The Nth Degree Podcast With Tracy Timm

This week, Now that you have your "why," we have a completely different, potentially even gargantuan challenge. That's the challenge of letting go of the definition of success given to (or even forced on) us by others. Instead, we have to realize that the traditional models of success might not be exactly how we would define success for ourselves. In fact, we might even have to embrace the idea of defining success in our very, own, unique way. But how do we actually do that, when our entire lives have probably read like a report card? Get good grades: check! Play a sport: check! Get involved in extracurricular activities: check! Get into a "good" college: check! Get a "good" job: check! How do we break this seemingly never-ending train of living up to the expectations of others and defining success for ourselves? Hop on over into the episode to learn my fool-proof method for defining success on your own terms.

Last week, we started a series on how to accomplish anything in life. I shared an awesome piece of advice that was gifted to me by a friend. Here's the breakdown: Know the needle you want to move. Know why you intend to move that needle. Know where you want the needle to go. Know how to move that dang needle. And most importantly… Do the things that move that dang needle! Put even more simply: Choose a goal. Define your “why”. Determine what “winning” looks like. Figure out what you need to do to move closer to that goal. And of course, most importantly… TAKE ACTION. Last week, we dug a little deeper into that advice by talking about Step One: Choose a goal. As you remember, this was no ordinary goal-setting session. If you have not listened to that podcast, go do that now. Rather than setting what have come to be known at SMART goals, I challenged you to set, what I like to call, stupid goals. Crazy goals. Outlandish goals. Big, hairy, audacious goals. More specifically, goals that are just “cool”

I’m a sucker for a good metaphor. All the world’s a stage. Books are the mirrors of the soul. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Young love is about as awkward as two porcupines trying to mate. Yes, I know that’s a simile. But still, it's funny. But in all seriousness, I love a good metaphor. They have the power to bring abstract concepts to life. They give our words movement in time and space. They paint pictures that allow us to understand stories in a more profound way. So when I heard this unexpected metaphor for life, I just had to share it with Timmbit Nation. A while back, I shared a blog with you about a friend I met-- Will Merrifield. Will came across my path as a potential client but remained on my path as a valuable friend and mentor. Without any prompting from me, Will shared one of the greatest metaphors for success in life that I have ever heard. Up until now, I was only able to share that metaphor with you in words, but today you're going to get to hear it form Will, firsthand. This was, hands

One day... I'll be ready. One day... I'll take that next step. One day... I'll have it all figured out. How many times in your life have you told yourself "one day"? I remember, 4 years ago (which is still amazing to me), I was sitting at the same desk, in front of the same 4 computer screens, being yelled at by the same angry men, at the same job that I hated, and no matter how miserable each new day might be, I still told myself... "One day"... I'll quit this job. "One day"...I'll do something I really love. "One day"... I'll be free. Thankfully for me, that one day came much sooner than I expected, but for most people, "one day" always seems to loom somewhere off in the distant future. For most of us, that "one day" will only come when we've done enough research, made enough money, had enough conversations, or cried enough times that we feel... gasp... ready. But what if there was a fool-proof, sure-fire, tried-and-tested method to avoid all this wishin'.. and hopin'... and dreamin'... and prayin'? What if

What can I say about Jeff Hoffman that hasn't already been said? Jeff is a successful entrepreneur, proven CEO, worldwide motivational speaker, published author, Hollywood film producer, and a producer of a Grammy-winning jazz album in 2015. He has been the founder of multiple startups, has been the CEO of both public and private companies, and has served as a senior executive in many capacities. Jeff has been part of a number of well-known companies, including Priceline.com. uBid.com, ColorJar, and more. Yup, that's already been said. Jeff serves on the boards of companies in the US, Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia, supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses in more than 150 countries. He also serves on the boards of Global Entrepreneurship Week and The Unreasonable Group. He supports the White House, the US State Department, the United Nations, and foreign governments on economic growth initiatives and entrepreneurship. Yes, that too. Jeff is a frequent keynote speaker, having been invited to sp

Regrets. One thing we all have, and simultaneously, one thing we all wish we didn't have. Maybe you wish you would have struck out on your own. Maybe you wish you would have taken the risk of starting your own business. Maybe you wish you would have quit that job you hate a little sooner. Maybe you wish you had never taken that job in the first place... No matter how old you are or what you've done in life up until now, it's very likely that you live with a few (or maybe even many) regrets. Despite wanting to live a regret-free life, there are plenty of things I regret doing. Cheating on a test. Gossiping about a friend. Putting an "all-you-can-eat" sushi restaurant to the test. Fanny packs. You name it! There are plenty of things in my life that I've done that I regret. But a few years ago, while I was sailing on other side of the world, I learned a simple secret about regrets that has completely changed my life. I no longer worry about regretting things that I do... Instead I worry about regretting the thin

Have you ever wondered what it takes to find work you actually love? Have you ever wondered what it feels like to love the work you do? Have you ever wondered if it was possible to have both things at once? I know I have... There was a time when I was so miserable at work that I wondered if I would ever find anything that lit me up and got me excited about life again. I was so down that I lost my sense of wonder and forgot that the world was full of possibilities. I would go from feeling hopeful one day to completely hopeless the next. I was worried it would never end... Sound familiar? If this doesn't describe you, then statistics tell us that it probably describes the person sitting next to you. Studies show that nearly 75% of the workforce in the United States is either not engaged or actively disengaged with their work. That means that the majority of us are either asleep at the wheel or just downright hate our jobs. So where do I get off talking about "loving the work you do" when most of us are dreading

Raise your hand if you've ever been daunted by the question: "What is your purpose in life?" Uhhhh... what?! Are you telling me I just have to have one purpose in life?! And only one?! And I have to figure it out now?! What if I don't get it right... Is it possible for me to miss it completely?! I get the shakes just thinking about that question. It wasn't until several years of battling with that question, several failed attempts at labeling my career and profession, and several sleepless nights wondering if I would die purposeless... that I decided to abandon this question completely and opt for an entirely new one. I think the idea of defining your life's purpose in one way or one word or one calling is a bit ridiculous. Our life's purpose changes all the time based on our current circumstances. So, in honor of that dynamic-ness that is life on this Earth, I decided to go with the following question instead: "What is my purpose in life... right now?" Right now... your purpose could be being the best daught

Suffering. Sadness. Sorrow. No, I'm not trying to get you to leave this page! These words evoke pain, but the most interesting thing about them is that they are 100% identifiable by everyone on this planet. All of us experience pain, misery, heartache... even just generic unhappiness... from time to time. But for some of you, you're carrying a bigger cross than normal. Something happened recently in my life that made we want to reexamine suffering. I wasn't exactly looking for answers to why we suffer. Rather, I was looking for ways to make sense of suffering... to use it to our (or the world's) benefit. I once heard someone say that suffering is a horrible thing to waste. I agree. And after this podcast, I think you will too. With all my love, enjoy.

C.S. Lewis had many incredible quotes, but my favorite one is this: "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What? You, too? I thought I was the only one...'." Our guest today, Jenn Ostman, is about to become your new best friend. That's because this entire podcast of full of moments where you will think Jenn is sitting inside your brain, thinking your thoughts, and making your decisions for you. I don't think I've ever had a guest on the show who was so eloquently and accurately able to describe her current transitional phase in life and how she's grinding out the day to day while planning for the more ideal future. Her honesty and authenticity are both incredible and humbling. She's brave enough to air out her laundry for everyone to see, but most importantly to learn from. And not to learn what to do and what not to do. But to learn that it's ok. You are enough. Your choices don't have to look fancy on Facebook or envious on Instagram. They just need to align with who you really

Have you ever wondered what "successful" people have in common? And more importantly, whether or not those traits accurately describe you? Today's guest, Walter Nusbaum, will help you know if you have what it takes to be counted among the most successful people in our world today. And if, for some reason, you find yourself coming up short, he will tell you how to get there! In addition to being a dear friend, constant mentor, and genuine inspiration, Walter Nusbaum is an author, speaker, and growth strategy consultant at his namesake, the Nusbaum Group. He has always been motivated by building and driving relationships and the experience of helping people to achieve accomplishments they might never have done alone. Whether he's spending time with individuals or with organizations, his goals are always the same... Taking his clients to the next stage of their growth. Walter's business and goal in life can be summed up by one of his favorite quotes: "​In order to discover new lands, one must consent to lose sig

We've all been there. You got everyone excited. You anticipated the day. You invited your friends and family. You made an announcement, a launch, a new beginning... and then... You fall. Flat. On your face. Failure. Failure is the biggest and most commonly shared fear among those who take chances. Failure is also, conveniently, one of the most misunderstood circumstances that exists. Those who haven't yet failed will look at failure and say, "Wow... I could never recover from that." Those who have failed time and time again, and then succeeded would say, "Wow... I could never have done it without that." And now that I've left the 9-5 world, started my own business, engaged in a new relationship, and begun a myriad of other (terrifying) things, I can easily say that without failure, I would never succeed at anything. This week's podcast is not only about failure, but about how to make failure WORK in your favor. I hope you enjoy this scientific and psychological look at "failure" and how it can actually be an

Can you imagine being an immigrant to a foreign nation? Perhaps some of you know exactly what this feels like. You leave your home-- everything that is comfortable and familiar-- and you travel thousands of miles to a completely new place. Everything is different. The sites. The sounds. The food. The people. The routines. The schools. The homes. The culture. Most especially, the culture. Everything that was once held dear is now questioned. Perhaps you came from the kind of place that values family above all else and moved to a place that places the individual on a pedestal. Or maybe you were raised to live with your family until you were married, but now everyone around you is living in apartments alone or cohabitating with significant others. Or what if your clothing was an expression of your reverence to your family and you go to a school where everyone is wearing tube tops... I'm not even going to TOUCH religious or political differences. Millions of Americans endure this type of out-of-country-out-of-bod

Sometimes stories are so powerful that they barely need an introduction. Chris Shade-- educator, administrator, speaker, and humorist-- has one such life story. Chris has transformed throughout his life from a shy, introspective, confused adolescent to an outgoing, extroverted, and self-assured adult. His vulnerability and honesty about the trials and tribulations of his life nearly brought me to tears. I was honored to not only get to hear his story, but to share it with you. My only hope is that you hear this story with open mind and open heart knowing that there is nothing that the strength of will and faith cannot overcome. With that, I give you the inspiring and authentic, Chris Shade.

You could 100% do my job. No, I'm being serious. At the risk of making myself or my work sound dumb (oh well!), I'll just say this-- this business is not rocket science! I'm sure it looks like "I have it all together" or "I was destined for this" or even "I had a head start," but here's the real deal Holyfield, and potentially a not-so-earth-shattering secret: I. Am. Just. Like. You. I am just like you. I wake up in the morning and have bad breath. I crave chocolate. I'm wildly unorganized. I get in fights with my boyfriend about how slowly he pumps gas. I have succumbed to a 6-hour binge-watching session of One Tree Hill. I've been fired from a job that I hated. I'm afraid of bugs. I am not a superhero. But I am a fast learner. So here's the secret to my "success" (remember, "success" should only be defined by you!!): Take action. Learn quickly. Make changes. Take more action. Rinse and repeat. There's honestly not much more to it than that. Trust me... you can even ask my mom. I was recently honored as one

Have you ever had a chance encounter turn into a life-long friendship? Did you know that it would the minute you met? Do you thank God for it everyday? I did. I have. I do. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Michael Hoffman almost 2 years ago. He was introduced to me by a mutual friend, and we decided to meet up for coffee. I had planned on 30 minutes for coffee... 1 hour max. Two and a half hours later, we both needed to refresh our coffees, and we both missed our other meetings. It was mentor/mentee at first hello. I was sold. Since then, Michael has been such and incredible influence in my life-- professionally, personally, spiritually, emotionally-- you name it. I'm sure I don't say it enough, and if he's reading this, he's probably blushing. But you know what, it needs to be said. Sometimes people come into our lives by chance. Sometimes they come into our lives on purpose. This relationship of ours has definitely been the latter. I'm so excited to be sharing this podcast with you today, because Mic

Have you ever gone through a particularly tricky period in your career and wondered,   "Will I ever figure this out?!"   You've tried everything.   The corporate role. Self-employment. Education. Dog-walking.   The works!   But nothing seems to be sticking the way you had hoped.   The corporate role is too impersonal. Working for yourself isn't personal enough. Education is WAY too personal. And dog-walking is just downright messy.   Well, my dear friend, you are not alone.   Allow me to introduce to you, Laura Yamin.     Laura and I connected online. She runs a successful (bleh, hate that word!) podcast that's all about "saying yes" in life when most people would say "no." She reached out to me to be a guest on her podcast (so much fun!), and I asked that she return the favor. Little did I know that I had hit the proverbial jackpot.   I. Love. Laura. Yamin.   Seriously, I'm a huge fan.   It's rare in life that I meet someone so incredibly brave and vulnerable, who's willing to put their mess out there for ot

Your palms are sweaty. Your heart is racing. Your mind feels blank. You have a vague concern that your underwear might be on the outside of your clothing, and you're really not sure why.   Yes, friend, we've all been there.   These are the tell-tale signs of the anxiety that most people feel when they approach what is now officially the scariest thing a human being can do:   Speak. In. Public.   Dun, dun, DUNNNNNNNN!   Have you ever set out to do something scary, say speak in public, write a poem, tell someone you love them, and wondered, "Does anyone else FEEL like this?!"   I know I have!   So I used the podcast this week to open the kimono on one of the most personally terrifying and simultaneously gratifying things I've ever had the honor of doing in my life-- giving my very first TEDx Talk.   Just a few days ago, Friday May 20th, to be exact, I stood on stage and delivered the most well-prepared 18 minutes of my entire life. In one moment it felt like I'd only been standing there for 30 seconds. In the n

What were you doing when you were 4 years old? Playing with blocks, perhaps? Starting to color somewhere near the lines, maybe? Pretending you're in a rocket ship that's bound for outer space, if you're lucky? Not Ben Austin. At the tender age of 4, Ben Austin already had the drive to answer life's really, really, really big questions. In today's episode I have the honor and pleasure of interviewing author, coach, and soon-to-be podcaster, Ben Austin. Ben runs a successful blog called StopStartDo.com, where he publishes articles and other content geared toward personal development and achieving life's biggest goals. He calls himself a Personal Development Architect. He will help you design the life you want. You will have to build it. Today, Ben and I cover some incredible topics such as taking responsibility for everything that happens in our lives, tracking our habits that lead to the most success, and finding the motivation to make progress toward our best life ever. Without any further ado, I give you the

In life, there seems to be two polar methods to finding your way along your journey:: You can follow your "passion"... Or, you can do what's "practical." Our guest today blows the lid off this idea by proposing an alternative: Live a life of "practical passion." If you're wondering what that means, I don't blame you. I was just as confused as you are before I had this amazing conversation with today's guest, Nina Godiwalla. In addition to being a dear friend and a previous business partner, Nina Godiwalla is an expert in leadership, diversity, and women in the business world. She is the best-selling author of Suits: A Woman on Wall Street, which I had the pleasure of reading while I was working at an investment bank myself. The New York Times describes that book as "the Devil Wears Prada of investment banking." That is not an exaggeration. Previously, Nina has worked for Fortune 500 corporations, founded and ran her own leadership and management training company, taught for the University of Texas MBA program