Robert Murray

Date: January 24, 2015

Name: TEDxBCIT

Presenters: Various

TEDxBCIT is the independent event operates under the license from TED. The purpose of TEDxBCIT is to explore opportunities to become a leader to help build the future for tomorrow. The theme of this conference is “building the future”. In addition, the conference will focus on the opportunities through innovation, society, connection and learning. Leaders of tomorrow need to bring ideas that will impact the future society. Leaders of tomorrow will find ways to sustain a growing globalization for the future culture. Leaders of tomorrow will build the relationship to open up social connectivity. Moreover, leaders of tomorrow will acquire the experience and knowledge to create a better future. TEDxBCIT invites Ceilidh Millar, the BCIT student reporter for CBC and the youngest writer at Global BC Television News, as the host for the conference. In addition, Leaders will be inspired by the speakers to improve the future for tomorrow.

Building your own future

Scott Carr, the founder of Belief Trumps Talent and Empowered Parents Network, is invited to share his experience to seek balance and perspective of lives. Carr will share his knowledge of how mindsets can help leaders to achieve desired results.

Many people view their future by the choices they made based on their past. In fact, Carr believes many people allow their past to represent their present. In order to create a positive future, people need to paint their own future from a blank canvas. Blank canvas starts with the right mindset. Therefore, Carr introduces 5 mindsets that future leaders need to have.

Mindset #1: Get out of your comfort zone

Carr illustrates Felix Baumgartner, the astronaut, is the first person who broke the sound barrier. Furthermore, he trained for this moment for 5 years. When he was 6 years old, he already has a picture in his mind that he jumps 40 thousand meter high in the future. Therefore, Carr suggests leaders need to be comfortable with discomfort to achieve the next great thing.

Mindset #2: Fail forward

Carr illustrates Diana Nyad, a 64 year old who broke the record of 103 mile swim. She has the mantra mindset to find a way. She learned it is important to have a strong believe and never give up. Carr believes successful people are willing to fail the most. Therefore, leaders will always tell themselves to fail forward when they face adversity.

Mindset #3: Fully commit

Carr illustrates Steve Nash, the basketball player, who believes doubters will always discount mindset. During the college season, Steve Nash did not accept any Canadian college because his mind is already set in National Basketball Association. In order to be in NBA, he needs to be in United States. Nevertheless, he joined American college and continue his road to be in NBA hall of fame. Beliefs always trump talent. Since this is the age of continual partial distraction, leaders need to avoid unnecessary multitasking, procrastination and low achievement level. Carr believes leaders’ beliefs levels will decide how they interpret the word “impossible”.

Mindset #4: Growth mindset

Carr illustrates Bethany Hamilton, the soul surfer who lost her left arm, has a grow mindset to control her comeback. After the loss of her arm from shark, she did not give up. Instead of having a fixed mindset of not take risks and resist failing forward, she has a growth mindset to challenge herself to achieve her dream. Carr believes all leaders should have a growth mindset that motivates them to move forward in their direction.

Mindset #5: Believe in dream

Carr illustrates Terry Fox, the Canadian athlete who ignites the hope of cancer research. He ran for the purpose of the cancer foundation and raises over 650 million funds for cancer research. The dedication pushes Terry Fox to accomplish his dream.

Carr believes there are two types of people in the world: the one who allows their past to decide the present, and the one who allows their future to decide their present. There is a difference between being interest or commit, yet leaders need to ensure they have the right mindsets to make their decisions.

What makes a good idea?

Trevor Borland, the owner of Pacific Bolt Manufacturing, is invited to share his knowledge of identifying what is a good idea. After his graduation in BCIT, he understands young people are the future work force in the current market. He works with many communities to develop long term solutions and He is in passion to strive for improvements.

Borland believes there are three elements that make up good ideas.

• Benefit
• Practical
• Well thought out

Ideas come from benefiting others. Good ideas could be a way to improve on existing ideas. Good ideas could make process faster, stronger and bigger. Moreover, good ideas can be profitable.

Borland emphasizes benefits from idea must be balance from people, planet, and prosperity. It is important to understand that good ideas are the balance of all three.

When ideas are created, there must have technology support. Ideas must keep up the current technology. Therefore, sometimes ideas cannot be practical at this moment, but it does not mean it will not in the future.

Ideas will fail if they are not thought out. In order for ideas to be thought out, Borland believes there are 4 important workflows leaders need to be aware of. The first is research. Leaders need to be the expert in that area so they can listen to people wants. The second is process. Leaders need to ensure they have a way to take the idea to practical with simple and achievable method. The third is scenarios. Leaders need to question and challenge the ideas with what-ifs. The fourth is feedback or share. Leaders need to share the idea to receive feedback for improvements. Sharing the idea will continue to develop new ideas. Leaders can break the ideas into pieces to protect the backbone of the true ideas. When leaders receive feedback, they need to fix it. However, sometimes people hate the idea, but Borland believes it happens because they do not want leaders to succeed.

If no one is listening to the idea, Borland suggests getting creditable sources by focus on ideas that sell. Relate the ideas back to money. Leaders can start small ideas, and they can develop small ideas to be big ideas in the future.

Happiness, the paradigm shift

Gwen Gnazdowsky, the conversation coach and the national mentorship program develop in the women’s leadership foundation, is invited to speak about her view of true happiness. As a life coach, Gwen Gnazdowsky helps people to get what they matters the most in their hearts. She conducts workshop at various associations to mentor people to achieve their true happiness.

When Gwen Gnazdowsky is young, she wished to be happy all the time. Based on statistic, 100% of parents choose happiness over wealth, 95% of parents choose happiness over academic excellence, 95% of parents choose happiness over fame, and 90% of parents choose happiness over stress.

“The same old thinking gives the same old results”

During early age, Gnazdowsky feels not special because her sister received all the parents’ attention. She starts to create the idea in her mind that she is not special and her sister is. Starting from that day, she lives in that mindset.

It took many years for Gnazdowsky to realize the mindset is controlling her happiness. Gnazdowsky needs a paradigm shift. Gnazdowsky defines paradigm shift is a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.

The benefit of paradigm shift is to overcome obstacles and reframe the limiting beliefs. In order to do that, Gnazdowsky suggests leaders to control their emotional baggage, and change their emotional programming.

Human will experience defective, defeat, deprive, and desert. Leaders need to understand all the pain is the same and it is normal to feel that way. Leaders need to reprogram their emotional mindset. 50% of leaders have already set their emotional mindset when they are in age of 5, 80% are at the age of 8 and 95% are at the age of 18. Gnazdowsky mentions there are conscious and unconscious minds and leaders need to interpret different mindset by getting help from others.

Gnazdowsky believes people’s thoughts can create their future. She recommends all leaders to sign their voice in their head by stop comparing themselves with others. What other people think is not as important as what they think about themselves.

“Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything”

“Happiness is a direction, not a place”

Making the impossible, possible

Steve Curtis, the owner of ZAG, is invited to share his road of success that many people think it is impossible. When he was diagnosed with cancer, he formed the TLC Foundation to search for treatment. He has the passion to serve others and mentor many entrepreneurs. He creates Adventure2Advance, which funds over $100,000 for youth. He is now well and conquers the fear of cancer, and he is now focusing on public speaking and publishes books about his journey.

Curtis believes experience life comes together when people do exactly what they love. When people think it is impossible, they are limiting themselves.

Curtis drops out of high school when he learns school is about learning to conform. In his job search, he got discourage because no one wants to hire him. During that moment, he feels worthless and possible of making the wrong decision. One day, when he was at the library, he found a book published by Richard Branson. There is a quote that inspired him to continue.

“Either end up at the school or become a millionaire”

Curtis mentions during his early stage of career, he always hit with a question of “stay or jump off?” He emphasizes it is easy for people to focus on what other people say, but it is difficult to do what they really want. He always feels he is continuously growing, but feel it is not enough.

In age of 24, he was diagnosed with cancer. With only 10% surviving rate, he face the same question of “stay or jump off”. When he faces the impossible, he needs to feel comfortable about the choice he made. Therefore, he flew everywhere and will not give up on the search of cure.

“If you stick with a goal, it will happen”

Curtis indicates most people hide or resist from fear. Leaders need to face it. If people are willing to look inside, any obstacle will disappear. When there is a fear, leaders need to have the courage to jump in.

Curtis suggests leaders to stop thinking. Many people stop dreaming because of their inner voice that is afraid of change. If leaders are willing to let go of the inner voice, they will experience more powerful life.

“Stop thinking, settle in the heart and create the possible”

Lost in Technology

Greg Malpass, the Founder of Traction on Demand, is invited to share his insight about the technology trend. Greg Malpass has a simple purpose in his company, which is to help people to unite their sales and marketing teams. He expands the mission by becoming a positive role towards his community. Using his unconventional leadership style, he grows his company’s recognition as the third best place to work in Canada.

Greg Malpass shares when he used to work in the enterprise, he was not feeling fulfilled; instead, he feels frustrated. He always believes technology is a process to help people to be effective. However, as the technology improves, people are just trying to fit in to technology.

Malpass questions why people turn on the screens. Screens are pulling away the moments between personal interactions. Rather than engaging communication with others, people prefer to look up on the screens. In the old days, people enjoy the moment of high five. Now, people are capturing the moment with pictures. This shows people carve different things in social medial and different portal.

People are spending more adult life working, move up the ladder and inventing technology. Furthermore, this is a signal that people are not separating their life with business. Malpass emphasizes many people put business ethic into engagement.

Malpass suggests leaders to run a community instead of run a company. People like to share experience and interact with human nature. Leaders should think about how the outcomes can bring things together. The objective of companies should create opportunities. In the end, people should have a balance life and harmony. Leaders need to believe in connections instead of contacts. By improving the attraction between friends and family, people will be able to change and expand their connections.

Leaders need to believe in people, not company. Leaders need to build and invest around the people close to them. Leaders should fight for pull, not push. Leaders can choose how technology can affect them. Every technology can be push or pull. When it is a pull, it means technology serves people; however, when it is a push, it means people serve technology. Malpass suggests all leaders to think about the technology around them and understand the purpose of using the technology.

Authentically you

Heather White, the Founder of 2020 Communication Inc., is invited to share the importance of passion in leaders’ hearts. Heather White helps many entrepreneurs to grow their sales. She has a black belt in Jujitsu and successfully be a top performer. She got interviewed by the Vancouver Sun, Fresh Magazine and Under 30 CEO. Moreover, she has the passion to provide advice and support of personal and professional development for entrepreneurs.

Heather White is a believer. She believes an idea can change the world. White understands many people in the world are searching for their purpose in life, and she believes the answers are not out the external world; instead, the answers are in the heart.

People need to have the courage to look inside of their heart. When White was starting her career as a speaker, she encounters a question that changed her life around.

“What are you going to do about that now?”

White believes everybody has a story and story can be excused. When the story can provide freedom, and responsibility, people should act immediately. Responsibility can be difficult, but leaders need to remember there should be no more excuses and complains. Moreover, leaders should always remember lives are theirs and they need to become the author of their lives.

Strong beliefs can bring people alive. When people realize their natural gift, they will mostly likely to improve their quality of lives. However, people have inner voice of “Who are you kidding?” right after the moment of inspiration. This is considered as the voice of fear. White indicates fear is an indication people are about to grow; therefore, White suggests people to act with courage. Courage reminds people that they are alive and courage acts like the muscle of power.

People need a deep reason to believe why they exist in the world. The ability to response is the journey of life. By activating ideas in their heart, people will change their lives around.

“Who you want to be is who you are right now”

The magic question

Robert Murray, the Chairman of GrowthPoint, is invited to share his knowledge to help leaders overcome their limitation. Robert Murray is also the CEO of GPG Technical Services. With over 25 years of business experience, he turnovers over 18 companies from ground zero to billion dollar businesses. He is also the author of “It’s Already Inside”. Moreover, he speaks over 25 different countries as an international keynote speaker.

Robert Murray starts out with a quote that impact many business people.

“Leadership, business and life should be simple but it is often complicated by idiots”

Murray believes simplicity is the key in business. It is important to make life simpler and be creative in business world. By developing a winning strategy, business can avoid complicated procedures.

The world starts to be complicated when Christopher Columbus discovered the world is round, Alex Bell invented the telephone, and the brothers created the airplane. Life gets more complicated as time goes on. As technology improves, people are now surrounding with instant communication and education. When competition is not local anymore, people are now worry about how to standout, relevant, remember or saw after.

When Murray receives promotion, his life starts to get complicated. People are throwing problems and demanding solutions. Nevertheless, he failed his job to deliver the result. After the long hours of working, he was lost. People are not engaged to do anything, which frustrates Murray.

Murray discovers a magic question that solves everything. The question is so powerful that it changes people to act, engage, and commit. The magic question is “What does good look like?”

When the magic question is asked, people start to brainstorm solutions for many bigger problems. The magic question motivates people to create strategy and implement action plan. Murray suggests leaders to use the magic question to create amazing results.

What to feed our food

Kathryn Redford, the entrepreneur, is invited to explore possible food alternative for globalization. Kathryn Redford researches insects and believe insects can be the alternative for nutrition. In addition, leaders will find the world is more closely connected than they think.

Kathryn Redford’s research challenges to produce food in the world with insects as solution. People eat meat and vegetable for nutrient, and Redford believes soil could be the third resource of food.

46% of lands are used to feed animal and plant vegetable. However, the planet is changing and people are getting to the edge of scarcity. Insects can be the alternative for rich nutrients.

Animals eat insects for food because they have the necessary proteins, calcium and other minerals. People have the technology to change insects based on the needs of people’s nutrients. This will release pressure on planet and the usage of land can be different. Insects will produce wastes, but it can use for something else. Therefore, Redford believes insects can be life saving for humanity.

People never thought insects can be sold for food. In the next 4 years, there will be 9 billion people on earth. The growth will increase and people will face the issue of food scarcity. In the beginning of time, people eat insects. This is a cycle because people in the old days rely on different part of natural system for food resource. Insects can be the natural diets for many animals and it is suggested to invite insects back to the world.

Redford believes insects can be a possible solution that can help the world to enter the phase of recover and sustain life for the future.

Our future in 2040

Lindsay Smith, the CEO of Massive Media, is invited to speak about the technology trend that will impact the future of the world. Lindsay Smith works with many leading technology companies to help with digital marketing strategies. Lindsay Smith is the co-founder of many communities. She has the passion to develop ways to improve technology for the communities. She is also the National President of Wired Women Society. She manages to support women in technology and mentor many young entrepreneurs.

Lindsay Smith believes people are taught to embrace technology. However, the change of technology has gone a direction people never expect.

30 years ago, Disney world promoted an attraction called Time Machine that shows the future technology. People invent paper so people will no longer need to read in the cave and make the words portable. People invent printing press to tell the story faster to one and another. People invent television for massive communication. Now, people invent World Wide Web to communicate other people around the world. Furthermore, these are now the reality.

In the next 25 years, technology will be the center attention. Smith believes there are 3 major changes that will impact people’s lives.

The first change is cars will drive themselves. There will be new license for driving automobile. The car will be automatic and there will be new class of car available for people. Most importantly, there will be less distraction.

The second change is drones will fill the sky. The government will need to create privacy policies for flying drones around the world.

The third change is the new improved artificial intelligent. The new system is called Meet Baxter. Baxter will program to learn and take over automatic jobs in the factory. In addition, Baxter will be able to communicate with human.

Smith believes robots are likely to take over 45% of jobs the next couple of decades. This will eliminate 1/3 of jobs every year. The role of human being will change.

People are used to do things over and over again. Robots will take over this role, so human will stop being busy of working and spend more time relax and enjoy freedom.

“What we are going to do to prepare this transition and how do we help others?”

Are you really who you say you are?

Ruth Atherley, the CEO of Aha Creative Strategies, is invited to speak about ethic leadership. She helps her clients and top leaders to address organization crisis. As a communicator, she manages to identify the right thing to do when her clients are facing reputation issues. She publishes many articles in Maclean’s, Flare, and the Globe and Mail. Works with many sectors, she enjoys her passion to develop communication campaigns for many corporations.

Ruth Atherley believes leaders are facing the ethical problem of chose to do the right thing. During Atherley’s career of journalism, she encountered a secret story that can ruin people’s lives when it released. Atherley chooses to leave the journalism because she believes it is not the right thing to do when she profits the story with other people’s misery.

Atherley owns an agency that deals with clients’ crisis. Atherley realizes people want to see as good people who do the right thing. People get upset when they realize others lie to them. When that situation happens, people will defend others until they are hurt. In order to work in a safe environment, the position of power is very significant.

Atherley shares a story in her neighborhood. There was a child getting bullied by a bigger kid. The child stood up against the bully. Atherley emphasizes if a child can understand it, why cannot adult realize the problem?

People call in sick to be on the beach. People lie to do things they want to do. However, people are watching and it could end up a million views online. When people are watching, the situation can turn viral.

It is important to work with clients that they acknowledge the mistakes. Atherley believes this can rebuild trust and fix the issue for the long run. When angel and devil show up, the ghost will hunt people if they do not do the right thing.

Atherley indicates people will face an inner voice that says “No one knows”. Atherley suggests people to be aware because the integrity is at risk. Small choices can turn big results.

Due to the oil spill issue, people on that coast will suffer financial crisis. It happens because of small things from every day. People thought it is unavoidable; however it is due to people who ignore the small things in life.

Atherley believes it matters when people do the right thing. It is important to do the right thing, so people will not regret it in the future.

Learning from our environment

Rick Gibbs, the co-Founder and President of Neutron Factory Works Inc., is invited to share the importance of supporting future communities. Rick Gibbs has over 16 years of experience of installing, manufacturing, processing, and warehousing facilities in local industries. Gibbs won many rewards, such as BIV 40 under 40, BCFPA leadership award, and Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the year. In addition, Rick Gibbs sits on many charity boards to help out communities.

Rick Gibbs believes leaders should focus on empowering future generation. During his childhood, the world was simple. He was taught to appreciate simple things in life. There was a deep connection with the environment and working together was happy.

“There was only one race, which is only human race”

After his parents are separated, his life has changed. The school life is a new experience, discipline is necessary, and bullying is a normal. Kids cannot question authority. When he moves to Canada, everything changes. Teachers’ attitudes towards kids have changed and there is a different world view. He drops out the school and pursues electronic business. After the graduation from BCIT, he focuses on becoming a professional electrician. With the dedication on apprenticeship, he is able to accomplish his career. He owns his own electronic company and work with many different countries.

During one of his business trip, he experiences the problem of poverty. He realizes there is over 70% of people are below the standard of living and 80% of people live on less than 10 dollars a day. Poverty rate is not getting better and Gibbs realizes the problem exists at local.

The difference of rich and poor is still getting bigger. The only 2 ways to break that cycle are either to change the machine or empower the generation. The problem of obesity is affecting kids in future generation. Gibbs believes the cause of this economic problem is a lack of understanding of food system. Gibbs decides to change the football field into a garden to educate kids to respect the environment and have deep connection with the nature.

Canada throws away millions of food away per year. Gibbs introduces the Quest Food Exchange program. The program takes the food and sells to social community programs, such as community kitchen. Gibbs encourages leaders to donate food, especially at Christmas, to local communities. This will create a strong and meaningful connection with the communities.

Gibbs shares that social media has taught the generation that it is mandatory to compete with others; however, nobody will win without the support of the community.

“What will you do to improve the lives around you?”