Building Thinkers: Accessible Blueprints for Learning & Life Tracy Clark

In this episode of the Building Thinkers podcast, Tracy interviews Paula Amiama about one of her twelve favorite problems: How might we increase flow & and creativity to bring joy to work?

Over the last decade, Paula worked across marketing, the arts, sustainability, innovation, and education. She’s had stops in start-ups, non-profits, and large corporate organizations.

Currently, Paula leads the global Skilling & Learning agenda at DB Schenker, a large logistics company. Paula’s deep and wide expertise from her self-proclaimed non-linear career path, experiences, and clear life-long learning brought such powerful and unique insights in our conversation.

Tracy and Paula discuss the importance of creating flow and autonomy in work, as well as strategies for shifting perspectives to find flow. They emphasize the need to protect time and set clear agendas to prioritize flow and creativity. The conversation highlights the role of leaders in supporting and prioritizing flow for their teams.

Takeaways


Embrace non-linear career paths: Explore diverse interests to discover what resonates most deeply with you.
Prioritize reflection and journaling: Gain clarity on your true desires and motivations for greater focus.
Protect time for deep work: Schedule uninterrupted blocks for focused, creative activities that energize you.
Leaders: Foster flow through reflection: Find fulfillment in your role and create a positive work environment by prioritizing deep thinking.
Flow and autonomy boost motivation: Enhance productivity and job satisfaction by creating space for flow and individual choice in work.

Paula's Recommendations:

Books:

Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Podcasts:

Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin

We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle

School of Embodied Arts with Jenna Ward

Connect with Paula: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulaamiama/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulaamiama/ 

Substack: https://paulaamiama.substack.com/ 

In this episode, Tracy is joined by Lily Higgins, the founder of The Intervention Bureau, a learning experience design consultancy where she partners with agencies and thought-leaders to design signature sessions fueling her crusade against boring, ineffective workshops. They discuss the importance of creating space for mindset shift within learning experiences and the role of facilitation as an act of love. Lily shares insights on the power of play and the concept of life as a game. They also explore her signature “Serendipity Walk” experience. The conversation highlights the transformative potential of experiences and the importance of autonomy and ownership in learning.

Key Takeaways: 


Facilitation is an act of love. Facilitators hold space for groups to tap into their collective wisdom and create something greater than the sum of their parts.


Autonomy is crucial for mindset shifts. Learners need to feel ownership over their learning journeys to integrate new ideas and make meaningful changes.


Life is a game, and we can redesign it. Game Thinking helps us see the world as a series of games with rules, roles, goals, time, space, and objects. We can change our behavior and shift systems by tweaking any of these elements. Instead of focusing solely on changing people's mindsets, we can look for ways to redesign the game itself.



Links & Recommendations:

Books: 

The Power of Moments by Chip & Dan Heath: https://amzn.to/4cT75MB 

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker: https://amzn.to/3UkmpdM

Free Play: Improvisation in Art & Life by Stephen Nachmanovitch: https://amzn.to/3Jjahn0

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell: https://amzn.to/49UMvc5 

Connect with Lily: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-higgins-980519b8/

The Intervention Bureau: www.theinterventionbureau.com

Book a 90-min experience design consultation with Lily: https://calendly.com/lilyhiggins/experience-design-consultation

In this episode, Tracy and Hannah discuss the importance of being present and intentional in our lives. They explore the impact of conditioned beliefs and the pressure to conform to societal expectations. The conversation highlights the need to be fully present in each moment (be where your feet are) and the consequences of not doing so. 

They talk about the practice of mindfulness through meditation and how it can lead to a life of peace and fulfillment and they discuss the obstacles to mindfulness, such as fear and the desire for safety and familiarity. They emphasize the importance of taking aligned actions and finding sustainability in growth and action. 



Takeaways


Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention on purpose in the present moment, non-judgmentally.


Practicing mindfulness through meditation helps to exercise the mindfulness muscle and live a life of peace and fulfillment.


Being fully present in the moment amplifies happiness and reduces ruminations about the past and anxiety about the future.


Taking aligned actions and finding sustainability in growth and action are key to living a fulfilled life.



Hanna’s Recommendations: 

Books:

Frequency by Penny Pierce https://amzn.to/4ayHOW8

The Inner Matrix by Joey Klein https://amzn.to/3U1WzLx

The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer https://amzn.to/3TKhZLU



Podcasts

The Expanded Podcast

Where Should We Begin?

The Michael Singer Podcast



Find Hanna:

Soultrustignite.com

https://www.instagram.com/soultrustignite/

In this episode of Building Thinkers Tracy interviews T. Mark Meyer, author of "The Art of Being Authentic." They dive deep into creating space for powerful mindset shifts that transform your learning and life experiences. They cover the following topics:


Discovering your purpose: Uncover what truly drives you and learn to express it authentically.
Confidence vs. self-esteem: Understand the key differences and their impact on your journey.
Leading with authenticity: Explore how to be a more genuine and impactful leader.
Redefining success in education: Move beyond traditional measures and create a more meaningful path.
Staying true to yourself: Learn practical tools to stay aligned with your purpose, even when it's challenging.

This episode is your guide to the ongoing adventure of authenticity. Join the conversation and discover a fresh perspective on connecting with your true self.



For more information, check out the resources T. Mark shared below:



Books

The Art of Being Authentic by T. Mark Meyer https://amzn.to/3PwgPCu

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown https://amzn.to/3Pvze2f

True North by Bill George https://amzn.to/3Pvze2f



Socials

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troelsmarkmeyer/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authentictmarkmeyer/

In this episode, Tracy interviews Jonathan Butterworth about the power of habits and how they can be used to improve various aspects of life.



Jonathan shares his background as an entrepreneur and his experience in building people and teams. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the desired outcomes before implementing habits and making necessary sacrifices.



Jonathan also discusses the balance between hustle and rest, and the need to align goals and habits. He provides insights on maintaining focus in a distracted world and shares his approach to creating content and managing time effectively.



For more information, check out the resources Jonathan shared below:



Books

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius https://amzn.to/495qOoU

Code of the Extraordinary Mind by Vishen Lakhiani https://amzn.to/493YWld

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson https://amzn.to/4cpuQvq



Podcasts

Lex Fridman Podcast https://lexfridman.com/podcast/

The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes https://lewishowes.com/sogpodcast/

Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett https://stevenbartlett.com/the-diary-of-a-ceo-podcast/



Socials

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanbutterworth/

In this episode, Tracy Clark interviews Chris Skees, a learning product manager at Cisco Meraki, about putting the learner at the center of the learning conversation. Chris shares his background and journey in the learning and development field, highlighting the importance of understanding personas and meeting learners where they are. He emphasizes the need for learning professionals to talk to learners and gather data to validate assumptions and make informed decisions.

Chris also discusses the importance of measuring learning outcomes and connecting learning initiatives to business goals. He envisions a future where learning is personalized and engaging, leveraging technology to anticipate learner needs and provide targeted support.

In this conversation, Tracy and Chris explore the concept of a product mindset and how it can transform the way L&D professionals approach their work. They also discuss the learner-centered approach of Justin Welsh and the power of listening to learners' needs. 



For more information, check out the resources Chris shared below:



Books

Transformed by Marty Cagan https://amzn.to/3TqRxXm



Podcasts

The Learning & Development Podcast: Developing A Digital Mindset With Myles Runham https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/developing-a-digital-mindset-with-myles-runham/id1466927523?i=1000514937966

The L&D Career Club Podcast: How to Become a CLO with David James https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-become-a-clo-with-david-james/id1540650959?i=1000609468785



Courses

Justin Welsh: LinkedIn OS https://learn.justinwelsh.me/linkedin



Socials

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cskees/