Vision, Mindset and Grit with Scott Burrows, Keynote Speaker
Today on the podcast we hear from Scott Burrows who has an unforgettable, life-changing story that proves that Limits Can Be Exceeded, Barriers Broken and that No Circumstances Can Ever Destroy the Power of the Human Spirit.
By the age of 19, Scott was playing football at Florida State University and was a Top-Ranked kick-boxing Black Belt champion, having his last fight broadcast by ESPN. That same year, however, his life changed dramatically.
He was involved in a horrendous automobile accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down and diagnosed a quadriplegic. Despite his grim diagnosis, he refused to be sidelined.
Today, as an Author, Motivational Speaker, Wheelchair Athlete and Successful Business Entrepreneur, he travels the world inspiring organizations to Stand Up to Any Challenge. He also wrote a book, Vision-Mindset-Grit, which details his journey.
In this episode, Scott and Cindra discuss:
- The life-changing advice he got from his dad in the hospital
- The power of forgiveness
- Why “letting is happen” is important
- Why we all need impossible goals to pursue
- How to improve our vision, mindset and grit
Cindra Kamphoff: Thank you so much for joining me Scott I’m so excited to talk to you here on the high performance mindset, how are you how’s your day going.
Scott Burrows: it’s going great this morning Thank you so much, how about you.
Cindra Kamphoff: it’s going great it’s a beginning of September here and we spoke last month in Fargo and that’s I get I get to see you live, which is incredible and I’ve seen you a few times speak and I’m just really excited to have you on the podcast today.
Scott Burrows: Thank you so much.
Cindra Kamphoff: So let’s get started and tell us a little bit about what you’re passionate about Scott.
Scott Burrows: These days, my passion is speaking it’s been that way for the last 15 plus years I was a late bloomer in the speaking industry, so to speak, I. One of those personal interest story guys of corporate America seems to enjoy my messaging and but I when I dove into it back in 2002 and really went and I went deep into it, it was a it’s been a wild ride it’s taken me over the world. Spoken a fortune 500 companies, all the way down and associations, but it’s just great I mean I focus on the key noting I open and close conferences. And I try to do my best to create a personalized experience so it’s a it’s unique to that one particular client but that’s my passion is getting my messaging out.
Cindra Kamphoff: yeah that’s what I saw when I saw you speak live last month, I thought it was really personalized and I thought, all eyes were on you locked on you. It was incredible so just to kind of get us started tell us a bit about where do you want to start with you, your own personal story.
Scott Burrows: um well, I guess, in a nutshell, I was born in Chicago my dad I tired of the cold weather, when I was eight years old, he upper the family down to Stuart Florida, which is just north of West palm beach, and I was an athlete back in the day I played football, as in kickboxing and golf and tracking. And then I went to college, I went to Florida State University as a walk on wide receiver no scholarship was offered I was there under Bobby Bowden you know God rest his soul, he just recently passed away, where the legend. But I played for what a year and a half of that I was involved in a really bad car accident as a passenger. And now, by friend I ran off the road one night and hit them out his hand he survived I broke my neck cervical six and seven vertebrates. And was diagnosed a quadriplegic with a very serious spinal cord injury, so my life basically changed as I knew it at 19 I was kind of forced right into change. And from that point forward I did the rehab thing and. What really hard about six months after I was being told that I would never stand again more or less take a step I term an impossible goal in all reality and. So I can I’m one of a few of those walkers that are out there, these days, but I was told I would never that would never happen in my situation so I did that, and then I got on the insurance and financial industry once I graduated college and specialize in disability income insurance planning and which I really had a lot of passion for buddy of mine turned me on to me, and he goes, if you want to make a difference in people’s lives turn lemons into lemonade. Use your stories a backdrop to talk to people about why they should consider ensuring their income, you know, usually that’s one of our most prized assets, but everybody’s interest everything else, but their income, so I did that it became real proficient at it and had a great ride.
Cindra Kamphoff: Oh wow there’s so many things I could ask you, as a follow up. So um I guess you know, the first question is tell me what it took when you were in rehab to learn to walk again and what do you think you know it took from a mindset perspective, especially.
Scott Burrows: Great questions um I guess, I have to go back, first and foremost, when you look at your upbringing I was pulling I was looking back in my own life to pull anything out of experiences what I learned what coaches taught me to apply it to a situation that knowing that I knew I’d ever been through and. You know my dad had a phrase, when I was first injured, he said, let it happen, and what that meant to me was this resisting the experience of change. Being paralyzed and letting it happen. That you’ll find a way to navigate through it and interesting enough became a really big piece of my mindset to let go except, what is it move on that’s easier said than done don’t get me wrong but that that’s kind of what I did so mentally I forged forward and believe that if I don’t give up on my training don’t give up on what I believe that I can accomplish and try to you know not be distracted by doctors, I did have one doctor tell me that, basically, I won’t progress, no matter if I’m getting some people back in my arms. And I get that, because what most people don’t know is that when you’re diagnosed a quadriplegic you don’t have to necessarily be injured as severe as Christopher reeve couldn’t move my shoulders down. But if you damage your spinal cord of which he didn’t he severed his so I damage mine and most people who are quads damaged or spinal cord. But it’s so sensitive that once you just make it a little bit it can put you in a wheelchair, for the rest, your life and that’s just how complex piece of flesh is back there so that tended spinal cord anyways I, so I just kept I kept focusing really, really hard I therapists that we’re pushing the day to day out. And I just never stopped believing what I could achieve, and from a visual perspective I kept visualizing myself accomplishing the end goal. Daily yeah. Wake up with that I wanted a sense I wanted to feel on the inside, what it would be like to turn the impossible dream into a reality to stand to step, I mean that was a driving force that really kept me going yeah so. So coachable and I was very, very coachable. On the way with my therapists I didn’t resist what they shared I wasn’t I didn’t know I just I took what they gave me I took what I had from my prior experiences and sports and coaching and I applied all of that into this toolbox and kept pulling it from it so.
Cindra Kamphoff: I’m hearing like to high performance mindset practices they’re like let it go, I think you said, let it happen not being resistance to be resistant to change, and I think we can kind of hold the outcome so tightly. And then they her just like. Believing and visualizing the outcome, how did you at that point not listen to the doctor who said, you know you won’t make any progress, how did you kind of.
Scott Burrows: Well, I your little cheat so what Center somebody speaker she mentioned, and that was a doctor, at one point when I started moving my rest and. You know my fingers are paralyzed I can move my wrist and it allowed me to pick up things with. My index finger and thumb which are paralyzed and so, so I was going to move it back so is getting excited about the idea that hey you know what the prospect of me fighting and not giving up maybe I can turn a dream, a new dream into reality and by one doctor said hey look, you know. I understand your mindset, where you are understand your upbringing college football, etc, but you need to understand is serious of your spinal cord injury and come to realize. That the up or getting back at your arm just not uncommon for quads, but it is as good as a whatever get, for whatever reason, and I can’t explain it, I found myself buying into his words. I went into a deep depression. It was real as severe it was four days a nosedive I didn’t reach out to my parents, I was I checked out. And it took my dad. Four days later, to get on an airplane from Florida to fly to Denver Colorado of which we didn’t have a whole lot of money so he’s borrowing money to make this it he shows up the next day after we got a hold of me to have a word with that doctor and that was a turning point for me. We that really got me back on track. I was blessed to have a dad and your mom, but to do something like that, because they didn’t show up. I’d like to think I would have plowed through it, on my own, but that that’s just you know we’re guessing. yeah I was in a really bad place.
Cindra Kamphoff: yeah and I appreciate that goosebumps as you’re talking about that, because I think a lot of people can relate, and maybe it’s not you know our ability to walk you know. But we can we can all maybe listen to what other people say and. Put limits on us because. We all have that in some way. And I think it’s powerful that you had the social support to help you get out of that and it sounds like it wasn’t easy. To be able to walk again and then I’m also curious about how did you heal yourself during that time, I mean I could imagine that you could get into victim mode pretty easily and. You know blame your body and your friend and feel like you know why me so how did you not get stuck in that place and did you ever feel like you were in that for a while.
Scott Burrows: Are you I was definitely in that for a while I wasn’t a victim I first and foremost um so your audience Members can know is that the accident, I was involved in. We were we were 19 years old, as a sophomore in college, it was a getaway weekend at St George’s island south of Tallahassee Florida on those beautiful white sand beaches and. When we got there we started to under age drink, which we were all doing it. And it was one there after a friend of ours said hey to the two of you might take you to write down that beach find some more firewood to keep our barn fire burning all night long as a team player, we said sure why not, jumped in didn’t think anything of it we got our firewood on the way back.
Cindra Kamphoff: mm hmm.
scott burrows: My friend ED lost control the wheel his car hit him on the sand everything changed, so I two things one I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt in seatbelt we’re not mandatory in Florida back in 1983/84. So I wasn’t really you know what I mean that wasn’t beautiful, you are encouraged to wear them, but it wasn’t mandatory, but I was underage drinking and no seat belt, so I immediately took 50% of the responsibility, so I never played the victim mode. hmm now my friend ED. Had a really tough time and he distanced himself. From the accident from me for a really, really long time decades literally decades. And it wasn’t until I know I’m jumping ahead here, but it wasn’t until I started speaking I wrote my book vision mindset grid. subtitle how to stand up in life paralyzes you I reached out to add, I found them on Facebook. And we actually connected and I mentioned I’m gonna put his first name in the book and it’s about the power of forgiveness story where actually forgave him. decades later verbally in terms of what happened it changed not only me and my perspective on things, but it really helped him as well. So I know I jumped there, but the victim things big on the why questions I didn’t so I did indeed say why in the world did this happen, why does happen to me. Being paralyzed Why is live so difficult, I had a great thing going prior and what really got me out of that was what I learned in karate I was a first degree black belt and pylon Kung fu. And the martial arts they teach you a lot of different life lessons life lessons, but one for me was. That they get you talk to these what questions they want you to go what don’t I know what am I missing and what can I practice next. And you begin to realize, as these what questions open your mind to seeing the world life, as well as your challenges with different perspective. And I share that with you because I’m gonna share the why questions, and if you ever ask you know why, during the tough times in life, maybe right now you’re unemployed because of Covid-19 for the reason you know the why questions doesn’t offer you a solution to the south of the study of martial arts I realized the questions we need to be asking ourselves during the tough times of change times adversity, are the what. Questions as in what can I learn what can I gain by embracing diversity, as opposed to resisting it and on stage in my book, I talk about when you are in that mode of asking that why question. And you give up doing it in that moment row the why question into a what question. Something that in the beautiful thing with what questions they trigger action. it’s an action driven question and the what questions tapping the right side of your brain the creative side and you’re being a little more creative it can help you problem solve and innovate. And it can help you find the silver lining the win in any experience as difficult as it may be, as opposed to dwelling and obsessing and all the overwhelming, and you know negative things that can come out of it, so I had to switch my mindset to go more positive than focus on the why’s. And that was a big help for me.
Cindra Kamphoff: yeah and I’m thinking, the why question is so judgment right like judgment oriented judgment. On herself or circumstance with many times, our circumstance, we can’t control. And the what I like what you said about its action oriented so I’m curious about that that meeting with your friend, you know decades later it before you’re writing. A book I could imagine that was a really powerful meeting, maybe you’re a little nervous about it and. Maybe give us a little insight on. The power of forgiveness and what that what that’s done for you.
Scott Burrows: So I’m going to get it back into this. It was two years after I so after the accident that ED we bumped into each other but, first and foremost, he never called. When I was first heard he never visited the hospital. So that was a really tough thing for me to also cope with. So when I saw him at a college football game, two years later. I was with a really good friend of mine Brendan McCarthy and ED passed us with three or four friends and we happen to notice each other, we were 20 yards away, we made eye contact we not and then he turned around and walked into the direction. And it was then that I, I felt the anger running through my veins level I’ve never experienced before in that night, as a young kid trying to struggle with his emotions and what have you been through I found myself drinking way and access. Hoping different head now my buddy Brendan. It was not drinking that night he was a great wing man he got me home and when he did I said look if I can’t get through this let my mom know that I love her, I was, I was going there. yeah I woke up the next morning, I recall that I said I usually ask people has anything ever happened to you in your own life professionally as well that you believe is unfair or unjust. And, most people have and then I’ll say this is what I made a decision yet again to let it happen to let go of the anger and let it move through me as opposed to defining me for the rest of my life so that’s how I got through. The air the anger created separation I knew that he wasn’t gonna become my friend, again I just it wasn’t in the cards. easier to stay away absent minded fine so decades later through Facebook, I went looking for when I was writing the book when I found that my friend, that in a few months later he sends it of he sends the he accepts of friendship with requests, plus a text note the note said something like this Scott, it is so good to hear from you there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of what happened in St George’s island, all I wish I could do is change what happened, but because I cannot I’ve literally been riddled with remorse and guilt. And when I heard those words the back of my mind I heard the words eases pain. same words Kevin Costner heard in the field of dreams. And when I texted ED back I said look, if I could wave a magic wand and change what happened we’ve ever third 1984 at 10 o’clock at night I’m not quite sure that I would change it.
Cindra Kamphoff: wow.
Scott Burrows: And now I don’t expect anybody to understand that, but how the choices and decisions that I made in my life at that point. In spite of being a walking quadriplegic and, yes, I still I can walk with a cane, I still use a wheelchair for distances and things that nature I’ve had a really enriching and rewarding life. differently on my dad but I embraced it and I welcomed it never blame God for it I’m a Christian I’m just mentioning, but I have faith that things happen for a reason and perhaps this was the reason for me to share my story write a book and maybe influenced other people’s lives. To challenge them both personally and professionally and then, so I in a text back, I thought it was also hoping I would forgive him for never be in there. And that and that’s what I made a decision to forgive him, and in doing so, there, I felt awake off of me that was actually inside of me I suppose. And I know that he got it he read it, and then he posted a note on his Facebook about the experience and that was his way to verbally communicate it to people and yeah and so that was so the power, I always tell people that I’m so I just did I just did a conference for the health of the California healthcare services, now I did a keynote for them virtually about three weeks ago and It was broadcast at 1200 people and they deal in this sub substance abuse disorders, these are doctors and counselors and they’re working with people who are addicted to opioids you know. Children their teams that are you know eight months pregnant and they’re on heroin, I mean it’s wild we did a live Q amp a afterwards. And the power of forgiveness was real big on some of the q&a questions that came back and someone goes. Would you forgive someone who’s already dead. And I go I’ve never heard that before I’ve never experienced before, however, I think, yes I would because one what you feel you can we assume the person who’s no longer with us. In some crazy way the our lives worker that they would understand that and know that, so to speak, so I think the power it is powerful it is strong, I think, be the bigger person go there and the benefit of what comes out of it it’s just. it’s a it’s a change you.
Cindra Kamphoff: yeah and that. I also heard you say that this weight lifted off you, so I think that’s the benefit of forgiveness right is what the. Work inside. Scott, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of this quote it’s by Byron Katie and its go something like everything in life happens for you not to you and that’s the quote, that I thought of when I heard you say that you wouldn’t change anything. yeah and I think I think you’re right you blew my mind when you said that right. That you know, maybe in some way, these difficulties have happened for you tell us a bit about I guess at what point you kind of felt like okay I wouldn’t change anything and why it’s a little bit more about that.
Scott Burrows: um well as a result of speaking as a result of the injury my dad made sure that I went back to complete college. I could not go back to Florida State University, while I was playing college, I was a walk on wide receiver I was, I was Mr. September I was the only freshman and on this calendar I was in a fraternity, I had a girlfriend from high school, who went with you to college and I just felt if I went back in a very different shaped body. I was 140 pounds, I was scanning. I was skin and bones, and I just knew that the LIFE I had prior. It would have been just in front of me I don’t know if I could have gotten through that, so I think I need a time to heal and then some of my friends from the University of Florida they took me in so I transferred there and. How many you get real quick I don’t want to lose my train of thought on the question you just simply ask you you’re talking about willpower forgiveness and. Why wouldn’t change it, I wouldn’t change a thing because of these new decisions and choices that I made, I went back to college, I was hurt I got my finance degree. I moved to Tampa I joined northwestern mutual life, I became a top insurance and financial producer specializing in disability income. Insurance planning, I said huge goals for myself and possible ones one was to qualify for the million dollar round table. Which is a 100% Commission driven award the lesson 8% of my peers achieve on an annual basis. Worldwide peers representing 500 companies in 70 countries it took me five years day that number and I influence will I impacted lives. Going forward with our insurance and their finances and things that nature, so I was able to use my story what happened to me. At to turn a negative into a positive right so that was a rewarding experience for me that’s why I wouldn’t change that. And then I was involved in another accident and my fifth year. A fender bender but a forced me out of the business but two things happen one, there was a gentleman in my general agency was working he was suggesting that to go to a wheelchair. To basically be an outside sales and I was very proud of the fact, I could walk with a cane turtle pace. The second accident, there was more harm some things I had to contend with, and they just felt that going to a wheelchair will be the best bet and I knew in the back of my mind it would be, but I couldn’t do it at 28 years old, I thought that would be in. Every going backwards and forwards, so I left the insurance and financial industry. At that time after coming off this incredible experience growth being recognized by my peers around the world. To start over and, but when I was doing it, there was a guy by name of Charlie plum Charlie plum to speaker, he was a navy pilot shut down behind enemy lines. prisoner of war for six years, and the same campus john McCain I heard Charlie speak at northwestern mutual realizing will conference. He wasn’t an insurance or financial guy he just moved 4000 people to tears, but it was about his perspective on challenges and putting them in perspective for you and I thought to myself man. I could see doing that for the rest of my life I didn’t know how to do it, though, but I morphed into that industry in that business and travel the world and speaking and who you get to meet and I don’t know if I’d ever speak if I wasn’t hurt so that’s another reason why wouldn’t change, you know certain things so don’t get me wrong is my life easy today nope. aches and pains. yep so I wish I could shoot basketball yet, because I still have a 28 year old line that is still active the body isn’t following through, however. I did play full contact wheelchair rugby aka murder ball, which is a documentary and it’s a Paralympic sport actually the US just came in second place in Japan, I think, Japan. and Tokyo and but I did that and I just do different things to live a different life, but I was so blessed. That, I was able to kick box my last fight was on espn before I got hurt I got to play college football’s a walk on my receiver, not even a scholarship guy so I did some cool things as an able body and doesn’t cool things as a disabled guy and. You know, like to me is different it’s interesting, but those are reasons I wouldn’t change it, because of I believe this was god’s plan, this is, this is the way and I’ve just embrace that if that’s kind of answer your question.
Cindra Kamphoff: yeah that absolutely answers my question and I appreciate you going into more detail there. And so um yeah you had a second accident that you know no longer working with the northwestern mutual and UK you decided to. To start the speaking adventure tell us a bit about what that was like just to restart one more time and your perspective on that.
Scott Burrows: I can back in this another way to get to their speaking, was the first thing. And, and I thought about though I didn’t know how to put it into action I was stumped by I was reading some books. At Barnes and noble speak and grow rich I didn’t have a mentor I didn’t have guidance to do it at the same time and trying to figure this out. During the second accident my little brother mark calls me out of nowhere he wants to expand his golf course fertilizer business from Florida into Southeast Asia, and I said why they are mark, because I got a customer on a Chicago. To the golf course superintendents job for good international country Club in Singapore, a 36 hole golf course he’s got about 1.1 million to spend each year and fertilizer. But here’s the kicker he wants custom blended fertilizers designed specifically to meet the needs of his golf course. he’s on soil testing, something the Asian suppliers and that’s how the world could not figure out how to do, he goes if you guys can do business is yours, I did my due diligence I realized my brother was on to something really special. And I spent about two months, making decisions about pulled the trigger and we did it we built a multimillion dollar company over 20 years and we disrupted in industry in Southeast Asia and. About 10 years into, that is, when I decided to figure out the speaking thing, so it wasn’t speaking, by the way. Speaking was there I was doing a little bit Rotary Clubs I just couldn’t figure it out, but my energy was building a new business with my brother mark. And I didn’t have to travel was out of the home, he was the one traveling to Asia so it’s kind of a perfect fit. Because I didn’t have to be an outside sales, so to speak, but then about five years 10 years later, the business is going great I was like man, I really want to speak. And I found someone by the name of art Burke who’s no longer with us art bird was a quadriplegic I reached out to him in Utah he sent me his marketing material he gave me some insight and then I started to focus my energy and building that business as well, and then, so we actually sold the company of the fertilizer business and then I started morphing into the speaking business so I’ve had multiple careers here. yeah that’s what I’m here man. yeah so it’s been an interesting ride along the way I’ll let you ask or let you catch up, first, I can give you.
Cindra Kamphoff: Multiple successful different careers and I guess tell us a bit about why you chose vision mindset and grit I could imagine, given your story, but why those three in particular.
Scott Burrows: So I’m going to give credit where credit’s due because I don’t take all the credit so Jayne Atkinson happens to be a consultant, if you will, for speakers in Canada you’re shaking your head, you might.
Cindra Kamphoff: Yes, yes, on the podcast there you go so Jane. I worked with her for several years to so.
Scott Burrows: So yes, so what was what was interesting was this was. There was a I was referred to her, they said look if you really want to. Use your website to find your messaging etc, so I Jane I sent her a DVD she saw my presentation, but 20 years ago and made a couple things here, so I can I can help you and. And she goes why I watched your video and she’s like what were you 345 key points again I go you just watched it yeah I forgot. was determined risk taking, is why it’s this and I, and she goes yeah and then she told me about a. It was a it was like a P, it was a pow who spoke at a conference and she goes he spoke, five years ago, and there were five amazing keynote speakers I remember him because he kept pounding on the podium. In terms of being able to communicate via Morse code to other prisoners but that stuck in her mind and she goes my think of you, she goes, you also mentioned vision it’s an overly use word in the industry, but it’s fitting for you. Because you back on mindset same thing which goes I think if you, you know you had to get just knee deep in the therapy and it’s like you were just scraping every I think a great like Brits like great you eat and she goes no great I’m like I never heard it as expressed this way before she goes vision mindset grid I think grit would be the encompassing pcl is like really so I had an event four days later in Denver boy actually the Hyatt in a beaver creek Colorado I go I’m using it no don’t do it Scott, no, no, I want to fail, I fail on stage the best so I’m really good at just try new things. Live so Jane help me help create the vision mindset grid formula then she said. If you want to take your speaking business to the next level I would consider investing into a Lou heckler he’s a presentation and skills coach or speaker so reach out to Lou and he’s like yeah for 5000 hours of driving for the weekend, with $5,000 that’s a lot of money man. But, and so it Lou did he I sent him my DVD and he came back and goes here’s how I could help, he asked me do some a favor. and have all the eyes that you have you ever transcribed and have all the eyes, he goes I did I don’t want you to do it. So I took the time I did it I go 80% of my it was huge it was it was an ice speech, it was all about I and he goes here’s the most typical thing for speakers, how do you tell your story in a you and we language. Is the most difficult thing you could possibly do and here’s a here’s a real quick example. In some of my speeches I’ll take the audience on a ride with me, I do I retirement journey, but what I’ll say is this my last run, so I see me and as we got the beach, and he challenged me to a foot race and I look at the audience and I’ll say. Imagine you being there on that beach and hearing the word go, and the first thing you can feel that cool night air blowing through your hair. With each step, you can feel sand pert grittiness went between your toes and, as you lean across an imaginary finish line, you can even take salt in the ocean air. That was one of my best ones, but I didn’t realize it turned out to be my last, and the reason that you language, there is important, is because, whether you realize it or not, your subconscious mind begins to live my story as it’s happening now, even though it happened 36 years ago my mom was in the back of an audience at a met life conference at about 80% women. At the grand Ole opry up there in Nashville my mom was in the back and, as I was telling that story, she was looking down and afterwards, he goes women were moving their toes.
Cindra Kamphoff: wow.
Scott Burrows: You know, moving their toes in the sand, as he could see so that’s Just to give you the power of the language, so I give a lot of credit, I still now to Lou. And and Jane for being my I’m a very coachable guy yeah I learned that from you know back in the day, and if you are not coachable. Not shame on you, but I would open to the idea of being coachable because your idea is not always the best idea. is taking a risk running a pilot program and seeing if a new idea that you heard and infusing into your business if it works if it doesn’t it’s Okay, you gave it an opportunity fund it actually might work or whatever so.
Cindra Kamphoff: Scott, what I love about that is that you’re willing to ask for help. Right to help you get to the next level, and I think that’s so important for everybody who’s listening is. You know how who can you hire who can you invest in to help you get to the next level and the really weird thing is that Scott, we have a lot of people in common, because when I got back from influence in July guess, who I hired to help me step up my stories. Lou Adler. So here we go.
Scott Burrows: Really remarkable because um there’s a story, and you heard the story, and you saw me speak a few weeks ago. And I always use it, because lose like, how do you take your speech, your story you’re going in this direction, and you want to go in that direction you’re going to have buffer stories in between. And one buffer story that I absolutely love and sharing it out for so many years, is my Helen hunt story. And the Helens one story, I talked about. The audience I talk about you know, once you know you’re fighting for your vision your you know don’t be afraid to stretch yourself a little further and I’ll say to them this I say. The actress Helen hunt was in a movie with jack Nicholson, it was called as good as it gets and she went Oscar and afterwards, she was in an interview in the gentleman was how do you win the Oscar. We heard being offered different types of movie scripts my question is how you go about choosing which one best suits you and she said I’ll go with what scares me wow. wow if you think about that one for a moment professionally what are you willing to do today to go with what scares you. To take you to the next level, and that was just a transition story that I learned from Lou. To take my story going from one direction and going into a completely different direction. And with any great coach if you’re good student, then you start building your own stories and learning new things and mapping it in but. I learned a lot from Lou you know he’s a anytime i’m writing I’m always writing and thinking of the principles that he taught me so congratulations and good luck with that he’s amazing.
Cindra Kamphoff: So thank you Scott, so when you think about vision and mindset and grit I think you’ve given us a lot to think about today, and thank you for sharing your story I’m curious about how would you say you know what would be your advice on how do we keep going our vision, maybe we take one, at a time, but how do you keep growing your vision your mindset and your grit.
Scott Burrows: Well, I think vision perspective, you got to be willing to articulate a compelling vision articulate a compelling vision that actually entices you to take action. You know I’m getting ready to speak to a potential Singapore to their financial consultants and it’s her last quarter as a final run to qualify for the million dollar round table some of those folks are 50% behind the eight ball. You know so maybe I can answer this way with that particular audience and if you depending where you are in your life is that. You want you got to have it, you got to create a compelling vision it entices you got to believe in the next three months that you’re going to turn impossible dream into reality. Even though you’re 50% behind the eight ball mentally you’ve got to simply prepare things and be open to making adjustments in reinventing and not being able to try new things to get you there. You know, evaluating your processes what’s working what’s not working in the grip, my friend, I know we both talked about it but. it’s how bad you really want it, are you showing up for work before your employees get there or your coworkers get their identity, afterwards, how committed. Are you how much sacrifice, are you willing to put forth because it’s hard work grit is nothing but hard work it’s your it’s your willingness to persevere, to be resilient the pursuit of reaching your goals. This day this week, this quarter this month, when I was back into to give in quit being the worst maintain the status quo. And so I think if you think of some of those sayings and apply them to do you want to finish a book. If you want to go back to school and take a computer class and change your career, do you want to hit new numbers overcome challenges I just find the principles of. Vision mindset grit laid out that way, so to speak, it’s a great foundation to help you achieve but it’s you know it’s a commitment you make to yourself. You got to hold yourself accountable can’t be the victim you can’t say the stock market did this. A competition to this it’s you got to be willing to make adjustments along the way reinvent focus on your strengths and try to improve your strengths. You know, to overcompensate you know, for some of them I lost my train of thought there but focus more on your strengths and your weaknesses is. What did I say.
Cindra Kamphoff: Wonderful Scott, I thought that was really powerful like having that our vision that you can are Tiki Tiki late that. A compelling vision that you’re really going after. And grit and pushing towards that, despite the obstacles.
Scott Burrows: Have the vision, I don’t want to interrupt with the vision thing it’s. it’s not just articulating it it’s living it in your mind it’s actually tasting The end result. In your mind feeling it emotionally what that would be like, how would your life change as a result, or just something that says. Could you imagine at the end of the day, what would be like an impossible dream and reality, and when you actually do that or come darn near close in the before the upper. things change inside of you, and then you believe you can accomplish even more your next goal is going to be different than what it would have been prior.
Cindra Kamphoff: yeah I can see that in your life. You know it’s like impossible might be learning to walk again, and then you know you’ve built all these really incredibly successful careers Scott is there anything that we haven’t covered that you’d like to share with the audience.
Scott Burrows: I don’t know I. Be coachable invest in yourself. Find humor within we’re all going through this whole covid thing it’s never ending, it seems that. If you can find a way to laugh from time to time watch a comedy read a book hang out with people make you laugh. You know I think we all know that it releases endorphins in your mind you feel good about it, but sometimes you got to be the laugh in the toughest of times, just to put things in perspective to keep you going and that’s one thing that’s helped me along the way to.
Cindra Kamphoff: You talk today about going after impossible goals I’m curious if you have an impossible goal you’re going after right now.
Scott Burrows: wow the right now. that’s a great question because it’s like I want to tell it in my career, so I think a possible goal would be is how I want to spend my retirement. And then, bringing it bringing speaking when I want to speak to kind of that blend going forward. So kind of create a balance, where you’re not marketing 24 seven it’s still bring enough business where you want to do that, but enjoy retirement and travel and do some cool things and I want to do with my life.
Cindra Kamphoff: That sounds wonderful well Scott tell us how we can follow, along with your journey where can we get more information about you and your speaking.
Scott Burrows: And yeah the I my website lot of information there there’s videos we dropped, we have we do blogs weekly I got a book out there it’s titled vision mindset grit. it’s downloadable to your device and we sell it in hardback and you can find it on Amazon or other if you just Google vision mindset great you’ll find that.
Cindra Kamphoff: Thank you so much Scott. Such a big. yeah such a powerful conversation and a really powerful story, I think, for me the parts that I’m really taking from today is when you said, like let it happen and the advice that you got from your dad was really powerful and just that you, you wouldn’t change anything. And just you know how you have this unbelievable focus we’ve built several careers it’s really inspiring so thank you so much for being on high performance grateful for you.
Scott Burrows: Thank you.