It has been a long time in the making but our Podcast is finally here and it’s gathering momentum! Monday was our second filming day and we managed to film six episodes, all about people who live their lives on purpose. A diverse collective, connected because they concentrate on impact over income.
Our team at Cre8ion, buoyed by the success of the soundtrack they had created for ‘Dare to Hope’, were impatient to start filming the podcast. Unfortunately, we had to rule out our Cre8ion office for filming due to the sawmill noises (timber company moved in next door, much to our dismay), but our recent house move gave us the perfect setting.
Using our home as a studio made perfect sense as it’s outside of town. I guess it’s for this same reason that bands decamp and head into the countryside to create the soundtrack of a generation. For us, it was the answer to the problem of the noisy sawing in the unit next door to our office.
So what can you expect from the Purpose Podcast? Well, quite simply, you’ll be listening to people describing the biggest moves they have made in their lives, their struggles to free themselves and how they embraced the purposeful journey.
Having spent years talking to people about purpose and my own personal journey, it feels great to actually record some of these conversations. It’s not just about me, everyone is faced with a choice, either to lean in to purpose or to suppress the call. Often, purpose is something you want to run from because it feels overwhelming, but this podcast allows people to share their struggles and reveal what living a purposeful life looks like.
Without question, this kind of journey brings many challenges, like being faced with £1 million of debt or walking from a job without knowing what the future might hold. Taking this path requires courage. However, being brave isn’t about not feeling any fear, it is acknowledging it but doing it anyway.
As we complete one podcast after another, I realise that what is outstanding about each of our interviewees is the fact that they have all made the same brave choice to inspire others!
If you are considering a purpose led change of direction in your life, here are some pointers, taken from our podcast interviewees, to help you on your way…
1. Making purpose a priority is what makes us, not breaks us.
I have blogged extensively about HeartSet and how each person on earth has a combination of skills within them to do something special. I’m not about setting you up with unrealistic expectations, only to fail, but rather it’s about taking time to discover WHO you are and then finding WHO you will serve best. At the heart of purpose is something that matters most to you. Purpose is even more than passion. I was a good footballer, not a great one, yet, I was passionate and it was this passion that caused me to win as a manager. Now, helping people build with purpose as an entrepreneur is it. It’s me and I’ve doubled down on it.
2. Leading with purpose means you’ll have to pivot to progress.
The thing you are doing now is probably part of the journey and not the destination. Nothing is wasted though. (If you spent a long time working in HR, for instance, the people skills you picked up could help you create a winning team further on down the line). Life is about recognising the pivot moment and being brave enough to jump. For some it is about starting a side hustle, for others, like me, it meant walking out and walking into the unknown. When you see it, follow it and always move forward with it.
3. You’ll get an appetite for deconstruction (nod to any Guns and Roses fans).
They key thing is school isn’t it, or even college or university. Who says you can’t continue learning every day from books, podcasts, magazines, coaches, mentors and peers? Each person we interviewed realised that in order to progress they needed to learn NEW things because the knowledge they had wasn’t enough to take them forward. They all saw education as a key investment and the path to change. If it meant walking rather than driving for a season then that was the price they were willing to pay on the path towards a fulfilled life.
4. Everyone has private battles behind the gloss.
Each person I interviewed has had to fight for the right to live free. Free from abuse, family trauma, poverty, disease, strife, lies, violence and even when facing death, each person made the choice not to be a victim. They smiled through the pain and got back in the game. In an ‘Instaworld’ everyone wants to tell a story of perfection rather than progress. I guess progress isn’t always that pretty. Yet, it is in progress, in the journey itself that we find hope, healing and other heroes to accompany us. I sat amazed at the resilience of our podcast stars and wondered how they had compelled themselves to keep going. It was because they realised that the impact they were born to deliver was the important thing, and stopping and giving in was not an option. Inspiring others was what kept them moving forward. So, when they were cheated they chose to change the game, when they were ruined for a season, they chose not to lose sight of a future summer in the midst of their winter.
5. They were all told more than once, ‘It can’t be done’.
Each person I have interviewed faced circumstances that screamed loudly at them, with life provided a commentary and commentators. However, the voice within their heart was louder and they chose conviction above circumstances. It was more than proving people right, they wanted to do the right thing and accept the call of purpose. If it ‘couldn’t be done’, they chose to be the ones to do it. And you, even when you know that it ‘can’t be done’, but you know that you can do it, it’s a good idea to surround yourself with people that encourage you.
6. People are a life force, not a resource.
All of our podcast stars love people. They might not all want to hang out in crowds or be the one stood in the front of the room all the time, but people give them the power to live life. They are energised by meeting new people, they realise that people are not always the problem and they don’t give up on them. They know that problems with present interactions often come as a result of problems from the past that were left unchecked. They key is making peace with the past to enjoy the present and fully live out potential. History can repeat itself if things don’t change. Purpose people, on the other hand, when they can’t see the change then they are the change they want to see.
7. They all found a mentor, a guide or an Obi Wan.
In each case, our Purpose podcasters had been taken under someone else’s wing when small, whether it was a grandparent introducing them to code or an experienced businessperson who challenge them to take a risk. They key was that they needed someone willing to believe in them first who helped them to fly and then to win. Life has more than one winner. While purpose is a contact sport, and there can always be more than one winner. As I grow older the need to be the focus diminishes and the desire to celebrate others increases. Every single person reading this is a hero that the world is waiting for.
8. Eyes light up when they share the journey.
There comes a moment in each interview when our podcasters get lost, their eyes light up and their hearts start speaking and they flow… that’s the place where they are connected to purpose… who they really are and what they were made for…and they describe how far they have come.
I often forget where I have come from as I’m so far away from where I want to get to, but in these podcasts, when people reflect on where they have come, it’s powerful. You see, when you are in your darkest moments sometimes the only thing that keeps you moving forward is the fire in your eyes, lighting the way for tomorrow. You are reminded that you did it yesterday, and you can do it today. As you join the dots, the future is created and you’ll realise there are more people for you than against you. Purpose people can become a movement – the first ten I’ve interviewed are inspiring enough!
9. Collaboration is vital for victory.
Purpose people recognise that impact is rewarding, cause is catching and it takes collaboration to make it happen. Introducing people that can help you is also part of the journey, so whether you need a coach in your corner, or the insights of a tech wizard, each person brings something to the table. My job is getting each person to see that they can do more, be more and embrace more with more of the right kind of people. You might be able to build a house with the people you know now, but can you build a home? You might be able to write a technical spec but can you make it simple? The people on the podcast can and will enrich your life for good.
10. It is always better to serve than sell.
Purpose people create a positive legacy that allows the subsequent generation to inherit positivity, and achieve wins that everyone can celebrate. You’ll always have people in the room who fail to applaud your success but you are not doing it for them, you’re doing it for those you serve. (The best businesses know how to serve.) The only audience you are competing against should be you. Each day you become a better version of yourself.
The Purpose People Podcast has taken a few years longer than I even anticipated, but actually the timing couldn’t be better. We have moved to a space where it can happen, the team have grown and the community on Facebook has moved over the 1000 mark. My next aim is to hit 10,000 people in the community and of course encourage you to like and subscribe across the multiple platforms listed below.
Lastly, if you are reading this and feel that you want to be on The Purpose Podcast, that you have something to say, and you are living a purposeful life, then you are welcome to get in touch. Over the coming weeks I’ll be interviewing people who have overcome great odds and the stories will keep flowing. I trust you will keep growing.
I am here to serve you, and to help you to find purpose. If you need help discovering it, embracing it or celebrating it, I know we have the resources, connections and platform for you to live life on purpose. It starts with the choice to be brave! Make purpose a priority today and take the first step by tuning in. You’ve got this.
