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Making Disruption Personal

A disruption is always an interruption. It’s something that gets in our way preventing us from doing what we set out to do. That’s the negative take. But there’s a positive angle form which to view a disruption.

A disruption is always an interruption. It’s something that gets in our way preventing us from doing what we set out to do. That’s the negative take. But there’s a positive angle from which to view a disruption.

Bill Jensen reframes the conversation about disruption in his book, Disrupt! Think Epic. Be Epic. Yes, he touches upon how disruptions can be horribly bad. But really, the takeaway for me is how disruptions can positively change the course of your life.

To share his perspective on disruption, Bill is talking to lots people over Skype and having them share personal stories about how disruptions have radically changed their life. It’s a series on YouTube called DISRUPTIVE HEROES.

Bill invited me to play along and I jumped at the chance because it allowed me the opportunity to tell the story of how Lisa Denney Compton is my disruptive hero.

Lisa forever disrupted my life and my career by hiring me as a field marketing specialist for Starbucks in 1995. If that disruption didn’t happen, I shudder to think where I would be today.

Lisa took a huge risk in hiring me. Not only did I lack experience, but my wicked-good stutter made me unhirable to so many companies. Lisa was able to look past my stuttering and hired me into a role where I flourished.

To learn the very personal story of how Lisa positively disrupted my life, watch below. (You’ll also hear me talk about my favorite disruptive change [tasty craft beer] and the disruptive change I’m struggling with [my smartphone that’s making me dumber].)