through it all, I've learned to embrace the unknown and sometimes even, hit the pause button. 

A recent Timehop memory reminded me of a Thanksgiving I spent away from my family about a decade ago. I stayed in NYC and hung out with my friend Vikash and we went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and had a non-traditional lunch. It is one of my favorite memories. And it was all uncertain when the day began. 

One of my recent videos has received a fair number of thumbs ups, and it got me thinking ... we control our own destiny. You just have to actually make the choice to control it. Living, and living it well, is a choice. Which do you choose? 

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you and your families are healthy and safe. Even in a crazy year, we have a lot to be thankful for.

It has become more and more apparent to me that organizations that profess to have a collaborative culture oftentimes struggle to have a real collaborative culture. Give it a listen and let me know your thoughts! 

... and it's all small stuff. When you focus on the wrong stuff, you're going to get the wrong results. 

Just as in life, in business, compassion can and does go a long way. Just this past week, Burger King UK showed their true selves in encouraging their followers on Twitter to go eat a Big Mac. No, it was not a gimmick. It was a true example of leading with heart.

After helping a friend in a career pivot over the last week, I got to thinking about what makes "the right moment." Hint: There isn't one. The right moment is the one you have right now. 

Two recent conversations have reminded me the important of leading with your heart. It matters with your personal relationships and your professional ones. But when you lead with your heart, when you lead with an approach to pay it forward, you always win. 

Live it well!

Live (or taped) from the beach in Cancun comes a thought that I needed to personally be reminded of, and I suspect many of the listeners of this show need from time to time as well. 

Live it well! 

Many times in life, things can get in our way but they aren't real. They are invisible rabbits. On a recent drive, this was reminded to me from an experience 15 years ago. 

I've long been a fan of tennis star Andy Murray. He's a three-time grand slam champ and two-time Olympic gold medalist. And now he's playing with a new hip. This is an old recording of my thoughts right after he won his first grand slam. 

I've been thinking a lot about the competition in our own lives and came up with this concept of "Risk Living." 

Keeping with the theme from the last episode, sometimes when you try, you fall down. The key is getting back up. Not always to do the same thing. Maybe you change things. Maybe you do something else. But you always have to get back up! 

We kick off season 4 with a quick lesson on what it means to try. It's not about the outcome. It's in the doing. It's in the journey. Just get going and see what happens! 

To close out Season 3 of Live it Well, I wanted to bring on my friend, Mike. We've known each other for 20 years and over the past year, he's battled to take back his life and I wanted him to share his journey. He's truly living it well these days. 

If you built it ... they will come. So says Field of Dreams. My guest today is Nate Sanderson, basketball coach and wiffle ball field aficionado. He shares his thoughts on the best way to coach and how the wiffle ball field has changed his life. 

A non-track athlete, athlete, turned coach, turned professional poker player, turned awesome dude. That's Mike. And he's friends with some rad people. Just listen, and live it well. 

Both Iowans who spent time in New York City, Chelsea joined the podcast to talk kids during COVID, life in New York City, and chasing dreams. Dollar pizza anyone? 

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What do you get when you mix a philanthropist, a 1.5 generation American, and a business leader? You get a great political leader, too! This conversation with former Independent candidate and now author Neal Simon details his unique family history and his run for the U.S. Senate for Maryland in 2018. 

I met Allyson 15 years ago at a conference and we've stayed in touch through the years. She's had to overcome a few pretty crazy challenges in life but takes them all on with an ease and attitude we can all learn something from. 

Chris has quite the story: married young, flight attendant, career change, author, and an HIV+ gay man. Chris tells some great stories and has some great advice about taking chances and embracing each moment. 

I first met Skippy through a mutual friend and I'm so glad he did. He's a man who lives our show theme in everything he does from taking a risk on a job with Obama for America, to trying to start his own company, and now as an elected official in Aspen; he's living proof you can make an impact on the world around you. And he's just a great guy. 

For the first episode of season 3, I'm pleased to welcome tennis extraordinaire and my friend, Nick McCarvel! He's been covering tennis, gymnastics, and figure skating for years for the New York Times, USA Today, Wimbledon, US Open, and more! We talk sports, Covid-19, Christian music, and what it was like growing up gay in Montana. 

He didn't want to date anyone. But a random and unexpected Facebook friend request changed all that. Preston and Mark joined Gen2Gen to share their story of missed kisses and bike rides and how they navigated a church by-law to get married. 

When we think about love, we know it isn't easy. It's complicated. When Jennie broke up with her then-boyfriend her junior year of high school, little did she know she was about to make a move that would change her life. She moved to a new seat in Calculus class ... and met Phil.

When we think about love, we know it isn't easy. It's complicated. And when JP & Nora connected via Facebook, it was a re-connection of long-lost friends. And that's where it remained. Until they decided to start talking. 

This is the preview episode of Season 2 of Gen2Gen! Subscribe and get all the future episodes on your favorite podcast app! 

We conclude this season with all our guests back talking about the lessons from 9.11. What we've lost, what we found, and how we approach this anniversary. And we end with a great lesson from Yad, our Iraqi, turned San Franciscan. 

It's not just a single moment in the day ... it's a lot of moments; little moments. Our participants share some of those very personal moments that they remember, and how they view the day, September 11, today. 

The day was so full of questions ... and no answers. Not even the President had answers. Whether it was Michael trying to start a new job with all new people or Yad thinking war was going to happen, or Tracie having to work through 26 pairs of young eyes staring at her waiting for answers; that's what we all wanted: answers. 

If you were alive, you know where you were and what you were doing the morning of September 11, 2001. For our five guests, they do. For Yad as an 11-year-old in Iraq, it was nearly life as normal when in the States, it was anything but.