Read The Transcript

Transcript
[0:00] Yes this morning and I have a wonderful guest and I'm just excited to have a conversation with Steve and I just want to remind everyone that the pirate broadcast is here to introduce interesting people doing interesting things.
And it's just an awesome opportunity to join in you know bring in some comments questions.
I love the opportunity to actually respond. I get back to your comments. I may not get back immediately in this broadcast.
However it does happen during the course of the day.
So don't I love that you're here if you're alive. If you're if you're on a replay.
Thank you so much. All the gratitude in the world for us being here and having the opportunity to share this information with you.
So Steve we've been connected for a while. Thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate your time today.

[0:53] Thank you rest for having me on your program and I'm excited because this is my first linked in life.

[1:01] So I know. So you get that honor playing what I had the opportunity to bring a few people out that haven't been on live before.
So that's that's that's good thing. So that means that we are making progress.
More people are getting on live.
More people are sharing their story and their message and having the opportunity to share their gifts,
and with you being on the show we because I mean we've had zoom sessions before we've had come before and the beauty of what we're doing here is that we can actually have conversations with each other and share what we're doing.
So I know that you've I know that you've been doing a couple of things and I admire the work that you're doing and you're. And your stories you tell great stories.
You're an awesome writer and and thank you so so.
And I know that we're both involved in random acts. So I want to give a shout out to everybody in the random act community and everything else Renay. Jill.
All of the people that the Blue Angels hats off and I applaud you I love you all so thank you so much.
So what's happening in the world of Steve today. So what are you What do you focus on today.

[2:18] I'm focused on trying to either narrow down.
Need to be focused on or just continuing to enjoy doing all the things I need to do.
You know that's one of the benefits of being an entrepreneur. Potentially as an older entrepreneur aware hey I've got a wife who can actually drive the bills.
And now I can play you know teaser settlements like the first 18 years of our marriage. She stayed at home. She was a stay at home mom.
I got her to go and go back to school and get some skills that she could make a living on if anything happened to me because a lot of people know about my health history.
And I wanted her to be able to prepare you know provide for herself. Right. Well independent.
Now that the corporate world has kicked me out.
I'm I'm enjoying her taking care of me so.

[3:17] So we have a relatively parallel background.
If people don't know Steve you were in I.T. in the health care industry for years.
I was in health care. I was in also I.T..
I've been an I.T. in technology since 92 so we have that we have that link in that thread and I was there.
I don't know. Well.

[3:46] I go back to the beginning of the IBM P.C. in the early 80s.

[3:49] So I started it out on the system 36 IBM System 30 so I did too in my programming was all on the thirty six. Yeah so.

[3:58] So we have this parallel and I love the fact that you know we are evolving and changing in and defining who we are because it's not easy.
You know when you're kind of defined by your industry in the things you do and what you're what you're attached to it's it's,
it's challenging to kind of think OK step aside and redefine who you are as an individual and what value you bring to the table.
But you're doing you're doing some amazing things.
You know I see I see your posts I see your activity I see your connections and you're doing some amazing things Steve.

[4:39] So hats off and and you know the sooner you release the fact that the corporate world.

[4:46] You know I got ejected from the corporate world more than once.

[4:49] So it's like I climbed to the top of the ladder only to realize it's on the wrong building.

[4:57] And so. So we have to adjust and adapt. And so.

[5:03] Through this transition what have you discovered about yourself that you didn't really realize before.

[5:10] I'm one of the things that I've done through this transition is to become a certified you map coach.
So that's one of the things I am doing is coaching various people.
And one of the things that became evident to me as I drill down on my own strength is.
I have the learner's strength is one of my top five and people with the learner's strength are usually quick learners but they always want to learn something new.
So it's a form of procrastination for me. Ok maybe but the bottom line is is my my life probably mimics that in a sense that,
as I've started out in one career and kind of gotten to the top I've been reinvented myself,
to start over again in and learn another course and and now being an entrepreneur I think is either number five or number six of me reinventing myself,
along the way which again place my strength as a as a learner.

[6:16] Yeah. So learning new skill sets and adopting those skill sets in your life is a simple process because you're normally that's your normal mode of operation is I would use this.

[6:31] But if you look at it my transition to from product manager in the early days of IBM P.C.
To programmer to manager applications to chief information security officer to data center manager all of that was an I.T.
So that made the transitions pretty easy for me from one language and in I.T. to another position in I.T..
So you're carrying some knowledge and and deepening newer knowledge right.
But now that I'm transitioning into being an entrepreneur that is a whole different game to me.

[7:11] Tell us more. Because I want to see if we have shared similar.
Well yeah. I want I want to hear.
I want to hear what that means because being an entrepreneur that means a lot of things to a lot of different people.
And and yeah you could you could call it self-employed. You can call it.
I've been a freelancer you know I've been a copywriter and you know consultant consultant you know and I know all those are variations of all those variations of working for yourself.
Basically yeah there's a fine line because I think for me an entrepreneur is someone that creates expansion in a in an area.
So for instance like I have.

[8:07] You know I have my core business that I do a lot of the creative work I do create content and things like that. And I also have people that are working for me to do other work. I contract other people to do that.
And that's I think an important component of being an entrepreneur versus a freelancer.

[8:25] So. So expansion is really good. You can call me a freelancer you can call me.
We're still defining who you are or being you know I wouldn't call you a beach bum unless you're at the beach. I'm not coming around to it yet. I don't think you're near the beach though.

[8:46] No I'm not.

[8:47] I'm in Illinois in a very plain states.
Do you have you have cold weather yet. Oh yeah. We had snow just last week.

[8:59] We've got a couple inches of snow.

[9:00] So you already have snow. Yes. And like you guys stand in Arizona. Yes.
I guess this is the time of year that I love Arizona. It's like you are under two hundred twenty. Not so much the wintertime. Exactly.

[9:18] Time when all the snowbirds flock there. Yes. My grandparents used to flock there and then come on.

[9:24] Oh it's summer. It's awesome. It's awesome. You know the funny thing about it is is the traffic increases in the wintertime.
I know it's probably a lot of older people and they may not drive very fast. Well yeah.

[9:42] So I just want to give a shout out while we're here.

[9:45] Laurie Brenda Angie Rachel Laurie life.
Yes learners unite.

[9:55] Laurie I asked Steve how identifying their core skills or habit helps his clients.
How does that help your clients like you. Now that you know that you're a learner. Great question by the way Sherry. I love that.

[10:09] Yeah that is your every question. So I would say part of knowing my strengths and learners one of them connectedness is another,
connectedness it's like you map terminology we call it our drive or strength.
So often people have one strength that really motivates them and drives them.
They might have a couple that they interchange and then the rest of your top five kind of support that in some way.
So for me connectedness allows me to see the big picture and also break it down into smaller pieces and,
potentially put those pieces back together in a way that brings about improvement.
So it's like connecting the dots. It is. It's like connecting the dots.
And now being a learner helps me learn quickly and see some of those connections that other people may not see.
And so from that standpoint it helps me to service my clients if if they're in need of ideas if they want to,
you know bounce things off of me from a business standpoint and you know I have a wealth of things my background I call my tool kit that I could bring out and help people with.

[11:39] I love that play from your tool kit. You know it's like oh that's information I haven't used in a while.
This is this applies right now it's always good to have that.

[11:50] And if you have a set of skills that you have or knowledge that you've mastered disks that you can pull in.

[11:57] So the learner so how how can others adopt the.
Their core skills or their core traits. You know how do they learn. How do they go. What's the process explained me the process.

[12:11] Because you map is a little bit. You know there's there's the book.

[12:15] That is it. Krista cherry and I. I think I have Kristen scheduled to be on the show as well.
Excellent. And I know I'm a super excited about that.

[12:24] And I have a couple of Laurie's been on the show. You know there's a few people and I haven't really dug in and to fully understand that you're kind of a a walk through on what the process is and what it looks like.

[12:39] So I think I think I'm going to be glad to give you a watch. Tell me Tell me the information we need. We need to know.
Inquiring minds need to know. OK good.

[12:49] Well to me the new map is a discovery process regarding yourself.
We're looking at your strengths your values your motivated skills and your career interest.
Those four things combined together make you a unique individual with unique strengths once you understand the.
How those play in your life when you'd spent some time reflecting upon how they show up in your life.
It's not necessarily that people don't know that that they don't have a certain strength.

[13:33] There's something in there and it's they may have a sense that they have that strength could define it or they don't have to to they don't know how it impacts their life.

[13:43] If they bring into their power you know that.
So that's what we help people to through that process is a look at their strengths.
And it's one of the things I love about coaching you man.
And my partners I call my clients partners.

[14:03] They're the insights that they gain that changed your life.
May truly change their lives and that could be in terms of work.
And what they're doing at work if they find out that they're not really using their strengths they're not really using the skills that they want.
So that's why they're dissatisfied with work.
They can choose to take steps to move in direction where they are using their strengths or their skills and become more happy.
But I've also seen it show up in people's lives.
That to me is some of the more powerful side of this is as you recognize why you do certain things,
and helps you then and understanding how you're relating to others and a good example of this is as one of my partners has the Cheever strength,
and achievers is a great strength that very cold or in it.
They're very driven to get things done they're very hardworking.
But one of the downsides of having the achiever strength.
Is. That you could be in the background.
So I don't know what's happening thousands of innocent lives. You can't run away.

[15:24] But anyway one of the downsides of achiever strength is sometimes focused too much on task and work to the neglect of others.
And so as I was coaching my one partner and we were talking about that they thought you know yeah this kind of sounds like me.
And then between sessions by the next session he came back he said Steve the light bulb went on this weekend I was sitting down,
and I was working really hard on something that I knew I had to get done for work and my six year old daughter came up to me,
and I brushed her aside,
and they said the light bulb went on.
And so you he wisely went and had a conversation with his wife and said do I do this often.
She said yes you do it all the time.
So he began to see himself differently in a way that caused them to reflect and say hey.
My family my home is my top priority and I want to be number one at home and not number one at work.

[16:34] You know in a lot of these huge number one at home and not number one at work because sometimes you can't. You have to make a decision right.

[16:46] Yes. I mean because there's still he's still going to have his achiever strength so it'd still be hugely successful and things that he attempts to do.
It's now that he has this awareness of what strength does to him through him,
he can try and balance that with other things so he can have a better fuller around her life. Do you sense that.

[17:13] Occasionally there. Because I notice this a lot and people in my coaching experience and background that there are people at times they have a sense of their their own innate ability.
Yes. However they need permission to actually bring it out and say this is something that you're more inclined to be good at.
Or this is something you could do. Go do this.
And I think I think just that switch in their head is really a powerful tool.
As a coach to say you have the ability and the authority and the permission to go do this.
And that changes lives immediately.

[17:58] It does because people sometimes feel like they're the oddball,
like somebody like me with the learner strength who does one career then moves to another career moves to another career keeps moving from career to career.
Those type those people sometimes.
Find themselves saying you know what's wrong with me. Why can't I just settle down and have one career and work at it for 40 years.
Well they're not wired that way. They're wired through their learning strength they keep mastering new things. Yeah.
And as soon as they realize that it becomes streamed to them like wow that's why I do what I do.
And it's not a bad thing. It's a no no.

[18:41] We're all unique individuals. And I think that's the whole point of pirate broadcasts is I've always been fascinated when one of the jobs you know I've been a firefighter I've been a farmer and now I'm a pirate.
So you know the range I mean maybe odd I am I am me.
So I'm going to be me and there is a job that I enjoyed back when you know early twenties and you know trying to figure life out and I was a musician I always played music and I was you know.

[19:15] I was a ski bomb and I always worked on the side. I always had a job.
And so one of my jobs I got was office supplies and I would deliver this office supplies to companies that would have a name like ABC Corporation.
You know it's just this label on a building and I was always fascinated by what people actually did in these buildings.
And as you'd go in there hey we manufacture widgets for this industry or we do you know something a B whatever it was.
I always always I was always fascinated by what industries existed that actually brought you know commerce to the world.
You know it's like is these businesses exist to survive or thrive in and help an industry.
And it's kind of the same way with this is I love bringing people like yourself on to and can understand it a little.
You know it's like having a conversation because I know your friend and the other side is I want to learn more about other industries and other things so I can you know help other people.
You know it's like OK now I know OK.

[20:24] There's an introduction and I need to introduce somebody to Steve so you know then you can connect the dots a little better and I don't know what.
I don't know a trait that falls under however that's really you know a connector or you know relationships or whatever happens.

[20:42] There's a whole set of relational strengths and connectedness is one of them which is just a variation of of working with people and yet listening to you and having connectedness.
I say yeah you sound like you could have that in your top five if you were to take the test and look and see or maybe even in your top ten,
I have a I have the book I need to sit down and read the book and and go through it or you can come to me and I can coach you through it.
There you go and you don't have to read the book you can come and as a coach I can walk you through the process.

[21:23] Yeah that would be awesome. I will shift gears. I want to shift gears because I know we're you know time time on these programs go quickly.

[21:33] And I want I'm not going to get out of here today without highlighting the fact that I love your Saturday stories.

[21:40] Thank you. And I want to I want to I want to dig down and find out what got you started in that process and how it evolved and what is the motivator for you to sit down and write these stories.
And what's the source of inspiration. Because that's a side of Steve that a lot of people I don't think.
You can appreciate because the creative side is in all of us. I believe everybody has a creative side.
There is no you there need permission or you need to bring it out in some way shape or form. So tell us about the creative side of Steve.
Well the creative side as Steve has been there since I was a little boy.

[22:21] Now I did more hand craft type of things you know through junior high high school kind of than I do actual writing because truth be known. I was a terrible writer.
I mean in terms of grammar spelling or usage you know I think I got a C minus in my college English class.
So I tell people if if I can become a good writer put it can become a good writer.
And that's just through a career of having people around me that work good writers yeah.
Helping me see where I needed to grow and being open to that that's where my learner's skill came in this age. Oh okay. I made this mistake I'll lock that in and try and not make it again.
So I develop the writing skills from that but the creative spirit may tie a little bit to connectedness from the standpoint of.
Me looking at things differently.
And as I look at things differently.

[23:26] I'm inspired to say hey you know you see that rock over there with that flower in it.
Yeah. That is a great story by the way. We can make a story out of that.
Yes. And then I then I sit down and because they're short stories I've got thirteen hundred characters it's off. That is. Oh here's a challenge with Lincoln.

[23:49] Unless you publish. Yeah let's publish.

[23:52] So I have you know kind of a model that I've developed that helps me to create those stories going forward.

[24:01] But generally I'm I'm pleased when people tell me you know I started reading this and I thought you were going in this direction.

[24:11] You totally end up in another place altogether and then light bulb start to spin the thoughts start to spin as people reflect upon things from a different angle.

[24:23] Well and and the beauty of it is is that the story starts in one direction and goes much deeper.
The meaning is always you take it to a new deeper level.
And if for everyone that has an opportunity to reach out and broadcast or watch this broadcast today either live.
Lesley Maureen thank you so much for being here. I just love you guys.
Laurie Rachel all of the people that are joining us live.
And if you're watching the replay this go connect with Steve.
He's actually let me let me let me put this up here Steve because I actually did this so you know my f.
Why I play chess so Steve Sullivan is an F. why I and I want to bring it this page because I think it's I think it's fun.
I think it's kind of fun. So let's look at this.

[25:21] So you can you can join Steve I got to go.
So Steve Sullivan dot FBI i t know the shout out to Rodrigo Martinez. Yes.
And go check out his stories are all posted in the links here and then also he's on LinkedIn.
So just go to LinkedIn and as Steve Sullivan dash Steve dash Sullivan dash I.T..

[25:48] So yes and if people want to follow the hashtag story Saturday they can go out there and click follow on that.
I used to ask people if they wanted me to tag them but I've gotten to a point where I'm tagging so many people.
LinkedIn puts me in like tag jail and I for 24 hours I can't tag anybody.

[26:12] Oh I yeah.

[26:15] I have slowed down on my tagging only because I wanted to observe how the pirate broadcasts can organically grow.
And it's well it's been phenomenal actually. So I'm really I'm really blessed to be here and and have people like yourself Steve.
I just really love the opportunity to have a conversation with with interesting people doing interesting things. And with the new map.
So you're you're coaching you map you're writing your Saturday stories go follow the hashtag follow Steve connect Aristide and then also you probably adventuring into some other other opportunities.
Tell us anything else that you had going on.
Well but an exciting because I know you have a family and you got things going on and they've got snow coming and so you probably shovel in the driveway.
Well fortunately for me or maybe not my kids are all adults so you know we're empty nesters now.
It gives me a little more time than people that have lots of little kids.
Yeah I remember those days and those were fun days. And I miss them.
I've got four kids now so I can share in that. But you know being a family man has always been important to me. Yeah.
Couple of the things that I am doing is trying to develop content towards helping people tell their story.

[27:41] Because I believe that there's power in telling a story that conveys information and in a way that people grasp it.
Yeah. And you know one of the projects I'm working on as leadership through stories potentially writing a book on that I just love stories actually.
I just got to so part of most companies do not use stories you know let's take their values. How do they come up with their values.
Yeah well it's set down meaning they said OK these sound good or customers are going to like these.
But if you ask the employees what the values are they probably couldn't tell you or the mission statement or the mission statement. If there is a story or should be stories behind each one of these.
Yeah. If companies were to learn how to develop and tell those stories they would be able to more effectively communicate with their employees. Yeah.
You know another another example. Every company has customer service right.
Yeah go ahead. No. Every every every business believes they have customers. OK. All right.

[28:58] I'll take that. But if you've been through those customer service training things it's usually a set of steps.
Make sure you greet the people make sure you smile at people.
Make sure you ask them if they want water. I mean there's all these steps.
But what companies don't do is turn those steps into stories to show why the smile is so important why each step.
Contributes and changes or impacts their customers hopefully in a positive way.
And so if they were to tell if they were to train using stories I think they would have more effective training.

[29:43] Absolutely. And there's so many there's so many opportunities for a in a business to actually share why it's important what's the benefit to the individual in the organization.
In doing this because you know carrying is something that we can all improve on.

[30:06] You know in and when you have a of a core value that is attached to your own personal benefit.
I think there's a stronger story there and there's also the journey of OK if you care about this these results will happen and that story is often missed out on as we relate to a lot of,
organizations I think and you see it you notice it.
You know you just notice it and it just exactly.

[30:35] I mean we're doing the same thing with the random act. I mean we're capturing people's stories and what they did to help others and what did that do that helps them you know inspire others gifts.
I decide to others hopefully encourages more people to step out and be kind.
Yeah because kindness is cool right.

[30:58] Well that's my fate. That's my story and I'm going to stick to it. Yes. A Steve.

[31:04] This has been phenomenal. And I really appreciate the opportunity to sit down with you and have a conversation about you map,
transition the fact that you're growing and your learner and you're expanding your horizons and use it in a.

[31:20] Such a positive way. I mean helping other people is for me.
It's it's the most wonderful thing that can happen you know.

[31:29] So I applaud you for your transition and your air expansion and everything that you're doing.

[31:36] And thank you so much. Get a hold of Steve. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
Go check him out on FBI. I got teal. I'll put some I'll put some links in the comments here today and I just really you know share this out and,
ask questions and let me know if you have any specific questions you want to ask in an oath.
Connect the dots for you today. So thank you Steve. As always. Pleasure.
And you know I must say kindness is cool.
Smiles are free and you enjoy the day.