Latest Posts

One Sure Fire Way to Build Trust

Published by Colin Nanka

“You can’t understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.”

I have a friend who was mentoring someone this week. They were shadowing meetings and actions and at the end of the day shared, “wow that was a really busy day, is it always like this?”
 
The mentor shared, “It’s not always like this but can go for a week or two in a row.  I go home, grab something to eat and then catch up on emails and put some more work in. I love what I do, and that makes it worthwhile.”
 
It was important for the rising young star, “to walk a mile in her shoes” and try on what that role is like and if she wants to grind through adversity to one day get there.
 
Make sure you make yourself available to teach the next generation.
 
Colin

The Immigrant Edge

Published by Colin Nanka
I was listening to a podcast last week (Ed Mylett) where he and his guest Bedros Keuilian talked about the immigrant edge. Bedros is the product of a family that moved to America from another country. He had to fight for everything he got and learned over time to be extremely resourceful.
 
That is what he meant by the term immigrant edge. Being scrappy, resourceful, and persistent.
 
When you come across a challenge do those words describe your attitude towards it?
 
If not, get the counsel of someone who embodies those traits.
 
They are a learned behavior that can be developed over time.
 
Colin

 

Three things I learned from Building Houses

Published by Colin Nanka


When I was younger I helped my dad build our house. It was an ongoing project we slowly chipped away at week after week.

Putting up drywall, taping, cutting and fitting pipes, putting in electric boxes, and doors!

In the summer, my uncle built houses. I’d work as a team with my cousins and frame basements, put in insulation (the worst job!) and put up drywall.

I didn’t enjoy it, often I loathed it. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was building the scaffolding for grit. It didn’t come right away, in fact, it took years. 

  • It took a lot of angst and anxiety to light the spark
  • Doing jobs I didn’t like, made me clear on finding something I would
  • Sometimes it takes years to appreciate the lesson.
What did you perhaps not appreciate from your younger days that now you do?

 

Colin

 

A big adventure deserves a big dinner

Published by Colin Nanka

Almost a decade ago I sat along the Nile river in Egypt celebrating a big adventure. My friends were celebrating the completion, I was celebrating the attempt.

Since then, I’ve put a celebration dinner on the day of or after, for any big hairy audacious goal, not only to celebrate the effort but to honor the journey.

I’m in Vancouver this weekend running a 50 KM race with a friend. I’ll get to celebrate the journey with him and his wife and another lifelong friend who I ran my first marathon with!

Good things come together when you rally the right people about a worthy endeavor.

I can’t wait to enjoy the moment during the race and after!


Colin

Two things that will make you sound better

Published by Colin Nanka
I was fortunate to be featured on the learning leader podcast show a couple weeks ago discussing overcoming obstacles, mentorship, and building resilience. 
As I went back to review the podcast, I was pleased with the content and stories I shared. However,  one thing stood out.  “Ya know?” I said it a lot and didn’t realize it.
 
I had another podcast recording coming up and in preparation for this one, I took a sticky piece of paper and put it on my laptop and wrote “Ya know” as a reminder to take it out of my lexicon.  I am pretty sure I did a better job, but we will find out when it’s released in a couple weeks.
 
There is nothing better than recording and listening to “inspect and verify” how your sound, content, and stories land with others….so you will have the impact you intended.
 
Colin

Should I Restrain This Mind Of Mine

Published by Colin Nanka

I loved this quote and explanation I heard in my daily calm meditation app this weekend.

“Where would I find enough leather to cover the entire surface of the earth?

But with leather soles beneath my feet, it’s as if the whole world has been covered.

Likewise, it’s not possible for me to restrain the external course of things,

but should I restrain this mind of mine, what would be the need to restrain all else?”

We don’t have control over all else but do have control over our self.

We don’t need to cover the world with leather, instead, we toughen the leather on 

our own feet so that we are more resistant to it.

-Shantideva, 8th Century Indian Buddhist Monk

Change Provides Trade-Offs

Published by Colin Nanka

My trainer started at a new gym this week. I liked the routine I was in where he was.

I would typically take an uber to the gym early in the morning and then either run home to get ready for the day or go straight to work.
 
I got used to the routine based on the logistics. How to get there and home, the best route to take based on the amount I had and the best juice shop nearby!
 
It was a comfort level.
 
With the change in locations, the logistics have changed, and so has the comfort level.  The unknown.
 
What did I find this morning?
 
  • It’s farther from home, but closer to the office
  • I have to plan more in advance but the walk to the office is refreshing
  • The juice shop on the way is better!
There are always trade-offs! It’s how you look at them.
 
What changes are coming your way?
 
What are the trade-offs you will need to think through?
 
Reframe and move forward.
 
Colin

 

Prioritize Yourself

Published by Colin Nanka

I was talking to some senior sales leaders that spread across the industry this week in our monthly collaboration call.

All of them have families and high-pressure jobs and one thing in common. Time management challenges. I am definitely taking notes our first little one is due in June! 
 
The topic de jour was prioritization and time management.
 
While we didn’t solve world hunger, we did make some progress:
  • They all pointed back to the company vision and values…or in some cases their own personal family vision, values, and critical success factors.
  • Recentering on what your purpose is…and what gets you fired up every morning.
    • One of our leaders decided to do a less work-work each morning and more contribution to self, learning, and family before starting the day.
 
Finally, shared camaraderie helps with prioritization, accountability, and mastery.
 
Colin

 

Champions Make Choices

Published by Colin Nanka
 

From “The Way of the Champion” by Jerry Lynch who has helped many of the best men’s and women’s NCAA coaches and top NBA teams perform at the highest levels.

“When one eye is on winning or outcomes, there’s only one left to focus on the moment.

Tell yourself this truth: Your greatest triumphs are always by-products of your ability to demonstrate the level you have attained in anything you do. You do this by focusing on the moment, the experience itself, rather than by trying to control the outcome or results”

World class athletes, leaders, and performers visualize their way to the top.

Take four deep breaths and focus on these five question Jerry Lynch has used with the best athletes in the world

  • Imagine pushing yourself to perform the best you can.
  • Feel the confidence from performing as you know you can
  • Sense the moment to moment thrill and excellence
  • Experience the fun as you execute your well-defined plan
  • Feel the joy, the dance, and the flow of a great performance
Colin

 

How To Gamify Your Way Through Your Toughest Challenges

Published by Colin Nanka
 
I spent my Sunday training for the DiazVista race in Vancouver, Canada two weeks from now! As part of my training, I planned on taking a long run four-hour run.
 
I decided to run over the George Washington Bridge and make my way through Fort Lee Historic Park, hitting the trails. A bit of greenery near our concrete jungle of Manhattan.
 
What I didn’t anticipate was going a bit too far into the park, and making my way out and back over the bridge close to dinner time. I knew I had a long slog from 178th street back home to Battery Park (all the way at the bottom of Manhattan near the freedom tower). I knew I was staring down a 1.45 hour run home after putting in over 3 hours.
 
The last half-hour was brutal. I must admit, I thought about calling an UBER but I thought better to challenge myself to a bit of a mind game to get to my goal.
 

And it worked!

 

I decided to run for an entire song. Then, when the song ended, I rewarded myself with a silent walk and 20 deep breaths. 
 
Song. Silence. Breathe. Song. Silence. Breathe.
 

This mantra pushed my tired and weary bones back home!

So what’s the takeaway? Sometimes, you need to chunk it out and gamify, to get through the hardest part of the goal.

 
Challenge yourself today, when you’re at your major “case of the Mondays” low point, find a way to break it down into segments and reward yourself along the way. 
 
Perhaps it’s 30-min spent working on your daily to-do list, followed by an accomplishment of a personal task. Or maybe it’s doing 45-min. of work, followed by a brisk walk around the block to get the blood flowing. 1 hour of work for 15-minutes of a coffee break.
 
Build your reward sheet at the beginning of the day so you have something to look forward to. 
 
…and have an amazing week.
 
Colin