My Current Take with Lon Schiffbauer

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My name is Lon Schiffbauer and I’m a business management professor at Salt Lake Community College. In this podcast I interview my current and former students who are busy starting businesses and building careers. There are any number of podcasts out there that are more than happy to interview mega-successful people after they have made their millions, but I want to talk with people who are just starting out and trying to reconcile what they learned in school with the challenges they’re facing in real life. read less

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#21: Be Like Batman

#21: Be Like Batman

There are any number of reasons I like Batman, but a major component is his accessibility, and by this I mean, the idea that I, too, could be like Batman. Many in the comic book fandom have argued that Batman is the most powerful superhero in the DC universe, this despite the fact that he has no “superpowers” per se. He’s just a schmuck like the rest of us. Chuck Dixon, long-time Batman writer, says that Batman is “at heart a wish-fulfillment character.” And for me, well yeah. I mean, I’m not interested in dressing up as a bat and fighting crime in the pale moonlight, but I suspect that the characteristics and attributes that make Batman such a formidable doer of deeds can likewise serve us in life, business, or whatever challenge is set before us.

Episodes

#21: Be Like Batman

#21: Be Like Batman

There are any number of reasons I like Batman, but a major component is his accessibility, and by this I mean, the idea that I, too, could be like Batman. Many in the comic book fandom have argued that Batman is the most powerful superhero in the DC universe, this despite the fact that he has no “superpowers” per se. He’s just a schmuck like the rest of us. Chuck Dixon, long-time Batman writer, says that Batman is “at heart a wish-fulfillment character.” And for me, well yeah. I mean, I’m not interested in dressing up as a bat and fighting crime in the pale moonlight, but I suspect that the characteristics and attributes that make Batman such a formidable doer of deeds can likewise serve us in life, business, or whatever challenge is set before us.

#20: Interview with Darrell Godfrey, Car Racer

#20: Interview with Darrell Godfrey, Car Racer

Businesses come in many shapes and forms, and Darrell has seen many of them. But now his business venture is that of building a racing career. Many have dreamt of doing something so bold, but Darrell is out there making it happen.

#19: Interview with Claire Sudbury of Canyon Creations Jewelry

#19: Interview with Claire Sudbury of Canyon Creations Jewelry

When Claire decided to try to make a piece of jewelry she saw in Moab, Utah, rather than buy it, she had no idea that she was about to discover her passion, as well as start a thriving business. You can check out Claire's shop at: https://www.canyoncreationsjewelry.com/

#18: Learning to Love What You Hate

#18: Learning to Love What You Hate

One of my techniques for achieving some level of happiness is learning to love what I traditionally hate. In this episode I talk about how I recalibrated by attitude toward yardwork, and how I'm about to do the same thing when it comes to distance running.

#17: Getting Out of a Productivity Slump

#17: Getting Out of a Productivity Slump

Even the most driven and motivated of us can find ourselves losing steam periodically and slipping into the productivity doldrums. It’s at times like these that we can become demoralized and sort of drift away from our goals. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Here are 20 techniques you can use to get back on track and start crushing it again.

#16: The Tyranny of Productivity

#16: The Tyranny of Productivity

I’m obsessed with productivity. There isn’t a minute of my day that isn’t dedicated to the setting and accomplishing of goals. From the moment I wake up to make my wife breakfast to the last 10-minutes of the evening in which I’m cleaning the downstairs to “reset” our space for the next day, I’m always directing my efforts toward specific, clearly-defined objectives. And once in a while, in my more lucid moments, the thought occurs to me that this is all bullshit.

#15: How to Make Your Own Luck

#15: How to Make Your Own Luck

There are any number of quotes out there, either real or apocryphal, that talk about the idea of luck. General Douglas MacArthur is purported to have said that “The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself.” Then if Pinterest is to be believed, President Thomas Jefferson said, “I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” These and other quotes have a common thread: the idea that luck is not some external capricious force working upon us, but rather an environmental condition we create for ourselves by way of hard work. It’s a very western, internal-locus-of-control approach to the whole idea of luck, one to which I subscribe, at least in part.

#14: Progress Towards Excellence, Not Perfection

#14: Progress Towards Excellence, Not Perfection

"Perfect" isn’t just a meaningless term that has managed to ensconce itself into our collective psyche, it’s also counterproductive. Perfectionism can create and prolong a sense of anxiety and stress in our lives. So rather than insisting upon perfection, we instead should be progressing toward excellence.

#13: How to Multitask Like a Badass

#13: How to Multitask Like a Badass

Before we get started, let’s get something straight: multitasking doesn’t work. Now, yeah… I know. The title… We’ll get to that, but first, we need to acknowledge the cold hard truth that multitasking turns us into morons. Still, we're going to do it anyway, so let's figure out how to do it the best we can.

#12: What This Podcast Is All About

#12: What This Podcast Is All About

Start a podcast; how hard can it be? I mean, it's hardly rocket science. But you know what, it's trickier than you might think, especially for a consummate learner such as myself.

#11: Input and Output Goals: Which Is Better?

#11: Input and Output Goals: Which Is Better?

Some productivity gurus tell us to focus on the desired outcome, while others tell us to focus on the systems that help us get there. So, which is it?

#10: Interview: Fashion Designer BreeKel Orton

#10: Interview: Fashion Designer BreeKel Orton

Learn how fashion designer BreeKel Orton follows the advice of Mark Twain as she build her fashion business.

#9: Interview: Andres Domingues III

#9: Interview: Andres Domingues III

Andres Domingues III teaches us that sometimes accomplishing our goals can be a grind, but it's by working smart and being consistent that we are successful. You can follow Andres on Instagram and TikTok. Visit his Linktree at https://linktr.ee/king.dom

#8: Interview: Actor Jade Gottfredson

#8: Interview: Actor Jade Gottfredson

Actor Jade Gottfredson teaches us about holding onto goals, even when life requires us to put them on the back burner now and again.

#7: Interview: 2018 Olympian Ryan Pivirotto

#7: Interview: 2018 Olympian Ryan Pivirotto

For most of us, our goals are pretty straight-forward and relatable. Not so for Ryan Pivirotto, 2018 US Winter Olympian for the Short Track Speed Skater Team. He takes this stuff really, really seriously.

#6: If You Fail to Plan...

#6: If You Fail to Plan...

You know the adage, that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. In my experience, this is true, so let's talk about how to plan.

#5: The S.M.A.R.T. Way to Set Goals

#5: The S.M.A.R.T. Way to Set Goals

Making our goals S.M.A.R.T. helps move them from vague aspirations to actionable objectives. In this episode we'll talk about how to use this simple but powerful structure.

#4: How to Say No Without Harming a Relationship

#4: How to Say No Without Harming a Relationship

We’re generally hardwired to please. We all have a need to establish close personal bonds and relationships with others, and to thereby find emotional and caring support and security. This means that we’re loath to jeopardize these relationships by saying "no"—relationships upon which we depend to feel a sense of caring support, security, and belonging.

#3: The Roads and Bridges of Reaching Your Goals

#3: The Roads and Bridges of Reaching Your Goals

In our last episode I suggested that one of the reasons you may be struggling to reach your goals is because you’re undervaluing yourself, your time, and your resources. However, there’s more to it than valuing our resources. It could be that you’re failing to reach your goals because you lack an enabling infrastructure.

#2: You Are Undervaluing Yourself

#2: You Are Undervaluing Yourself

Think about a goal you set sometime in the past but struggled to see through to the end. We’ve all got them; new years resolutions that fell by the wayside, or life ambitions that never seemed to come together. Now, think of some of the reasons this goal went unaccomplished. If you’re anything like me they include things like I just couldn’t find the time, life got in the way, or I lost my motivation and willpower. When this happens it’s easy to get down on ourselves and think that we’re weak. But that’s not it at all. You’re not weak. The problem is that you’re undervaluing yourself.