52: Shermin Kruse - TEDx Producer / Speaker, Law Professor, Global Transactions Expert, and Acclaimed Author on Tactical Empathy, Stoicism, and Much More
This podcast is all about breaking free of traditional templates and barriers placed upon us by society. Today’s guest exemplifies this in spades. Shermin Kruse is a first generation immigrant from Iran, Northwestern University law school professor, Global Transactions Expert, former law firm partner, TEDx Producer, author, and mother of 4.
Nikhil Torsekar had a wonderful discussion with Shermin about a broad range of topics, including:
Shermin’s interest in Star Trek (dating back to college), and how the Vulcan philosophies of Dr. Spock partly informed her love of stoicism Tactical empathy - a framework that Shermin has developed, that can help us become more skilled negotiators and leaders
Shermin’s multi-faceted involvement with TEDx:
Founder, producer, and CEO of TEDx Wrigleyville, home to more than 60 talks on neurodegenerative diseases, gender binary distinction, and other topics that “Rethink the Hypothesis” A speaker who has delivered two talks – one on cognitive empathy, and another on “how to change the world”
The ways in which failure can make us stronger – specifically drawing on Shermin’s unrealized ambition of becoming the first Iranian-American federal judge in the US What we can learn from concentration camp survivor and world renowned thought leader Victor Frankl about controlling our lives Shermin’s involvement in the arts, including hosting art exhibitions, and her critically acclaimed novel Butterfly Stitching, based on the stories of the women of her family before and after the Iranian revolution
To connect with Shermin, please visit her LinkedIn profile, or Website. To learn more about TEDx Wrigleyville, please visit the Website, or check them out on Instagram.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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What can a baby falling down and
pulling himself up?
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Repeatedly, teach us about the
benefits of perseverance.
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How is the philosophy of
stoicism informed by dr.
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Spock in Star Trek.
What topics does tedx
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Wrigleyville focus on and how
can these talks help us quote
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rethink the hypothesis.
And what is tactical, empathy?
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How does it differ from the
Kumbaya?
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Let's all hold hands version of
empathy and how can it help us?
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Become better leaders and
negotiators.
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Stay tuned.
As we discuss these and many
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other topics on this week's
episode of untether your life.
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Welcome To untether Your Life.
A show that empowers you to own
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your own health and Break Free.
Of templates for managing
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physical and mental wellness.
And looks at Key issues,
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impacting the South Asian
diaspora.
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I am your host and Kilt or Scar.
And I am passionate about the
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power of conversation to
catalyze change this week, we
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speak with Chef mean Cruz.
A Northwestern law school,
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professor and Global
transactions expert.
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Passionate about the realm of
ideas shall mean dedicates.
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Much of her time to producing
tedx talks and writing books.
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She has over 60 talks with
millions of views, for
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critically acclaimed,
best-selling.
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Novel butterfly stitching is
Loosely based on the stories of
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the women of our family before.
And after the Iranian
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Revolution, she recently
published Global transactions,
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and regulation political legal,
and cultural Frameworks, which
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was her first textbook before
becoming a law school.
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Professor shack mean, practiced
law for 17 years.
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Representing, Fortune 100
companies.
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She is the winner of multiple
awards for her Global influence
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and a mother of four.
And with that, let's get
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untethered.
So sure.
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I mean that's quite a bio.
So again it's incredible to have
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you on the show.
Thank you so much.
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I really appreciate it.
And thank you for the warm
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introduction.
Hi everyone.
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It's nice to be here and it's
great to have you listening.
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I guess I would add that, I am a
huge sci-fi and fantasy geek.
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I have a particular passion for
Star Trek.
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In fact, when I was in college,
I was paying my way through
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school by modeling but also
selling pool tables.
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And I need my pool cue Dax.
Which you would only know what
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that is, if you're a huge Star
Trek fan because it's just say,
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a docks on the Deep Space, Nine
series.
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Yes, that is, that is something
that most people don't know
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about.
I think I still have the Q
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actually somewhere.
In one of my closets.
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Nice.
That is very interesting.
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I don't think I did a pretty
deep dive about your background.
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I don't think I came across that
so maybe that'll be give a book
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in the works on that by any
chance.
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Or well, it's interesting that
you ask about that.
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This is something I really want
to talk about today is my
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passion for stoicism, and the
combination of stoicism and
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empathy, and a lot of my
stoicism training is partly
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influenced by Vulcan philosophy
and the second box.
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Correct.
Yes.
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That's about the extent of my
knowledge about Star Trek.
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So this its value and I
represent the spectrum of Star
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Trek knowledge, then between
this world.
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Yeah.
Yeah.
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There's so many different places
we can start this discussion but
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you know, I think if we were to
Look at, you know, if we were to
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Google share mean Cruz.
Obviously the tedx speech that
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you gave or think you've given
to it's a big feather in your
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cap.
It's probably, you know, one of
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the things you're very well
known for most of our listeners
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are very familiar with tedx.
Obviously, it's a platform with
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thousands of ideas worth
spreading their logo.
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I think your last tedx talk got
like something like two hundred,
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thirty thousand views.
In addition, to being a speaker.
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It sounds like there's another
layer to this.
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So I'd love if you could talk a
little bit more about Out your
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involvement with tedx.
Yes.
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Absolutely.
I'd love to do that.
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You know it's always an honor
and opportunity to be asked to
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speak and I'd love to talk about
my tedx talk and hopefully we'll
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do that today.
What I personally find a lot
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more interesting is producing
the talks themselves so I hold
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the license from Ted to produce
talks and what's involved in
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that is really the definition of
idea curation, you get to have
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an impact on the way people
think.
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By curating ideas finding
speakers.
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And again I emphasize ideas
because it's really less about
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the speaker and more about the
message.
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It's just that the speaker has
to be the right person and
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Ambassador for that message.
And then once we've selected
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them actually have a team of 25,
curators who I work with, very,
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very diverse from all walks of
life.
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Generationally racially,
geographically, diverse, once
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we've selected our speakers.
We work on pinning down but the
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'He, is we work on script
development, along with our
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speakers, we help them.
Rehearse.
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We do many, many rehearsals
because really these are short
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films that just happened to be
filmed in front of a live
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audience and they have to be
fully memorized and almost
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nobody delivering them is an
actor or actress.
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So they're not accustomed to
memorizing lines and delivering
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them which is probably why they
come across as authentic and
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beautiful.
So the process altogether is
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really a, it's a privilege
nikhil to be able to I need
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these incredible people and to
help them find their voice and
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find their idea and to give them
the platform for that idea to be
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heard.
It really has become a big part
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of my identity.
This work, I'm very proud of it.
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Yeah.
And so I think my understanding
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is that you run the tedx
Wrigleyville.
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Are they called chapters or
what?
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What is the terminology there
for FedEx, it's called right
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after where the tedx
Wrigleyville group and tedx ah,
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goes run by someone else.
So tedx is our Geographic.
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They are the licenses are given
geographically.
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And when I went to apply for a
license tedx Chicago was not
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available for me and I live in
Wrigleyville, so I said, hey,
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let's do tedx Wrigleyville,
because who knows?
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Maybe the Cubs will give me
Wrigley Fields to fill man.
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And then lo and behold things
happen, right?
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Actually happened.
And that's sort of how my group
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became really well known because
of the production quality,
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because tedx groups really the
production quality, really?
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Very There are people with
extremely limited budgets
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groups.
I should say with extremely
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limited budgets, who just record
on zoom and then there are two,
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three hundred thousand dollar
Productions that take place with
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Lighting and Sound and audience
and design, and activities, Etc.
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So to be among the handful who
really produce high-quality
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talks has been really a
privilege.
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I'm curious.
Is there any particular focus
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with tedx Wrigleyville?
What I would say is, every year
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we choose a different theme.
Aim for our speakers.
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This last year was rethinking
the hypothesis.
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So, you know, produce the talk
on essentially rethinking
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neurodegenerative diseases but
also a talk on rethinking, the
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gender, binary distinction,
which is something that I've
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struggled to understand
personally.
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And so I was really interested
in learning more about that area
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or rethinking how to play with
your children, right?
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So the range could really be
that wide as long as it fits
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within the theme, and it's
really intended to be
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interdisciplinary.
Canary from have that, our group
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does have a focus but our focus
is more on how we Source our
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speakers.
There's a handful of really
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well, known groups globally.
And most of them choose
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celebrity speakers or speakers
who already have a big following
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on social, because I guarantee a
successful talk.
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If you're measuring success by
impact, which means views in a
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YouTube world, we do it very
differently.
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We look for people who have
really great ideas, but don't
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already have the platform 2.
Have those ideas heard and then
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give them the platform, which
makes our job a lot more
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challenging.
Because again, if you're
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measuring success by impact and
impact is who hears your message
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in a context like this to
YouTube clicks, which I know
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sounds kind of depressing.
And it's not always about the
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numbers.
Sometimes it's about who clicks
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and who watches versus how many
might have said that, if that's
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how you're measuring impact.
And the person doesn't already
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have a social following, then
it's very challenging to make
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sure that people actually here
and watch and listen to that.
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Message.
So, our work is cut out for us,
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but we managed quite well.
I'm actually really, really
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proud of our group.
We haven't produced a single
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talk this year that got less
than 40,000 views.
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So, wow.
And some of them go into the
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hundreds of thousands of them go
into the millions.
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You know, there's very little,
you can do to control that other
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than just really great ideas,
really great scripts, great.
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And, and then just hoping that
the message gets out there.
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Yeah, and I think that's You
bring up a good point.
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Sure.
I mean about the challenges that
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I think a lot of content
creators face, you know, running
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this podcast as I can definitely
identify what that because
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there's that Continuum between
impact and measurability or in
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terms of its quantity versus
quality, I wouldn't say they're
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mutually exclusive but the
challenge is a lot of time.
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Did you have to make sacrifices
or make, you know, changes or
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adaptations to get your message
out there to get you know, those
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clicks and to get those views?
To maybe not approach Kardashian
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level the reality, but, you
know, then it's like what what
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do you give up then in terms of
that impact?
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Because that is a good point you
made earlier, I mean, because
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about the science talk, right?
Because when you're talking
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about ideas, that might go
against the grain, it might
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question the Norms sometimes,
there is a little bit of, you
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know, push back, and whether its
natural or whether there's I
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don't want, I don't want to
start talking about censorship
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but you know, there's it's
definitely We a fine dance that
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you have to be a part of, you
know, take such a strike that
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balance.
Yes, absolutely.
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And you know, as a producer
nikhil how challenging that
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dances you want to stay
authentic and true to the
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message.
And again, the whole point if we
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just wanted to be an echo
chamber for ideas that are
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already popular.
Why are we even doing this?
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It's just interesting, right?
But at the same time, if
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literally no one's going to
listen.
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That also why are you doing it,
right?
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You're just near not just yet
for yourself.
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So you could pat yourself on the
shoulder and you know, you're
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next And Cheese party.
Congratulate yourself on how
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smart you are.
I've had talks that got very few
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views but you know, I'll give
you a story.
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One of them was the deputy
treasurer of the state of
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Illinois.
We actually approached him to
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give a talk in the middle of
covid, height of covid.
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And we wanted very specifically
for him to give us three ideas
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on how to economically.
Infuse monetary resources into
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struggling urban communities
business sector, do that.
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Those communities can better be
equipped to build and help
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themselves with that infusion
and he did.
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And it didn't get that many
views.
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But a year and a half, it became
150 million dollar piece of
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legislation in the state of
Illinois because the governor
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watched it.
So we're going without
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legislature watched it.
There's it's so it's sometimes
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it's really about more targeted.
You know who sees this and how
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do we give some level of
credibility to these ideas and
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then you see the Anyway, and
then other times it is literally
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just exposure exposure exposure
without compromising values.
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Because once you compromise the
values, you really lose the very
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credibility that your platform
is based on that, people click
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to begin with, right?
Yeah.
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You know, that that's that's
very gracious of you to steer
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the conversation to the work,
you're doing to help others, you
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know, with curate their ideas.
Because you could probably talk
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about this, in your sleep, about
the talk you gave about empathy,
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but I did want to talk a little
bit about that because it was
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such an interesting talk and I
think it'll resonate with a lot
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of people out there whether
they're existing leaders or the
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emerging leaders.
When you hear the word empathy
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you think of people who are just
trying to change the world very
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idealistic and it can be a
draining thing, but it sounds
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like the way you have
conceptualized empathy.
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It's a little bit of a different
take on that.
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So I wanted to hear from you.
If you could, you're one of your
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talks was about a very unique
spin on empathy.
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If you Take us through that a
little bit.
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Sure.
Absolutely, I'd love to do that.
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So there is a spectrum between
two types of empathy and it's
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really important that we
understand what each one means
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and why you would use one versus
the other.
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So emotional empathy is what we
typically conceive of, you know,
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lavender candles and let's hold
hands and be emotionally in sync
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with one another who has been
Kumbaya around the.
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Yeah, it's great.
You know, the best way to serve
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Think of a movie, think of the
moment that ice man dies in
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Maverick, or the orgasm.
Seen in When Harry Met Sally,
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you feel shock and pain.
When ice man, dies,
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embarrassment When Sally fix her
orgasm.
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But these are fictional
characters, you're not actually
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there and yet you still feel the
feeling that their experiences,
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even the experiences of the
fictional characters is trying
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to generate in you.
So, obviously think now
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translate that into real life
that And much stronger
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Connection in the real world or
can be.
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So you're feeling what other
people are feeling cognitive,
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empathy is the other kind.
And it doesn't require any
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emotional connection at all.
So, now we're back to Spock from
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Star Trek right.
There is just an understanding
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of the thoughts and emotions of
the other side.
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Looking at the world through
their Paradigm lumps, but it
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goes beyond a simple logical
grasp.
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So, You really have to think of
Spock after.
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He spent a lot of time on the
Enterprise because in order to
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fully understand the emotions
and thoughts of others, you do
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need to have a basic ability to
connect with people on an
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emotional level.
But what I'm really passionate
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about is, combining this
cognitive empathy, which is kind
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of like a stoic empathy.
It is an emotional control of
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yourself.
While being aware of the
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emotions of others to gain
power.
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And, you know, both personal and
professional settings.
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So after my family, and I
escaped to on, WE escaped War,
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oppression, we immigrated to
Canada.
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And then the US with no money
and we found all these freedoms.
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But then, we also learned that
it's not just bombs and brutal
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governments that take your power
away, right?
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When you're a minority or a
woman or poor Nana, Grant these
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things we can your position in
every negotiation, every social
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political position, whether
you're asking to lead the team
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at work or Bargaining your bonus
structure and I really learned
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to correct this imbalance using
a stoic kind of empathy and I'm
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really passionate about that.
That's what the tedx talk is
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about.
And actually I'm pitching a book
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on this subject right now.
I owed the summary to my agent
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in six days ago, working on
that.
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Wow.
Yeah.
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And I think I'm not mistaken.
Do you also have a master class
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about this on your website?
Is that correct?
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I do correct.
Yes.
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The master class, actually,
teach this material.
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Northwestern Law School in the
context of negotiations.
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And that is what the master
class does as well.
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It's a very academic Master
Class if you ever wanted to take
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a class at Northwestern law
school but aren't enrolled or
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don't have the money.
These things cost thousands of
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dollars per credit hour, right?
Just sign up for my class and
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00:15:38,700 --> 00:15:43,000
you know more my master class on
chair mean cruises.com and it's
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a lot of the same material.
It really teaches how to be more
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tactical about the way you use
empathy to gain power.
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Power in negotiations where
there's a power imbalance.
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Awesome.
Yeah.
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I know it sounds sounds really
interesting and I think leaders
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it is a very challenging thing
because the world I think is
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Shifting with all these crises
that were going through and
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there was a time and place where
that was that take-no-prisoners
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type of mentality.
There was that hard-charging and
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especially in a very
male-dominated environment where
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it was like you know, the quote,
I would always use his feelings
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or bad for business you know.
Let's just look at numbers.
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Let's just take a Cold and
calculating View.
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And then, you know, the pendulum
shift to this, like we said,
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earlier the Kumbaya philosophy
where let's just, you know, hold
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hands.
And let's let's save the world,
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but I love the fact that this
strikes a balance between those
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two where it's like, let's try
to have that emotional
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00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:42,300
intelligence but also to the
point where it's very strategic
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and It Go focused and goal
oriented, right?
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I guess you would say 100%, I
agree and you know, from the
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perspective of a leader, ER, or
but say, it's from the
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perspective of a parent, you
know, I once received really
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traumatic information while I
was in the middle of mothering,
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my four children, my kids were
little, and they were there, and
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I could not have a strong,
emotional reaction, it would
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traumatize, the children.
So I had no choice but to
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contain my reaction to protect
them from being traumatized to.
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So this is how stoicism is in
fact not just compatible with
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empathy but the skill sets are
essential to the full.
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Schilling of the other as a
leader, think of how many times.
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You know, you're responsible for
a team emotional control,
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doesn't mean not feeling
emotions or even expressing
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emotions.
It's simply means having some
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level of control over how you
experience and demonstrate the
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emotion, depending on the
context.
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And based on what, you know,
about the feelings of the others
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in that context, and how you
could motivate them challenge
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them.
To protect them right?
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00:17:51,100 --> 00:17:54,800
Or whether you are totally and
completely free to feel because
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it's just you and your best
friend getting drunk together in
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00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,800
a bar, crying, about whatever is
going on in your life.
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That's just terrible right now,
right?
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And that's great too, it's
appropriate for that context.
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It's not appropriate for me to
be drunk, crying in front of my
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kids.
So or at work, right?
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00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:15,000
You know?
It and again it could be.
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00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:16,600
It depends on the context,
right?
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00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,300
And what we're talking about
right now, It's just having the
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awareness and the capability to
moderate yourself is appropriate
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in particular settings so that
you don't harm the people around
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you with your own feelings.
If people are interested in
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00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:37,500
learning more about because
stoicism is something that, you
353
00:18:37,500 --> 00:18:39,600
know, there's that adjective
stoic obviously.
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But there is a whole philosophy
about an addition to the stuff
355
00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,700
you've written, are there any
particular thought leaders that
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00:18:45,700 --> 00:18:47,500
you would recommend that they
look into?
357
00:18:47,700 --> 00:18:50,700
I am a lover. / of ideas and
philosophy.
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And I read a lot of Seneca and
Marcus Aurelius and it's yeah.
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00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:57,200
Seneca was the one that came to
mind but yeah, yes, 100%.
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00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:00,200
I mean, you're going back twenty
three hundred years but and the
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00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,300
ideas are somewhat dated, and
they need to be slightly
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modified and combined more with
these current ideas and
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understandings of empathy.
But that was really stoicism
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00:19:11,500 --> 00:19:13,200
before.
It went all Hollywood, which it
365
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has now, it's become a little
bit trendy.
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00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:19,400
Yeah, you know, having said that
there is a lot to be Learn from
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00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:24,700
those ancient thinkers and the
golden nuggets of Truth truths.
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00:19:24,700 --> 00:19:28,900
I should say that exist in their
philosophies remain accurate and
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00:19:28,900 --> 00:19:32,900
applicable to this day but you
know again caveat they do need
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to be modernized for this world
and the moral paradigms of this
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00:19:38,100 --> 00:19:40,800
world which are slightly
different, the conception of an
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00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,400
equitable Society was just was
different back then, but of
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00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:46,900
course before, for okay now
we'll put it in modern terms of
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what Equitable looks Like right
or what?
375
00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,500
Ethics looks like.
It still has an incredible
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00:19:52,500 --> 00:19:55,600
amount of applicability.
It really does and they're
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they're still my greatest
teachers personally.
378
00:19:58,100 --> 00:19:59,000
Yep, sometimes.
Yeah.
379
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,200
You just got to got to go to the
Classics for the insights for
380
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sure.
Sometimes you do.
381
00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,500
Yeah.
So you know your story is really
382
00:20:06,500 --> 00:20:09,500
incredible.
I mean you know, author attorney
383
00:20:09,900 --> 00:20:12,100
Professor mother.
I mean it's just that the list
384
00:20:12,100 --> 00:20:16,100
keeps going on but then there's
the other pile that's almost as
385
00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,700
high in formidable and that is
the fact that You're a woman, a
386
00:20:19,700 --> 00:20:23,300
minority and immigrant, so,
navigating that Journey you've
387
00:20:23,300 --> 00:20:27,100
had to face many hurdles, what
are some of the techniques that
388
00:20:27,100 --> 00:20:29,400
you've used to succeed in
surmount?
389
00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:33,300
Some of the obstacles of been
putting your path besides
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00:20:33,300 --> 00:20:38,600
stoicism and empathy, really, my
life's dedication has been to
391
00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:44,400
two very simple ways of being
caring and working hard.
392
00:20:45,300 --> 00:20:48,700
I genuinely believe and this
goes for being a mother and
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00:20:48,700 --> 00:20:52,400
teaching these to my kids, too.
I genuinely believe if you
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00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:59,200
simply avoid a life where you
are idle and you are not active
395
00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:04,300
and you are lazy, that you will
not achieve fulfillment.
396
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,900
You just need to care about the
world.
397
00:21:08,100 --> 00:21:14,500
Have some concern about your
impact on this on this Earth for
398
00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:17,700
the Brief period of time that
you're here and then what guard
399
00:21:17,700 --> 00:21:19,400
at it.
There's so many different ways
400
00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,000
of talking about this.
I find it.
401
00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,800
So beautifully encapsulated by a
baby.
402
00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:29,900
Who's learning to walk?
The baby pulls himself up.
403
00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:34,800
False cries.
Pulls himself up all's cries.
404
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,600
Pulls himself up, takes a step
Falls.
405
00:21:37,900 --> 00:21:43,100
Maybe cries thousands of times.
This baby just thousands of ton.
406
00:21:43,300 --> 00:21:46,600
It doesn't occur to A baby
because it's a genetic
407
00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:50,800
biological imperative in that
case to just sit down forever,
408
00:21:51,100 --> 00:21:54,000
not occur to them, right?
It's something that we are
409
00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:59,200
conditioned to learn and believe
as we get older, and as we
410
00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:03,600
experience the repeated slap in
the face, that's life, but
411
00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:06,300
you've got to the baby has that
biological imperative.
412
00:22:06,300 --> 00:22:08,700
You're not going to have that
necessarily with respect to what
413
00:22:08,700 --> 00:22:11,100
your goals are.
So you have to have the passion,
414
00:22:11,100 --> 00:22:14,600
the carrot it has to matter to
you, right.
415
00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:19,900
And it has matter to you beyond
the momentary experience of
416
00:22:19,900 --> 00:22:23,100
pleasure.
It has to matter to you at your
417
00:22:23,100 --> 00:22:25,200
core and I do mean everything
that you do.
418
00:22:25,500 --> 00:22:30,200
But as a general matter how you
live, your life has to matter as
419
00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:33,700
a general matter, you have to be
able to be comfortable with the
420
00:22:33,700 --> 00:22:36,900
consistency between your values
and your actions, when you lay
421
00:22:36,900 --> 00:22:40,300
your head down at night, and to
the extent that your actions,
422
00:22:40,300 --> 00:22:44,000
violated your values, which they
sometimes will, they just well
423
00:22:44,300 --> 00:22:47,800
because your You have to
acknowledge that and then you
424
00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:50,800
have to find a way to resolve it
either within yourself or within
425
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,300
your community, whatever the
case might be, and then do
426
00:22:53,300 --> 00:22:55,800
better the next day.
You know what you touched on
427
00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:57,800
there?
I love the analogy used about,
428
00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,900
you know, the baby that falls
down and gets up.
429
00:23:00,900 --> 00:23:03,900
And, you know, continues to,
it's like they are driven by
430
00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:06,900
this failure is not an option
Mantra, right?
431
00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:09,900
And you make a good point in
some of your other talks about
432
00:23:10,100 --> 00:23:12,900
how failure can actually make
you stronger, As Long as You
433
00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,100
observe, what's going on and
Then you bounce back, obviously
434
00:23:16,100 --> 00:23:19,400
your resume, you've got success
after success, but I'd love to
435
00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:23,100
hear more about some of the
instances of failure at you
436
00:23:23,100 --> 00:23:25,400
bounce back from because I think
our listeners would could
437
00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:26,700
definitely learn a lot from
that.
438
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:28,800
I appreciate you asking about
that.
439
00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,300
It's always so hard at but yet,
so important to talk about, I'm
440
00:23:32,300 --> 00:23:33,800
going to give you an example of
failure.
441
00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:37,600
That was an epic failure and
that really required me to just
442
00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:41,700
rethink the direction of my life
because that the example of the
443
00:23:41,708 --> 00:23:44,700
baby, the baby eventually gets
to walk but there are sometimes
444
00:23:44,900 --> 00:23:48,500
Things that you will fail at and
you will never get to do, right?
445
00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,600
And this is my story.
My story is at the peak of my
446
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:53,500
legal practice.
I was really interested in
447
00:23:53,508 --> 00:23:56,700
becoming a federal judge.
I practice law for almost 18
448
00:23:56,700 --> 00:24:00,400
years at a very, very high level
and back home in Iran.
449
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:03,400
Women can be lawyers, but they
can't be judges.
450
00:24:03,900 --> 00:24:07,000
And so the idea that I was in
America and I could become the
451
00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,800
first Iranian American, I wanted
to be a federal judge.
452
00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,500
The first Iranian American
federal judge in the United
453
00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:14,700
States of America.
That's stuck.
454
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:16,900
Up with me and I thought I'm
qualified.
455
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:21,400
I can do this job.
You know, I really can and I
456
00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:23,400
went for it.
But the thing about political
457
00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:25,300
appointments, is there really
tricky?
458
00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:30,100
And I think I tried maybe five
times and twice.
459
00:24:30,100 --> 00:24:31,900
It was between me and one other
person.
460
00:24:31,900 --> 00:24:34,400
So I mean, I came really close.
It's not as though.
461
00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:39,100
It was a pie in the sky type of
idea, it was achievable, I just
462
00:24:39,100 --> 00:24:42,100
didn't achieve it now, there are
so many reasons for that.
463
00:24:42,100 --> 00:24:45,200
It's a very complicated thing to
try to become a federal And the
464
00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:46,900
people end up getting the job
are great.
465
00:24:46,900 --> 00:24:49,200
They're do, I mean I see them on
the bench, they're doing really,
466
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:52,100
really great work.
I ended up taking my life to a
467
00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:55,400
really different direction from
from that direction because when
468
00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,200
you're a federal judge you
really can't be an activist.
469
00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,200
You really can't be politically
engaged or involved in any way
470
00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,200
for obvious reasons you can't
demonstrate any kind of
471
00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:07,400
favoritism or bias of any kind.
These are lifetime appointments.
472
00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,500
So for an entire lifetime, I
couldn't do any kind of activism
473
00:25:10,500 --> 00:25:14,100
or even a lot of charitable
events or engagements are not
474
00:25:14,100 --> 00:25:16,900
appropriate.
But, you know, at that moment,
475
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:22,000
at that moment, when the last
time I applied and I did and I
476
00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:27,000
came so close and I didn't make
it, and I just had to decide
477
00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,100
whether I was going to keep
trying, which would have met
478
00:25:30,300 --> 00:25:32,500
keeping my legal practice as
well, because you have to
479
00:25:32,508 --> 00:25:37,100
continue to be a qualified
lawyer, obviously versus
480
00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,200
redirecting my life.
And at that moment, I chose to
481
00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:48,000
redirect my life and find Packed
in a different way and remain
482
00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,200
committed to the fact that I was
going to lead an impactful life.
483
00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:53,200
But now I was going to impact in
a different way.
484
00:25:53,500 --> 00:25:56,300
It was really hard.
I mean, it really was.
485
00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,000
And this idea of bouncing back,
I think it really needs to be
486
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,900
said, you know, sometimes you
really do just fail, the
487
00:26:02,900 --> 00:26:07,800
particular task, but that
doesn't mean you failed at the
488
00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:12,500
goal.
So if my goal is impact, if my
489
00:26:12,500 --> 00:26:17,700
goal is to honor my Unity.
If my goal is to be a good
490
00:26:17,700 --> 00:26:21,600
ambassador to my people, then
there are other ways of
491
00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:25,200
accomplishing that goal than the
one thing I had set my sights on
492
00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,000
that depended on a complex
political system outside of my
493
00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,900
control, but yeah, it was really
hard.
494
00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:33,900
Yeah.
And, and so, so the federal
495
00:26:33,900 --> 00:26:37,700
judgeship, I guess that
something, I mean was that like
496
00:26:37,700 --> 00:26:40,700
several years in the process
where you had, it was a pretty
497
00:26:40,700 --> 00:26:43,300
rigorous thing that you had to
go through and how long ago was
498
00:26:43,300 --> 00:26:48,000
that well.
I suppose the last so it ended
499
00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:52,300
maybe four years ago and it
lasted at least four years and I
500
00:26:52,300 --> 00:26:54,200
guess continuing on that
discussion.
501
00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,800
Thanks that was that was very
interesting and enlightening.
502
00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:59,400
I think it's it's good.
You make a good point.
503
00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:03,000
I mean, not every story has a
happy ending, right?
504
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,200
I mean when we have to be
resilient and sort of Take the
505
00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,200
Long View and sort of see these
as bumps in the road that can be
506
00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:14,300
painful but ultimately you know
very beneficial and help for
507
00:27:14,700 --> 00:27:16,900
Permission.
What is your current like, how
508
00:27:16,900 --> 00:27:19,900
are you spending your days?
Currently, we talked about the
509
00:27:19,900 --> 00:27:23,400
tedx work.
You talked about writing books
510
00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,300
and are you currently practicing
as an attorney as well?
511
00:27:26,300 --> 00:27:28,400
Or is that something you had
walked away from?
512
00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,200
What I actually retired from the
practice.
513
00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:34,300
After I didn't get the last time
I didn't get the judgeship.
514
00:27:34,300 --> 00:27:36,600
I retired from practice, I'll be
honest with you nikhil.
515
00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:41,100
Some of us have to buy a premium
in this world and I had reached
516
00:27:41,100 --> 00:27:45,900
a level where I didn't need a
particular, Come anymore.
517
00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,800
So I retired from practice, I
started teaching law.
518
00:27:48,900 --> 00:27:52,300
So I am a professor at
Northwestern law, school, and
519
00:27:52,300 --> 00:27:57,100
writing and producing, and
really sort of dedicated myself
520
00:27:57,100 --> 00:28:01,500
and my world and my life to
having an impact on ideas,
521
00:28:01,500 --> 00:28:03,500
whether they were my own or
other people's, right?
522
00:28:03,500 --> 00:28:07,300
And I mentioned earlier that,
that I'm just as passionate
523
00:28:07,500 --> 00:28:10,300
about finding other people's
great ideas and helping them
524
00:28:10,300 --> 00:28:14,600
bring those into the world as I
am with my own and that's the
525
00:28:14,700 --> 00:28:16,100
Auction.
I ended up going, I couldn't
526
00:28:16,100 --> 00:28:19,100
have done any of that.
If I was a judge, I could have
527
00:28:19,100 --> 00:28:23,000
written, I still could have
taught maybe certain classes, I
528
00:28:23,008 --> 00:28:27,000
still could have published my
textbook but I couldn't be doing
529
00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,400
the work that I'm doing now.
And honestly now I cannot
530
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,000
conceive of a world where I'd be
doing anything else.
531
00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:38,400
I mean it's I am just so
fulfilled with where I am.
532
00:28:38,700 --> 00:28:42,100
And this life is also full of
fear, right?
533
00:28:42,100 --> 00:28:46,200
I mean there is the sponsor For
the tedx event that you couldn't
534
00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:50,300
get or there is this speaker who
disappointed you because they
535
00:28:50,300 --> 00:28:53,900
just didn't rehearse and their
talk was choppy or there is the
536
00:28:53,900 --> 00:28:58,000
book that didn't get published
because the publisher didn't buy
537
00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,500
it, or there is the Arts
exhibition that didn't get the
538
00:29:01,500 --> 00:29:03,500
coverage, you want.
I mean, whatever it is.
539
00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:06,500
It's happens every day.
But I get to live this life and
540
00:29:06,500 --> 00:29:09,500
I get to be this person, and
it's really cool.
541
00:29:09,700 --> 00:29:12,900
The judge example, was one where
I don't get to live that life.
542
00:29:12,900 --> 00:29:16,100
I don't get to be that person
and a At the time, it really
543
00:29:16,100 --> 00:29:21,600
felt like an epic fail.
But now, looking back with a few
544
00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:25,400
years of time and space in
between, I can't imagine
545
00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,800
anything other than the life
that I'm living now.
546
00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:30,900
I can't imagine that.
It would be fulfilling for me,
547
00:29:31,100 --> 00:29:33,500
you know, one could say maybe it
all worked out the way it was
548
00:29:33,500 --> 00:29:34,900
supposed to.
I don't know that.
549
00:29:34,900 --> 00:29:38,800
I believe that, I think that we
choose in many respects would
550
00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,600
get, you know, given different
opportunities and freedoms.
551
00:29:41,900 --> 00:29:47,900
We choose our Direction.
And if Road is closed to us and
552
00:29:47,900 --> 00:29:52,200
we have to detour, then how we
detour is something that we
553
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:54,800
choose, right?
So, Viktor Frankl writes about
554
00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:57,500
this, he's the gentleman who is
in the concentration camps,
555
00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:00,800
right?
He could not control whether to
556
00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:05,700
Stay or Leave the concentration
camp but he could control how he
557
00:30:05,700 --> 00:30:11,000
would approach his captivity so
and he could later than control,
558
00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:12,600
how he would approach his
freedom.
559
00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:16,300
And so these are the things that
we control in our lives.
560
00:30:16,300 --> 00:30:19,000
And again, as long as we
maintain that hard work and some
561
00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,700
of that hard work isn't labor,
moving stones from one space to
562
00:30:22,700 --> 00:30:26,900
another but internal right?
How do we build ourselves up?
563
00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,800
How do we force ourselves to get
out of bed on those really hard
564
00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:31,700
days?
How do we motivate ourselves
565
00:30:32,100 --> 00:30:37,200
before a big meeting or
engagements to just be on and be
566
00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:41,300
persuasive?
And how do we present ourselves
567
00:30:41,300 --> 00:30:43,000
every day?
Not just to the world between
568
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:44,500
our families?
Sure.
569
00:30:44,700 --> 00:30:48,100
He's our best selves, even on
those really hard days with our
570
00:30:48,100 --> 00:30:51,100
spouses.
Our kids are animals, right?
571
00:30:51,100 --> 00:30:53,900
How do we not take our pain out
on them?
572
00:30:54,100 --> 00:30:58,600
But show them our joy.
These are, this is work hard
573
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:01,400
work every day.
But yeah, that's, that's my
574
00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:04,200
life.
Now, long story short and and I
575
00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,400
would say the epic fail really
helped bring me to where I am
576
00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:09,200
now and it's a great place to
be.
577
00:31:09,500 --> 00:31:11,400
No, it's really, really
impressive.
578
00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:14,900
Kind of how you've, you know
just the directions that And I
579
00:31:14,908 --> 00:31:18,500
think I read something about you
actually looked into getting,
580
00:31:18,500 --> 00:31:21,600
like, you were doing something
with Fine Arts at one point or
581
00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:23,300
something like that.
Is a, the true.
582
00:31:23,500 --> 00:31:25,000
Yes.
Well, Arts are always going to
583
00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:29,900
be a big aspect of my life.
So I've I founded an NGO.
584
00:31:29,900 --> 00:31:33,600
Some time ago that exchange art
and culture between Iran and the
585
00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:36,700
US and that's still operating
and I still run artistic
586
00:31:36,700 --> 00:31:41,900
exhibitions, I just produced a
woman like, Freedom neural, it's
587
00:31:41,900 --> 00:31:44,100
actually right at the corner.
If you're in the Chicago area of
588
00:31:44,100 --> 00:31:46,000
car, can I Son stop by and take
a look.
589
00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:49,500
It's right by the UFC gem, it's
a big huge 14 by 16.
590
00:31:49,900 --> 00:31:53,200
This is huge mural and your I
can paint it but I found the
591
00:31:53,208 --> 00:31:56,700
yard, you know myself and some
others that I don't want to take
592
00:31:56,700 --> 00:32:00,800
all the credit found the artist,
I can Iran and you know, got the
593
00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:02,600
money for it.
Organized it made it happen.
594
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:06,500
I have an artistic exhibition
opening actually this Friday
595
00:32:06,500 --> 00:32:09,200
night that's another woman like
Freedom exhibition.
596
00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:11,200
A lot of my stuff has been
around focused.
597
00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:16,500
My first book is a novel I
Almost got my masters in Fine
598
00:32:16,500 --> 00:32:17,900
Arts.
I think I'm like three credits
599
00:32:17,900 --> 00:32:20,400
short of getting my masters in
Fine Arts.
600
00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:23,000
I didn't end up completing the
program because I got pregnant
601
00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,000
with the twins that year.
My book came out and I made
602
00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:37,700
partner at the firm.
No, but you're excused to it and
603
00:32:37,700 --> 00:32:40,600
it will always continue to have
that.
604
00:32:40,700 --> 00:32:44,400
And in that world there is a lot
of ongoing.
605
00:32:44,700 --> 00:32:48,000
Successes and failures.
So you could have an exhibition
606
00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,300
that's really popular and
meaningful, and you could have
607
00:32:50,300 --> 00:32:54,000
one that nobody shows up to I've
had book readings that have been
608
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,500
in front of thousands, of people
in a convention center, and I
609
00:32:58,500 --> 00:33:01,200
once had a reading at a
bookstore that one guy showed up
610
00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,500
too.
So yeah, that world is
611
00:33:03,500 --> 00:33:08,400
definitely full of failures, but
it intersects with the realm of
612
00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,000
ideas and influence and advocacy
very nicely.
613
00:33:11,300 --> 00:33:12,700
Yeah.
And then one of the other things
614
00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:14,500
I wanted to learn about that
you're involved with right now.
615
00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:18,900
Now is my reality cubed, I
wasn't sure if you could talk a
616
00:33:18,908 --> 00:33:21,600
little bit more about that.
Yeah, sure, absolutely.
617
00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:25,400
So my reality cube is my own
entity that I operate.
618
00:33:25,700 --> 00:33:28,000
I used to do a lot more coaching
that I do now.
619
00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:32,000
And mostly work on a macro level
and just gets is generally to
620
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,700
larger audiences.
I still do some coaching for the
621
00:33:35,700 --> 00:33:39,100
right person.
If it's a good fit but yes, the
622
00:33:39,100 --> 00:33:43,500
entity is the operational entity
for speaking opportunities and
623
00:33:43,500 --> 00:33:46,800
coaching opportunities.
And it's also the one that's
624
00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,600
producing the master classes.
The first one of which is
625
00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:53,800
already available on chairman
Cruz.com but if anybody who's
626
00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:57,900
listening is interested in
reaching out, you can find me
627
00:33:57,900 --> 00:34:01,700
through shamen Crews.com or
LinkedIn so we've touched on a
628
00:34:01,708 --> 00:34:02,600
lot of things.
Sure.
629
00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:06,100
I mean, but I think at the end
of the day, the title of this
630
00:34:06,100 --> 00:34:10,100
podcast is untethering your
life, you know, going beyond.
631
00:34:10,100 --> 00:34:14,500
What seems safe and trading up
for what can seem painful but
632
00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:18,000
Ultimately is very rewarding and
this theme.
633
00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,600
Definitely I think aligns with
your story very well.
634
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:23,600
You know, since there's been a
lot of challenges and struggles
635
00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:27,199
that you've managed to come out
of even stronger and broken a
636
00:34:27,207 --> 00:34:29,900
lot of barriers and Achieve
quite a bit.
637
00:34:29,900 --> 00:34:31,800
So the listener I was just
curious.
638
00:34:31,900 --> 00:34:35,699
What would you say to the
listener that they can do to
639
00:34:35,900 --> 00:34:39,600
untether their life?
So the first thing I have to say
640
00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:43,800
and the first time I realized
this, it actually really changed
641
00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:46,500
my life.
There's Is perception that those
642
00:34:46,500 --> 00:34:49,600
who are succeeding or seem to
have it all together.
643
00:34:50,199 --> 00:34:55,000
Don't mentally struggle, just
more resilient or they're just
644
00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:56,800
better at handling things,
right?
645
00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,500
They don't experience depression
and anxiety.
646
00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:02,700
And if I'm experiencing those
things, and that's a sort of a
647
00:35:02,700 --> 00:35:05,300
deficiency, right?
It's a sort of a flaw.
648
00:35:05,300 --> 00:35:07,900
There was a moment in time when
I realized that, I don't know a
649
00:35:07,900 --> 00:35:12,200
single highly productive person,
and I use the word productive
650
00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:14,700
sometimes, instead of the word
successful, because success, Is
651
00:35:14,700 --> 00:35:19,700
implies money in this Society,
productive implies impact,
652
00:35:19,700 --> 00:35:21,500
right, which could be wealth
right?
653
00:35:21,500 --> 00:35:24,300
But it could be other things.
I don't know, a single
654
00:35:24,300 --> 00:35:27,900
productive person who doesn't
struggle with mental and
655
00:35:27,908 --> 00:35:32,200
emotional issues, whether it's
anxiety or depression, or I
656
00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:36,500
mean, you know, I think really
humans have these struggles, it
657
00:35:36,500 --> 00:35:39,900
is just a component of our
Humanity, but if you're really
658
00:35:39,900 --> 00:35:45,300
pushing the limits of yourself,
if you have chosen a life, That
659
00:35:45,300 --> 00:35:49,700
asks you to grow, which requires
you to step out of your comfort
660
00:35:49,700 --> 00:35:51,500
zone, right?
That is the only way to grow,
661
00:35:51,500 --> 00:35:53,900
literally you already know this
circle.
662
00:35:54,100 --> 00:35:57,100
Now, you have to expand to the
broader Circle in order to grow,
663
00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:59,900
but you haven't expanded yet,
you don't know it yet.
664
00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:03,100
It is quite literally stuff.
You don't know and will be
665
00:36:03,100 --> 00:36:05,200
uncomfortable and in are more
likely to fail up.
666
00:36:05,500 --> 00:36:08,300
So if you've chosen this life of
growth versus a life of
667
00:36:08,300 --> 00:36:11,600
stagnation, you are going to
experience anxiety, you are
668
00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:13,900
going to expect, you're just
it's going to happen.
669
00:36:13,900 --> 00:36:17,400
It's not a Maybe it's not an F,
it's only a one.
670
00:36:17,800 --> 00:36:20,500
So the best you can do and
candidly the best you can do for
671
00:36:20,500 --> 00:36:22,500
your kids.
If you're pushing them to be
672
00:36:22,500 --> 00:36:25,700
high, Achievers is give yourself
and your kids.
673
00:36:26,100 --> 00:36:30,200
The toolbox that you need to
cope with these emotions and
674
00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:32,700
that toolbox can be a variety of
different things for a variety
675
00:36:32,700 --> 00:36:35,900
of different people, but that
has to be a part of your
676
00:36:35,900 --> 00:36:39,700
training that has to be a part
of your parenting and how you
677
00:36:39,700 --> 00:36:42,100
train your kids.
And so, if you're doing it with
678
00:36:42,100 --> 00:36:45,100
them, and you're doing it to
yourself building, To put it on
679
00:36:45,107 --> 00:36:47,400
that background and then just
being ready.
680
00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:50,800
It's going to hit and it hits
sometimes randomly and sometimes
681
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,900
not so randomly, actually never
really random, right?
682
00:36:53,900 --> 00:36:56,500
It's what, you know, it's your
body and your cells coping and
683
00:36:56,500 --> 00:36:59,000
dealing with the stress that
you're exposing them to why,
684
00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:02,800
because the alternative would be
to sit still and learn and do
685
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:05,400
nothing, right?
If you're the same person, you
686
00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:09,200
are today, five years from now,
you have failed at being a
687
00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:13,100
human, but if you are a better
person, a smarter person
688
00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:16,600
stronger person have The way you
define these things, then you
689
00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:20,700
have succeeded and in order to
get from A to B and then from B
690
00:37:20,700 --> 00:37:24,900
to C and if we see Daddy you got
it, you gotta just be willing to
691
00:37:24,900 --> 00:37:27,500
risk it.
You got to you got to know that
692
00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:31,500
some of it is going to suck and
some of it is you're going to
693
00:37:31,500 --> 00:37:35,000
feel, I'm sorry to speak, so in
eloquently but sometimes just
694
00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:37,000
got feel dumb because you don't
know this.
695
00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:39,700
You know, it's actually the TED
Talks are really great example
696
00:37:39,700 --> 00:37:41,600
of this.
So here I have this incredible
697
00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:45,900
expert in their industry
renowned such and such But they
698
00:37:45,900 --> 00:37:49,600
have to write the script when
they write the script, they have
699
00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,600
to memorize it and then they
have to perform it.
700
00:37:52,700 --> 00:37:55,300
So until they have memorized it
and learned how to perform a
701
00:37:55,300 --> 00:37:57,400
perfectly.
They're not going to know it.
702
00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:01,000
And they still have to get in
front of me at rehearsal and
703
00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,300
deliver it.
And these are highly successful
704
00:38:03,300 --> 00:38:04,600
people.
And it's really hard for them to
705
00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:08,200
look stupid, but they have to
get up there and look stupid in
706
00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:12,100
order to get to being good.
And, you know, obviously, I'm
707
00:38:12,100 --> 00:38:14,400
there to help them in that
process.
708
00:38:14,500 --> 00:38:16,900
Hopefully you have people that
are there to help you and push
709
00:38:16,900 --> 00:38:18,900
you.
You've just got to find that
710
00:38:18,900 --> 00:38:22,100
Comfort level with the
stickiness of it all.
711
00:38:22,300 --> 00:38:25,400
You've got to know it's not an
F, get comfortable with being
712
00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:27,400
uncomfortable, I think there's a
term.
713
00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:29,900
I don't I think I've heard it
used in the military but it's
714
00:38:29,900 --> 00:38:32,900
called embraced the sock which
is basically like and it goes
715
00:38:32,900 --> 00:38:36,100
back to that stoic approach
which is just like it's not
716
00:38:36,100 --> 00:38:39,300
going to be Sunshine and
Lollipops 24/7.
717
00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,300
But if you don't go into the
lions den or whatever expression
718
00:38:42,300 --> 00:38:47,700
you want to use, then the It is
smooth sailing, but that's I
719
00:38:47,700 --> 00:38:51,300
love the way you say that that
is tantamount almost a failure
720
00:38:51,300 --> 00:38:53,400
and do you know anyone who's
leading that life, who's
721
00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:55,000
actually satisfied with their
life?
722
00:38:55,100 --> 00:38:58,000
I mean, talk about a midlife
crisis, you look back at your
723
00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:00,600
life and you think Jesus what
have I done with my life?
724
00:39:00,700 --> 00:39:02,100
And that's what, that's what
happens.
725
00:39:02,100 --> 00:39:05,900
You wake up one day and you
suddenly feel this incredible
726
00:39:05,900 --> 00:39:10,300
sense of waste and you can't get
away from that, you know, and so
727
00:39:10,300 --> 00:39:12,600
predicting that it's going to
happen and avoiding is the best
728
00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:14,400
way.
Best way to go about life.
729
00:39:14,500 --> 00:39:16,800
Life.
So, we've talked about so many
730
00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:20,000
amazing things and I've just
really enjoyed speaking with
731
00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:24,900
you, and it's been so fun.
I'd like to know what's next
732
00:39:24,900 --> 00:39:29,000
for, for sure, me and Cruz.
Well, check out the master class
733
00:39:29,100 --> 00:39:32,900
and I am really hopeful.
This book will be out sometime
734
00:39:32,900 --> 00:39:36,700
in the summer.
Maybe obviously, tune into my
735
00:39:36,700 --> 00:39:38,600
TED Talk.
I would love for you to listen
736
00:39:38,700 --> 00:39:42,900
and follow me on social media
and also follow 10x
737
00:39:42,900 --> 00:39:45,400
Wrigleyville.
That's the entity that Produces
738
00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,400
the talks I mentioned earlier
really incredible.
739
00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:51,700
Human beings for you to connect
with their excellent.
740
00:39:51,700 --> 00:39:53,600
Excellent.
And so we've got your website
741
00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:56,900
here for the listeners.
Your website is share mean,
742
00:39:56,900 --> 00:40:00,400
Crews.com would you mind
spelling that because obviously
743
00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:03,300
that's doesn't roll off the tip
of the bottle off the top
744
00:40:08,700 --> 00:40:10,200
because it's actually spelled
with an S.
745
00:40:10,700 --> 00:40:18,300
Yeah, sh ERM inm like Mother.
I and like Nancy Cruz is also an
746
00:40:18,300 --> 00:40:21,900
unusual spelling because it is
short for Khrushchev ski.
747
00:40:21,900 --> 00:40:27,900
Actually they are you SE as my
father-in-law immigrated from
748
00:40:27,900 --> 00:40:31,100
Poland and shorten.
The last name before my husband
749
00:40:31,100 --> 00:40:33,000
was born, so we had, we had no
role in it.
750
00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:36,000
I would have kept kraszewski, I
think it's good, but is a corner
751
00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:39,700
kru?
I see, sh ERM I NK.
752
00:40:39,700 --> 00:40:41,100
R.
USC kind of sounds like the
753
00:40:41,100 --> 00:40:44,500
Mickey Mouse song has a nice
ring to it.
754
00:40:44,500 --> 00:40:49,000
Maybe you should add the Mickey
Mouse soundtrack behind and then
755
00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:52,300
how else can people find you?
Sharon LinkedIn is actually a
756
00:40:52,300 --> 00:40:55,600
really great way to stay in
touch LinkedIn is probably the
757
00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:58,700
best way.
I check my messages every day.
758
00:40:58,700 --> 00:41:01,200
Wonderful.
So Sheriff me and thanks again,
759
00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:03,300
so much for for speaking to us
today.
760
00:41:03,300 --> 00:41:07,700
It was a wonderful conversation,
really inspirational to see what
761
00:41:07,700 --> 00:41:11,500
you've accomplished and really
excited to see what's in store
762
00:41:11,500 --> 00:41:13,600
for 2023.
So thanks again, share mean, it
763
00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:14,800
was wonderful speech.
Be with you.
764
00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:17,400
Thank you for having me.
Thank you guys for listening.
765
00:41:17,700 --> 00:41:20,800
Thanks so much for listening and
I hope you enjoyed that episode
766
00:41:21,300 --> 00:41:23,100
four, more of these types of
conversations.
767
00:41:23,100 --> 00:41:26,900
Please visit us at untether,
your life that Co you can also
768
00:41:26,900 --> 00:41:30,600
find us on Instagram at untether
your life, as well as on Apple
769
00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,600
Spotify and other platforms by
searching for untether, your
770
00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:35,600
life.
And if you did enjoy this
771
00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:38,500
episode, please leave us a
review or share it with someone
772
00:41:38,500 --> 00:41:41,000
who might also benefit.
Thanks.
773
00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:44,000
And until the next time we meet
stay untethered.