Right-side Up Leadership Podcast

Writing can be a daunting task. You may have a profound idea, or story that you're passionate about, but what does it take to go from your head to a book? That gap can paralyze us from exploring an idea. In this episode, Alan sits down with Alex Field to talk about writing, publishing and ultimately what it takes to write a book. This conversation demystifies the process of writing as Alex let's you behind the curtain into the publishing process.  Alex and Alan talk about the long-term commitment, hustling and grind that comes from, not only writing, but then sharing that book with the world. While writing a book is still a massive undertaking, we hope this conversation gives you a framework if you are considering taking the next step in your writing journey.  Connect with Alex www.thebinderyagency.com   Check Out These Writing Resources www.stayforth.com/guides

We love coffee and more often than not we are drinking a fine cup during each episode.  In today's episode, we host a conversation with friends that either manage or own a coffee shop/roaster. Even though these guys make nationally recognized coffee, it became obvious that coffee isn't their main priority - It's people.  Coffee has become a conduit for relationships and coffee shops have become a thriving "third space" for people to meet outside of home and work. We talk about developing a team, creating a culture of hospitality and avoiding burnout.  Whether you are into coffee or not, there is a ton to learn from these industry leaders as they teach us how to cultivate meaningful community in our cities.  Check out their Coffee!  www.loyalcoffee.co www.peakplace.com & www.holdfastcoffeeco.com www.switchbackroasters.com

Rest is a consistent theme on this podcast and today we discuss a distinct concept of rest, called sabbatical.  Sabbatical is an extended break from your work. Generally, your church, school or organization gifts you with this extended time away after a certain amount of years of service. We've seen that leaders can struggle enough with a weekly day of rest, so when they are given several weeks of "nothingness" it can seem daunting, aimless and disorienting.  In today's episode, David and Alan talk about their experiences with the topic of sabbatical and discuss some tips and things to keep in mind as you prepare for sabbatical. As Alan says, sabbatical will likely "wreck you" in so many different ways. It is a disorienting but in can be the environment to help us find deep clarity and peace in our calling, identity and path forward as we come back to our work refreshed.  If you are about to take a sabbatical or are currently in one, we'd love to hear what you're thinking or how its going.  Reach out to u

We're passionate about people finding health in their lives. One of the most powerful ways we've experienced this is through coaching. In this episode, Alan and David sit down to talk about coaching. They unpack what coaching is and what coaching isn't and ultimately why it is crucial to what we do at Stay Forth Designs.  Want to explore more?  Check out our coaching page at www.stayforth.com/coaching And explore our team of coaches at www.stayforth.com/team

We talk a ton about personal health, but what about team health?  In this episode, Lance Witt comes back on the podcast to talk with Alan about healthy teams. Lance believes that a healthy team will be a high impact team. The conversation is centered around practical ways to cultivate a healthy team environment. Alan and Lance cover topics like developing the people around you and even best practices in leading the toughest person on your team...yourself.  We want to encourage you to find the thing(s) within this podcast to not only wrestle with but take back to your team, in order to pursue greater health and impact.  Connect with Lance www.replenish.net Pick up Lance's book, "High Impact Teams"   

There are moments in life that feel like "a leap." And more specifically a leap without full knowledge of where you'll land.  Maybe you can relate with a moment like this, or maybe you are creeping toward the edge of a moment like this and it's both terrifying and exciting.  In this episode, David and Alan sit down to discuss Alan's recent and BIG decision to jump head-first into "Stay Forth Designs" full-time. Up until recently, Stay Forth had been a substantial "side hustle" for Alan and his wife Julie, where they pour into leaders through training, coaching, consulting and making content. At the beginning of this summer they discerned that Alan would take the leap into doing it all "full-time."  Alan unpacks his heart for helping leaders find health and all of the fear and excitement that came from this decision. We hope that this conversation gives you insight and encouragement as you discern and make big decisions in your life.  Find out more about Stay Forth Designs and what we do at www.stayforth

Does anxiety get in the way of your leadership?  I think most of us would answer yes, in some shape or form. The very nature of leadership is fertile ground for anxiety to spring up in our lives.  In this episode, Alan has a conversation with pastor and author, Steve Cuss. Through Steve's early experience as a hospital chaplain and years of pastoral ministry, anxiety has been a consistent presence within leadership.  Steve talks about practical ways of acknowledging our anxiety, through physical cues in our bodies. He gives insight into some of our deeper sources of anxiety in leadership, like identity and performance. And ultimately Steve offers hope through practical ways of addressing the very real anxiety that exists in our lives.  We encourage you to listen to this one with your friends, team or spouse as a way to unpack and name this reality in your life. Find Steve's book "Managing Leadership Anxiety" below. It is such a crucial read for any leader.  Connect with Steve www.stevecusswords.com @s

Does your leadership diminish those around you, or does it multiply their intelligence, capacity and effectiveness.  In this episode, Alan has a conversation with researcher, author, speaker and advisor, Liz Wiseman about her book, "Multipliers." In it she unpacks the crucial differences and practices of a "diminisher" and a "multiplier." A diminisher knowingly or unknowingly, stifles the creativity, potential and intelligence of those they lead. Whereas, a multiplier draws that out of those they lead. This conversation is crucial for anyone wanting to help their team thrive in their roles and gifting.  Connect with Liz www.thewisemangroup.com linkedin Pick up Multipliers on Here

Marriage isn't always easy, but it can be legendary.  In this Episode, Alan & Julie sit down with Justin & Danielle Williams to talk about health and marriage. The Williams share the ups and downs of their lives and what its like to work so closely together. They unpack practical habits and tips that help each of them bring their best selves to the relationship. They bring insight, wisdom and a lot of laughter to the podcast.  Follow along at: www.legendarymarriage.com The Legendary Marriage Podcast Facebook 

Are you unleashing the creative potential of others into the world? The people you serve and lead are brimming with kingdom potential and often, all it takes to unlock it is a little encouragement.  In this Episode, David has a conversation with Alan about his book, "Everyone's a Genius." Which is a message about how we can unleash the creativity of others for the sake of the world. If you are interested in empowering others to thrive as God has created them, then this message is for you!  Explore More www.stayforth.com Find "Everyone's a Genius" at Amazon

Most leaders want to see impact. I am guessing that you desire to see impact in your context. However, we will always limit our potential for impact if we try and be the "hero."  In this episode, Alan sits down with Dave Ferguson to talk about his new book "Hero Make." Dave is a pastor, author, the leader of the church planting network, New thing and the president of Exponential. The idea of a hero making leader is all about multiplication. Dave shares that true, exponential impact comes when leaders pour into and equip the leaders around them. Not only does developing heros around you lead to more impact but it is a healthier way to lead.  Follow Dave  www.daveferguson.org www.exponential.org www.newthing.org

In order to pour into others, you need something left to pour out. Many of us in leadership can begin to feel empty, and unable to keep pouring our lives out to others.  In this episode, Alan has a conversation with author and pastor to pastors, Lance Witt. Lance is passionate about helping church leaders find healthy rhythms in their life and the tools and resources necessary to care for their own souls. Unfortunately if we are not careful, church leaders can easily neglect their own souls. One of the greatest gifts you can give to your people is a rested soul, grounded in Jesus. This is why Lance has launched a ministry called "Replenish."  Follow Lance  www.replenish.net @twitter/lance_witt Facebook

In this episode, Alan sits down with professional cyclist Ben King to talk about life, training, performance, control, identity and faith. Ben has competed on massive stages, like The "Tour de France," and shared his story in a powerful "I Am Second" video. While Ben is an accomplished athlete, he is vulnerable about the ups and downs of his journey. Whether you are a competitive athlete or not, we think this episode will speak to your life, leadership and health.   Connect with Ben:  www.benkingusa.com Instagram Twitter

Subversive means to undermine an established system. The established culture that we bow to is one of little rest. In fact, if you don't rest, you will probably be celebrated. This exists both inside and outside the church.  In this episode, Alan explores the depths of Sabbath with author A.J. Swoboda. A.J. challenges cultural expectations and dysfunction surrounding the sabbath and offers insight and rhythms to help leaders break free from our restlessness, into a life of rest and health. We talk about rest at Stay Forth Designs a lot, and it is intentional, because we truly believe this is a message that leaders need to hear.  Connect with A.J.  Twitter - @mrajswoboda www.ajswoboda.com Find A.J.'s book "Subversive Rest" HERE Learn more about our partner Hearthstone Native. David and Alan love good coffee, especially when that coffee has a purpose. That's why partnering with our Colorado Springs neighbors, Hearthstone Native was a no-brainer.  Each bag of coffee you buy from Hearthstone Native goes

Burnout can come from all kinds of sources, but one we may neglect is the financial pressures, and the continual anxiety of trying to "make ends meet." In this episode, we have Myron Pierce on the podcast for the second time. While Myron is a pastor and church-planter, this conversation is all about how Myron has used business to support not only his ministry and the ministry of others, but also his family. Myron has started and led multiple businesses and "side-hustles" that have become a means to further the kingdom of God in his city.  As pastors and planters we often feel like we have 80% of the finances we need to support our families. That 20% gap can cause stress, anxiety and distraction. A "side-hustle" is a side project, service or business that you can monetize to close that gap financially. Many pastors and planters are getting creative and finding ways to serve, love and support their family through new found financial stability.  Connect with Myron  www.myronpierce.com

How do you transform a passion into a career? Or at least a little bit of side income? I bet most of us have asked a similar question.  In today's episode, Alan has a conversation with entrepreneur, author and content creator, Bob Clagett. Bob shares his story and some practical insight and tips into how he took his passion and launched a business. It turns out Bob likes to make stuff, and he was able to take that simple passion and develop a platform and a business because of the value he's been able to add to people's lives. Magic often happens at the intersection of our passions and needs of others. Please consider sharing this with anyone interested in making stuff, starting a business, or adding value through their passions. Enjoy.    Learn more from Bob www.iliketomakestuff.com Bob's Book: Making Time  

In a world that has rapidly become more efficient and more automated, how do we continue to value the humanity of the people we serve?  In this episode, we have Tyler Hill in the studio. Tyler is an entrepreneur, coffee shop owner and he is obsessed with hospitality. Tyler challenges us to make sure we don't overlook the person for the service or product we offer. He describes practical ways that we can acknowledge and value the people that we serve.  This podcast was fun for us because we had our friend Cody Burch (from the "Cody Builds a Business" podcast) interviewing Tyler. This episode is full of great content for those leading in any kind of service or hospitality context.  Connect with Tyler Instagram Twitter www.tylerhill.net Loyal Coffee 

Depending on the context you lead, "marketing" can feel like a dirty word. However, we think there is so much to learn as leaders when we explore different topics and disciplines. In this episode, Alan sits down with author, entrepreneur and marketing expert, Cody Burch.  Cody unpacks core principles of marketing and specifically marketing "funnels." He gives us practical examples and tips in how to can get our message in front of people and how we can stay productive. While the topic is a bit outside of our normal conversations, we think leaders can learn how to better communicate from our friends in the marketing world.  CONNECT WITH CODY www.codyburch.com Cody Builds a Business Podcast Free "One Hour Funnel" Ebook

Routine, rhythms and structure are so valuable to our continued health and longevity. But what happens when you get stuck? Sometimes we hit a wall with our creativity, with our discernment and we need something to help us break through.  In this episode, Alan and David have a conversation about changing our place in order to change our perspective. Sometimes getting out of a rut is as simple as working at a new coffee shop, taking a half-day retreat, or spending some time in a hammock.  Carving out time to intentionally break up your routine and comfort zone can be the difference between confusion and clarity.  At Stay Forth Designs we believe in this principle so much so that we are now offering intentionally designed experiences called "Stay Forth, Go Forth." These are where leaders can come to a curated space of rest, good food, fun and conversation centered around our leadership, health and longevity.  The next "Stay Forth, Go Forth" is in Phoenix, AZ and we're calling it our "Phoenix Fill Up." If you

Myron Pierce has a story that reminds us that God is in the restoration business.  Myron is an author & side hustle Pastor who has launched 6 churches, 2 service based companies and an entrepreneurial incubator. Myron is also an ex-felon.  In this episode, Myron unpacks his story and the difficulties that ex-felons face when trying to transition from prison to everyday life outside the walls.  We pray that Myron's experience brings a level of awareness and empathy to your perspective. We also pray that his story brings you hope. Whatever "prison" you find yourself in, whether actual or metaphorical, you are encouraged by the redemption woven in Myron's story.  Find out more about Myron www.myronpierce.com Myron's Author Page