Have you ever been at work uninspired, disengaged, and bored?  Time creeps by one agonizing second at a time.  Many years ago before I was a keynote speaker, I was in my cubicle at work and started to yawn.  Thinking it was almost lunch and lacking any motivation, I glanced at my watch.  9:17 AM.  What?!  It felt like I had been sitting in my little felt box for at least five hours.  Ugh.

I recently delivered a keynote speech to a very successful high-tech company.  Their senior leadership was meeting for a two-day planning session which allowed them to also spend time together bonding and building deeper team relationships.

One reoccurring challenge I often hear from elite organizations is their never-ending struggle to make the right decision to help them attract and retain top talent.  And this business was no different.

I had never been sick a day in my life until at age 34 I found “the lump”. I had testicular cancer. Less than 24 hours after my initial diagnosis, I had emergency surgery to remove my right testicle. 

Following three months of brutally aggressive chemotherapy, I needed one more procedure to be cancer-free: Surgery to remove half of my left lung. The surgery was successful. However, I was left confined to a wheelchair unable to do ANYTHING, including going to the bathroom by myself. 

I used to spend 10 sometimes 12 or 14 hours even at work.  I had a very successful business career killing myself climbing the corporate ladder.  Then I had a GREAT idea — I’ll leave my successful, well-paying, secure corporate job and start my own company!