Exploring Possibilities
Anyone else ready for a break from the non-stop demolition of what we used to call “normal?” We’re experiencing rapid, systemic change in almost every facet of life and it’s left a lot of us feeling like we’re on shaky ground. The most common responses to this kind of massive culture shift is to either:
• Hold tightly to what is, no matter what the long-term prognosis
• Start exploring our next best options and opportunities
We are taking the latter approach here at the Second Rodeo galactic headquarters. We see tremendous opportunity between the assumptions we held when we began a year ago and what we see happening around us today. It’s time to adapt the way we do things.
A year ago, I was tired of seeing people stuck because of our broken paradigms around retirement, aging, and meaning. When I started Second Rodeo, I thought our clients would mostly be people at the end of their primary career (first rodeo) who want to continue to engage fully with life.
What I didn’t yet see was the massive shakeup in the workplace that we now call The Great Resignation. This colossal upheaval comes as millions of people rethink all kinds of existential issues, especially their relationship to work. While not evenly spread out across sectors and demographics, it is nonetheless a massive disruptor of the status quo. This movement was already picking up steam for years before the pandemic put it front and center, but many of us didn’t hear about it until the pandemic brought it to our attention.
While my generation may have chosen to endure in a career even when it wasn’t healthy, successive generations increasingly expect more say in how, when, and where they engage in work. Additionally, they are more likely to take charge of their own destiny, making dramatic changes to create a right-sized place for work amidst their other life priorities. This is creating a massive reset of how we collectively think about work, the workplace, and how people want to engage in vocation going forward.
While this is incredibly disruptive for employers, I see it as a healthy and needed course correction in a world where workaholism is still too often celebrated.
All this to say, as Second Rodeo approaches its first birthday, we’re evaluating what stays the same and what needs to change in order for us to have the biggest impact possible.
Here’s where we will remain steadfast:
• Provoking and preparing people to deploy their life’s energy at the intersection of personal passion and societal need.
• Guiding people toward meaning instead of focusing on what’s being left behind. This mental shift is essential to feeling gratified in each successive chapter of life.
• Optimizing lifestyles for significance, not just success. In our experience, financial success is the most common reason people stick with a job they hate, even when it’s literally destroying them. When we truly believe that money is just one of many significant factors, it opens up a host of options.
To date, our primary approach has been one-on-one coaching to guide clients to their preferable future. The reason why is that I’m highly proficient at this, after years of executive coaching experience. My clients achieve clarity and are able to move ahead with confidence. I love that part. The problem is that this approach makes me (Ed) the bottleneck. I only have so much capacity. So we are actively investigating other ways to deliver our services.
Right now, we have more questions than answers.
• How do we scale our Investigative Life Planning Process™ to impact thousands, not dozens of people each year?
• How do we create multiple entry points for people, no matter what stage of life they are in currently?
• Our blog posts and emails were originally published weekly. What is the right frequency and format, for a broader audience?
As part of the community we’re building together, I wanted to let you know what we’re up to. And I’m also requesting any feedback, advice, or suggestions you might have. In the meantime, you can expect new content about twice a month, and as new services come online, we will give you the first look. Thanks for being part of this community. I really value your support!
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