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Third Act By 28: One Man’s Unusual Journey to do Meaningful Work (Part 1)

“When I was a little kid, I loved police officers. I could spot a police car a mile away. I think it started when I was seven or eight years old and a police car came into our neighborhood, which never happened, to go to someone’s house to talk to them about something. And he was really nice to us—all of my friends. Who knows if that set a journey for me in the back of my mind that police work—such a noble profession—is really important to society, but I always had a love of police officers.”

– Michael Shochet, Senior Cantor of Temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church, Virginia; Chief Chaplain of Fairfax County, Virginia Police

Few can tell a personal career story as dramatic and ever-changing as Mike Shochet. As an ambitious high school student from an affluent Baltimore suburb, Shochet became “enthralled” with television production and news reporting. And soon after college graduation, he became a reporter for Baltimore’s NBC affiliate, WMAR-TV.

But the excitement of on-air reporting turned to agitation. Shochet wanted to help people through his work, but he felt that the “if it bleeds it leads” stories that his bosses wanted him to report wasn’t the way. So, at age 23, Shochet became a Baltimore City cop.

And that is only half of his story.

In Third Act by 28 Part 1, Shochet:

• Describes his early fascination with television production and reporting news [starts at 2:49]
• Recalls the on-the-air story he was assigned to report that upended his career [starts at 17:11]
• Relives his pivot to from reporter to Baltimore City Policeman [starts at 21:19]

About our guest: Michael Shochet received a Bachelor of Science from Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications and a Masters in Sacred Music from Hebrew Union College. He is the Senior Cantor for Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, Virginia and Chief Chaplain of the Fairfax County, Virginia Police Department. Shochet and his family live in Fairfax County, Virginia.

EPISODE DATE: October 12, 2018

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:55 — 4.5MB)

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Beautiful Dreams: What did you want to be when you grew up? What were your dreams of doing meaningful work?

In this special episode of the podcast, we ask these questions which are so central to our personal narratives, but also to our pursuit of happiness.

You will discover the beautiful dreams of some of our season’s guests, like: Charles Glassman who knew early on that he wanted to be a doctor; Richard Ezike who saw himself building beautiful buildings and great cities; Edythe Richards who wanted to perform before a live audience, and; Michael Shochet who was enthralled with being on TV.

This season, we meet highly successful people—all leaders in their respective fields of influence—who overcame life and professional challenges to do truly meaningful work. Each shares their remarkable stories and useful insight on how we can aspire to do the work of our dreams—work that is profound, protects the planet, helps people, and is fun.

So…let’s walk this Tightrope together, to recapture our dreams of doing meaningful work.

Keyword “The Tightrope with Dan Smolen” on Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. And make sure to sign up for our newsletter at DanSmolen.com. That way you’ll hear about new episodes and important developments as they happen.

What were your beautiful dreams?

Please join us for an amazing experience. And do remember this: our best days lie ahead.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:36 — 36.2MB)

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The Experience Shaper Part 2: One Performance Expert is Transforming HOW We Work

“I was across the country in probably 12 different cities—about 500 people—and I would ask the question: How many of you have had a transformativeperformance evaluation in your career? And only THREE PEOPLE out of 500 said that they had had a transformative conversation.”

– Adrienne Shoch, Corporate Performance Expert and Founder of 5 to 1 Consulting

Performance reviews are a stable of the workforce.

It is how companies measure a worker’s job skill, set salary levels, and establish future goals. But they are also often ill-timed and poorly conceived, set out to accomplish too much, and leave both parties—the hired talent and the hiring manager—reeling.

In the Experience Shaper Part 2, corporate performance expert and “experience shaper” Adrienne Shoch shows us how we can radically transform the performance review process so that it helps the hiring company dramatically improve performance, mitigate on-the-job problems, and, provide people with better communication as well as a sense of partnership that renders the work done more meaningful and fun.

In this podcast episode, she

• Describes how most hiring managers conduct their performance reviews improperly[starts at 2:01]
• Explains the “5 to 1” process of holistic performance-focused practices [starts at 11:06]
• Defines “experience shaping” [starts at 17:46]
• Offers examples of how transformative performance reviews helped a major building products client boost sales and customer satisfaction [starts at 21:47]
• Shares her insight on how listeners can make the work that they do more meaningful and fun [starts at 26:53]

About our guest: Adrienne Shoch is the founder of 5 to 1 Consulting. By employing holistic, performance-focused practices, Shoch helps clients to understand how the brain, body, and language influence workforce behavior and decision-making. What is more, she empowers company leaders to effectively apply “generated from within us”skills and behaviors to build trust, inspire, and lead team members to overcome highly stressful situations and complex business contexts.

Adrienne Shoch received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Towson University. She studied French at the Sorbonne (La Chancellerie des Universités de Paris) and Neuroleadership at the Neuroleadership Institute. She lives and works in Washington, D.C.

EPISODE DATE: September 28, 2018

Social media:

5 to 1 Consulting Website

Adrienne Shoch LinkedIn Page

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:36 — 40.7MB)

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The Experience Shaper Part 1: One Performance Expert is Transforming HOW We Work

“As a child, I did have a moment when my mom said, ‘you know, you are going to have to work for yourself. You are going to find your way outside of what everyone else is doing.’ And I’ve never forgotten that.”

– Adrienne Shoch, Corporate Performance Expert and Founder of 5 to 1 Consulting

Early in life, she knew that her mind worked differently than the other kids. She knew she was dyslexic. But she also knew that she was very smart. And her parents fully supported her dreams and life journey, with mom telling her, “just have fun, just go out and enjoy your day.”

In The Experience Shaper Part 1, corporate performance expert and “experience shaper” Adrienne Shoch describes how she turned difficult early life challenges into an extraordinary ability “to see things outside of the norm,” to understand how our mind/body connections work, and apply her unusual insight towards creating better work engagements and outcomes for her clients.

In this podcast episode, she

• Describes early challenges with dyslexia and how conventional educational approaches offered her little utility or enjoyment [start point at 5:33]
• Recalls the important life lesson she learned when everyone on her youth swim team “had a job” and how that model shaped the inclusive business practices that she employs today [start point at 11:43]
• Relives the exhilarating college experience of moving to Paris when she spoke very little French [start point at 17:07

• Explains the important concept of Systems Thinking and how she has applied it in her career [start point at 22:38]

About our guest: Adrienne Shoch is the founder of 5 to 1 Consulting. By employing holistic, performance-focused practices, Shoch helps clients to understand how the brain, body, and language influence workforce behavior and decision-making. What is more, she empowers company leaders to effectively apply “generated from within us”skills and behaviors to build trust, inspire, and lead team members to overcome highly stressful situations and complex business contexts.

Adrienne Shoch received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Towson University. She studied French at University of Paris – Sorbonne and Neuroleadership at the Neuroleadership Institute. She lives and works in Washington, D.C.

EPISODE DATE: September 21, 2018

Social media:

5 to 1 Consulting Website

Adrienne Shoch LinkedIn Page

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:30 — 39.5MB)

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Transportation Equity: Reengineering the Quality of Urban Life

“When someone is deprived of transportation options [it affects] their ability to get an education, it affects their ability to have access to healthy food, it affects their ability to access employment centers.”

– Richard Ezike, Ph.D., Noted Subject-Matter Expert on Transportation Equity

Transportation access remains one of the most important issues affecting American urban life. And yet, many commuters—especially those who live in affluent suburbs and exurbs—remain woefully unaware that many of their urban counterparts are deprived access to the full array of mobility choices. Such transportation inequity means that a resident in the inner city would require a painstakingly long commute to work at a job, acquire healthcare, shop, or attend school.

In this episode, Richard Ezike, Ph.D. discusses his nationally recognized thought leadership regarding the inequities inherent in the American transportation system. His career is inspired by his early childhood dreams of becoming an architect building beautiful cities, advanced scientific study, and fellowships at some of the nation’s leading policy organizations.

During these key interview segments, Dr. Ezike builds a story on reengineering the quality of urban life:

• Relives his childhood dream of doing meaningful work as an architect building cities [starts at 4:42]
• Defines Transportation Equity and the benefits that it can provide access-deprived residents of urban communities [starts at 13:48]
• Explains the importance of promoting science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) in education [starts at 22:15]

• Offers first-hand the benefits of mentoring young people from underserved groups [starts at 26:01]

About our guest: As a child growing up in Kingsport, Tennessee, Richard Ezike was “fascinated by the design of buildings.” On family trips, young Richard brought along his Kodak camera to capture images of the buildings that he admired most. He recalls: “I really wanted to be someone that was able to design the next major city in the country.”

In high school, Richard discovered a passion for scientific study; he thrived in AP Chemistry, and soon after, earned bachelors and doctoral degrees in Chemical Engineering. But it was years later, at a prized fellowship with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, that he understood the importance of an equitable transportation system to a functioning system. That was when his childhood dream of creating great places to live merged with his passion for promoting science and economic, environment, and social parity.

Today, he is nationally recognized thought-leader in Transportation Equity.

Richard Ezike received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Currently, he is a New Mobility and Equity Fellow for the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, D.C. Dr. Ezike is a frequent events speaker and podcast guest in the areas of transportation equity, resource sustainability, social responsibility, STEAM learning, careerism, and the environment.

EPISODE DATE: September 14, 2018

Published work:

Transportation, Sustainability, and Equity and the Effect on the African-American Community, Published October 20, 2016

Transportation, Environment and Health: Inexorably Linked for Black People, Washington Informer, Published September 7, 2016

Can Transportation be a Bridge to Wealth for African Americans?, Published May 10, 2016

Social media:

Richard Ezike, Ph.D. Website

LinkedIn Page

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:30 — 45.2MB)

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Discovering Yourself: Knowing Your Myers-Briggs Type Opens Gateways to Meaningful Work

“Myers-Briggs is all about preferences. We all have our preferences in life. Like our preference for chocolate or vanilla, we may eat both from time to time, but we prefer one over the other. So, with Myers-Briggs, the first step is to understand who we are, most naturally and comfortably. And when we are in a good place, Myers-Briggs helps us feel more empowered to make better decisions for our lives and careers.”

– Edythe Richards, Certified Myers-Briggs Master Practitioner

How might your life have been different if you had deliberately chosen work and career opportunities that aligned expressly with your personality type preferences? Would you have been happier and more satisfied with the work you chose to do, the life you led, and the people you sought out in your everyday experiences? If you could go back in time to do work that was more meaningful than you are accustomed, would you?

In this episode, veteran career coach Edythe Richards takes us through the notable benefits and unique insights available to people who take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment.

In these key interview segments, she:

• Summarizes the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and its components [starts at 3:30]
• Reviews in detail the results of an actual Myers-Briggs assessment [starts at 4:22]
• Differentiates between Extroverted and Introverted personality types [starts at 7:54]
• Contrasts Sensing and Intuitive personality types [starts at 10:01]
• Compares Thinking and Feeling personality types [starts at 13:52]
• Describes Judging and Perceiving personality types [starts at 16:14]
• Explains the WHY behind Myers-Briggs assessments [starts at 30:36]

About our podcast guest: When she was a child, growing up on a farm in Delaware, Edythe Richards dreamed about being a singer. “It wasn’t just the music, or the pitch, or whatever was playing on the radio,” she recalls. “More than anything, for me being a singer was about performing in front of an audience. I loved making others feel good and bringing them joy.”

Richards never rode her childhood dreams of singing into a performing arts career. But, she leveraged her love of public speaking and passion for empowering others as a professional career counselor, a Master Practitioner in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment, and, a subject-matter expert in the field of Emotional Intelligence.

Edythe Richards received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware and a Masters of Arts degree in Counseling from Seton Hall University. Her nationally recognized career counseling consultancy, A Top Career, is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

EPISODE DATE: September 7, 2018

Published work:

Myers-Briggs Myths and Misuse

Social media:

A Top Career Website

A Top Career Facebook Page

LinkedIn Page

Photo credits: Myers-Briggs Type Badge Illustration, Marsha D. Weiss; Photographic Portrait, Edythe Richards.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:08 — 47.1MB)

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Coach MD: How One Physician Leads Patients to Live Better, Stronger, and More Meaningful Lives

“I told my [high school] advisor that I was thinking of going into medicine. Well, he kind of paused as he said: ‘Look, medicine is a really tough field. Maybe you ought to think of something different?’ And when he said that, that made me decide—no matter what—I WAS GOING TO DO IT.”

– Charles Glassman, MD

Imagine being an average high school student who gets dream-crushing discouragement from a guidance counselor after expressing a serious interest in pursuing a medical career. Instead of wallowing in despair, you find within you the courage to prove that guidance counselor wrong.

In this episode, we meet Charles Glassman, MD. With grit and determination, he has achieved success as a gifted physician, published author, and globally recognized thought-leader in the study of wellness known as Coach MD.

In these key interview segments, Dr. Glassman:

• Takes us back to high school and the experience he had with that skeptical guidance counselor [start point 4:05]
• Describes his nerve-racking decision to ditch the traditional “fee-for-service” patient care arrangement [start point 9:06]
• Provides insight on what truly makes people sick [start point 19:29]
• Discusses the importance of meaningfulness and the pursuit of meaningful work [start point 27:19]

About our podcast guest: From the time of his youth, Charles Glassman discovered that close friends sought, and appreciated, his advice. As a board-certified internal medicine doctor, and now as a well-recognized author and thought-leader, he finds his greatest purpose in empowering thousands of people around the globe to seek better health outcomes and more meaningful lives.

In 2002, he stopped accepting the health insurance payments that most doctors still take in favor of a “concierge” system in which patients pay his practice an annual fee. The result? His patients now get ample time with him and find the interactions more useful and enjoyable. What is more, Dr. Glassman gets beyond treating their illnesses to help them achieve a lifetime of wellness.

Part of his value proposition to patients is the advice that he offers in his blog. A patient once described Dr. Glassman’s wisdom as that offered by a coach, thus, Dr. Glassman became Coach MD. In 2009, and based partly on his newsletter and blog writings, Dr. Glassman published his first book, Brain Drain: The Breakthrough that will Change Your Life.

In 2018, he published an e-book to help readers thrive through our discordant times: Fake News Stories by Your Brain.

Charles Glassman received a Bachelor of Science degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and his M.D. from New York Medical College. His medical practice, the New York Center for Longevity and Wellness, is based in Pomona, New York.

EPISODE DATE: August 31, 2018

Dr. Glassman’s books include:

Brain Drain: The Breakthrough that will Change Your Life (Amazon.com)

Fake News Stories by Your Brain (FREE E-Book)

Dr. Glassman’s social media:

Coach MD Website

Coach MD YouTube Channel

Coach MD Facebook Page

Coach MD Twitter Page

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:51 — 18.2MB)

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Living a Life of Less Stuff And More Epic Experience

According Pew Research’s groundbreaking January 2017 report, the American Dream that we all knew as Upward Mobility is long gone; it was replaced by a soberer pursuit of economic stability. As a result, we now fill our homes and storage bins with less stuff. Instead, more of us, and especially Millennials, pursue profound meaning and experience.

There are few industries where that shift to experience is more evident than in the travel and leisure space.

In these key interview segments, she:

• Relates how we may make the most of a life with less stuff and more experience [start point at 3:08]
• Lays out what it is like being an entrepreneur [start point at 5:19]
• Describes how the dynamic aspect of the pursuit of experience gets factored in to the work that she does [start point at 12:10]
• Speaks to how “adrenaline junkies” escape the rush of work when on vacation [start point at 14:10]
• Dreams of an epic experience she would like to have [start point 15:32]

About our podcast guest:

Eva Grodberg experienced unrivaled success as a senior sales executive in the advertising industry, but after a sudden downsizing from her company, she reinvented herself doing work that she truly loves: providing epic travel and leisure experiences to discriminating world travelers.

Grodberg is the Founder and President of Epic Experiences, LLC. Our conversation covers her amazing journey from successful media sales executive, to corporate escapee, to blissful entrepreneur doing the meaningful work of her dreams that benefits grateful clients.

Grodberg is a graduate of the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. She lives and works in New York City.

EPISODE DATE: May 11, 2018

Eva Grodberg’s social media:

Epic Experiences Website

Epic Experiences Twitter Page

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:13 — 30.4MB)

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Meet Eva Grodberg, a corporate escapee turned travel provider of epic experiences.

Imagine embarking on an advertising career on famed Madison Avenue, where all the entry level jobs available to recent college grads like you require proficiency in typing. Then imagine getting a lucky break with a pivot to print media sales where you rise to become a top direct response advertising sales mega-producer with a $20.5 million revenue portfolio and a huge expense account.

Next, imagine what happens when your great career in print media sales comes to a screeching halt?

And finally, imagine reinventing yourself in a dream role providing customized travel and leisure experiences to discriminating clients.

All that and more happened to corporate escapee turned “epic” travel pro Eva Grodberg. In these key interview segments, she

• Describes her lucky post-college-graduation career in advertising sales [start point at 5:31]
• Relives the “I should have gotten out of it sooner, but I didn’t” end to her advertising career [start point at 12:16]
• Details becoming an entrepreneur [start point at 14:49]
• Identifies the skills that got her to providing epic travel experiences [start point at 17:14]

About our guest: Eva Grodberg experienced unrivaled success as a senior sales executive in the advertising industry, but after a sudden downsizing from her company, she reinvented herself doing work that she truly loves: providing epic travel and leisure experiences to discriminating world travelers.

Grodberg is the Founder and President of Epic Experiences, LLC. Our conversation covers her amazing journey from successful media sales executive, to corporate escapee, to blissful entrepreneur doing the meaningful work of her dreams that benefits grateful clients.

Grodberg is a graduate of the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. She lives and works in New York City.

EPISODE DATE: May 11, 2018

Eva Grodberg’s social media:

Epic Experiences Website

Epic Experiences Twitter Page

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:40 — 36.3MB)

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Edythe Richards sees a path forward staying nimble for career success.

The workforce’s notions of work and career have massively shifted.

Edythe Richards is a veteran career counselor and Emotional Intelligence expert. In this episode, she provides a path forward, why it is so critically important that we stay nimble to achieve lasting career success in sustainability, social responsibility, and other fields.

Indeed, there is a path forward staying nimble for career success.

About our guest:

Edythe Richards received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delaware and a Masters of Arts degree in Counseling from Seton Hall University. Her nationally recognized career counseling consultancy, A Top Career, is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

EPISODE DATE: January 23, 2018

Social media:

–A Top Career Website

–LinkedIn Profile