“It was actually a friend of mine that pointed out the juxtaposition of these two independent wake-up calls that put it all together. The juxtaposition here that was so powerful was that in that moment, I realized I have to live my potential not for me only, but for the next generation.” – Darren Virassammy
Sometime in life it takes a wake-up call, or multiple ones, to help someone realize who it is they should be in life and how they are called to help others. Today’s Finding Brave guest is no exception, as his wake-up calls placed him on a path to help others realize that everyone deserves a great place to work and that any workplace can be great.
Darren Virassammy is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of 34 Strong, comprised of a team that believes everyone deserves a great place to work and that any workplace can be great. A leading expert in the global employee engagement community, the 34 Strong team leverages the strengths-based approach to human development to create massive shifts within organizations, both culturally and on the bottom line. He and his team have created sustainable change in microbusinesses, all the way up to large organizational teams at the FDA, Bank of America, and The California Department of Public Health. Recently, Darren has keynoted for Hitachi Global Women’s Conference, The Rotary World Peace Conference, The Professional Grounds Management Society, and author Mike Michalowicz’s Profit Con.
As Darren reveals, in order to sustain excellence we must play to our strengths and manage around our weaknesses. In this episode, he provides the tools to help identify what he calls your areas of “Grind, Greatness, and Genius” that will help you truly live your own message.
Highlights from this Episode:
- Darren’s wake-up call that happened just one week after his first child was born [4:45]
- The amazing experience he has a few months later that had him question everything about his life to that point [8:14]
- Why many of us miss signs from the Universe and the first step to take to stop doing this [12:14]
- A reframe for looking at how the seemingly little tasks you do fit into the big picture for your life and vision[16:17]
- What motivates Darren to do what he does on a daily basis [23:12]
- How his company is shifting the workplaces of today and who will really be the change agents for this to happen [25:22]
- Where they start when working with organizations who don’t value their female or other employees [28:29]
- An exercise you can do to identify your strengths and weaknesses and how this can benefit your experience in the workplace [34:29]
- Why we should be asking for support for others when going through our own wake-up calls [39:40]
For More Information:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/strengthsfinder/
https://www.facebook.com/34strong/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/34-strong-inc-/
Resources Mentioned:
Darren’s Grind.Greatness.Genius Exercise
34 Strong Video Overview
Darren’s Keynote: Creating Excellence Through Strengths (from Profit Con 2018):
59: 11 Essential Shifts Every Leader Must Embrace, with John C. Maxwell
44: How To Live In Your Zone Of Genius, with Gay Hendricks
The strengths-based parenting book titled Play to Their Strengths co-authored by Darren’s 34 Strong Business partner, Brandon Miller, and Brandon’s wife Analyn Miller
Kathy’s Career Path Self-Assessment
Darren on the Creative Warriors Podcast
QUOTES:
“I had just met my daughter, and here I was staring down the barrel of death.” [4:54]
“I was just relishing life, because I was finally pausing to enjoy the two most important people in my life: my wife and my daughter.” [8:36]
“A few minutes to ask yourself to stop doing and focus on being, and investing in that time, can be incredibly profound for us.” [14:30]
“If we’re going to create the future that we want to have, it doesn’t happen in one fell swoop. It is driven by the habits that we create every single day.” [17:09]
“The long-term focus of what we’re working to do is creating great places to work.” [25:50]
“Remember that nobody can do you better than you can do you. There’s only one version of you.” [35:19]
“In those wake-up calls, sometimes we can realize it’s not that we have to do everything. There are others that are out there that can help us.” [39:40]
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