From The Green Notebook FTGN Team

In this special All American Week episode of the podcast, Chloe Gavin joins Joe to discuss the recently published Gavin at War: The WWII diary of Lieutenant General James M. Gavin.  Chloe shares why she chose to publish her father's deeply personal journal and why leaders today can benefit from reading it. They also talk about the legacy of the 82nd Airborne Division, leadership lessons from Gavin's diary, and why leaders need to be okay with making mistakes. 

Lieutenant General James Gavin, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division during WWII, is one of the best-known figures of the war. Beginning as the commander of the 505th Parachute Combat Team that spearheaded the American assault on Sicily in July 1943, Gavin advanced to division command and finally command of US forces in Berlin. He kept a wartime diary that starts in April 1943, as the unit was preparing to go to northern Africa and continues through to his final entry on September 1, 1945, during the occupation of Berlin.


During the war years, Gavin came into close contact with virtually all the leading airborne commanders and many others who would advance to the top levels of Army leadership. His diary includes observations on fellow military and political leaders, army operations, and the general's personal life. Gavin was an officer who led by example: on four combat jumps, he was the first man out the door.


For decades, Gavin kept the existence of the journal a secret; the general's family discovered it among his belongings after his death. Editor Lewis "Bob" Sorley has worked closely with the Gavin family and the Army Heritage Center to prepare the diary for publication. His edited and annotated version includes a prologue and epilogue to frame the entries within the wider scope of the general's life.

Kevin Kelly, author of Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I'd Wish I'd Known Earlier joins Joe to discuss his latest book and share the lessons he's learned from over seven decades on this planet. Kevin and Joe cover everything from finding lost car keys to goal-setting to the importance of writing our thoughts down to understand what we think. 

Kevin Kelly is Senior Maverick at Wired magazine. He co-founded Wired in 1993, and served as its Executive Editor for its first seven years. His newest book is Excellent Advice for Living, a book of 450 modern proverbs for good living. He is co-chair of The Long Now Foundation, a membership organization that champions long-term thinking and acting as a good ancestor to future generations. And he is founder of the popular Cool Tools website, which has been reviewing tools daily for 20 years. From 1984-1990 Kelly was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, a subscriber-supported journal of unorthodox conceptual news. He co-founded the ongoing Hackers’ Conference, and was involved with the launch of the WELL, a pioneering online service started in 1985. Other books by Kelly include 1) The Inevitable, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, 2) Out of Control, his 1994 classic book on decentralized emergent systems, 3) The Silver Cord, a graphic novel about robots and angels, 4) What Technology Wants, a robust theory of technology, and 5) Vanishing Asia, his 50-year project to photograph the disappearing cultures of Asia.  He is best known for his radical optimism about the future. (Bio Courtesy of Kevin's Website)

The CEO of MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab joins Joe to discuss ways in which individuals can improve their overall performance through proper fitness programming, nutrition, and sleep.  Dustin also shares his leadership lessons from growing a company, while also balancing his mental well-being and his commitment to his family.

MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab was founded by Dustin Diefenderfer to help individuals become more mentally tough, believing this is the key for them to reach their specific personal and professional goals. “Ever since I was young, I noticed certain people had something others didn’t. I wanted to know how they got it… and how to help other people get it. That’s why I built MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab. To be the best in the world at mental toughness...ultimately, so our customers can have a better life.”
Dustin’s areas of expertise include ultra running and mountain and hunting conditioning. Dustin has completed numerous ultra marathons and marathons, running 12 in one year to support his work in Africa. He has spent his entire life pursuing his passions in the mountains of the Western United States. “Hunting has always been my passion, and backcountry hunting has tested my mental toughness like nothing else. Without a doubt, it has made me a better man."
Dustin is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. His overall philosophy is based on work ethic, grit, and helping his clients learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable. “The goal isn't to look fit; the goal is to actually be fit. Endurance and resilience is what we are after, and most importantly resilience of the mind. If you work for it, looking better will certainly happen, but forging an unbeatable mind is the primary objective. It is about training your mind so that it is on your side, not working against you.” (Bio courtesy of mtntough.com)


 

Dr. Lisa Miller, the author of The Spiritual Child and The Awakened Brain,  joins Joe in this powerful episode to discuss the science behind spirituality. Dr. Miller shares her findings on the neurological effects of spirituality and how it can help combat depression and anxiety,  make us more resilient, and lead us to living more fulfilling lives.

Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiritual Child and a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the Founder and Director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program and research institute in spirituality and psychology, and has held over a decade of joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical School. Her innovative research has been published in more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Cerebral Cortex, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Miller is Editor of the Oxford University Press Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality, Founding Co-Editor-in-Chief of the APA journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice, an elected Fellow of The American Psychological Association (APA) and the two-time President of the APA Society for Psychology and Spirituality. A graduate of Yale University and University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her doctorate under the founder of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, she has served as Principal Investigator on multiple grant funded research studies. Dr. Miller speaks and consults around The Awakened Brain and The Spiritual Child for the US Military, businesses (including tech, finance, HR and sales), personal development, faith based organizations, schools and universities, and for mental health and wellness initiatives. (Bio Courtesy of www.Lisamillerphd.com)

Melissa Urban, the CEO of Whole30 and author of The Book of Boundaries: Set the Limits That Will Set You Free, joins Joe to discuss the importance of setting boundaries in our professional lives so that we can avoid burnout, be present at home, and show up to work as the best version of ourselves.  Melissa and Joe talk about how to approach boundary setting to include asking your boss not to call, email, or send texts messages after hours and how leaders can model this behavior within their organizations.

Melissa is a New York Times best-selling author who specializes in helping people establish healthy boundaries and successfully navigate habit change. She has been featured by the New York Times, People, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Today Show, and Good Morning America, and, and is a prominent keynote speaker on boundaries, building community, health trends, and entrepreneurship. She lives in Salt Lake City, UT with her husband, son, and a poodle named Henry. Learn more about her and her work at her website.

Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck,  joins Joe to discuss the lessons he's learned about life from spending the last decade giving advice on everything from relationships to resiliency. Joe and Mark talk about happiness, finding purpose, and ways to increase perspective. Mark also shares insights he gained working with Will Smith on his bestselling memoir, Will.  

Mark is the three-time #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, as well as other titles. His books have sold around 20 million copies, been translated into more than 65 languages, and reached number one in more than a dozen countries. In 2023, a feature film about his life and ideas was released worldwide by Universal Pictures.