10 Lessons Learned

Zach Schaefer is a CEO, Founder, Speaker, Author, and Professor. He shares how to “Live a meaningful life”, how “Forgiveness massages a pulled mental muscle” and tells us why we should “Share your scars, mistakes”. Hosted by Robert Hossary.

Dr. Zach Schaefer (Dr. Z), Founder and CEO of Spark The Discussion, is a speaker, author, professor, and consultant. Spark works with growing companies to provide Data Driven Talent™ solutions. Spark specializes in diagnosing, designing, and deploying a variety of workplace programs focused on solving internal talent challenges from hire to retire.

In addition to working with corporate clients through Spark The Discussion, Dr. Z was also an Associate Professor of Applied Communication Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where he researched the relationship between successful workplace cultures, conflict management norms, and leadership behaviors.

Dr. Z’s knowledge and passion for communication is contagious and creates the spark that drives his entire consulting philosophy.

Dr. Z’s passion for communication is contagious and creates the spark that drives his entire consulting philosophy.

Conducted extensive primary research regarding mediation, conflict management, and workplace communication

Widely published in both academic and professional outlets

Commentary has been featured in a wide range of high-quality media outlets including the Harvard Business Review Blog, MSNBC, and Fast Company

Dr. Z is co-creator of a mobile app called the ClashCoach (available on iTunes).

He authored a book called American Creativity (available on Amazon).

In short, Dr. Z knows that effective communication is a building block to happy, healthy, and wealthy lives – and he vigorously shares this message with all his clients!

Service is also an integral component of Dr. Z’s life. He has been a Big Brother through the Big Brother Big Sister organization for nearly 10 years, he is on the Communications Committee of the St. Louis Organizational Development Network, and he is a member of the St. Louis Sports Commission. He is also a former board member of the Association for Missouri Mediators.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Master “no” to unleash your implicit yes 04:21 Lesson 2: Think in terms of time design, not time management. 07:42 Lesson 3: Listen to music, laugh, and break bread with friends as often as possible. 13:34 Lesson 4: The meaning of life is to live a meaningful life. 16:17 Lesson 5: The most fulfilling life is built by consistently hitting the crosshairs of TDJ: Talent, Discipline, and Joy 20:09 Lesson 6: Freedom from money, time, and desire lead to limitless opportunities. 24:22 Lesson 7: Forgiveness massages a pulled mental muscle. 32:38 Lesson 8: The most important conversations are often the ones that are missing. 37:48 Lesson 9: Share your scars, mistakes, and fears when sharing knowledge with others. 41:02 Lesson 10: Isolation is amplification, giving a microphone to your thoughts. 44:08

Zoe Fragou is an organizational Psychologist and explains why” everything is a negotiation”, why you should “focus on your strengths”, how “pettiness stalls your career” and much more. Hosted by Siebe Van Der Zee.

Zoe Fragou is an Organisational Psychologist with an MSc in Human Resources Management, a clinical psychologist license, a diploma in Business Coaching & Mentorship and a Certificate in Agile Leadership.

At the moment, she is a PhD Candidate at Panteion University and her research is mainly focused on the psychometrics of the corporate culture.

Alongside her academic interests, she is operating professionally in the full spectrum of her science, taking over projects of culture transformation, employee training and development, business coaching, personal branding, public speaking, and writing, for both private and corporate clients globally.

She is a mentor for Women on Top, a feministic organization trying to bring equality in the workspace, a senior member of the Hellenic Institute of Coaching, and was voted best career coach in the Global Coaching Conference of 2021.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Everything is a negotiation. 04:37 Lesson 2: Everyone is a mess; some people hide it better. 06:45 Lesson 3: Focus on your strengths. 09:52 Lesson 4: Don't swipe it under the carpet. 14:23 Lesson 5: Pettiness stalls your career. 17:45 Lesson 6: Be the person you needed when you were younger. 20:19 Lesson 7: All we have is the connections that we make. 26:05 Lesson 8: Stop starting, start finishing. 27:53 Lesson 9: Consistency is about showing up. 30:33 Lesson 10: Always be the last one to speak. 31:42

Martin Salama is a CEO, Founder and Business Coach. He explains why we should “Reframe our meaning of L.I.F.E”, he discloses the “true meaning of Rationalize and how it's self-sabotaging you” and tells us how to “Lose the Worrier and find the W.A.R.R.I.O.R”. Hosted by Diana White.

Martin Salama is known as the Architect of The Warriors L.I.F.E. Code. He specializes in helping people frustrated in their life quickly shift their mindset to UNCOVER their greatness so they can live their true potential and enjoy LIFE! An example of what he’s achieved is a client like Roberta, who lost her 6-figure job due to COVID and came to Martin depressed and felt very lost. Within a short time, she had, quote: “direction, focus, and a renewed energy around all the possibilities I could pursue… and getting back on track to enjoy LIFE!” The key to his success is, he’s mastered the ability to Live Incredibly Full Everyday! Which he turned into the acronym L.I.F.E. and created the Warriors L.I.F.E. Code coaching program.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Start with Admission, Cleansing, and Celebration 02:22 Lesson 2: Use The Cycle Of A's 04:45 Lesson 3: Stop, Think, Respond 08:28 Lesson 4: Reframe Your Meaning Of L.I.F.E 15:03 Lesson 5: Lose The Worrier And Find The W.A.R.R.I.O.R In You 19:00 Lesson 6: Incorporate Your new mindset in your finances so you can live in Financial Abundance 21:31 Lesson 7: Use The Warrior Mindset Affirmations Everyday 25:55 Lesson 8: The true meaning of Rationalize and how it's self-sabotaging you. 30:55 Lesson 9: Be clear about Self-Conscious vs, Self-Aware. 35:58 Lesson 10: Build Your Emotional Strength to keep your feelings from ruling your actions. 38:00

We’ve made it to 100 episodes. That’s 1000 Lessons Learned!  Our hosts Diana White, Siebe Van Der Zee, Jeffery Wang and Robert Hossary are joined by team member Yi Wang to discuss the last 1000 lessons, what resonated and what didn’t.

Diana White has over 30 years in sales and retail experience, leading stores with revenues of over 10 million and a staff of 200. Consumer psychology, marketing, operations, and leadership are just a few of her skillsets. Seeing a need for startup and operations assistance within the local business community, Diana established D.E.W. Business Solutions, LLC, to provide consulting to small businesses. Currently the Executive Director at Moonshot at NACET, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Small Business Administration from Northern Arizona University, holds a green belt in Lean Six Sigma, and is a certified Agile Scrum Master. She is committed to helping businesses and non-profits as well as the community at large.

Siebe Van Der Zee is President of Vanderzee & Associates, Executive Search & Coaching. He has served as an international management consultant for over 25 years. For 28 years, Siebe has served as Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Arizona. He holds a Master's Degree in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management and he is a current member of the International Leadership Council at GPEC (Greater Phoenix Economic Council).

Jeffery Wang is the founder of Professional Development Forum, an organisation dedicated to help young professionals find fulfilment in the modern Australian workplace for more than 13 years. Since its inception, the forum has hosted multitudes of successful, remarkable, and inspiring leaders. Through this journey, Jeffery developed a passion for empowering culturally diverse talent and unlocking their leadership potential. Jeffery is a passionate advocate of genuine diversity, servant leadership and mentorship and engages actively both as a mentor and mentee. Jeffery has almost 20 years of experience working as a sales and strategy professional in the IT Industry looking after enterprise and government customers. He has lived in Taiwan and New Zealand before migrating to Sydney where he currently lives with his wife and two boys.

Robert Hossary has been involved in the not for profit/charity sector for the past 12 years. He is currently CEO for the DANII Foundation a voice for type 1 diabetes in Australia. Robert also has an excellent knowledge in international business. Since 2011 - 2018, Robert was the General Manager for the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia (AmCham) and helped advise many Australian and US companies about their international expansion requirements. Prior to that, Robert was Regional Vice President for the Americas for a technology manufacturer. He has also worked in Taiwan with responsibility for Asia Pacific and the Middle East. With a background in Technology, Transport, Fashion and Healthcare, Robert has a wealth of experience to share.

Yi Wang is passionate about applying a risk lens and toolkit to a business challenge, making it meaningful to stakeholders so to make better decisions and achieve their success. Having lived the life of a 1st-generation migrant in Australia, Yi completed a hybrid education in accounting and IT and worked in professional service and many digital-first industries. Yi received countless support and advice generously given by others so he is a strong believer in mentorship and its power to help young professionals to realise their potential. Outside of his professional life, Yi enjoys playtime with his family, reading and is studying towards professional qualifications in mental health and counselling. Since joining the #10lessonslearned team, Yi has re-energised the team and helped refine a marketing strategy to amplify the outreach of the wisdom we aspire to share.

Episode Notes

Background 00:00

Siebe's Pick 01:44

Robert's Pick 13:22

Diana's Pick 21:07

Yi's Pick 33:03

Jeffery's Pick 43:35

What did we disagree with? 52:49

Faris Aranki tells us why we should “Run towards the wrecking ball”, reminds us that the “Platinum rule is better than the golden rule “and asks us “what are your 3 adjectives?” Hosted by Robert Hossary.

Faris Aranki, is the founder and CEO of Shiageto Consulting!

​Having spent over 20 years delivering strategic change for the corporate and non-corporate worlds (as a top-tier strategy consultant, non-exec director, educator and in-house strategist), Faris has experienced first-hand the fine differences between strategic success and failure.

His work has spanned numerous companies (from global behemoths to small start-ups), in numerous countries, across a range of sectors (including energy, banking, consumer goods, telco and media, government, automotive and education), supporting them all to unlock strategic success.

He came to realise that often what hinders institutions from achieving their goals goes beyond the quality of their strategy; it is their ability to engage effectively with others at all levels and remove barriers in their way that can be the real barometers of success.

Over time, Faris has built on his knowledge of how to solve complex problems in a structured manner, combining it with his skill for engaging others effectively and his ability to quickly determine the barriers to a strategy's success to consistently add value to clients. This knowledge has formed the foundation of our workshops, courses and methodologies.

Faris believes that any firm or team can adopt these improvements; all it requires is a little of the right support - something Shiageto provides!

​He is ably assisted by a team of associates and specialists to deliver this work for clients.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1. Run towards the wrecking ball 05:28 Lesson 2. Don’t be sucked into the headlights. 08:59  Lesson 3. The platinum rule is better than the golden rule 12:07 Lesson 4. What kind of learner are you? 15:47  Lesson 5. What is the problem you are trying to solve? 19:26 Lesson 6. What are your 3 adjectives? 23:33 Lesson 7. Pre-decide and don’t half decide. 29:16 Lesson 8. Would you use your genie in a bottle? 34:39 Lesson 9. Who is your tribe? 42:18 Lesson 10. It’s about the things you do, not the things you don’t. 44:49

Dr Nora Gold asks us “If not now, when?”, explains why we need to “be kind to ourselves”, that “You define success” and more. Hosted by Siebe Van Der Zee.

Dr. Nora Gold is a dynamic professional with a multi-faceted career. She is the prize-winning author of three books of fiction. The first, Marrow and Other Stories, won a Canadian Jewish Book Award and was praised by Alice Munro. Fields of Exile won the 2015 Canadian Jewish Literary Award and praise from both Cynthia Ozick and Irwin Cotler. The Dead Man (2016) won a Canada Council translation grant, resulting in this book’s publication in Hebrew, and an excerpt from it appeared also in Hungarian. Her fourth book, consisting of two novellas, will be published in 2024.

Dr Gold is the founder and editor of the prestigious literary journal Jewish Fiction .net (www.jewishfiction.net), which publishes first-rate Jewish-themed fiction from around the world, either written in English or translated into English from 18 languages, and which has readers in 140 countries. To date, Jewish Fiction .net has published over 500 works of fiction never before published in English, including fiction by such eminent authors as Elie Wiesel.

She was also a former social work professor and researcher who received 7 funded research grants, including from The Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, focusing on women’s health, mental health, disability issues, and antisemitism).

Dr Gold is a community activist involved in various social issues, including feminist empowerment, who has served on numerous boards, task forces, and committees, and has been recognized by the Toronto community as an Outstanding Volunteer.

She has also founded or co-founder of three socially progressive organizations in Canada, all focused on social justice and promoting dialogue and equality between Jews and Arabs in Israel.

For more details about Dr. Gold, visit noragold.com.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: If I am not for myself, who will be? 07:21 Lesson 2: If I am only for myself, what am I? 14:29 Lesson 3: If not now, when? 19:48 Lesson 4: You define success 27:31 Lesson 5: The perfect is the enemy of the good Lesson 6: Be kind to yourself 33:33 Lesson 7: Create space for creativity 38:16 Lesson 8: Take action against distraction 41:55 Lesson 9: Read, read, read, read, read…fiction 46:37 Lesson 10: You only go round once 54:39

Dr Beverly Browning shares her Do’s and Don’ts lessons; "DO appreciate yourself", "DON’T be hard on yourself when you make mistakes", "Do celebrate yourself" and more. Hosted by Diana White

Dr Beverly A. Browning (Dr Bev) – The Grant Doctor is a non-profit capacity-building consultant and revenue-generating visionary. She is a grant-writing consultant who uses thought leadership to work with eligible organizations struggling with the woes of revenue stream imbalances. Dr Bev and her team members have helped her clients win over $750 million in grant awards. She has been researching grant funding, grant making trends, and board-related barriers to non-profit capacity building for over 47 years.

Dr Bev is the founder and director of the Grant Writing Training Foundation and Bev Browning LLC. Dr Bev is the author of 47 grant writing publications, including seven editions of Grant Writing for Dummies (2001-2022), the 6th edition of Non-profit Kit for Dummies (2021), and the 4th edition of Fundraising for Dummies (2022).

She has also created six courses for Ed2go.com dba Cengage Learning. Her instructor-led online asynchronous courses include A to Z Grant Writing (1 & 2), Advanced Proposal Writing, Becoming a Grant Writing Consultant, Non-profit Manager, Winning RFP Responses. and Professional Grant Writing.

Dr Bev is an approved strategic planning facilitator and training provider for CFRE International (AFP), the Grant Professionals Association (GPA), and the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI). In addition, she has also created two Zoom-based live training courses, Coaching & Mentoring for New and Struggling Grant Writers (16 weeks) and Freelance Grant Writing Consultant’s Boot Camp (4 weeks). Her classes fill up months before they are offered. Dr Bev lives her life with faith and discernment.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: DO appreciate yourself: I am worthy of success. 03:29 Lesson 2: DO create a spiritual foundation: I am a withering flower without faith. 06:38 Lesson 3: DO not be hard on yourself when you make mistakes: Mistakes fuel patience and do-overs.12:26 Lesson 4: DO live your life fully: Yesterday can’t be replayed, and tomorrow is not a promise. Live for today. 15:35 Lesson 5: DO celebrate yourself: Pat yourself on the back, create BIG PICTURE plans or incentives to celebrate your life. 20:27 Lesson 6: DON’T beat yourself up over mistakes. Move on with lessons learned. 30:35 Lesson 7: DON’T isolate yourself when you are going through hard or trying times. 34:53 Lesson 8: DON’T give up, ever! 36:49 Lesson 9: DON’T let your mind get stagnant. 43:06 Lesson 10: DON’T let your health decline! 44:27

Dr Samantha Boardman and Dr Dilip Jeste discuss the techniques you can use to become wiser. Hosted by Duff Watkins

Dilip Jeste is a neuropsychiatrist and professor at the University of California, San Diego.  He is author of Wiser: the scientific roots of wisdom (and 13 other books).  His 625 published scientific papers are among most cited in the world (he’s in the top .5% of publishing researchers).  He was the first Asian-American elected President of the American Psychiatric Association in its 175 year history which has over 40,000 members.  He is listed in “Best Doctors in America.”

a New York based positive psychiatrist, who is committed to fixing what’s wrong and building what’s strong. Positive Psychiatry takes a more expansive approach, focusing on the promotion of wellbeing and the creation of health. private practice in Manhattan. published papers in journals including Translational Neuroscience, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. I’m also a frequent contributor to Psychology Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Thrive Global, and a guest on the Today Show and Good Day New York. Author of Everyday Vitality: turning Stress into Strength. Founder of PositivePrescription.com

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: What would X do?  02:46

Lesson 2: You won’t be wise until you regulate your emotions 09:48

Lesson 3: Move towards, not away; be pro-social not anti-social 16:53

Lesson 4: Practice compassion (start with yourself) 23:10

Lesson 5: Affirm a Value Today 32:16

Lesson 6: Think Best, Worst, Most Likely (accept uncertainty) 39:39

Lesson 7: Re-frame the meaning of so called 'bad' events 44:12

Lesson 8: Build the Habit of “Good Enough” 50:41

Lesson 9: Be Your Own Emotional Detective:  channel your inner Sherlock Holmes  

Lesson 10: Look Up!  Find your spirituality 58:20

Karen Loon shares her lessons about how "Our future is shaped by our past", that "Imposter syndrome is normal", why you should not "be scared to look in the mirror" and more. Hosted by Jeffery Wang 

Karen Loon is passionate about ensuring that both women and those from culturally diverse backgrounds are given the right opportunities to thrive within their organisations.

Combining her business and governance experience as Non-Executive Director (NED); her 29 years working with the world’s leading financial institutions as a senior relationship and assurance partner at PwC; her knowledge gained from leading change initiatives in diversity; and her academic research in system psychodynamics, Karen delivers research-based and yet practical advice to the organisations she works with.

Karen is a recognised thought leader and speaker on workplace diversity and inclusion. She was formerly PwC’s Singapore and Asia-Pacific Diversity Leader and a member of its Global Diversity Leadership Team and Global Financial Services Diversity Steering Committee. Under her leadership, PwC won the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore’s 2017 Embracing Diversity and Inclusion Award. She was also awarded a certificate at the 2017 Singapore Committee for UN Women HeForShe Awards to recognise her work to promote gender equality in Singapore.

Karen regularly shares her views on enhancing diversity with leading organisations and professional and industry bodies in Australia and Singapore. She is also a commentator on governance and culture matters.

Karen is a NED on several for-profit, professional, and educational organisation boards. She has an Executive Master in Change from INSEAD, a Master of Business Administration from Macquarie Graduate School of Management, and a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney. In addition, Karen has several post-graduate qualifications in accounting, finance, corporate governance, and culture.

Karen’s current book Fostering Culturally Diverse Leadership in Organisations-Lessons from Those Who Smashed the Bamboo Ceiling, examines how successful culturally diverse leaders at work resolve the contradictions and tensions of their identities within organisations.

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Life is full of patterns that we continuously repeat 03:05 Lesson 2: Your family will always be your biggest cheers squad 06:32 Lesson 3: Our future is shaped by our past 10:47 Lesson 4: If you’re not networking, you’re not working 13:55 Lesson 5: Imposter syndrome is normal 17:52 Lesson 6: Don’t be scared to look in the mirror 20:59 Lesson 7: Embrace negative capability 23:49 Lesson 8: Invest in ‘me’ time 25:52 Lesson 9: Stay hungry, stay foolish 26:55 Lesson 10: The best way to bond is over food 29:17

Link Duarte discusses why we should "Strive for excellence, not perfection " That we need to "Live your bliss " and explains why you shouldn't "let your mistakes ruin what you could be: . Hosted by Diana White

“Link,” formally known as Chris Duarte, is committed to inspiring the world to be more inclusive of everyone.  As the chair of the Advocacy group at CTW, Link is committed to lifting the voices of the worker (open talent), to ensure that they not only have a seat at the table, but that they have instrumental influence for positive change in the future of workspace. 

Link is committed to making the world a safer place in his efforts as a pro human advocate, consultant, innovator, program developer, trainer, speaker, and storyteller.  Link, a Veteran of the armed forces, holds 2 BS, and an MA in Sociology, Criminology, Law, and more recently, a Master’s Certificate in Business Analytics (HBAP) from Harvard Business School. Since the start of his career, Link has founded and directed several entities and programs that serve people, educated publicly about rural and minority issues, and volunteers his time to support social justice initiatives. As the Founder and CEO of Linking Dreams, Link provides cultural strategy consulting, training, DEI/EIG evaluation, and program design to help entities enhance their reach of underserved populations. Link also chairs the Advocacy group at the Center for the Transformation of Work where he engages audiences to lift up the voices of workers in the #futureofwork space. Link believes in the power created when people unite to form ecosystems of support and dedicates his time to ensure that the voices of the underserved are valued and included. 

Episode Notes

Lesson 1: Live your bliss and the universe will open doors for you that you thought were only walls 01:52 Lesson 2: Let your past be your guiding post and not your hitching post 04:11 Lesson 3: In 10 years, nobody will remember what you did, but they will always remember the way you made them feel 04:52 Lesson 4: Don’t let your mistakes ruin what you could be- stop giving your mistake so much power 06:49 Lesson 5: Strive for excellence, not perfection 09:08 Lesson 6: Identity shouldn’t define you; it is merely of characteristic that helps guide us and who we are 10:53 Lesson 7: Be your authentic self because your authenticity is the one thing that no one can take away from you 14:03 Lesson 8: Exercise and learn healthy habits while you’re young because it only gets harder as you get older 16:01 Lesson 9: If college is your bag, give it all you got- look at that piece of paper as an investment in your future 18:03 Lesson 10: In the white room with the red door, be the 3rd type of person 22:41