I need to back track.... to a weekend toward the end of 2020. I was getting ready to get my daily run in on the treadmill in my basement. I normally listen to a podcast with headphones but on this day I decided to pull the interview up on my laptop and had it so I could view and listen at the same time. I put on Tom Bilyeu's interview with John Maxwell from his Impact Theroy podcast but as John was sharing his journey I couldn't run and listen at the same time. I hopped off the treadmill, sat on the floor beside the couch and preceeded to listen to the interview. All of it was so good, but what stood out to me was how John does learning lunches to grow. In January of 2021, I turned it into a goal. I made a list of 10 people I wanted to learn from then researched and put together a list of questions pulled from multiple sources I wanted to learn from them. What I didn't know was how much these questions and conversations would change my life. They've opened my eyes, taught me lessons, and the more conversations I have the more I learn about myself and people. 

Early on my dad recommended a book by Brian Grazer, "A Curious Mind". This book fueled me to keep going, to keep reaching out to ask questions and learn from those I admire or wanted to learn from. It's also been a great reminder that being curious is a superpower. 

A few of the many lessons these questions have taught me:

1. What makes someone impactful isn't what is achieved on paper but who they are, how they show up and what they've learned along the way. I've shifted to seeing everyone on the same level - with more compassion, less judgement and a deeper understanding we are all human figuring things out as we go.

2. They challenged my assumptions.

3. Not everyone is comfortable with curiosity and growth. It took over a year for me to understand when I would ask to learn from individuals who didn't know me; their response was "Is this personal or professional?  "Who sent you?"  This is personal for me. I never started asking these questions with the intention of where they might lead. This was meant for personal growth, for my girls, and to keep a promise I made at 21 to never stop becoming the best person I could be.

 I am eternally grateful to every person who has given me their time. It is a privilege and an honor to have been invited into your stories and experiences. Each conversation has shaped me in ways I did not expect. You have stretched my thinking, deepened my perspective, and added immeasurable value to my life. I am better because of you.

I encourage you to pick someone you want to learn from. Ask questions! Come up with your own or use mine. It might just change your life in ways you never expected. The power of curiosity is what set this journey in motion. It can do the same for you.