EP. 72 “Following your heart is frequently scary but never wrong.”

Today’s guest is redefining how we build and do business in the 21st century.

In fact, it’s fair to say that Yanik Silver is the reason Stay Grounded exists today. He helped me put the soul in JavaPresse by giving me the tools that transformed an ordinary e-commerce coffee company into a brand that helps people “stay grounded” through the moments they love. And he’s done the same for countless other entrepreneurs too.

As the founder of Evolved Enterprise and Maverick1000, Yanik’s mission is to “catalyze the catalyst”. Through his work, he empowers entrepreneurs to follow their heart, and put their fun and purpose at the heart of business. And as more businesses follow this lead, the ripples of impact spread further and further.

In fact, his work is so powerful that he’s been praised by the likes of Richard Branson and his story has featured in WIRED, TIME.com, USA Today, and Entrepreneur to name just a few.

So if you’re an entrepreneur who’s at a crossroads and you feel there’s something more you could be exploring, this episode is for you. So tune in now and discover what’s possible when you stop hitting snooze and take notice of your “cosmic alarm clock’ – when it calls.

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I am more driven by the vision and the mission of what happens when someone steps into their highest purpose because that creates these ripples of impact that serve the planet in a tremendous way.

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In this episode, we dive deep into Yanik’s philosophies about life, fun, and business.

You’ll hear:

-Why a little bit of your soul dies when you’re not on purpose

-The reason creating a better story for yourself can change your life – instantly

-A simple way to uncover the signs that tell you what you should be doing

-What to do when you’re in pain to process the emotion and learn from it too

-The 33 day experiments that keep changing Yanik’s life

-How to use enthusiasm as a marker for life

We also dive into Yanik’s unique journaling style and discover how a 108 day challenge turned into the Cosmic Journal project.

Yanik has been one of my most important mentors in life. His insights changed the way I do business profoundly and I’m sure he’ll do the same for you too. So tune in now and discover how you can turn your company into a full expression of who you are – while changing the world at the same time.

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Asking better questions is a function of courage. The more courage you have, the bigger questions you ask in your life.

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Time Stamped Show Notes

[4:23] I kick off the conversation with a question that I’ve always had for Yanik. He got into marketing very early in the game, one of the originators in the space. Somewhere along the way his personal mission evolved into something bigger, I wanted to know if there was a defining moment where he felt that transition or if it was something that gradually evolved over time? Yanik calls it the “Cosmic Alarm Clock,” he says the timing is different for each of us and we can either snooze it or answer it. It’s what he described as a “bonk,” on the head and one that continues to get louder and louder until we either answer it or numb it. That “bonk” is where it’s called into question if we’re really doing the work that we’re meant to be doing.  He talks about where and how this showed up for him.

[12:43] Yanik believes that a little bit of our soul dies each day that we’re not doing what we’re meant to. I ask him, what happens to our soul when we are doing what we’re meant to? Does our soul thrive? Does it grow? Does it change? Does it evolve? He says you can tell when people are on purpose, there’s an inner fire that continues to burn and it’s evident: “I feel on purpose, that I know that I’m singing the song I was meant to sing. I’m part of this cosmic mosaic and I’m that piece that I was meant to do.” Yanik says that experience only comes from self exploration and, over time, it will continue to change.

[24:32] One of the things I find most fascinating about Yanik is his doodling and journaling practice. He says he’s always doodling (even during our chat), it’s something he’s done since he was a kid. He didn’t think much about the doodling since it’s always been there, however, his journaling is something he paid a bit more attention to. Yanik noticed that,through his journaling, he was coming back to his artwork and that it created more of a connection to people, as images and symbols tend to resonate at a deeper level.

[32:33] Yanik talks to us about some of his daily practices and rituals, I ask him why he thinks we as human beings crave rituals? He says they’re powerful; they move us beyond our ordinary selves and ordinary time into a more extraordinary connection to the Universe. Rituals force us to identify a distinction between regular time and when we’re moving into a space with more meaning, a special time marked with greater intention. He says intention is key, and without it, these practices can just become another thing that we’re doing.

[49:14] Yanik stays grounded with having a few non negotiables, one of which is meditating once a day. He says it’s created a foundation and touchstone for who he is, helping him to connect with himself and others in a deeper way.

Yanik Silver