And welcome to another episode of Stuck In My Mind podcast. And on today's episode, we're oops. Sorry. Hold on a second. You need that. Sorry, everybody. I forgot to sign into my phone. Alright. Sorry about that. And on today's episode, we're diving deep into what it needs to be a purpose purpose driven leader in today's fast paced world with someone who who's done it all. Peter Toycher Toycher is not just a seasoned entrepreneur, a
senior corporate executive. He's a transformational coach, workshop facilitator, and change maker who's worked across continents and industries. Whether he's leading high stakes sales initiatives, developing talent, or coaching executives uncover their next breakthrough, Peter brings a unique blend of curiosity, empathy, and strategic thinking to every everything he touches. So let's let's get him on the stage. Welcome to the show. Great to be with
you, Will. Thanks so much. Oh, pleasure's mine. How are you too? Well, yeah, like we were discussing off, hey. You're five hours ahead of me. So Exactly. I'm glad I wasn't the one with the phone on this time. Oh, yeah. No. I I forgot. It's the wife calling me. She knows that I usually do my show at this time, so I don't know. But okay. You've had a long career in in corporate. What what's one lesson you that still sticks with you today?
Jeez. I've had so many. I I think, you know, because happiness is such a, important topic for me, I think, recognizing the you know, your own sense of purpose in what you do, I think is the most
fundamental thing. No no matter, you know, big or small, what level of a business you're at, or what you're trying to accomplish in life, knowing the why of why you of of what's driving you and and your purpose, I think is is kind of the most fundamental thing I've learned, in in all my years in in in trying to find something that's fulfilling and makes me happy at work. What what does positive change mean to you on a personal level? Well, positive, positive change, you know, I I
think, how do we know what's positive? And it's usually guided by how we feel. Right? So when we kinda trust that inner guidance system and, get in alignment with our values, I I think that is that always moves us in a positive direction. So, you know, positivity is how do I add value, and how do I find fulfillment? How how has travel shaped your approach to business and leadership? Because you've you've traveled all over the world. Yeah. Well, you
know, it's different cult culturally from country to country. I I mean, I I live in Germany at the moment. I'm originally from Canada, but, you know, I've worked from The US to China. And, you know, it it it means different things culturally to to different, you know, in different cultures. So, you know, in Asia, there's more hierarchy. There's more, you know, giving respect to someone because of their their their title or their, authority. Whereas, you know, in in in the in North America,
it's more entrepreneurial. In some cases, the hierarchies are more are more flat. And so, so that that's that's a little bit different. I think, in in the Western world, you know, leadership isn't something that you can take for granted. You really, have to earn people's trust and respect, and, and really connect with them on that level in order to to to really, be empowered as a leader. So, I think those are those are super important. Building
trust is like the foundation. You know? I don't think people, will follow in a a leader unless there's a real trust there. Yeah. Can you recall a moment where because, sorry. Can you call a moment where curiosity changed the course of your career? Yeah. I think, curiosity is is kind of this constant, in in my life. I
think it started when I, you know, had my own business. I started my own business in my twenties with my brother in Canada, and just, you know, the curiosity of, you know, do I have what it takes, to to be to be an entrepreneur, to start my to, you know, build my own business? And then, I think the biggest change I made, I left left a successful business in Canada, left my friends, family, everything, to try something new, move to Europe, and and, really,
that was the biggest shift. So that's when I went from being a small business owner to moving into the corporate world. And I don't think you make a move like that, when you're actually pretty comfortable, unless you're super curious about what new challenges and new adventures can bring for you. What what's, one of the biggest myths about sales that people still believe to this thing? Well, I guess it,
depends on, if you've got experience with sales or not. But I I think for people who are not in sales and, you know, I I know for myself, I I used to think, sales had to be this very, you had to be very persuasive. And in some ways, it almost seemed a bit slimy, a bit. I I'm trying to pull something over pull the wool over someone's
eyes. And and really, you know, as I developed and became a leader in in the sales area and gave sales coaching and sales training, I I realized, you know, it's it's far more about how can I be of service and how can I add value? So when you learn to, explain to someone how a product you're selling or how the service you're delivering adds value to your live, to to their lives, I think, then you get to that win
win. And I I think too many people think of the old used car salesman, kind of, cliche of what sales is about. And I think there's far more people who are really successful at sales because, for one, they believe in what they're selling, and they look for, how that can add value to other
people's lives. I I was I was actually released a show with a friend of mine recently, and and one of the things things we're discussing was, how coaches and content creators learn how to create offers because I got some of us content creators aren't salesmen, so we don't know where to start or even know where our value is as content creators and and coaches and stuff like that. So that was a that was a great discussion we had, and we were talking about what it was like.
One of the main things was people just didn't know their worth. They didn't know what to price their services at. Yeah. Yeah. And I find a lot of people, especially when they're just getting into being, entrepreneurs, you know, working for themselves, and and not really knowing their own value, I think that's one of the most difficult things. Even for me as a when I first got into coaching, you know, it was, it was easy on a corporate level. When I had a an
agency that would book me, they set the price. But when it started to be time for me to to pitch myself, that's a really hard step to make. And until you have some successes and recognize, oh, actually, I really do add value. I really do deliver something, and you can do that consistently. I think that's when you build the confidence to start to say, well, here's what I'm worth. You know? This is this is how much it's going to deliver for your
company, or these are the changes that it'll make for you. And therefore, I I, you know, my time is is worth x amount. And I I think, you know, that's part of the learning curve. So I I I and I hear this from so many people whether they're consulting or, or or whether they're offering a service or they're, or they're a coach, in the in those early stages. And you you will not be successful unless you get over that hump of, you know, being willing to
charge. The the thing is a lot of people and and in the beginning, I would, because I wanted to get experience, I would do things, for a low price or even offer it for free. And the thing I learned is if if it's if it's not worth anything, like, if it doesn't cost anything, it's not
worth anything. And and if you undervalue yourself, people won't take you seriously and won't, sometimes won't get the full value of what you've got to give because they've got this, mental concept of, well, it's cheap, so the results, I'm not gonna expect much in the terms of results. Right? When people are paying, and that that's not to say I think people would be should be charging these exorbitant prices in order
to make themselves credible. I think you have to believe in the price that you're charging. So it's this this balance between, making sure that you're valuing yourself, correctly, at market value, but also making sure you believe, that what you're offering is worth what you're charging. Yeah. Absolutely. Definitely. How do you how do you balance strategy and intuition
intuition when coaching leaders? Yeah. I think, you know, I there's there's plenty of great models to use, to help people, you know, develop a a sense of strategy and and develop the steps and the processes to get to their success. But, you know, they only kind of point you in a direction. And I think if you're too rigid in your approach and your strategy, that that is going to you know, the same thing is not gonna work for every situation. You have to
be adaptable. And so that's when I think intuition comes in. And so it it always depends on, you know, when when you have when you're very experienced in a in a particular area or a particular field, the those intuitive kind of instincts real they, you know, they they, the impulse is to really kick in quite easily. But when you're kind of going a little beyond your comfort zone and you're trying something new, you get a little unsure of those, you know, the those intuitions that
you have. So I I always encourage leaders to trust their gut, whether it's their their their intuitions about people or about situations. So and and and I think it's all about a a good sense healthy sense of awareness. So, if you've got an impulse or an intuition to pursue a certain strategy or a certain direction, just make sure that you're in the moment and you're aware and you're watching for the feedback that you might be off track. Right?
So, I talk a lot about presence with people because sometimes people get so stuck in their head that they don't listen to their gut, and they're so set on, one way of doing things that they, they're they're it's probably not all wrong, but they they need to make some
adjustments and and adapt to certain situations. So I think, yeah, having having first of all, recognizing that, whatever strategy you used on the last project might not work %, and then kind of being in the moment and being very self aware and and then listening to your gut. So that that's the approach that I use. Does that make sense? Yeah. What's something you had to unlearn from corporate world to become a a better coach?
Yeah. I the the the thing that you're often expected to do as a leader in the corporate world is give direction and tell people what to do. And, a lot of people will come to you for the answers. And I learned this also in a leadership role that, the more you give people the answers, the more they'll come to you and and and be less willing to try to find the answers themselves. So, you know, in coaching, it's about asking the right questions.
As soon as you start telling people what to do, you're a consultant. You're no longer a coach. And so, I think moving from that, giving people direction and giving trying to give people the answers and the solutions to, helping people find the answers within them, I think, was probably the biggest shift. Yeah. What what was, what was one failure that ended up being a a huge turning point for you in your career? Actually, it was, it was back in
Canada. I, I I like to try lots of different businesses, and, I I really believed in this one project. And, to the point that, you know, when you when you believe so strongly in something that you're not willing to admit, it's it's gone off the rails Yeah. That that is, you know, that is the thing that I learned from the, you know, putting a lot of money into something that I ended up losing losing it all. For one, I learned that mistakes are really great tools for learning.
You know, so don't be afraid of making mistakes because even though I lost a lot of money in that in that one project, I still recovered, and I'm still doing great. You know? And it can sometimes be be very, yeah, make you very, afraid to to try and take risks again. But, but I think it's it's a this, you know, doing things in iteration. So always self assessing and making sure that, listen. This is what I've set out, and I how how close am I at to this goal, and how realistic is
it, or what adjustments do I need to make? Again, it goes back to being too, married to your strategy or your your path forward and not will not being willing to admit to yourself when you need to make adjustments and and, changes in your path. So I think, I think that's that that's what I really learned out of that. And we we actually shouldn't call them failures because they're more like lessons learned, and you take and you take them and and
and just learn from it. And it's it's those that state that they don't that stay stuck in that, and they on that and and on that failure instead of taking that lesson and learning and moving on and picking themselves up and going are the ones who stay stagnant. They stay they don't they don't grow. They don't move on. They, like, they they're afraid after that one failure of, oh, I'm gonna fail again. No. You just gotta keep going because everyone fails.
Everyone has failed in coach. Everyone has failed in their different projects. It's when it's how you pick yourself up and keep trying and keep trying, and eventually, you'll find what you're supposed to be doing. Yeah. Exactly. I actually do, a workshop with leaders, and and, it's it's something a friend of mine actually I I I I kind of borrowed from him, but,
they call it, failure night. And so, basically, you you get together with a group of people who are kind of willing to talk about, you know, it it's really easy to get successful people together to talk about their successes. But try getting those people who, you know, wanna make a good impression on their peers to talk about their failures. And but when you can get over that, that barrier and start talking about, yeah, you know, I really screwed up here,
but what I learned was this. And the, you know, the outcome at the end, wasn't what I wanted, but now I know going forward, this is, you know, this is these are the changes I'm gonna make. And I think when you get a, once you get one or two people really willing to be vulnerable and share their story, all of a sudden, everybody starts to open up and go, yeah. Yeah. I
had a similar situation. And that is like, from a night like that where people share, the things that they considered mistakes, but in the end were just these great learning experiences for them, I think that that's such a valuable process to be part of. Yeah. You've, facilitated workshops globally. What what what's the moment that that really moved you? Where where was that workshop where it was like, oh, man. This is amazing.
Yeah. I I did, actually, there was one that I did in The US that I, in in, in Alabama, which, was a a group of people, and we were we were working on it through a number of different, different topics. And one of the things, we were working on was how to overcome stress and burnout and and that kind of thing. And so, you know, I I have a I've been meditating for twenty five years. And so I I just kind of shared some really fundamental tools on,
we called the session leading my leading yourself. And so just understanding your own stress levels and, recognizing that, you know, that you can't control the outside world. What you can control is sort of in you. You you can't, you know, you can you can manage your stress levels by, managing, you know, the way you your mental models, the thoughts that you have, and so on. And so
when I got the feedback, people were like, wow. I I never knew how liberating to know that, you know, you don't have to believe every thought you have and and to know that everyone else has this inner narrator, this voice in their head that's, you know, that's negative and nagging and and so on. And so, I, you know, it it became very personal and, you know, some of the stories that
people shared out of it were were really inspiring. So I think, you know, you can do a lot of this business stuff and talk about strategy and talk about, everything from, product development and, you know, and and or sales strategies and so on. But, when you talk about, how, how pressure and stress really gets to people and and how, people share sort
of the things that they're suffering through at work. That that's really inspiring to have people open up and then talk about their stories and then give them the tools to overcome sort of those challenges. So I think that's that was, some of the most inspiring, work I've done. Oh, for me, even had I not had I listened to the voice in my head five years ago, I would have never launched my podcast. Yeah. There you go. It was it was just me. Just who's gonna wanna listen to me. No one who's
no one's gonna wanna talk to me. It it was just me being negative and me not just to I I sound horrible. And any excuse I could make up, I would make up just not to record. And so finally, one day, I just said, you know what? Let me stop making excuses. I press record. I recorded a a probably a five, seven minute episode with my nephew. Didn't didn't didn't have the setup I have now. It was a mic, a mixer, a phone not even plugged into the mixer. I didn't even have the proper hookups.
And that's how we started. And my nephew's like, no. We can't release that. I was like, no. We're gonna release it. We're gonna release it just like that. Mhmm. Because I want people to see where we started at to where we're at now and and the difference and the growth with everything. Like, had I continued with the negativity, I would have never grown to where I'm at.
It's me conquering my fear and then wanting to learn more, wanting to improve on and improve on what I'm doing, improving on my mic, improving on my skills, improving on editing, audio, video, and investing in myself, taking courses, investing in equipment. It was something like, okay. The the more I the more I did it, just the more confidence I gained. Yeah. And it's so, you know, we we look at these people who are really accomplished and great at what they do that we maybe admire
or strive to be like. And it's important to remember, you know, none of them were born with those abilities. Right? They worked on it. Right? And and the thing is, you you when you see some of these really accomplished people or these real high performers, you think that they they don't have any of those concerns or self doubt. But, you know, imposter syndrome is most common in the in the high
performers and the people who are super successful. You know? They they, you know, they'll admit to me as a coach, you know, if people knew what I was really like, you know, they they would not think so highly of me or whatever. And that's just the imposter syndrome talking where, you know, they they listen too much to the self doubt and the negative voice in their head, and don't sort of put
in perspective all the things they've accomplished. And so, even when people come up against really, difficult challenges where they think, oh, I don't know if I can make it through this one. And then we'll look back and go, well well, what was the what was the last real big challenge or problem that you had, and did you know how to fix it before you you you started working on it? And and, you know, nine out of 10 times ago, no. I had no idea how
to overcome it. Right? So it's through the per process of facing your fears, facing your challenges that you're gonna grow and and become more than you were yesterday. And so that's really, I mean, that's really, all success is. I don't really believe in this competition, between others. I'm I'm just in competition with who I was yesterday. And so as
long as I keep getting better. Right? And so I I love your story there because, you know, it's it's overcoming that fear and resistance to go ahead and do it and and that that voice that says you can't and proving it wrong. Yeah. And and it was it to me, it was something because I was 44 years old. I I didn't know my purpose in life. I didn't know what I, I I I have a good paying job and
but I didn't have a purpose. I didn't know what and so when I started doing the podcast and I started getting messages from people talking about, oh, I needed to hear that episode or someone messaged me, oh, this episode was wonderful. Thank you. It was those and then when I was receiving them from personal friends of mine, it's like, oh, I heard this episode. Because me and a friend, we did early on to the episode, and he's a highly successful,
real estate broker in Brooklyn. And I'm and so one of our former classmates was hearing us talk, and we we talked about growth and and mindset and coaching and everything and all the things we were working on and and everything we were doing to work on ourselves. And what we the the the risk we take take and just making stepping out of our comfort zones and and do and just taking that risk that we wouldn't have had we had we just kept listening to
all those voices. And that person said, listening to you guys, to to people I grew up with that I knew know personally, talk about what y'all were doing and everything, that just inspired me to because she was on she was on the fence of starting her own business. And listening to us, she's like, these are two guys I know personally. I grew up and hung out with them. I know who they are. They're doing it? Why can't I? Why can't I take that faith? Why can't
why can't I take that leap? And when when I receive messages like that, that's like, oh, man. This is what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm supposed to be doing this podcast. I'm supposed to supposed to be having these conversations to inspire others out there that that might not have the resources to to to to get
this type of information anywhere else. So to be being able to have these conversations and and and inspire other people to to keep learning and growing is, to me, is it's it was like this feeling inside was like, oh, man. I feel so good being able to to provide something that that is a value that people are taking something from it. Yeah. I I mean, look. That's why I do what I do. You know, I I had a a great paying
job. I I had a great position, high level in a, you know, in a publicly traded company, and I, and I realized that I wasn't as I didn't aspire to be a CEO or, you know, that level of business. I really wanted to help other people. And, and I I think when I look at where I've come from, you know, this thought
that if I can do it, anybody can do it. Right? Because I I don't see myself as overly special or, you know, other than having got the information that helped me change my mindset, change my way of thinking, to help overcome my inner, mental roadblocks. I think that that was the shift that I made. And I was fortunate, you know, to to meet the right people, to to give me the right guidance, and that sort of thing. And so that's what I wanna
be giving back to others. So that's great. You know? That if if you can inspire just one person like that, you know, you've already made a huge accomplishment. Yeah. So how do you help leaders embrace vulnerability without losing authority? Well, I think, we talked before about trust. And, you know, there's a
great model by, Patrick Lencioni. He he talks about the five dysfunctions of a team and the the the foundational piece where that the thing that causes people, for one, to, you know, lose respect or or not find that connection or not feel that willingness to to follow a leader is trust. And and and it's the kind of trust. It's not the kind of trust that's you know, I trust you're gonna be honest and not steal from the company or or show up on time for work, but it's the kind of trust,
where it's all about vulnerability. It's all about, saying, you know, I'm not sure about that, or, hey. Listen. I think I made a mistake, or, I I really need some help here. Right? A lot of a lot of people aren't willing to, be that vulnerable, because they don't have the trust that, you know, people are gonna, I might lose my job or I won't get the
promotion, and so on. So the I encourage that kind of vulnerability in leaders all the time to go, you know, a lot of a lot of, people who are new to leadership will go, well, I can't show. I can't admit that I make made a mistake or I can't admit that I don't know, and so they'll make something up. And and that will communicate to the people in their team that, okay, there's not a there's not you know, if he's not willing to, you
know, show his weaknesses, then neither am I. Right? So so I think, showing a level of vulnerability, that facilitates trust is is what's going to get you a lot of respect, and it's not gonna undermine your authority. I mean, if you're coming in every day and going, oops, I screwed up again. Oh, I I have no clue about that. That's more of an incompetence problem than a, you know,
than than a vulnerability problem. So I think being, you know, the the I've been told that one of the reasons I'm I'm successful at sales and successful at leadership is because people find me authentic. Right? So, and so to do that takes a level of vulnerability, but it it it creates such a level of, trust. And, I I think that that kind of thing is respected, at
least through my experience. Right? I don't think the people who are really hard line and who are, you know, don't show any emotion and, you know, are are just very strict in the way they do things. I I don't I don't think that will get the most out of the people that you're trying to lead. I think you'll get a lot of respect if you show your human side along with your competency. Yeah. That way, if you show your human side, people can relate with you, can relate to you. Yes. If
you're if you're able to show people like, hey. Listen. I hurt. I I go through things. I make mistakes. I'm not perfect. I'm still learning. I'm still growing. I think a great leader is someone who can acknowledge their mistakes. Yeah. And face them head on and be like, listen. Yeah. I messed up. But I'm gonna be hold myself accountable, and I'm gonna take full responsibility for my mess up. And and I'm a take that lesson and learn from it and and and and
grow and and show people, hey. Listen. Yeah. I'm not perfect. If if you if you show me someone who is perfect like, everyone here makes mistakes. Everyone here is not perfect. We but we work together and and make it so that you they can see, yes. I'm a coach. I teach. But I I still I made mistakes. I want y'all to see that side of me. I want people to see that I'm not completely perfect, that I'm still learning and growing. And that and that shows people, hey. He's
he's like me. He's he's a person someone he's someone like he's a person like me who who probably has the same wants and and and desires for like, most of for the most part, most of the people I speak to, they want they want yeah. They wanna be successful. Yes. But the most part, they wanna be happy. They want their family to be healthy, and and they just wanna be able to enjoy their life. And so when you show that part to people with that, that I'm here to say, I I
want the same things. I'm going I'm working on towards the same goals as you are, that maybe in some some different other lane. Absolutely. And I I I do the same as a coach. Like, I, you know, I I talk about what we're we're striving for, you know, what what's optimum. But I don't claim that I live I I'm perfectly happy all the time or that I, you know, my communication is always perfect or that all my relationships are flawless. You know? That that's not human. Right?
The the difference is I have the tools and the awareness to help make the shifts and the changes, and that that level of awareness is what I'm trying to pass on to people. But, I you know, perfection is is not the goal. It's every day making steps towards getting better. And so I'm on that journey just like everybody else. And I think you're absolutely right that a a leader that can admit that, you know, there's they're constantly yeah. Every day
is a school day. Every day is a is a day for you to learn and grow. And so I think leaders who can admit that, they'll get a lot more respect and trust. Definitely. What what has entrepreneurship taught you that corporate life never could? Well, I I started more as an entrepreneur and then moved into the corporate world.
So, but I I think the the thing that where entrepreneurship helped me in the corporate world was not being afraid to make choices, not being afraid like, I I was, I was used to, having to hold myself accountable and take responsibility and, make make decisions and learning to trust my intuition and my gut as we talked about earlier. And so, I think that's the big
difference. I see a lot of people at different levels of of management who, you know, who who while we gotta follow the process, even if, you know, they become very bureaucratic and, even though, maybe something's time sensitive and we could miss an opportunity, they'd they'd rather be safe, and rather than than, take some risks. I think taking calculated risks is something that you that you learn as an entrepreneur, and it's it's it's, you know, sadly, in the bigger the companies, the less
that is present. And that's why you see less innovation and less kind of, you know, breaking the boundaries of of of in whatever industry you're in of the status quo. So so, yeah, I think that's that's the finding that entrepreneurial spirit in yourself and the willingness, like we said, to make mistakes, to push boundaries, to take to make choices and take responsibility for them. Those are the things that I learned. Definitely.
If if your younger self could see you now, what do you think he'll be most surprised by? How far I've come? I think because, you know, there was when I was think of myself in my teens or my early twenties, yeah, I I, I I didn't have a lot of confidence. I didn't I had a very limited idea of what was possible for me, and it was when I changed that mindset that all that, changed for me. And and so I've the expectations that I had for myself as a
young man, I've far and away exceeded them. So, but I think, I think more than any kind of business success, the fact that I've become, happy in my work, in my relationships, I found a way to, be successful and be happy in life, and I don't think I really believe that was possible back in those early days. What's one overlooked skill that separates good leaders from great ones?
Well, we've already talked about trust. Yeah. But I think, you know, the the thing that makes the fundamental thing that makes people successful is their ability to communicate. And so, to be a great leader, you need to be a good communicator, and and one of the fundamental pieces of communication that people forget is listening. So, so great leaders will let other people talk first, get feedback, and then they will
share their opinion, or then they will give instructions and and talk. So they they can read the room or they can assess, and they can get honest answers from people. So I'd say communication is far and away the the most important skill and within communication, having great listening skills, being able to let other people talk first. Sometimes, leaders feel like, I I've met people in leadership roles who feel like, okay. I'm expected to be the one to
talk. But if you if you give people the space to, to open up and share and talk first and then kind of give direction or, that then lead the momentum, I think that is that's what makes great leaders in my view. Can can you kinda walk us through your your personal coaching philosophy a little? Sure. Well, fundamentally, I believe that, everybody has more potential than they're than they're living. And so in coaching, I I start with the premise that,
people people have the answers they're looking for within them. So whether it's people that I'm coaching on their personal level or, you know, on a corporate level up to, you know, top executives, they are they're they're usually coming for two things. They're either, saying, look. Here's where I wanna achieve. How do I get it? So how do I get what I want? Or they're, saying, I don't know what I
want. How do I get some clarity? And so, both of those answers are already within the person that I'm coaching, And it's my job just to ask the right questions. And so they're either questions that someone hasn't thought of or they're questions that people aren't willing to ask themselves. So the the coaching process is this uncovering of the knowledge we already have locked within us and, and opening that up and being willing
to look at it. So, you know, that that's kind of the the foundation, of my, of, my coaching process. And I think the biggest roadblock that people face, well, is themselves, but usually it's it's the the way they think and believe. So, you know, no matter how much work you've done on yourself or how successful you've become, you're gonna have some beliefs in you that are, that are hurdles that you still
have to, cross. And so, you know, whatever challenge people are facing, I bet I can find a belief within them that's leading them to that that outcome they didn't want they don't want or that challenge that they continue to, you know, face in life. So so, yeah, it's a it's a combination of of that recognizing that the answers are when within you and knowing that the roadblocks you face are usually rooted in some kind of belief that you've developed. So what
because you you you work with clients all over the world. So when when working with international clients, how do you account for for cultural nuances? Well, I just try to be really open. So I I don't claim to understand, you know, every culture. I, you know, I I I know some things about, synchronous some some idiosyncrasies about a different Asian cultures or, or, you know, the German culture compared to, you know, the Canadian culture, you know, which is a a big one in in
communication. But, but I think just being curious about other people and being open to the fact that, you know, the the for me, diversity, the most important thing, about diversity is having different ways of looking at things, different ideas, opinions, different ways of expressing yourself. And so when you stay curious and you stay open, cultural differences won't really have a big impact.
It's when the the when you have different cultures coming together in a in in a room together, then you become a bit of a mediator and, navigating that room and trying to keep everyone else open and curious and willing to communicate freely. I I think, that's what I that those are the biggest challenges with with cultural differences. But for me, I've I've I love to travel. I love to get to know new cultures, you know, whether it's languages, food, or
traditions or rituals. I think my own love of that, I think, is what what helps me through all of that. What's one daily practice that helps just keep you grounded in your purpose? Well, I I've been, meditating for, around twenty five years, and I think, fundamentally, that has changed my life, but it's also, something that keeps me on track every day. I mean, I have a a morning ritual anyway, and it's usually a combination of well, it's always a combination of some form of
meditation and some form of exercise or movement. And so, I think when you start the day by grounding yourself, getting some clarity through meditation, and and then, that that will that will make your purpose for the day very clear. And, you know, I I have, daily rituals and have, like, annual rituals. So, you know, I'll create a vision for the year ahead and get really clear about what I wanna accomplish this year, and then I try to live that
in in every day. So so so I'll start my day with a with a meditation. That's the one thing that I do every day, and I finish every day with, some reflection and gratitude. And that, I think, keeps it all in perspective, keeps me grounded, and and that is a huge part of what I think, has made me successful. How do you my my last question is, how do you define success at at this point in your life? Yeah. It's it's not been about, the, making more money or any of those kind of,
any accolades. For me, it's continuing to be continuing to grow and learn, because, I think the more you learn the the and the more you know, the more you realize that there is still to learn. And, and and so I I wanna continue to be on that learning journey through life. So, I I think that's the and, again, as I said before, you know, if I'm better than who I was yesterday, I'm you know, it's a success. And so so that that's, that's kind of what, you know, what
what defines it for me. I I asked I've asked a lot of people how they define success, and the one answer that stuck with me was so simple. And, that person said to me, happiness. If I'm happy on a regular basis, then I'm successful. And so happiness is something everybody defines for themselves. And, but I I'm definitely happy in the in the work that I do and the relationships I have and the life that I have, but it it all starts from
within me. And so, so yeah. And I don't think I would be happy and fulfilled if I wasn't continuing to grow and change and evolve. What what message do you hope to leave behind for for the next generation of, change makers? I I think, the most important thing regardless of what you're trying to to do is, first of all, try and be the best that you can and then pass that on to other people. That's what I've been
doing. And, you know, I've I've been, for years, been giving the example of when you're on the plane, you know, and they and they do the safety instructions. You know, in the case of loss of cabin pressure, first, put the mask on yourself pressure. Yeah. And then help those people around you. And I think, you know, it's really hard to, support other people in their success and happiness if you haven't found
success and happiness on your own terms. And so, so so, really, that's I'd say, you know, find your own potential and continue to pursue that. And and then once you feel comfortable there, start giving back and start helping others do the same. I I think that's the that's the thing that I would encourage others to do, and that's what inspires me to keep working at what I do. Awesome. Awesome. This has been a great
conversation. But we've come to the part of the show where you get the solo screen and you get to plug and wait and let everybody find find you find you, check you out, check your website, everything. Sure. Absolutely. You can find me at PeterTeuscher.com, and the last name is spelled t e u s c h e r. I write a weekly blog, to share sort of a wide variety of topics to help people progress and, create more awareness.
I've also written a book called Rethinking Happiness. You can find a link to that on my website as well. And if anybody has any questions, feel free to reach out and and drop me a message there. Or if you wanna book a session with me, that you can do that at my website as well. So, so, yeah, I, I I look forward to hearing from people. And, Will, thanks so much for giving me a platform to share my ideas.
Oh, the pleasure's all mine, man. It was it was great having you on. I I've got to to learn some stuff and and have a great conversation. To me, I I enjoy honestly, sometimes sometimes I kinda feel selfish. Like, I enjoy these conversations, and and and when I go back and listen to them again, and I I learn in the process. So I I enjoy it. But in the but at the same time, I'm also sharing it on my platforms, so there's not really nothing
selfish about what I'm doing. But I just have a great time having these conversations. Yeah. You know, I started doing these podcasts, last year because I was, I thought it would be a good way to promote my book. But after the second podcast, I realized I really enjoy doing, you know, these having these conversations. And everybody I
talk to brings a little bit something outside of me. Yeah. And and so, I I, you know, I've I've probably done thirty, forty, maybe even 50 of these now, and I, I I really enjoy every conversation. And and and then you get the feedback and people talk about how, you know, something you said there really, you know, it really inspired me. And and and then I'm like, that just keeps me going. You know? That that, that really gets me excited. So so yeah.
So I hope we have the same effect with our conversation, and, everyone is great for me as well. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for for being such a great guest. But don't leave just yet. Let me close out the show, and we'll chat a little bit off there. But thank you so much for being such a great guest. Thanks for having me. Alright, everybody. Another episode is in the books. I greatly appreciate everybody who's tuned in live. If you catch the replay,
please. If you haven't subscribed, please subscribe. Hit the notification bell. As always, big shout out to my RealWise fam, Papi j, Randy j. Love you guys. Big shout out to the boss lady. Love you and appreciate everything you do. And as always, big, big shout out to all the essential workers out there. God bless you. I'll be safe. You know, your boy, Wise, does it. Peace out.