Sometimes we all need to switch from dress shoes to cowboy boots to truly find our way.
Happy Friday, Brew Nation!
Grab your favorite coffee cup and get ready to embark on a transformative journey. The Champions Brew Newsletter is here to invigorate your mornings and ignite your drive for personal growth and impact! Fuel your mornings with motivation and purpose. As you savor your first cup of the day, let the Champions Brew infuse you with the insights and strategies you need to make each day a stepping stone towards your aspirations. Let’s Go!
- Uncommon Leader Insights – In a recent episode of The Uncommon Leader Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Cindy Carrillo, who shared transformative insights from her book, Finding Your Nxt(not a spelling mistake… listen to the episode and find out why!) and her unique immersion experience on her ranch. Here are three key takeaways that can help us all find clarity and joy in our personal and professional lives:
- Embrace Your Next: Cindy revealed her philosophy around the idea of “nexts”—understanding that life is a series of transitions requiring different approaches. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing and embracing these phases rather than fearing them. Cindy’s book, “Finding Your Next (NXT),” provides a toolkit for navigating these transformations. By focusing on why you seek change before jumping into the details, you gain the clarity needed to align your actions with your true desires.
- Overcome Barriers: One of the most compelling parts of Cindy’s story involves how she identifies and overcomes common barriers to realizing dreams. Whether it’s the fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or the comfort of the status quo, we need to gather information and learn from mistakes. Failure does not exist if you take risks, learn from the outcomes, and recognize your self-worth. This philosophy is integral to the success of her immersion program at CC Blue, where individuals find a renewed sense of purpose and direction.
- Practice Intentional Living: Cindy’s journey from a CEO to living on a ranch in Colorado is more than just a career change; it’s a testament to intentional living. By developing a sustainable lifestyle that integrates our personal values and professional skills, we can create an environment where we can thrive. This shift isn’t about abandoning your past but integrating your experiences into a new vision of success. Cindy’s story reminds us that life’s transitions are opportunities for intentional and meaningful change.
Whether you’re in the midst of contemplating your next phase or seeking to break free from limiting patterns, Cindy Carrillo’s insights provide a powerful reminder: clarity and joy come from embracing change with purposeful intention. As Cindy metaphorically suggests, sometimes we all need to switch from high heels to cowboy boots to truly find our way.
I encourage you all to listen to the full episode and consider how these takeaways can influence your own approach to leadership. Sometimes we all need to switch from high heels to cowboy boots to truly find our way.
Being successful as a leader requires intentional leadership habits. That’s why I developed the Ideal Week template – a tool that helps me identify areas for success and allocate the necessary time. It guides you through planning your ideal week, ensuring you dedicate time to the activities that bring you closer to your goals.
Want to give it a try? Subscribe to my YouTube channel (click here) and take a screenshot that confirms you are subscribed. Email the screenshot to [email protected] and I’ll send you a copy of the Ideal Week template complete with a sample to get you started!
- Be Intentional – This week, I listened to an inspiring episode of Ed Mylett’s podcast where he discussed “10 things we need to stop doing to maximize our life.“
Mylett’s list is thought-provoking and challenging:
- Stop Speaking Negatively To Yourself 17:13
- Stop Worrying 17:52
- Stop Waiting For Someone To Save You 18:55
- Stop Expecting It To Be Easy 21:09
- Stop Expecting Support 23:09
- Stop Waiting For The Right Moment 24:41
- Stop Treating Yourself Poorly 25:52
- Stop Shrinking To Make Others Comfortable 28:16
- Stop Looking For Security And Certainty 29:25
- Stop Settling For Mediocrity
Reflect on these behaviors and identify areas where you might need to make changes. Mylett shared a powerful story about Kobe Bryant, who tragically passed away just a week after he had been with Kobe at a volleyball event with their daughters. This reminder of life’s unpredictability emphasizes the importance of taking action now.
Stop waiting. Listen to the full episode of Ed Mylett’s podcast and start making positive changes today. Remember, “Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.”
- Read More & Build Faith– This week, I’m diving into ‘Jesus the High Road Leader’ by John Maxwell and Chris Hodges. While faith plays a central role in this book, I believe that the leadership principles it explores are timeless and applicable to everyone, regardless of religious beliefs. Regardless of where you are on your faith journey, I believe you may still find value in the book’s exploration of leadership qualities like empathy, service, and making a positive impact. However, I understand that this topic may not resonate with everyone, and you’re welcome to skip this entry if you prefer.
For those who are interested, I’m excited to share my insights and explore how Jesus’ teachings can inspire us all to become better leaders. Let’s get started!
Behavior #1 – Jesus Valued All People
Jesus valued all people in every situation including when he was developing his leaders, when he was ministering to the crowds, and in 1:1 conversations. Jesus value others based upon who he is, not who they were or what they had done.
Biblical example: In this chapter the authors recall a story from John 8:3-11 when Jesus encounters a group of Pharisees who bring an adulterous woman to him, demanding that she be stoned according to the law. Instead of condemning her, Jesus challenges the Pharisees to cast the first stone if they are without sin. Faced with their own hypocrisy, they leave one by one. Jesus then tells the woman, “Go now and sin no more.”
This powerful story offers valuable lessons for leaders on how to value others:
- Leaders show compassion: Just as Jesus treated the woman with compassion and understanding, leaders must value all members of their team or organization, regardless of their backgrounds, beliefs, or mistakes.
- Avoid Hypocrisy: Leaders should be mindful of their own shortcomings and avoid judging others too harshly.
- Focus on Growth and Improvement: Rather than dwelling on past mistakes, leaders should encourage growth and provide opportunities for redemption.
- Extend Grace and Forgiveness: Just as Jesus showed mercy to the woman, leaders must be prepared to extend grace and forgiveness to those who make mistakes.
As leader we should value people because God values them. He created each person and values them greatly. As Jesus’ followers, we need to value everyone enough to reach out to them when they call and lift them back up again.
Leaders, will you choose to travel the high road by valuing all people as he did?
- Quote of the week:
“This [procrastination] is one of the most common causes of failure. ‘Old Man Procrastination’ stands within the shadow of every human being, waiting his opportunity to spoil one’ s chances of success. Most of us go through life as failures, because we are waiting for the ‘time to be right’ to start doing something worthwhile.”
— Napoleon Hill, in “Think and Grow Rich“
What You Need to Do:
Call to Action: I am glad you got this far!! Now, Share this post with someone who needs to hear it and tag me and that friend for a chance to win a Free Copy of the Jesus, the High Road Leader! Let’s spread the word and inspire others!
It’s an honor to be your trusted “Friday Coffee Guy”. Each week, I’m excited to provide yet another round of curated content that I’ve been reading, listening to, watching, or thinking over. The purpose of the Champions Brew is to inspire, equip and encourage you to become the uncommon leader you were designed to be. I am so grateful for your decision to invest a few moments with me! I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Champions Brew. If you did, I would appreciate it if you would share it with someone who might enjoy it as well and ask them to subscribe! I will make sure they automatically get this email every week.
Until next time, Go and Grow Champions!
P.S. – Are you a podcast fan? Maybe the Uncommon Leader podcast is for you. Are you interested in being a guest on the Uncommon Leader Podcast? Do you have a story to tell? Email me [email protected] and let’s have a chat and set something up!!
