Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Radio Show Transcript - It All Matters - Paul Cummings - Recorded January 19, 2018

It All Matters - Paul Cummings - Recorded January 19, 2018

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Created on: 2018-01-31 14:09:02
Length: 00:55:19
Account Holder: Mike Stephens
Team Account Holder: rmorris@rsquaredconsulting.com

File Name: morris paul cummings.mp3



00:01:09;12 - 00:03:42;13
Rick Morris: Welcome to another Friday edition of The Work/Life Balance, we're so excited to have everybody along what another fantastic week that we had. R Squared Consulting with everybody hanging out with us I got spend the whole week at home which was amazing. It had some fantastic conversations throughout the week. Good to talk to my brother Darrell Rivers who is part of the lead organization. So, a big shout out to Darrell. We're going to have him on the show here shortly. In all the planning that's going on for the big IMC event the International Maxwell Certification that's going to be going on in Orlando in February. Everybody's excited and the big commitment which I'm super excited about. In March there's going to be a couple of hundred of us to fulfill John Maxwell's vision. But you know John Maxwell has been on this big big mission to transform countries and it's been a calling of mine to be following in that mission. So, we'll be going to Costa Rica in March. And so that's been finally announced we're going under the invitation of the president of Costa Rica and actually be training the Seven Streams of Influence in leadership in Maxwell doing roundtables. We're going to be training thousands of influential leaders in Costa Rica, looking to help transform that nation. Couldn't be more excited to be a part of that that's going to be happening in March so we'll keep you guys posted on those events. And then a big shout out to of course my Junior Achievement class here in Birmingham Alabama. And then today just started a new board position with Childcare Resources. So for the listeners of the show you guys had an opportunity to listen to Joan Wright. We brought her on and what a dynamic person she is and so focused on really helping early education, early education providers in the Birmingham Alabama area. But the mission that she really projects really can help in a community. So, she's phenomenal and was asked to join the board of directors for that nonprofit. And of course, I accepted and we kicked all that off today. So, it's been a really busy day. And of course now we come to you live as we always do on The Voice America business network. And I've got a fantastic guest we are actually just chatting during the show here. And so, I'm not going to do a whole lot of the bio because I want to make sure that you guys get an opportunity to really listen to what he has to say. But as a short bio he's very enthusiastic and driven an intense person. He's been educating business professionals for over 35 years and he's developed a revolutionary technique in sales customer service and leadership development.

00:03:42;13 - 00:04:09;14
Rick Morris: He's filled with a desire to not only teach but also make a lasting difference, so he's well known for teaching his students and clients with unrivaled zeal and unmatched passion. As he enthusiastically lives out his business motto changing lives through dynamic instruction. He's a13 time winner of the Telia award and five time winner of the Communicator Award. So, let's bring them on right now. Let's welcome Paul Cummings. Paul how are you sir.

00:04:09;19 - 00:04:17;11
Paul Cummings: Hey Rick. Fantastic. Thanks for the opportunity to visit with you today. Sounds like you have had a mammoth busy week.

00:04:17;12 - 00:04:53;11
Rick Morris: We all have. But you know we talk about this all the time and we can dive right into it with you two times the great equalizer for all of us. We all have the same amount of time every day. It's just what we do with that and to maximize that time. And that's something I've really been trying to live as a principled life and a purpose life recently. It's something that has really been awakened in me and I think it's an important strategy as we look into our daily activities. You know John taught me and as I've read your book and I want to make sure that I mention it you've got an incredible book called.

00:04:53;12 - 00:05:04;29
Rick Morris: It All Matters right? It All Matters. And time is the great equalizer and you talked quite a bit about that. So, will you introduce yourself to the audience and in talk a little bit about your book.

00:05:06;07 - 00:06:26;05
Paul Cummings: Hey Rick I appreciate it. It All Matters was that kind of results at 34 years of my life. That actually is a story based book. I worked in the summertime as a high school senior with the Southwestern Advantage Company and somehow got convinced to knock on doors 18 hours a day for 14 hours a day for six weeks instead of play in summer baseball. And that was kind of the catalyst or the catapult for the career. But the book did just that for 34 years teaching over 5,000 events all the work. There was so much that I wanted to share and the hard part was it first for others like a 105,000 word of an encyclopedia then a book and trying to call it down and really focus heavily on the value of time the importance of goal setting activity management mindset all those things. That was the challenge and the opportunity and the excitement as the books incredibly well and we did a fifty-seven-day book tour that spanned three continents. And it was it was amazing and signed a lot of books so we did believe the book is one of the most comprehensive ever written on goal setting. I'm a huge fan of reading. I think there the books are the greatest bargain on Earth. So, I think a book would be beneficial to anybody that has goals and dreams and things are still striving and stretching for. So, I think it would be a great book for that.

00:06:27;05 - 00:06:27;12
Rick Morris: Yeah.

00:06:27;13 - 00:06:36;12
Rick Morris: And so for my audience and again so for you if you've not been a longtime fan of mine. I have.

00:06:36;12 - 00:07:26;12
Rick Morris: I've had a knock on goals but I want to be clear and I want to make sure that we're setting the proper context so that we can get into your book because I have read your book and you support a lot of the contacts where my knock on goals have been is is when a lot of people set goals they set them too low and then there's also that thing. OK well I've achieved it. Now what. Right. So I've not always been a fan of goal setting in that regard because you're never done. You're always there. And I think what happens in what I appreciated in your book as well is you have a ton of stuff on self awareness. And I think in the early setting of goals it's important to set goals that you can achieve in that are achievable but that begins to pull the string of self awareness. And once you start to pull that string you recognize how much work you actually have to do right because you're never done.

00:07:26;22 - 00:07:43;07
Rick Morris: So walk me through a little bit about that and I left part of the title of your book off because I think it's important for us to cover those right because part of this is that you offer a tremendous amount of life lessons to achieve what you call the Four C’s. So, what I wanted to tell the audience what you consider the four C’s.

00:07:44;09 - 00:08:15;28
Paul Cummings: Well the first is confidence and then clarity certainty and creativity. I want to go back to if I could which talked about school setting. You know I think you're spot on about that I think goals. First of all if you ask a hundred thousand what do you believe in goal setting. We all raised our hand at the same hundred thousand. You have them written down the you have them with you though. You know maybe a hundred are still standing inside one of the subjects where not well we don't know what we do know and don't do.

00:08:15;28 - 00:08:24;09
Paul Cummings: Goal setting is evolutionary it's never there is no endgame. You know one goal easier than the next goal one activity leisure and the next activity.

00:08:24;09 - 00:10:34;16
Paul Cummings: Every setback has a learning opportunity. All of that if you're or if your awareness is heightened all of that leads you to the next set of structured goals that you set to try to go to the next milestone. So, I agree with you the whole thing about size with goals is another one of the things that people say if the goal is not so big that it that it doesn't like set your hair on fire it's not really a goal. Other people say if it's too small and you could do it without a lot of effort it's not really a goal. Here's the real thing to me about it. If the goal is inspiring to you regardless of the size of that goal if it inspires you if it helps you see your reality for your future that those are your important goal. So those are the ones that will keep you motivated and moving forward and anxiety but until you decide what you really want which is the whole opening of the book regarding confidence until you know what you really want. What is it that you want from your dash to life from your journey not with someone else. So, you bet you. It's really hard to define meaningful goals and inspiring dreams until you know what you really want. I've seen people achieve a lot of goals they/ve written down get to the end of the goal they've achieved the goal and they look behind them and everything that mattered to them they've left behind trying to get to the goal. So, it is a much bigger subject than topic but I think it's very doable when it's broken down into incrementals and into a confidence is what happens to a person when you find what it is that makes you happy when you find what it is that inspires you. And you develop mindset around around those actions and you know to operate with confidence is so very very important you know you know that Rick from your speeches you know it from all the work I mean just I was inspired when you were talking about the work you’re doing in Costa Rica for goodness sake. I mean what a what a wonderful brushstroke to put on your canvas of life. But having the confidence to say you're going to go change a country and be a part of changing a country and even have the audacity to set that goal is. Dr. Maxwell did what a brilliant beautiful thing that is and competence is born.

00:10:34;29 - 00:10:43;17
Paul Cummings: And in that journey between your left ear and your right ear

Rick Morris: I totally agree and I think there's a fifth C, right.?

00:10:43;26 - 00:11:10;16
Rick Morris: And I think the fifth C is that underlying foundation and it's not the greatest or sexiest of words but it's consistency it's consistency along these four C's of confidence clarity and certainty and creativity that if you're not consistently following the system whatever it may be whatever speaking to you to make sure that you're following a system in order to achieve those. Would you agree with that?

00:11:11;14 - 00:12:05;04
Paul Cummings: Yeah I do. In fact you probably saw that in the book but in all of our leadership development programs and other interesting you pick two words today that have a program called Great leaders leave no doubt. And I believe two of the career accelerators or writers. First is awareness and the second is consistency. And so I you pick two of the words that I love the most because you know I've seen people that are able to do things for a day or two a week or two a month to two. But you look at a guy like Dr. Maxwell or anybody that's achieved greatness. They didn't sustain it for a month, a year. They sustained it for a lifetime and they did it through consistent behavioral patterns that they could repeat repeat repeat and it became part of their habit cycle and just what they did. So yeah consistency is everything. So you're spot on for that 100 percent.

00:12:06;02 - 00:12:08;04
Rick Morris: Yeah it's it's amazing.

00:12:08;26 - 00:12:15;12
Rick Morris: And I love the wisdom that you've been part of in the book and again it's called. It All Matters. You can grab it on Amazon.

00:12:15;18 - 00:12:40;27
Rick Morris: I'm sure you can get it on paulcummings.com as well. You know the 125 strategies but I'm sitting at 45 years old now. I wish I could go back and punch the 20 year old me and start working on those two words now. Awareness and consistency, we all see right. But it took it took me honestly I was 42 before I even became aware.

00:12:41;10 - 00:13:01;26
Rick To be honest. It takes life events and everything else to really do that. So if you're listening to the podcast now you know the awareness and consistency is where it's at. But it's ok. If you're sitting at 40 45 or 50 still working on it that's quite OK.

00:13:01;28 - 00:14:08;08
Paul Cummings: You know Rick I think my favorite lesson in that has to do with what you're talking about whether you're 45. I just turned 60. I believe I'll do more in the next five years of my life. Not necessarily monetarily but just an impact than I've done in the last 35. Wisdom is a great amplifier for future behavior. And you know the experience is what brings you that. But I was I was talking to my grandfather and I think the most hope filled statement he ever said to me and he was my mentor was it's never too late to become the person you might have been or would like to be at this juncture. There's so much hope in that. And I've worked in so many inner-city schools talking to young people I've worked with a lot of people in that area of education and just play and listen you know the past doesn't equal the future. It is never too late. So you're right. You know regardless of age number of days or seconds that have gone by we can always make that pivotal decision today to do something uniquely different special.

00:14:08;14 - 00:14:46;05
Rick Morris: I think that's a fantastic point so we're going to take a break right here when we come back we're actually going to dive into some of the life lessons that Paul has shared in his book. So we hope that you'll hang around. We're going to do some commercials while we're there though you can go to paulcummings.com  or to Amazon and go ahead and order your copy of the book, It All Matters. It's a 125 strategies to achieve maximum competence clarity certainty and creativity. We'll be right back after the break listening into The Work/Life Balance with Rick Morris.


00:17:36;05 - 00:17:50;20
Rick Morris: And we are back to The Work/Life Balance. We're visiting with Paul Cummings. He's the author of It All Matters. And Paul we were talking just before the break. Right. And so you impart I mean literally 125 life lessons.

00:17:50;21 - 00:19:20;05
Rick Morris: And you know what I love about the format and again I've read it not only you did something very nice in the book. So when you guys buy this book not only are the life lessons imparted throughout the chapters but then there's a great summary at the end. Right. So here's the line again. Yeah I love it. Love it. That's proof I actually read it. All right so that’s proo that I read all the way to the end I already know what's at the end. But some beautiful things the route. The other thing I really enjoyed about your book. It's an interesting technique. What I don't like about some business books is I feel that sometimes they preach or sometimes they're giving me content without context. And so they're telling me they're telling me you know go do this or go do that or this is something you're doing. And it's very academic. So it's very hard to connect with the material. But your use of stories and storytelling throughout the book to drive your point home or why you arrived at that life lesson that was very beautifully done as well. So I'm a very very big fan now of Paul Cummings for sure. So let me throw it to you though right because you know it's very difficult sometimes as an author to throw you know something like this and I can tell you as my book No Day but Today was it was very personal to you to write this book that comes through your writing. So tell me some of your favorite life lessons that you kind of imparted or some of the ones that stick with you the most.

00:19:20;14 - 00:19:51;17
Paul Cummings: OK well I think one thing about the storytelling I was really and this will lead to the story of really fortunate my dad's dad was just this incredible man and an amazing storyteller. I used to go to his farm and we'd sit out there and one day we were talking and he said you know what I was saying wait a horse to water but you can't make them drink said yes he said Well you know it's a lie, if you salt the road to make them thirsty they'll drink all day here.

00:19:51;18 - 00:20:04;24
Paul Cummings: Right. You know years later when I had a group of sales people that are plateaued I called him and I was talking to said listen you know we've come so far but these guys have just by their level said it.

00:20:05;20 - 00:21:25;29
Paul Cummings: He said You remember that day on the farm when I told you about the horse?s I said Yes sir. So you obviously hadn't been set up as your people are not their oats aren't salted. They stopped drinking and I hung the phone up and he's right. You know I gave them a reason to get to this place but I hadn't given them a reason to climb to a new one. So lessons like that. I remember the lesson enthusiasm is an inside game but it's an outside reflection. That is another one of my favorite lessons in the book. As a teacher as a speaker as a sales person I've always believed you know it comes from the Greek word entheus which mean spirit with God like it was my only challenge with the win friends and influence people book the whole fake it till you make it. I don't think enthusiasm is best faked. I think enthusiasm’s that thing that internal combustion engine inside and it's fun to be around. It's amazing to see when it's real whether it's saw Prince's last concert in Sydney and this one piano one microphone and him and it was amazing just his enthusiasm for the artfulness of music and he just poured every everything in his body whether it be it something like that or whether it be watching a great sport event.

00:21:26;09 - 00:21:51;03
Paul Cummings: So that's one of my favorite lessons. Passion prevails when everything else fails only because I think the reason I love that lesson so much and then I'll stop and I want to be overly wordy was my grandfather said Well you know what passion is. And I said no.He said well if you look at the word it's an individual unique capacity take what's inside and pass it on to another.

00:21:51;03 - 00:22:11;04
Paul Cummings: If you look at the word passion it's the phrase pass it on with the P pulled up. I thought that was interesting. He was a very anatytical guy He kept everything kept thousands and thousands of these notes in the journaled every day and he could make it lesson out of anything.

00:22:11;04 - 00:22:31;12
Paul Cummings: I mean literally anything and he was just filled with wisdom. So those are three just off the top of my head along with it's never too late to become the person you might have been. Life's a gift not a game. I truly believe that. I think I could just name probably on a hundred forty five an order but those are four that come to the front of my mind.

00:22:30;29 - 00:23:02;19
Rick Morris: I like that so you know when you were telling me about it. Isn't the word that that I immediately went to was passion. So I appreciate you bringing that to a because you know the reason that I feel like you know I'm successful in running a business that I run is that I have a passion for the product that I sell and that that comes through. Right so when you're sitting there in a room full of other sales people and you're leading that charge and you've got that passion for the product that's what's convincing the person to buy.

00:23:02;19 - 00:24:01;23
Rick Morris: It's not my retorts it's not it's not my sales technique it's the fact that they want a piece of the vision that I painted because I'm so excited for painting it and you know it's it's hard to argue with somebody who is passionate about what they're doing and so that you know that's the big thing I think that gets lost in the sales process these days. You know and I I mess with telemarketers and people they call me like so. Why. You know what's the why. You know hello Mr Morris where have this exciting offer. It's like it's not that exciting I'll be excited. You know it's not that excited I don't feel that excitement coming through the phone. Get excited. I might. But it's you know it's interesting because you know it's uncovering the why you know why are we getting up in doing what we're doing and there's so many opportunities and choices especially with entrepreneurship.

00:24:01;23 - 00:24:06;17
Rick Morris: You know I think it it's the greatest market in the world to be an entrepreneur.

00:24:06;27 - 00:24:11;28
Rick Morris: It's the greatest greatest time ever. Yeah. Greatest time in our lives to be an entrepreneur. You can.

00:24:11;29 - 00:24:26;02
Paul Cummings: I mean we have the globe in our hand today Rick and kids can come up with an app and be you know multimillionaires if they solve a problem you know you just need to be a problem solver. Now before you needed all kinds of things to go to market.

00:24:26;02 - 00:24:46;22
Rick Morris: Now I mean there's you know there's families that are making millions of dollars on YouTube just communicating. I mean it's an amazing time to find that passion. I'll tell you one of my favorite lessons and I enjoyed the acronym that you put together which was exhibit pride. Right. So you had a lesson in there that said exhibit pride talk. Talk to the audience about that one.

00:24:46;25 - 00:25:56;18
Paul Cummings: Yeah the acronym of personal responsibility for individual daily effort. And then you add to that and dot dot dot. You know when I raised my five kids I said Hey. Personal responsibility for individual daily effort. One of my kids was Love debate forensic science. If you're going to if you're stop playing basketball replace that with debate you need to take personal responsibility for that. And he went on to win the national debate championship back several and to go to college repeat that behavior there and today he runs an incredibly successful start up business that just won the Spirit of Innovation Award as the best startup company and that he took personal responsibility for that individual daily effort and whether it's a meal you're preparing whether it's a canvas you're painting whether it's a speech or about to give the responsibility all the responsibility for the effort lays with you know within you. And so to me that that's a better way of looking at that word pride. At the end of the day you're you know what you do your behavior your conduct your performance is his legacy. It's permanent thing that you're leaving on your campus.

00:25:57;10 - 00:26:10;07
Rick Morris: And so so many other things that go ahead.

Paul Cummings:  I was just going to say so many people think that other people are responsible for how they react and other people are responsible for what happened to them today.

00:26:10;09 - 00:26:24;27
Rick Morris: You know he and I shared a story a few shows ago. You know I poke fun at my wife all the time. I love her dad. But pure German and she was like you know some lady bumped into her at the grocery store and she was like Can you believe what would you have done.

00:26:25;15 - 00:26:44;06
Rick Morris: And I was like nothing because I could care less that that occurred right. And not only that but I wouldn't have given it any more credence any more it doesn't matter to me. Right. That you take that personal responsibility to let that bother you or not let that bother you..

00:26:44;06 - 00:26:57;02
Rick Morris: But there's so many people these days I feel like that are searching to be offended or searching to give that person responsibility for how they feel away.

00:26:57;17 - 00:27:08;29
Paul Cummings: Well I think a lot of that to I you know I wrote a microblog because of conversation I had with the person I was told about coming to Birmingham. And I it was about.

00:27:08;29 - 00:28:15;17
Paul Cummings: You're not a victim you're a victor. The only way you become a victim is to grant the people who for some reason that offended you is to grant them power. And I always, always ask the question Do you respect the behavior you respect the person you respect the circumstances. The answer is no. Then why is that affecting you. The only way you can become a victim is to operate with a victim mentality. Other than that. You know you I believe I really do believe this. I think we’re remarkable. I think you're remarkable. I think we're extraordinary. I know we're unique. I have this whole premise I'd talk to people all the time about is if you really want to just capsule life, just you be to understand or be true to yourself stay unique. And then just do that with awareness and consistency and that's it. If you get if you get those simple things because you're right man there are so many people that looking to do that whole blame culture woe is me poor is me everybody's out to get me. It's not my fault someone else did it. You're 100 percent right. But there's a lot of that. But it sure clears the pathway of a lot of clutter for those people they want to go win for sure.

00:28:15;20 - 00:28:51;09
Rick Morris: Yeah. So you know my personal life I lost both my parents when I was young. You know I made a lot of mistakes when I was when I was younger and dumb male and I certainly could of you know cocoon that in instead of you know doing what I needed to do to become the man I needed to become so that I could raise the family I needed to raise and take that personal responsibility. But it's it's amazing right because I think in every decision there's the choice of overcomer to cocoon. I think that everybody takes that personal responsibility.


00:32:09;24 - 00:32:12;28
Rick Morris: And we're back to this Friday edition of The Work/Life Balance.

00:32:12;28 - 00:33:02;29
Rick Morris: We did want to announce two new features two new ways to get The Work/Life Balance for those of you that travel or if you have an Alexa or if you simply just say Alexa ask any pod to play The Work/Life Balance. The latest episode of play you can play any of the past episodes and ask for it by name and Alexa will oblige. Also we're starting a new transcription service so everything that we say here will be transcribed and turned into a blog post. That is a new feature that we'll be bringing and posting that out on my blog, PM That works dot com. That's something that will be starting next week. So two new ways that you can get The Work/Life Balance for all of our fans and listeners out there we appreciate everything that you've been doing and keeping the show alive for the last two years and hopefully for many more years to come. So back to our guest Paul Cummings so Paul you were talking in a break.

00:33:03;14 - 00:33:22;20
Rick Morris: You know what I'm amazed about. You know I do project management for a living. I go into organizations and one of the biggest things I see lacking right out of I mena right out of the gate is leadership is one of the reasons why I've made such a large investment into John Maxwell and understanding that so hopefully I could bridge that gap for a lot of these leaders.

00:33:22;22 - 00:33:52;16
Rick Morris: And then when you start to approach them about you know hey you know we've got these programs for leadership and you really should be investing in your personal development of leadership. That seems to fall on deaf ears right. It's like that's the last thing. With all the dollars that they spend on training and all the dollars they spend on all these programs it seems like leadership or the recognition that they need to develop leadership skills seems to be one of the last things that they want to spend money on. Do you see this and if so how do you address that.

00:33:53;11 - 00:37:06;03
Paul Cummings: Well I think yeah Rick I do unfortunately and I will stay for the first 15 years of my career because there was a ton of money there for us. We fell right into the read of people saying us hey man really appreciate you meant the leadership thing can you train our troops. Can you teach our salespeople. Can you work with our service. We got this leadership thing and what we would find is we would go in and do that. We have a huge audience in the automotive automobile space. We trained Toyota and General Motors and pretty much every major manufacturer for a decade and a half and with great results. I mean we help those companies make a ton of money. But here's what I would say every time we go back to a city two years later we were training we were teaching we're teaching new people because the leadership team didn't sustain the excellence of what we had shared with the people we trained two years earlier and we made a really interesting decision in this company. I called her whole team together and said We 100 percent are pulling every single self-related training service related training product we have off the market. They support what were known for us that I get it. We will not be trying to cut me until we trained their leaders first and then we launched a product called sustaining excellence a leadership development program. We built a campus where we brought teams of six people together for three-and-a-half-day leadership retreat that started as a 7:37 a.m. and ended at 1:17 A.M. and the night for three straight days with homework at night. One of the most intense things you'll ever go through. And I just thought our people and if they're not going try and the leaders were going to work on their competencies we're not taking their training dollars because it's not fair to the people because you go train other people they come back to the leader the leader says we don't do that or the leader said well I didn't go so I don't know. So I think for years people you talked about it in the break people thought leaders are not made they're born or is a gut instinct or it's an intuitive thing that only a handful of rare unique people have. But the competencies of leadership can be taught. You know if you think about things like intelligence you know we can learn to be more intelligent within our work role if you think about things like relationship equity, emotional intelligence, judgment, decision making, conceptual ability, creativity, strategic mindset thinking, learning to be pragmatic, and learning to measure risk against reward awareness those things can be taught. People can develop their competencies of leadership. The problem if there is one for companies is the microwave mentality of most companies. You know teach me something I want a result tomorrow. That's the difference in going and getting something out of the microwave section at the grocery store and having your mother cook you stew on Sunday when you can eat real quick. It's not great. The other one you have to wait all day for but boy is it fantastic. And so leadership provides you a longer tomorrow, it's just slower and the return but it sticks around longer and it pays you back over and over again.

00:37:07;10 - 00:38:53;16
Rick Morris: Yeah I can tell you the moment I really started to invest in me, and really invest in me. And again it's also it's not just investing in you and it's also you know one of the principles that you are talking about too is just you know never underestimate the value of personal relationships and friends writes one of your life lesson that you put in the book. But really also understanding who you're surrounding yourself with. And you know Maxwell had taught me says you know if you want to know anything about somebody look at the people that they surround themselves with. And so when I got involved with this team it was John Maxwell team and I started to hang around you know the likes of Paul Martinelli and the kinds of the people they were introducing me to the day they started teaching me techniques that if you tell me about it you know five years ago and even the people I talk about it now it sounds dumb and it sounds mindblowing right. But the things that I've been able to tap into within my own brain and teach my brain to do like I've taught myself how to sleep better. I've taught myself how to meditate in the morning taught myself how to do a technique called Photo reading which allows me to consume more information than I've ever had in my entire life. Things like that which I'm completely open to because I'm watching it work and now experiencing it to work which is done nothing but expand my leadership and people need to be open to that. But they first have to open their heart. And I think that that so many companies I watch are afraid that if they do open their heart that's going to lead to that opening the door in them leaving for some reason I don't get that.

00:38:54;03 - 00:39:26;13
Paul Cummings: I think a lot of times when you and you said it without saying it but it's true that when you find a manager who surrounds himself with weak people it's because he doesn't want threat of talent underneath him or around him or underneath her around her because if someone outperforms them they feel the threat to their future or their job their opportunity. So a lot of times there is a trickle down effect of leadership weakness because you know you can't draw water from an empty well. And it's interesting that you talked about all the things you've learned and the things you've changed your mind to.

00:39:26;14 - 00:40:35;15
Paul Cummings: I mean you know if somebody would have told me 20 years ago that you know we walk in a studio today we produce 2000 new eLearning videos a year in our little engine. We serve millions and millions of millions of minutes of content today when people come in our studio and watch what we do. They literally in shock. How do you record so much content. How do you do so quickly. How do you do it efficiently like you do at the quality you do. Well we learn to you know we built a product that we created called spider web technology to allow us to mind map our content they provide. So either 1 minute to minute three minute four minute videos it works every time. And I don't I've never walked in the studio with a note never used teleprompter. Learned how to do that acquired talent skill didn't wake up one day and go oh I have the ability to learn massive amounts of information. I trained myself to do that. I learned how to do those type things. So very interesting that you said you've done those type of things too because we can we can all build our knowledge our skills our habits into something bigger and better and brighter and bolder if we want to do the work. And we got to work on ourself and it's supremely rewarding right.

00:40:35;15 - 00:41:00;11
Rick Morris: It's new every day. It's especially the learning aspect of it. I can't wait to do some of the things that I've got planned for tomorrow only because I know what is going to bring me in the coming days as well. So you know one of the other things I thought was interesting.

00:41:01;03 - 00:41:24;21
Rick Morris: We've got about three minutes to break but I want you to comment on it because it breaks my heart. I'm going to shift gears here for a second. But it's my heart when I when I go out to dinner with my families and I watch the social media families is what I call them. Now you've got a family of four. All four of them on their phones and none of them talking to each other. So you had you had a life lesson there says many of the greatest moments of conversations in life occur around the dinner table.

00:41:25;03 - 00:41:26;29
Rick Morris: And I think that that's an art that we're losing.

00:41:27;23 - 00:41:52;29
Paul Cummings: Yeah. You know I I grew up Shirley Cummings and George Cummings home. My mother is first. Rick I wish you could meet her because you would probably not let her go. You would sit there for our single greatest storyteller on Earth. South Louisiana French Katie Anna Lemmon 85 years old today probably out dance all of us just amazing and we had ice up dinner.

00:41:52;29 - 00:42:31;24
Paul Cummings: You know we sat around our table and we talked and we conversed and this whole thing about the social media families today a scary enough as not only to end restaurants. It's true in cars as you watch people drive by you. Forty percent of people 60 maybe even today are driving by you looking down texting instead of paying attention to the road. But we've become so disconnected from a communication standpoint we've lost that art of sitting around and really seeing value in each other. I mean I've got a friend that told me the day finally decided it had gotten too much as when his daughter was texting him from upstairs in the house.

00:42:32;06 - 00:43:16;09
Paul Cummings: Right. Instead of coming downstairs and having a conversation with dad. So I just think you know people got to make her own decision about it but that's just not. I was raised in a family where that just wasn't OK. We really talked to each other and we had amazing stories at that table and still to this day when I go home I just put my dad in hospice and my mother been fairly ill too and we spent the whole month of December at home as a family. And those moments were magic. Yes. I loved the love the set by Shirley Cummings and let her tell me one more great story one more a great little things like you know when your children are little they step on your toe. If you're not careful when they get bigger they'll step on your heart and she'll give you stories around them.

00:43:16;27 - 00:43:22;22
Paul Cummings: Well you can't do that when you're texting and checking your Facebook likes and shares. You miss all that stuff.

00:43:23;25 - 00:44:05;15
Rick Morris: Yeah I think one of the greatest moments of my life that I can remember is my great aunt turning 100 in 1983 and sitting around and talking with her and you know she was sharing stories from her childhood in her mind. She was blind and deaf but her mind was as sharp as a tack and to tell you when she remembered seeing the first light bulb go on in her house when she got electricity for the first time and when she saw the first car you were talking about just the age of techno you know technology advances and you know a kid in 1983 at that point you know that just seemed incredible because you're talking about 1883.

00:44:05;16 - 00:44:17;10
Rick Morris: You know she was 11 and in 1894. I mean it's incredible to hear about that but that was I I cherish that time and never forgot it.

00:44:18;06 - 00:44:27;15
Rick Morris: And I would feel that that happened at the level.

00:44:27;25 - 00:44:43;27
Rick Morris: I just think again it's social interaction actually you know again at the high school today and we're up against a break here so I'll make this quick but you know I think again there's that awkwardness that we didn't have and we jumped away from that they can hide behind.

00:44:43;29 - 00:45:38;29
Rick Morris: And so because they have the phone because they can hide behind it that kind of stuff. And so when you know I talk a lot about millennial generation and I defended a lot because a lot of people will say that they're not prepared for their for the workspace. What I'm defending when I say that is not necessarily the skill sets the social skill set or anything. You know Simon Sinek talks about like you know they don't have to go up and ask in person for that date and get rejected and feel that awkwardness and deal with the emotion and that that is they're going to deal with that in the business world they're going to deal with the salesperson you know as the salesperson getting the know. And there's that awkwardness in that rejection you develop those social skills you know in the early ages except that they're doing all that over text now and they just don't know how to talk. Right. They just don't know how to talk. But we got to take a break right here we're going to be right back with our final segment with Paul Cummings your listeners The Work/Life Balance.


00:48:41;02 - 00:48:47;27
Rick Morris: And we're back for our final segment this Friday afternoon with Paul Cummings on the voice America business network.

00:48:47;27 - 00:48:53;15
Rick Morris: So Paul tell everybody what you've got upcoming as far as speaking arrangements speaking engagements that kind of thing.

00:48:54;14 - 00:48:55;19
Paul Cummings: Absolutely. I appreciate it.

00:48:55;20 - 00:50:10;02
Paul Cummings: We're about to start a major tour over in Australia. We're going to be in Brisbane on the Gold Coast in that area for a week. Now we're heading over to Sydney for a week. Then we're going to do a stopover in Dubai for a couple of days. These are all private engagements for companies and then we're doing a big rollout over in Europe faze 2 with The Virtue Group there which is an amazing group the Scratch Company 10 years ago today they're down about 4 billion a year in revenue unbelievable to be a part of that. When I return from that the end of February we're going to be doing some events that will be announced on our Web site up in the New York area. We're doing the National Association of women's infant children keynote up in White Plains. So we've got a lot of things coming up the first quarter and then we're going to be in April doing our first It All Matters convention around the book that we'll be announcing on our Web site as well in the month of April and we're very excited about that can be a big deal. We're trying to decide between New Orleans which is what I call home from the way I grew up or Vegas and just haven't decided where we're going to host. Yeah but that's the things of course we're available for keynotes and available to do private events for corporations based on availability as well.

00:50:10;23 - 00:50:26;15
Rick Morris: And they go to paulcummings.com to find out how to book you there?

Paul Cummings:   absolutely it easy to do there and we have people on our team available to answer any and all questions and our social media as easy.

00:50:26;15 - 00:50:43;01
Paul Cummings: @iampaulcummings and that's for Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Instagram all of those are the same handle, just @iampaulcummings

Rick Morris: outstanding

Paul Cummings: Great newsletter I think or I think any of your listeners would really enjoy.

00:50:43;01 - 00:50:49;26
Paul Cummings: It's not promotional really information packed goes out once a month anybody can go to a website subscribe for them as well.

00:50:51;04 - 00:51:02;19
Rick Morris: And so one of our most popular features we ask all of our guests it's old Maxwell-ism right. The two things he taught me were you know who do you know that I should know and what some of the best advice you've ever been given.

00:51:02;19 - 00:51:37;24
Paul Cummings: You can't you can't get a positive charge off a dead battery. And I think that's one of the greatest pieces of advice I think it goes back to what you talked about earlier about who you surround yourself with. And I think if you if you really want to have an impactful journey in need to surround yourself with impactful people with people that are positive batteries with people that have a positive charge you to go to events that are positive you need to read things that are positive because dead batteries never going to spark you. It's never it's never going to get you to that new place of ignition that you that you might want to go.

00:51:37;26 - 00:51:42;12
Rick Morris: I think that's fantastic. Any last words for the audience.

00:51:42;13 - 00:52:24;10
Paul Cummings: Rick I think the main thing is just you know we all have that beginning date and that end date make the most out of your days I think the beautiful thing about business today is you know we're one great question away from the best idea we've ever had and if you just if you ask a better question you'll get a better answer. QUESTION Your Life. Operate with courage if you get that little annoying thing in your head that man other people might think this is crazy. I would jump on that idea really quick because it's probably your better what and just go live a life of intention and purpose and joy and you know go be remarkable because you are and you can be I think that's fantastic advice and I certainly agree.

00:52:24;11 - 00:52:28;14
Rick Morris: I completely enjoy the conversation we'd love to have you back.

00:52:29;02 - 00:52:35;21
Rick Morris: So hopefully we'll come back and maybe we'll pick you back up after your European tour there.

00:52:35;24 - 00:52:40;25
Paul Cummings: That would be awesome and be fantastic would love to do it. And we really appreciate the opportunity.

00:52:41;13 - 00:54:00;25
Rick Morris: Absolutely. So Paul we appreciate you coming on. So next week I believe. No actually next week we're going to have a great friend of mine is going to be Nicole Tobulio. So Nicole was a co-author with me on the book Agile Almanac Vol. 2 which is an Amazon number one best seller as well. And she wrote a couple of chapters and contributed to that book with our friend John Stenbeck. So she's going to be on the show with us and she's going to be discussing her chapters as we dive back into the Agile world on this show. So you're not going to want to miss that she is a powerhouse. She's a fire has a lot of fun to talk to. So we'll have her on the show next week, the week after that. We're going to have it as we're talking Agile we're going to have one of the what we consider kind of a founding father of Agile who founded the disciplined agile delivery and was responsible for the agile delivery at IBM. Scott Ambler is going to be on the show so we're super super excited to have Scott booked for the show here that's going to be a huge huge event for us as well. So please stay tuned right here at the Voice America business network, hang out with us. You can always find me on social media you can find @rickamorris Twitter on LinkedIn on Facebook. All over the place.

00:54:00;28 - 00:54:05;19
Rick Morris: Also our web series PM Minute you can search that by #pmminute.

00:54:06;10 - 00:54:40;08
Rick Morris: And then again you can always find the show on Alexa by asking Alexa ask any pod to play The Work/Life Balance and they'll find you there and then start looking for the transcription on our blog site APMthatworks.com. So as always we love you guys for hanging out with us. We appreciate everybody tuning in. Stay tuned right here to the next program on The Voice America business network. And we'll talk to you next Friday right here same time same place and we always like to remind you everybody wants to succeed but does everybody have the will to succeed. Stay right here. You've been listening into The Work/Life Balance with Rick Morris.


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