Why You Should Focus on the Watering, Not the Bamboo

Why You Should Focus on the Watering, Not the Bamboo

People love the idea of Water the Bamboo. It’s a great metaphor and mantra. I’ve used it myself, as have many others. But one thing people get wrong is that they focus on the bamboo. They want the results of the bamboo growth, not realizing it’s the watering that makes the magic happen.

10 Ways Bamboo Farmers Water Persistently

10 Ways Bamboo Farmers Water Persistently

I’ve met many successful Bamboo Farmers throughout my life, many of which I interviewed on my podcast. What makes them so successful compared to someone who might not have the same level of success is that Bamboo Farmers water persistently.

Liam St. John on Passion, Perseverance, and Risk-Taking

Liam St. John on Passion, Perseverance, and Risk-Taking

Liam St. John auditioned for The Voice seven times before finally being invited to the live blind audition, where both Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani gave Liam an opportunity to move on. The difference? Liam found his voice among his passion for making music.

In this episode, you’ll hear about Liam’s passion and perseverance for music and how he continued to Water the Bamboo even when it wasn’t visibly growing.

Orlando Williams on Starting, Pivoting Careers, and Overcoming Tragedy

Orlando Williams on Starting, Pivoting Careers, and Overcoming Tragedy

In this incredible Water the Bamboo story, you’ll hear from Orlando Williams about his pivot from professional athlete to business owner, why he’s so intentional about everything he does, and why he encourages people to get started.

Barbara Rea on Grinding from an Early Age, Saying Yes to Everything, and Optimism

Barbara Rea on Grinding from an Early Age, Saying Yes to Everything, and Optimism

Barbara Rea joins Greg Bell for an intimate discussion on growing a career starting at age 12, to being adopted and how that shaped Barbara’s optimism, and what she would say to people who have imposter syndrome.

How to Keep Your Punchbowl Full

How to Keep Your Punchbowl Full

This pandemic has dragged on for what seems like years. It looks as if there is a light at the end of the tunnel; we just hope it’s not a train barrelling our way.

During challenging times like the one we’re in now, it’s important to think about how to recharge ourselves. I like to think of my energy like punch in a punchbowl. My family, friends, and others can put their straws in my punchbowl and drink as much punch as they would like.

D’Wayne Edwards on Design, Loving Work, and Reimagining Education

D’Wayne Edwards on Design, Loving Work, and Reimagining Education

Since he was a child, D’Wayne Edwards has had an incredible gift to draw what he sees. At age 17, he won a Reebok design competition, beating out professionals and college students nationwide. Since then, D’Wayne has built an incredible career and reputation as an elite designer and creative.

In this episode, you’ll hear D’Wayne’s Water the Bamboo story about how he built his career and eventually launched his own design school during a sabbatical at Nike.

Transformation Over Transactions

Transformation Over Transactions

My friends know that I’m a big-time jokester, so I enjoy adding in some light-hearted jokes throughout my day. For example, when I go to Starbucks, I ask for my tea with 3.14159265359 inches of steamed soy. Many times the barista will give me a double-take, confused by my ultra-specific order, and others understand that I’m referring to Pi (Sunday, March 14th was Pi Day, by the way!).

Boise State Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Leon Rice on Putting in the Work, Developing Habits, and Becoming a Star in Every Job You Have

Boise State Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Leon Rice on Putting in the Work, Developing Habits, and Becoming a Star in Every Job You Have

Leon Rice once turned down owning a business to become a volunteer basketball coach. People thought he was crazy. But he stuck to his goals of becoming a head basketball coach, and he knew that he had to become a superstar at every job he held.

Why Delaying Gratification is a Predictor of Future Success

Why Delaying Gratification is a Predictor of Future Success

One of the essential concepts from Water the Bamboo is delaying gratification. Our society is plagued with instant gratification--we have one-click shopping on Amazon, instant movies on Netflix, and so many other examples where we have instant access and availability to what we want in the moment.

Dawn Rasmussen on Rebuilding Your Career for Marketability

Dawn Rasmussen on Rebuilding Your Career for Marketability

Dawn Rasmussen knows that when something scares you bad enough, you should probably run towards it. And that’s what she encourages people to do when it comes to their careers.

Making a career change is scary and challenging for so many people, and this episode with Dawn Rasmussen will give you the energy and strength you need to progress or rebuild your career.

Managing Your Inner Dialogue

Managing Your Inner Dialogue

We all have an inner dialogue, and for many of us, it’s continually spewing negative thoughts. Your inner dialogue wants you to find the issues and problems in everything. Our brains have a negativity bias. For thousands of years, humans have been scanning the world for danger, and it’s wired into us as human beings.

Award-winning author and Marketing Strategist Cathey Armillas on Speaking with Passion and Heart and Leaning into What Makes You Unique

Award-winning author and Marketing Strategist Cathey Armillas on Speaking with Passion and Heart and Leaning into What Makes You Unique

Cathey Armillas is a marketing strategist, presentation coach, author of The Unbreakable Rules of Marketing, and the How to ROCK a Ted Talk program, and in this episode, she joins Greg Bell for a tell-all discussion about Cathey’s career growth, why she leans into her uniqueness and encourages other to do the same, and shares speaking tips for listeners.

10 COVID Principles to Lead and Live By

10 COVID Principles to Lead and Live By

The pandemic has impacted so many areas of our lives - health, economic, mental health, and more. Like many leaders, I realized that I needed to rethink my operating principles. During virtual keynotes I have shared my 10 COVID Principles to Lead and Live By as a model and I have encouraged leaders to develop their own.