John: Welcome to episode 52 of the Green Apple Podcast, we made it everybody! One year! Apparently most podcasts only go seven episodes, we made 52! Thank you so much to everyone that’s listening and sharing with their friends and coworkers. Thank you so much for those of you that have subscribed on iTunes and Stitcher, it just means so much that we’re spreading this message and that you’re listening to all the really fun interviews that I’m doing with all these cool professionals that have these hobbies that they’re bringing back to work. I’d love to have you on as a guest as well. You don’t have to just be a listener, be in on this as well. I’d love to have you come on and share your story, your hobby and passion, and then we can figure out how that’s impacted your career. Go to GreenApplePodcast.com and send me a message and we’ll get you lined up right away.

While you’re at GreenApplePodcast.com there’s that big green button there to do the anonymous research survey. Thank you so much to the 500 and some odd people who have done it already. What I’m using that for is for a book that I’m writing to help change the corporate culture. It’s looking to be published in next year. So, shoot me an email if you’d like to be on the short list for some of the exclusive offers I’m going to do with that book. My research has shown that a very high percentage of professionals have a hobby or passion that they regularly do outside of work, whether it’s running, skydiving, knitting, or even binge watching Netflix. So many of us have something that we do. The more data points I have for my research the better, publishers love it if I have lots. So please, if you’ve done it already just get three or five or however many other people to just do it, it takes 60 seconds.

So many of us have these hobbies and these passions that we’re doing outside of work, so if that’s the case then that means that the definition of stereotypical accountant, consultant, lawyer, professional if you will, is upside down. We’re not all nerds who work and then go home and do more work, we have things that we actually love to do. These are the things that we have regardless of our job, regardless of our position. If you love to cycle then you’re riding bikes before you had this job, you’re riding bikes while you have this job, and you’re going to ride bikes after you retire or get a different job. After you get promoted or a different position you’re still going to love to ride bikes, this is something that’s inside you and it’s a passion.

Sure, we don’t always have the time to do them as often as we like, but they’re still passions that are inside us. What professionalism does is it slowly suffocates your personality so that these passions will go dormant and then overtime actually extinct. I hear from so many people that say, “well I used to have this hobby,” or, “I used to have that passion.” Or even worse, people say, “well I can’t even remember if I have one or not. That’s the scary thing about it, it’s great to professional and appropriate, but excessive professionalism and that teeter totter tips leading to a slippery slope on the other side. That’s the thing that I’m trying to help everyone see, and a lot of people, all the guests that have been on the show, have been examples of people that are living it and are bringing their hobbies and passions back to work, and making it happen. I think it’s an awesome, awesome thing.

Just on the Green Apple Podcast, in the last year, I’ve had creatives who thinks that accountants are creative? We had Kelly Richmond Pope doing her film making, or Kristen Rampe with her photography and painting, or MB Raimondi with stained glass, Caleb Newquist with his blogging, Jerry Folly-Kossi designs custom men’s wear and does forensics accounting. Performing arts, you had Vin Giang doing his magic, or Andrew Tarvin with his improv, or Jen Slaw doing juggling, we had Ron Seigneur who’s a clown for some charity events, Misty Megia with her theater, Randy Watkins plays guitar, Nancy McClelland and her dancing, Greg Kyte, Stuart Hack, Rick Roberts, Dave Gilbertson all doing stand up comedy. These are things that no one thinks about when you think about the stereotypical professional. We had volunteers like Ron Shah with his play by play calling for youth sports, or Greg Papineau who is a Catholic deacon, and Misty Gear with her junior leagues. World travelers like Brad Barrett and Joseph Rugger and Edie Gardner.

Then people with the cars and motorcycles, passions like Henry Lawson and all of his cars. Rebecca Burnik, the land speed record for vintage motorcycles, are you kidding me right now? Jim Fahey with his remote control cars and MR2. People that are outdoors a lot like Seth David and his hiking, Scott Gehman and his camping, then Mary Yetto’s hunting. Then, of course, people that play sports. Sure, Eric Johnson’s golf, Amy Cooper’s a huge Auburn football fan and an accounting professor. You should see the Auburn table that she has in her office on campus, it’s awesome. Belicia Cespedes is with tennis, Joe Fleenor with triathlons, Even Hackles skiing, Christine DeAngelis obstacle races, John Choe tried out for the Florida Panthers NHL Hockey team, Jody Padar swimming, Mike Kelly plays baseball at a crazy high level, Jason Blumer crossfit, Bob Lung is a fantasy football expert, he even has a book. Then we have the runners, Jules Carmen, Kevin Yeanoplos doing the Ragnar Relays. Rumbi Bwerinofa-Petrozzello, Donna Bruce with her 20+ marathons, Cathleen Anderson. Then, we had Maya Townsend with her chocolate confusereur, Ruth Ross playing Poker with the best of them Megan Varani doing barbeque competitions and opening her own restaurant, Jason Kalies with his homemade salsa, Andrew McArthur with home brew beer, it goes on and on and on. This is what the true definition of the stereotypical professional is.

People say that these hobbies or passions don’t matter, and professionalism actually teaches us that these will get in the way of your career. But these are all people that are high level performing super stars in their professions, at their firms, and in their companies. I always hear that there is no charge code for getting to know our clients or coworkers, or we aren’t paid to socialize. But as I found, and as you can hear from each one of these green apples that we’ve interviewed over the past year, that it’s actually quite the opposite. Sharing these hobbies and passions actually enhances your career, not only through better relationships, but also through skills that you’ve developed. Listen to some of these that the other green apples have brought up, like dancing gives you great confidence at work. Theater and comedy give you amazing presentation skills. Baseball allows you to sharpen your situational decision making. Musicians learn consistency and how important practice is. Tennis and running with give you self reliance. Camping teaches you resourcefulness. Cars and motorcycle people are involved in working with a team of specialists, often times even managing that project. Art allows you to be creative and see problems from different angels. Volunteering gives you a sense of gratitude and a service mentality when you’re working with clients. How can you tell me that none of those skills make your job better?

So let’s keep this movement going. A few things that you can do that would be a huge, huge help. Please, share this podcast and all the episodes with your friends and coworkers, since I realize that they aren’t always the same group of people. The more people that hear this message that we’re all trying to spread, the better our working culture will get. If you’re listening on iTunes or Stitcher, please subscribe so you don’t miss any future episodes. There’s a new one every Wednesday. It would be really cool, if you’re listening on one of those, if you could make a quick rating or leave a review so that people looking for podcasts get an idea of the fun that we’re having in here. Last, but definitely not least, please head to GreenApplePodcast.com and let me know if you’d like to be a guest on the show. While you’re there please click the big green button, take sixty seconds, to do the anonymous research survey. When you’re done, please get three others to do it as well. Thank you so much, that would be so great.

As you know I end every episode with 17 rapid fire questions, try and put the guest on the spot so we can really get to know them. So I thought, “hey, why not?” People have asked what are my answers to these questions, so I’m going to rapid fire myself.

Favorite animal?

That’s going to be a dolphin. Yeah, everybody makes fun of me for it, but I don’t care, dolphins are awesome.

Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star Wars hands down, never ever, ever, ever, ever got into Star Trek.

Favorite movie?

Two, Ace Ventura or Dumb and Dumber. I know they’re kind of the same, but they’re both hilarious.

Favorite place you’ve been on vacation?

I’m going to say Cape Town South Africa, really, really cool place. I recommend going to anyone that’s willing to sit on an airplane for 18 hours.

When it comes to a computer, PC or Mac?

PC definitely, I’m not even cool enough to go into a Mac store.

Do you have a favorite number?

7, it’s always been 7. I had it playing sports growing up, I guess I always wanted to be the quarterback, I don’t know, I guess 7’s just always been my number.

Least favorite vegetable?

Two, cauliflower and asparagus. Gross, and gross. You can’t even put enough ketchup on either one of those to make them tolerable.

Do you have a favorite ice cream flavor?

Probably like Moose Tracks or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, or Fudge Brownie, I don’t know, anything with chunks of stuff in it. Most unhealthy thing possible, and then you put chocolate syrup on top of that, delicious.

Sudoku or crossword puzzle?

Sudoku on that one, it’s actually how I do my taxes because I don’t know how to do those either.

Favorite color?

Blue. Always been blue.

Least favorite color?

I’m going to go with burnt orange, or a rust color.

Suit and tie or jeans and a t shirt?

When I’m on stage suit and tie all the time. I get all my suits from Black Lapel, really, really great customer service, through the roof, you send in your measurements, you get your suit four weeks later, really top notch stuff.

Movie that makes you cry?

Rudy, that makes you cry every time. I don’t even have to watch the movie, I can just hear the music and you need to give me some tissues.

Do you have a favorite band?

Notre Dame marching band? Does that count? Rock band, OK. Metallica or Blink182.

Favorite comedian?

Brian Regan, absolutely hilarious, check him out.

Do you have a favorite cereal?

Frosted flakes.

Favorite thing you own or favorite thing you have?

I have my grandfather’s old typewriter, it’s from like the 1930s, it still works, and it’s something that I got after he passed away. It still smells like the pipe tobacco that he used to smoke, and it’s what he used to type me letters on, it was always in his office, so it’s a really, really cool thing.

So that’s it! Thank you guys so much for listening to the Green Apple Podcast, I really, really appreciate it. I can’t tell you how much it means that you listen to these interviews and the stories and emails that I get from people about how it’s impacted them, and how they’re now going to start sharing in their small little circles, or if they’re a manager they’re going to create a culture where it’s better for their team members to share and set an example themselves. So please keep emailing me, let me know if you’d like to be a guest on the show, keep sharing the podcast with others, just let them know about it, pick out your favorite episode and let them listen to that.