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Build Your Business On Curiosity

Episode XXX
April 12, 2023

https://cdn.buttercms.com/61e71B0iTRmpu6vzcy42

Hosted By

Dan Sullivan, Co-Founder of Strategic Coach® Dan Sullivan
Jeffrey Madoff Jeffrey Madoff

In this episode, Jeff quizzes Dan about his unique journey—from being a curious child engaging with adults, to becoming the trusted coach to some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. They discuss the power of asking questions, the complexities of adulthood, and how your early experiences might just shape your whole career. Entrepreneurs and creatives alike will gain valuable insights from Dan’s business coaching expertise and Jeff Madoff’s experience in producing a hit musical.

Show Notes:

  • Dan Sullivan’s childhood was filled with conversations with adults, which helped him develop a unique skill-set and perspective.
  • His parents were keen conversationalists, and he believes they both had ADD, which contributed to their love of engaging in discussions.
  • He found that adults didn’t always have answers, and that asking questions was a powerful tool for understanding their experiences.
  • Dan’s love of reading and encyclopedias helped him dive deeper into the topics he discussed with adults.
  • He realized early on that being an adult was complicated and that many people didn’t ask themselves the questions he was asking them.
  • During his Outward Bound expedition in the UK, Dan kept a journal, in which he wrote about the importance of understanding your experiences.
  • Dan’s journey took him from farm country in Ohio, to a job with the FBI, then a move into advertising, and eventually to founding Strategic Coach.
  • Jeff Madoff shares his excitement about his musical, Personality, moving to The Studebaker Theater in Chicago for the summer of 2023.
  • At the Parsons Design School, Jeff got to teach a student a valuable lessons: Skip the excuses.
  • Jeff and Dan distinguish the differences between courage, self-esteem, and confidence.
  • How do you measure when your company actually started?
  • The key factors of Dan’s success are asking people open-ended questions, distilling and depersonalizing their experiences, then presenting them back as universal principles.
  • The only way to grow and develop, Dan believes, is to take ownership of your experiences and learn from them.
  • Showdown: Adam Smith versus Karl Marx.
  • Many successful entrepreneurs let their money outstrip their meaning. Avoiding the fear of failure, they also miss out on excitement and the opportunity to grow.
  • There’s a lot of money out there looking for a purpose.
  • You have to be in motion to be happy.

Resources:

Jeff Madoff: https://acreativecareer.com and https://madoffproductions.com

Dan Sullivan and Strategic Coach: https://strategiccoach.com

The Parsons School of Design at The New School, New York: https://www.newschool.edu/parsons/

Personality, at The Studebaker Theater, running from June to September, 2023: https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/events/personality/

The Studebaker Theater in Chicago’s Fine Arts Building: https://www.fineartsbuilding.com/

Episode Transcript

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