Sharing Experiences: December 2024

Hello there, friend.?

Welcome to my new newsletter, Sharing Experiences. Thank you for reading and subscribing. Especially if it’s been a while, I’d love to reconnect one-on-one in the new year. <3

Personal Share: Reflections & Themes in My Life

This year, my biggest gift and update has been beginning work on The Skinny Platform. This wonderful happening nearly fell out of the sky, thanks to a spontaneous reconnect with the wonderful Dan Heuertz, where we mutually gushed about the cultural need for real human connection and shared experiences. That led to hearing more about this new startup he and his son, Ben Heuertz, were working on… and I may not have known it at the time, but I absolutely fell head-over-heels in love with this startup.

A big part of my work is interviewing our Authors and listening to their stories, and through these interviews, they “write” their books. I never saw myself as an interviewer before, but oh my gosh I have never enjoyed work more. Getting to immerse into someone’s personal journey, hear about the twists and turns that led them to where they are, and the fine points of the work that is their craft… this is like getting to wake up and go on a new adventure everyday. Thank you to each Skinny Author I had the great honor of getting to witness and listen to this year. [Dan Heuertz, Cary Chessick, Tony Mirchandani, Scott Peterson, Nolan Lee, DC, MsAc, CES, Emily G. Pagone, MS, LCPC, PMH-C, CCTP, Bill Kruse, Jason Poe, Jody Jankovsky, and all the contributors to The Book of Nuggets: Dan Heuertz, Dan Wallace, Dan Zawacki, Clark Neuhoff, Paul Detlefs, Bobi Siembieda, Beth Fahey, Tania Bengtsson, Deb Venable, Kevin Hundal, Charlton Keultjes, Steven Solano, Certified EOS Implementer, Rene' Boer, Eric Larsen, & John McMahon]

Through The Skinny Platform, we also started The Expanders Podcast, which I get to host and enjoy shining a light on more epic human stories. Our guests have been vulnerable and inspiring. A big thank you to our first guests this year for sharing from the heart. [Ken Rodgers, Jeffrey McKeegee-Williams, Scott Peterson, Nolan Lee, DC, MsAc, CES, & soon-to-release episodes from Rich Lyons & Bill Kruse]

Shared Experiences: A Specific Share from the Businesses & Entrepreneurs I’ve Been Listening To

Through my prior chapter working with The Junto Institute, I loved getting close to some of the most emotionally intelligent leaders and companies in the Chicagoland area. Experiences like touring Nick's Pizza & Pub with Nick Sarillo are absolutely unforgettable, because you get to SEE how a strong culture is woven into EVERY small detail. Inspiring is an understatement.?

Well this year, I got to get close to another company right there on par with Nick’s and the other gold-standard companies we were privileged to learn from in Junto. RTM Engineering Consultants has been wow’ing me for much of 2024. It started with interviewing CEO, Tony Mirchandani for an upcoming book about RTM’s culture, and led to also getting to interview 10+ leaders, partners, and team members from a variety of roles in the company to be included in the book as well.?

What has me so enthused are the variety of detailed examples I heard that convey how RTM really LIVES its culture and values. A big value at RTM is supporting everyone to work in roles they are passionate about. Tony said he wants everyone to have roles they would want even if they won the lottery, and the company really does mean it. The best part is the organizational power and efficiency created by really investing in this value. Even as a company with 25 locations across the country, and 500+ team members, there’s a lot of autonomy at RTM and very little need for “oversight” because when people are doing what they would rather be doing, they’re bringing their best and not slacking. This doesn’t mean there haven’t been mistakes, challenges and situations that need figuring out, and these stories have been some of my favorites… because they really show how deep the reality of the culture goes. It’s like a strong family, it doesn’t mean there aren’t chaotic and intense moments, but the core thing there is good, palpable and the evidence is everywhere.?

One of my favorite examples comes from Jessica Iversen, P.E.. She was a rising young team-member at their Schaumburg office. Tony took her to lunch as a check-in and asked what she’d like to be doing going forward. She shared she had a dream to live by the mountains and it would be awesome to open a Seattle office. To Jessica’s surprise, Tony said yes. Tony does a remarkable job at trusting his team to leap into the most stunning versions of themselves and he doesn’t expect the path to be perfect. Not long after Jessica moved to Seattle and started setting things up, the pandemic hit. Things got tough for the new office and it caused her to question a lot of her choices. She pivoted though and started building the first fully remote team of the company, which actually created a lot of fluid help and flexibility to support a variety of projects across the company. Throughout this period, Jessica was receiving mentorship, support and trust to try things, mess-up and learn. This is just one example. There are so many. I’ve learned so much from RTM and can’t wait to have their book come out so others can read the wealth of shared experiences too.?

Reading Corner: Books I'd Recommend

• Skinny Book: Noisy Head, by Dan Heuertz: If you haven’t read it yet, grab a copy of the book that started this adventure. This book sold me on The Skinny Platform because it felt like Dan was talking to me right from the page, sharing about his crisis of confidence and the process that cleared his "noisy head". My husband and I both enjoyed doing the worksheet associated with the book and learned a lot about ourselves and our natural gifts. A fun read and activity over the holiday break!
• Guest / Non-Skinny: The Sovereign Artist: Meditations on Lifestyle Design, by Vizi Andrei: My husband came across this gem this year, and I can’t tell you how many entrepreneurial friends we have recommended it to. If you enjoyed The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin, you will also love this. The Sovereign Artist is philosophical, a healthy dose of counter-culture, and also gets props for being a short read / skinny-ish book.

Reflection Questions

1. Who is your person-of-the-year? (Consider sending them a heartfelt appreciation)
2. What shared experience or story impacted you the most this year? (Consider sharing it with others)

Closing Appreciations

In closing, I send a heartfelt appreciation to Dan Heuertz for inviting me into this wonderful new work chapter, and to Ben Heuertz for being such a solid-rockstar-fun-Skinny-partner-in-crime.

Thanks to you as well for reading this first newsletter, and I look forward to staying in touch next year.?

With love, Catherine