How Energy Efficiency Policy Helps Schools in Crisis - Audrey Parker

In Chapter 7 of 15, energy efficiency consultant Audrey Parker learns to be resourceful after her New Orleans energy efficiency project is halted by Hurricane Katrina. Parker and her colleague reset and apply energy efficiency solutions to help Texas schools, burdened by unexpected hurricane refugees, cut energy costs and shift funding to support students.

How to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking Using NLP - Audrey Parker

In Chapter 13 of 15, energy efficiency consultant Audrey Parker studies neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) to overcome her fear of public speaking. Parker studies and teaches neuro-linguistic programming to others to improve decision-making and overcome fears.

How Neuro-Linguistic Programming Builds Confidence - Audrey Parker

In Chapter 14 of 15, energy efficiency consultant Audrey Parker shares how difficult childhood experiences, including abusive environments and divorced parents can impede effective goal setting and execution. Parker finds Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) an effective way to overcome obstacles, in her case limiting behaviors stemming from a car accident, to more fully embrace her passions and the possibility life provides.

How Entrepreneur Battles Adversity and Finds Happiness - Dan Street

In Chapter 10 of 20 of his 2010 Capture Your Flag interview, hyperlocal entrepreneur and Loku.com (previously BorrowedSugar.com) founder Dan Street reflects on what has most surprised him making the entrepreneurial career transition. Initially, Street faced and had to overcome the constant stress, fear and frustration an entrepreneur faces daily. By letting go and taking a positive perspective, Street finds himself happier, content to work long hours pursuing a dream, living life defined around freedom and possibility.

Learning Acceptance from Catholic and Hindu Parents - Bijoy Goswami

In Chapter 1 of 15, leadership philosopher and bootstrap business expert Bijoy Goswami shares how his parents have taught him to be more accepting of other cultures. Goswami's parents came from opposite backgrounds in India - his mom raised English-speaking in an aristocratic south Indian household, his father raised a Brahman, Hindu, Bengali in the north. As they work through the religious, spiritual, and cultural context building a marriage and living abroad in Taiwan and Hong Kong, their son learns by watching and modeling their behavior. He ties it to "Freakonomics" chapter on parenting that highlights how children model their parents' actions.

Why Asking for Help is a Strength and Not a Weakness - Hattie Elliot

In Chapter 3 of 16, entrepreneur and connector Hattie Elliot holds emotion inside while going through both a divorce and a life-altering rock climbing leg injury. Only over time does she learn that asking for help is a sign of strength and not a weakness. Elliot highlights how asking for help remains difficult and how she continues to work on being more open sharing trying emotional situations with family and friends.

How Mother's Passing Recommits Daughter to Live Fully - Louise Davis

In Chapter 10 of 20 in her 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, Louise Davis shares how her mother's passing in 2005 recommitted her to make the most of every day. Davis, now co-founder and executive director of Peer Health Exchange, does so by embracing friends, family, and life passions to make a positive impact in her lifetime.

How to Prioritize Goals and Avoid Distractions by Saying No - Louise Davis

In Chapter 14 of 20 in her 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, non-profit Peer Health Exchange (PHE) co-founder Louise Davis addresses why turning down requests - deciding to say no - not central to the PHE primary mission constant challenges her and her team. Davis and her team prioritize discipline to avoid distraction from the PHE purpose providing health education to high school students. To do this, PHE aligns efforts with its clearly stated primary mission and continuously evaluates decisions based on the principles.

Transcription: 

Erik Michielsen:  What has been the most difficult part of your journey to date?

Louise Davis:  I think the most difficult part of my personal journey is deciding where to say no to the things that are always pulling on your work and impact.  Which is just to say, I think when you are committed to a cause like we are, to health education, you end up opening yourself up to a lot of different demands on that cause.  I think many if not all of them are really legitimate.  But to do one thing really well you have to just do one thing or do as close to that one thing as possible.  For us and for me, it has been a challenge to just be really clear, focused, and disciplined about that one goal and not get too distracted by the many other things that are totally legitimate that demand our time and energy, my time and energy.   Right now we are at that point where we can start to imagine doing more than we have done in the past and it is a really exciting moment.  I think we have to stay very clear on what it is we are going to do and what it is we are not going to do.  It is always harder to say no than it is to say yes so I think that is a constant challenge in this work.

Erik Michielsen:  How do you go through setting those priorities and following through with them?

Louise Davis:  We try to just be really clear in our mission and our work what we are trying to achieve and we map every opportunity directly to that mission.  If it does not have a direct map, we don`t do it.  We try to be really clear about that.  

How Volunteer Non-Profit Finances Growth in Down Economy - Louise Davis

In Chapter 17 of 20, Peer Health Exchange (PHE) co-founder Louise Davis shares how the non-profit's 2008 Los Angeles expansion highlights how organizations can finance growth and build stakeholder loyalty amidst a down economy. Today, PHE serves 700 students in the greater Los Angeles area.

How to Use Youth as Asset in Business and Politics - Mike Germano

In Chapter 3 of 13, Carrot Creative (www.carrotcreative.com) social media agency co-founder and social media expert Mike Germano reflects on entering Connecticut politics.  He embraces his younger perspective and learns valuable lessons about preparation managing relationships and presenting arguments to older peers and constituents. Germano, co-founder of social media agency Carrot Creative, now applies these lessons learned when engaging brand manager clients. He positions youth as an asset in social media while keeping mindful of his responsibility to develop credibility in dealing with large, multi-million dollar marketing budgets.

How Entrepreneur Learns Not to Take Rejection Personally - J.T. Allen

In Chapter 14 of 14, business owner J.T. Allen has faced the greatest confidence-building tests raising capital to finance business operations over his 10-year entrepreneurial career with www.myfootpath.com.   Evolving the bussiness concept over time, Allen has learned to not take rejection personally. By believing in his business and purpose, Allen has managed highs and lows and built momentum.

How Contingency Planning Helps Startup Manage Risk - J.T. Allen

In Chapter 5 of 14, entrepreneur J.T. Allen learns goal setting rarely goes as planned. Contingency planning - planning for things to not go smoothly - provides Allen insurance against the unexpected. His company, MyFootpath.com, uses multiple approaches to build cushion, including personnel flexibility, cash flow reserve strategies, and project portfolio approaches.

How Media Relations Job Shapes Sports Career - Jen Duberstein

In Chapter 5 of 18, Jen Duberstein learns to remain patient while working a post-college internship, eventually landing an entry-level media relations and broadcast production role in Atlanta. Daytime and evening positions at the Goodwill Games, Atlanta Thrashers, & NBA on TNT provide Duberstein, now a Major League Soccer (MLS) attorney, an introduction to the world of sports she uses to establish her career.

How Basic Storytelling Elements Transcend Cultures - Tricia Regan

In Chapter 3 of 17 in her 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker Tricia Regan shares storytelling fundamentals she has learned in her work. She finds it fundamental to reduce a story to basic elements where people, regardless of culture, can relate. Sadness, fear, frustration, safety, progress, and love represent some basic elements present in all cultures. Regan frames her recent film "AUTISM: THE MUSICAL" as kids trying to put on a play faced with overcoming an obstacle, in this case autism. By reducing autism to an everyday obstacle, Regan uses the play production to forge a connection with her audience and build their stake with the movie characters.

Overcoming Obstacles in Documentary Filmmaking - Tricia Regan

In Chapter 4 of 17 in her 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, filmmaker Tricia Regan shares how she overcame obstacles while filming a documentary. She unexpectedly finds herself in Los Angeles directing and has to overcome grueling obstacles while filming "AUTISM: THE MUSICAL." These challenges include financing shortages which threaten her ability to complete telling a character-driven story with a structured beginning, middle, and end.

What to Consider When Pursuing a Filmmaking Career - Tricia Regan

In Chapter 9 of 17 in her 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Tricia Regan shares why access to equipment does not a movie make. In short, filmmaking aptitude comes from combining passion, resilience, and some level of natural aptitude. With this, one may compete for resources and stories in the space. Without, Regan advises prospective fillmmakers to reconsider their career choice.

How to Overcome Gender Bias in the Film Industry - Tricia Regan

In Chapter 15 of 17 in her 2009 Capture Your Flag interview, documentary filmmaker Tricia Regan explains that the hardest part of being a female filmmaker is that people trust men more than women with big projects. Understanding how to present herself in a way to carry authority, beyond cuteness, sweetness, and charm, in these situations has been most challenging to filmmaker and Emmy Award winning "Autism: The Musical" director Regan.

How New Orleans Parents Inspire in Very Different Ways - Scott Gold

In Chapter 1 of 17, New Orleans-raised author and writer Scott Gold finds inspiration through his father's battle overcoming a learning disability, dyslexia, and the resulting resilience and self-motivation character building elements. His mother inspired by prioritizing the importance of food, in particular home-cooked meals six nights a week, plays in developing strong family ties.