with Joel Boggess, author and host of ReLaunch
Host of the ReLaunch podcast and author of Finding Your Voice, Joel Boggess joins Eric to discuss how relaunching, whether in business or in life, is an important ingredient to success. Joel describes his transition from radio and TV broadcaster to successful host of multiple podcasts. Having to recover from a traumatic accident as a child, he mentions how the themes of relaunching and finding one’s voice have directly steered his life.
About Joel Boggess:
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Joel runs the podcast ReLaunch, which seeks to help people find and begin down a new path for themselves.
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Though he has not been diagnosed with ADHD, Joel says he does struggle sometimes with “going after every new thing that seems interesting and exciting” – he’s an “honorary ADHD-er”.
ReLaunch and The Prefix “Re-“:
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Joel defines it as representing the weaving-together of knowledge, experience, trials, false starts, and victories from before to move toward the next phase of your business or personal development.
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The first guest on ReLaunch, tim Sanders, mentioned that “we’re constantly in a re-launch”.
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Eric: As someone with ADHD, I’ve failed so many time, but also learned so many lessons. Instead of beating myself up from failures, I tend to immediately look at what can be learned from them.
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Joel: “Whatever the “re-” is that is appropriate for you and really hits you deep down and resonates with you, that’s the one you use. It’s rewired, it’s relaunching, it’s reinventing yourself and your business so that then get to that next place”
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If we really want to make a difference, we have a responsibility to relaunch when appropriate and to be able to serve in a better way.
Joel’s ReLaunch:
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Back when he was about ten years old, Joel fondly remembers a Christmas morning where he received a boom box. He credits that present for igniting the spark within him that would lead to his desire to be the person sitting behind the microphone, broadcasting across airwaves to boom boxes like his.
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During the 90s, Joel spent most of his time either speaking on radio or on television.
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When the opportunity came to transition from traditional broadcasting to podcasting, Joel realized how ideal it would be for him and resolved to be a leader in the field.
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ReLaunch is now Joel’s ninth podcast show.
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Eric: When people see what appear to be big overnight successes, there were usually many steps happening beforehand that lead up to that success.
Childhood Stories and Struggles:
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Joel’s parents divorced when he was three years old.
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When visiting his father one weekend at the age of five, the two of them and some friends went on a nature hike.
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Splitting off from the group of adults, the kids found an old bridge that crossed about thirty feet overtop of where the parents were walking. Joel and two other kids laid down on their stomachs in the middle of the bridge and called down to their parents below.
Childhood Stories and Struggles:
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Joel’s parents divorced when he was three years old.
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When visiting his father one weekend at the age of five, the two of them and some friends went on a nature hike.
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Splitting off from the group of adults, the kids found a bridge that crossed about thirty feet overtop of where the parents were walking. Joel and two other kids laid down on their stomachs in the middle of the bridge and called down to their parents below.
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A train horn sounded. Without realizing it, they had lain down on train bridge. When his father reached the top following the train stopping, he found Joel had fallen down the thirty-foot distance.
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Joel sustained three skull fractures and fell into a coma for three weeks.
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Despite his parents being told he had no chance, Joel came out of the coma “and I demanded yogurt.”
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Joel then had to go through a process of recovery, needing to relearn how to walk straight, tie his shoes, etc.
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Joel: “I had to start again. I had to relaunch at age six […] try to find my place, my strengths, my passions.”
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Eric: When I was five, I was frequently sick. Once, I had pneumonia and a fever of 106 – after that experience my mother says I became a different person, with my own distinct agenda.
Life Plans, Work, and School Reports:
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Joel says he’s always felt he’s had to work twice as hard as others to accomplish much of the same tasks.
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He initially had planned to enter the armed services straight out of high school, but because of his injuries, including permanent partial hearing loss and permanent balance difficulties, he was disqualified immediately from all branches.
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Eric: To be successful when you have ADHD requires such an intense level of self-determination, that you either have to be it bit crazy. . . or love what you do so much.
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Joel’s parents saved virtually every school or doctor report on him as he grew up.
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As Joel and his wife did research for the Finding Your Voice book, they read through all of these reports, detailing what physicians, school counselors, and administrators said about him.
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Eric: If I told you I was never suspended from school, I would be lying.
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The doctors and administrators, though, were doing the best that they knew how to do at the time.
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Eric: Many adults with ADHD have said they feel as if they lost out because of a lack of knowledge.
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A report from a childhood physician on Joel reads “Don’t expect Joel to live a normal life,” to which Joel responds: “You know what, they’re absolutely right.”
A Cruise, A Productivity Strategy, and Time Management:
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Joel had tried to organize a cruise in 2016, but all of the reasonable options were taken. So, Joel skipped to 2017. Just recently, they locked in their seven-day cruise.
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He’s collaborating with a team member who is helping plan and manage the trip, despite it being some 20 months away.
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Joel: Understand your strengths, what you do well, understand what you need to delegate to others, and what you need to trust other people to do.
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Darren Hardy, publisher of Success magazine, suggests “power blocking” your day. Give yourself ninety uninterrupted minutes to work on your most valuable priority each day.
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Take those ninety minutes of work as the first task of the day, before addressing social media or checking other updates that are potentially distracting.
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Eric calls the tough unappealing work “eating that frog”.
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Eric: Occasionally, I’ll visit the office briefly on the weekends during the short period of time when my wife and son take a nap. It’s amazing what I can accomplish during those two hours with the pressure of that time limit. Sometimes I’m as productive during that time as I am during an eight-hour day.
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Joel: Time management is a lie. You just can’t manage it, no matter how hard you try. However you can manage your energy: when it peaks and when it wanes. We can manage to our own schedules and biological clocks.
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On the front end, it’s imperative that you understand what your three big goals are for the week. Then, use the ninety uninterrupted minutes of work each morning to power through those goals.
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The mastermind group Joel runs alongside his podcast, Joel has the participants set one great goal (Eric calls them the “big shiny goal”) for the entire ninety-day group. Then, each weeklong goal should be working in service of the ninety-day goal.
Random Question Round:
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What invention would you like to create or improve upon?
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Wine or beer?
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If you had one thousand dollars to spend on a romantic date, what would you do?
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If you were to re-name a particular boat or cruise ship, what would that name be?
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Any idea where your next relaunch might take you?
Products, Services, and Other Links:
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ReLaunch, Joel’s podcast
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Finding Your Voice: Sort Through the Clutter, Discover Clarity, Confidence, and Direction by Joel Boggess
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Darren Hardy of Success Magazine
Find and Contact Joel Boggess:
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Website: ReLaunchShow.com
Other information:
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Eric has set September 14th as the start date of the Fall 2015 session of the ADHD reWired Coaching and Accountability Group. If you are interested in reserving a spot in the group, visit coachingrewired.com.
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Eric is collecting videos describing people’s experiences with CHADD. If you are currently involved with CHADD, record a video however you wish (horizontally, please!) of you describing your relationship to ADHD and what CHADD does for you. Send it to Eric via Facebook, Twitter, or email here: [email protected].
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Help CHADD, an ADHD organization dedicated to improving the lives of those with ADHD through useful research and support, by donating to their fundraising campaign here: gofundme.com/oneof15m.
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Visit erictivers.com/audible for Carolyn D’Argenio’s list of her top Audible.com audio-book picks, complete with preview links.
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Connect with people virtually using Eric’s favorite video conferencing and connectivity platform, Zoom, by visiting erictivers.com/zoom – the basic service is totally free.
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If you want you hear your question or comment on a future episode, go to erictivers.com/adhdrewired and look for the comment form, or click on the yellow button for either “Be a Guest” or “Record your question”.
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Are you looking for a coach? You can schedule a free 20-minute consultation with Eric. Go to erictivers.com and click the blue “Schedule an Appointment” button
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Northern Illinois chapter of CHADD
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Third Monday of every month at 6:45 PM
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Grayslake, Illinois
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(CHADD does not endorse this podcast)
