Captain’s Notes for Young Leaders

"Be careful what line of work you get into - you'll be stuck with it your entire career." How many of us received this wise "counsel" from workforce veterans as we neared college graduation or prepared to enter the workforce? There's a pervasive myth out there that says "your first job dictates what your last job will be." "If you start in retail, you'll end in retail." "Find a place you want to stay for 30 years." Sound familiar? Wrong. In today's business environment, it is much more valuable, both personally and to employers, for professionals to have varied, multi-disciplinary experiences that allow them to pull from a larger pool of experiences and perspectives. The "one-trick pony" era is over. Join us for this episode as we invite Brett Dioguardi, current VP of Impact at Summit Coffee, sustainability leader and professional learner, to discuss how to cultivate a diverse, multi-disciplinary, sustainable career path.

Leaders are good because they're good at what they do - right? The answer is surprisingly (or maybe not-so-surprisingly) complex. While competence is certainly an important factor that a successful leader should have, it's only one leg of a three-legged stool on which a successful leader stands. For this episode, I'm thrilled to be joined by Matt Wiggins, a dear friend, youth ministry professional and youth therapist, who helps us break down the "Three Cs" required to become a successful leader: Competence, Character, and Consciousness. Join us as we walk through these concepts, especially from the perspective of a young person and/or of influencers of young people, and understand how to enhance the Three Cs to both be a better leader, and to develop better leaders for tomorrow.

In today's world of buzzwords like "speed-to-market," " efficiency-gains," and "high-speed, low-drag," the concept of stopping the madness to smell the roses seems...out-of-place. But guess what - that's where magic happens. We owe it to ourselves to take a moment from time-to-time, look around us, and take a tactical pause. This can be for as long or as short as you need it, and should provide an opportunity to be present, drink everything in, and clear your mind before moving forward. You may take a tactical pause for a few minutes before making a big decision, for a few hours to attend a child's sporting event at the end of a long work day, or (in my case regarding this podcast), for a few years while you figure out who you want to be in this life. I'm thrilled to be back in the saddle after my own two-year tactical pause. But as with all pauses - there comes a time to push play again.

The saying "mind over matter" may be one of the most commonly-used in the English language. The general intent behind this famous adage is that, no matter the challenge, your mental attitude towards a problem can usually help you overcome it.  With this in mind, I'm thrilled to be back on the show with Erlan Martinez Castro discussing the power of a maintaining a positive mental attitude. This is an important aspect to succeeding through the challenges of every day life, but has especially powerful applications in the context of being a successful leader.  Erlan is a marketing professional based in Charlotte, NC, with a fascinating background. Have emigrated to the United States from Honduras in 2012, Erlan has used the power of positivity to earn college degrees, pursue entrepreneurial endeavors, and develop deep personal and professional relationships.   And, he has his own podcast dedicated to positivity. Check out Erlan's show, "A + Perspective," on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere you get your podcasts.   Link to his spotify channel below. Stay tuned, stay POSITIVE, and stay hungry!  A + Perspective: https://open.spotify.com/show/7fdKpQWZHmuPbt14A04V2N?si=2CXdnQv2RRCdgNKIlIzUxw

Captain's Notes for Young Leaders is back and better than ever with Season 2! On this episode, we invite Brian Helfrich, CEO of Summit Coffee in Davidson, NC to the show. Brian is a true servant-leader who is passionate about developing young talent and allowing his team members to blossom within his organization. Join us as Brian gives us insight into his leadership style, his perspectives on youth in the workforce, and his thoughts on investing in people for team success. Bottom line: Culture and fit can often be more important that experience. Look beyond the linear path to find the true potential of your team members; you'll never know what you're missing unless you give them the opportunity to grow. Stay tuned, and stay hungry. Brian's contact info:  E-mail: brian@summitcoffee.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-helfrich-6b338b29/