Matt Haney, a fractional COO with Sinclair Ventures, shares how his passions for golf, travel, and fishing have shaped both his personal and professional life. As a lifelong golfer, Matt describes the sport as more than competition, focusing on the value of relationships and time spent in nature. He highlights the transformative power of golf trips with friends, like his curated adventures to Bandon Dunes, and the deep connections formed through shared experiences. Matt talks about inheriting the “travel bug” from his wife's family, crediting his grandfather-in-law’s adventurous spirit and prioritization of experiences over things. Fly fishing, especially in mountain streams, is another source of joy, reminding him of the importance of being present and connecting with nature. Throughout the conversation, Matt emphasizes that having outside interests is mission-critical for humanizing the workplace and fostering lasting connections with colleagues.

Episode Highlights

· Matt emphasizes that hobbies like golf, fishing, and travel are essential for personal well-being and professional effectiveness. They make you a better person and leader.
· Golf isn’t just a game for Matt, but an opportunity to connect with others, enjoy nature, and continually challenge himself. The relationships and mental shifts he’s gained through golf have been life-changing.
· Inspired by his wife’s family, Matt believes experiencing new places and cultures expands your world and creates stories and bonds you carry throughout life.
· Using practices like EOS Meeting Segues, Matt brings people together at work by encouraging them to share personal 'wins' and outside interests, which boosts morale, builds trust, and deepens collaboration.
· Matt prioritizes his "Ands" and encourages the same for his teams, stressing that a culture of overwork isn’t healthy—real success is supporting each other’s full lives, goals, and well-being, both in and out of the office.

Kristie Ondracek, CFO and COO at TXCPA Houston, talks about her passion for paper crafting, specifically card making and scrapbooking. Kristie shares how she began crafting in high school and has since embraced the creative process, which she finds essential for both personal expression and enhancing her problem-solving skills at work. She highlights the joy she experiences from bringing a smile to others with her custom cards, reflecting on memorable projects, including cherished moments crafting with her late mother. As a leader, Kristie emphasizes the importance of creating space for employees to share their passions and encourages organizations to value their human capital. Through her experiences, she illustrates how this creative hobby has fostered a unique and effective approach to leadership and professional challenges.

Episode Highlights

· Kristie emphasizes the importance of thinking outside the box and being creative in problem-solving, which is enhanced by her hobby of card-making and scrapbooking.
· She talks about how her crafting hobbies have helped her stay sane and bring joy to others, illustrating the importance of balancing work with personal passions.
· Kristie highlights the need for leaders to be involved with their team beyond work-related performance, suggesting that understanding personal interests can boost productivity and morale.
· She believes it’s crucial for leaders to create environments where employees feel safe to express themselves and speak up, benefiting both individual and organizational growth.
· Kristie shares her journey toward becoming more open and authentic about who she is and what she loves, demonstrating the power of self-acceptance and sharing one's true self with others.

Joel Zeff shares his journey from being a newspaper reporter to a successful keynote speaker and author. Joel describes his transformative experience with improv, which he discovered after moving to Dallas for a job as a newspaper reporter. Despite the challenges he faced when the newspaper closed, Joel explored stand-up comedy and eventually joined an improv troupe, which opened doors for him to merge his passion for improv with presentations at his corporate job. He emphasizes the importance of following one's passions and how improv has taught him valuable lessons in teamwork, leadership, and communication. Throughout the conversation, Joel highlights the significance of laughter in building connections and improving corporate culture. His insights provide a compelling story of how passion can transform into a fulfilling career.

Episode Highlights

· Joel found his passion for improv when he was invited on stage during a performance. It was a life-changing moment for him.
· Losing his newspaper job led Joel to explore comedy and improv, which eventually became his career path.
· Joel emphasizes the importance of not keeping work and passion separate, as opportunities like Texas Instruments requesting his improv skills for an executive retreat helped shape his career.
· He believes that making people laugh bonds and connects them, and even if his talks achieve only that, it's worthwhile.
· Joel stresses the importance of figuring out what you love and would do for free, as it can lead to unexpected career opportunities and fulfillment.

K.C. Eames shares her journey from playing indoor volleyball to discovering her passion for beach volleyball later in life. Raised in a household that encouraged trying various activities, K.C. began playing volleyball at 10 and progressed to playing in the Junior Olympics. Despite burning out from the intense schedule, she rediscovered her love for the sport through beach volleyball. K.C. emphasizes the parallels between athletic competition and professional growth, highlighting the importance of persisting through challenges. She also discusses the value of sharing personal interests to enhance workplace relationships, inspired by a memorable interaction early in her career with a Partner who valued her volleyball experience and sought out her advice for his daughter. Now in a leadership role, K.C. is committed to fostering an open workplace culture where individuals can freely share their diverse passions.

Episode Highlights

· K.C. emphasized the importance of trying out different activities and sports as a child, which helps in discovering what one truly loves.
· The discipline, resilience, and understanding of failure that comes with sports have parallels in professional growth and success.
· She experienced burnout from playing volleyball continuously, which teaches the lesson that being consumed by one activity can diminish the love for it.
· K.C. highlighted that sharing personal interests at work leads to stronger connections, breaking down hierarchy, and enhancing workplace culture.
· As a leader, demonstrating openness about one's own interests can cultivate an inclusive and open work environment, encouraging others to do the same.

Adam Shay, a former accounting firm owner now coaching business founders through his company Share the Knowledge, joins the show to discuss his passion for mountain activities. Adam shares his journey of discovering a love for the mountains during his college years in Virginia, which blossomed into regular trips for hiking, mountain biking, and snowboarding. He enjoys visiting places like the mountains of North Carolina, Virginia, and often makes trips out west to locations such as Colorado and Montana. Adam emphasizes how these outdoor experiences help him relax, find peace, and even spark creative ideas due to a clear mind away from work. As he transitioned to sharing more personal aspects of his life, the conversations with clients and team members became more meaningful, strengthening business relationships. Through these experiences, Adam underscores the importance of integrating personal interests into professional life for both personal fulfillment and to foster deeper connections in business.

Episode Highlights

· Adam enjoys mountain time, describing his trips to North Carolina, Virginia, and the western United States, finding peace and clarity away from work.
· Sharing personal interests and passions helps deepen business relationships, moving them from transactional to more personal connections.
· Adam posts about his personal interests on LinkedIn to build connections that bridge the gap between personal and professional life.
· He believes in the importance of showing interest in people as individuals, beyond their professional roles, to develop deeper relationships.
· Adam emphasizes the value of having passions outside of work, encouraging self-reflection and finding interests that bring joy, as these can contribute positively to one's personal and professional life.

Cristin Browne shares her passion for gardening and skiing and all things outdoors. She discusses how her love for gardening began after purchasing her house with a blank backyard, which she saw as a blank canvas to create a flourishing vegetable garden. Despite her initial efforts resulting in mostly failed crops except for zucchinis, she found joy in experimentation and the connections it fostered with her neighbors and coworkers. Additionally, Cristin talks about her passion for skiing, which began in her teenage years on the East Coast and was further developed in Colorado. She highlights the joy of engaging in ski lift conversations and the unique practice it provides for networking and building connections. Through these outdoor hobbies, she emphasizes the importance of embracing all aspects of oneself, both inside and outside of work.

Episode Highlights

· Cristin shares the significance of the color pink in maintaining her femininity and personal identity during her time in the military.
· She discusses her journey into gardening, emphasizing experimentation, learning from failures, and the joy of connecting with neighbors and coworkers through gardening activities.
· Cristin describes her love for skiing, highlighting how it offers a sense of freedom, adrenaline, and the opportunity to connect with others through shared experiences and ski lift conversations.
· She advocates for bringing all facets of one's identity to work, expressing how sharing personal interests like gardening can lead to deeper connections and adjacencies with coworkers, enhancing workplace culture.
· Cristin emphasizes the importance for individuals to be authentic and for organizations to foster a culture that supports and values the diverse aspects of an employee's identity beyond just their professional role.

In this episode of What's Your "And"?, Jeff Towberman, the finance supervisor and controller at the North Saint Paul School District in Minnesota, shares his profound passion for baseball. Jeff recounts how a childhood experience at a San Francisco Giants game with his grandfather sparked his love for the sport. Over the last forty years, Jeff has channeled this passion into playing and then coaching baseball at various levels, including youth leagues and high school teams. He emphasizes the life lessons baseball can teach, such as teamwork, resilience, and the importance of knowing one's role. Jeff's story highlights how his dedication to baseball has positively influenced his professional life and personal connections. Listen in as Jeff and John discuss the intersection of sports, work, and life.

Episode Highlights

· Coaching baseball has allowed Jeff to positively impact the lives of young players, teaching them important life lessons beyond the game.
· Jeff believes that baseball, like life, requires understanding individual roles and working as a team to succeed.
· Jeff's lifelong love for baseball is deeply intertwined with his personal and professional life, including coaching at different levels and inspiring others.
· Jeff emphasizes the importance of providing a supportive environment for kids in sports, recognizing that their time on the field can be a crucial escape from personal challenges.

This week's guest is Elsa Hirl, a financial assistant at Maquoketa State Bank in Iowa and the vibrant personality behind Momma Hirl's Baking. Elsa shares her passion for baking, which she attributes to her grandmothers and her early experiences making cinnamon rolls in junior high. She talks about how her baking journey and then sharing her "And" with others has bolstered her confidence and helped her break out of her comfort zone. Elsa also touches upon the joys of holiday traditions and the importance of balancing work with personal passions. Listeners will enjoy her humorous anecdotes and the heartwarming story of how her family came to appreciate her Christmas cinnamon rolls.

Episode Highlights

· Baking is deeply ingrained in Elsa's family history, with her starting to sell baked goods in junior high.
· Works as a financial assistant while also managing her baking business, emphasizing the importance of pursuing passions alongside a career.
· Pursuing and sharing her passion for baking has helped Elsa build personal confidence and step out of her comfort zone.
· Sharing personal passions (like baking) at work helps in creating more meaningful human connections and improving workplace culture.