The Importance of Sharing Your Passion
The Importance of Sharing Your Passion
Why is it important that people reach their full potential?
Behind the scenes, you would be surprised by how many guests underestimate the importance of their work, or the example they set for others. When I reach out to a potential guest, I mention that I believe they are doing great work, and that listeners could potentially learn from them. Common responses I get each time include “Oh… well I’m not perfect”, “It’s just my job”, and some people have outright said “No, I’m not that person”.
For the record, I do not think anyone is “perfect”. I think Trevor McDonald said it well in our conversation, we all have “nuggets” to share with each other. The challenge is that we forget to share. A good example of this I think is Canada. We aim to be multicultural, inclusive, and accepting but I believe we sometimes forget to share the deeper aspects. What can we learn from other cultures? How could our lives be enriched by learning about the cuisine, culture and traditions of our neighbours?
I’m fascinated by people who make a difference each day, and do not seek credit for their work. Brian Minter and Paul van Westendorp are two prime examples of this in my eyes. Brian knows more about plants and gardening than probably anyone in British Columbia. Paul is one of the foremost experts in bees. Paul became passionate about bees in grade 3, and sixty years later he is still working with them.
This is all to say, I believe we need to remember to encourage the people around us. When other people reach their full potential, we all do better. The world wouldn’t be the same if Paul didn’t explore his passion for bees, if Brian didn’t fall in love with gardening, if Carrielynn Victor didn’t pursue her love of art, or if Stephen Hui didn’t find meaning in hiking. In my humble opinion, we are lucky to learn from amazing individuals who share their passion.
Wisdom Wednesday
There are some guests who are very intelligent, and others who are incredibly wise. The two are often conflated, and perhaps there is overlap but I think it is worth highlighting some of those guests that have wisdom to share.
#41 - Sonny McHalsie: In this conversation we talk about Indigenous moral stories, the language and the values.
#36 - Carrielynn Victor: Carrielynn shares the values she brings to creating artwork, and the importance of protecting the earth.
#32 - Brian Minter: When asked how customers can support his business, his response was “by telling me how we can do better”. Brian shares how to have a meaningful relationship with others and so much more.
#26 - Eddie Gardner: Eddie describes bugs as “the ones that crawl”, trees as “the rooted ones” and truly believes we are all interconnected. He has a beautiful outlook on the world.
#20 - Kim Gemmell: Kim’s favourite saying is “turn your wounds into wisdom”. She almost lost her son as an infant and worked so hard everyday to stay strong, have faith, and be brave. I highly recommend checking out her books on her website.
Shucks… sometimes I think I come across too serious. Close friends of mine who listen have said the podcast can come across to business like at times. I knew with my next guest that we could just chat, discuss his work and have a good time. Tim Srigley is the craftsman behind Black Flag Leather Goods. He has a thriving YouTube channel and Instagram page where he shows you how to make handcrafted leather goods.
Tim and I connected in August 2020. He started Black Flag Leather Goods around the same time I started the Bigger Than Me Podcast. Over the years we have gone back and forth about improving our recording space, our audio, video and sharing our passion with others. Tim has been a huge help in improving my YouTube channel. He has been super supportive, and it was time to sit down and chat in-person.
Personally, I believe podcasts and YouTube channels open the door for people to share their stories and passions with others. At minimum, all you need is your phone to start sharing your story. That being said, I know some role their eyes because everyone and their grandma has a podcast and YouTube channel. But… who cares? As long as it is authentic, and the person genuinely enjoys what they are doing, more power to them.
Tim and I start the conversation by having some of Conor McGregor’s Proper 12 Irish Whisky, and talking about what made him want to start making leather goods. We talk about what people should know when starting a YouTube channel or podcast. Tim shares how he met his wife, being diagnosed with cancer, and having his firstborn daughter. In this episode there was lots of laughter, and Tim surprised me with a gift in the middle of the interview.