The Occupational Adventure (tm)

Rowing across the Pacific

You may remember my friend, Erden Eruc, who rowed across the Atlantic last year. He’s the same guy that bicycled from Seattle to Mount McKinley in Alaska (leaving in the dead of winter and bicycling for several weeks on snowy roads), climbed McKinley, and bicycled back.

His next goal? Rowing across the Pacific.

On July 11th, Erden launched from the California coast just north of San Francisco and started rowing. It was his second attempt to break free of land, with winds thwarting his first attempt and pushing him back towards land. He’s now far enough out that it looks like he’s safely on his way.

Next stop: Australia

Distance to destination: 7053 miles

Projected time to arrival: 8 – 10 months

The Pacific crossing is part of Erden’s attempt to circumnavigate the globe by human power, with summit attempts on the highest peak on each continent (minus Antarctica) along the way.

Watching Erden in action has been inspiring. Not so much because of the physical feat of what he’s doing (though that’s impressive as well), but because of the dogged determination, patience, and matter-of-fact problem solving he consistently demonstrates.

Given what he is doing, you would think that Erden would have a bit of reckless swagger to him. The truth is, he’s one of the most responsible, careful people I’ve met. I’ve consistently been impressed by the way he both thinks through his preparation and responds on the fly to problems. He’s an engineer by training, and it shows in his methodical problem solving approach. “OK, this didn’t work. So what are the options?”

You can follow his progress on the Ocean Rowing Society web site.

Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

It's all about the SHOES

mapmaker.curtrosengren.com

I want to give a quick plug for It's all about the SHOES, a new CD set from a friend of mine, the fabulous Nancy Solomon. Here's the nutshell description from her website:

Turn potential into performance...
Gifts and talents into prosperity...

Stop talking about what you are going to do someday and actually do it.

It's all about the SHOES is the ultimate women's leadership program. You will be inspired, supported and celebrated on your journey to be the best possible you.

These are two CDs you will want to listen to again and again and again. You will learn to live your life more purposefully, passionately and profitably.

Nancy combines a straightforward New York honesty with a compassionate heart of gold (that's actually my personal perception of her, not marketing-speak). I love her message, and I think you will too.

(If you're a Worthwhile magazine reader, you might recognize Nancy from her collaborative article with Ben Brown in the most recent issue.)

Whether you buy it for yourself or as a gift, this CD set is worth checking out.

[Update: See what Kevin over at Worthwhile magazine has to say about It's all about the SHOES.]

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Brought to you by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

Training row...across the Atlantic

Sometimes you run across people whose dreams are so outrageously gargantuan that you can't help but be inspired yourself, just by being exposed to them.

I'm lucky enough to have one such person, an extreme athlete by the name of Erden Eruc, as a good personal friend. This week he is heading out for a training row...across the Atlantic.

Together with Vancouver, Canada native Tim Harvey, he will leave Lisbon, Portugal in an ocean going rowing boat. Their destination is Costa Rica. The estimated crossing time is 4+ months.

For Erden, this will be an opportunity to gain open water rowing experience he can put to use for a much bigger endeavor - a solo, human-powered, self-propelled circumnavigation of the globe.  Oh, and he's throwing summit attempts of the highest peak on each of six continents on top of the circumnavigation effort for good measure.

Erden has also founded a non-profit called Around-n-Over with the purpose of using the journey as an opportunity to educate and inspire schoolkids. Here's a bit more about the educational component (full disclosure - I'm on Around-n-Over's board). 

On the site, you can read previous dispatches and subscribe to the mailing list for a vicarious trans-Atlantic experience. Erden will be writing dispatches and sending them via SAT phone.

Thus far Erden has bicycled (in winter, no less) from Seattle to Alaska, hiked in to Mount McKinley and summited it, biked back to Seattle and biked to Miami.

Though this row across the Atlantic won't count toward his solo circumnavigation, when the chance presented itself, Erden jumped at it as a prime opportunity to train and gain experience before embarking on his solo circumnavigation effort.

I met Erden three years ago at the memorial service for Göran Kropp. Erden had been belaying him (holding the rope as he rock climbed) when Göran fell and died. It was this tragedy that set Erden's dream into motion. He realized it was time to stop thinking about it and time to start making it a reality.

Inspired by what Erden is doing? Here are multiple ways to support Around-n-Over.

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Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst (sm)

Time for a career change? Launch it with...
The Occupational Adventure Guide:
A Travel Guide to the Career of Your Dreams

While You Were Out Personal Chef Services

It's always exciting when a client reaches a turning point in their career. After her work with me, Leslee O'Reilly and her husband left for a year-long adventure bopping around the US with a renovated Airstream trailer (the renovation was part of the adventure). You can see the blog chronicling their trip, which ended February 3rd, here.

Leslee e-mailed me yesterday to say that she's officially launching While You Were Out Personal Chef Services. If you're in the Seattle area, check her out. As a limited introductory offer, she's offering 15% off the initial service.

Bon apetit!

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Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst (sm)

Time for a career change? Launch it with...
The Occupational Adventure Guide:
A Travel Guide to the Career of Your Dreams

Inspiration from Paolo Coelho, author of The Alchemist

Kevin Kelly points to an article about Paolo Coelho, author of one of my favorite books, The Alchemist. Coelho's story itself is inspirational, and Kevin makes some great observations. A quote from the article...

"Yet he told me that when he was young his parents thought his dreams of becoming a writer so crazy that they had him committed to a mental hospital. Eventually he became a successful songwriter. An inspiration for aspiring novelists he was almost forty when he wrote his first book. His second The Alchemist, sold so few copies in the first year that his publishers returned the contract saying it would not sell."

The Alchemist has now recorded sales of over 30m worldwide.

One of the themes I keep coming back to is that there is no magic carpet ride to the career of your dreams. If someone else got there, odds are good they got there because they worked hard, and odds are even better that they experienced some bumps in the road along the way.

If you're in the midst of your passion pursuit and find yourself frustrated because the road is feeling rocky, just remember that you're not alone in that. I've not met a single person that has created something very cool in their life that has experienced a smooth ride every step of the way. But it's so incredibly worth it!

Kevin has some interesting observations.

Much can be learned from his story:

- Taking the road less travelled can be a lonely path - initially; but then you open yourself to a life of magic and adventure.

- Believe, engage and watch the map appear before your very eyes. Expect an eventful trip!

- Life is a journey of light and dark, both of which should be embraced.

- Though the major influencers in your life can advocate a certain position - you can still choose differently. Life after all is a journey of choice.

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Curt Rosengren

Passion Catalyst  ^SM

Career passion e-books

Finding inspiration in great achievers

Looking for a little inspiration in your career and in your life? Check out the Academy of Achievement site where, as they put it, "the life stories of extraordinary achievers can provide you with a roadmap of your own personal quest for excellence." They have a fantastic database of interviews with people who have achieved great things.

The people's stories are also organized by "keys to success" (passion, vision, preparation, courage, perseverance, integrity, and the American dream).

Curt Rosengren

Passion Catalyst  ^SM

Career passion e-books

Inspiring or insane? You make the call...

I've mentioned my friend Erden Eruc here before. He is in the midst of an around-the-world, self-propelled journey that will include summit attempts on the highest peak on each of six continents. He will do it by foot, bike, and ocean-going rowing boat.

The boat he bought has been already been rowed across the Atlantic twice. This afternoon, he put it in the water here in Seattle for the first time, and I had the good fortune of being able to go out with him on it on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Here is a picture in the mid-Atlantic from two of its former owners:

I rowed in college, and he let me row for a bit. It was amazing. I can't even begin to imagine rowing in the open ocean the way he intends to, but sitting in the boat, pulling on the oars, I found myself feeling inspired.

Erden has already bicycled from Seattle to Alaska (in the winter, no less), climbed Mt. McKinley, and bicycled back. He then proceeded to bicycle from Seattle to  Miami. He is now back in Seattle, training and working on the boat, and  will take the boat to Miami in November after hurricane season.

From there, he will row south through the Caribbean and over to the Pacific, where he will point for landfall in Ecuador. From there, he will bicycle to the approach to Aconcagua, South America's highest peak, climb that, and bicycle back to where he left the boat.

From there, he will point his boat west and row across the Pacific. You can see the rest of his plans here.

Erden has founded a non-profit called Around-n-Over to create online educational content for kids based on his journey. The focus is on Education, Inspiration, and Achievement. I'm on the board. If you feel inspired to support Around-n-Over's efforts, you will find some ways to do so here.

It is truly amazing and inspiring to have people around me who are up to their eyeballs in big dreams.

Curt Rosengren

Passion Catalyst  ^SM

Career passion e-books

Questions for guest bloggers?

I'm putting together a "starter package" for guest bloggers in my Passion People Guest Blogger series. Essentially it's going to be a big list of questions to give them an idea of the kinds of things they might write about. I don't want it to be too structured, so I'm going to come up with a long list and let them pick and choose or write about something completely different.

As I stood there at my whiteboard coming up with questions, it occurred to me that I should throw it out there to all of you. What kinds of questions would you want to see answers to? What would you want to know?

In case you didn't see the earlier post, the Passion People Guest Blogger series is going to feature people who have successfully pursued their passions in their careers (they will generally have some degree of name recognition). They will share their insights, things they've learned along the way, etc.

My list o' questions is there so they have some kind of idea as to what to blog about that would be relevant here.

Thanks!

Curt Rosengren
Passion Catalyst  ^SM

Career passion e-books

 

Seattle film-maker request for help

I got an e-mail from a local film-maker today (who is also the wife of the guy who made the connection for me for the Microsoft Visiting Speaker Series - I'll be speaking there February 1st). She definitely falls in the category of people pursuing their passions. She needs some assistance for the final push of a film she's making, and I thought I would post her request here for those of you in the Seattle area...

Here is your local Seattle mom/filmmaker desperate for HELP! (Remember, the children’s fantasy, The Golden Leaf).  Please, help me finish my movie!

We are desperate for help this weekend. It is going to be the biggest shoot we ever had, and the last one as well. We are shooting on Friday 5 pm to midnight, and on Saturday 5 pm to midnight.

We need 15 PA’s (production assistants - some of you may need to show up for blocking on Thursday at 6 pm, Seattle Underground) to help with equipment, hauling stuff, watching stuff, people, etc. – no experience necessary. We need also extra help with make up and watching child actors on the set.

For additional crew we need – UPM (unit production manager) for handling people, gaffer, 1st AC, key grip, 3 to 4 grips (some of you may need to show up for blocking on Thursday at 6 pm, Seattle Underground).

For actors – I have enough extras so far, but wouldn’t mind two more guys with balding heads. Also, we need a very tall teenager boy for a speaking role (Roman, can you do it?)

And, on top of that, we have to pay the city of Seattle insurance, which was not included in the budget, so we need financial help (I have to raise $2,000 in 3 days). If you have no money, but time, please donate it. If you have no time but money, please donate as much as you can!

Please, HELP if you can! It’s going to be a lot of fun. We will be shooting in Seattle Underground, there will be TV stations and newspapers to make a story on us, and the scene will be fun to watch.

And, after we are done, we will be putting a trailer together and I am flying to LA with my producer to show it to HBO, Universal Pictures, etc. So, if you are a PA, you are in the credits! And, if you donate a considerable sum of money, you will be listed as one of the executive producers or investors.

Thank you all very much,

Please help me out with this, we are so close to the end, we just need a little push!

Ksenia

Her e-mail is ksoust@gmail.com .

Curt Rosengren
Passion Catalyst ^SM

Vocal Walkabout

For those of you in the Seattle area, I encourage you to check this out. Will Hewett has been a client of mine for several months, and he is incredibly intuitive, a natural facilitator, spiritually aware, and blessed with a gift for vocal improv. This workshop is the latest step in his journey towards a career that reflects his Passion Core.

Feel free to pass this information on to anyone else you think might be interested. (click on the image for the full size version)