The launch point of a learning curve can feel like a slog. There is so much to learn, and just keeping your head above water requires tremendous effort. When progress seems nonexistent it is human nature to feel impatient and want to change direction, but it is important to remember that you are making progress—and, if you stay focused and committed, someday you will hit the steep part of the curve and find yourself in the sweet spot.
My guest on the podcast today is Ryan Gottfredson, a leadership and management professor at Cal State Fullerton in California. I sent out the call a few months ago for another listener to be coached on the air, and Ryan was quick to volunteer as tribute. Ryan disrupted his life when he decided that his career in academia wasn’t as fulfilling (or lucrative) as originally hoped. Desiring a change, he started up a “side gig” relating to a topic near and dear to his heart: the importance of mindset.
Ryan is excited about his topic, but he’s also excited about having food to eat and electricity in his home, so he has diversified some of his interests to subsidize his income. In our coaching session, we discuss the importance of focus and not losing sight of what you ultimately want to do; open and closed mindsets; and the pros and cons of self-publishing a book. I was delighted to find that Ryan is also a devoted student: a few months after our initial conversation we met again, and he reported on the “homework” assignments I had given him. Ryan was wonderful to work with, and I’m hopeful that you will find something meant for you in this podcast.
You can download the episode on iTunes, or listen using the player above. As always, if you like what you hear, please subscribe, or leave me feedback in the comments.
Links Mentioned in this Episode:
- Ryan Gottfredson – Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
- Whitney’s newsletter – Click here to join
- Ryan’s Mindsets Quiz
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
- Stand Out Resume Course
- Intentional Leader Emails
- Disrupt Yourself Podcast – Episode 54: Build an A-Team
- Exactly how I self-published my book, sold 180,000 copies, and nearly doubled my revenue by Michael Bungay Stanier
- The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
- Disrupt Yourself Podcast – Episode 64 – Zach Obront
- Scribe (Formerly Book in a Box)
- Disrupt Yourself Podcast – Episode 95 – Donald Miller
- StoryBrand
- Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
- Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship by Whitney Johnson
- Multipliers, Revised and Updated: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman
- Disrupt Yourself Podcast – Episode 93: James Clear
