Author: Byron Darden

A Time for Business Renewal and Strategic Focus

In the world of merchandising, back to school is the time for selling school supplies, and new clothes for students, corporate, and education leaders (kids grow like weeds it seems during the summer, and last year’s clothes either no longer fit or are out of date). Socially speaking, it’s a time when students start up a new school year. Time to get back to their friends, move into a new grade; or like me having to repeat a grade in my formative years. It’s a time to learn new things, meet new people, and work with new teachers. So much about the fall is about new and hopefully exciting undertakings. 

Ultimately, Back To School boils down to mean Back To Business. Consumer spending is up. Commerce is waking up. Fashions are about to hit the market. Clients are ready to focus on their budgets mostly defined from October 1 to September 30 in the United States. This makes September a time to be looking at what is next for more than just students.

Fall signals a broader societal transition where clients, companies, and consumers alike refocus on their goals and objectives. This period is characterized by a renewed energy and commitment to progress, making it an ideal time for businesses, educators, and individuals to reassess their strategies, set new goals, and prepare for the final quarter of the fiscal year and the beginning of an education season.

The back-to-school mindset encourages a sense of urgency and a return to routine, providing a natural opportunity to realign with long-term objectives. This can include launching new initiatives, refining marketing campaigns, or focusing on professional development for business and school leaders.

Clients, too, are more receptive during this time, as they shift their attention from summer vacations to planning and executing the next steps in their personal and professional lives. Whether it’s seeking new services, products, or guidance, the back-to-school season creates a mindset of readiness and openness to new opportunities.

Ready to dive deeper? Try Refocusing on Career Growth.

Refocusing on Career Growth

This time of year is significant for families with children returning to school, as it frees up parents to refocus on their careers. Some of those parents are school leaders focused on recovering from the impact of COVID that turned education upside down causing a major shift in the culture of school. The shift in routine that comes with the start of the school year provides parents with the mental and physical space to re-engage with their professional goals. With the daily demands of childcare reduced, parents can reclaim time and energy that can be channeled into career advancement, taking on new responsibilities, or pursuing professional development opportunities that may have been put on hold during the more chaotic summer months.

Likewise in the world of education, the re-engagement gives rise to the need to re-evaluate what it will take to accomplish this idea of re-establishing school culture, trust, morale, and relationships to where they were pre-Covid. This has a direct impact on parents who are in the business world rather than in education. The reality is that these different world contexts depend on and impact one another.

A personal case study of a past experience comes to mind:

I’m living in Boston, MA situated between two cemeteries. Either way I go, I will dead-end at the cemeteries of the community’s past residents. While I do not have children, the township in which I live depends on its residents to support a tax increase to pay for much-needed improvements in the local school system. I vote to increase the tax so that students in my community might have a more palatable opportunity for their education than I had growing up in Texas. 

At some point, I am in conversation with a neighbor in my community who questions my motivation to vote for an increase in the town’s taxes when I do not have children who will benefit. My reason is simple. I may not have children and yet my life is impacted by the quality of education they do or do not receive. Should students not be engaged at school, they are more likely to skip school altogether and become aimless in my community. For a youngster who is at an impressionable age, when education isn’t getting their attention, getting into trouble and being a blight on the community is! 

They are more likely to get involved in gang violence or spend time standing on corners and making it obvious to law enforcement that they are not in school where they ought to be. At this age, youth are more likely to get into trouble and fall prey to unsavory influences that lead to drug use, home break-ins, and other types of unacceptable behavior. I too have to live with these issues when I fail to do my part in my own community. I must do what is possible to support the education that is provided for the neighborhood in which I live.

Education is not just the responsibility of those with children, it is the responsibility of us all to keep our communities safe, and inspire children to remain engaged in worthwhile activities, and motivated to learn. Lesson learned; when any of us fail to pitch in we all lose, not just the children and the families to which they belong. When we look at it as a community effort, we are including everyone within it. 

It can be difficult to look at what is next in your career when your community is in shambles. When you’re working towards promotions, managing more, and taking on different responsibilities, you can be distracted by questioning what is going on back at home. Especially when what is going on back home is not working. When you are focusing on upping your game at work, to become noticed for your contributions to an organization, team, or project, worrying that your home might be vandalized or your neighborhood compromised in some way is a distraction that will get in the way.

Moreover, the back-to-school season isn’t just about younger students; it’s also a time when educational institutions offer courses for adults, making it an ideal moment for anyone considering further education or training. This environment of widespread learning and growth fosters a mindset of improvement and ambition. As professionals, it’s a reminder that our personal and career development are lifelong pursuits, not confined to traditional schooling years.

For leaders to prosper, the holistic view of their lives must encompass the choices they make at home as well as at the office. Leaders know all too well that when their skill level is not where it needs to be, promotions and increased salaries are less likely to happen. Parents are less likely to provide as well for their families and those families without children suffer as well.

Often, this is when I see executives preparing for new roles that demand not only new skills, and also a shift in mindset. The back-to-school period symbolizes a time of renewal, making it an opportune moment to reassess career trajectories and set new goals. 

I help leaders get promoted, and this requires them to be coachable—and open to learning, even when it challenges their comfort zones or existing beliefs. Just as students are expected to adapt to new curricula and environments, leaders must be willing to embrace change and growth, continuously evolving to meet the demands of their roles. Even when what you are learning may seem to go against the grain of what you believe, trust, or what makes you comfortable. 

I recognize that while we may wish for life to go back to the way it was at a time in the past, the reality is that going back to a past time is not possible. Instead, our new selves must find a new way to show up. That is why I find it difficult to embrace the phrase, “new normal.” One might ask, what is normal and that definition is different for different people. Another consideration is that not everything from the past was necessarily working. That is why I find it difficult to embrace the phrase, “in the good ole days.” The truth of the matter is that not everything was necessarily “good.”

I think we might be more effectively served to embrace the possibility of reinvention instead. For instance, who we were and how we did what we did before 2020 is done. It is time to see life for what it is and what it is not. What it is now can be summed up by the advent of hybrid work conditions. It is unlikely we will ever go back to working in an office in the manner we once did. The whole world changed and we will experience less suffering when we embrace new ways of being and doing in all aspects of our lives. Seeing the world through the lens of  “that was then and this is now” can open up possibilities that did not exist before. 

I’ve encountered many moments where learning something new triggered hesitation or fear. These feelings are natural, just as my reaction to repeating the third grade triggered hesitation and fear, especially when the learning process challenges deeply held beliefs or pushes individuals into unfamiliar territory. Yet, in every instance, I’ve used those lessons to grow and to help others grow. The discomfort that comes with stepping outside of one’s comfort zone is often a precursor to significant personal and professional breakthroughs. When you commit to continuous learning, nothing can stop you except the end of your life. Just keep in mind that the number one and two greatest fears of many leaders is presenting in front of an audience and death…in that order! As long as you remain open to new ideas, skills, and perspectives, the potential for growth is limitless, and the opportunities for advancement are boundless.

From Classroom to Boardroom: The Leadership Lessons of Back-to-School Season

As the summer sun begins to fade, I find myself reflecting on a familiar scenario. Across the US and in many countries throughout the world, children are buzzing with a mix of excitement and uncertainty (given the events of the past several years) preparing for a new school year. They’re selecting new supplies, and organizing their backpacks, and some are eagerly anticipating the return to their academic routines while others may not. This annual ritual of preparation and renewal isn’t confined to our personal lives; it has profound parallels in the professional world, especially at the executive level.

In fact, I recently had lunch with marketing executive, Theresa Spinale of an animation studio in the entertainment industry who quickly confirmed that indeed, the fall is a form of going back to school in her industry as well. It’s a time for fresh starts and new beginnings, something Theresa is experiencing as a new job is about to begin for her.

For those of us in a corporate setting, “Back to School” signifies more than just the return of children, or ourselves, to educational pursuits. It’s a powerful metaphor for our own professional journeys as leaders in business and in education. Just as students gear up for new challenges and opportunities, we, too, must continuously prepare, adapt, and set new goals. This season of transition is a reminder that leadership, much like education, is an ongoing process of learning and growth. It’s a time to reassess our strategies, refocus our efforts, embrace the opportunities that lie ahead, and test our flexibility for the unknowns that will inevitably arise during this seasonal transition.

Learn how Fall is A Time for Business Renewal and Strategic Focus.

Founder’s Corner – Back to School, Part I

When I finished the third grade as a young boy in public school, my parents decided to send me to a private school. I was in a carpool with other students, some going to the grade school where I attended, while others were dropped off at a nearby high school of the same caliber.

It wasn’t so much that I no longer went to school with my neighborhood friends where I was most familiar with the teachers in the community I called home. It was that I was to repeat the third grade. My parents told me that repeating the grade again would offer me the best start to an education of merit. In my eyes, I had failed. It was challenging to think that everyone would figure I wasn’t smart enough to progress to the next grade. I didn’t look forward to that school year.

As school gets started once again this year, not all of us will be looking forward to what is to come. There will be joy and excitement mixed with apprehension and weary anticipation for both school students and adult learners. What can be expected across the board are two considerations: that something new is ahead to learn and how important it is to embrace your inner strength; our focus this month.

Hi I’m Byron Darden with this edition of Leading with Purpose on Purpose. In this month’s blog we will be exploring what it means to be going back to school for all us in one way or another. It is my hope that you will take a step back and recognize that even uncertainty can be met with excitement as we learn new things about ourselves and one another and perhaps have just a little more compassion for those around us who need additional support on this new school year journey. Enjoy!

Welcome to From Classroom to Boardroom: The Leadership Lessons of Back-to-School Season

Proven Results

Understanding how many people engage in life planning can provide valuable context for its importance. 

Let’s use setting a New Year’s resolution as an example. On January 1st, you might set a “goal” of losing weight.  For the first week or two, you skip desserts and head to the gym (you might even buy a membership).  Here’s the problem – your goal is weak – how much weight do you want to lose? How are you going to do it?  Do you have a support system? As a result of not taking time to explore these questions, you revert back to your old habits rather quickly.  

Now, let’s suppose your goal involved writing a contract with yourself, finding a friend on the same path, and tracking your progress with an online program. Your chances of success are much greater.  

A study by Dominican University found that individuals who wrote down their goals shared them with others, and sent regular progress reports were 33% more likely to achieve their goals than those who merely formulated goals in their minds. I tried the mind method many times. The trouble with that choice is the invariable “traffic jam” – as my big sister Billie calls it – that exists in our heads. You have to get out of that traffic jam to see a clear path to take.

According to the research, individuals who took the proactive step of writing down their goals, as opposed to keeping them as abstract ideas, were significantly more likely to achieve them. This group documented their objectives and shared these goals with others, thereby creating a sense of accountability. 

Additionally, by sending regular progress reports, individuals maintained a continuous focus on their goals, which further contributed to their success. This emphasizes the power of concrete actions and social support in the goal-achievement process, suggesting that structured and shared goal-setting can dramatically enhance personal and professional success.

The same concepts can be applied to life planning; it’s just a bit bigger goal.

Don’t Go It Alone

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin

This quote by Benjamin Franklin underscores the critical importance of planning in achieving success. It highlights that without a clear and structured plan, the likelihood of failure increases significantly. Franklin’s wisdom aligns with the findings of modern studies, emphasizing that deliberate and thoughtful life planning is essential for realizing one’s goals and aspirations.

Taking the first step towards creating a comprehensive life plan can be both exciting and overwhelming. To make this process smoother, consider reaching out to me, a seasoned coach and Registered Life Planner, for guidance and support. 

We can create a detailed and actionable life plan tailored to your unique needs and aspirations. My expertise and my team will provide you with the tools and support necessary to navigate your journey successfully. Avoid the wait— schedule a call today to start crafting the life you envision.

Life Planning in Action

You may ask how I have come to learn so much about life planning myself and I can tell you that I have been living my formal life plan since I created my first one back in 2008. The S&L crisis had hit. I owned two homes in Washington state. I lost all my income while traveling globally providing leadership training and coaching to corporate executives as a contractor for a company. I was frustrated and scared. I had no idea what to do. 

One day during a conversation with my mentor Kathy, she suggested trying an exercise called The Three Questions. At first, they seemed rather simple. First came the task of imagining I had all the money I needed to do anything I wanted. It is a chance to dream big, pull out all the stops, and draw on my skills as an actor on stage believing I could be anything I wanted, do whatever I pleased, and have whatever came to mind. It was a fun and exhilarating experience. I did not hold back and abandoned resistance. 

Then I had to consider what I would do should I discover that I only had a short time left to live. What will I do with the time I have remaining? It was a sobering thought. At first, I tried to fit everything into the time I had left. It was during this activity that my values and burning desires took shape and reminded me of just how committed I was to going after things that held my attention and how I would let go of what I did not feel as strongly about. 

Then came the kicker question: What would I do if this were my last day? What would I miss? Who did I not get to be? What did I have to let go of doing? These are not questions we think about because the idea of death is one we rarely allow ourselves to dwell upon. That is unless you had a belief system that supported that type of thinking. It was a sobering activity and a powerful one to help me set priorities in a way I hadn’t considered.

Next, we looked at another activity called the Heart’s Core. It is one of the activities I used today to help clients get in touch with what is core to them about what they dream about, some of which they cannot imagine could come true. That was me then!

As we went through the activity I discovered a different way of thinking about my dreams as they pertained to the three questions. There was an order to identify, people I determined would possibly be involved, and where my dream could take me. It was a system of thinking in a certain way that made my dreams actually look possible rather than not possible at all. Something about being in the form of a grid helped me organize my thoughts and see how I could use the concept of patterns to see how one thing was linked to another.

Since 2008, I’ve updated my life plan twice. Once when I began my training to learn about Life Planning. A second time when I started my mentorship program to solidify the process of supporting others. Now I revisit my life plan once at the start of each year. Guess what? With few alterations, I’ve been living my life plan to the point of honing it rather than totally retooling it. Each year it gets clearer and very real. 

In fact, Triple Axel Executive Coaching exists because of my first stab at life planning sixteen years ago. My company is slowly expanding to include my passions in a conglomerate that is taking shape. I now live in New York where I dreamed of moving some day. I live in a wonderful place that I once thought would only be a pipe dream. I have a financial planner that I did not have before I started. I also became a public speaker, and a published author and have taught all over the world. I even learned more about a business that resulted in me earning my MBA.

Join us as we wrap up this series with Proven Results and why I say Don’t Go It Alone.

Time to Think

Creating a life plan is a crucial step in setting yourself up for both personal and professional success. It allows you to outline your aspirations, set clear goals, and develop a strategic approach to achieving them. Below is a list of activities to help you start thinking about your life-planning journey

Journal to Generate Ideas

Journaling is a powerful tool to brainstorm and organize your thoughts. It is a chance to explore what you truly want to achieve in life. Write down your aspirations, reflect on your current situation, and explore potential paths to your goals. You might be surprised by the breakthroughs that come to light with a regular journaling practice.

Setting Goals

During the Life Planning process, you will discuss your goals for the future, personally and professionally. I urge you to make them specific. For example, instead of saying you want to be CEO someday, set a goal of becoming CEO within 2 years and the steps you will take to get there. Instead of stating that your goal is to be healthy, set a goal to lose 20 pounds in 6 months by walking 30 minutes a day and eating fruit instead of cake for dessert. 

For some, specificity can feel like putting guardrails on your vision. From experience, a lack of specificity has not held me back from reaching my goals, just not how I envisioned it at the start. An RLP can help focus your goals.

Create a Vision Board

One tool that is used to bring goals and ideas to life is a vision board. It can serve as a daily reminder of your dreams, keeping you motivated and focused. Start by collecting images, quotes, and symbols that represent your desired future. Work with your RLP to construct the vision board.

Do Some Research

Looking back at your journal and your goals, think about what is standing in the way of your dreams. Is it a lack of education or a skill you’d like to develop?  Do a little research to see how you might close the gap.

Consider Your Life Experience

Chances are that you have more skills than you realize. Make a list of your past achievements, rewards, training, and more. That workshop you took last year may give you unique qualifications to achieve your goals. In addition to your achievements, consider your perceived obstacles. An RLP can help you turn setbacks into breakthroughs.

Build a Support System

In addition, be thinking about the people in your life that you could turn to for support, including friends, relatives, mentors, and experienced professionals. Building relationships 6yhb provides valuable insights, guidance, and support, enhancing your life planning process.  As an RLP client, you join a network of professionals who can support you in acquiring the knowledge, making contacts, planning and executing the steps necessary to bring your life-planning dreams to fruition. Ask me about our transition program, Chrysalis Conversion.

Continue to see Life Planning in Action.

Founders Corner – Life Planning Part II

August is Vacation month for many hard-working executives. It’s a time when many take their traditional annual vacation to rest, relax and maybe catch up on your reading list. We often spend more time with family and friends. See new vistas and visit places you’ve always wanted to go. Here at Triple Axle Executive Coaching, it’s planning month for our next 12 blogs we plan to publish. 

As we move into this month [August], I’m excited about the many celebrations coming up. All for different reasons. Some of which you’ll probably identify right away from having read our blog since 2021.

For instance, we are celebrating American Artists Appreciation Month. Coming from a performance artist background myself, and having dabbled in photography, drawing and design (furniture and interiors), I’m humbled by learning there is a month when we acknowledge the many creative artists in our midst.

There’s also Black Business Month, which is a reminder to me of having started seven different businesses in my career and now mounting the eighth as an executive coaching company. 

National Golf Month has a distant connection in my life when one of my relatives encouraged me to pick up the game when I lived in Boston. She said, “more decisions are made on a golf course than in any boardroom. Learn to play the game and see what happens.” While I did get myself a set of clubs and visited the Nashoba Valley driving range on a weekly basis, I didn’t quite take to the game of golf that nearly all my aunts and uncles have and continue to play in their 90s.

There are also special days of celebration that include National Womens and Women’s Equality Day, respectively on August 9th and 26th. My three decades of coaching women in figure skating have morphed into the two decades of helping women overcome imposter syndrome, release trauma to their confidence and inspire me to devote so much of my attention to women’s issues and build strong relationships with the women in my life.

World Humanitarian Day is celebrated on August 19th which sets the stage of Be Kind to Humankind Week celebrated August 25th till the end of the month. More than anything, my passion is to help executives seek their humanity in leading others. So I’m especially humbled by the notion that we observe humanitarians as appreciative contributors to society.

Then there’s one of my favorite acknowledgments that kicks off the month on the 1st, National Simplify Your Life Week; something I recently began doing before I knew there was a formal celebration designated to do so. Truth be known, with all the hoarders I’ve encountered in my experience, I try to simplify my life several times throughout the year.

Given so many reasons to celebrate, we’ve decided to coin it, Equality Acknowledgment and Endorsement Month.

Hi, I’m Byron Darden with another edition of Leading with Purpose on Purpose. As we conclude  our series on Transitions, we are building on what we began last month by introducing the transition of Life Planning. While recharging your battery, we invite you to give your future Life some thought.

To support you, we’re offering you some helpful ideas and tips on how to think about your future through Life Planning.

You may recall that I started my Life Planning in 2008 just before the Savings and Loan meltdown rocked our economic comfort zone. At the time, I had no awareness that my financial life would go into a tale spin. That event signaled my move to New York and the beginning of living my Life Plan in ways I couldn’t have imagined, with all the unexpected twists and turns that uncertainty brings to the impermanence of everything, everywhere, for everybody

You’ll learn about The Three questions that will get you thinking in ways you may never have considered before. We delve into the Heart’s Core; the center of what’s most important to you.

Come the fall it is my guess, somewhat from years of experience, that returning energized and invigorated from vacations, time away, sabbaticals, and in my case, my annual writing retreat, you will be set up for success. The season will change with the return to school mindset or continuing education, and you’ll have a refreshed perspective on what is most important to you. 

Once you get back to your roles as leaders, let’s plan to connect and explore how you can create the life you love. Enjoy!

Life Planning requires that you take Time to Think. Read on for more suggestions.

Shift Your Mindset

The choices we make and the mindset we adopt play a crucial role in shaping our experiences and outcomes. Often, we find ourselves stuck in patterns that limit our potential and stifle our growth. To truly thrive, it’s essential to recognize these limiting behaviors and actively work towards more empowering alternatives.

The table below outlines a transformative path from limiting beliefs and actions toward more empowering and fulfilling approaches. Each transition represents a shift from a constrained, reactive state to one of intentionality, freedom, and self-empowerment. By embracing these shifts, you can unlock your true potential and craft a life that is successful and also deeply satisfying.

Move Away FromMove Toward
Limiting beliefsLimitless ones (at least at first)
Listening to adviceBeing heard for your dreams and desires
HesitationFreedom of flow knowing you have someone in your corner as a cheerleader rather than a naysayer
Stifling emotionsBeing in touch with your emotions
Letting life happenPlanning life’s happenings

Each transition signifies a profound change in perspective and behavior:

  • From Limiting Beliefs to Limitless Ones: Start by challenging the constraints you’ve placed on yourself. Open your mind to new possibilities and believe in your potential to achieve great things. This became very real for me when I was advised to earn a championship before turning to professional skating. 

Competition was not for me at the time. Learning how to skate well enough to be hired by Ice Capades and work my way up was my greatest desire. I was told it wouldn’t happen. A year after joining Ice Capades I became the understudy for the lead male in the show. In fact, he was my coach. Eventually, he left the show and I took his spot…without a championship under my belt.

  • From Listening to Advice to Being Heard for Your Dreams and Desires: Move beyond simply taking advice from others. Find your voice, articulate your own dreams, and ensure that your goals are acknowledged and supported.
  • From Hesitation to Freedom of Flow: Overcome hesitation by building confidence and embracing the support of those who believe in you. Experience the freedom that comes with knowing you have a cheerleader in your corner.
  • From Stifling Emotions to Being in Touch with Them: Instead of suppressing your emotions, learn to understand and express them. This emotional intelligence will enhance your well-being and relationships.
  • From Letting Life Happen to Planning Life’s Happening: Take control of your destiny by actively planning your life’s course. This proactive approach allows you to shape your future rather than being shaped by external circumstances. I learned this firsthand when I dreamt of becoming an Olympic coach. Because I wasn’t a champion. Because I didn’t have my gold figure test. Because I did not train with a star coach. Because I didn’t have the politics in my corner. 

Because, because, because I stopped letting others plan my life for me according to what was “reasonable” to them, I instead kept my eye on what was most important to me. Eventually, one thing led to another, I became well known for an emerging discipline in the sport that put me in the spotlight and my dream eventually came true. Interestingly enough, you may recall my sharing in an earlier blog that I indeed became a professional pairs champion. It happened the same year my student earned his birth on the US Olympic team.

By making these shifts, you can move from a place of limitation and reaction to one of empowerment and intention. This transformation is key to living a life that truly reflects your passions, values, and aspirations.

Stay tuned as next month we discuss tools you can incorporate into your life to prepare for life planning, I share a personal story, and we explore the science behind life planning.

Creating Purpose and Direction

The significance of life planning is twofold. First, consider the analogy of taking a trip. You wouldn’t embark on a journey without some level of preparation and planning. Without a plan, you might find yourself overspending, ending up in places you didn’t intend to visit, and missing out on key experiences you would have cherished. Just as a well-thought-out travel itinerary helps you maximize your trip, life planning ensures that your resources—time, money, and energy—are directed toward your most valued goals.

When you have a plan for your trip, it’s easier to manage unexpected events with contingency plans. Similarly, life planning equips you to handle unforeseen circumstances with greater resilience and adaptability. By anticipating potential challenges and having strategies in place, you can navigate life’s uncertainties more effectively. This proactive approach reduces stress and helps you maintain a steady course, even when faced with obstacles.

Second, life planning fosters a deeper sense of purpose and direction. It encourages introspection and self-awareness, prompting you to identify your core values and long-term aspirations. This clarity of purpose acts as a compass, guiding your daily decisions and helping you prioritize what truly matters. Without a plan, it’s easy to become reactive, constantly responding to immediate demands without considering their alignment with your broader vision. Life planning keeps you focused on your ultimate objectives, ensuring that your actions are intentional and aligned with your desired outcomes.

In essence, life planning is about taking charge of your destiny. It’s a proactive approach to living that empowers you to design a life that reflects your true self and aspirations. By planning your life with intention and foresight, you set the stage for a more organized, balanced, and fulfilling existence. In the following sections of this blog, we’ll explore practical steps and strategies to help you create your life plan, ensuring that you are well-equipped to achieve your dreams and navigate your journey with confidence and purpose.

It begins when you Shift Your Mindset.