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HOW I GOT STARTED (PART ONE)

02/17/2025 | Swain Associates |

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power and magic in it

Goethe

Over the years I have had a number of people who aspired to get into the Leadership and Organization Development consulting space meet with me to hear my story and hopefully glean some insights they could use to help them. I will always provide time for these exchanges and I’ve found that through such discourses I actually do have some insights such as:

  • Take note of where you have naturally been effective and successful.
  • Be a candid and critical examiner of your strengths and vulnerabilities.
  • Be curious with others.
  • Take risks and work “little over your head” from time to time.
  • Know your professional value proposition.
  • Be clear at least about what options are NOT for you.

Some background is important. During the dozen years after I graduated from university in 1972 I was involved in a number of interesting experiences, all which prepared me for entry into my current work.  These included being a Managing Director in a spiritually-oriented intentional community focused on providing leadership and lifestyle management programs, leading an outdoor adventure leadership program fashioned after Outward Bound called Educo Adventure School (mentioned in an earlier blog), and being the Program Director for an innovative community-based program for juvenile delinquents called Twin Valleys School. This last role involved designing and putting into place an innovative whole person educational program which included academics, life skills, peer counseling, an outdoor adventure leadership program, and sports and recreation. After we were forced to close Twin Valleys due to government funding drying up, my wife, our two sons (20 months and 6 weeks old at the time), and I loaded up a pickup truck with all our belongings roped on and headed to live with my wife’s parents in Toronto as a base for the next chapter of our lives. If the image the Beverly Hillbillies comes to mind you are not too far off. We thought we would be there for two months however it became 14 months. I had a number of job offers from various social service agencies, which I turned down while also starting and ending within a few short months an entrepreneurial business selling nuts. At least I knew what I didn’t want to do and had the sense to act on that!

For the next 3 years I ran my own renovation construction business as a means of income and to buy time until the next steps were clearer. One day I got a call from a colleague of mine who was providing a week-long management development training program for her client and who wanted me to design and facilitate a one-day outdoor leadership experience to bring to life some key leadership and team development principles and concepts. I had not previously worked with business managers before and so this was new territory for me.  I fulfilled the request, drawing on my previous experiences in the field of adventure-based learning, adding my own unique sprinkle of innovation and apparent natural flare for facilitation. It was a huge success and, aside from some trepidation about working with a business audience, it was relatively effortless. I remember very clearly thinking two things; one, I didn’t know one could actually make money doing this and two, I had found my calling and there was no turning back.  

So how did I get started? While I didn’t know exactly what I wanted or needed to do, at least I knew what I didn’t want to do which left me attentive to discover other possibilities, knowing confidently that I would know what was next when I see it. Isn’t luck really where preparation meets opportunity anyway? More in Part Two as this epiphany still needed to be monetized!