Potent with Steven Lawson Steven Lawson

What’s holding you back from reaching your fullest capability for creativity?
On today’s episode of Potent, Steven is joined by Syracuse University’s Professor Elizabeth Wimer to discuss a range of topics from providing practical advice for avoiding burnout, to understanding the Pareto principle to identify impactful relationships, fostering creativity through thoughtful practices, and leveraging weak ties for idea generation. 
The two also touch on cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset and get into Professor Wimer’s personal reflections on teaching and balancing professional life with genuine care for her students. 
About Today's Guest
Elizabeth Wimer is equally passionate about coffee and entrepreneurship – a combination that serves her well as a caffeinated educator for conferences, consulting, and as an Assistant Teaching Professor at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. 
Her experience in entrepreneurial ventures and her passion for marketing translates into courses, consulting, and speaking engagements in entrepreneurship, ideation, marketing, creative problem solving, personal selling, management, and customer service.
Her consulting work has taken her throughout the United States and also to the United Arab Emirates, Asia, Africa, and the U.K. and her passion for education has led her to South Sudan to volunteer to teach at an understaffed school in rural Ariang. She is currently running an annual signature immersion experience for Syracuse University students to consult on-site with entrepreneurs, refugee artisans and underserved rural schools in Nairobi & Nakuru, Kenya.
Although she resides in Syracuse, New York with her husband, sons and new puppy she remains an avid Boston sports fan – particularly for the Boston Bruins and especially when they win against the Habs or Rangers.
Show Notes
0:00 Intro
02:21 Applying the Pareto Principle to Life
07:16 Elizabeth's Journey Toward Teaching
10:54 How to Find Your Purpose
14:52 How to Reframe Problems and Generate Ideas
18:13 The Problem with Brainstorming
23:05 Are People Born Creative?
28:13 Idea Generation with Steve: Who is Your Audience?
34:30 The Intersection of Generosity, Curiosity and Creativity
41:20 Processes & Practices
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The Potent Podcast is produced and edited by Justin Sinclair, who also composed the theme music. Additional editing support and mixing by Aaron Feeney.
This podcast is brought to you by the Monk Manual. The monk manual is dedicated to providing best-in-class tools for helping you build a more potent life, and experience peaceful being and purposeful doing on a daily basis. If you’d like to be more intentional with your time and energy - please visit monkmanual.com.

Do you know the real cause of why you procrastinate?
On today’s solo episode of Potent, Steven tackles the concept of procrastination, and how while many may view it as a lack of discipline, in reality it’s more rooted as a fear response. Through his experience with the Monk Manual and coaching entrepreneurs over the years, Steven identifies patterns and consequences of procrastination he’s observed, such as feelings of shame and lost potential, while detailing practical strategies like setting clear goals, sitting with discomfort, finding inspiration, and building a supportive community to better help confront and navigate procrastination effectively. 
About Today's Guest
Steven Lawson is the founder and creator of the Monk Manual, a productivity company on a mission to fix productivity by serving the whole person, mind + body + spirit. After searching high and low for a more holistic and fulfilling approach to work and human flourishing, he found it amongst the ancient path of the monks. Featured in Inc, Forbes, and Fortune magazine, this new (old) model for work and personal growth has already helped over 100,000 people cultivate peaceful being and purposeful doing in their everyday lives.  Steven lives in Buffalo, NY with his wife and three children.  
Show Notes
00:00 Intro, Procrastination, Potential, and Malaise
03:52 Procrastination is not about discipline, but fear and discomfort
11:10 The Mechanics of Procrastination: Decision - Avoidance
13:36 Confronting Procrastination: Strategies for Moving Forward
17:38 Procrastination Beyond Actions: The Impact on Being
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The Potent Podcast is produced and edited by Justin Sinclair, who also composed the theme music. Additional editing support and mixing by Aaron Feeney.
This podcast is brought to you by the Monk Manual. The monk manual is dedicated to providing best in class tools for helping you build a more potent life, and experience peaceful being and purposeful doing on a daily basis. If you’d like to be more intentional with your time and energy - please visit monkmanual.com.

Does placing too much importance on personal individualism separate us from each other more than we realize?
On today’s episode of Potent, Steven is joined by Joe Rutten, Director of the Benedictine Leadership Institute at Mount Marty University, to discuss the importance and impact of communal monasticism based on the principles of St. Benedict. Joe outlines his role, which involves integrating the Benedictine way of life into the university's curriculum and fostering a community-based approach to personal and professional development, as well as highlighting the essential elements of a strong community: honesty, transparency, peacemaking, and accountability.
About Today's Guest
Joe Rutten is from Sioux Falls, SD where he lives with his wife Laura and their four boys. He is a passionate visionary, respected for his work in Catholic education, faith and business integration, and professional leadership development. In over two decades of work in Catholic education at the parish, high school, and university level, Joe has found his calling in helping people of all ages discover a deeper sense of meaning and purpose to their lives and helping university students navigate the peaks and values of life as they seek to impact the world personally and professionally. 
Beyond the classroom, he has been actively involved in the work of faith and business integration. His passion for helping men connect to their catholic faith through their work in business inspired him to create the Catholic Men’s Business Fraternity in Sioux Falls, SD in 2012. In 2015, Joe started an annual Faith & Business Conference in Sioux Falls for men and women of all faiths to help them take Sunday into Monday by integrating faith principles into business practices.  
He is currently the Director of the Benedictine Leadership Institute and professor of Theology at Mount Marty University in Yankton, SD, where he builds the next generation of leaders through the Benedictine way of life. 
Show Notes
0:00 Intro
01:10 Benedictines and the origin of the Benedictine Leadership Institute at Mount Marty University
05:12 Integrating Benedictine Principles into Education and Leadership
11:26 The Importance of Community
14:58 What Vows Do To Relationships
22:51 Four Types of Monks according to Benedict
27:47 Navigating Community in Our Tech Age
29:57 The University Bubble: A Microcosm for Community Building
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The Potent Podcast is produced and edited by Justin Sinclair, who also composed the theme music. Additional editing support and mixing by Aaron Feeney.
This podcast is brought to you by the Monk Manual. The Monk Manual is dedicated to providing best-in-class tools for helping you build a more potent life, and experience peaceful being and purposeful doing on a daily basis. If you’d like to be more intentional with your time and energy - please visit monkmanual.com.

Are you holding yourself back from knowing the real you?
On today’s episode of Potent, Steven is joined by Leslie McDaniel to discuss her lifelong journey of self-awareness through personality typology and core gifts, as well as how her curiosity has shaped her life. Through emphasizing body awareness and presence, the two highlight some of the most common pitfalls in self-awareness pursuits and offer practical advice for living a more potent life. 
About Today's Guest
Leslie is a self-discovery coach, podcast host, and curious human whose quest for self-understanding leads her to see the positive ripple effects of self-love. With her open heart, intuitive questions, and deep wisdom, she guides clients to have insight into all that is transpiring in their lives. Leslie's clients gain clarity on their life's path with tools such as personality typology and the Core Gift Discovery Process so that they can have an authentic impact on the things that matter most.
https://hellopersonality.com/
Show Notes
02:24 The Role of Self-Awareness in Personal Growth
09:32 Overview of Personality Models: MBTI, Enneagram, and Core Gifting
14:14 The Scientific Debate: Validity of Personality Models
28:46 Personal Growth and the Pitfalls of Personality Typing
37:35 The Role of Myers-Briggs in Self-Awareness
40:34 The Journey of Personal Growth and Self-Discovery
44:56 The Core Gift Discovery Process
50:32 The Impact of Core Gifts on Personal Development
01:01:31 Expanding Self-Awareness Through New Experiences
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The Potent Podcast is produced and edited by Justin Sinclair, who also composed the theme music. Additional editing support and mixing by Aaron Feeney.
This podcast is brought to you by the Monk Manual. The Monk Manual is dedicated to providing best-in-class tools for helping you build a more potent life, and experience peaceful being and purposeful doing on a daily basis. If you’d like to be more intentional with your time and energy - please visit monkmanual.com.

Where is the unrest in your life truly coming from and what can be done about it?
On today’s solo episode of Potent, Steven describes his personal journey with the Monk Manual and shares lessons he’s learned about honesty, dealing with unrest, embracing change, and focusing on serving others to achieve personal growth and reach one's full potential. 
About Today's Guest
Steven Lawson is the founder and creator of the Monk Manual, a productivity company on a mission to fix productivity by serving the whole person, mind + body + spirit. After searching high and low for a more holistic and fulfilling approach to work and human flourishing, he found it amongst the ancient path of the monks. Featured in Inc, Forbes, and Fortune magazine, this new (old) model for work and personal growth has already helped over 100,000 people cultivate peaceful being and purposeful doing in their everyday lives.  Steven lives in Buffalo, NY with his wife and three children.  
Show Notes
00:00 Intro
01:46 Steven’s Journey with Monk Manual
03:46 Lesson 1: By Definition, Visionaries Will Be or Feel Misunderstood
05:27 Lesson 2: Success Doesn't Look The Same For Everyone
10:12 Lesson 3: Unrest is a Messenger
14:22 Lesson 4: Internal change is the important, neglected work
20:02 Lesson 5: Shifting Focus from Self to Service
26:18 Ending Questions for Reflection Toward Personal Growth
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The Potent Podcast is produced and edited by Justin Sinclair, who also composed the theme music. Additional editing support and mixing by Aaron Feeney.
This podcast is brought to you by the Monk Manual. The monk manual is dedicated to providing best-in-class tools for helping you build a more potent life, and experience peaceful being and purposeful doing on a daily basis. If you’d like to be more intentional with your time and energy - please visit monkmanual.com.

What’s stopping you from returning to the truest version of yourself?
On today’s episode of Potent, Steven is joined by Kelly Wendorf, founder and CEO of EQUUS, as they talk about rewilding, authenticity, and integrating nature-based experiences for personal and professional development, along with the challenges of finding belonging beyond societal labels, specifically presence, and self-awareness. Throughout the episode, the two also discuss embracing wisdom traditions, opening up to new perspectives, and optimizing personal growth through connection with oneself and nature.
About Today's Guest
Kelly Wendorf, Founding CEO of EQUUS, a leadership development firm, is an author, a socially responsible entrepreneur, disruptor, and expert in the art form of taking people through transformative change and onto meaningful levels of success, purpose, and profound fulfillment. She has been assisting her clients to navigate transformation for over 30 years, and in so doing has extensively researched this question: what conditions need to be created to allow people to live a life of deep authenticity, freedom, and joy? Having also experienced numerous tectonic shifts in her own life, she intimately knows the landscape of metamorphosis and transformative change. She has been called a corporate shaman and a CEO whisperer. Her work has been featured in Forbes, VOGUE, Huffington Post, and The New York Times. Her latest book Flying Lead Change – 56 Million Years of Wisdom for Leading and Living published by Sounds True, invites us to look to the evolutionary intelligence of nature, and nature-based wisdom to meet the challenges we face today. She works inside a spectrum of clientele – from Amazon to Microsoft to some of the most underserved communities. She serves her clients from all over the world remotely and also in person, alongside her talented co-facilitators––a herd of eight equines––on her small ranch just outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. 
***Save 50% off Kelly's book "Flying Lead Change" by entering MONKMANUAL50 at checkout.
https://kellywendorf.com/
https://www.equusinspired.com/
Instagram: @EQUUSinspired
LinkedIn @ Kelly Wendorf or @EQUUS
Facebook: @EQUUSinspired
Show Notes
00:00 Intro
02:52 What is Rewilding?
11:28 From Corporate to Coaching with Horses
27:28 Navigating Spirituality and Business
38:12 The Essence of Presence and Overcoming Categorization
44:00 The Power of Presence
54:43 The Essence of Presence in Equine Principles
01:06:21 Practical Tips for Cultivating Presence
01:09:22 Rapid Fire Questions: Insights and Advice
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The Potent Podcast is produced and edited by Justin Sinclair, who also composed the theme music. Additional editing support and mixing by Aaron Feeney.
This podcast is brought to you by the Monk Manual. The monk manual is dedicated to providing best-in-class tools for helping you build a more potent life, and experience peaceful being and purposeful doing on a daily basis. If you’d like to be more intentional with your time and energy - please visit monkmanual.com.