Inspiration in Unexpected Places #26

Inspiration in Unexpected Places #26

Hey team! 👋

I flew back from Lake 🌊 Tahoe 🌲 for a nice family escape for a few days.

Toddler and 4-month-old baby in tow, my wife and I boarded our flight back to Austin.

Sit down next to a business traveler.

Some business travelers might not have engaged or let alone been positive about an interaction.

Needless to say, we discussed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and it was a pleasant surprise for us both.

Some takeaways from the discussion I wanted to share.

Be Open to Learning from Unexpected Places 🎁

While you cannot allow everything into your view, being present and having an open mind to people and new ideas can be a rare trait.

How many people are keen to speak to someone on a flight with a newborn?

Rather than an eye roll or hide in headphones, this individual was open and it led to one of the best conversations either of us has had on a plane in months, maybe ever.

Marcus Mumford wrote a song about it, here you go: Strangers on a Plane

Appreciate where you are 🕰️

Many of us are striving, working, and pushing to reach our work and career goals.

Yet how often are we feeling burnt out, feel empty, we do not take stock of what we have achieved?

At 24, I was working 4 jobs at once to get out of debt and living with friends. I was lucky on so many levels to live in amazing areas and be surrounded by a great community.

At 44, I am 9 years into a successful profitable growing performance marketing agency, I get to work with talented, smart, ambitious, data-driven marketers (one of which is my best friend), and I have been blessed with a loving wife, two kiddos, and two dogs, and a roof over our head. Even writing this sometimes I have to really pinch myself and express real gratitude.

Enjoy the process 🪜

Showing up with gusto is easy on some days and harder on others. I am grateful to truly enjoy what I do and the people I get to work with.

It is still an important reminder. It is work and not easy and at times challenging, even painful, but the good outweighs the bad.

Both Tom Clancy and Jeff Bezos were credited with a variation of the following quote:

"All overnight success takes about 10 years."

It would make sense that given that is a significant % of your life you might want to appreciate and enjoy some of that journey.

I challenge you (while I challenge myself and my team) to show up with that smile, positivity, and truly enjoy what you do, and see how people respond.

I need the reminder as much as anyone but I think you will be surprised by the result.

You are enough ❤️

A lot has been written about imposter syndrome and similar topics. I think we have all felt it.

It is surprising to talk to some of the most successful people in life and business and how often they think that they need to chase something, or someone or go after material objects to feel whole, complete, or happy.

This came up when speaking to my stranger friend on a plane, and it rings true.

Mathew McConaughey Best Actor Speech

It is ok to chase that hero you want to be and not quite get there.

Have an amazing rest of your week!

Tye