Victor Jimenez

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TFP-031-Entrepreneurship, passion, and communities – Ernesto Sirolli

Why passion is the ultimate driver in entrepreneurship and economic development

Entrepreneurship is really about doing what you are passionate about, then finding others to help you by doing what they are passionate about.  Working alone in the garage to build a business is just a myth, it never happens. Even Steve had Woz, and virtually every successful business ever built has been a group effort.  Businesses and people thrive when each individual is able to focus on what they love and do best. Instead of becoming the typical “superhero entrepreneur” by doing everything on their own.

In this episode, I am speaking with Ernesto Sirolli. For 35 years he has helped communities and organizations grow entrepreneurs through what he calls “Enterprise Facilitation” and Social Infrastructures. He has worked all over the world and they have helped start over 50 thousand businesses.  Listen in to this insightful conversation.

Some of the things we discuss

  • What the word entrepreneur really means.
  • The psychology of entrepreneurship.
  • Why you should only work at the things you are passionate about.
  • Where communities can find new entrepreneurs.
  • Rebuilding our social infrastructures to help each other become the fullest human they can be.

Ernesto Sirolli

Ernesto Sirolli is a noted authority in the field of sustainable economic development and is the Founder of the Sirolli Institute, an international non-profit organization that teaches community leaders how to establish and maintain Enterprise Facilitation projects in their community. The Institute is now training communities in the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Africa, Asia, Central and Latin America. In 1985, he pioneered in Esperance, a small rural community in Western Australia, a unique economic development approach based on harnessing the passion, determination, intelligence, and resourcefulness of the local people. The striking results of “The Esperance Experience” have prompted more than 250 communities around the world to adopt responsive, person-centered approaches to local economic development similar to the Enterprise Facilitation® model pioneered in Esperance.

Sirolli Institute- International Enterprise Facilitation Inc. www.sirolli.com

Filed Under: Podcasting, The Flywheel Podcast Tagged With: authenticity, compassion, creativity, design thinking, entrepreneurship, relationships, sustainability

TFP-029-How Spending Time In Nature Can Make Us Happier and Healthier- Florence Williams

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Something as simple as a walk in the woods can help us live a better life

In this episode, I am talking with Journalist and prize-winning author Florence Williams about her latest book Nature Fix.  We discuss the current problems with our hyper-connected and indoor life and how getting outside can actually help make use happier, healthier and more creative.

Some of the points we talk about

  • What happens to our brain and body when we go outside
  • Programs that some countries are putting in place to get people in nature
  • Things that you can do
  • Getting outside under trees
  • Spending a few hours every week in nature
  • How longer bouts in nature can help

About the guest

Florence Williams is a journalist, bestselling author, podcaster and public speaker. She is a contributing editor at Outside Magazine and a freelance writer for the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, The New York Review of Books, Slate, Mother Jones and numerous other publications. She is also the writer and host of the new Audible Original series, Breasts Unbound, as well as Outside Magazine’s Double-X Factor podcast. Her public speaking includes keynotes at Google, the Smithsonian, the Seattle Zoo, the Aspen Ideas Festival and many other corporate, academic and nonprofit venues.

Learn more about Florence and her work. http://www.florencewilliams.com/

Filed Under: Podcasting, The Flywheel Podcast Tagged With: creativity, entrepreneurship, Mindful, nature, time off

TFP-020 Liminal Thinking – Dave Gray

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How do we begin to understand another point of view so that we can create and embrace change?

Dave Grey - Liminal ThinkingCreating change is difficult. It requires us to think differently and be open to new possibilities and different views of reality. But this is not easy because we have our own beliefs that to us are 100% true and correct. Yet others have their own set of beliefs that are 100% true and correct to them. So how can we possibly create any sort of change, be it settling an argument with your spouse, convincing your team on a new direction with your company, or even selling a solution to a client?

In this episode, my guest Dave Gray and I unpack some of these questions and ideas in an hour long discussion on some interesting ways to use something called Liminal Thinking.

I would love to hear your questions and comments on this episode. Please leave a comment below.

If you enjoy this podcast please show your support by heading over to Itunes and leaving a review.

Links from episodeLiminal Thinking BookLiminal Thinking Book

Liminal Thinking – The book website

Dave Gray’s Personal Blog – XPLANR

Design Consultancy – XPLANE

Two Waves Books – Use discount code XPLANE to get 20% off Liminal Thinking

Guest

Dave GreyDave Gray is a leader and manager with a background in design. He has worked with many of the world’s largest companies, as well as mid-sized businesses, startups, executives, and individuals.

He is the founder of XPLANE, a strategic design consultancy, and co-founder of Boardthing, a collaboration platform for distributed teams.

He is the author of two books on design, change, and innovation: Gamestorming: A playbook for innovators, rule-breakers and changemakers; and The Connected Company.

His area of focus is the human side of change and innovation, specifically: How can you get people to adopt new ideas? How can you win their hearts and minds? How can you get people, including yourself, to change deeply embedded habits and behaviors? How can you transform a business strategy from a good idea to a living fact in the real world?

Filed Under: Podcasting, The Flywheel Podcast Tagged With: authenticity, creativity, Design, design thinking, entrepreneurship, liminal thinking, people centered business

TFP-019 Building a People-Centered Business- Jeb Banner

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Are you building a people-centered business?

Ask any business owner or CEO,  Who the most important people in their business are, and most will say “the customer is of course.”

But what if we refocus that lens and make our employees and colleagues most important?  What happens when we create a business that gives meaning to our employees? How will they interact differently with customers and how does that affect the bottom line?

Listen in to this episode where I talk with Jeb Banner the CEO of Small Box creative agency.

Jeb BannerJeb Banner CEO, Co-Founder of Small Box

Jeb was born in Chicago but moved to South Bend, Indiana when he was 6. Childhood was spent fidgeting at school, raising tadpoles in pools while building go-karts and tree forts in the rain.

Growing up it seemed that starting a business was the furthest thing from Jeb’s mind. After graduating with an English degree from IU in 1996, Jeb moved to Chicago to live in a ballroom with some friends, work odd jobs and play music. This lost weekend turned into a two-year stretch that brought Jeb to Indianapolis in 1998.

Finally the business bug bit. In 1999, Jeb discovered eBay. A few months and a large record collection later and StuffE was launched. It should be noted that said record collection also inaugurated Jeb’s record collecting habit which he has yet to kick. His vinyl collection clocks in around 3000 albums. After building StuffE into a mildly successful eBay consignment business he partnered with Dan Ripley to launch Antique Helper, an online auction house that married Dan’s knowledge and network with Jeb’s online auction systems.

In the meantime, Jeb and fellow Antique Helper employee Joe Downey collaborated on building Musical Family Tree, an online archive of Indiana music, which was founded in January of 2004. By the end of 2005, Antique Helper had grown into a successful business with $3 million in annual sales, but Jeb decided it was time to move on. Antiques were fun but the internet was calling.

In 2006 Jeb and Joe founded SmallBox, landing NUVO Newsweekly as their first client. As the company grew it moved beyond websites to become a fully integrated web marketing company. In early 2012, Jeb began to lead the company towards deeper consulting engagements, working with clients on organizational health issues. 2016 has seen a transition to what the SmallBox team calls 3.0. In essence, a quest to turn work into play and help clients do the same. Learn about this new direction here.

Jeb is very happily married to the amazing Jenny Banner and they have three strong, smart and bold girls. They live about 4 miles north of Broad Ripple with 2 cats, 1 dog, and 1 tiki bar.

Small Box Website

Twitter: @jebbanner

Personal Blog: www.jebbanner.com

SmallBox is a creative agency focused on helping clients find opportunities, solve big, fuzzy challenges, and build meaningful employee, brand and service experiences. We take a people-centered approach to designing solutions with you. Our services, from branding to strategic consulting to employee engagement, all speak to one goal: partnering with people to create distinctive and meaningful experiences. We thrive on curiosity, courage, collaboration and persistence, and these core values drive everything we do.

Filed Under: Podcasting, The Flywheel Podcast Tagged With: authenticity, creativity, Design, entrepreneurship, Ideal Customers, people centered business, relationships

TFP-018 Becoming The Creative Entrepreneur You Are – Carl Nordgren

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Are you really creative?

Many people don’t think of themselves as creative or entrepreneurial. In this episode, my guest and I discuss how incredibly wrong this is and how we are literally born as creative entrepreneurs.

Becoming A Creative Genius - Carl NordgrenMy guest, Carl Nordgren is a veteran entrepreneur and creative professional. We talk about some of the ideas in his latest book called Becoming a Creative Genius (again).

Some of the ideas we touch on

  • What it is to be creative
  • Generative
  • Mindset
  • the Importance of action
  • Practice and more

The lessons in the episode are important for every entrepreneur whether you are just starting out or a start-up veteran.

Links and Resources

Creative Genius

Research on walking to boost your creativity

Carls Blog

Carl Nordgren

Carl Nordgren was born in Greenville, Mississippi where his great grandmother’s house was across the street from the boyhood home of author Walker Percy. Carl has worked as a fishing guide on the English River in Northwestern Ontario and on the White River in the Arkansas Ozarks, as a bartender, a foundry man, and an entrepreneur. He lived with his family in Ireland for a year where he researched the IRA, and for 14 years he taught courses in Creativity and Entrepreneurship at Duke University. He graduated from Knox College and lives in Durham, North Carolina with his wife Marie where they have raised three daughters.

Filed Under: Podcasting, The Flywheel Podcast Tagged With: creativity, entrepreneurship

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The Flywheel podcast and everything I do is about building connection and community. I look forward to hearing from you.


I will personally reach out and say hi.

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Victor​

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Oh BTW: Thats my walking buddy Max in the picture.

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