Financial Planning with Mitch Grant and Being UnFlappable with Dr. Rena Koesler on the Janine Bolon Radio Show and Podcast

Financial Planning with Mitch Grant and Being UnFlappable with Dr. Rena Koesler41 min read

Financial Planning with Mitch Grant

Mitch Grant is a financial planner at Granite Capital Management in Columbus Ohio offering comprehensive financial planning services through Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation, a broker/dealer (Member SIPC) and registered investment advisor. Capital Management is not an affiliate of Lincoln Financial Advisors. Opinions expressed are those of Mitch Grant and not necessarily those of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation. Lincoln Financial Advisors and its representatives do not provide legal or tax advice. The content of this show is for informational purposes. It is not intended to be personalised or specific in nature or to be relied upon for your personal situation in any circumstance. We encourage you to consult a legal or tax advisor prior to making tax-related investment and/or insurance decisions.

Special Offers to our Listeners from Mitch:

Investing Basics: Embark on Your Wealth Building Journey

Financial Management Insight: Strategies to Help Build Your Future

Understanding Social Security and Medicare: America’s Retirement Safety Net

Higher Education: College Saving and Funding Strategies

Calculators for Your Future Planning

You may follow Mitch Grant’’s work on these platforms:

Business Website: https://www.GraniteCapitalOH.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitch-grant-chfc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/granitecapitaloh/

Being UnFlappable with Dr. Rena Koesler 

Dr. Rena Koesler has always been an outdoors girl and has managed to find a way to make a second career out of doing what she loves while coaching others to traverse their mountains both physically and metaphorically. In this episode she describes for us the many steps a person can take to:

  • Differentiate between your potential verses your purpose
  • Lead your life with a strong character and how to build that character within yourself
  • Draw in the power and “sanity” value of Nature
  • Creating your own MasterMind on the Mountain

Special Offer to our Listeners:

Dr. Koesler’s new book, Unflappable: Leadership Lessons from Climbing Mountains is due out next month. Sign up here to be among the first to receive an autographed copy! https://renakoesler.com

Also you may follow Dr. Koesler’s work on these platforms:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ren%C3%A1-koesler-business-summitcoach-speaker-and-author-22ab09a/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/koesler

Transcript of the Show

Bryan Hyde
Welcome to the Janine Bolon show, where we share tips from around the globe. As we guide practical people with their finances using money tips, increase their incomes through side businesses, and maintain their sanity by staying in their creative zone.

Janine Bolon
Welcome to the Janine Bolon show. I am yours truly Janine Bolon and today I have with me for our financial segment. I always get excited when I can bring on somebody other than me that talks to you about money because you guys know I’ve written multiple books and I’ve been sharing the money situation and how to live debt free for over 30 years. But what’s wonderful is I love being able to bring on guests who are much more educated, much smarter than I am in areas that I don’t even deal with. And that is today’s guest Mitch Grant. He is a financial planner at the granite Capital Management Group in Columbus, Ohio. He offers comprehensive financial planning services through the Lincoln financials advisor Corporation and as a broker, dealer, member si PC and registered investment advisor. Now Capital Management is not an affiliate of Lincoln Financial Advisors. So here you go, you know how attorneys get in. So we have to say all this before my before Mitch is ever allowed to speak. So here you go. The opinions expressed are those of Mitch’s brand and not necessarily those of Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation Linkle find Lincoln Financial Advisors and its representatives do not provide legal or tax advice. The content of this show, as far as this segment with Mitch is for informational purposes. It is not intended to be personalized or specific in nature or to be relied upon for your personal situation. In any circumstance, we encourage you to consult a legal or tax advisor prior to making tax related investment or insurance decisions. So with all that having been said the attorneys are now appeased, we have given our bird offering to the legal gods. Mitch, welcome to the show.

Mitch Grant
Thank you. Very well done. Thank you very much. It’s one of those things that in order to have somebody of niches caliber training and education, I cannot tell you how many hoops we had to jump through before they even allow him to get out and talk. So go ahead, Mitch, you you pre prepared some stuff for us to help us out with the end of the year. And it’s based on an article that you’ve written. So help us out with our money, dude. Okay. I certainly well, Janine. Thank you for having me on today. Yes, sir. over 30 years, I’ve helped the mass affluent prepare for financial independence. And these are people relying on dollars saved over a lifetime but not proceeds from speculative winnings. As they approach retirement. I often wonder what are they worried about? What are they thinking? Well, they’re they’re worried about plenty of federal debt, that high stock prices, low interest rates, higher taxes that may be coming up the potential recessionary pressures, not to mention aging parents. According to the most recent quarterly issue of JP Morgan guide to the markets, the United States, aggregate bond index yield is now over 75% lower than its 30 year average. So clipping coupons is no longer practical to produce a large amount of retirement income. The federal debt is projected to increase considerably from 78.8% of gross domestic product to 92.7%. In 10 years now, that projection was from two years ago. It’s now at over 120% of gross domestic product, the federal deficit. So it has increased about 35% In two years, and it’s going up. If this bill passes Congress, it’s going to be about 50% higher than it was two years ago. What does that mean? Well, down the road, interest rates and taxes will have to be higher.

Mitch Grant
Higher taxes will be needed to pay down the federal deficit and the national debt and also to fund Medicare and Social Security. Payroll taxes will have to go up significantly within the next 10 years or Social Security will be cut by 30%. In 2034, that’s on everyone’s social security reports if they go on social security.gov. These factors combined to create complications in retirement planning more investors have more exposure to the stock market then often matches their risk tolerance, mostly due to the poor performance of bonds and today’s low interest rate environment. They have to chase stocks didn’t get any kind of a yield. A bear market could pull the rug out from under many, many retirement plans. That’s not the only consideration factor in the retirement planning.

Mitch Grant
insurance companies charge a hefty price to insure income for a lifetime, primarily due to low interest rates. hedged equity funds are attracting attention. I’m starting to use them more and more now in my clients portfolio. But they have significant fees. The track records are not that established. High asset management fees adversely affect the income your nest egg can produce. So ask your advisor what your total expenses are. It’s desirable to get them all in and that is platform charges. expense ratios on institutionally priced mutual funds advisory fees, it’s advisable to get them well below 2%. All in to understand what they are. This is important information that could help you adjust fees to a more competitive level, you can adjust these advisory fees, ask your advisor about that you can also reduce the expenses that the mutual funds charged by having more exchange traded funds, maybe individual stocks and try to get those prices down as reasonably as possible. And a better approach to retirement income planning is a comprehensive analysis of your spending needs risk tolerance, allocation of investable assets, I use a software program called dynamic financial planning it’s new is part of the E money platform. But it’s a vastly improved version of it, I think we have a risk tolerance toggle. And that shows in a graphic version, what various rates of return on a portfolio historically could mean projected out into the future as a simulation of what your income could look like. And the potential effects on the portfolio of stock and bond price volatility historically driven. So a lot of people find that tool very useful. We also spreadsheet our retirement income, we could factor in a risk tolerance levels of varying rates of performance over many decades. So that comprehensive look people really like gives them an idea of what their retirement spending can be.

Mitch Grant
We also can adjust the spending each year. And for most of my clients, they spend less money after age 75 than before 75, we could factor that in as well too.

Mitch Grant
We also rebalance portfolios and our asset allocation for our money management which really drives the revenue of our firm. One study shows that annually rebalancing a portfolio results in better returns in 21 of the past 30 years. And this is based on a 20 year rolling averages in a multi asset portfolio using seven major asset classes. Going back to the end of 2019. This is a report done in May of 2019 by Craig Israel son in Financial Planning magazine. So a competitively priced investment portfolio that’s properly allocated to stocks and fixed income, combined with at least annual portfolio rebalancing. Oftentimes, that’s just taking profits, and reallocating it is an effective way to produce the retirement income needed with reduced volatility. So having a comprehensive plan done, and also having a rebalance portfolio where you know, what the expenses are, you know, what the allocation is between stocks and fixed income, and also possibly alternative asset classes that could be involved in various things like managed futures, contracts, real estate, things of that nature. But mostly, what’s your allocation? Read stocks and bonds? What’s your risk tolerance? What are your spending needs, and then putting that on a comprehensive software platform that’s understandable, I think makes a big difference in giving you a leg up in retirement and having a service like that before at least a few years before you retire. I think you know, the sooner you do it, the better. And update that every year makes a really big difference.

Janine Bolon
Thanks so much for walking us through that. And for people who maybe heard a lot of lingo and you have no idea what Mitch just shared with you. Let me tell you something, it’s so wonderful to actually get somebody on the show that is so highly educated and has been in the business for so many years because they’re required to use the language that they use because of the way that they are licensed and the way that they’re monitored. So if you don’t understand what Mitch has just said, please make sure you go to his website which is at GraniteCapital.com, or you friend him or connect with him on LinkedIn, because he will be happy to walk with you through this. And, Mitch, you know, we got a couple minutes here, anything else you care to share with us personally, that you’ve been seeing, because, you know, the financial community has been turned on its head upside down with all the stuff that’s been occurring.

Mitch Grant
Oh, it really has Janine, and you just can’t earn anything in the bank anymore. Insurance companies have pulled away from areas like permanent life insurance, long term care insurance, particularly is very difficult to find, for a number of clients. I think asset based Long Term Care, universal life with a long term care writer is something to look at, I think you really have to work with an insurance professional, on that. We do that kind of thing. But low interest rates have really made these types of products very expensive, when you really have to understand how your portfolio or 401k is allocated between stocks and bonds, how it can behave in a bear market, what you need to spend from that nest egg, at what point and how much it costs. Those that’s the fundamental blocking and tackling. And if you ask those questions, and you’re working with somebody that gives you straight answers that you understand, I think you’re in a good place.

Janine Bolon
And that’s really it isn’t it’s trade answers that you understand. And so I highly recommend that you reach out to Mitch, you can find him on Facebook at Granite, capital O H, on LinkedIn as Mitch grant, CH FC, or go to his website where he has free flipbooks to help you with the lingo help you get set up, he has articles everywhere there. And if you need help with definitions, he is there for you. I cannot say enough about this. So thank you so much for being with us, Mitch. I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy day.

Mitch Grant
Well, thank you, Janine, it was a pleasure. And I look forward to talking to you again real soon.

Janine Bolon
You betcha. And hey, stay with us because in our next segment, we’re going to be talking to Dr. Rena Kessler, the unflappable coach who talks to you about how you can build your leadership skills in your own life, using the techniques that she has learned by climbing mountains. And so I really can’t say enough about Mitch or Rena. You really want to be with us as we come back.

Janine Bolon
Welcome to the Janine Bolon show. I’m Janine, and with me today is Rena Kessler, who happens to be a former professor turned entrepreneur. She took the most favorite parts of her being a professor and created a coaching and speaking practice. And she often uses her 40 years of outdoor adventure and climbing mountains to speak and write about, you guessed it, leadership, team development and personal development. She coaches clients through so many of their own life events and through their businesses, and always answers that question, what’s next? What’s the next step for you? She values the essence of desire that people have to identify their own desires and what they can do to move toward them. And also demonstrate a life of fullness and aliveness, I’d like that word aliveness. She keeps people from saying I should, I could, I would. And she wants to help them navigate toward their goals, their summits, and their desires. Welcome to the show, Rena.

Dr. Rena Kessler
Thank you, Janine, thank you for having me.

Janine Bolon
Well, today we’re gonna be talking about you know, number one, you’re a multi book author. It’s always so wonderful to chat with people like that, because you have so much in your brain case, as I like to say, and you have this first book that you wrote, which was your amazing itty bitty, achieving your potential. And you hear that a lot about you have a lot of potential you need to achieve it need to find your life purpose, it can be a little overwhelming. So Hey, Doc, kind of help us through that if you don’t mind.

Dr. Rena Kessler
Yeah, you know, that seems to be rhetoric in business, like I’m going to reach my potential or people are always telling other people Oh, reach your potential. Go there, go there. And then the question is, at the end of the day, well, what is my potential? How do I know my potential? How do I get to my potential? And is there such a thing as reaching someone’s potential? It’s sort of like Maslow’s hierarchy of need. And he got a lot of critics that said, when you reach that summit from your basic food, water and shelter and going all the way to self actualization, it’s the same sort of idea. And the critics say, you one never really reaches self actualization because Once you reach it, there’s always the next level. Once you get to that point, there’s always a next level, it’s the same sort of idea with potential. When does it recognize what the potential just when you think you’ve reached your potential, then you recognize like, Oh, now that I’ve reached this line, there is more out there. And I think along with potential comes along this idea of people identifying and discovering their life’s purpose. And a purpose is not something people do. So for instance, my purpose is to be a plumber. My purpose is to be a basketball player, it’s not about the thing that people do. It’s about the themes that run through the things people do. So for example, I recognized my purpose. I didn’t identify it as my purpose when I was 21 years old, when I climbed my first mountain on October 1, 1977. And I came from the Midwest. So seeing a mountain was a big deal, but climbing it was something else. And I was with other college students had a semester off, to travel out west to Wyoming. And we had an opportunity to spend a month in the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming. So we also halfway through that program had a chance to climb this mountain called petroleum peak. And it was not easy. It was tactical ropes harnesses, three pitches to the top three rope links to the top and we got to the top and it was nearly dark, and by the timing repelled down to the base, and wander through the boulder field and threw some willows back to the where the rest of the group was, it was 11:30 at night and 16 degrees out. I awakened the next morning and said to myself, This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, and had little to do with getting to the summit, it had so much to do with something struck me, in my spirit in my soul that made me get up the next morning, say, This is what I want to do for the rest of my life. It was as if something triggered inside me that I can’t articulate enough in words, to say, this is what I want to do. Is it the climbing the mountains, yes, I’ve climbed mountains for over 40 years, it’s not about the climbing of the mountain. It’s about all the other things that come along with that, it inspires me. It helps me to recognize the strength that I have. It provides me determination and focus, and gives me that endurance and that ability to say to myself, I can put one foot in front of the other. And as long as I keep doing that, I will reach my goal, my desire, my Summit, whatever I choose it to be. So I use that so much in my own life as a metaphor for helping clients and helping myself when I’m stuck. When other people are stuck, or they feel like they’re their limiting beliefs, move them in in the opposite direction of where they’re capable of going. And recognizing one’s purpose, I believe really helps them move toward their potential. It’s the themes that run through you. For me, it’s really seeking inspiration, in order to ignite the inspiration in other people. That’s my purpose. I can do that in a lot of different ways. I could do that through coaching, I can do that through climbing mountains, I can do that through teaching. I can do that through speaking engagements, all of that people inspire me and if I can continually be engaged with inspiration by doing new things, challenging things, things that I step out of my comfort zone because comfort, you know, is comfortable, and doesn’t really stretch us. So things that I’m challenged by, I also help other people step into the unknown and step into places they never thought they’d be because they find themselves being inspired as well. In essence, they the idea of potential and recognizing your life’s purpose, go hand in hand. And I will say one more thing Janine. Another example of purpose I talk about in in my coaching sessions and in my masterclass, I talk about Jim Carrey. Now everybody knows Jim Carrey is a comedian right? You know, he’s very funny on stage. He has these funny movies Dumb and Dumber. You know, everybody’s has seen him he makes contorted facial expressions that crack people up. His mission and his life’s purpose is to free people from worry forwards and that is His purpose. So it’s not about getting up on stage and being a comedic, or comedian. It’s it’s about how, what does he do to free people from worry. He made this fabulous graduation speech about three years ago. And I would guarantee the people in that audience, were not worrying about what’s going to happen next day, the next day. They were… he was freeing people from worry. Was he funny in it? Yeah, he did some funny things. But he was so inspirational that, and he used that mission to help him build that graduation speech. And I believe that once people recognize their purpose, knowing what decisions that they make in the future, they will be able to streamline those because as long as they can determine, should I go to California to do this job or this presentation? Or should I have this opportunity? And they go back to their purposes, say, does it free me from worry? And I’ll use Jim Carrey suspicion or mind? Well, I have an opportunity to be inspired in order for me to ignite the inspiration and other people. If the answer is no, then the decision is made. I don’t do that California trip, for instance, I’ll do something else. So it helps in decision making in your future direction. It’s streams line is stream streamlines it for you. And helps you sort of bring clarity to your, your, your life direction.

Janine Bolon
That’s one of the things that I really loved about your book. Oh, well, if you guys didn’t just now tuning in, it’s achieving your potential 15 empowering steps to reach each Summit. And yes, Dr. Kessler is definitely talking about how you go about doing that as far as climbing a mountain. But there’s so many metaphors in the book, where one of my favorites is believing yourself. No one ever outperforms their own self image. And that is something you see over and over. Do you mind in the next few minutes that we have these last few minutes? Talk to us a little bit about no one ever outperforms their own self image?

Dr. Rena Kessler
Yeah, it’s an amazing quote. And one of the chapters in my book is choose your thoughts. So if someone believes or thinks of themselves as less than they will only perform to that level. But if they see themselves as someone who’s more than they will perform to that level. So as the quote says, No one outperforms their own self image. So if I choose the thoughts of prosperity, and growth, and I’m a, I’m strong, and I’m capable, and I got these specific skills, I’m going to meet those because I have trained my brain in my thinking, to believe I can do this. And that’s really the essence behind that quote.

Janine Bolon
And so not only do we want people to really focus on the mindset they have, and the thoughts that are running through their head regarding their own self image, this whole belief in yourself, I mean, I know we only have about a minute left of this segment, but you know, that believe in yourself, what are some tips that you can give here in the next 60 seconds on believing in yourself?

Dr. Rena Kessler
First starts with you, you know, no one else out there could say, You know what you mean, you’re the best that’s out there. You have to believe that you yourself, anybody out there has to believe themselves. And the coaching clients that I work with, particularly on this topic of limiting beliefs or imposter syndrome, is to alter if they believe that they can’t do something or they don’t have the abilities or they don’t have the strength. Then I have them just alter the way they say that. Put sticky notes up and put the opposite of be like I am strong, I am capable, I can do this. I am smart, I am strong, and put them all over their house, and it helps them as they wander through their house. They will be able to remind themselves Yes I am. I am capable of thinking of myself better than I thought I was.

Janine Bolon
Dr. Rena Kessler, who’s talking to us a little bit about her book really reaching your potential and we want you to stay in the next segment, because we’re gonna talk about our second book, unflappable, leadership lessons from climbing mountains. You want to stay tuned for this, because we’re going to talk about what it means to be a leader in your own life chat with you in just a bit.

Janine Bolon
Welcome back. This is Janine Bolon with Rena Kessler and the good doctor is with us today, helping us understand what it means to be unflappable. And she defines this along the lines of the leadership lessons that she learned from climbing mountains. Welcome back with us, Rena.

Dr. Rena Kessler
Thank you so much today. I look forward to it.

Janine Bolon
Well, so the second segment that we have with you kind of coincides with that second book that you have rocking and rolling right now. And that is the term his unflappable leadership lessons from climbing mountains. So why don’t you talk to us a little bit about that word, unflappable. I mean, everybody kind of has their own version of that word. So how do you like to define it?

Dr. Rena Kessler
Yeah, it’s it when I was 2122 years old. It was the year after I climbed by first mountain, in Wyoming. And after that, I was able to become a wilderness instructor, a leader of sorts, with another well known leader called Paul penciled. And together, we were taking a group of all and all women’s group on a backpacking trip. And about halfway through, he gave me the leadership opportunity to take this group of women up this peak that I’d already caught the very first peak that ever climbed petroleum peak. And he said, I’ll stay back here at Camp and you go and take these women on this climb. So we packed up our ropes in our harnesses, and we wandered through a boulder field to the base of the mountain, and we looked out, and we looked off to the west of the Continental Divide, and the weather looked really ominous. I mean, pretty dark clouds over off in the West. And I know that good judgment says don’t get to the top, you know, in a storm because you’re most vulnerable, and exposed to lightning and bad storms. So I couldn’t decide whether we should go up or we couldn’t go down. And I was at that time, I was about 24 years old. And the women on this course were twice my age. They had PhDs in outdoor education, environmental education. And I was wondering what I should do with this group. I wanted them to get to the top. I wanted them to have that experience. But I also had to take into consideration their own safety. So eventually, a woman in that group, she was a professor in California, and I remember remember her name is Margaret Miller. And she said to me, you are so unflappable. And I looked at her and I thought, I don’t know I’ve never heard that that term sounds so funny that unflappable and she said it was you’re really calm, and patient, and you’re you are You seem very at ease with this trying situation about what decision you’re going to make either go up or go down from the mountain. And that was my first introduction to the idea of unflappable and I realize that there are dispositional II there are people who are sort of have the character of more unflappable nature, and I think I’m one of them. It’s not something I have to work really hard at. But there are some pointers to help people become unflappable. And especially in leadership, so when people are stressed, and they’re under deadlines, and they are being pressured from the outside world to perform in a certain way or make a decision. People get anxious, and they can be unkind to other people. And they can make mistakes poorly because they feel pressure and under, you know, a time crunch. And so I believe that unflappable the nature of being unflappable really adds to one’s leadership influence the ability to influence other people. So some things that people can do to practice. Learning how to become more unflappable is the more experience that you have the more capabilities of you being unflappable in certain situations. The more opportunities that you have an unknown situations and how you react and interact and foreign conditions or situations, new situations. It’ll help people become more unflappable. And I think, the more prepared and plan If a person is in their leadership with their co workers or their employees, chances are, they’re also going to be more unflappable when it comes time to make decisions. So that whole essence of inflammable has a lot of mileage to it, and can really have a positive impact on your ability as a leader to influence and manage people around you. And you, it shows that people can see that you’re you model leadership.

Janine Bolon
Well, one of the things that I liked about your book, when you mentioned these different lessons, the one that you mentioned is preparation, the more prepared you are. And that’s simple, something simple like having an agenda before every meeting, or every Zoom meeting that you have, have an intention, you know, decide ahead of time what you want to do. And then things are going to go off course, because life happens, you get storms, you have rock slides, things happen that get in your path. So talk to us a little bit more, if you don’t mind about how to practice these skill sets. When we’re not in nature, when we’re not on a mountain, what are some recommendations that you can give us?

Dr. Rena Kessler
Well, those are all good metaphors, you know, a tree falls over a trail. Now what do I do, I guess I’m just gonna have to stop Well, no, you have choices, you can stop and turn around and go home. Or you can be in ingenious, and think of a way that you can work around that fallen tree. And that’s what it’s going to take, it’s going to take asking other people for help, is going to it’s going to require you to be creative in how you solve that problem. And the more experiences that you have that are disruptive, will help you become more skillful, and how you react and plan for those interruptions later on in the future. So when people talk about Ooh, everything’s smooth. And you know, this is easy, and I have no issues. I’ve had no problems. You know, I wonder, because it’s its strength in the storm, where people really develop their leadership potential.

Janine Bolon
Well, and there’s a quote from the book that I absolutely love, and that is influence without character is dead in leadership. Do you mind telling us the story behind that a little bit more? I mean, we that’s a that’s almost a no does statement. But I’m glad that you mentioned it, because sometimes I think those no duh statements are not dug into as deeply as what you you dig into them in your book. So yes, influence without character is dead into your leadership, no doubt. But at the same time, there are points that you bring up that are very powerful. So if you don’t mind sharing a little bit more of the story behind that?

Dr. Rena Kessler
Sure. Yeah, you when I started writing this book, Janine is right around the time that we were changing. Politicians in the in the role of presidency, and politics is a really good example. It doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you on. But in the midst of that, I was beginning to write the book. And I really valued the essence of character. I use my father as a good example of what character is I define character in the book. And as I was writing, this, quote, just erupted as I was streaming and writing and just putting pen to paper. And I thought that’s exactly what I believe. Leadership is, or the death of leadership is influence without taking into consideration character is a road to nowhere in your leadership. Because I think it’s the character that people demonstrate and role model for other people, that allows them to be able to influence people in a positive way people can influence people positively and negatively. But it’s the character that they have in their behavior in their decision making and how they come across to the public is, I believe, is what really demonstrates their ability to be a leader. And people can be influenced by that. And not everybody is born with character. It takes some time to develop good character and it takes bad experiences to realize ooh, that’s not what I want to be. This is not who I want to be. So people work on developing good character, but I to really love that quote, and I’m really, I’d have to say really proud that I came up with that quote, because it’s, it’s short, but it really resonates With how I believe leadership should be the other definition. Go ahead.

Janine Bolon
Oh, I was just gonna say one of the things that I love as a as a writer. And for those of you who don’t write books, one of the things that happens is sometimes you will have a statement like that come out of your fingers come out of your head, you’re typing it on the keyboard, and you almost feel like, wow, I don’t know where that came from. But that’s really good. You’re kind of proud of that. Because of that moment of inspiration that came through. As you were writing the book. Now, we only have a couple of minutes here left on this segment. So wanted to make sure we talked about assumptions can be dangerous. Talk to us in the last minute about the assumptions that you think are dangerous, and then we’ll go ahead and in the next segment, we’ll have you dig deeper into that.

Dr. Rena Kessler
Well, don’t we, as human beings make assumptions about people all the time?

Janine Bolon
Exactly. That’s why I want to know I like because like, I make assumptions all the time check. What are you talking about? Help me out your doc.

Dr. Rena Kessler
Yeah, and it’s, it’s, um, it’s the danger part, particularly as it relates to my book is that it it, you’ll have to read chapter six in the book that’s about to come out. And you’ll see why assumptions were dangerous. In this instance, we oftentimes believe people have certain skills or they are behave a certain way or, you know, a doctor knows their information. And we assume that and when we assume that we take that for granted, rather than stepping, making a step back and asking questions, making assumptions can be dangerous. But what helps alleviate the danger is ask questions about other people’s skills or behaviors or thoughts, or way in which they’re they that you think they might be thinking, or decisions that they might be making without asking questions.

Janine Bolon
And we’re gonna dig more into how you go about asking questions. So they give you the most out of the most bang for your buck, if you will, on that. And the other thing is, we’re going to be talking about the value and power of nature and how that helps when you are in a mastermind situation. So stay tuned. Rena Kessler is going to be with us a little bit longer. And we have one more segment and you do not want to miss this. Welcome back to the Janine Bolon show. I am here with my guest, Rena Kessler, who is talking to us about her two books, the first one that was published a couple of years ago called Achieving your potential 15 empowering steps to reach each Summit. And of course, we are talking about climbing mountains, and how that affects you. In your metaphor, whatever life you happen to be living, living now, the second book that’s about do out is unflappable leadership lessons from climbing mountains. So the good doctor is here with us today, to chat with us about not only learning being part of your journey, and that direction helps you find your purpose. But we were just talking about how assumptions can be dangerous. So talk to us a little bit more about, you know, we make assumptions everyday about people. But talk to us a little bit about how that can be dangerous for us. without us even realizing that.

Dr. Rena Kessler
Well, we could start with how we measure people within 30 seconds of meeting them. You know, how they talk, how they walk, how they look how they dress, and boom, we’ve, we’ve put them in a box. And we say this is how they are because of this picture that we have formed of them, and less than a minute. And that by itself is dangerous. It’s a stigma that we form. It’s it’s a, you know, impression that we have of them, which is once we get to know people. And we see them in other environments and lights, we realize, Oh, they’re not that person that I thought they were when I met them last year. So it’s it moves along this same theme about it can be dangerous, because we might limit ourselves or making a connection with someone, it might limit ourselves to be able to have our you know, relationship or business encounter with them because we cut them off or we assume that they’re a certain way because of their characteristics.

Janine Bolon
And that’s one of the things that I’ve noticed with some people, especially with what you’re talking about in your first book, which is believing yourself, no one ever outperforms their own self image. And one of those things is when you’re making those assumptions about other people. You could actually cut yourself off from resources that they have that can move you forward In your life and in your purpose, but you have made this assumption about them where they’re not going to be able to give you anything of any value. And so that’s one of those things I really enjoyed about, you know, both of your books, I’m looking forward to it, when we finally get unflappable into our hands. So, hey, if you don’t mind, let’s talk a little bit about the mastermind on the mountain that you kind of run through. And why should people even try to go mountain climbing? I mean, you know, some of us may not be able to physically we know that. However, for those that are able to do that, what is the purpose of having a mastermind? As you’re walking up a mountain? Aren’t you exhausted just with the elevation? You know, I’m thinking about the rigor of that. So talk to us a little bit about that process and your program.

Dr. Rena Kessler
Yeah, thanks. So Well, I think to begin is that even I think it’s just I am such a nature girl, I like to incorporate nature in much of what I do in my coaching and in my ability to connect people. And I find that nature is such an informal, comfortable and safe place for people to share, and get to know each other without having the airs of dressing up or wearing jewelry, or wearing a certain type of clothing. Typically, at a networking meeting, you know, people dress up, and they look nice, and they want to make a good impression. But that’s one layer that doesn’t have to occur. When people are hiking along the trail. They come as they are, and there’s no race, we don’t leave anyone behind. And everybody can do it, because we just put one foot in front of the other, and it doesn’t matter who’s first or who’s last in the in the hiking line. And it’s a small group, I only take six to eight people in these masterminds. And guess what we do all along the trail is we mastermind. And what that means is that I will start off with a group introducing each other, and we usually do some sort of an activity that’s really fun. And then I come up with a topic and a topic could be on influence, it could be on setting boundaries, it could be on the value and power of curiosity. And then as we move up the trail, I’ll stop halfway up the trail, we do an activity. And then I open it up for discussion based on that activity. So we continue to work with that topic. And then as we move up the UCS up the trail to a nice outlook. And we end with a culminating activity that brings everybody together and helps everybody share their ideas and thoughts about that particular topic, and how it relates to their business and their personal life. And by the end of that hike, people are friends, it’s easy to make connections, they easily send out their business card and now they could put a name to a face and or face to their name. And people connect outside of the baster network master mind on the mountain hike. Because again, it lends itself to informality and, and comfortable and a safe environment in which to share and and get to know other people in network with other people.

Janine Bolon
Oh, I’m sorry. That’s one of those things that I have heard about. I’ve heard about the hikes that you have I’ve heard about people have come back off the mountain talking about how it was so inspirational and helpful and they feel like new people like you know, I have a fresh slate they feel like they can just wipe the slate clean and and start a fresh. So talk to us a little bit about what I keep hearing about which is your the personal mission statements that people come off the mountain with, they have like a renewed sense of clarity. Do you mind talking to us about that important little tool?

Dr. Rena Kessler
Well, if you think about it, people are exercising and the value of exercise in nature, doubles the amount of endorphins that are released in the body. So who doesn’t want to live on just endorphins being released all the time, right? And the exercise without recognizing that you’re actually exercising? We don’t we’re just moving along the trail, looking around and watching the birds and the leaves fall and the beautiful outcrop of mountain views. And that itself is such a makes for such a spiritual connection with people. And that ignites people spirit is just being out in nature, in addition to the exercising in the endorphins, and that by itself automatically brings clarity like, why haven’t I exercised before? How come I’m not out hiking? This is not hard. We don’t leave anybody behind. And then the intellectual stuff emulation that everybody gets from hearing other people’s ideas and contributions to whatever the topic is, it’s, it’s such a beautiful, wholesome combination of these three pieces, the intellectual, the emotional, the body, mind, and spirit, all blended together to create this, again, this holistic experience on the mountain. And then afterwards, people are happy, and they’re ready to take on the rest of the day. And it has nothing to do with me. But it has everything to do with each other, and just being out in nature.

Janine Bolon
And I know that we’re told this a lot, you need to get out in nature, you need to get out in nature. And there are several of us that are in the concrete jungle. And this is one of the things I love about your stuff is, even though you are an outdoor girl, and you like to hit up the mountain and do your thing, you also have a great compassion for those who do not live in those areas necessarily. So for those who don’t live near a mountain or can’t get out, what are some recommendations that you can give them? If they’re in a concrete jungle? How do they use your techniques to be able to bring about their own personal mission statement?

Dr. Rena Kessler
That’s a great question because I used to live in Virginia and I grew up in Illinois, in the mountains there, especially in the place that I lived in Virginia. So go to a park, go to a state park or nearby garden, a botanical garden, they’re awesome to go to and take some people with you, you can do some masterminding and in any place that’s outdoors, a forest preserve, again, a park State Park, there’s places outside in your neighborhood, many neighborhoods are lined with beautiful trees and places to go where people can sit at a bench and and, you know, do activities, you know in that park and that green area, find some green, find some trees, find a nice view and you’ve got it, you still can get usurp all that good energy and spirit from those environments as well. Even though it’s called mastermind in the mountain, because we live here in Colorado, it doesn’t have to be that it doesn’t have to be a mountain.

Janine Bolon
Wonderful. Well talk to us a little bit for somebody who wants to be a part of the promotion of unflappable. It’s coming out soon. When When does that hit the presses? When do we when we’re when are we able to buy it?

Dr. Rena Kessler
Certainly it’d be a great Christmas present, everyone.

Janine Bolon
Okay. So…

Dr. Rena Kessler
Even before that, I would say closer to Thanksgiving. If I would say that towards the latter part of November, for sure.

Janine Bolon
So what website can we go to be on your pre order list or something? Sure.

Dr. Rena Kessler
My website will have Currently it has my achieving your potential 14 empowering steps to reach each Summit. It’s at my website. And that’s www.renakoesler.com. Go to my website and you scroll down to book and it will soon be books, plural, well, you will be able to order your books through that website. It will also be on Amazon, my itty bitty book, achieving your potential is currently on Amazon that you can order it through there as well. But if you’re looking for a signed copy, then you would want to order it through my website. And I can package it and send it and sign it and ship it off to you.

Janine Bolon
Wonderful, thank you so much for your time today. It was wonderful for you to be here and give us some of those tips.

Dr. Rena Kessler
Thank you Janine, I enjoyed it very much. So and I hope the audience out there did too.

Janine Bolon
And this is Janine Bolon. Thank you so much for listening to our show. We broadcast every Sunday at noon. And I always try to bring on guests that can not only help you with your money, but help you with your time your knowledge base or your sanity. And I can’t say that about many guests, but boy, we got it all today. And one of the best things you can do for your finances is to get out relax and go enjoy some nature. See you guys next Sunday. Have a great day.

Bryan Hyde
Thank you for listening to the Janine Bolon show. Be sure to subscribe to our show notes by going to the Janine Bolon show.com, where you’ll find additional resources as well as the opportunity to sign up to receive our program in your email each week. Be sure to visit our sponsor at https://the8gates.com/

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *