Time and time again, I get the pleasure of seeing skeptical, but open Reboot Bootcampers enter the Colorado wilderness with instructions from Jim looking for a conversation – and time and time again I see them come back in shock with how the land opened new insights up for them. Jerry included.
In today’s special episode, Jerry Colonna, Jim Marsden and Jade Sherer talk about the power and opportunity of time on the land, how Jerry’s own experience on a vision quest, which was guided by Jim and Jade, and why a quest could change your own awareness forever. If it terrifies you, you are ready…
Reboot Podcast #37 - Are you a Servant Leader - with Patrick Campbell on Rebo...rebootio
For leaders the temptation to tell, fix, and even do is so strong. “I know the way,” or “I have the answers,” or “the buck stops with me.” Sometimes it’s impossible to resist the ego boost of providing the answer, giving the fix, telling the way. But what impact does this have on the team, and ourselves? And is it even true?
Jerry Colonna is joined today by Patrick Campbell, co-founder and CEO of Price Intelligently – a bootstrapped company in Boston. Patrick and Jerry explore different leadership styles, the power of “if I die docs,” and how the secret to leadership, and servant leadership, may not lie in having the right answers, but instead asking the right questions.
Reboot Podcast #34 - Self actualization - with Henry May on Reboot Podcastrebootio
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” – Carl Jung.
"Work is difficulty and drama, a high-stakes game in which our identity, our self-esteem, and our ability to provide are mixed inside us in a volatile, sometimes explosive ways.” from David Whyte in his incredible book, Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a pilgrimage of Identity.
That volatile, explosive mix is a gift. It presents a tremendous opportunity for us to do our own work, our inner work, and further develop our own understanding of self. In our conversation today, Jerry is joined by Henry May, founder and CEO of CoSchool, based in Columbia. Henry comes to Jerry with this very issue: How might the journey of entrepreneurship, specifically his own, open up new opportunities for him to grow? Or said more directly: How might he use his work at Coschool to do the real work on his humanity?
Reboot Podcast #22 - Does Anyone Know what they are Doing? With Sharon Salzbe...rebootio
We’re often in (or feel we’re in) uncharted waters - a place where making things up as we go is a necessity. Feeling lost in those places can be anxiety-inducing. We feel incompetent. We feel shameful. We can end up feeling that everyone has figured it out but me. But how true is that, really? And perhaps the better question--how can owning my own anxiety in these areas help me step more fully into my authentic self and even increase my capacity for happiness?
We are honored to welcome one of our key teachers at Reboot, Sharon Salzberg, to the podcast. In this conversation, Sharon and Jerry discuss Sharon’s own entrepreneurial path, a new definition of success (and failure), authenticity, loving kindness and the question: Does anyone really know what they are doing?
Reboot Podcast #28 - Reclaiming the Shadow - with Tracy Lawrence on Reboot Po...rebootio
Tracy Lawrence, Co-founder and CEO of Chewse, and Jerry Colonna talk about authenticity, leading from the heart and on the power of embracing the lost and disowned parts of ourselves. For Tracy, it’s not only about being there for the little girl who was bullied in middle school, but also about owning her very own inner bully. Reclaiming that part of herself will not only impact her approach to the latest company experiment, but it also might affect her own leadership and bring her and her company deeper into alignment.
Reboot Podcast #30 - Who Do You Turn To? - with Yancey Strickler and Ian Hogarthrebootio
There’s a saying: Behind every great man is a great woman. I would add: behind every great entrepreneur is a great friend. The entrepreneurial path simply can’t be traveled alone. So when Jerry asked Kickstarter’s CEO and Co-founder, Yancey Strickler: Who do you turn to? He response was immediate: Ian Hogarth, Co-founder and Chairman of Songkick. We’re grateful to have Yancey and Ian join Jerry in today’s podcast to talk about their friendship, the importance of peer relationships in entrepreneurship, the relief of being heard by those who can empathize with your experience, as well as those who can challenge you from a place of love and deep understanding. Enjoy this discussion with Jerry, Ian Hogarth, and Yancey Strickler.
This conversation was recorded in early December, and since then Ian has announced his intention to give up the Co-CEO role at Soundkick and focus on his role at Chairman.
Reboot Podcast #20 with Bijan Sabet - Investors are Human toorebootio
It sounds so obvious, perhaps even tongue in cheek, but it also seems to be forgotten enough that it needs to be said aloud again: Investors are human too. They, like the entrepreneurs they back, can ride the rollercoaster of emotions that often come with starting a company. In this episode Jerry Colonna is joined by Bijan Sabet of Spark Capital and they explore some of the tensions that often arise between investors and entrepreneurs, the emotional perspective of the investor, and the importance of purpose and artistry. As a bonus, it includes Jerry reading a blessing at the end.
Hugh MacLeod has tapped into his own heart and his own woundedness so that he can speak to the hearts of people and organizations to inspire, to question, to laugh and to grow. Hugh joins Jerry in this episode of The Reboot Podcast to discuss how how he got his start, what motivates leaders, and how to work (and lead) from the heart. (Hint: often the "how" lies in identifying our own wounds).
Reboot Podcast #26 - Finding your Business Soulmate - Founders of The Grommet...rebootio
Two co-founders, who refer to each other as business soulmates, have found themselves in that special place of alignment. A place in partnership where they align not just intellectually, not just energetically, not even just at a values level, but at a human level. Jules Pieri (her second time on the show) and her partner Joanne Domeniconi oni are the Co-founders of The Grommet. They join Jerry to talk about the beginning of their partnership, where and how they found alignment at the human level, how it has evolved over time, and the challenges it represents as they scale the business
Reboot Podcast #37 - Are you a Servant Leader - with Patrick Campbell on Rebo...rebootio
For leaders the temptation to tell, fix, and even do is so strong. “I know the way,” or “I have the answers,” or “the buck stops with me.” Sometimes it’s impossible to resist the ego boost of providing the answer, giving the fix, telling the way. But what impact does this have on the team, and ourselves? And is it even true?
Jerry Colonna is joined today by Patrick Campbell, co-founder and CEO of Price Intelligently – a bootstrapped company in Boston. Patrick and Jerry explore different leadership styles, the power of “if I die docs,” and how the secret to leadership, and servant leadership, may not lie in having the right answers, but instead asking the right questions.
Reboot Podcast #34 - Self actualization - with Henry May on Reboot Podcastrebootio
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” – Carl Jung.
"Work is difficulty and drama, a high-stakes game in which our identity, our self-esteem, and our ability to provide are mixed inside us in a volatile, sometimes explosive ways.” from David Whyte in his incredible book, Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a pilgrimage of Identity.
That volatile, explosive mix is a gift. It presents a tremendous opportunity for us to do our own work, our inner work, and further develop our own understanding of self. In our conversation today, Jerry is joined by Henry May, founder and CEO of CoSchool, based in Columbia. Henry comes to Jerry with this very issue: How might the journey of entrepreneurship, specifically his own, open up new opportunities for him to grow? Or said more directly: How might he use his work at Coschool to do the real work on his humanity?
Reboot Podcast #22 - Does Anyone Know what they are Doing? With Sharon Salzbe...rebootio
We’re often in (or feel we’re in) uncharted waters - a place where making things up as we go is a necessity. Feeling lost in those places can be anxiety-inducing. We feel incompetent. We feel shameful. We can end up feeling that everyone has figured it out but me. But how true is that, really? And perhaps the better question--how can owning my own anxiety in these areas help me step more fully into my authentic self and even increase my capacity for happiness?
We are honored to welcome one of our key teachers at Reboot, Sharon Salzberg, to the podcast. In this conversation, Sharon and Jerry discuss Sharon’s own entrepreneurial path, a new definition of success (and failure), authenticity, loving kindness and the question: Does anyone really know what they are doing?
Reboot Podcast #28 - Reclaiming the Shadow - with Tracy Lawrence on Reboot Po...rebootio
Tracy Lawrence, Co-founder and CEO of Chewse, and Jerry Colonna talk about authenticity, leading from the heart and on the power of embracing the lost and disowned parts of ourselves. For Tracy, it’s not only about being there for the little girl who was bullied in middle school, but also about owning her very own inner bully. Reclaiming that part of herself will not only impact her approach to the latest company experiment, but it also might affect her own leadership and bring her and her company deeper into alignment.
Reboot Podcast #30 - Who Do You Turn To? - with Yancey Strickler and Ian Hogarthrebootio
There’s a saying: Behind every great man is a great woman. I would add: behind every great entrepreneur is a great friend. The entrepreneurial path simply can’t be traveled alone. So when Jerry asked Kickstarter’s CEO and Co-founder, Yancey Strickler: Who do you turn to? He response was immediate: Ian Hogarth, Co-founder and Chairman of Songkick. We’re grateful to have Yancey and Ian join Jerry in today’s podcast to talk about their friendship, the importance of peer relationships in entrepreneurship, the relief of being heard by those who can empathize with your experience, as well as those who can challenge you from a place of love and deep understanding. Enjoy this discussion with Jerry, Ian Hogarth, and Yancey Strickler.
This conversation was recorded in early December, and since then Ian has announced his intention to give up the Co-CEO role at Soundkick and focus on his role at Chairman.
Reboot Podcast #20 with Bijan Sabet - Investors are Human toorebootio
It sounds so obvious, perhaps even tongue in cheek, but it also seems to be forgotten enough that it needs to be said aloud again: Investors are human too. They, like the entrepreneurs they back, can ride the rollercoaster of emotions that often come with starting a company. In this episode Jerry Colonna is joined by Bijan Sabet of Spark Capital and they explore some of the tensions that often arise between investors and entrepreneurs, the emotional perspective of the investor, and the importance of purpose and artistry. As a bonus, it includes Jerry reading a blessing at the end.
Hugh MacLeod has tapped into his own heart and his own woundedness so that he can speak to the hearts of people and organizations to inspire, to question, to laugh and to grow. Hugh joins Jerry in this episode of The Reboot Podcast to discuss how how he got his start, what motivates leaders, and how to work (and lead) from the heart. (Hint: often the "how" lies in identifying our own wounds).
Reboot Podcast #26 - Finding your Business Soulmate - Founders of The Grommet...rebootio
Two co-founders, who refer to each other as business soulmates, have found themselves in that special place of alignment. A place in partnership where they align not just intellectually, not just energetically, not even just at a values level, but at a human level. Jules Pieri (her second time on the show) and her partner Joanne Domeniconi oni are the Co-founders of The Grommet. They join Jerry to talk about the beginning of their partnership, where and how they found alignment at the human level, how it has evolved over time, and the challenges it represents as they scale the business
Reboot Podcast #27 - From Caring Comes Courage - with Jerry Colonna on Reboot...rebootio
From caring comes courage.
Lao Tzu
It’s wonderful to have the support of so many, to have so many who believe in you. But there is another side to it: the weight and fear of disappointing them. Zoe Weintraub is founder of Opus for Work and is our guest on this episode of the podcast. Zoe and Jerry discuss both the beauty and burden of external expectations, and ultimately find that when you follow the emotion and vulnerability associated with them, they expose your superpower hiding in plain sight.
Reboot Podcast #32 - Invest in Being Yourself - with Bryce Roberts and Chris ...rebootio
VC’s Bryce Roberts of OATV and Indie.vc, and Chris Marks of Blue Note Ventures both found the standard issue of the VC world was not a fit for them. They both sought out to set a new path, one that aligned with who they are and what they value. In a conversation with Jerry, and each other, they explore the challenges on their journey, and the potential opportunities they have to better connect with entrepreneurs through those challenges. This conversation may leave you asking yourself:
In my own work, what are my values? What are my priorities? What am I wearing today?
Reboot Podcast #33 - Do I Even Have A Superpower?- with Kent Cavender-Baresrebootio
Have you ever asked yourself the question: I wonder if we'd be better off with someone else in my role?
In this podcast, a listener, Kent Cavender-Bares from Rowbots comes to Jerry with a question a similar question about his superpower: "What if my deep integrity, my commitment to simply telling how it is, is the reason we’re unable to fundraise? Do I even have a Superpower? Wouldn’t Rowbots, be further along if someone else was leading?" Jerry and Kent explore the double edge of a superpower, and how the path through his challenges may lie in a new set of questions: How can I be even more like Kent? How can I embrace my superpower? How can I believe in myself? And why is that so damned important?
Reboot Podcast #31 - Why Being Real Matters- with Evgeny Shadchnevrebootio
So many entrepreneurs seek to model their leadership after the high-profile, successful giants of business. Should I be leader more like Steve Jobs? How can I be more like Jeff Bezos? How can I be more like Travis from Uber? These are not only questions without answers, they are the wrong questions. The real question is, “Who the fuck are you?” You’re not Steve Jobs. You’re not Jeff Bezos. You’re you. What does the leader within you look like?
In today’s conversation, Jerry is joined by Evgeny, Co-founder and CEO of Makers Academy. Ev wrestles with the question of whether it’s possible to scale an organization built around trust, or does success require a leader who governs by fear? Together they discover a more beautiful, more fundamental question --“Who is Evgeny?” In that answer they may find a path to personal alignment and more effective leadership.
Reboot Podcast #11 - Stop and See: Mind Hacking, Meditation and Leadership - ...rebootio
“Consciousness is so turbulent” - Emily Horn
Vincent Horn is a mind hacker & Buddhist geek. He has been practicing meditation intensively since his freshman year in college. In 2006, Vincent co-founded Buddhist Geeks, which has gone on to become one of today's most important venues for exploring Buddhist thought & practice in the 21st century. Buddhist Geeks has been featured on the pages of the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Tricycle, and The Atlantic. Vincent was also honored to be part of Wired’s "Smart List 2012: 50 people who will change the world."
In this episode, Vincent and Jerry talk about their mindfulness practices, how Vincent navigated his own ups and downs as an entrepreneur, and how meditation and mindfulness can create better leaders, and better organizations.
And be sure to listen all the way through the end, as Vincent has included a 10 minute guided meditation for you to kickstart your own mindfulness practice.
Ben Saunders knows very well the ups and downs that come with attempting to do something extraordinary. Like so many entrepreneurs, he struggled with the challenges of being an effective leader, and faced the pain of fundraising or not meeting payroll. But Ben’s end goal was a bit different. He’ a polar explorer. Between October 2013 and February 2014, he and his companion Tarka broke the record for the longest ever polar journey on foot. On their path to the South Pole, they faced temps of -50F and wind chills near -70F all while they covered nearly seventy marathons back-to-back on less than four hours of sleep a night.
This record breaking journey was nearly ten years in the making for Ben, and truly was an amazing accomplishment, but despite all that he found the inner journey that followed even more challenging than what he faced out on the ice. In this conversation, Ben and Jerry discuss his journey on and off the ice.
Reboot Podcast #38 - Plant seeds of your life - With Congressman Tim Ryan on ...rebootio
Congressman Tim Ryan is our guest for Episode 38 of the Reboot Podcast. Tim is a special guy, and not just because he’s a congressman, and not just because he’s from Ohio – though that’s pretty great too – but because he’s committed to bringing heart, humanity, mindfulness and a long-term focus into a space that doesn’t always welcome it: government. In this conversation (originally recorded in November), Tim shares his journey to mindfulness, his ongoing practice in noticing his own inner conversation, and his commitment to mindfully planting seeds for the future and having the patience to watching them grow.
Reboot Podcast #25 - Live Beyond Compare - Brad Feld and Jerry Colonna - Rebo...rebootio
It’s so easy, sometimes fun, sometimes painful, and always tempting to compare ourselves to others. As entrepreneurs, the temptation is even stronger. It can at times seem like there’s an endless supply of compare yourself material - from the media, to social media. Ask any Reboot coach...one of the busiest days as a coach is the day a big acquisition or funding announcement occurs. The second busiest is the day after. So what would it be like to let go? What if you stopped trying to be a VC / entrepreneur / father like everyone else? What if you were just you and that was OK?
That is exactly the advice our podcast guest offered up to a 34 year old Jerry Colonna - many, many years ago. We’re truly honored to have Brad Feld on the podcast with Jerry today. Brad is an investor, entrepreneur, and blogger who has been supporting entrepreneurs all over the world since 1987. Brad has also been a great Reboot supporter and teacher. In this conversation these two friends talk about VC’s as Dungeons and Dragons characters, Brad’s evolved investment criteria, and the single best piece of advice Brad offered to Jerry that changed his career.
To have a firm persuasion, to set out boldly in our work, is to make a pilgrimage of our labors, to understand that the consummation of work lies not only in what we have done but who we become while accomplishing the task.
-David Whyte - Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity
In today’s conversation Jerry is joined by Ben Rubin - Cofounder and CEO of Change Collective - an organization itself that is set on helping people make positive change in their lives. Ben comes to Jerry wondering how he can better deal with the negative inner dialogue. They quickly discover that inner voice, and more specifically the feelings that precede it, are a powerful indicator of an underlying fear. What opportunities exist in exploring that fear?
Reboot Podcast #29 - Who's in Your Corner? - with Carrie Barryrebootio
Carrie Barry has had her own great challenges to overcome, including real struggles at home that forced her to leave at the age of 12 and strike out on her own. She’s proven resilient, stitching the struggles of her past into the fabric of her being and choosing to appreciate and utilize that pain into the work she does today. Carrie Barry is former Olympic Boxer and entrepreneur who owns and runs a boxing gym in Boulder where people come to break a sweat, get a hug, and learn some valuable life lessons. She also happens to be, in a twist, a boxing coach for 2 of Reboot’s finest: Jerry and Ali. Join Jerry in getting a little coaching, and a lot of inspiration in this conversation with Carrie Barry.
Reboot Podcast #9 - Investing in Trust - with Fred Wilson and Jerry Colonnarebootio
Fred Wilson barely needs an introduction for his role and impact in the startup community both as blogger and co-founder of Union Square Ventures. Fred’s also a big reason why I’m here giving this intro: his blog ultimately led me to meeting and now working with Jerry; and his family podcast, Positively 10th Street, was one of the first podcasts I ever listened to. Feels like things have come full circle.
So I’m thrilled to have Fred join Jerry for this episode. In 19 years of friendship and partnership in the startup world, these two have seen just about everything. In this conversation they share some stories from the Flatiron Partnership days, what makes a perfect board, the importance of trust in investing, and what makes a good leader. They even discuss the sheer terror they felt on their own entrepreneurial journey. There’s a lot of great material referenced in this discussion, so we’ve gone ahead and compiled a bunch of links from this show on our podcast page at reboot.io/podcast.
In what we hope will be a series of several, enjoy this first Reboot conversation with Fred Wilson and Jerry Colonna.
Reboot Podcast #39 - New Choices with Mary Lemmer on Reboot Podcastrebootio
Mary Lemmer came on to share her emotional story of seemingly everything working against her; her body giving in, her relationship ending, her business coming apart, losing her dad's approval, all in a very short period of time. Physically and emotionally, these were painful experiences for Mary and yet, what if they were exactly what she needs? What if this is the moment she was waiting for?
Reboot Podcast #05 - How Do You Define Success? With Jerry Colonna and Joseph...rebootio
Joseph Chura is the founder and CEO of 2 startups that employ nearly a combined 100 people, yet he feels a constant drive for more. In this conversation with Jerry, Joseph shares his struggles to be present, especially at home with his wife and kids. Why is the drive, the itch to not sit still, so strong? What’s he running towards? Or perhaps running from?
Joseph and Jerry explore why he feels compelled to run, take a look at how & what Joseph is using to define success and why mindfulness is about so much more than meditation...it’s about expanding the space between stimulus and response.
Reboot Podcast #19 Building a House of Belonging with Tanisha Robinsonrebootio
What’s it like to find your path of authentic service in the world? What if you could use the pain of the past, a pain of not knowing where you fit in, of not knowing where you belong to propel you toward work that makes a difference? What if you could create a place of belonging? Well, it might look a lot like what Tanisha Robinson is building with Print Syndicate.
Started just 2.5 years ago with 8 people, Print Syndicate now has over 140 employees and will generate more than $20M in revenue this year. But the company isn’t just about shirts and home goods, it’s a place where people (including a black, gay, woman from a Mormon family of 7 in a small town in Missouri) have a place to self-identify and a place to belong. As Tanisha shares, running a company fueled by your passion to make the world better is both exhilarating and heartwrenching.
Reboot Podcast #8 - How Introspection Changed My Business - With Blaine Vess ...rebootio
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
― Aristotle
Entrepreneur and CEO Blaine Vess has an impressive story. Studymode, the company he helped start and bootstrap from his dorm room almost 16 years ago, now has 30 employees and sees between 60-90M visitors a month. It’s rare to find 15 year old bootstrapped companies. It’s rare to have the same CEO for 15 years as Blaine has been. But last year, Blaine wanted more for his company and himself. He wanted to know how to help push his company to the next level. To achieve that, he didn’t look elsewhere, he looked within.
In this conversation, Jerry and Blaine talk about Blaine’s “year of introspection”. It included a stop at one of our bootcamps, working with a coach and a therapist, and that year ultimately helped him understand how and why he was holding himself back. Perhaps Blaine and Jerry’s conversation, our first of 2015, may spark your own year of introspection.
Reboot Podcast #23 - With a Little More Care… with Sherman Lee and Jerry Colonnarebootio
Sometimes we spend so much time looking at where we aren’t or where others have gone that we don’t fully appreciate where we are and how much we’ve grown on the journey.
A year ago today, Reboot didn’t have a podcast. A year ago today, Sherman Lee was staring down a draining bank account, a shaky business model, and a crippling fear: if I fail, I won’t be able to provide. A year later we sit with our 23rd podcast episode, a return visit from Sherman one of our first guests, and an opportunity to appreciate Sherman’s journey and growth since we last spoke.
Reboot Podcast #40 - Going beyond blame with Dave Zwieback on Reboot Podcastrebootio
Why the rush to assign the blame? There is something calming about finding a target. It's like this moment of being lost in a rough sea of chaos and uncertainty. A person to assign the fault is like an unsinkable lifeboat to grasp. We climb aboard and take a deep breath and relax. "Well, that’s solved." We do it as individuals, we do it as organizations, we do it as a society. But what incredibly valuable opportunities lie in resisting this urge to assign fault? What might what we learn in what didn’t or did work if we explore a bit more?
Reboot Podcast #06 - Do you avoid difficult conversations? – with Jerry Colon...rebootio
“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”
Jesus, Gospel of Thomas
Do you have an innate desire to make people happy? And does that desire at times cause you to at hold back the truth, out of fear of perhaps hurting others and yourself? Carm Huntress is the CEO of RxReview, a company solving a big problem with big data - overspending on prescription drugs. The company started in January 2012 and is growing beyond it’s 11 employees. Carm realizes his nature as a people pleaser affects his leadership in detrimental ways. In this episode, Jerry and Carm unpack what it means to be fierce, and what’s behind the desire to make people happy. It’s a conversation that will leave you asking: “What if I led from place knew where i knew I was good and also know there are things I want to do better?”
Enjoy the conversation...
Q’s
What if you led from a place in which you knew you were good and knew the things you wanted to do better?
Reboot Podcast #41 - Being a superhero with John Guydon on Reboot Podcastrebootio
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. How does that land for you? For me, I got to be honest, it feels like it was written for somebody else, a different type of person, a more capable and more talented and more powerful type of person. But it wasn’t. It's a reminder to us all that within us, we have the capacity to, as our guest says today, make really heavy, seemingly immovable things, move. In other words, we have great power if we choose to own it. The choice is always there and ours to make
Reboot Podcast #01 - How self reflection potentially saved a business - the r...rebootio
Derek Flanzraich, CEO of one of the fastest growing health and wellness sites, Greatist, joins Jerry for this episode to share the story of his personal journey over the last 10 months. His journey of introspection started when he attended a CEO bootcamp last October and begin to reflect on a personal challenge, which ultimately lead him to a solution to a business challenge that could have destroyed his business. Derek’s openness and introspection is inspiring, and will inspire you to re-examine how your own stories impact your business and your life.
Reboot Podcast #45 – What’s Love Got to Do with It?- with Fred Wilson and Bra...rebootio
How can you expect to serve others, whether it be customers, portfolio companies, or your organization if your own house is not in order? We are so fortunate to welcome Brad Feld and Fred Wilson back to the Reboot Podcast. Jerry, Brad, and Fred have a friendship and history that goes back 20 years, and the wealth of experience between them is truly incredible.
Reboot Podcast #27 - From Caring Comes Courage - with Jerry Colonna on Reboot...rebootio
From caring comes courage.
Lao Tzu
It’s wonderful to have the support of so many, to have so many who believe in you. But there is another side to it: the weight and fear of disappointing them. Zoe Weintraub is founder of Opus for Work and is our guest on this episode of the podcast. Zoe and Jerry discuss both the beauty and burden of external expectations, and ultimately find that when you follow the emotion and vulnerability associated with them, they expose your superpower hiding in plain sight.
Reboot Podcast #32 - Invest in Being Yourself - with Bryce Roberts and Chris ...rebootio
VC’s Bryce Roberts of OATV and Indie.vc, and Chris Marks of Blue Note Ventures both found the standard issue of the VC world was not a fit for them. They both sought out to set a new path, one that aligned with who they are and what they value. In a conversation with Jerry, and each other, they explore the challenges on their journey, and the potential opportunities they have to better connect with entrepreneurs through those challenges. This conversation may leave you asking yourself:
In my own work, what are my values? What are my priorities? What am I wearing today?
Reboot Podcast #33 - Do I Even Have A Superpower?- with Kent Cavender-Baresrebootio
Have you ever asked yourself the question: I wonder if we'd be better off with someone else in my role?
In this podcast, a listener, Kent Cavender-Bares from Rowbots comes to Jerry with a question a similar question about his superpower: "What if my deep integrity, my commitment to simply telling how it is, is the reason we’re unable to fundraise? Do I even have a Superpower? Wouldn’t Rowbots, be further along if someone else was leading?" Jerry and Kent explore the double edge of a superpower, and how the path through his challenges may lie in a new set of questions: How can I be even more like Kent? How can I embrace my superpower? How can I believe in myself? And why is that so damned important?
Reboot Podcast #31 - Why Being Real Matters- with Evgeny Shadchnevrebootio
So many entrepreneurs seek to model their leadership after the high-profile, successful giants of business. Should I be leader more like Steve Jobs? How can I be more like Jeff Bezos? How can I be more like Travis from Uber? These are not only questions without answers, they are the wrong questions. The real question is, “Who the fuck are you?” You’re not Steve Jobs. You’re not Jeff Bezos. You’re you. What does the leader within you look like?
In today’s conversation, Jerry is joined by Evgeny, Co-founder and CEO of Makers Academy. Ev wrestles with the question of whether it’s possible to scale an organization built around trust, or does success require a leader who governs by fear? Together they discover a more beautiful, more fundamental question --“Who is Evgeny?” In that answer they may find a path to personal alignment and more effective leadership.
Reboot Podcast #11 - Stop and See: Mind Hacking, Meditation and Leadership - ...rebootio
“Consciousness is so turbulent” - Emily Horn
Vincent Horn is a mind hacker & Buddhist geek. He has been practicing meditation intensively since his freshman year in college. In 2006, Vincent co-founded Buddhist Geeks, which has gone on to become one of today's most important venues for exploring Buddhist thought & practice in the 21st century. Buddhist Geeks has been featured on the pages of the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Tricycle, and The Atlantic. Vincent was also honored to be part of Wired’s "Smart List 2012: 50 people who will change the world."
In this episode, Vincent and Jerry talk about their mindfulness practices, how Vincent navigated his own ups and downs as an entrepreneur, and how meditation and mindfulness can create better leaders, and better organizations.
And be sure to listen all the way through the end, as Vincent has included a 10 minute guided meditation for you to kickstart your own mindfulness practice.
Ben Saunders knows very well the ups and downs that come with attempting to do something extraordinary. Like so many entrepreneurs, he struggled with the challenges of being an effective leader, and faced the pain of fundraising or not meeting payroll. But Ben’s end goal was a bit different. He’ a polar explorer. Between October 2013 and February 2014, he and his companion Tarka broke the record for the longest ever polar journey on foot. On their path to the South Pole, they faced temps of -50F and wind chills near -70F all while they covered nearly seventy marathons back-to-back on less than four hours of sleep a night.
This record breaking journey was nearly ten years in the making for Ben, and truly was an amazing accomplishment, but despite all that he found the inner journey that followed even more challenging than what he faced out on the ice. In this conversation, Ben and Jerry discuss his journey on and off the ice.
Reboot Podcast #38 - Plant seeds of your life - With Congressman Tim Ryan on ...rebootio
Congressman Tim Ryan is our guest for Episode 38 of the Reboot Podcast. Tim is a special guy, and not just because he’s a congressman, and not just because he’s from Ohio – though that’s pretty great too – but because he’s committed to bringing heart, humanity, mindfulness and a long-term focus into a space that doesn’t always welcome it: government. In this conversation (originally recorded in November), Tim shares his journey to mindfulness, his ongoing practice in noticing his own inner conversation, and his commitment to mindfully planting seeds for the future and having the patience to watching them grow.
Reboot Podcast #25 - Live Beyond Compare - Brad Feld and Jerry Colonna - Rebo...rebootio
It’s so easy, sometimes fun, sometimes painful, and always tempting to compare ourselves to others. As entrepreneurs, the temptation is even stronger. It can at times seem like there’s an endless supply of compare yourself material - from the media, to social media. Ask any Reboot coach...one of the busiest days as a coach is the day a big acquisition or funding announcement occurs. The second busiest is the day after. So what would it be like to let go? What if you stopped trying to be a VC / entrepreneur / father like everyone else? What if you were just you and that was OK?
That is exactly the advice our podcast guest offered up to a 34 year old Jerry Colonna - many, many years ago. We’re truly honored to have Brad Feld on the podcast with Jerry today. Brad is an investor, entrepreneur, and blogger who has been supporting entrepreneurs all over the world since 1987. Brad has also been a great Reboot supporter and teacher. In this conversation these two friends talk about VC’s as Dungeons and Dragons characters, Brad’s evolved investment criteria, and the single best piece of advice Brad offered to Jerry that changed his career.
To have a firm persuasion, to set out boldly in our work, is to make a pilgrimage of our labors, to understand that the consummation of work lies not only in what we have done but who we become while accomplishing the task.
-David Whyte - Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity
In today’s conversation Jerry is joined by Ben Rubin - Cofounder and CEO of Change Collective - an organization itself that is set on helping people make positive change in their lives. Ben comes to Jerry wondering how he can better deal with the negative inner dialogue. They quickly discover that inner voice, and more specifically the feelings that precede it, are a powerful indicator of an underlying fear. What opportunities exist in exploring that fear?
Reboot Podcast #29 - Who's in Your Corner? - with Carrie Barryrebootio
Carrie Barry has had her own great challenges to overcome, including real struggles at home that forced her to leave at the age of 12 and strike out on her own. She’s proven resilient, stitching the struggles of her past into the fabric of her being and choosing to appreciate and utilize that pain into the work she does today. Carrie Barry is former Olympic Boxer and entrepreneur who owns and runs a boxing gym in Boulder where people come to break a sweat, get a hug, and learn some valuable life lessons. She also happens to be, in a twist, a boxing coach for 2 of Reboot’s finest: Jerry and Ali. Join Jerry in getting a little coaching, and a lot of inspiration in this conversation with Carrie Barry.
Reboot Podcast #9 - Investing in Trust - with Fred Wilson and Jerry Colonnarebootio
Fred Wilson barely needs an introduction for his role and impact in the startup community both as blogger and co-founder of Union Square Ventures. Fred’s also a big reason why I’m here giving this intro: his blog ultimately led me to meeting and now working with Jerry; and his family podcast, Positively 10th Street, was one of the first podcasts I ever listened to. Feels like things have come full circle.
So I’m thrilled to have Fred join Jerry for this episode. In 19 years of friendship and partnership in the startup world, these two have seen just about everything. In this conversation they share some stories from the Flatiron Partnership days, what makes a perfect board, the importance of trust in investing, and what makes a good leader. They even discuss the sheer terror they felt on their own entrepreneurial journey. There’s a lot of great material referenced in this discussion, so we’ve gone ahead and compiled a bunch of links from this show on our podcast page at reboot.io/podcast.
In what we hope will be a series of several, enjoy this first Reboot conversation with Fred Wilson and Jerry Colonna.
Reboot Podcast #39 - New Choices with Mary Lemmer on Reboot Podcastrebootio
Mary Lemmer came on to share her emotional story of seemingly everything working against her; her body giving in, her relationship ending, her business coming apart, losing her dad's approval, all in a very short period of time. Physically and emotionally, these were painful experiences for Mary and yet, what if they were exactly what she needs? What if this is the moment she was waiting for?
Reboot Podcast #05 - How Do You Define Success? With Jerry Colonna and Joseph...rebootio
Joseph Chura is the founder and CEO of 2 startups that employ nearly a combined 100 people, yet he feels a constant drive for more. In this conversation with Jerry, Joseph shares his struggles to be present, especially at home with his wife and kids. Why is the drive, the itch to not sit still, so strong? What’s he running towards? Or perhaps running from?
Joseph and Jerry explore why he feels compelled to run, take a look at how & what Joseph is using to define success and why mindfulness is about so much more than meditation...it’s about expanding the space between stimulus and response.
Reboot Podcast #19 Building a House of Belonging with Tanisha Robinsonrebootio
What’s it like to find your path of authentic service in the world? What if you could use the pain of the past, a pain of not knowing where you fit in, of not knowing where you belong to propel you toward work that makes a difference? What if you could create a place of belonging? Well, it might look a lot like what Tanisha Robinson is building with Print Syndicate.
Started just 2.5 years ago with 8 people, Print Syndicate now has over 140 employees and will generate more than $20M in revenue this year. But the company isn’t just about shirts and home goods, it’s a place where people (including a black, gay, woman from a Mormon family of 7 in a small town in Missouri) have a place to self-identify and a place to belong. As Tanisha shares, running a company fueled by your passion to make the world better is both exhilarating and heartwrenching.
Reboot Podcast #8 - How Introspection Changed My Business - With Blaine Vess ...rebootio
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
― Aristotle
Entrepreneur and CEO Blaine Vess has an impressive story. Studymode, the company he helped start and bootstrap from his dorm room almost 16 years ago, now has 30 employees and sees between 60-90M visitors a month. It’s rare to find 15 year old bootstrapped companies. It’s rare to have the same CEO for 15 years as Blaine has been. But last year, Blaine wanted more for his company and himself. He wanted to know how to help push his company to the next level. To achieve that, he didn’t look elsewhere, he looked within.
In this conversation, Jerry and Blaine talk about Blaine’s “year of introspection”. It included a stop at one of our bootcamps, working with a coach and a therapist, and that year ultimately helped him understand how and why he was holding himself back. Perhaps Blaine and Jerry’s conversation, our first of 2015, may spark your own year of introspection.
Reboot Podcast #23 - With a Little More Care… with Sherman Lee and Jerry Colonnarebootio
Sometimes we spend so much time looking at where we aren’t or where others have gone that we don’t fully appreciate where we are and how much we’ve grown on the journey.
A year ago today, Reboot didn’t have a podcast. A year ago today, Sherman Lee was staring down a draining bank account, a shaky business model, and a crippling fear: if I fail, I won’t be able to provide. A year later we sit with our 23rd podcast episode, a return visit from Sherman one of our first guests, and an opportunity to appreciate Sherman’s journey and growth since we last spoke.
Reboot Podcast #40 - Going beyond blame with Dave Zwieback on Reboot Podcastrebootio
Why the rush to assign the blame? There is something calming about finding a target. It's like this moment of being lost in a rough sea of chaos and uncertainty. A person to assign the fault is like an unsinkable lifeboat to grasp. We climb aboard and take a deep breath and relax. "Well, that’s solved." We do it as individuals, we do it as organizations, we do it as a society. But what incredibly valuable opportunities lie in resisting this urge to assign fault? What might what we learn in what didn’t or did work if we explore a bit more?
Reboot Podcast #06 - Do you avoid difficult conversations? – with Jerry Colon...rebootio
“If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”
Jesus, Gospel of Thomas
Do you have an innate desire to make people happy? And does that desire at times cause you to at hold back the truth, out of fear of perhaps hurting others and yourself? Carm Huntress is the CEO of RxReview, a company solving a big problem with big data - overspending on prescription drugs. The company started in January 2012 and is growing beyond it’s 11 employees. Carm realizes his nature as a people pleaser affects his leadership in detrimental ways. In this episode, Jerry and Carm unpack what it means to be fierce, and what’s behind the desire to make people happy. It’s a conversation that will leave you asking: “What if I led from place knew where i knew I was good and also know there are things I want to do better?”
Enjoy the conversation...
Q’s
What if you led from a place in which you knew you were good and knew the things you wanted to do better?
Reboot Podcast #41 - Being a superhero with John Guydon on Reboot Podcastrebootio
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. How does that land for you? For me, I got to be honest, it feels like it was written for somebody else, a different type of person, a more capable and more talented and more powerful type of person. But it wasn’t. It's a reminder to us all that within us, we have the capacity to, as our guest says today, make really heavy, seemingly immovable things, move. In other words, we have great power if we choose to own it. The choice is always there and ours to make
Reboot Podcast #01 - How self reflection potentially saved a business - the r...rebootio
Derek Flanzraich, CEO of one of the fastest growing health and wellness sites, Greatist, joins Jerry for this episode to share the story of his personal journey over the last 10 months. His journey of introspection started when he attended a CEO bootcamp last October and begin to reflect on a personal challenge, which ultimately lead him to a solution to a business challenge that could have destroyed his business. Derek’s openness and introspection is inspiring, and will inspire you to re-examine how your own stories impact your business and your life.
Reboot Podcast #45 – What’s Love Got to Do with It?- with Fred Wilson and Bra...rebootio
How can you expect to serve others, whether it be customers, portfolio companies, or your organization if your own house is not in order? We are so fortunate to welcome Brad Feld and Fred Wilson back to the Reboot Podcast. Jerry, Brad, and Fred have a friendship and history that goes back 20 years, and the wealth of experience between them is truly incredible.
Reboot Podcast #15 - Becoming a Leader: The Crucible of Co-Founder Conflict w...rebootio
JW Player has come a long way. The JW player and platform is now used by over 2.5 million publishers and 20% of the fortune 1,000 companies. Each month about 1 billion people watch video on their platform. Behind those numbers are real people--including three co-founders who, over the last eight years, have experienced their own profound personal growth and leadership transformations.
In a special first video episode, only fitting for the co-founders of one of the world’s largest video platforms, we have the 3 co-founders of JW Player joining Jerry in person. In a very open conversation, they explore key challenging moments in their company and partnership history -and how they emerged from those moments stronger and more committed than ever. It's an inspiring story of leaders born through adversity
Zelle Nelson and Maureen McCarthy are not only co-founders of The Center For Collaborative Awareness, but they are also married to each other. They created a collaboration process called “The Blueprint of We” in 1998 as they began their dating relationship. This collaboration process is used to build and sustain healthier, more resilient business and personal relationships, which makes day-to-day interactions effortless and time together creative and productive. This process is facilitated through completing a document that has five components: The Story of Us, Interaction Styles and Warning Signs, Expectations, Questions to Return to Peace, and Short and Long-Term Agreements. Maureen and Zelle are using the Blueprint of We process and document to create a place where people actually look forward to going to work where everyone’s knowledge, passions, and interests rise to the surface to create a stronger and more vibrant company or community.
Reboot Podcast #43 – The Dharma of Inclusivity – with Konda Masonrebootio
There is real suffering out there and that suffering that is causing violence. What are some of the causes of the suffering and how might we address those?
It’s a true honor to welcome entrepreneur, creator, and teacher, Konda Mason to the podcast for an important and timely conversation with Jerry. This discussion was recorded last week, and we thought it was really important to get this out sooner rather than later, particularly given the events in Orlando. Konda and Jerry address some of the source causes of this suffering, this pain, and what opportunities might lie in remembering we’re all in this together. This conversation will challenge you on your own privileges and inspire you find new ways of connecting with people from all backgrounds.
Reboot Podcast #7 - The Relationship between Depression and Entrepreneurship?...rebootio
After years of rapid growth and expansion, followed by a serious year of depression, Rand Fishkin, founder and former CEO of Moz, found himself in a room surrounded by VC backed CEO’s and entrepreneurs where the question was posed: “How many of you struggle seriously with depression or severe anxiety or emotional issues?” He watched almost every person raise their hand. It’s shocking how universal depression is in startups. For anyone struggling with depression, it’s helpful to know you’re not alone. In this podcast, which is slightly different than past episodes, Jerry converses with Rand about his experience - his “loop,” how shame and guilt are at times his driver, the importance of understanding one’s emotional state, and how he’s made progress in coming out of his own depression, including his one piece of advice for entrepreneurs or anyone dealing with their own depression.
Reboot Podcast #03 - This being so, so what? – With Jerry Colonna and Nigel S...rebootio
As CEO of a young startup, you can often feel what you are facing right now can make or break your company, can make or break you. And you will likely find yourself in this place more than once. Nigel Sharp, CEO of Armenian based Lion Sharp, finds himself in one of these very moments. He feels the energy of a promising product, and the reality of 6 months of runway. How do you balance the excitement and challenges? How do discuss the reality of your finances with your team? How do you discuss your fears, not only of failure but of success?
Reboot Podcast #44 – We are Designed to Fail – with Nicholas Russell and Jerr...rebootio
Startups fail, we hear that all the time. Failure is good, we hear that all the time too. But we rarely hear about the pain, the shame and the second-guessing that comes with it. Even worse, at least for me, we rarely hear about the opportunities that lie, or may lie in something ending beyond just a pivot or a lesson learnt. In that moment, reading that email on the bench, my feet hurting, I wished someone would have told me what I know now to be true. This startup failing is not proof that something is broken within you. In fact, it's an opening and an opportunity to find something new within you and for you.
You can attract great wealth by doing what you love. This book will show you how.
Your money experience is a reflection of your beliefs about your value in the world.
Your experience of wealth tells volumes about how you see yourself. So doesn’t it make
sense to learn different beliefs?
How, as a 34 year old “burnt out” professional performer, I discovered the 3 key elements of a great opportunity, with no hype, only the hard hitting truth, that allowed me to generate up to 4 figures in a single day when I applied this…
Jordan Peterson - The pursuit of meaning and related ethical axiomsPhilip Schwarz
I have only recently become aware of the work of Jordan Peterson. Because I am finding it so interesting, I hope that the following small collection of excerpts from some of his writings and speeches might entice any fellow latecomers to find out more about his work. See below for my own summary of some of the subjects touched upon in these slides.
Download for best results.
Steve Jobs, the celebrity founder of Apple, was known for his vision, creativity and passion; less known is what drove his life and this book on Steve Jobs’ biography focuses upon his spirituality from Law of Attraction’s perspective.
The essence of Law of Attraction is: "like attracts like". It was mentioned by Napoleon Hill, had become the basis of the Abraham teachings with Ester and Jerry Hicks and made popular by Rhonda Byrne with “The Secret”.
Cristina has had an interest in spirituality from an early age and has formed her own perspective from her various studies. Steve Jobs’ life as well as a few aspects of her own life provides a though provoking book written with great deal of insight and sensitivity, exemplifying Law of Attraction at work in our lives and the value each life offers, no matter “the settings”.
Implicitly or explicitly all competing businesses employ a strategy to select a mix
of marketing resources. Formulating such competitive strategies fundamentally
involves recognizing relationships between elements of the marketing mix (e.g.,
price and product quality), as well as assessing competitive and market conditions
(i.e., industry structure in the language of economics).
LA HUG - Video Testimonials with Chynna Morgan - June 2024Lital Barkan
Have you ever heard that user-generated content or video testimonials can take your brand to the next level? We will explore how you can effectively use video testimonials to leverage and boost your sales, content strategy, and increase your CRM data.🤯
We will dig deeper into:
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3. How you can capture more CRM data to understand your audience better through video testimonials. 📊
buy old yahoo accounts buy yahoo accountsSusan Laney
As a business owner, I understand the importance of having a strong online presence and leveraging various digital platforms to reach and engage with your target audience. One often overlooked yet highly valuable asset in this regard is the humble Yahoo account. While many may perceive Yahoo as a relic of the past, the truth is that these accounts still hold immense potential for businesses of all sizes.
Premium MEAN Stack Development Solutions for Modern BusinessesSynapseIndia
Stay ahead of the curve with our premium MEAN Stack Development Solutions. Our expert developers utilize MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js to create modern and responsive web applications. Trust us for cutting-edge solutions that drive your business growth and success.
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In the Adani-Hindenburg case, what is SEBI investigating.pptxAdani case
Adani SEBI investigation revealed that the latter had sought information from five foreign jurisdictions concerning the holdings of the firm’s foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in relation to the alleged violations of the MPS Regulations. Nevertheless, the economic interest of the twelve FPIs based in tax haven jurisdictions still needs to be determined. The Adani Group firms classed these FPIs as public shareholders. According to Hindenburg, FPIs were used to get around regulatory standards.
Tata Group Dials Taiwan for Its Chipmaking Ambition in Gujarat’s DholeraAvirahi City Dholera
The Tata Group, a titan of Indian industry, is making waves with its advanced talks with Taiwanese chipmakers Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) and UMC Group. The goal? Establishing a cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication unit (fab) in Dholera, Gujarat. This isn’t just any project; it’s a potential game changer for India’s chipmaking aspirations and a boon for investors seeking promising residential projects in dholera sir.
Visit : https://www.avirahi.com/blog/tata-group-dials-taiwan-for-its-chipmaking-ambition-in-gujarats-dholera/
FIA officials brutally tortured innocent and snatched 200 Bitcoins of worth 4...jamalseoexpert1978
Farman Ayaz Khattak and Ehtesham Matloob are government officials in CTW Counter terrorism wing Islamabad, in Federal Investigation Agency FIA Headquarters. CTW and FIA kidnapped crypto currency owner from Islamabad and snatched 200 Bitcoins those worth of 4 billion rupees in Pakistan currency. There is not Cryptocurrency Regulations in Pakistan & CTW is official dacoit and stealing digital assets from the innocent crypto holders and making fake cases of terrorism to keep them silent.
Anny Serafina Love - Letter of Recommendation by Kellen Harkins, MS.AnnySerafinaLove
This letter, written by Kellen Harkins, Course Director at Full Sail University, commends Anny Love's exemplary performance in the Video Sharing Platforms class. It highlights her dedication, willingness to challenge herself, and exceptional skills in production, editing, and marketing across various video platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Company Valuation webinar series - Tuesday, 4 June 2024FelixPerez547899
This session provided an update as to the latest valuation data in the UK and then delved into a discussion on the upcoming election and the impacts on valuation. We finished, as always with a Q&A
3.0 Project 2_ Developing My Brand Identity Kit.pptxtanyjahb
A personal brand exploration presentation summarizes an individual's unique qualities and goals, covering strengths, values, passions, and target audience. It helps individuals understand what makes them stand out, their desired image, and how they aim to achieve it.
Navigating the world of forex trading can be challenging, especially for beginners. To help you make an informed decision, we have comprehensively compared the best forex brokers in India for 2024. This article, reviewed by Top Forex Brokers Review, will cover featured award winners, the best forex brokers, featured offers, the best copy trading platforms, the best forex brokers for beginners, the best MetaTrader brokers, and recently updated reviews. We will focus on FP Markets, Black Bull, EightCap, IC Markets, and Octa.
The 10 Most Influential Leaders Guiding Corporate Evolution, 2024.pdfthesiliconleaders
In the recent edition, The 10 Most Influential Leaders Guiding Corporate Evolution, 2024, The Silicon Leaders magazine gladly features Dejan Štancer, President of the Global Chamber of Business Leaders (GCBL), along with other leaders.
Building Your Employer Brand with Social MediaLuanWise
Presented at The Global HR Summit, 6th June 2024
In this keynote, Luan Wise will provide invaluable insights to elevate your employer brand on social media platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok. You'll learn how compelling content can authentically showcase your company culture, values, and employee experiences to support your talent acquisition and retention objectives. Additionally, you'll understand the power of employee advocacy to amplify reach and engagement – helping to position your organization as an employer of choice in today's competitive talent landscape.
Reboot Podcast #36 - The Quest - with Jim Marsden and Jade Sherer on Reboot Podcast
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“I went into the experience really kind of broken-open, really kind of stuck, and I came out
broken-opened and moving.”
Welcome to the Reboot Podcast.
Hi, this is Dan Putt, I am one of the partners here at Reboot. As some of you may know, we are
offering a Reboot Vision Quest this fall and so many have asked, "What exactly is a quest?" and
perhaps more importantly, "What could it do for me?" So, we wanted to take some time and
introduce you to our amazing guides, Jim and Jade, and give you answers to some of the
questions you've been holding.
But first, I actually wanted to share my own time-on-the-land experience with Jim. "So, I guess,
we are going through a transition, I started." It felt awkward; really, really awkward, but I
continued. "I'm in the middle of a move and I am still trying to figure out how to be a father to
my ten-month old." It got a tiny bit less awkward, but still, here I was, in the middle of a
beautiful, spring Colorado morning, Devil's Thumb Ranch during bootcamp week, talking to this
ugly, six foot tall, red and blue, bush in the wetlands.
I could feel the morning dew starting to work its way through my shoes, getting my toes wet as I
stepped closer and prepared my next statement, and then a Goldfinch showed up, landing on a
bush and looked right back at me as if to say, "All right, go on, I'm listening." If I hadn’t
experienced it, I'm not sure I would have believed it, but that Goldfinch conversation is one that
still moves me today in surprising and powerful ways. It opened up new insights to me, new
opportunities as a dad, and things I'm still unraveling two years later and my experience was not
unique.
Time and time again, I get the pleasure of seeing skeptical but open bootcampers enter the
Colorado wilderness with instructions from Jim, looking for a conversation with a bush or a bird,
and time and time again, I see them come back in shock with how the land opened up new
insights for them, Jerry included.
In today's episode, Jerry, Jim and Jade talk about the power and opportunity of time on the land,
and solo time. How Jerry's own experience on his quest which was guided by Jim and Jade has
shaped him, and why a quest could change your own awareness forever. If it terrifies you, you
are ready. Go apply at reboot.io/quest and enjoy this conversation with Jerry, Jim and Jade.
**
"Do you love yourself enough to listen with the ears of your heart to the other voices of yourself
speaking?" – Beno Kennedy.
Jerry Colonna: Hey Jade, hey Jim, it's really, really great to see you and you know, as we
were just saying before we started, it's been eight years since the three of us
actually spoke. But I don’t want to get too far ahead and why don’t we just take a
moment and let me ask you each to introduce yourselves so the listeners can
really get a distinct voice. So, Jim?
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Jim Marsden: Hey Jerry, Jade, great to be here, great to be with both of you again. I am Jim
Marsden and I am one of the coaches here at Reboot, and I am also someone who
heads up the organizational development, leadership and training work here at
Reboot. I have also been a guide over the last 15 years, guiding programs in the
back country and in beautiful places, different parts of the world with the
opportunity of taking people into wonderful places, both on the external landscape
and their inner landscape, and I'm excited to be able to talk about that a little bit
further with both of you today.
Jerry: Thanks Jim, and Jade?
Jade Sherer: Hi everybody and hey you guys, Jim and Jerry; it's quite a privilege to be here
with you. The constellation of the three of us because it's been eight years since
we were the three of us together in a conversation and I have been – I call it
'nature-based soul guide' for more than 20 years now and have the beautiful honor
of attending a lot of different people in the walk towards "What's our gift and
what are we doing in the world and how can we do that better?" And Jim was my
co-guide when we both got to guide Jerry eight years ago. So, it's wonderful to be
here with you, thanks for inviting me.
Jerry: Well, you know, it's a really special honor and treat for me to be with the two of
you again in this space. As Jade just mentioned, you both were my co-guides on a
vision quest that I did in 2008, and to be in relation to the two of you and for the
three of us to – even via Skype to be in a circle again is a real pleasure and honor.
You know, I'm filled with different emotions; tremendous amount of gratitude, a
tremendous amount of honoring of what we created way back when – and this is a
special edition of the podcast and take some time to talk about what that
experience was like, what that experience was like for each of us, and what your
experiences have been like, and equally important what we think might be
applicable to the people that we work with at Reboot going forward 'cause as you
know, we are planning to create our own version of a vision quest for later this
year. So, yeah, that's what the hope is for this conversation. I guess I have a
question for the two of you and I don’t know who is interviewing whom on this
episode, but I don’t really care. I guess the question I have is, what – and this is to
each of you, what is it that happens on a quest? What really happens? I mean, you
know, people have these sort of mythological or constructed views of it, you
know, you go – and in our case it was a portion that was a water-only fasting and
there was a tremendous amount of time alone, but what happens to people? You
both have been doing these things for a long time, so who'd like to go first?
Jim: I'm happy to start us off.
Jerry: Yeah.
Jim: Okay so, it's funny, as I listened to the question, there were two responses kind of
one on the level of what are some of the mechanical things that happen and it
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would be helpful for folks to maybe have some sense of that, but then there's also
what's happening at the personal experience level, and the answer to that one is,
well, magic happens.
Jade: That's what I was going to say.
Jim: That's why we have guided so much together. But, before we open up to the
magic it might be helpful just to share a little bit about some of the practical
things and what happens on a quest. There are different names for it even, a 'solo
fast' and other types of things that might be recognized by people and even the
naming of it is actually important because what we are wanting to do is emphasize
that it's an opportunity for people to come out on to the land and to have an
experience that meets them where they are. Sometimes the terms 'vision quest' can
evoke ideas of what it might have been to a more indigenous person, being taken
out by their elders out on to the land, and while there may be a lot of similarities,
there are some important differences and we don’t want the idea of vision quest to
be overlapping with some of the more indigenous cultures. We want people to
really acknowledge that this is an opportunity for people show up as they are, be
whatever they need to be, and coming to meet themselves at this point in their life
and to be able to go a little bit more deeply into it. Then in terms of the structural
layout, there are some things where the first couple of days of the quest itself is
intended to help people, support people looking at what's actually coming to an
end in their life. The period of severance and letting go, and the guides are there
to just offer up some time and space and some ways in which they can go and do
that, and explore those questions in ways that include the mind, but are going
beyond the mind that open up to their own curiosities and their own bodies to
really see what's here to let go off at this time in my life, and so severance is an
important first part. And also during those early days, there's the invitation to start
considering how they might spend their time out on the solo and during this quest
will be the opportunity to spend a couple of days in solo and preceded by a day of
fasting, which is also an invitation, it's not mandatory, it's an invitation for a
couple of days of solo following that, also continuing to fast and then coming off
the solo experience to take a look at what has – what's been evoked, what happens
during the solo time and what kinds of insights or questions are now coming to
life and how might those actually inform the life ahead. And the last part of our
physical time together is to look at how we might connect with the inspiration or
the insights that have come from the whole experience and turn the attention
towards 'How do I live those into my life going forward from our time together?'
It's kind of a quick overview of some of the structural underpinnings for the
journey itself, but maybe how about I stop there and Jade if you want to share a
little bit more about the magic or anything else you'd like?
Jerry: Yeah, I think that would be great. Jade?
Jade: Yeah, you know I was reflecting as I was listening to you on the fact that we both
said that magic happens there, because it's interesting to me that it appears as
4. Reboot036_The_Quest
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magic to us, when in some ways, what I believe is really happening is that we get
to have the experience of coming back to our true humanity as beings that are
connected with earth, connected with stars, connected to our bodies, that we are
able to communicate with on some level, the other beings that are out there and
maybe catch a glimpse of who we really are in the mirror of wild nature. And in
today's world, as we go faster and faster, it feels to me like the world is speeding
up, at least the humans are speeding up, and we have become a bit separated from
nature that in this opportunity to actually stop our lives to reflect on our lives, to
sort of, reconsider what's important for ourselves. It's interesting to me that that
now is considered magic, when, once upon a time that was everything that guided
us. So, it's very beautiful to watch what happens when people simply stop and are
in the company of wild nature and get to breathe in a bit more of their own
essence and then with the help of guides and the mirror of other humans,
understand more about how to bring that out into the world. So, for every person
it looks different and for some people, they might say, "That was the most healing
thing I could possibly do." Some people come out with a very clear vision of
something that they want to bring into the world. Some people come out with
having a mysterious experience that is a little harder to understand, but out of that
grows a vision. So it's been a real privilege to see the way in which this time out
in nature actually affects people in their lives. Always something happens. Some
people have a fear that nothing will happen, but always something happens.
Jerry: You know hearing you both speak about it helps me remember the experience for
myself and Jade, you asked the question about the work that I'm doing; before we
started recording you asked a question about the work that I am doing in the
world now, and you know, I think I said something to effect of, you know, I went
into the experience really kind of broken-open, kind of stuck, and I came out
broken-opened and moving. And thinking back to that time, I know we each have
different memories of that particular quest and I imagine after all these years, you
have had so many different memories and so many different experiences, but I'll
share with you, in particular Jade, a memory, and that is, it was after the solo
time, and we had come back to the lodge, and we were doing some reintegration
work and we had all sort of begun – whatever means possible getting messages
from home. And I got a message that my then father-in-law, was very sick and I
immediately went into the fix-it mode that is so much a part of my
characterological pattern, and I began making immediate plans to leave the
experience early. And if memory serves me right, Jade grabbed me, my face by
both sides of my ears, and actually you called something out of me on the quest;
I'm allowed to share the name that I received, aren’t I?
Jade: Yeah.
Jim: It's up to you.
Jerry: So the name I received on the quest, and if you think about what I do for a living
now, it really resonates, "holder of stories of the heart." And you grabbed my face
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Jade, I'm gonna cry, and you said to me, "What does 'holder' really mean? Who is
holder? Who is holder? Does holder fix or does holder hold?" And that was a hard
motion for me because jumping in and fixing is still something I work with, but to
this day, I still see your face staring into my face, asking me that very profound,
very humane, very human question, "Who is holder? Does holder fix or does
holder hold?" And you know, it's hard to find moments in your life that just click,
change everything, and that I can trace so much of who I am today, the man I am
today, to not even the solo time, but to that moment. And I don’t think I have ever
shared that experience with you, but I did want to say thank you to both of you for
that.
Jade: Thank you so much for sharing that 'cause I think that may have been the time
that I was remembering that I referred to prior to starting here, and one of the
questions I was holding for you, Jerry, was – you may have just said the answer
to, but it was something like, what was the most pivotal moment for you? Or was
there a moment that actually something shifted from maybe the rearview to the
forward view and I don’t know, would you say that that was A or the most pivotal
moment for you?
Jerry: There were a few moments that stand out in stark contrast. It was – there was that,
which was really important and what that moment felt like was that it had taken
the previous two weeks of work and kind of seared it into my body and it was a
powerful moment. But there was another moment and it was the second day of the
fast, the second day of the solo, and I was in a lot of pain. I didn’t have my
journal, I wasn’t meditating, I didn’t have a book, it was just me and a few little
stuff, some shelter to keep myself, really more than anything, out of the sun,
plenty of water, and I remember crying so much and digging a hole in the sand
and just crying into that hole and really in a sense, vomiting up all of the pain that
I had experienced as a kid. And I have often said, I did it into the earth because I
don’t think anything else was large enough to hold it.
Jim: Yeah.
Jerry: So for me, it wasn’t just singular moments as much as it was a series of these
snapshot moments, the moment where I first heard my name, the moment where
you know, I'm half-naked with my head buried in the sand, you know the moment
of coming back to myself, to my truest self, not the self that was assigned to me
prematurely as a boy, "Here, you go take care of everybody." I don’t know, was
that the kind of –
Jade: Yeah, beautiful; you are bringing me right back into not your moments, but the
moments that are always so poignant in the stories that I hear and how things
began to take a different shape in our lives.
Jim: I know for me, the part that is coming alive as you are sharing that is recognizing
experiences where we can have those moments that you know something really
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important is shifting, and yet you may not know what it all means at that point in
time, and you may not know what it is by the time you leave, you know, being out
on the land together. But just having the opening can work its way and there can
be really significant, and there has been significant times that have passed
between having been out on the land, exploring the depths, having those
experiences and then coming to realize sometime later in life, wow, now I
remember that happening and now here's how it's really coming alive for me in
this way at this time. It's unpredictable, and I think it's important to kind of notice
that as I think about folks who may be listening and may have some curiosity or
interest in going out on an experience like this, wanting to have a singular
experience that can change everything and open everything up with clarity. And
sometimes that can happen back at what Jade had mentioned just in the
introduction, there's the twin fears that we talk about where, heading into this, we
can have the fear that nothing is going to happen and I'll go out and I'll come back
and nothing would have changed, and of course, the other fear is the flip side of
the same coin which is, something is going to happen and it's going to change
everything and am I really up and open for that? We don’t know, we can't know
and at the same time, we know that you can't not have an experience. So, part of
the magic is to be able to explore these places and undergo and go through these
experiences knowing that there is a shift that is taking place inside of me and then
the importance in being able to tend to that after our time, that it's not just
[Inaudible 0:22:50] program is over and off I go. It's shifts everything.
Jade: Yeah, I just have to say Jim, that I loved that you just brought that up, "Oh, the
program is over, now we're gonna go" and I think what I see as really important
for people that would ever consider entering such a thing that it's actually not a
program.
Jim: Yeah.
Jade: It's actually an ancient art, I like to think of it as, it's a ceremony. I mean, this is
pan-cultural, it's been going on in every culture, probably every religion since the
beginning of man really, and so as we go along and we – it seems like as we grow
older, we head into business and so on, and the likelihood that we start to separate
ourselves from nature and from our own nature is high and so this art, reviving
this art and inviting people of all ages and all places in their lives to return is
really pivotal for most people. And you are right, you don’t always know how to
perceive but, often, almost every time, I would have to say there is a seed that
later will sprout if you give it water.
Jim: Yeah.
Jerry: I think that 'giving it water' analogy makes a ton of sense for me. One of the
things that I had to come to learn about being in therapy for example, or even now
as a coach and coaching other people and even going through this period of
exploration in my life, and my quest came about during a very profound period of
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about four to ten years of really deep, transformational work. The myth, and I
think it comes from Hollywood is that there is going to be a singular epiphany
moment, where everything clicks into place, everything is wrapped up before the
commercial break, it's 22 minutes, your life is done, boom! And I think that if you
can let go of that expectation, these types of experiences, these types of journeys
become part of a larger arc, if you will, of transformation. If I had tried to do that
quest with the two of you when I first left JPMorgan, it would have been a very
different experience; I don’t even know that I could have. I had to have gone
through other experiences in some ways to prepare myself. Moreover, if I had just
stopped after that experience and not allowed myself to continue to open, then I
would not be the man I am today. Does this resonate with the two of you?
Jim: Yeah, totally, yeah.
Jade: Can you say, Jerry, do you remember what it was that actually nudged you
towards 'now is the time, now I'm ready to step towards this ceremony of a vision
fast'?
Jerry: Yeah, I mean there were a series of things that sort of came together; one was –
and I probably told you of the story of my trip to Greenland in 2007, so the year
before, and you know I'd always wanted to explore some more adventurous side
of myself, and so I signed up to go on a first journey, crossing this unexplored
isthmus on the eastern coast of Greenland, and I ended up falling in the crevice
and laying at the bottom of that for two hours, and having to be rescued and
pulled out of that. And a few weeks later, because I was something of an
experience junkie in those days, I was on a Soulcraft program with Animas Valley
Institute with Bill Plotkin, and Rebecca Wildbear and it was in conversation with
Rebecca where she asked something like, "Why was it that the earth swallowed
you up?" which was completely different view of my falling in a crevice. And that
question opened me in some really powerful ways; you know, it was like, the
earth seems to be wanting to get your attention in a very dramatic way, grabbing
hold of me, and so in some ways it was that experience which then said, "I need to
explore this a little bit further" and that's what led me to make the decision to sign
up for the next experience. So, for me, it was very much part of an arc of time,
you know, you can almost trace – and I remember deciding to go on the Soulcraft
retreat because for my coaching class, we were assigned Soulcraft as our book,
one of our books.
Jim: That's great.
Jade: I love what Rebecca did with her question for you, and at the same time, I feel
there is a similar answer that we often hear is that people fall into some kind of
crevice in their life that they can't get out of and they are looking for something
else, or some kind of inspiration, or some kind of knowing who they are. So, I
love that story, I do kind of remember it now and I'm happy that I've heard it
again.
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Jim: I think that idea of falling into the crevice, and what you just shared there Jade,
too, I think speaking in terms of the listeners as well, people may feel something
that is compelling towards this kind of exploration and this kind of journey and
what we'd recommend is that you stay close to that compelling tension or force or
discomfort or whatever it is and as it shows up that it's quite different from
something that might be inside that's more coming from strategic place where we
try to think it through, or come to an answer, or just try to apply it and tell and
what we have already known how to do to try to get there. For those folks who
have already tried that and are still finding a longing still bubbling inside of them,
we'd love to talk to them.
Jerry: Yeah. And I would add, for those folks who are listening to this and are thinking
about it, and then hearing a contrary voice that pops up that says, "No, you know,
you can't do this" or whatever, I recall something Bill Plotkin once said, that I
heard him say, which was, "When your heart starts beating really fast as you
contemplate doing something, that's probably a call to do it anyway" 'cause that
means that you are right at that edge and the other side of that edge, no one can
tell you for sure what it is, but I can only speak from my experience, the other
side of that edge has been glorious, and it was scary as all hell, jumping over that
crevice.
Jim: Yeah.
Jade: It seems that the fear that comes with the decision to do such a thing and then
walking towards the actual event, the fear that is there is actually a vital part of,
sort of, unnamable transformation that happens for people, and it makes me think
actually of your adventure in Greenland, great adventure, and I'm sure you had
fear there and fear seems to be just integral in our transitions and our
transformations. And so feeling fear doesn’t mean "I'm not gonna ever do that" it
actually might be a beckoning and this is something to consider again.
Jerry: I think fear and a little bit of discomfort; I just flashed on the first night that we set
up camp in Greenland, and we were getting into our sleeping bags and the sun
was just beginning to set, it was about 10:30 at night and I watched the
thermometer hanging from the inside of the tent drop from 20-above to 50-below.
And fortunately, we are not putting anybody through that.
Jim: Right, yeah.
Jerry: But there is something raw and powerful about stripping away all the things that
give us comfort; here's your Starbucks coffee and you know, let me have
postmates deliver lunch to my desk so I don’t actually even have to move my
body, and you know, all of these things that we live our modern lives around, and
getting down to the sort of raw essence and then from that place, watching your
heart beat fast.
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Jim: Yeah, and staying open to what's alive around you. This is where the land can be
so amazing; just there as the presence of another guide, supporting us in ways we
can't anticipate. So, I think the stripping away and even the idea of the fast itself is
helping us to slow into and breathe into our natural rhythms so we actually are
more tuned to see and sense what is actually here already. And that is just
beautiful to witness and be a part of.
Jade: I think there's something in our natural – our human nature that actually thrives on
a kind of risk, particularly the nature-based kind of risk and maybe it's been
altered a little bit into some kind of risk-taking in the business world, but there is
something that brings us alive when we are actually confronted with our own
bodies, and the earth and the animals, and all that's there. It's very enlivening and
I love seeing people come awaken that way, you know, 'cause we have guided so
many people who have come to us from big cities and say "I've never spent a
night alone, I have never slept on the earth, I have never, you know, spent the day
alone wandering" and they come so courageously and head out there and their
whole perspective on life seems to shift because they've had this brand new
experience and something wakes up to them that is undefinable really.
Jerry: I remember, it was actually in the Soulcraft Retreat we did the – we spent the
night without any shelter outside, and that was a first time for me and to wake up
at midnight and feel the dark and see the stars in a completely different way, and
then to slowly have your eyes adjust to the point where you are actually can see
and all of a sudden your relationship with that world starts to shift. It's very, very
powerful.
Jade: I love that you brought the stars in because there is – in the etymology of the word
'Consider' means to be with the stars or the constellation. So there is something
historical that says, we learn something about who we are and our lives, we
reflect, we consider and something about being out there with stars actually is in
our history, you know, the access to see that again so that's beautiful 'cause I think
that even time-out for reflection is rare these days. In working with some of the
business people of the world that I have worked with, I had a man from Africa
say, "I've never spent a day alone just with my own thoughts." And I was like,
"Wow." I think we are really hungry for that even if we don’t know it.
Jerry: Yeah.
Jim: And this is where I feel like it's – as we talked about risk earlier, and fear, it's that
mix of terrifying and alluring, and where the heart's beating is I also think of it as
the sweaty palm test, my palms are sweating, it's like, oh man, now I've become
aware of something that I can't say no to, but I don’t know how I'm gonna make it
or what I'm really even saying yes to.
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Jerry: Yeah. You know, I'm feeling that now 'cause you know, this is not the normal
coaching company thing to do; and just like – just as we've done since we really
launched this company, we have always tried to bring a dose of magic into what
we are doing. Khalid, my partner likes to say, "We smuggle in consciousness" and
to me, does a vision quest lead to greater leadership? I don’t know, but I'll tell you
this it will lead to more resilient human beings, more human human beings and I
happen to believe that more human human beings make better leaders.
Jim: I agree.
Jade: Beautiful.
Jim: And I also think those people are sending out healthy ripples into the relationship
that they are already a part of, whether it's the organization, the company or the
family.
Jerry: Exactly. You know, as I often say, you know, to a client, the reason we go into
what I refer to as a radical self-enquiry work, the reason we go into our own self,
it may help us, but equally important is when you go home at night, how are you
with your spouse and with your children? How are you with your parents? How
are you with your intended, with the people in your life who matter most to you?
Are you carrying that stress, the sense of inadequacy, the sense of an imposter
syndrome? Are you carrying that forward in a kind of a violent way, a subtly,
emotionally, verbally violent way, or are you letting that go and being more fully
present for everybody in your life? Because if it's the latter, then the work you do
in this way benefits everybody in your circle.
Jim: Yeah.
Jerry: Well, I want to thank you both for this and any parting words before we sign off?
Jade: I just have to add to what you just said, which was such a beautiful statement, but
I would just want to extend that to the way that we then affect the natural world,
the earth and all her beings that are not human, that so need us to be non-violent
and kind and in relationship with them. So we see that these kind of work, the
work that you have done so much of, Jerry, and that we've done and been with
people, it ripples out and it actually affects the planet, and I believe, beyond that.
Jim: Yeah.
Jerry: And generations to come.
Jim: Yeah.
Jerry: Exactly; both directions ancestors and generations to come.
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Jerry: Anything further Jim?
Jim: No, I'm just – this conversation has helped me to reconnect with so many different
people now who have gone through these kind of experiences and I'm just feeling
gratitude for their having stepped into their lives more fully to go through this and
I feel really lucky to be a part of that. Great to be with both of you, thank you.
Jerry: I will speak from experience that those who attend our quest are going to consider
themselves very lucky and fortunate indeed to have the two of you as their guides.
It's really beautiful. So, thank you so much for taking the time and I really
appreciate hearing from both of you. Be well.
Jim: Thank you.
Jade: Thank you.
**
So, that’s it for our conversation today. You know, a lot was covered in this episode from links,
to books, to quotes, to images; so we went ahead and compiled all that, and put it on our site at
Reboot.io/podcast. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, you can find out about that on our site
as well. I’m really grateful that you took the time to listen. If you enjoyed the show and you want
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you’re there, it would be great if you could leave us a review letting us know how the show
affected you. So, thank you again for listening, and I really look forward to future conversations
together.
[Singing]
“How long till my soul gets it right?
Did any human being ever reach that kind of light?
I call on the resting soul of Galileo,
King of night-vision, King of insight.”
[End of audio 0:42:06]
[End of transcript]