Historic blizzard in Minnesota this weekend! As I post this episode, it is still snowing, 24-hours later. Over 15″ at our house. I am still shoveling! If you are in Minnesota, bring your spirits up, join me in a Purposeful Networking For Haiti Outreach Event, April 19th, 2018. Connect with Silent Impact Leaders and help others in warmer climates recover from their record breaking disasters.  Click Here

Joe Schmit is an award-winning broadcaster, journalist, public speaker, and author.  We continue our conversation of Making A Silent Impact: stories of influence through purpose, persistence, and passion. “Silent Impact,” Joe writes, “is a new way of thinking about the power of influence and how you can have a positive impact on many. It’s a new focus on how you live, work, and play. It’s the intersection of two human traits: wanting to be appreciated and wanting to make a difference.”                                             Photo: Front door view. 

Plenty of ideas are shared from athletes to a country western singer showcasing impact players with those two human traits. In turn, you will gain ideas of how you can expand your influence by being an impact player in your own life. You can start today! Click Here to Listen!

Joe counter balances the moments when he gets distracted or is feeling over committed to the good stuff using percentages. Ninety percent of his time is focused on the great stuff. The other 10% of his focus is on personal growth. Leaving time for fun and rest needs diligence.

Passion. Ultimate Player. Ultimate Professional. A funny thing happened on the way to the Super Bowl with the Minnesota Vikings. Those of you who are football fans may remember January 17, 1999. “The Vikings were about to return to the Super Bowl for the first time in twenty-two years,” writes Joe. “The Vikings had cruised through the regular season with a 15-1 record and pretty much everyone agreed they were the best team in the NFL. The Vikings lost in the NFC Championship Game to the Atlanta Falcons.” (p.103) They lost the game on their home field at the Metrodome. It was a grueling loss.

Joe talks about Cris Carter, veteran wide receiver in the NFL for a decade. Why did Cris linger on the field after this devastating loss? What motivates you and gets you to the next level? Are you really doing what you need to do to get there? What is the zone you need to get in?

Whom is an impact player, Cris Carter or Anthony Carter? When training a rookie, which of the two players was invested in the long-term view of helping the team vs. focusing on helping himself?

Joe was at the Super Bowl VII game where the Philadelphia Eagles won 41-33 to the New England, Patriots at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Great atmosphere. He was there. Minnesota looked good, even though it was cold.
Joe describes quarterback, Nick Foles of the Patriots, as the ultimate player. He was someone preparing all year on the sideline in the hopes of getting to play. And, he did play!

Joe describes, quarterback, Tom Brady as the ultimate professional with the Eagles. We talk about Tom Brady’s passion and history playing in 5 NFL Super Bowl games. Paying attention to the little things is key.

Impact Leadership. Three decades of sports coverage have led to insights about spotting great coaches. Joe applies these insights to leaders in the business world. You can always tell when the players are ready to play. If the leadership on top is saying something and the rest of the employees believe in what is being communicated and know the coach or leadership cares, it makes a huge difference. You have a much better chance of being successful. Can you tell when the players are ready to play? Are those you work with showing up to help the company win?

There are seven generations in the workplace right now. Know how to communicate accordingly.

Do those around you know you care? Do you know what they are doing? How are you treating those you work with as a real person like you, with pressure and stress, highs and lows?

How does Joe lead in the fast-paced television business of KSTP? What he likes about television is if you have a bad day, or you miss a story, or something else, you can recover and get to be on the air again the next day. How does he show he is an impact leader? Where does there need to be a give-n-take in scheduling? How does he make everybody feel they are part of the team?

Joe was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer in 2008 and treated in 2010. Lymphoma doesn’t go away but it can become dormant which is what happened in Joe’s case. Amazing medical stuff helps him stay on track with check-ups every three months. What is the dart board in life?

Lucky is how Joe considers himself. One of the qualities he focuses on is staying persistent in positivity. Most of the time when someone says they have been triggered, you think of someone behaving badly. In Joe’s case, he describes triggers that keep him in his positivity so he doesn’t engage in negativity and sadness around him. He says, “A good attitude may not have cured me, but it didn’t hurt.” He amplified his persistence and became mentally tough.This was said around the context of being diagnosed. When you find out you have cancer you have this feeling that you are bringing everybody down. He counters that by having a positive attitude.

Laura, Joe’s wife, and him have raised three children, now adults. He gives an update.

We also talk about his joint work with Laura in raising $7M for VEAP; the largest food shelf in Minnesota. The goal was to raise money and awareness. Operations of VEAP are in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Hwy. 494 corridor in the Twin Cities is the largest area of working poor in the state. Why? Service industry jobs in restaurants, hotels, and retail shops, like at the Mall of America attract local workers. Those types of jobs pay minimum wage. Some people have two to three jobs trying to keep the family going which brings up dilemas. For example, when your car breaks down. Do you invest the $500 to fix the car and get to work, and not eat? Or do you risk being fired and feed your family? VEAP is the bridge to help families during difficult transitions.

Impact Trendsetter. Garth Brooks, has sold close to 70 million albums. That is more than the Beatles! Joe was talking back stage as an inquisitive journalist does, asking a Target Stadium security guard what super star requests are most memorable. Some super stars are high maintenance people. One of the security guard favorites is country western singer and song writer, Garth Brooks. Not only is he nice to everybody but he does something unsuspected for his biggest fans. When Joe got a chance to speak to Garth Brooks he asked him about what he does for his biggest fans. Garth said, “word of mouth spreads and other super stars are now doing the same thing.” What is it that he does?
As we finish our conversation Joe gives you some mentoring tips. They are outlined below.

You can receive a free copy of Silent Impact. Become an impact player and change the trajectory of your life!

Thanks Joe, you have been an Impact Leader in our lives for decades! You are appreciated and respected for who you are and what you do!!!

Mentoring Tips

Be the first person who completes these exercises and emails me the results. Include your address so I can send you a free copy of Joe’s book. I will mention you in an upcoming podcast.

1. The Second Thank You Exercise. Identify a person who made a monumental difference in your life. Let that person know why they made a difference in your life. Use Joe’s example of when he was asked to speak to High School students where he grew up in Seymour, Wisconsin. He invited five teachers who made a difference in his life. Whether it was the gentle kick in the butt to get going, a come to Jesus meeting, or offering words of encouragement. When the time came for his speech, he had the five teachers stand. One-by-one he acknowledged and thanked them for what he learned from them.
2. Text Somebody Exercise. Recall seven people who have made an impact in your life. Text one person per day with a message letting them know how they have made an impact in your life. Thank them for being an ‘impact player in life.’
3. Jar or Notebook Exercise. Get a jar or notebook for this exercise. Use post-its or plain pieces of paper. Write down whenever you have been an ‘impact player.’ This is when you have done something or influenced someone in a positive way. Reflect on Joe’s examples. Write down what you did, fold the paper in half and place it in the jar, or write it down in your notebook. On the days when you make a mistake or act in a way you are not proud of, take out and read one of your good deeds, or read aloud what you wrote down in your notebook to keep things in perspective.
4. Call me, 612-804-8920. Here are some questions to ponder if a LAB is a right fit for you. Do you need new skills and strategies to grow your business? Do you want to participate more fully in this economy? Are you snuffing out creativity and opportunities for innovation because of how you are leading? Is your business running you? Are you tired of your business? Is there a disconnect between you and those you employ? Are you recovering from a major setback and need more skills to recover and rise from the experience with greater clarity, resilience, and a new perspective? Do you want to increase your business acumen and bump up your emotional intelligence while you generate more income? Are you ready to have fun and make more money with how you are leading and mentoring others? Get started, a new LAB is forming! Click to Checkout WeMentor E.L.M. LABs  

How to Be An Impact Player in Life, Episode 119  Joe Schmit  KSTP

Photo: Back door view.