Something I occasionally do on the Disrupt Yourself Podcast is challenge my guest to do something they’ve been thinking about, dreaming about, but haven’t yet made time or summoned the courage to do. All of us are better at accomplishing things when given the constraints of a deadline and another person to be accountable to.
In my recent conversation with Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer for Vaynermedia, I saw an opening to issue such a challenge.
We talked, of course, about Claude’s unconventional job title, and how it plays out in the day-to-day of her work overseeing and transforming the corporate culture of a very rapidly growing digital media marketing agency. It’s a fascinating story and the episode is worth a listen for that alone.
But because Claude is so influential in the lives of her firm’s 800 employees—and increasingly taking her message to the world outside the firm—I asked her who an important influence in her life might be.
Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind. Reading this masterwork on right-brainedness, says Claude, “rocked my world. It was the first time I read that it was okay to be me….I’ve never written to him. I need to.”
There it was—the irresistible opening. I challenged her to email Daniel Pink. And she did.
“The next thing I knew I was in an email dialogue with him. I reached out to him via his website and he answered.”
If I said more I’d need to issue a spoiler alert.
Let’s just say that sometimes, it’s great to be challenged. I invite you to eavesdrop on the conversation at the Disrupt Yourself Podcast by subscribing on iTunes or listening in the player above.
