What’s On My Mind
This one’s going to be emotional.
Last weekend was a big one.
Our older daughter Gabby just graduated from college.
It was SO FUN for my wife Becky and I to both to see her all weekend, attend the graduation in person and celebrate all she accomplished:
- Double major with distinction from Duke,
- 3.9+ GPA,
- Published peer-reviewed research and
- A full time job starting in August.
I was so excited I invented a new dad move.
Here’s a photo of what I’m calling The Big Squeezer.
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There was a LOT to celebrate.
A lot for a dad to be proud of.
We didn’t talk much about Gabby’s accomplishments as we spent the weekend with her.
We all reflected on her effort:
- When Gabby was down about a C grade she got in her first semester, she doubled down on her studying. She never got lower than an A- again.
Gabby built the skill of getting up every day and doing the work.
- Gabby lost out on an internship she really wanted after her Sophomore year. Devastating. She put her ego aside and asked the hiring professor for feedback. That told her what they looked for. She changed her approach and landed the same internship the next summer.
Gabby learned how to turn a loss into her next win.
- As a big-time introvert, Gabby was scared to be in front of a group. She applied for a Teacher’s Assistant job so she’d be forced to teach classes, slowly getting more comfortable and in the end, enjoying teaching.
Gabby saw how quickly she can turn fear into progress.
- Gabby got the opportunity to help with some research and volunteered to write the first draft for the academic journal. She spent dozens of hours putting it together and perfecting the paper. The professors hardly had to edit her writing at all. Blown away, they added her as a core researcher to the paper.
Gabby learned going above and beyond can create your own luck.
Last weekend was amazing.
I couldn’t be prouder as a father.
Proud of Gabby’s accomplishments.
Proud of her results.
But what I’m most proud of?
How hard she worked to build her skills.
There’s no doubt in my mind:
Growing our skills is the best investment we can make.
What We Just Created
I’m elated with how our podcast is growing!
We’ve grown nearly 3x from last fall, and I was happy with it then. We’re making a big impact.
I think it’s the amazing guests that are creating word of mouth: James Clear, Dorie Clark, Kelley O’Hara, Dan Pink, Vanessa Van Edwards, Molly Fletcher, Josh Kaufman, Michael Hyatt and so many more.
Mashing up our business development expertise with each of their expertise is building my skills!
I’m learning so much.
Great news: we just created a YouTube channel just for the podcast!
There’s just an episode or two there now because we’re slowly adding all the back catalog
Subscribing now is a great way to:
- See all the prior episodes so you didn’t miss anything
- Get notified of new ones as they’re released (amazing guests coming!)
- Watch the videos at a higher quality than anywhere else
What’s Worth Lingering On
Gabby made a big investment in herself in college.
She had a great college career.
She built an incredible base of skills.
Investing in ourselves is the best investment we can make.
My technique: pick one skill at a time to focus on.
Read the best books. Listen to killer podcasts. Roll up my sleeves and practice, even if it seems risky.
My friend Josh Kaufman found that the first 20 hours of learning a skill are the most important, so I commit to at least 20 hours per skill.
What’s the next skill you want to commit to learning?
Pause for a sec and think about that.
Why pause?
I usually end these articles with a question for you, just like that one. The pause naturally happens, since it’s the end.
But today, there’s more. One more thing.
My friends, this is a plot twist.
Gabby is going to be successful.
The habit of investing in herself is going to be key.
But there’s something even more important.
And it’s what I’m most proud of as a father.
It’s what I believe is the most important thing that brings success.
And happiness too.
For all of us.
This is what I’m most proud of.
Gabby is kind.
Mo