Find Your Passion and Follow It

Mark Cole: Hey podcast family, Mark Cole here, and welcome to the Maxwell Leadership Podcast. This is the podcast that adds value to leaders, who multiply value to others. And today we are adding value to you in a very special way.

Now, if you’re one of our YouTube followers and you’re a video viewer of our podcast, you already know this is different. But if you’re auto, if you are checking in by audio, today you are missing it. Because on the set already, I have two very special guests with me, Barbara Brown and Mayce Delvalle. These two incredible leaders will join us for the application portion of this episode after John’s lesson and I am so glad you both are here.

Now John’s lesson today is all about finding your passion and following and chasing after that passion and these two amazing leaders work with the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team as program advisors. Now, here’s what that means. In a nutshell, they help people do exactly that, find passion and follow it. See they help people become better as leaders, as coaches, as speakers, as trainers and even entrepreneurs and help them get back on track to pursuing their dreams. So they have been a part of bringing on board 43,000 certified coaches in 165 countries, so I cannot wait for our post-lesson discussion.

Now, before we get there, I’d like to encourage you to download the bonus resource for this lesson. This is a fill-in-the-blank worksheet that a accompanies John’s lesson. So you can visit Maxwellpodcast.com/passion and click the bonus resource button. We have a great lesson. John is ready to go. There’s a great discussion going to happen after John’s lesson, so grab a sheet of paper, grab that worksheet you downloaded, have a pen, and get ready because here is John C. Maxwell.

John Maxwell:  If you love to do what you do, it’s not work. You know what I’m saying? I love to do what I do and there are three classes of people. Number one, those who don’t know what they’d like to do. And just beside that, put the word confused. How many of you know somebody just like that? Huh? And that’s true. They have no clue. You know what I mean? They just kind of get up in the morning and go through life, but nobody’s home there either. You know what I’m saying? And they don’t know what they’d like to do. Because you ask them, “What would you like to do?” And they just kind of look at you and you get a blank face and they don’t have a clue. So the first kinds of people is the kind of person that they don’t know what they’d like to do.

The second class of person is they know what they would like to do, but they don’t do it. And beside that put frustrated. Because I know people just like that. Don’t you? In other words, they know what they’d like to do. In fact, they’ll tell you what they like. I’d like to be this, or I’d like to do this. I’d like to go there and you say, “Well, why aren’t you there? And why don’t you do that?” And they don’t. In other words, they know what they’d like to do, but they don’t do it. They don’t seem, I don’t have the initiative, the energy, whatever it is takes to get to where they want to be and so they kind of go through life, knowing what they’d like to do, but never doing it and so therefore they’re frustrated.

Now the third class of people, those who do what they’d like to do and you can put beside that, fulfilled. They’re fulfilled. They have a sense of significance and fulfillment in their life and they’re saying I’m accomplishing something that brings worth to me, but also worth the others and they really like to do what they do. Now, this lesson really is for class number two, the second class person. That’s the people that they know what they’d like to do, but they don’t do it and the whole lesson is, why not do what you’d like to do?

So what I did is I sat down and I began to ask myself, how can I help a person do what they’d like to do, if they’re not doing it? I wrote down some questions and I think these questions are going to really help that person. So let’s get going.

Do I like what I’m doing now? That’s exactly where you start. And by the way, I just want to stop and say, I’m amazed. Because when I talk to people all the time, I’ll say, “Do you like what you’re doing?” I run into a vast majority of people, they don’t like what they’re doing. They spend weeks, months, years, working, doing something they don’t like to do. Now, I don’t know. I’m kind of a simple guy. You understand? Not real smart. So I always have a hard time figuring out why would you spend your whole life doing something that you don’t like to do? There’s only one guarantee regarding a passion. If you don’t follow it, you will have regrets. Isn’t that powerful? There’s only one guarantee regarding the passion. If you don’t follow it, you will have regrets.

So, in trying to get you placed where you need to be placed, the first question you need to ask yourself is, do I like what I’m doing now? If you do, hey, the rest of this lesson is going to be easy for you. You know what I mean? You just kind of lay back, take notes if you want. But if you’d look at yourself and say, “No, what I’m doing now is not what I really would like to do,” then let’s get going because we got more questions I want you to ask yourself.

Question number two. What would I like to do? What would I like to do? Horst Schultze, who’s the former COO of the Ritz Carlton says, “You are nothing unless it comes from your heart. Passion, caring, really looking to create excellence. If you perform functions and go to work only to do processes, then you are effectively retired.” And it scares me. Most people I see by age 28 are retired. If you go to work only to fulfill the processes and functions, then you’re a machine. You have to bring passion, commitment, and caring, then you are a human being. Boy. That’s so true.

Three questions. I always ask people when I want to get acquainted with them. I ask them, what do you sing about? What do you dream about? What do you cry about? I want to know what makes you happy. I want to know what you really would like to be if you could have all your dreams fulfilled and I want to know what hurts you, because that’s where the passion is. Those questions pull out the passion in a person’s life. They let me know their heart beating. Let me know if their heart still is beating it, or as Horst would say, that they’ve just become a machine.

Because here’s what I know about passion. Passion is the great energizer. You show me a person with passion, I’ll show you a person with energy. Isn’t that true? When somebody comes up to me and they say, “Well, you know, I’m just a low energy person.” What they’re really saying is I have no passion. You show me a person has passion, I’ll show you a person has energy. Passion creates energy.

Not only is passion the great energizer, passion is the foundation for excellence. You show me a person that’s passionate about what they do and they want to do it well. They want to do it with excellence and energy and excellence, that energy excellence factor, what that does is that equals success and passion provides both of them.

Let me give you a classic example, personal example for a moment. When I was a kid, I was just a happy kid. Okay. I just loved to play. I loved to play ball, had a lot of friends, a strong relationship skills, really didn’t take school very serious, and my parents were always concerned about me. You know what I mean? My grades weren’t as good as my brother’s grades and I’d come home and they’d go see the teacher. And then their fears would be kind of relieved because the teacher would say, “Well, yeah, he doesn’t really study real hard, but we really like him.” And I was the teacher’s pet. I had a great time with my schoolmates and teacher, but as far as really bearing down and working hard and getting good grades, that really wasn’t my interest.

Didn’t have a job. All I wanted do was play ball. You follow? My brother, he worked hard. He had a job. I’d go borrow money from him all the time. I mean, you just have to understand. Larry, my brother and I, laugh a lot about it. You would never, in a million years, have thought that I would’ve done what I’ve done and been what I have become, if you’d see me as a kid. You just thought this boy is going to die, poor and happy. Then he died and went to heaven to be happy for a longer time. Not a heavy commitment, not a great desire to dig in and study.

Now, here’s why. All throughout high school, I realized that I wasn’t yet preparing for what my calling was. Now the moment that graduated from high school and I went to college and began to study for my first degree, man, I started studying. I got serious. I got good grades. I got on the Dean’s list and I became student council president. Now what happened? It’s very simple. The day I got to do, or prepare for what I was going to want to do, is the day I got passionate about studying. You feel what I’m saying? And until that time, no amount of coaxing or threatening from my parents ever would get me over that hump. I had to get into the place where I was getting ready to do what I really want to do. But the moment that I got in the area where my passion was, all of a sudden things began to turn for me and I believe that’s the way it is with most people.

I believe it is with most people when they’re not performing as they want to perform, or they’re not operating on the level they want to operate, I think you got to stop and say, “Wait a minute. Are you doing what you really want to do?” Because when you do, it absolutely changes things. The greatest job is when you’re confused about the difference between work and play.

Now I want to tell you something. I want to confess. I’ve been confused. I’m Mr. Leadership and I’m confused. I’m confused. I can’t tell whether I’m working and when I’m playing because I absolutely love what I do and so therefore, it’s not a drain or it’s not anything hard for me to do some of the things that I do because it’s play to me. You know, work and play, play and work. And people say, “Well, don’t you need to get away from your work.” Well, no, not when it’s fun. Why would you get away from something that’s fun. You follow them saying?

Now there’s a lot of things I want to get away from. There’s a lot of people I want to get away from it. You can relate to that. Can’t you? Huh? You know, I’m gone. I’m gone. Okay. Okay, so there are a lot of times I want to be gone from somebody, but no, no, no, not my work. I love what I do. It’s part of the process. So for many, many years I’ve been confused because I love my work and I love my play and after a while, you don’t realize what play is and what work is. They’re all together. Okay?

Question number three. Can I do what I would like to do? Now that’s a great question. When I’m asking, why am I not doing what I want to do? One of the things I have to do is I’ve got to ask myself, can I do what I like to do? Because this could be a problem. You understand? If you’d like to do something, but you really don’t have the aptitude or the skill level to do it, now you’re going to have some real frustrations.

In fact, when we used to interview people, there were two questions I always wanted to ask people. One is, can you and number two, will you? Can you, deals with ability? Will you, deals with attitude? You follow me? But there are a lot of people they can, but they won’t. If they can, but they won’t, they’re not going to do any good. So you got to ask you to say, can I do what I like to do?

Earl Nightingale said it so well. “Jobs don’t have futures. People do.” Enough people come to you and say, “Well, does this job have a future?” Not if you don’t. You are the future. Quit trying to look for a better job. Become a better you. If you become a better, you’ll get a better job. You know some of you, well, what do you think about this job? Will take care of me the rest of the life? No. No job ever has. I don’t think this one. But will you take care of yourself the rest of the life? It’s two total different deals and I love the quote in your notes where it said, because this is so true. “Find something you like to do so much that you’d gladly do it for nothing. Then learn to do it so well, the people are happy to pay you for it.”

That’s the way. Don’t worry about. Well you want to pay me and what kind of benefits are there? No. Find something you’d love to do and do it so well and learn it so well and get a place of excellence with it so well, that they’ll pay you to do it. That’s where you want to go.

Now let me just stop here because this question, can I do what I’d like to do is a question we’ve just got to be realistic about because every once in a while, run people that say, “Well, just have a dream.” Let me tell you something. If your dream does not match your abilities, it’ll be a nightmare. And I say that all the time where people say, “Well, if you just have a dream, you can get to…” Oh no, no. You’re on a trip and haven’t moved. That’s what you’re doing.

So, let me give you five quick questions to ask for yourself to determine your abilities.

Question number one, do I have experience in my desired area? You know, whatever you’re desiring to do, do I have experience there?

Number two. Do I have any success in my desired area? I don’t mean this wrong, but if all you have is failure in your desired area, life is telling you something.

Number three. Do I have any training in my desired area? These are just questions asked to determine where your skill on ability levels are.

Number four. Do I know what is essential in my desired area? Do I know what the basic essentials are for me to be successful in this area?

And number five. Do I know someone who is successful in my desired area? You just got to ask yourself, can I do what I’d like to do?

Now, what I’m saying is you got to ask yourself, can I do what I want to do because if you can’t do what you want to do, lower your expectations or change your passion. Or else, you’ll be frustrated all your life.

Mark Cole: Hey, welcome back everyone. I’ll tell you, we’ve been sitting here as we listen to John in studio, as we always do. We consume. I sit here with our producers and people that are making today possible and I realize something, that passion lived out is contagious. And as John was teaching today about find your passion and follow it today in his notes, he didn’t take the contagious, the reproducing quality of what passion will do when lived out.

And so Mayce and Barbara, as I was sitting here and listening to that, I got a little overwhelmed because 43,000 coaches, I got it. All of you on YouTube, I’m holding my hands up going, wow. Those of you listening in, imagine an army and John having that vision and that dream and to be honest with you, that passion, but yet that passion in and of itself, would’ve never turned into 43,000 coaches, 43,000 trainers, speakers that’s with Maxwell Leadership now. It takes women and men and I think the reason I’ve had co-host in here with me every session. But I think the reason that I’m the most excited today is because to tell the story of impact of John’s passion and now myself and our team’s passion, is because of women like you. Men that join you to make this dream a reality. This passion.

I say often, if you follow me on social media, you’ll see that every once in a while, just get overwhelmed with what I get to do. Every once in a while, just get overwhelmed, Mayce, Barbara, with getting to do it with you guys. And so all the time I go #lovewhatIdo, #lovewhoIdoitwith. That’s passion.

Today I hope we can convey something, that we as Maxwell Leadership, have a tremendous passion to make a difference, not only in your life, but in the women and men that you influence, that needs your life to be as meaningful as it was designed.

I’m sitting here, you with you, Barbara. I’m sitting here with you Mayce, and I’m realizing, we call it a PA. That’s internal language. It’s a program advisor. What I really realize is that on a daily basis, you guys get to unlock the passion of others.

John can teach it. He did a great job on the lesson today, but you guys live it. You apply it every single day. Here’s what I’d love for you to. I’d love for you to share with myself, our audience, what does it mean to be a program advisor for Maxwell Leadership Certified Team and Barbara we’ll go with you.

Barbara Brown: Yeah. Well the Maxwell Leadership Team is a unique program. It’s unlike anything else. It’s the one and only place where John Maxwell and the faculty team are coming together, pouring out their experience, training, content resources, for only Maxwell Leadership Team Members.

So when you join the program, you become a Maxwell Leadership Team Member and you have access to the team, the support, you’re fully equipped, and as program advisors, we walk someone through the details, sharing what they’re going to receive and how we are going to nurture them and support them and equip them and it’s a lifetime program.

Mark Cole: Hey, let me ask you this. Barbara, how long have you been a program advisor

Barbara Brown: Over seven years.

Mark Cole: Seven years. Now, I’m going to ask Mayce the same question, but for all of you viewing or listening, let me tell you this right here. We just changed our name and these incredible human beings, they’ve already got it all figured out, but half the time, I’ll say John Maxwell Team. I’ll say Maxwell Leadership Team. Just forgive us. We’ve been doing this for a little bit of time and we’ve changed it. But you’ve been with the John Maxwell Team, Maxwell Leadership, now for over seven years. Astounding. Tell me a little bit about your experience, what you get to experience with the program advisors.

Mayce Delvalle: Yeah. One of the things that I love to tell my clients when I talk to them over the phone is that we really do help people connect their passion and their purpose to this program. So that’s what I say almost every single day, every single phone call. And when you were saying about this ripple effect, almost it almost always, and Barbara, you may agree with me. It usually doesn’t have to do with the person that we’re talking to. It has to do with all the people that they’re going to inspire, that they’re going to be able to change and affect and equip.

So when sometimes people say, “Oh, I’m not going to do this or I can’t do it,” but you have to. Not for me, not for you, but for all the people that need to hear your voice. John’s voice, we know is heard all over the world. Your voice, same. But there are people that you will never reach. That John will never reach. That Barbara and I will never reach. But the person that’s on the phone with us, there’s people waiting for them and their voice, that’s why they have to join the team.

Mark Cole:       Anybody passionate around here. That’s exactly right. How long have you been a program advisor?

Mayce Delvalle:  2014.

Mark Cole: 2014.

Mayce Delvalle:  And you know, it’s interesting when we were talking pre-show about passion and doing things, I used to be the girl that would only hold a job for two years. Onto next. Bored; next. Board; next. So for me, since 2014, that means something. Right? Like obviously I’m passionate about what I do or I wouldn’t still be here.

Mark Cole:  Well, and we have dozens and dozens of program advisors and I’m going to tell you today, visually or audibly, you are meeting a couple of our best. And so there, there’s a reason you guys are on here and it’s because you live out that passion.

I want you to take me into a story and Mayce, we’ll start with you. But I want you to take me into a story of someone that you watched their passion become unlocked that became contagious.

Mayce Delvalle: It’s hard to choose.

Mark Cole: I know just one. I’m sorry.

Mayce Delvalle: It’s hard to choose just one after doing this for eight years, but one that comes to mind and this is post-COVID. And what I have found and Barbara, I don’t know if you found the same thing. I’m finding post-COVID, people are really recognizing that they’re not fulfilled, right? They’re successful. They’ve had jobs that they’ve had for years and years and years, but there’s that missing piece and I think that this program allows them to feel that fulfillment.

So I have a lady she’s been in law enforcement for 20 something years facing retirement and she wasn’t sure if this was something that she wanted to do now or wait until retirement. And she said, after speaking with me, she realized that fulfillment, the only place she would be able to find it is through Maxwell Leadership. She said, yes, and now she has a couple of other people on the force looking at the program because she’s so passionate. It just shines through her. She’s bringing a whole new perspective and just energy into law enforcement, which we know that they need right now.

Mark Cole: Yeah. You know, it’s interesting in studio with us today, I wish you could meet bill Holly. He’s here. He’s one of our John Maxwell team members been a part for, I think, 2016, 2018. He’s in with us today. He’s why we do what we do, right? We unlocked the passion. He’s been in the military a long time with the Department of Defense, doing all this stuff, and he was telling me, he connected me with somebody at IMC. We were just talking about this in the studio. He connected me with his family of 24. And he’s telling me this story because he connected, then he went and caught a flight and I was blown away. I recognized for an entire family, a dad caught the vision and brought in-laws, out-laws, ex-laws, all the laws, and brought every one of them into IMC, our International Maxwell Conference.

We highlighted and it was powerful and while we were telling the story, Bill was telling me, “Mark, I introduced you to him.” And I went, “Yeah, I remember that.” And Mayce went, “Those are the people I worked with.” And you were talking about this entire family that said, “We believe.”

Mayce Delvalle: Yes.

Mark Cole: “In making a difference. We’re going to invest in our entire family.”

Mayce Delvalle: I mean and it really was; in-laws, out-laws aunts, cousins, uncles. I mean, you name it. They were all there and they just believe in this program so much so that they can bring it back to their community out west. So, that’s a cool story, Bill.

Mark Cole: So Barbara, you have unlocked the passion literally of over a thousand women and men. Now let me say this. Almost a thousand have signed up in our program by Barbara; 1,700 by Mayce. But that’s not all the people you’ve unlocked the passion because think about the people that just can’t quite financial. It’s not time. It’s just not the right thing. Think about the conversations that you’ve had and I want you to tell us of a team member, Barbara, but you unlock the passion. You do what John taught us today, each and every day. So tell us the story about that.

Barbara Brown: Well, it’s… Yeah, we’re on a phone call with someone. They reach out to us because they are interested, they want to learn more or maybe they were referred by us. But when you get them on the phone and they have a passion, something that maybe I’m thinking about someone who in particular, she had a lot of loss in her life and she overcame that.

She wanted to then turn that pain into a passion, so she started a nonprofit. She’s writing a book. So having that conversation is the first step, when someone comes to us, is important. They deserve that individual attention on the phone with us, so we can walk through the program and what we offered, how we support them. So yeah, it’s a pretty incredible experience for them too.

Mark Cole: So you got to tell me Barbara, I mean, whether somebody says yes or no. When the light bulb, joining the team. I mean, when the light bulbs come on and you hear them leaning in a little bit longer, is there anything better and does it ever get old unlocking the passion of these people?

Barbara Brown: It’s the best job ever. It’s incredible to have that. The people do inquire. They want to learn more and then they don’t always, like you’ve mentioned, they don’t always come into the program because they’re thinking about how to make it happen for them. But yeah, it’s pretty incredible opportunity for them to. Really we nurture them and help them grow.

Mark Cole:  Yeah. You know, when John was talking, he said and I didn’t hear him say this today. He says it often. He says, “I’m not… I love to work. I love to have fun, so I’m a work-a-frolic.” I don’t think he used that in today’s podcast, but it’s this concept that I can’t get enough of what I do because I love what I do. There’s just this enjoyment.

I went back to my first day when somebody invited me onto John Maxwell’s team and back then it was a different organization’s name, but it was, for all intensive purposes, Maxwell Leadership. I will tell you this right here. I walked into this environment, this Maxwell team, and I will tell you this in the area of passion. I’ve never worked another day in my life. I love what I do. I love who I do it with. It’s given me so much, but I’ll tell you one of the things that it gave me, it gave me permission to live out my passion.

Mayce Delvalle: I love that.

Mark Cole:  And you know what guys, what John taught today, he says, “Do I like what I’m doing now?” And you know, my heart goes out to hundreds of thousands of people listening to us today and you know, a large percentage of them can’t say what the three of us can say. They’re not at a place. They don’t say, “Yeah, I like what I do.” Now, there’s another question that John asked today. Said, “What would I like to do?” You know, what’s just as sad to me, there’s a large percentage that’s never asked themself that question.

Mayce Delvalle:  And I think when Barbara was just saying about the telephone calls, for some people, we’re the first people that will ever ask them those types of questions.

Mark Cole: That’s right.

Mayce Delvalle: They’ve never been asked before, what do you dream about? What do you sing about? Like John had said in the podcast and I think for many people that is why they connect with us is because we’re the people asking those questions. We give them the permission to live out their passion.

Mark Cole: It’s why I got really excited and there’s probably a better name that we’ll change our names to down the road. But it’s why I got really excited when we said we’re program advisors, because we’re just advising people how the program can help open up your passion.

What I love about all of you, we was asking Barbara numbers just a while ago. She says, “Man, I just wake up every day and I just try to convince one. I don’t count all the numbers.” And then me and Mayce are saying, “We count every number.”

Mayce Delvalle:  Every number.

Mark Cole:  Right? Exactly. But here’s the point. No matter how you are in your approach to it, we all share one thing and it’s what I think we share as Maxwell podcast listeners and viewers, and that is, we desire to live our best life by pursuing success and significance.

But I do want to go to the people that might be listening today that are in that frustrating part that John talked about. He said, “Can I do what I would like to do?” And sometimes that creates this frustration. That’s what he talked about. I want to ask you guys a question and Barbara, we’ll start with you. What advice would you give for those who are in this frustrated category?

You’ve talked to a lot of people and I want to, again, I want to qualify you from being able to answer this question. Okay. You talk to a lot of people looking for a life change every single day, more than I do. More than the studio group here does. You talk to a lot of people, so now with that qualification, what do you say to these people? What’s advice that you give for the people that might be listening this in that frustrated category?

Barbara Brown: Well, I would ask them, what do they… I’d ask them questions? What do they think is holding them back? It could be fear. Fear of uncertainty. Stepping out into the unknown. There’s so much comfort in the familiar. Also, it could be maybe they’re easily influenced by the opinions of others. And maybe they also don’t know the how. The how to, get to where they want to grow and go. And then also belief. Belief in themselves. That’s why Maxwell Leadership Team is so incredible for people who, just to outline and to show them that we have a roadmap to success. There’s also a huge environment here of belief, so that they are surrounded and belief is contagious.

I would say, we’re only here for a short time. You know, let’s make the most of it and if you don’t walk towards your passion, you’ll have regret, like John says.

Mark Cole:  Yeah. What would you add to that? Person’s in the frustrating category.

Mayce Delvalle: Yeah. Just ask them, what would they need? What tools, resources, what do you need to walk into your passion? Because almost guaranteed, we have what they need. I mean, we have this unbelievable team, amazing faculty. I mean the team alone, I think sometimes we forget to talk about how great this environment is because it’s one of those things that positivity breeds positivity. Passion breeds passion. When you are in an environment of people that are doing significant things, you can’t help but want to do those significant things too.

Barbara Brown: Absolutely.

Mayce Delvalle: And you need that around you, especially like Barbara was saying, if they have people in their life that don’t support them, it’s unfortunate, but we can help them because we have people that will for sure support them.

Mark Cole: You’re touching on something that I’ve watched John touch on all of his life. I’ve been with him 22 years now, just a few days ago actually. I celebrated 22 years and I’ve watched John never go it alone. Now he’s pretty good. I mean, he’s written 86 different books. He’s sold 36 million copies. He’s doing pretty good, but he makes a decision, I will never not belong to a community.

I’ve said it often on this podcast. I say it often wherever I am. I believe every person, I believe there’s something that bonds all of us together. We want a guide, somebody that can help us get where we want to go. And we want a tribe. We want to belong to some people that’s going in the same direction. And you’re touching on this guide, or this tribe thing, that I want to come to in just a moment.

But I’ll say this, for me as I listen to John today. My top five values, we have an exercise that we take people through, especially in corporate environments that helps them identify their top values. In my top five values is passion. Passion. I believe anything worth doing, is worth doing well and worth doing with a lot of enthusiasm.

So as John was talking about this, finding your passion and following it, what I think I love the most about IMC, which is an internal acronym for the International Maxwell Conference. When I think about what happens when we get in that environment and we see people step into, it’s crazy. These people are crazy and I’m one of them but they’re crazy, guys. Talk to me a little bit about that. Tried feeling yeah that you get when you get to IMC and Mayce, we’ll start with you.

Mayce Delvalle: I was telling Heather before the show, my husband joined the team actually six months before I became a certified member and he was at-

Mark Cole: Does that mean he’s the smart one?

Mayce Delvalle: Well, I don’t know. We’ll leave that up for debate. But he was texting me while he was there and I was home with young kids and texting me, “Oh my God. This is amazing. These people are so great. You can’t believe it.” And really, it was like Charlie Brown’s teacher. Right. It was wa-wa-wa-wa-wa.

And then fast forward, six months. I joined. I was like, “Oh my God. Why do you tell me? This is amazing. These people are awesome. How come?” He’s like, “But I did tell you.” And unfortunately, I think it’s one of those things that, unless you’re a there, unless you’re in the room and whether you do it virtually, because we now offer it virtual as well, but it’s hard to explain. But we invite all of the listeners to join us because it is unbelievable and I have yet to miss one since 2014. It’s one of those things. It’s on my calendar and I will never miss.

Mark Cole: Wow. Tell me a little bit about your perspective of IMC and the tribe.

Barbara Brown: It’s the coming together. People look forward to it. Of course there’s so much more to the Maxwell Leadership Team than the event, but everyone looks forward to it. Seeing… just coming, you feel like a family. You’re part of the family. You’re part of the team and you feel it. They have lifelong friends that they connect with at their table. It’s the experience. It’s the energy. There’s so much at that event that’s much more. And everyone has that common goal of their people of value and they want to add value.

Mayce Delvalle: Absolutely.

Barbara Brown: And they’re passionate about what they do and they’re excited and it’s also great for us to meet the people that we’ve-

Mark Cole:  Real rewarding.

Barbara Brown: Had a conversation with to lead them to that place and people come back again and again. They’re always invited as alumni to attend future events.

Mark Cole:  Well, I want to hear one more thing from you guys before we sign off today, but some of you already going, “Okay, I got it. I got it. I got it.” There’s something you guys want us to do. You’re right. I want you to go to Maxwellleadership.com/jointheteam. Two things are going to happen when you go to Maxwellleadership.com/jointheteam. You’re going to get more information about a passionate group of people. The second thing you’re going to get to do is you’re going to get to fill out a form and get to talk to somebody that, yes, we’ll tell you how to join the team because we want you to. But even more importantly, you’re going to talk to somebody that’s going to help you unlock your passion. It’s going to help you lift your passion. It’s going to help you live in your passion.

I know you. I know the team that you represent today and all of these are women and men that are committed to one thing every single day, when they wake up. I want to unlock the passion in people’s lives. I’m going to honor you guys in just a moment, because I can’t believe I get to call you teammates. I really can’t.

But any other takeaways from John’s lesson, we’ve talked a lot about the team and you unlocking passion, but you guys are passionate people. I’ve just watched you and so we’ll start with you Barbara, but just anything else you’d like to say about what John taught and even your thoughts on passion.

Barbara Brown: You have to follow your passion or you will have regrets and prepare for tomorrow and we have today, so I wouldn’t hesitate to jump into Maxwell Leadership Team to be fully supported and equipped with what you need for working towards your goals and your purpose and your passion.

Mark Cole: Beautiful. Mayce?

Mayce Delvalle: I would say, like you had mentioned, the majority of people listening might be in that frustrated place, but frustrated no more. Right? Once you say yes to even the phone call, there’s no obligation. It’s not like we’re not in the convincing business. I always tell my clients. I’m not here to convince you. I’m here to present you an opportunity that you deserve. I mean, you deserve this opportunity to fill out the form, pick up the phone, have a conversation, allow us to help you paint the vision of what that passion could really be like when you live it out. Because it’s bottled in there for some people, that’s why they’re frustrated, but we could help them explore what that looks like.

Mark Cole: Yeah. You know, number one, both Barbara and Mayce both coaches first, signed up first, and then became program advisors because we just believe in products of the product. But if today’s subject on the podcast, if the product of today’s podcast was anything, it’s the product. It’s the subject of passion.

I think about this concept of being a product of the product, of really making sure that we live out and help people pursue the passion that’s locked up in some cases within them. For others, it’s there, they just don’t know the outlet to get it. Then there’s others that they know that they can do it and they know that they’re passionate now, but they know there’s more. We call that significance. Success is what happens to you. Significance is what happens through you.

And so 43,000 coaches, 165 countries, really three commonalities that may connect with you. One, they all desire to grow. In fact, some of them don’t even want to start a business. They just want to be in a community with a guide that’ll help them grow more.

Others, like I’ve already said, they grow the team or they join the team because hey, I want to become a coach, speaker trainer, an entrepreneur that is helping others and I want a business. I want get paid to do that.

And then finally there’s those that says, hey, I really kind of like what I do now. I would answer the question. I like what I’m doing now. I’ve already answered the question, asked the question, what would I like to do? And I’m kind of in that mode. I’d like to grow my influence, my income. I’d like to become a little more influential in my organization, but I’m kind of there.

What we have found is those three avatars, those three people, groups, fit so many people, the 43,000 plus that has talked to us about joining the team ,really kind of fit in that category. But it all starts with conversations with you guys that kind of unlocks that passion. So, I do want to invite you today to join the team, to check us out, to talk to a passion unlocker.

That’s our new name. A passion unlocker, somebody that will accelerate your ability to be the person you were designed to be. Two great days in a person’s life. The day you were born, the day you talked to Mayce and Barbara. That’s the answer. I mean, that’s the two great days in so many people’s lives. In fact, if you think about it, 5%, 5% of our signed up coaches has come from you two.

Mayce Delvalle:  Good job, Sis.

Mark Cole:  Yes, Sis. Yes, Sis. Hey, and also please leave us a comment on how wonderful my teammates did. You guys just nailed it today and I’m so proud of you. They thought we were going to have to do a bunch of takes and retakes and Jake, you got very little work to do my friend because the passion that came out of my team today is something that I’m so grateful for.

We want you to be a part of the team. Hey, leave a comment. Tell us how we’re doing on the podcast. In fact, today I like doing what I always do and I do. I have a comment from a listener that says, “Hello.” In fact, it’s Lewis from Mexico City. Lewis said, “Hello. I’ve been listening to this podcast since 2019, and sometimes I listen to some episodes more than once.” Now, Lewis, I got to ask you, are you hoping we get better the second time? I’m trying to figure out Lewis. No, I’m just kidding. Lewis says “Because I don’t want to lose anything. Thanks for what you are doing. I really believe this podcast adds value to me and makes me want to multiply my value to others.”

Mayce Delvalle: Is Lewis part of the team, I wonder?

Mark Cole:  I don’t know. He needs to tell us if he is but I’ll tell you this. He is a part of the podcast family and I’m thankful Lewis for you and so many others that feel just like Lewis. We hope you’ll join the team. You’ve already joined the podcast family. We want to do great things around the world with you. Until next week, let’s listen, let’s learn, let’s share some love and then let’s lead.