What's Your "And"?

Beth van Bladel shares her journey from growing up on Long Island to embracing a life filled with unique passions outside her accounting career. She describes her love for animals, especially her experiences raising llamas and how that hands-on care influenced her perspective on work-life balance. Beth recounts her adventures on her Can-Am Spyder, calling it her alternate meditation cushion and a way to connect with clients in unexpected ways. Her volunteer work in patient advocacy and travel, including a memorable medical service trip to Nepal, reflects her commitment to helping others and learning from diverse cultures. Beth highlights the importance of mindfulness and listening to her body, especially as she navigates changes that require her to slow down and rebalance. She encourages professionals to nurture their interests outside of work, recognizing that such pursuits bring valuable balance, greater insights, and a sense of presence to their lives. Episode Highlights · Having outside interests and hobbies helps create balance and prevent burnout from work. · Taking time to pause, slow down, and prioritize wellbeing is essential for a sustainable and fulfilling career. · Life is an adventure and sometimes being flexible and open to changes leads to unexpected and positive outcomes. · Developing interests beyond the job title fosters personal growth, resilience, and connection with others. · Mindfulness, self-care, and listening to your body are crucial practices for maintaining energy and health.

Dan Pontefract shares his journey from running to cycling, describing how age and an achilles injury led him to embrace mountain biking in British Columbia before switching to road cycling for safety as his family grew. His passion for cycling has taken him on memorable trips to Italy, France, Spain, and Napa, often alongside friends and family. Dan recounts a transformative ride in Victoria where seeing blooming daffodils inspired the metaphor for his book "Work-Life Bloom." He highlights how cycling nurtures creativity, offering space to reflect and generate ideas. Dan also draws leadership lessons from cycling, especially the concept of the peloton where leadership and teamwork rotate among members. He encourages others to define their own "declaration of purpose" to align personal values with both their work and life. Episode Highlights · Emphasized the importance of cycling in both personal life and as a metaphor for teamwork, leadership, and creativity.  · Shared how cycling trips have been a source of inspiration for new ideas and even led to writing a book, highlighting the value of unplugging to allow creativity to flow. · Described the peloton in cycling as a model for shared leadership and collaboration, suggesting organizations can learn from this approach. · Advocated for leaders practicing empathy through a "head, heart, hands" model to truly support and understand team members. · Encouraged individuals to define and live by their own declaration of purpose, ensuring alignment between personal values and professional environments.

Natalie Gandara shares her passion for coaching youth softball and how it connects to her professional life. She explains that being known as "Coach Nat" in her HR circles is a source of pride and describes the meaningful transition from playing the sport as a child to now coaching her daughter's team. Natalie reflects on the challenges and rewards of coaching young athletes, emphasizing how building confidence and leadership skills in girls translates into strong future leaders. She highlights the importance of finding joy and outlets outside work and encourages listeners to proudly share their own "And" with colleagues. Natalie also discusses the supportive team culture at her workplace, mentioning activities like group walks, book clubs, and outings that help coworkers connect over shared interests. Her advice to listeners is to embrace what lights them up, as those passions contribute to happiness and better work performance. Episode Highlights · Softball and now coaching youth softball has been a big part of Natalie Gandara's life and identity, both personally and professionally.  · The skills and lessons from coaching, like building confidence and teamwork, complement her HR role and help her nurture strong female leaders. · It's important for people to have an "And" or passion outside of work because it makes them happier and more fulfilled, which translates into better performance at work. · Sharing personal passions at work, like coaching, fosters deeper connections and helps break down barriers between coworkers. · Natalie encourages everyone to be proud of their outside interests and not to be discouraged about sharing them, as it positively impacts both their lives and work.

Tim Vorhoff, Co-Founder of CreoValo, shares his journey from investment banking to becoming an ultramarathon runner. He explains how running began as a way to spend time outdoors after long workdays and eventually led to running a 240-mile race in Moab, UT. Tim Vorhoff discusses the mental and physical challenges of ultrarunning, highlighting the importance of adaptability, perseverance, and learning from setbacks. He connects the lessons from ultra races to his professional life, emphasizing consistency, resilience, and the value of relationships. Tim believes building rapport and understanding clients as people leads to more meaningful and enjoyable business interactions. He encourages listeners to embrace their passions and share them, creating deeper, more authentic connections at work and beyond. Episode Highlights · Running ultramarathons evolved from his love of mountaineering when investment banking limited his access to the mountains.  · Consistency and progress over time are more crucial to success than having any "magic" solution, both in running ultras and building a business. · The hardest and most meaningful moments come from pushing through challenges, learning from failures, and adapting, especially during extreme races like the Moab 240. · The skills and mindset developed through ultrarunning, such as perseverance and adaptability, directly translate to overcoming professional challenges and building strong client relationships. · Being authentic and connecting as a human first, beyond professional credentials, leads to more enjoyable and effective business relationships.

In this episode, Holly Watkins shares her journey from public accounting to rediscovering her passion for writing and creativity. She reveals how her creative side, influenced by her artistic mother, was often set aside in the business world but reemerged after she left public accounting and began journaling, eventually resulting in a published book. Holly talks about the importance of allowing oneself to fully embrace personal interests and how doing so can improve both work and life. She also discusses how process improvement and connecting with others brought more joy and purpose to her professional life. Holly offers advice on taking time for self-care, like short meditation sessions, and encourages listeners to reflect on who they truly want to be. She emphasizes that embracing authenticity and a whole, human approach at work benefits not just individuals but also organizations. Episode Highlights · Allowing yourself to be authentic and embracing your creativity leads to greater happiness and success at work. · Taking intentional breaks, such as meditation, helps clear your mind and makes you more productive. · High performers in organizations often have hobbies and passions outside of work; the profession should value these dimensions more. · The culture and leadership of a firm are crucial in creating space for people to be whole humans, not just job titles. · The younger generation values authenticity and work-life balance more, and organizations must adapt for future success.