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The Path To Leadership
We podcast about strong leaders, loyal employees, avoiding burnout, and raising profits building strong cultures. Everyone is a leader, but the path isn't always easy. Developing critical skills to build stronger, more successful and profitable organizations.
The Path To Leadership
Giving Back and Growing Forward: Marc Shaffer Leadership Lessons
What happens when an aspiring engineer pivots to become a financial leader?
Join us for a captivating conversation with Marc Shaffer, the financial planner, CFO, and owner behind Searcy Financial Services and Allos Investment Advisors. Marc shares his transformative journey from engineering student at K-State to discovering his passion for financial planning, thanks to a chance meeting with an advisor during college. We also explore the critical role that staying connected and being open to career pivots play in professional growth, and how Marc's companies foster an environment that supports both personal and professional evolution. It's not just about the numbers; it’s about the connections.
Additionally, we discuss our heartfelt commitment to giving back through organizations like Rotary, Growing Futures, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Marc is a financial planning expert dedicated to helping families achieve generational financial continuity through strategic goal setting and monitoring. He is CFO and owner of Searcy Financial. Living in Overland Park, Kansas, with his wife Bridgette and their two children, Grant and Emily, Marc is deeply involved in his community. He actively mentors through the Kansas City Chapter of the Financial Planning Association and serves on various boards.
Marc has completed multiple half marathons and BikeMS events and enjoys hiking globally. His leadership and service roles include extensive contributions to the Overland Park South Rotary Club, Kansas City Centurions Leadership Program, and Kansas State University, where he has been recognized for his professional and philanthropic efforts.
Connect with Marc at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcshaffer/
https://www.facebook.com/marc.shaffer/
https://twitter.com/MarcCShaffer
https://www.instagram.com/mcshaffer1113/
Follow Catalyst Development on LinkedIn @catalystdevelopment, @drkatieervin, @jennascott
www.cdleaders.com
Learn more about Supervisor 101 at www.cdleaders.com/supervisor101
Learn about LEADERs Institute at www.katieervin.com/leaders
Theme music by Emma Jo https://emmajo.rocks/
Back to the path to leadership. I am super excited for my guest today. He very quickly became a close friend, I think pretty much the minute we met. It was kind of one of those things.
Marc Shaffer:And I think anyone who At a distillery at a distillery, no less.
Dr. Katie:That is true, there was alcohol involved, but we had just gotten there so we weren't that deep into it. But I am excited to introduce. I went to Marc Shaffer hey, Marc, how are you? I'm doing good Good morning, Good morning. Well. And we should say, I mean, it's not a conversation with the two of us if we don't say how we got connected. So Mike Meyer with Meyer Music and I am so fortunate to be on the band of Angels board and he connected us.
Marc Shaffer:Yep, that was at the distillery and I saw Mike this morning at Rotary, so he keeps coming up in more ways than once and I thanked him this morning for your introduction.
Dr. Katie:Oh, yeah, he is so great. Just like you, he is a connector and he pays attention to the universe and the people that need to be together. So we're fortunate for him and, quite frankly, I beg to be on the band of angels board because I love the work they're doing. Definitely, yeah, yeah. Well, before we jump into the conversation today, can you tell everyone a little bit about who you are, what you do? All of that good stuff?
Marc Shaffer:Yes, so my name's Marc Shaffer. I am with a company called Searcy Financial Services and another company called Allos Investment Advisors. I graduated from K-State go Cats but I've spent the last probably 15 doing that and it's not for selfish reasons just to give back, but it's ended up paying dividends in a lot of different ways that I'm sure we'll get into. But my role is to be a financial planner and then community involvement to pay it forward in ways that kind of serve our clients and serve our partners that help our clients with things we don't do, and I'm also the company's CFO and an owner. So it's been a good place. It's the second job I had at a college and I think it will be the last one. If I leave, it's a problem, but I feel like I'm in my early 40s and halfway through a really great career already.
Dr. Katie:I love that and I think it's so funny because on this I talk so often about. You know, our path to leadership is a little messy and a little windy, and I feel like you're very unique in that. It's not that it hasn't had its challenges, but you found a good spot and you've been able to grow in it.
Marc Shaffer:Yeah, that's true. I actually met the founder of the company before I took on the job and he said why would I hire you with no experience? And I said, if everybody says that I don't get experience? So I called him after a year of being at the first firm I was at in St Louis and I was happy to come to Kansas City. St Louis wasn't my favorite place but I stayed in contact with them. But it's funny because everybody says you need experience but if no one gives you the chance then you don't get it. But one piece of advice stay in contact with all people. It comes back around.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah, you just never know when that bridge is going to be important, whether it's for a job or another referral or any type of connections.
Marc Shaffer:Yep, and sometimes timing is everything too yeah.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, and so usually I have people talk about kind of their windy career journey, but I feel like yours is so fortunate so I'm going to channel my inner Jeff Palaccio, who you connected me with. So when you went to K-State, is that what you wanted to be when you grew up? Like what? What did you want to be when you grew?
Marc Shaffer:up. Uh, I went there and got almost a full ride scholarship If I maintained a certain GPA from my my mom's employer, which was Southwestern Bell AT&T for engineering, and so I moved to Marlette hall. The fifth floor was quiet hall with nothing but engineering students. And uh, and I think a month in, I said this isn't what I'm going to do. So it's funny because at that time this is the story of how I learned about financial planning.
Marc Shaffer:My parents had saved for me to go to college. I got the scholarship, they gave me the small pile of money and said you should meet with our advisor. And I met with the guy that was probably in his late 30s close to my age now and it was like I kind of want to do what you do Like this is you're talking to me about my money. He said, yeah, if you want a motorcycle, go buy it. So I did. That was probably something that you do when you're, you know, freshman in college and it was perfect. But he had me interested and I met a mentor at K-State who was the Dean of Health and Human Sciences, which is where there's my degree. On the wall somewhere around here is Family Studies and Human Services and it is now called Financial Planning because that was the emphasis behind it. But I did it just by happenstance and didn't even know that going to college, like most people, change their major.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah and that. To me it's so cool that and I think kids these days, young adults and even you know those I'm I'm very proudly tell people I'm 48, like being open to the pivot and, just because we start in engineering or we start in one track, being open when it's not a fit, instead of just trying to grind through for 60 years.
Marc Shaffer:And I think it's been fortunate because the company that I'm at now we allow everybody to evolve in whatever that leadership capability is, or as high as they want to go to an owner, or if they want to be nothing but support. There's an important place for everybody. So it was nice that there was the opportunity to continue to grow without having to change a company, and I think most successful companies have that for people, because they don't want people to be stable or they want them to be satisfied whatever level they want to get to. And that certainly happened here, so it didn't require me to make a change.
Dr. Katie:Yeah. Yeah, that's really neat and there's a lot of financial planners out there, there's a lot of people you know that can sit down and show your spreadsheet, but you all do it different. I mean to me it feels like especially you in particular. I haven't met a lot of your team, but I mean it's about relationships and connections and that. So can you talk about how that's a little different?
Marc Shaffer:Yeah, how that's a little different. Yeah, so the background in family studies and human services led well into what was the vision and the culture that Mike Searcy, the founder, had already created here. Matter of fact, for years we'd created and wrote visions for people's lives. Think of things like this is what I want to be remembered for when I die. If you don't know these things going into life, then you don't live them out loud when you're serving in life, and money is just a tool to do all of it.
Marc Shaffer:So sometimes people come and say can I buy that new car? Well, what does, how does that impact your vision or what does it touch? And it's very important to start with that in mind. And some people, especially new clients, we're like asking them how they what they want to be remembered for in 100 years and they haven't even thought past lunch because they're so busy, Right, especially spouses and if they have kids, people are busy in their lives.
Marc Shaffer:So I think the difference there is to just make sure that we try to figure out what, what that is in the future, the intangible that maybe they haven't slowed down in life enough to figure out, and then to pull it into the future, well present to see what do you need to be doing now and then serving as their accountability partner and that's the culture we're trying to create is the pay it forward mentality, and I think that that is different than the sales mentality which the financial services industry has a history of. You can be a terrible salesman and still be a great financial planner serving clients, and I think that's an evolution of the industry and that's kind of the team we're attracting.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah. And what's so cool about that when you shared that with me the first time? It's because we talk a lot at Catalyst Development about having kind of your leadership philosophy or leadership statement and we talked about how we have that as a family. And Rob and I unintentionally did that even when we were dating. Like you know, who do we want to be as a couple? Who do we want to be as a family? What are the values we want to put into our family, All of those kind of things. And when my kids turned 16, and I know 18 is a legal age, but at 16 when they got the car, it's like you know what's expected of you as an urban.
Marc Shaffer:You know what's expected of you as an urban. You know what's expected. You know what are the rules. The guidelines now stay in the guardrails and and being able to root yourself into those values allows you to make decisions like you all team that supports everything I do. I support them. We're all in it together. We're not building silos. But I'm transitioning into exactly what you said. I have a one-year-old, a three-year-old. What is the most important advice to give to them as they prepare? They're not close to being adults, but they do learn very early and I know from Growing Futures teaching me how important early ed is. But we're looking forward to creating traditions and kind of the advice stuff as a family culture that you're talking about.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah, it comes at you quick, all of a sudden. They're super sweet and cute, holding hands and loving each other, and then they're adults and you're like, okay, this is a fun new chapter. Well, and and through your work and through your community engagement, you are such a great networker and connector. So how do you do that and why is it so important? Can you talk a little bit about that?
Marc Shaffer:Yeah, I think that probably the founder coached me into getting involved in the community, because you can be a great financial planner and never meet people to serve, and so not that it was to go out and be a salesperson, it was more of get out there and learn from other people and, by the way, the people you meet can add value to your life, can add value to your client's life. So years ago it was Rotary that I first got involved in, and Rotary was a good exposure to a lot of different not-for-profits, a lot of community leaders, and so that was the way that I kind of jump started getting to know a network of who I should connect. I've said this quote on other podcasts, but it's one that I remember and I live by. It's the difference between who you are today and in 10 years or 20 years is in the books you read and the people you meet. For several years, I read a bunch of books in my home office. Well, there's a library of books back there too. Lots of books in my home office. Well, there's a library of books back there too. It's lots of books I haven't written, I just buy them and they sit on the shelf. But I intend to get through them.
Marc Shaffer:But if you only read books and don't meet people, you sometimes only get the perspective of the things that you're ordering on Amazon and I'm a big believer in the universe conspires to whatever direction you're supposed to head in. And my life coach we can talk about life coaching said always says if you have an idea, try it on and put it up. Try it on and wear it around a while like a shirt, like just throw the idea out there, talk with people about it. The path that you're supposed to go starts presenting itself and you have to be open to signs and all that. And there's some. There's some woo woo stuff in coaching. The feminine energy and masculine energy that I have adopted, but certainly meeting people and being open to perspectives or suggestions or differences between the way I think and the way they think is very helpful for me. Having a good perspective, but then making sure to make the connection to others to understand that perspective. I'm very fortunate that my team has encouraged me to be out more. At the end of the day, as a financial planner, we do amazing work and help people with finances and investments right, but no client ever brags that you got them 20% last year. But they will remember the time you met with their son to help them figure out what they might want to do in life.
Marc Shaffer:The capacity of what I get to do is those little things that mean more than everything else we do. That is very important to continuing to further relationships and help client families with whatever it is, and I have a unique interest in doing that. I'll kind of work late so that I can do those difference makers, but the team also wants me to continue to do that in ways that are kind of fun. But introductions, doing it for years. The greatest part is remember when you introduce this person that led to a different direction in my life. I find satisfaction in being the catalyst right and you're coming in for like change or for excitement or even like I can't think of a good example, but even like I married that person, you connected or like all that's fun to see what happens from making good connections. Yeah.
Dr. Katie:And, and what I think is so neat with how you make connections too, is it's you, you connect people with people that, um, may, may, may be very different than them or may appear on the surface to be like, oh, we have nothing in common. But it's like you've gotten to know both sides enough to be like, oh no, have nothing in common. But it's like you've gotten to know both sides enough to be like, oh no, there is great value in this connection. And when you make that connection, you're like here's why I feel there's connection or value in the connection.
Marc Shaffer:Now go forth and figure it out, and I'll admit it, it's interesting because I'm an open network. I usually don't say no, yes, I get busy and maybe it means six weeks until I meet with you, but I and maybe life will change and I can't do that. But I can tell you examples of surprises, of stuff that I was like it's a competitor, why would I meet with them? And I learned something that added value somewhere else. And then even one person got connected, was interested in financial planning. They came shadowed me for a day. I connected them to the professors at K-State for going into the major. She did not go into it and then started referring business to me. So, even though I was, I didn't have to help this person consider becoming a competitor, but I did it and opened up other doors down the road for stuff I didn't expect. So it's. You just never know any of what's going to come out of meetings.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah, it's true, it's true. And you do so much amazing, give back work. I know you're on boards, I know, so can you talk a little bit about why that's important, the boards you serve on and go into a little of that?
Marc Shaffer:Yeah, I think I'll credit Rotary again. That was the first board that opened up to encouraging a young person to step into leadership, that encouraged leadership development. At that time I didn't even know how to talk in front of crowds and, believe it or not, Katie, I didn't like it, I was scared. Now I don't mind it and that's a part of getting out of your comfort zone. But kind of been through a handful of industry boards and Rotary, which are big, big exposure boards, into serving on.
Marc Shaffer:You know, life goes on in ways that you have personal impacts to give back to the things that impact you. Part of one of my things was fertility. I had fertility issues and so I didn't know if we would be able to have kids. So I did some stuff with big brothers, big sisters, and then learned about growing futures and started serving on their board. We ended up having kids, but because I served on Growing Futures I learned how important early ed was for kids, which, selfishly, is helping me consider things a little bit differently with my kids, right and just so.
Marc Shaffer:Some of that is selfish but again, getting in front of other people that have similar passions is where real relationships happen. And then LLS, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, my parents, leukemia of my mom, lymphoma of my dad. You know, 15 years ago I didn't have that tie to it. I knew who they were. But kind of me personally and my personal philosophy is to give back in things where you're touched by either bad things or good things and then to continue to push those messages out, because there's people just like me impacted by those same things.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, and I think that's so important for me as well. I believe that unfortunately, there's still people that sit on boards for resume or for LinkedIn content. But I'm like you. I want to have a tie to the organization, I want to have a tie to the mission because I feel like it helps me share the mission more and give back. And it doesn't mean that I don't wildly care about insert museum or something here. I do and I'll support it. But to sit on the board and to wave the flag, I think that personal connection for me makes sense.
Marc Shaffer:And I would agree A lot of people when they ask who I would like to meet. One of them is people that have similar interests and we can go over those in a little bit and I have a whole connection piece I share. But I just want to meet people that are passionate in what they're doing and giving back and doing things bigger than themselves, because, at the end of the day, it motivates me to continue doing it. Because, as you know, if you're over-involved and over-stimulated, you go through periods of almost burnout. But if you can see good results of what you're doing and what others are doing, it kind of motivates you to push forward, which is good too.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, and I tell people all the time. Just ask me, I am so good at saying no Early in my career, I wasn't because I had FOMO, but now I'm really good at saying no. And if it doesn't, if I don't have the time to give all of all of the support that they need, I will say no, cause I don't want to disappoint them either.
Marc Shaffer:Um, but I can make a post or donate or something there's a quote that very I don't know what it is, but very successful people say no a lot. And the real question of if I've gotten better or not, that would be better to ask my wife. I'm continuing to learn, but I am much better than I used to be, because you have to be available for the big yes that you are really drawn towards.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah, and you're saying a big yes this year. I'm a Wildcat as well. It's one of my schools that I love and so you're deeply involved in the Wabash Cannonball and alumni and all of that kind of stuff you want to talk about that, yeah, I love well K-State's great Wabash Cannonball.
Marc Shaffer:for those that don't know, it's an event that raises scholarship money for area seniors to go to K-State. We give well, we raise under a million but it gets really good. I'm sponsorship chair and we'll chair it in the future, but it is the easiest sell. I've ever made. People love K-State, just like I do. So when I say here's what it is.
Marc Shaffer:It's a black tie event. We go and you mingle with all your friends that are K-Staters. It's a lot of the who's who and an older population. Either I'm getting older or it's trending younger. But there's people I don't see for all year because we're all busy, but I see them every year at Wabash and it's just the fun way to get together for it. But at the end of the day we also award 55 students with scholarships.
Marc Shaffer:So it's the whole quote of doing good by doing well, doing well by doing good. But yes, that is certainly. That was an easy yes and it sounds like a lot, but it is organized and ran by the Alumni Association where you have the support to just it's a steering committee, so it is. I love to say yes to that one. There's other events that, if you do the sponsorship, you are busy. This is one ask. They say yes and I will admit, because we're selling now we are probably sold out a month earlier than we were last year, just because the demand of wanting to be there in K-State sports kind of drives this. It's football season, so it's not hard to sell out, but certainly people love purple.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, they do, I do. Yeah, I do too. And you know it's funny because my husband will say, you know, he went to Murray State and he went to Indiana State and then he got his master's from Emporia state and he's like those were like stops along the way, like check the box. Like you know, I think we'd been to Murray three times in in 26 years of marriage and and being together. But like K state and Pitt state for me, my master's meh, but uh, those two are in me, like it is great pride and I go back but I think it gives me just as much as I give them and even when I couldn't give financially, still they were showing up for me and the school, the alumni and everything.
Marc Shaffer:Yeah, and it's interesting. I've even told some other people stay connected to your contacts in college, at the university they help. K-state does a good job. I'm sure other schools do, but it's funny how they pop up. They stay friends. It comes back around. Certainly they move from different universities but again, stay connected to everybody because you never know when they're going to help or you'll help them.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah, you don't and you just kind of, as you mentioned earlier, be open to the universe of what's happening and what's going on and kind of speaking about the universe I think that's really how we got deeply connected was when Mike connected us. You were kind of at a spot where you were like I need to do some investment in myself and my own personal professional development and that's leadership development for you is really important. So can you talk a little bit about why it's important and how you continue to invest in yourself?
Marc Shaffer:Yeah. So you know it's an evolution, and who you are now and who you're 10 years, you'll be a different person. So even if I took your class again, and by your class Leaders Institute, it's a different experience. I think, and I look for. Strategically connecting with opportunities to continue to grow is what's most important. It just so happens that I enjoy the leadership part of it. It could be to grow in your industry and know financial planning better too, but I like what you guys teach and that's probably why we get along so well. But how to stay active and do that, there's a lot of good programs, you know the next one on my list. It's funny.
Marc Shaffer:I've always wanted an MBA. Just, I don't know why, but you know the universe conspires, I don't know who. John Hall, who you know I think connected me to Linda Endicott, and now I'm like do I need to get a professional MBA? This is like maybe, yes, right, but I think that also challenging yourself, there's not enough time and money. And we might talk about my international travel, but I don't know. It was 15 years ago. I got an opportunity to travel to China and then I went to Peru and I said I don't have time or money, and if I said that my whole life, then I wouldn't have met these wonderful people and had these wonderful experiences. And the world conspires to create opportunity for it to be able to pay for itself, kind of, and it did. I remember spending almost my last dollar 15 years ago because I wasn't where I am now, but that was the catalyst to a lot of other things, and leadership development is no different just experiences.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah, it's so funny you mentioned Linda because I hadn't seen her in forever and I just literally had coffee with her two days ago. And I love what the executive MBA at Rockhurst does and there's great ones all around the world but, knowing so many people who have gone through their program and I'm fortunate to I don't teach in the executive MBA but I teach a class on change management once a year for the business department but the formal learning, along with the intentional work that she does and other people do to build that cohort and that's the reason we built the cohort for the Leaders Institute the way we did is we want you to learn the material, but we also want you to learn from each other and make those connections. That's why I love it.
Marc Shaffer:Because you could go to get an MBA online and not do anything and it's maybe this one seems to be like what I would thrive in in terms of getting excited about, and a lot of people are like, well, some people get an MBA and they get a promotion at work, like that. I'm not doing it for that. I'm doing it because it's a different position in life to learn Like you learn a little bit different as an adult than you do a 19 year old just trying to get through the classes Right, and so it's a. I kind of gets exciting the way that Linda explained it, because there's probably some overlap in what we're doing in Leaders Institute. I think it's 20 other great local professionals that will push me to think differently and do better, just like Centurions did several years ago too.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah. And when I started my doctorate many, many years ago, I was wrestling with do I get a? I had my master's in human resources development and it's like, do I get an MBA, do I get a doctorate? At the time I was working in K through 12 education and it was like, well, this is what makes sense. And K-State was right there, across the hall from me at Fort Leavenworth, so it was a very easy decision. Linda, do not call me. Do not, I'm not ready for this. I'm still trying to build my company, but there is that tinge in me that's like it's such a cool program I would love to someday not anytime soon Do it.
Marc Shaffer:Linda will give you a hard time then I won't be around forever. So she, she pulled that one on me and I just met her. But uh, it sells itself. It is a good program.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, it is. It is really cool. Well, and you mentioned in their international travel and our family are huge travelers, we're huge cruisers, we love it so much and and I think you get so much from traveling it was probably when the kids were six and eight that we stopped buying, like we stopped this massive Christmas buying, standing in line all night for for toys, to going to experiences and traveling. And you know they spent um new year's in Paris when they were 10 and 12. And so tell us a little bit about that and why that's important to you.
Marc Shaffer:Um, I think that I didn't do it until I was later in life. Like I encourage young people, like if you get a chance to in college, there's no better time. Like, go do another culture, stay for six months. When you're a professional, it's harder to do right. Six months very hard. Three weeks, two weeks is hard.
Marc Shaffer:But I had an opportunity. The first time was my mentor invited me to China and his name's Dr Bill Meredith. If you haven't met him, I should connect you to him. Um, he takes a group to China every year of K-State students and I fell in love with the culture shock, like Europe's wonderful, but the food is actually delicious. China, it's what, what is on the table right. And I learned that, uh, it was just much different culture, much different economics. Matter of fact, I got invited and spoke at a university there in Guangzhou about not looking at China as a competitor but collaborator with the US economy, because this was a while ago and there's continuing tensions between China and US and who wants to be the best economically.
Marc Shaffer:But at the end of the day, I loved unplugging in such a way, because I stayed so busy with my personal and professional life that, in order for me to slow down enough and think about what I want the future to look like. It just organically happened when I got away from my present and then doing it in a place with other people that are also unconnected from their busyness, you get to know them on a different level. You make friendships, deeper conversations. Because you're spending 24 hours a day for two weeks is kind of the trip longevity that we tried to shoot for with a group of eight to 10. But I did it the first year and I said, if I just do this every year, because as a professional it's hard to do, but if I do it for two weeks every year, over 30 years I will have been to a lot of cool places and not committed too much.
Marc Shaffer:So at that point I did that and found a group that loved the planning and actually loved hiking. I wasn't in love with hiking yet, but I fell in love with it and they did the planning of it and I was so busy in life that I loved that they did that part. They just said hey, Marc, we're going next May to Peru and we're going to Patagonia. We're doing all these things that we've done. Here's the itinerary you just need to pack up and go with us and figure out how to work your calendar and, by the way, you can invite your friends. So it's kind of been this synergistic thing with Adventure to Serve and been a lot of cool places and done some hikes while I'm young enough to want to do it. I see clients that are 60 that want to do some of the things I've done and it's different, right, yeah.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, well, and I think there's. You know it allows us to when we, when we travel around and meet other people and see cultures and see how they live. Hopefully for most people it it helps put some of our life in perspective and and recognize the privilege that we have. We're not going to get into politics and all the craziness in our in our world, but we do have so much privilege living in the United States and having access and opportunity and even in very progressive countries. We do have a lot of advantages here that others don't.
Marc Shaffer:Couldn't agree more. It's always nice to come home, and even Kansas City, relative to the rest of the country, is a nice place to come home to. That is one of the traditions I'm hopeful we can create for our kids too. Like all right, we live in Johnson County it is not like this everywhere and realize that there's a world out there that needs help and needs your give back, and international travel does a good way of introducing that to young people.
Dr. Katie:Yeah yeah. There was a time my son talked about going to school in Geneva and I thought that is so cool. And then, like so, the, the professional, the adult, the grownup in me is like that's the coolest thing. Then you can buy a train pass and you can travel all around.
Dr. Katie:And then my mom heart was like and he's going to meet a woman and he will never come home and um, and, and it just happened that I changed universities and and, uh, he wasn't willing to explore that, that opportunity further. But I still think that would be super cool. And last summer my daughter was looking at internships and she was like there's a research vessel that I jump on in California and spend the whole summer, you know, on the water and then end up, you know, in Asia, and I think it's cool. And her dad's like no, no, not yet, we're not ready for that.
Marc Shaffer:That'll be interesting how that changes for me someday, with my son and daughter for sure.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah, when you're, when you're a 19 year old says, well, I'll have a satellite phone. It's like, oh, that changes life. 360 does not always work on a research vessel.
Marc Shaffer:And every bad experience turns into a good story. So that's okay too, as long as there's no long-term consequences from it. That's my saying, yep.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah, I love that and I love how you're working to continue to share your lessons and share your learning, and I know that you're exploring writing a book, so tell us about that.
Marc Shaffer:Yeah, it was funny. Do you know Frank Keck? I'll give him a shout out. I just I think the first time I ever met him and he's just a good question person, like ask things that are pretty pointed. He's like why haven't you written a book about it yet? And I was like I don't know, because I can't even write a blog. When my team asked me to write a blog and then, like my life coach said, try it on and wear it around.
Marc Shaffer:And I've met a handful of people that can help support that process, one of which rose to the top. That has a team of people and the thing about it is I can give a presentation, which I was. They're helping me put that presentation into words that can be delivered to others to help them and whatever it is that's going to help them. But yes, in anything in life, it's what's the book there, it's not how, it's who, and there's a lot of truth to that. Like, even if you want to do something, it doesn't have to be a hundred percent done by you. So I've got a team Streamline Books I'll shout out to them. Will, severn's has been a great, and Alec, they're great guys and their team. So I'm just starting on it, but the message and underlying theme is unlocking potential and paying it forward.
Marc Shaffer:So everything we're talking about the interesting part of why I want to write it of follow-up and introductions afterwards Well, it's a process, but not to be lazy one so that it can be repeatable, the same experience by everybody I meet. But then, selfishly, I want my team internally, if we continue to grow, to have that culture of paying it forward, because our company will grow in ways that are kind of surprises, without having to be great salesmen. It's just doing life and helping people and it delivers. There's an Irish proverb I love.
Marc Shaffer:Brian Buffini teaches that it's handed out in slices and it comes back in loaves, and it's very true. The difference is and this is where the younger generation struggles with it, I believe is you might have to give out a lot of slices and wait a long, long time until you get a lobe, but it does come back. And then all of a sudden, if you consistently focus on the activity, there's lots of lobes coming back, and more than you maybe want. But you can kind of learn how to work with a pipeline of help. And, again, saying no is okay too.
Dr. Katie:Yeah Well, and I can't wait for the book because I know we've talked about it. You are so good and I love to know. It gives me some relief to know that, while it's very personal and you take great care in the connections, there's a system behind it, because I think, how do you have enough time for all of this? I'm so tired for you and I don't have little kids in the house.
Marc Shaffer:My wife yes, I'm learning to say no. Still. The funny thing is I love it, right, and because I see a dividend or a feel good or an anecdote to something that I might've helped with years ago happening all the time, which is the motivation to continue to do it. And the joke with Bridget is my wife is if you're retired, you just do the same thing. It's really nice. I really like it. So it's kind of nice to have fallen into a position with a team that are doing the things that I'm not good at. Believe me, they do a lot of wonderful stuff that I cannot do, so it's nice that they allow me to have the flexibility to focus on that for our clients, for our community, and it helps everybody them too. So it's a good place to be.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah. It's so cool and I am very envious that you know of Streamline Books before you're writing your book. I know they helped Corey Shearer with his and his is so fantastic. The Trust Gap is so good and I didn't know they existed in Kansas City and I firmly believe everyone has a book in them and everyone has a story to tell. And it may not be a story that everyone's interested in, that doesn't matter.
Marc Shaffer:Like tell your story and I love their doing it. Their theme, matter of fact, their logo, you know Bike MS. It has a cross through the MS, I think it's bike tires. But their theme is the bestseller community crossing out bestseller Cause they're not doing it to have your. I'm not doing this to sell a million copies. If I guess that happens, it's great. I'm doing it to get the message out of what's in my head, of what people want from me. But I can't sit down and teach a hundred people. But a hundred people could buy the book Right, and so it's kind of exploiting something that I want to do anyways and they just make it possible for the people that aren't talented writers.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah, it's, it's very cool and, um, I I think they do great work, so I can't wait to to read it. So, um, so, as we're we're kind of wrapping up the show, this is the question that I ask everybody. Um, my husband was on the show last week and I forced him to answer it as well. Um, so, to the level that you're comfortable sharing, what is kind of the biggest leadership or career misstep that you've you've taken?
Marc Shaffer:Oh yeah, I probably should have thought about that beforehand. Um, I will tell you that don't say yes too much. For a period of time, I said yes to everything, and there's no regrets, though, so that's good. But there's the saying that when everything's a priority, nothing's a priority.
Marc Shaffer:And it became true, I started letting some people down. I will admit that I went through a period where I wondered if I was ever going to get married. Right, like, I'm so busy and engaged in what I'm doing that I don't create the personal life. Uh, bill Meredith told me one time I know this guy you would love to hang out with, his name's Marc Shaffer. You should slow down enough time to spend time with him. And I was like, oh, that that's interesting. Um and and then. Uh, so saying yes to everything has led to a lot of good.
Marc Shaffer:But it went through a period of maybe some anxiety that I didn't need and it wasn't healthy. And at that point I hired a life coach and Kay Blond is her name. She's great. She helped me reprioritize the whole wheel of life, like, yes, career was great, finances were getting better and better, but then the others weren't. But if you focus on a well-rounded wheel, all of life gets better, the pie gets bigger. And unless you slow down enough to realize that you seem to focus on the things you're very good at, which is great and Strength Finder says to do that. But a well-rounded life leads to a more, more contentment and sometimes you need help to figure out how to get there, and that's okay.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that's a powerful message and we were kind of talking about this before we hit record, like the cool thing is, you know you're not alone and we're all a community, and the deeper we build relationships and the you know, more vulnerable we are. We're able to build those deeper connections, to step in and support each other and to really help each other be successful step in and support each other and to to really help each other be successful.
Marc Shaffer:And I will admit one of the philosophies is the glasses have full, not empty. So all of these things can mean like more take on or more work or just some. But as long as you take the approach in most of life that there's a positive to it or you find the silver linings, I found that that makes the the not so fun tolerable. But if you start having the negative mentality that's a big deal too.
Dr. Katie:Yeah, yeah, it is, and everyone. We talk about growth mindset all the time and it's easy sometimes to say why me and why this and why now, but having that positivity and that's why it's people like you that I love being around, because we all don't feel great every day, all day, but it's surrounding ourselves with people that help us see the greatness in life really helps everyone get through.
Marc Shaffer:Yep, I agree. I'm glad that we have met and it'll be interesting. I think we have one more Leaders Institute, so I'll plug it for you. It's been good to have some eye-opening stuff and the people you bring into that class have been great, just for broadening perspective, even though it's stuff I might have heard before. The timing is better. The timing is different and I also. The reason I chose Leaders is because it was doable in terms of not so overwhelming. So at a point where I had a lot going on professionally, it still stretched out stuff enough where I could participate in a way that was perfect for me and I can't believe you know a year's gone by already.
Dr. Katie:So it flies by too. I know Well and I'm so thankful that you invested in yourself. And what I think is so valuable about leaders is the people that are in there. Yes, we bring in amazing facilitators that teach, but also all of you that sit around the tables and share and learn together. I just unfortunately or fortunately, I love my Leadership Kansas cohort, that I'm in this year, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to be in all the sessions this year, but I just sit in awe when I watch the people in our Leaders Institute. It's overwhelming that my dream that I created in 2017, we're now registering 2025 cohort, which is crazy to me.
Marc Shaffer:And I'm working on a blog post about my experience so to promote it to others that are interested, I'll get that to you soon.
Dr. Katie:I love it. Thank you so much. Thank you for your time, thank you for everything you do for our community and I encourage anyone out there reach out to Marc, get to know him, whether it be for his company and the amazing services. They do learn about the nonprofits he serves and get on the list for the book.
Marc Shaffer:That too. Yes, Thank you for having me, Katie.
Dr. Katie:Yes, awesome. Thank you so much and thank you for joining us on the Path to Leadership. We'll see you next time.
