Gina Rudan's Blog

Daniel Pink on Motivation and Genius

Daniel Pink once again tickles my brain with yet another masterpiece, Drive. In his latest book Drive, Pink offers up a paradigm shift for looking at what really motivates us as professionals, as children, as overall autonomous beings walking this planet. The book grounded in science and research  is a game changer also filled with yummy practical advice for contemporary professionals.

Enjoy this 5 minute speed interview with Dan where i asked him 3 critical questions.

  Always genuine, Dan and I continue to support one another.

Julie, Julia and Gina

Last night, I had the great pleasure of curling up with Stephen and our cat Mouse after putting Lucas to bed to watch Julie and Julia.  When the film was first released, I received so many emails from readers, friends and family  telling me that I had to see this movie. Now I understand why.

The parallel stories of these two amazing women mirrored  my life in so many ways as it probably does for millions of writers out there in the world holding on dearly to a dream of one day being published. As I watched the journeys of Julie Powell and Julia Child, of course  I couldn't help reflecting on my own  over the last two years. I was reminded that all writers walk up and down reality  lane every single day, wondering, "Am I crazy to be doing this?"  It was comforting to know that not only was I not alone but this has been the journey forever for  so many female writers.

 What I also loved about the film is the accurate depiction of the grand level of pleasure that comes from writing.  Writing is delicious. I mean it. If I could chew and taste some  of the words that I love, I'd do it. And although life as a writer is challenging, sometimes lonely and always confusing, I would not change a thing about it. I started this blog two years ago and it’s brought me more satisfaction than I  ever  imagined. Really expensive dark chocolate kind of satisfaction.

 As Julia demonstrated with her food, you have to love it, and when you reach that level of yumminess with any passion you know its worth it.

In the spirit of sharing  recipes ,  here are three lessons I just learned which  I  think are worth sharing :

Lesson #1. Everything that is good takes time. Whether it’s making  Boeuf Bourguignon, writing a book or mastering your marriage,  getting it right takes time It also gets better with time.

Lesson #2. There is a whole lot of fear that goes along with writing anything -- a blog, a book , even a report or a piece of correspondence. Every time, the fear requires that you take that big giant leap and start writing, one word at a time. That’s all it takes. So all you  “closeted” writers reading this post , this take a moment and write something. Do it. I mean it. I’m watching.

Last but least, Lesson #3. There’s no such thing as not being able to cook. We all can cook and like everything creative it just takes a big cup of passion with a pitch of courage and a dash of patience and we all can create amazingly tasty  dishes in our lives as long as we follow the recipe. Recipes are key.

Tomorrow I will make  the Boeuf Bourguignon ...what will you try?

 And if you are still looking for a unique inspiring Christmas gift for a friend in search of herself, pick up Julie and Julia. I give it two thumbs up.

Bon appétit everyone !  

Inspiration is Infectious

Don’t you find it amazing how a writer, thinker, leader, a friend, or even a child can say or write something that touches the depths of your curiosity? When these great moments happen, always stop to acknowledge that it’s happening. Yesterday on a flight back home from DC I was reading Pam Slim’s new book, ESCAPE FROM CUBICLE NATION: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur <http://escapefromcubiclenation.com>  and I found myself caught up in her enthusiasm and absorbed in her advice and the authenticity of her narrative.  If you are starting to scratch an entrepreneurial itch, you have to pick up Pam’s new book. What is most profound about the book is its ability to distill information, motivate to action, and light the fire in you all at once. I have been following her blog for two years and I am so pleased that she actually wrote a book that’s just as good as her blog, which for many doesn’t come that easily.

As a start-up myself I am reading so much from every informational and inspirational corner and her book is the best I have read yet. This post isn’t just a shout out to another writer but more importantly it’s also a lesson on the importance of acknowledging the genius in others. I wrote Pam an email this morning celebrating her success and although we don’t know one another I still believe it’s our social responsibility to acknowledge a genius success moment when it happens for someone. 

So the next time you read something, hear something or experience something that moves you, don’t wait to acknowledge it; do so while the message is still fresh on your mind and the shared energy is still all around you. Give appropriate props and pass the genius forward always.

Pam, thanks for lighting me up.

Who's Got Your Back?

When asked the question, "Who's got your back?" you may find yourself quickly thinking of your family and close personal friends. But if you dive further into your mental Rolodex of deep, meaningful life long relationships you might realize the answer to this question may very well include, thinkers, influencers, mentors, neighbors, spiritual advisers, connectors, friends and wise souls who you've had the honor and personal privilege of knowing, working with or even just having a few meaningful, yet brief encounters with. Author, Keith Ferrazzi is releasing a book in stores on May 19th on this very topic and I can't wait to sit down with it for a good read.

As i reflect on the question in Keith's book, Who's got your back and think about my own colorful journey as a corporate expat now traveling in the land of entrepreneurship, I have come to realize that in the last three months since "going solo" that I have continued to reach out to every person who has ever "wowed" me. Now, everyone's definition of wow varies. But for me a "wow" person usually has several of these attributes: a wow person is painfully honest; they are highly connected, with a diverse network accessible to them; they generally are innovative and tend to be "new idea junkies." A wow person in many ways is a hybrid living their life with two bottom lines, prosperity and social responsibility. A "wow" person is someone who is a game changer, change agent, front runner - revolutionary in some way. Reconnecting with these wow folks continues to be the best part of my new entrepreneurial journey from a learning, sharing, playing, co-developing and bottom line fun perspective.

In search of accessible genius, I have also connected with amazing new people who now have my back and, I, theirs. One of these new relationships is with my neighbor Sara. Instead of just having a standard mom's play date relationship, Sara and I, both working moms of toddlers, have built a transparent relationship of trust. I knew Sara had my back from a parenting perspective but she recently went the extra mile for me and demonstrated that she also had my female entrepreneurial back as well. She nominated me for the March of Dimes, Life to the Fullest Power Award and I am happy to share that I have been selected to be one of the honorees. The best part of this story is Sara was also nominated and selected so we both are enjoying this great honor. Sara, my neighbor, recognized the potential in what some would call my outrageous determination to live to the max and did something about it. On May 9th we both will be recognized at the Life to the Fullest Power Event here in Miami and i am extremely excited to be able to support the March of Dimes. This story is a reality check that sometimes people you least expect have your back. Sara, if you are reading this thank you.

Take a moment now to think about who has got your back. Carve out time to reach back to someone who is on your "wow list. Identify them. Email them. Call them. Touch base with them in some way. Re-engage for the emotional pleasure of the reconnection and for the intellectual foreplay that is sure to result as well.

Once you have completed the reconnection crusade then begin to build a list of the geniuses you would like to meet and go for it. You will be surprised what an invitation for a "coffee break of genius" will render for you. 

The "I must find new genius crusade" is just as fun as the " I must connect with all of those who have wowed me journey." In fact I could spend the rest of my life in search of genius and having set after set of what I like to call intellectual ping pong.

Try it. It works. And more importantly its fun.