Show Notes:
What do you do when no matter your effort or your dreaming, life sends you a curveball that makes your dreams impossible? Would just contending for those dreams be enough for you? Or, if you’re a bit more like me, would that be a bit tortuous? The hard part about these questions is I think you don’t really know the answer until you’re in a moment like that. In the episode today I share how I think I might understand a bit what that would be like because of my wife and I's battle with infertility the past 8 years, but our guest today knows exactly what striving for impossible dreams feels like. She’s had her share of moments in her life where no matter her effort and sacrifice, life and God had other plans for her.

Our guest today is Kitty Robinson. She said "I do" to her high school sweetheart, Casey, 27 years ago. As a heart and brain surgery survivor and homeschooling mom of 8 (insert survivor status here, too!), her life path has had some unusual turns. She's currently walking that path out in Middle Georgia, where she writes, runs, and coaches.  On the show today we discuss the following:

• Who is Kitty and her story (7:31)
• Did Kitty see her pride while going through her challenges? (13:04)
• How Kitty was able to set aside her pride (15:32)
• Why she considers her life more abundant after her trials (22:04)
• Submission as the path to peace (29:27)
• Why she chose a life of quiet impact (39:41)
• How her definition of Courage has changed (45:01)
• What does it mean to Kitty to be a Contender (49:03)

How to learn more about Kitty:

• Kitty's Website: http://www.kittyrobinson.com/
• Kitty's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/kitty.robinson.31
• Kitty's Book: "Somtimes Courage" - https://www.amazon.com/Sometimes-Courage-runners-journey-sometimes/dp/170978802X

Additional Books, Individuals, or Items Discuss in the show:

• N/A

Contact the Host: rob@contenderswanted.com

Survey: To access the listener survey, use the following links:

• Right to the form: https://forms.gle/7WwV1LzHGrTDuQtw5
• If that doesn't work: www.ContendersWanted.com/Survey

Show Notes:
Can you think of an example of someone or something in a perceived disadvantage that then turns it into their advantage?  My mind things of Ben Affleck's character in the movie, the Accountant. Or the engineers from Apollo 11 using just what was in a box to fix the spaceship. Or Edmond Dantes from the Count of Monte Cristo. Beyond the pop culture references, some might even say that their higher education left them at a bit of a disadvantage when they entered the work force.  You may have quickly realized once you entered the workforce that you were faced with a whole new set of skills to develop. Things like networking, communication, leadership, negotiations, sales, management, and on and on and on.  But there’s still value in higher education. So how do we make sure we get the most out of it and then turn these missing skills from a disadvantage into our advantage once we’re out in the workforce? Well our guest today attended elite level higher education, and it didn’t take long for him once he started his professional career to feel like he had missed some critically important skills in that education process. This then in turn led him on a path to find, develop, and master these missing skills and then later teach them to others so they can supercharge their professional careers.

Our guest today is Mark Herschberg. From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography. At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection. On the show today we discuss the following:

• Who is Mark and what does he do (5:07)
• Mark's perspective on the value of higher education (9:04)
• How did his formal education not prepare him for his career (13:20)
• How Mark developed these missing skills in himself (16:11)
• Specific things you can do now to develop these skills (18:51)
• Was Mark's higher education worth it? (31:19)
• Mark's perspective of our current higher education system (38:16)
• What does it mean to Mark to be a Contender (46:58)

How to learn more about Mark:

• Mark's Website: https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/ 
• Mark's LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hershey

Additional Books, Individuals, or Items Discuss in the show:

• The Big Bank Theory TV Show
• Richard Feynman

Contact the Host: rob@contenderswanted.com

Survey: To access the listener survey, use the following links:

• Right to the form: https://forms.gle/7WwV1LzHGrTDuQtw5
• If that doesn't work: www.ContendersWanted.com/Survey

Show Notes:
How much do you think about your thoughts? Seems kinda like a funny question, don’t you think? Thinking about our thoughts? But in all reality, this is something people have encouraged me to do ever since I was a kid.  But my early training around paying attention to my thoughts really only focused on moral cleanliness. I didn’t think about learning to observe and actively choose my own thoughts in other areas until I got more involved in personal development. Well our guest today has done the work necessary to master his thoughts and told me after the show that he feels those lessons are the most important lessons he could share with us.  

Our guest today is Sir Steven Wilkinson. He is an Englishman living in Ireland and the Founder & Managing Director of Good & Prosper Ltd an education, consulting and investment company. Steven has spent all of his adult life in the finance and investment world focusing primarily on Small and Medium sized enterprises as both a principal investor in or advisor to the owners and leaders of predominantly private companies. Today his company focuses on advising and coaching business owners facing growth challenges through a process they call Future Mapping or Creating a Vision of Success. They also design and deliver courses in key aspects of business leadership including Financial Fluency and Visioning. He also teaches at the University of Jamestown UJ Accelerated. He has been a member of the panel of mentors for the UCD / Ryan Academy Mentoring for Growth program in Dublin as well as being on the advisory board of the Birthing of Giants growth acceleration program in NY. He is also a founding member of the Small Giants Community. In addition he is an active supporter and mentor within the Ashoka Social Entrepreneurship network, both there in Ireland and in Germany.  In 2015 he was invited to join an interfaith delegation to the Caribbean island state of Grenada. As part of that delegation representing the Anglican community, he was awarded with an honor bestowed by the Governor General into the Order of the Nation of Grenada with the rank of Knight Commander. His family, consisting of his wife Britta and their four children. They live at the south end of the beautiful County Wicklow, where they spend a great deal of time trail walking in the mountains and fells of the Wicklow National Park.  On the show today we discuss the following:

• Who is Steven and what does he do (7:11)
• How finance and literature are woven together to tell great stories (13:03)
• An early career experience that changed his life (19:36)
• How Sir Wilkinson found his master (26:34)
• How Sir Wilkinson developed his thoughtfulness and the impact of a partner on that journey (39:58)
• The impact of the Enneagram on Sir Wilkinson's journey (55:59)
• What does it mean to Steven to be a Contender (1:08:14)

How to learn more about Steven:

• Steven's Website: https://www.goodandprosper.com/
• Steven's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenknwilkinson/

Additional Books, Individuals, or Items Discuss in the show:

• Neurolinguistic Programming
• Frather Richard Rhor
• Jack Stack
• Stephen R. Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People"

Contact the Host: rob@contenderswanted.com

Giveaway: To get access for free to our Financial Freedom Blueprint and your own copies of your personalized bonuses, the Financial Freedom Path Education Cheat Sheet and the Financial Freedom Foundation Guide, enter your email at www.contenderswanted.com/freedom