November 20, 2024 • 39 mins
From the Balkans to Texas: A Global Educator’s Journey with Richard
Join us for a fascinating conversation with Richard Castleberry, a seasoned educator and administrator whose career spans continents and cultures. From teaching business courses in Kosovo, Croatia, and Albania to shaping global networks in Kazakhstan, Richard’s journey is a masterclass in adapting to diverse educational landscapes. As the former Director of Full-Time MBA and MS Business Programs at Texas A&M University, he shares his unique insights on the evolving needs of students, the future of business education, and the importance of a global perspective. Richard now uses these skills and experiences in a new business consulting career where he is able to leverage his professional connections in a way that has a multiplier effect for his business clients.
In this episode, we’ll uncover Richard’s inspiration for transitioning into leadership roles, explore how his vast international network has created opportunities for students and business clients, Plus, we’ll dive into his personal reflections on the most fulfilling aspects of his career and the critical skills students need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
This is an inspiring story of a lifelong commitment to education, leadership, and global connection you won’t want to miss!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to ReFirement Life, the podcast for anyone navigating life transitions or planning
(00:06):
to make life transitions to ensure your next years are your best years.
Listen in for insightful, generous, and sometimes humorous conversation.
It's time to get fired up with Christine Zamuda and Muge Wood, your hosts for this
latest episode of ReFirement Life.
Hello, everyone.
(00:29):
Welcome to today's podcast of Triwing with Connections alongside my amazing co-host,
Christine Zamuda.
Today's conversation brings us a very special guest that we are excited to host that has
been a long time in the making, Richard Castleberry.
I had a chance to meet Richard and work with him through his prior role at Texas A&M University,
(00:57):
where he was associated with creating amazing opportunities for business school students
and corporate relations, which is no easy task in today's crowded marketplace of many
who is looking to make those kinds of connections.
What struck me and made this podcast possible today is Richard's overall worldview on life,
(01:22):
on connections, on helping people thrive that I think is pretty timeless regardless of what
you do or where you are.
So just really excited to have Richard join us today.
Richard, welcome.
I think we will kick it off with maybe a quick background of your experiences and then we'll
(01:45):
go from there.
So I'll turn it over to you for a quick intro.
Yeah, sure.
And thank you for having me, Christine and Muge.
It's really a pleasure to join you both.
So yeah, so I'll just give you kind of the little bit of a background of just kind of
my professional life a bit.
And I will start by saying I was born in an Air Force brat.
(02:09):
So I kind of from birth, I kind of had that desire to kind of see the world and just,
in that kind of a life growing up, you are forced to really meet new friends and make
new friends wherever you go.
And it was always kind of like two years here, three years there, et cetera.
(02:29):
And so growing up, that's kind of how I did things.
And so of course, like everybody you go, you do your undergraduate.
I did my undergraduate in Boston at Northeastern University, had some amazing cooperative education
experiences there, studied international business, go figure, right, and marketing, and then
(02:49):
did my MBA after several years of work experience out in Los Angeles.
I moved out to LA from Cape Cod.
And out there I did my MBA at a Loyola-Maramount University in Los Angeles and again had some
great corporate experiences.
And it was funny, and I get asked this a lot, why kind of like, did you get into education
(03:12):
or how did you get into education?
It was actually a marketing professor that really made an influence on me while I was
at Loyola-Maramount doing my MBA.
And I always thought, I always wanted to live in Europe.
And this was sort of the advent of the internet.
So we're talking 1998, 1999.
And I just started doing research, like where are places in Europe that I can actually like,
(03:36):
you know, teach business, but obviously it would need to be in English.
And so I found, I stumbled upon the Zagreb School of Economics and Management in Croatia,
went there, thought, hey, let's give it a shot, did it for three months.
And then next thing you know, just kind of fell in love with living abroad.
I had, there was a period where I had to kind of come back to the US for a little while.
(03:59):
And while I was here, I got the call, hey, how would you like to go to our affiliated
campus in Kosovo?
So went there, taught for seven years, it was amazing.
But like anything else, right, you start to get the itch for what's next.
And I actually ended up getting a phenomenal opportunity to go be the assistant dean of
(04:22):
marketing and communications at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan.
So did that for six and a half years.
And then really it was very much kind of, you know, we had that, I had that discussion
with my wife, hey, it's getting time, kids are getting older, by the way, too, my wife
is Albanian from Kosovo.
So I met her while I was in Kosovo.
(04:43):
So my kids kind of, you know, understand multiple languages, etc.
But it was that discussion that kind of led me back to the US.
We really needed to make a decision.
And because they were getting older, as I said, more opportunities, you know, in the
US.
So we decided I got had an incredible opportunity to come to Texas A&M, phenomenal institution.
(05:05):
And it was a really great, great role working, you know, with the dean and the associate
dean.
And yeah, and that got me back.
So Ben was there for just over five and a half years.
And it was in the summer that I finally made the move to go back to sort of corporate kind
of let's see what the next major thing is.
(05:28):
That's, that's amazing.
What a journey.
And I think the fact that you were, you know, started out your life and childhood experience
with Air Force and kind of got the adaptation and the taste of different experiences and
making friends, wherever you go.
But that makes so much more sense now, Richard, why you are so good at what you do.
(05:53):
So I am curious, what were the highlights of life in Kosovo and Kazakhstan?
What stood out for you from that particular experience?
Yeah, I mean, no question about it, the people, the people are just phenomenal.
First of all, of course, Kosovo, right?
Because of America's intervention and how we really helped them, you know, defeat the
(06:17):
Serbs, you know, with the whole aggression that took place, etc.
You know, it's one of the most, probably if not the most pro-American place to live.
So I mean, it's not unusual for them to, you know, refer to you as their brother, I mean,
or you know, their sister, etc.
And so the people are just so welcoming.
(06:38):
It's very, you know, very family oriented place.
So very much, you know, from that perspective, that's something that absolutely stands out.
I also like a bit like, you know, just the quality of life, right?
As far as, you know, it's more than just, hey, let's go to this place and go buy this.
It's much more like, hey, let's sit down, have a coffee and get to know each other.
(07:03):
So I really, for me, that's really important and that means a lot.
I also like, of course, too, the proximity to so much, you know, so many incredible things.
A couple hours, you're on the seaside, you know, in Montenegro or in Albania, you know.
So it's really just that quality of life was just amazing.
(07:23):
In Kazakhstan, one of the things that, again, Kazakh people, you know, phenomenal, very
welcoming, you know, and so I love, you know, and I still very much keep in touch with all
my Kazakh friends and connections, as well as, of course, in Kosovo.
But what I will say is, in my job, in particular, when I was at Nazarbayev University, in the
(07:48):
fall and in the spring, because of what I was doing, head of business development for
all academic programs, graduate programs, I was in a different country almost every week
for like just like two days at a time.
So I was always kind of with my family still, but it gave me a chance to go and like see
so many obviously incredible places, represent Kazakhstan, really, not just the university
(08:12):
in a sense, right?
You're kind of representing the country and what it has to offer by way of, of course,
there, you know, the education.
And so really great experiences, both of those opportunities there.
Can you talk a little bit about the college culture of those universities and maybe what
(08:35):
they can learn from American students and what American students could learn from them?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, I mean, first of all, both places in correct, like really, truly value education
first and foremost as a, as cultures.
So like almost nothing comes, you know, before that.
(08:55):
So what that means is, is it really means that from a parent perspective and a family perspective,
they will pretty much sacrifice anything to make sure their kids, their children are getting
the best educations.
And sometimes, you know, in, in, I know, like for example, in cases like in Kazakhstan,
you know, a lot of my top friends who had the means to do it would actually send their
(09:18):
students outside of Kazakhstan to go get even like, you know, their, their, you know, their
K through 12 type education.
Now I will say during the time that I was there from 2012 to 2018, there was already
a lot of development in that area.
So they were really trying to develop, you know, the top schools, bringing in education
(09:40):
from abroad.
Obviously, that's what I was involved with at the higher education level, but also at,
at the other levels too.
Now from the perspective of students, as you can imagine, right, they really valued, you
know, of course, study, studying and all that, but I believe they also truly got, you know,
and this might be, you know, from, you know, maybe what they saw on TV, what they heard,
(10:05):
you know, through, you know, social media as, of course, as time went by, right, and,
you know, more recent years.
But they certainly also valued, you know, kind of like, you know, the college life, having
a good time with friends, things like that as well.
And that came out through some of their club activities and such.
(10:27):
I guess, so I think that's kind of what they got sort of from the U.S., right, from America
a bit, or from other places.
I would say maybe something that maybe, you know, American students and, you know, students
outside of those places may be able to get from them is truly that.
And I think that some of this goes on still here, but, you know, America, for example,
(10:51):
is a very individualistic country.
So it's very much, even if you have friends that you might study with, it's still very
much me, me, me, sort of, you know, a little bit of that.
Whereas there, you know, it's much more, hey, you know, you're really trying to help each
other, you know, kind of like, you know, get to that next level.
There's a bit more, I think, of that sort of camaraderie that goes with, you know, just,
(11:17):
you know, where they come from.
And so I think that might be something that maybe, you know, in the U.S., they could look
to, you know, build a little bit more of that and helping others.
And I'm not saying that that doesn't happen here, but probably not to the same degree.
Yeah, it's not the norm where in that country, it's like, that's where they start is figuring
(11:39):
out from a cohort, how can we be better together?
And it's funny because, you know, from an ethical standpoint, there even becomes sometimes
that very gray area where you're kind of expected to help each other.
But of course, there's certain guidelines too, right?
You know, you can't cheat, you can't, you know, give answers, things like that.
So in some cases, you know, even that, like, you know, there's that gray area where you
(12:02):
really want to help and you, and also in some degree, you're sort of expected to help,
right?
Because that's just the norm.
You help each other.
But again, you know, you got to keep within sort of the guidelines of what's, you know,
the right thing to do versus what maybe is going too far.
Makes sense, makes sense.
(12:22):
It is a great question, Christine.
It sounds a little bit like Turkey in the sense that education is path to prosperity.
So you do everything in your power to learn English, get education in English.
And then if possible, go to Europe, go to United States to expand your horizons, build
your resume.
(12:43):
So it sounds very similar to this.
And one thing that's also interesting, I'll be curious, is I see this in Turkey and I
have a really good friend who is visiting India right now.
He actually, as part of his visit, he went to see India Institute of Technology, like
the hub of world-class talent with Nobel-winning people graduating and the CEOs of the Riviera
(13:09):
Technology Companies that are here today.
And he said, you know, it's just a regular building.
There's a running track, but there is not of, you know, any of this extensive sports
facilities and all the recreational activities that we see perhaps in U.S. college campuses.
(13:30):
So I think that singular laser focus on academic education really stands out and resonates with
me.
So Richard, when you and I first met, you have been a key pillar to creating opportunity
for May's business school students.
(13:51):
Then you moved into corporate relations role at Texas A&M University and you have done
an amazing job connecting corporations, small, medium, and large, to the caliber of students
you wanted to create opportunity for, which is a difficult thing to do because there always
sometimes seems like, you know, more students than opportunity and you're competing for
(14:15):
mindshare.
So how did you do it?
I know you have made some amazing progress to bring very large names on campus, introduced
the caliber of students.
How did you go about creating those connections?
Yeah, it's a great question and you're absolutely right.
And some companies, you know, make it much more challenging than others as well.
(14:39):
Sure.
A lot of it's just trying to figure out how to navigate it all.
So I'm very, very blessed as you well know, Muge, you know, my network is truly second
to none across all industries.
So that's really helped me a great deal with connecting with the right individuals within
organizations.
You know, for example, if I didn't have those key university recruiters, talent acquisition
(15:04):
people that I had brilliant people like you, Muge, that I could call on and ask for that
favor of, hey, can you, would you mind trying to connect me with the right person that may
be interested in, you know, hiring our students?
Of course, when I could, of course, I always played the Aggie card, right, where I would,
you know, howdy, Christine, you know, you know, you know, where I'm really trying to
(15:28):
get, you know, let's say Microsoft to campus to recruit our students, you know, can you
help me, you know, you know, either come up with the right person at Microsoft to talk
to or, you know, in many cases where, like, let's say the formal channels of university
recruited talent acquisition would not come to campus for whatever reason, a lot of times
(15:52):
it was just, you know, the sheer bandwidth, they didn't have the bandwidth to go to all
campuses.
So for me, it was about being creative.
And it was about like figuring out, okay, well, if you're not going to come, is there
a way in which I can get a Microsoft representation to campus to talk to students about the opportunities
(16:13):
at Microsoft, etc.
So if I use Microsoft as an example, which I think is a really great example, in the
case of I actually had reached out to the individual there who told me, look, one thing
you can do, so rather than taking, you know, a no for an answer, one thing you can do is
(16:34):
you can reach out to some of your MBA graduates that are now full time people at Microsoft,
and you can see if they're willing to come talk to, you know, talk to, you know, your
students about the opportunities at Microsoft.
And if you're able to convince them to come, then have them reach out to me and I will
provide them resources that they can share with your students.
(16:58):
And so in the case of Microsoft, that's what I did to get them on campus.
Now I got to tell you, when you talk again, this with this approach is going to vary from
one company to the next.
So there's so much like, you know, reaching out to a variety of people within the organization.
There's so many times where you may get a no, but yet you still think of other creative
(17:21):
ways in which you may be able to get them to engage with students.
So if I think of a company like Amazon, I had gotten a number of no's before finally
I reached someone who said, Oh, well, we actually have some area managers that live in Texas.
And we're talking to them about, you know, getting the campus to actually recruit some
students for some roles.
So again, it was a number of no's before I finally got to someone who said, Yeah, there
(17:45):
is a way.
And this is what we can do.
And, you know, first, you know, available term, which in that in the case of Amazon was
spring last year, I was successful in getting them to campus, but it was there was a lot
of no's first, and it was a lot of like, of course, as you can imagine, right?
Follow up.
Now, one little nuance I will share is a lot of it too is about just being a really good
(18:11):
hunter.
So where you do not have contacts, and there will be always companies where you may just,
you know, even if you've got connections at those organizations, which I, you know,
likely had, there was there, either they weren't very helpful, or, you know, it was
just kind of a dead end.
In some cases, you know, there's going to be people that just don't get back to you.
(18:33):
And you just have to figure out other creative ways to make it happen.
So in my case, what I did is I actually used a platform you may have heard of Fiverr.
Yeah, Fiverr is a platform in which you can basically hire a professional who does different
things.
And in my case, I had hired somebody who basically was able to track down.
(18:56):
So for example, let's just say, Hey, can you reach out to these top, because I really
focused on the very largest companies.
So the biggest market cap companies and Fortune 500, those kind of companies was really my
primary focus.
So what I did is I just reached out to him and said, Hey, can you do basically a scrape
of, you know, like LinkedIn and so forth?
(19:17):
And can you find university recruiters, talent acquisition people at, you know, these organizations
and get me basically their names, you know, their, their positions there, their email,
et cetera.
And then as you can imagine, when I got there, it was again, a lot of correspondences, a
lot of outreach.
You may not, you may not hear back from three of these people, but you heard back from this
(19:38):
person you followed.
You kept just kept following it and just, you know, it's a lot of like door knocking
and it's a lot of follow up.
And that's just, you know, if you want to be successful in getting them, I got to tell
you, it took me, I can't tell you how many times to reach out to one particular person
at Coca-Cola to finally get him to get back to me.
And when he got back to me, then it was still a lot of follow up before I finally managed
(20:02):
to get him to come to campus.
And what's cool, the CEO of Body Armor, who they purchased, happened to be a Texas A&M
alum.
And so not only did Coca-Cola come to campus just recently in the fall after I left, but
it was something that, you know, I helped put together before I left.
(20:25):
The CEO of Body Armor made a trip back to College Station and joined the recruiting
team to talk about what is it like to, you know, be at Body Armor and Coca-Cola.
So it's really, it's all about relationships, Muge.
It is really all about relationships.
And that applies, I think, throughout our lifetime, no matter what it is that you are
(20:47):
working on, whether you want to build your friendships, your community engagement, you
want to grow your career.
It is really about connections, and that cannot be understated.
And what I am seeing is that the connections become even more important in the age of AI.
Because we have so much content, you can make connections easily through digital media,
(21:11):
and that's fine.
But then you have to really work on enhancing the quality of those connections to advance
and get the responses you need.
So it's just number one.
That's my advice to anybody.
And myself included, invest and nurture your connections where you bring value to the relationship
and graciously accept the value you may get in return.
(21:34):
So Richard, I'll pivot a little bit because you embarked not long ago on a really exciting
next chapter of your career and growth, where you are now working independently on a number
of exciting projects.
And given the focus of our podcast is pivoting, getting refired up and thriving through transitions,
(22:00):
I would love to hear from you how you got to this current stage you are in, what kinds
of things you are working on, and what are you excited about?
Yeah, so again, this, I'm going to tell you straight up, this would not have been possible
if I didn't have the network that I do.
(22:21):
I got to tell you first and foremost, because it was really my network that allowed these
kind of opportunities.
When you have a family, I've got three kids, I've got a home, I've got a lot of things
to think about.
It's a big leap going from a pretty good salary at a major university to just all of a sudden
(22:48):
leave that to the great unknown.
And so what I, of course, like any normal person would do when you start thinking, hey, it
may be time for me to start looking for new things and so on, or you just feel like it's
time.
And that's kind of, I think, more than anything, that's where I was.
I mean, I'm also at the age where I've got to, it's now or never, so to speak, because
(23:13):
this is prime time.
And so I just started reaching out to a lot of my top friends.
And I shared with them ways in which I thought I might be able to, as you alluded to earlier,
Amugay, where I may be able to add value to them and what they were doing.
And it's funny because, I got to tell you.
So one of the companies that I'm very focused on is a company called Squire.
(23:41):
And Squire is an ed tech firm that has a very top notch financial literacy wellness platform
that they're trying to get into universities across the US.
Now as you can imagine, having been doing what I've been doing for so long, of course,
I've got incredible network across also universities and colleges across the US.
(24:05):
And so it was obviously a natural fit for me.
But the way in which that whole thing came about is just crazy.
I was on a call with no expectation.
I didn't even know really who this person really was.
But it was recommended to me, actually first, it was recommended to this particular individual
(24:26):
that he talked to me.
Because I knew a lot of people, I was in the education space.
And this organization, as I said, was looking to also start to get really into higher education.
They were already doing, trying to get this into businesses, but now they were really
looking to get this into higher education space.
And so I took this call to talk with this person to see how I could help.
(24:48):
And the more and more I was talking to him, I'm like, you guys, you need me.
Keith, you need me to do this for you.
And well, it was just by coincidence, that particular call, he had the founder and CEO
on the call.
And so I ended up talking to both him and the VP of sales.
(25:09):
We had a great conversation.
And next thing you know, we figured out a way to make it work.
And so I've been working with them.
In fact, just this last week, I was in Virginia kind of meeting all of them in person for the
first time.
So that was amazing.
And when it's going, it's going really well.
I'm looking at other really creative ways of which, of course, I can help squire with
(25:35):
getting additional funding and just to really build it to be something big.
Because I will tell you, it truly has the potential for that.
Another organization quickly that I'm working, I'm helping out on the business development
side of things is Softway.
Softway is a people oriented, a people focused consulting company.
(26:02):
It's located in Houston.
They focus on tech communications, in particular internal communications with big organizations
and also change.
So change management.
And so I'm again, because of my network, primarily in this case with big companies, to have those
(26:25):
kinds of conversations.
And as you start to talk to CEOs, C-suite, learning and development people, you get a
good feel as to what are some of the opportunities, like what are some of the challenges, for
example, that they're facing.
Some of them maybe undergoing big digital transformations.
Or even in a lot of cases, they're having to lay off the workforce or some number of
(26:49):
people.
And what kind of morale is that going to leave on the people that are left behind?
So with these challenges, obviously come opportunities for companies like Softway as
an example.
And I'll just share one other one that I have been doing quite a bit of work with.
And this is in the education area.
(27:10):
And that is Cal Berkeley Engineering, the Soutarja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology.
I've been helping them connect with C-suite and talk people, not just in the United States,
but also abroad, in particular, really abroad as well.
Because there's a lot of top people, for example, I know just based on my experiences in particular
(27:32):
in Kazakhstan, where a lot of those top people would love to be able to come to Silicon Valley,
right in a talk program like AI for the C-suite programs like that.
So I've been helping them to try to connect with those types of individuals and organizations
that might want to send their people to those kinds of programs.
(27:55):
As well as also making introductions to top universities abroad that may want to do like
a trek to Silicon Valley and do it with Cal Berkeley Engineering.
So those are just several of the things that I have going on.
But Squire is certainly one that I'm very focused on and soft way as far as on the business
(28:22):
side of things.
Well, congratulations.
I mean, it sounds like you've transitioned very well.
And it also sounds like no day would be the same.
You've got a lot of variety.
Don't go anywhere, Christine.
You're right, Christine.
And I got to tell you too, it's very much, as you can imagine, it's very much also
like sort of multitasking, finding times to where you, because a lot of times, for example,
(28:46):
with kids, they've got baseball practice.
They have things like that where you're finding yourself two hours sitting.
I'm on my laptop sending off correspondences, doing other things.
So yeah, you're right.
It's exciting.
Yeah.
So just stepping, because you've just kind of stepped out of that education world and
(29:07):
connecting employers to students.
We have a lot of listeners who have college-age students who are getting close to graduation.
Do you have any advice for those parents on the really hot jobs or the things where employers
are just coming at you or in your past very proactively to look for people?
Yeah.
(29:28):
And probably if they're right ready to go, it may be too late for them, right?
But certainly, I know I've got both a junior in high school as well as a freshman in high
school and then a little guy.
And some of the things that I would share, and you both will understand this because
(29:48):
you're so around tech.
But I got to tell you, one of the things that we were doing just before I left A&M was we
were getting a lot more engineering content into the business school.
And I think that gives you a sense as to where we saw things, right?
I mean, a lot of, if there's going to be opportunities, it's going to be for those individuals that
(30:13):
ideally already know something about AI, how they can use that to do their job, maybe
more effectively, more efficiently, et cetera.
That certainly those skills I think will absolutely be important going forward.
Anything again, analytics related.
And I know these are probably things that people have been hearing a lot for the last
(30:38):
couple of years, but they still remain really relevant.
And more and more companies are looking for people that have those skills.
So those are things.
I also think when we think about, okay, what kind of jobs are AI going to take from individuals
(31:02):
and so forth?
Again, I think that the more on the relationship side of things that you have and roles that
require really strong relationship skills, I'm just not sure any AI or anything else
will take those kinds of jobs away.
(31:24):
So I always feel like if you can have that as well as if you're able to skill up in some
of those areas, you'd probably be well suited to do great things and to have a lot of opportunities
when you're done.
Yeah, makes sense.
Makes sense.
It is.
It's very true.
I think it's always the adaptation and how to use the technology to your advantage and
(31:51):
the great user of the technology is a great asset to many companies.
As much as there's concern around AI, the opportunity it creates and the opportunity
may take away, it still doesn't run itself.
It has a big human factor there to put it into effective use and all the change management
(32:15):
that has to happen around it.
That's I think very much here to stay.
And the foundation of human connection that is just essential to getting anything done.
I think we all have experienced the impact of one in-person meeting is worth many, many
phone calls.
So I think the people side of things becomes and continues to be very important.
(32:38):
But then the savanness around being able to put it into good use is foundational.
So Richard, it is an absolute pleasure to have you.
I think you made us think you gave us encouragement too, I think in terms of making a change when
the opportunity knocks on the door, being able to recognize it, being able to seize
(32:58):
it, which takes a lot of courage to make this kind of change and pivot because there is
a corporate constructs are comfortable in the sense that it gives you a big infrastructure
to do your work against.
But then you go on your own and then you realize, wow, this is incredible.
It is more than you can even imagine.
(33:19):
So that's exciting.
In closing, any other reflections you may want to share with our listeners to navigate
change?
Yeah, I mean, I got to tell you, so I get asked a lot, right?
Kind of how do you go about networking and how do you go about just connecting with people
(33:42):
and building relationships and all of that?
I mean, I got to tell you, for me, sort of the number one, I guess the number one thing,
whether it's honestly at the C-suite or whether it's somebody, I don't know, a project manager,
it doesn't really matter.
The bottom line is, you should always be willing to kind of go the extra mile to help the other
(34:08):
person.
You should always be thinking, how can you create value for the other person?
And I think when you go in with that mindset, it's something that those other individuals
naturally see and they naturally are going to respond favorably to that.
I'm not saying you go in with the mindset, hey, if I do this, I'm going to get this,
(34:32):
but it's just very much like, I got to tell you, anybody I'm connecting with, I'm connecting
with the mindset that these people can at some point be my friend, and I want to do
whatever I can to kind of help them.
And naturally, if you go in with that mindset, it's very likely that they're going to, over
(34:54):
time, it's going to develop likewise on the other side.
And if it's not, then probably that's not a person that you probably care to be connected
with anyways.
And so that's one thing I will say as I reach out, and I'm like, if I'm sending, whether
it's sending out little messages, notes to people to connect with on LinkedIn, I'm always
(35:14):
thinking about, I always share a little part of that is about, hey, I'd love to talk with
you and see how I can help you.
Reach out to me, if I'm closing off a message, it's often reach out to me if I can help you
in any way.
And of course, obviously, it's about following up with that though, right?
It's about being sincere with that.
(35:35):
And I got to tell you, if you feel like that has helped me a lot over time, and it's something
whether, again, whether you're a university student trying to connect with a lot of top
people for your first job, or if you're a seasoned professional and you're looking to
maybe pivot, because I get a lot of those kinds of, because people know that I obviously
(35:56):
I know a lot of people out there and I can maybe help them find a new job.
I get a lot of even very seasoned people that will reach out to me and ask me those kinds
of questions.
And it's very much that.
I mean, it's just about good relationships.
Yeah, very much.
So true.
I think it's the foundational things that make a difference.
(36:18):
When you say you're going to follow up, you actually follow up.
You keep up with relationships when you don't need anything.
So it's the it's the foundational things that sound so obvious, but it is difficult to do
it consistently.
And when you do them consistently, then you don't need to network necessarily.
(36:39):
It is just part of what you do.
So love having you on our podcast, Richard.
It's a real pleasure.
It's so great to hear you continue to thrive in many ways and inspire us and those you're
coming to contact with.
So we'll wrap up and say till the next time and looking forward to staying connected for
(37:00):
no reason other than to support one another.
Always always.
Christine, it's been really lovely connecting with you throughout this whole process.
Could move a to could not agree with you more.
A lot of times, you know, I will just shoot because at that moment I'm thinking about
somebody.
I will just shoot literally a text message saying, Hey, just wanted to let you know,
(37:25):
thinking about you.
Hope you're having a great day or maybe someone I know someone is Muslim.
Hey, I wanted to wish you a happy Ramadan.
Nothing else, you know, just thinking about those.
Those things are just so important.
And they really, like you said, you're not kind of going out of your way to have to,
you know, it's just that moment.
I got to tell you, people remember these things.
(37:46):
They do.
They actually remember the whole lot more than any kind of fact figure you can present.
It's about how you make people feel.
And it doesn't take much, but it really matters a great deal.
Thank you for highlighting that, Richard.
Yes, you're a true inspiration and you just pumped me up just seeing you today and just
I'm excited for you in this, this next chapter.
(38:09):
And of course, if there's anything I can do to help you, please let me know.
Now you are connected.
I am expecting good things to come out of this connection.
Yes, absolutely.
Well, both of you, I hope you guys have a great day today.
Really appreciate you and, you know, grateful for you, you know, offering to have me on
(38:30):
this.
This is fantastic.
Yes.
So until, until the next time, everyone, till the next time.
Take care.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you for listening.
Our hope is to spark a little joy, inspire and educate our listeners in ways to live
an even more meaningful life.
(38:51):
If you have reactions to share from what you've heard, please visit our website, refinement.life,
to leave a voice message.
You may even be featured in a future episode.
To keep in touch, subscribe to our podcast, Refirement Life, using the podcast player of
your choice.
Always remember, you are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.
(39:13):
Thanks again for joining us on this episode.
Until next time!
Welcome to ReFirement Life, the podcast for anyone navigating life transitions or planning
(00:06):
to make life transitions to ensure your next years are your best years.
Listen in for insightful, generous, and sometimes humorous conversation.
It's time to get fired up with Christine Zamuda and Muge Wood, your hosts for this
latest episode of ReFirement Life.
Hello, everyone.
(00:29):
Welcome to today's podcast of Triwing with Connections alongside my amazing co-host,
Christine Zamuda.
Today's conversation brings us a very special guest that we are excited to host that has
been a long time in the making, Richard Castleberry.
I had a chance to meet Richard and work with him through his prior role at Texas A&M University,
(00:57):
where he was associated with creating amazing opportunities for business school students
and corporate relations, which is no easy task in today's crowded marketplace of many
who is looking to make those kinds of connections.
What struck me and made this podcast possible today is Richard's overall worldview on life,
(01:22):
on connections, on helping people thrive that I think is pretty timeless regardless of what
you do or where you are.
So just really excited to have Richard join us today.
Richard, welcome.
I think we will kick it off with maybe a quick background of your experiences and then we'll
(01:45):
go from there.
So I'll turn it over to you for a quick intro.
Yeah, sure.
And thank you for having me, Christine and Muge.
It's really a pleasure to join you both.
So yeah, so I'll just give you kind of the little bit of a background of just kind of
my professional life a bit.
And I will start by saying I was born in an Air Force brat.
(02:09):
So I kind of from birth, I kind of had that desire to kind of see the world and just,
in that kind of a life growing up, you are forced to really meet new friends and make
new friends wherever you go.
And it was always kind of like two years here, three years there, et cetera.
(02:29):
And so growing up, that's kind of how I did things.
And so of course, like everybody you go, you do your undergraduate.
I did my undergraduate in Boston at Northeastern University, had some amazing cooperative education
experiences there, studied international business, go figure, right, and marketing, and then
(02:49):
did my MBA after several years of work experience out in Los Angeles.
I moved out to LA from Cape Cod.
And out there I did my MBA at a Loyola-Maramount University in Los Angeles and again had some
great corporate experiences.
And it was funny, and I get asked this a lot, why kind of like, did you get into education
(03:12):
or how did you get into education?
It was actually a marketing professor that really made an influence on me while I was
at Loyola-Maramount doing my MBA.
And I always thought, I always wanted to live in Europe.
And this was sort of the advent of the internet.
So we're talking 1998, 1999.
And I just started doing research, like where are places in Europe that I can actually like,
(03:36):
you know, teach business, but obviously it would need to be in English.
And so I found, I stumbled upon the Zagreb School of Economics and Management in Croatia,
went there, thought, hey, let's give it a shot, did it for three months.
And then next thing you know, just kind of fell in love with living abroad.
I had, there was a period where I had to kind of come back to the US for a little while.
(03:59):
And while I was here, I got the call, hey, how would you like to go to our affiliated
campus in Kosovo?
So went there, taught for seven years, it was amazing.
But like anything else, right, you start to get the itch for what's next.
And I actually ended up getting a phenomenal opportunity to go be the assistant dean of
(04:22):
marketing and communications at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan.
So did that for six and a half years.
And then really it was very much kind of, you know, we had that, I had that discussion
with my wife, hey, it's getting time, kids are getting older, by the way, too, my wife
is Albanian from Kosovo.
So I met her while I was in Kosovo.
(04:43):
So my kids kind of, you know, understand multiple languages, etc.
But it was that discussion that kind of led me back to the US.
We really needed to make a decision.
And because they were getting older, as I said, more opportunities, you know, in the
US.
So we decided I got had an incredible opportunity to come to Texas A&M, phenomenal institution.
(05:05):
And it was a really great, great role working, you know, with the dean and the associate
dean.
And yeah, and that got me back.
So Ben was there for just over five and a half years.
And it was in the summer that I finally made the move to go back to sort of corporate kind
of let's see what the next major thing is.
(05:28):
That's, that's amazing.
What a journey.
And I think the fact that you were, you know, started out your life and childhood experience
with Air Force and kind of got the adaptation and the taste of different experiences and
making friends, wherever you go.
But that makes so much more sense now, Richard, why you are so good at what you do.
(05:53):
So I am curious, what were the highlights of life in Kosovo and Kazakhstan?
What stood out for you from that particular experience?
Yeah, I mean, no question about it, the people, the people are just phenomenal.
First of all, of course, Kosovo, right?
Because of America's intervention and how we really helped them, you know, defeat the
(06:17):
Serbs, you know, with the whole aggression that took place, etc.
You know, it's one of the most, probably if not the most pro-American place to live.
So I mean, it's not unusual for them to, you know, refer to you as their brother, I mean,
or you know, their sister, etc.
And so the people are just so welcoming.
(06:38):
It's very, you know, very family oriented place.
So very much, you know, from that perspective, that's something that absolutely stands out.
I also like a bit like, you know, just the quality of life, right?
As far as, you know, it's more than just, hey, let's go to this place and go buy this.
It's much more like, hey, let's sit down, have a coffee and get to know each other.
(07:03):
So I really, for me, that's really important and that means a lot.
I also like, of course, too, the proximity to so much, you know, so many incredible things.
A couple hours, you're on the seaside, you know, in Montenegro or in Albania, you know.
So it's really just that quality of life was just amazing.
(07:23):
In Kazakhstan, one of the things that, again, Kazakh people, you know, phenomenal, very
welcoming, you know, and so I love, you know, and I still very much keep in touch with all
my Kazakh friends and connections, as well as, of course, in Kosovo.
But what I will say is, in my job, in particular, when I was at Nazarbayev University, in the
(07:48):
fall and in the spring, because of what I was doing, head of business development for
all academic programs, graduate programs, I was in a different country almost every week
for like just like two days at a time.
So I was always kind of with my family still, but it gave me a chance to go and like see
so many obviously incredible places, represent Kazakhstan, really, not just the university
(08:12):
in a sense, right?
You're kind of representing the country and what it has to offer by way of, of course,
there, you know, the education.
And so really great experiences, both of those opportunities there.
Can you talk a little bit about the college culture of those universities and maybe what
(08:35):
they can learn from American students and what American students could learn from them?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, I mean, first of all, both places in correct, like really, truly value education
first and foremost as a, as cultures.
So like almost nothing comes, you know, before that.
(08:55):
So what that means is, is it really means that from a parent perspective and a family perspective,
they will pretty much sacrifice anything to make sure their kids, their children are getting
the best educations.
And sometimes, you know, in, in, I know, like for example, in cases like in Kazakhstan,
you know, a lot of my top friends who had the means to do it would actually send their
(09:18):
students outside of Kazakhstan to go get even like, you know, their, their, you know, their
K through 12 type education.
Now I will say during the time that I was there from 2012 to 2018, there was already
a lot of development in that area.
So they were really trying to develop, you know, the top schools, bringing in education
(09:40):
from abroad.
Obviously, that's what I was involved with at the higher education level, but also at,
at the other levels too.
Now from the perspective of students, as you can imagine, right, they really valued, you
know, of course, study, studying and all that, but I believe they also truly got, you know,
and this might be, you know, from, you know, maybe what they saw on TV, what they heard,
(10:05):
you know, through, you know, social media as, of course, as time went by, right, and,
you know, more recent years.
But they certainly also valued, you know, kind of like, you know, the college life, having
a good time with friends, things like that as well.
And that came out through some of their club activities and such.
(10:27):
I guess, so I think that's kind of what they got sort of from the U.S., right, from America
a bit, or from other places.
I would say maybe something that maybe, you know, American students and, you know, students
outside of those places may be able to get from them is truly that.
And I think that some of this goes on still here, but, you know, America, for example,
(10:51):
is a very individualistic country.
So it's very much, even if you have friends that you might study with, it's still very
much me, me, me, sort of, you know, a little bit of that.
Whereas there, you know, it's much more, hey, you know, you're really trying to help each
other, you know, kind of like, you know, get to that next level.
There's a bit more, I think, of that sort of camaraderie that goes with, you know, just,
(11:17):
you know, where they come from.
And so I think that might be something that maybe, you know, in the U.S., they could look
to, you know, build a little bit more of that and helping others.
And I'm not saying that that doesn't happen here, but probably not to the same degree.
Yeah, it's not the norm where in that country, it's like, that's where they start is figuring
(11:39):
out from a cohort, how can we be better together?
And it's funny because, you know, from an ethical standpoint, there even becomes sometimes
that very gray area where you're kind of expected to help each other.
But of course, there's certain guidelines too, right?
You know, you can't cheat, you can't, you know, give answers, things like that.
So in some cases, you know, even that, like, you know, there's that gray area where you
(12:02):
really want to help and you, and also in some degree, you're sort of expected to help,
right?
Because that's just the norm.
You help each other.
But again, you know, you got to keep within sort of the guidelines of what's, you know,
the right thing to do versus what maybe is going too far.
Makes sense, makes sense.
(12:22):
It is a great question, Christine.
It sounds a little bit like Turkey in the sense that education is path to prosperity.
So you do everything in your power to learn English, get education in English.
And then if possible, go to Europe, go to United States to expand your horizons, build
your resume.
(12:43):
So it sounds very similar to this.
And one thing that's also interesting, I'll be curious, is I see this in Turkey and I
have a really good friend who is visiting India right now.
He actually, as part of his visit, he went to see India Institute of Technology, like
the hub of world-class talent with Nobel-winning people graduating and the CEOs of the Riviera
(13:09):
Technology Companies that are here today.
And he said, you know, it's just a regular building.
There's a running track, but there is not of, you know, any of this extensive sports
facilities and all the recreational activities that we see perhaps in U.S. college campuses.
(13:30):
So I think that singular laser focus on academic education really stands out and resonates with
me.
So Richard, when you and I first met, you have been a key pillar to creating opportunity
for May's business school students.
(13:51):
Then you moved into corporate relations role at Texas A&M University and you have done
an amazing job connecting corporations, small, medium, and large, to the caliber of students
you wanted to create opportunity for, which is a difficult thing to do because there always
sometimes seems like, you know, more students than opportunity and you're competing for
(14:15):
mindshare.
So how did you do it?
I know you have made some amazing progress to bring very large names on campus, introduced
the caliber of students.
How did you go about creating those connections?
Yeah, it's a great question and you're absolutely right.
And some companies, you know, make it much more challenging than others as well.
(14:39):
Sure.
A lot of it's just trying to figure out how to navigate it all.
So I'm very, very blessed as you well know, Muge, you know, my network is truly second
to none across all industries.
So that's really helped me a great deal with connecting with the right individuals within
organizations.
You know, for example, if I didn't have those key university recruiters, talent acquisition
(15:04):
people that I had brilliant people like you, Muge, that I could call on and ask for that
favor of, hey, can you, would you mind trying to connect me with the right person that may
be interested in, you know, hiring our students?
Of course, when I could, of course, I always played the Aggie card, right, where I would,
you know, howdy, Christine, you know, you know, you know, where I'm really trying to
(15:28):
get, you know, let's say Microsoft to campus to recruit our students, you know, can you
help me, you know, you know, either come up with the right person at Microsoft to talk
to or, you know, in many cases where, like, let's say the formal channels of university
recruited talent acquisition would not come to campus for whatever reason, a lot of times
(15:52):
it was just, you know, the sheer bandwidth, they didn't have the bandwidth to go to all
campuses.
So for me, it was about being creative.
And it was about like figuring out, okay, well, if you're not going to come, is there
a way in which I can get a Microsoft representation to campus to talk to students about the opportunities
(16:13):
at Microsoft, etc.
So if I use Microsoft as an example, which I think is a really great example, in the
case of I actually had reached out to the individual there who told me, look, one thing
you can do, so rather than taking, you know, a no for an answer, one thing you can do is
(16:34):
you can reach out to some of your MBA graduates that are now full time people at Microsoft,
and you can see if they're willing to come talk to, you know, talk to, you know, your
students about the opportunities at Microsoft.
And if you're able to convince them to come, then have them reach out to me and I will
provide them resources that they can share with your students.
(16:58):
And so in the case of Microsoft, that's what I did to get them on campus.
Now I got to tell you, when you talk again, this with this approach is going to vary from
one company to the next.
So there's so much like, you know, reaching out to a variety of people within the organization.
There's so many times where you may get a no, but yet you still think of other creative
(17:21):
ways in which you may be able to get them to engage with students.
So if I think of a company like Amazon, I had gotten a number of no's before finally
I reached someone who said, Oh, well, we actually have some area managers that live in Texas.
And we're talking to them about, you know, getting the campus to actually recruit some
students for some roles.
So again, it was a number of no's before I finally got to someone who said, Yeah, there
(17:45):
is a way.
And this is what we can do.
And, you know, first, you know, available term, which in that in the case of Amazon was
spring last year, I was successful in getting them to campus, but it was there was a lot
of no's first, and it was a lot of like, of course, as you can imagine, right?
Follow up.
Now, one little nuance I will share is a lot of it too is about just being a really good
(18:11):
hunter.
So where you do not have contacts, and there will be always companies where you may just,
you know, even if you've got connections at those organizations, which I, you know,
likely had, there was there, either they weren't very helpful, or, you know, it was
just kind of a dead end.
In some cases, you know, there's going to be people that just don't get back to you.
(18:33):
And you just have to figure out other creative ways to make it happen.
So in my case, what I did is I actually used a platform you may have heard of Fiverr.
Yeah, Fiverr is a platform in which you can basically hire a professional who does different
things.
And in my case, I had hired somebody who basically was able to track down.
(18:56):
So for example, let's just say, Hey, can you reach out to these top, because I really
focused on the very largest companies.
So the biggest market cap companies and Fortune 500, those kind of companies was really my
primary focus.
So what I did is I just reached out to him and said, Hey, can you do basically a scrape
of, you know, like LinkedIn and so forth?
(19:17):
And can you find university recruiters, talent acquisition people at, you know, these organizations
and get me basically their names, you know, their, their positions there, their email,
et cetera.
And then as you can imagine, when I got there, it was again, a lot of correspondences, a
lot of outreach.
You may not, you may not hear back from three of these people, but you heard back from this
(19:38):
person you followed.
You kept just kept following it and just, you know, it's a lot of like door knocking
and it's a lot of follow up.
And that's just, you know, if you want to be successful in getting them, I got to tell
you, it took me, I can't tell you how many times to reach out to one particular person
at Coca-Cola to finally get him to get back to me.
And when he got back to me, then it was still a lot of follow up before I finally managed
(20:02):
to get him to come to campus.
And what's cool, the CEO of Body Armor, who they purchased, happened to be a Texas A&M
alum.
And so not only did Coca-Cola come to campus just recently in the fall after I left, but
it was something that, you know, I helped put together before I left.
(20:25):
The CEO of Body Armor made a trip back to College Station and joined the recruiting
team to talk about what is it like to, you know, be at Body Armor and Coca-Cola.
So it's really, it's all about relationships, Muge.
It is really all about relationships.
And that applies, I think, throughout our lifetime, no matter what it is that you are
(20:47):
working on, whether you want to build your friendships, your community engagement, you
want to grow your career.
It is really about connections, and that cannot be understated.
And what I am seeing is that the connections become even more important in the age of AI.
Because we have so much content, you can make connections easily through digital media,
(21:11):
and that's fine.
But then you have to really work on enhancing the quality of those connections to advance
and get the responses you need.
So it's just number one.
That's my advice to anybody.
And myself included, invest and nurture your connections where you bring value to the relationship
and graciously accept the value you may get in return.
(21:34):
So Richard, I'll pivot a little bit because you embarked not long ago on a really exciting
next chapter of your career and growth, where you are now working independently on a number
of exciting projects.
And given the focus of our podcast is pivoting, getting refired up and thriving through transitions,
(22:00):
I would love to hear from you how you got to this current stage you are in, what kinds
of things you are working on, and what are you excited about?
Yeah, so again, this, I'm going to tell you straight up, this would not have been possible
if I didn't have the network that I do.
(22:21):
I got to tell you first and foremost, because it was really my network that allowed these
kind of opportunities.
When you have a family, I've got three kids, I've got a home, I've got a lot of things
to think about.
It's a big leap going from a pretty good salary at a major university to just all of a sudden
(22:48):
leave that to the great unknown.
And so what I, of course, like any normal person would do when you start thinking, hey, it
may be time for me to start looking for new things and so on, or you just feel like it's
time.
And that's kind of, I think, more than anything, that's where I was.
I mean, I'm also at the age where I've got to, it's now or never, so to speak, because
(23:13):
this is prime time.
And so I just started reaching out to a lot of my top friends.
And I shared with them ways in which I thought I might be able to, as you alluded to earlier,
Amugay, where I may be able to add value to them and what they were doing.
And it's funny because, I got to tell you.
So one of the companies that I'm very focused on is a company called Squire.
(23:41):
And Squire is an ed tech firm that has a very top notch financial literacy wellness platform
that they're trying to get into universities across the US.
Now as you can imagine, having been doing what I've been doing for so long, of course,
I've got incredible network across also universities and colleges across the US.
(24:05):
And so it was obviously a natural fit for me.
But the way in which that whole thing came about is just crazy.
I was on a call with no expectation.
I didn't even know really who this person really was.
But it was recommended to me, actually first, it was recommended to this particular individual
(24:26):
that he talked to me.
Because I knew a lot of people, I was in the education space.
And this organization, as I said, was looking to also start to get really into higher education.
They were already doing, trying to get this into businesses, but now they were really
looking to get this into higher education space.
And so I took this call to talk with this person to see how I could help.
(24:48):
And the more and more I was talking to him, I'm like, you guys, you need me.
Keith, you need me to do this for you.
And well, it was just by coincidence, that particular call, he had the founder and CEO
on the call.
And so I ended up talking to both him and the VP of sales.
(25:09):
We had a great conversation.
And next thing you know, we figured out a way to make it work.
And so I've been working with them.
In fact, just this last week, I was in Virginia kind of meeting all of them in person for the
first time.
So that was amazing.
And when it's going, it's going really well.
I'm looking at other really creative ways of which, of course, I can help squire with
(25:35):
getting additional funding and just to really build it to be something big.
Because I will tell you, it truly has the potential for that.
Another organization quickly that I'm working, I'm helping out on the business development
side of things is Softway.
Softway is a people oriented, a people focused consulting company.
(26:02):
It's located in Houston.
They focus on tech communications, in particular internal communications with big organizations
and also change.
So change management.
And so I'm again, because of my network, primarily in this case with big companies, to have those
(26:25):
kinds of conversations.
And as you start to talk to CEOs, C-suite, learning and development people, you get a
good feel as to what are some of the opportunities, like what are some of the challenges, for
example, that they're facing.
Some of them maybe undergoing big digital transformations.
Or even in a lot of cases, they're having to lay off the workforce or some number of
(26:49):
people.
And what kind of morale is that going to leave on the people that are left behind?
So with these challenges, obviously come opportunities for companies like Softway as
an example.
And I'll just share one other one that I have been doing quite a bit of work with.
And this is in the education area.
(27:10):
And that is Cal Berkeley Engineering, the Soutarja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology.
I've been helping them connect with C-suite and talk people, not just in the United States,
but also abroad, in particular, really abroad as well.
Because there's a lot of top people, for example, I know just based on my experiences in particular
(27:32):
in Kazakhstan, where a lot of those top people would love to be able to come to Silicon Valley,
right in a talk program like AI for the C-suite programs like that.
So I've been helping them to try to connect with those types of individuals and organizations
that might want to send their people to those kinds of programs.
(27:55):
As well as also making introductions to top universities abroad that may want to do like
a trek to Silicon Valley and do it with Cal Berkeley Engineering.
So those are just several of the things that I have going on.
But Squire is certainly one that I'm very focused on and soft way as far as on the business
(28:22):
side of things.
Well, congratulations.
I mean, it sounds like you've transitioned very well.
And it also sounds like no day would be the same.
You've got a lot of variety.
Don't go anywhere, Christine.
You're right, Christine.
And I got to tell you too, it's very much, as you can imagine, it's very much also
like sort of multitasking, finding times to where you, because a lot of times, for example,
(28:46):
with kids, they've got baseball practice.
They have things like that where you're finding yourself two hours sitting.
I'm on my laptop sending off correspondences, doing other things.
So yeah, you're right.
It's exciting.
Yeah.
So just stepping, because you've just kind of stepped out of that education world and
(29:07):
connecting employers to students.
We have a lot of listeners who have college-age students who are getting close to graduation.
Do you have any advice for those parents on the really hot jobs or the things where employers
are just coming at you or in your past very proactively to look for people?
Yeah.
(29:28):
And probably if they're right ready to go, it may be too late for them, right?
But certainly, I know I've got both a junior in high school as well as a freshman in high
school and then a little guy.
And some of the things that I would share, and you both will understand this because
(29:48):
you're so around tech.
But I got to tell you, one of the things that we were doing just before I left A&M was we
were getting a lot more engineering content into the business school.
And I think that gives you a sense as to where we saw things, right?
I mean, a lot of, if there's going to be opportunities, it's going to be for those individuals that
(30:13):
ideally already know something about AI, how they can use that to do their job, maybe
more effectively, more efficiently, et cetera.
That certainly those skills I think will absolutely be important going forward.
Anything again, analytics related.
And I know these are probably things that people have been hearing a lot for the last
(30:38):
couple of years, but they still remain really relevant.
And more and more companies are looking for people that have those skills.
So those are things.
I also think when we think about, okay, what kind of jobs are AI going to take from individuals
(31:02):
and so forth?
Again, I think that the more on the relationship side of things that you have and roles that
require really strong relationship skills, I'm just not sure any AI or anything else
will take those kinds of jobs away.
(31:24):
So I always feel like if you can have that as well as if you're able to skill up in some
of those areas, you'd probably be well suited to do great things and to have a lot of opportunities
when you're done.
Yeah, makes sense.
Makes sense.
It is.
It's very true.
I think it's always the adaptation and how to use the technology to your advantage and
(31:51):
the great user of the technology is a great asset to many companies.
As much as there's concern around AI, the opportunity it creates and the opportunity
may take away, it still doesn't run itself.
It has a big human factor there to put it into effective use and all the change management
(32:15):
that has to happen around it.
That's I think very much here to stay.
And the foundation of human connection that is just essential to getting anything done.
I think we all have experienced the impact of one in-person meeting is worth many, many
phone calls.
So I think the people side of things becomes and continues to be very important.
(32:38):
But then the savanness around being able to put it into good use is foundational.
So Richard, it is an absolute pleasure to have you.
I think you made us think you gave us encouragement too, I think in terms of making a change when
the opportunity knocks on the door, being able to recognize it, being able to seize
(32:58):
it, which takes a lot of courage to make this kind of change and pivot because there is
a corporate constructs are comfortable in the sense that it gives you a big infrastructure
to do your work against.
But then you go on your own and then you realize, wow, this is incredible.
It is more than you can even imagine.
(33:19):
So that's exciting.
In closing, any other reflections you may want to share with our listeners to navigate
change?
Yeah, I mean, I got to tell you, so I get asked a lot, right?
Kind of how do you go about networking and how do you go about just connecting with people
(33:42):
and building relationships and all of that?
I mean, I got to tell you, for me, sort of the number one, I guess the number one thing,
whether it's honestly at the C-suite or whether it's somebody, I don't know, a project manager,
it doesn't really matter.
The bottom line is, you should always be willing to kind of go the extra mile to help the other
(34:08):
person.
You should always be thinking, how can you create value for the other person?
And I think when you go in with that mindset, it's something that those other individuals
naturally see and they naturally are going to respond favorably to that.
I'm not saying you go in with the mindset, hey, if I do this, I'm going to get this,
(34:32):
but it's just very much like, I got to tell you, anybody I'm connecting with, I'm connecting
with the mindset that these people can at some point be my friend, and I want to do
whatever I can to kind of help them.
And naturally, if you go in with that mindset, it's very likely that they're going to, over
(34:54):
time, it's going to develop likewise on the other side.
And if it's not, then probably that's not a person that you probably care to be connected
with anyways.
And so that's one thing I will say as I reach out, and I'm like, if I'm sending, whether
it's sending out little messages, notes to people to connect with on LinkedIn, I'm always
(35:14):
thinking about, I always share a little part of that is about, hey, I'd love to talk with
you and see how I can help you.
Reach out to me, if I'm closing off a message, it's often reach out to me if I can help you
in any way.
And of course, obviously, it's about following up with that though, right?
It's about being sincere with that.
(35:35):
And I got to tell you, if you feel like that has helped me a lot over time, and it's something
whether, again, whether you're a university student trying to connect with a lot of top
people for your first job, or if you're a seasoned professional and you're looking to
maybe pivot, because I get a lot of those kinds of, because people know that I obviously
(35:56):
I know a lot of people out there and I can maybe help them find a new job.
I get a lot of even very seasoned people that will reach out to me and ask me those kinds
of questions.
And it's very much that.
I mean, it's just about good relationships.
Yeah, very much.
So true.
I think it's the foundational things that make a difference.
(36:18):
When you say you're going to follow up, you actually follow up.
You keep up with relationships when you don't need anything.
So it's the it's the foundational things that sound so obvious, but it is difficult to do
it consistently.
And when you do them consistently, then you don't need to network necessarily.
(36:39):
It is just part of what you do.
So love having you on our podcast, Richard.
It's a real pleasure.
It's so great to hear you continue to thrive in many ways and inspire us and those you're
coming to contact with.
So we'll wrap up and say till the next time and looking forward to staying connected for
(37:00):
no reason other than to support one another.
Always always.
Christine, it's been really lovely connecting with you throughout this whole process.
Could move a to could not agree with you more.
A lot of times, you know, I will just shoot because at that moment I'm thinking about
somebody.
I will just shoot literally a text message saying, Hey, just wanted to let you know,
(37:25):
thinking about you.
Hope you're having a great day or maybe someone I know someone is Muslim.
Hey, I wanted to wish you a happy Ramadan.
Nothing else, you know, just thinking about those.
Those things are just so important.
And they really, like you said, you're not kind of going out of your way to have to,
you know, it's just that moment.
I got to tell you, people remember these things.
(37:46):
They do.
They actually remember the whole lot more than any kind of fact figure you can present.
It's about how you make people feel.
And it doesn't take much, but it really matters a great deal.
Thank you for highlighting that, Richard.
Yes, you're a true inspiration and you just pumped me up just seeing you today and just
I'm excited for you in this, this next chapter.
(38:09):
And of course, if there's anything I can do to help you, please let me know.
Now you are connected.
I am expecting good things to come out of this connection.
Yes, absolutely.
Well, both of you, I hope you guys have a great day today.
Really appreciate you and, you know, grateful for you, you know, offering to have me on
(38:30):
this.
This is fantastic.
Yes.
So until, until the next time, everyone, till the next time.
Take care.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you for listening.
Our hope is to spark a little joy, inspire and educate our listeners in ways to live
an even more meaningful life.
(38:51):
If you have reactions to share from what you've heard, please visit our website, refinement.life,
to leave a voice message.
You may even be featured in a future episode.
To keep in touch, subscribe to our podcast, Refirement Life, using the podcast player of
your choice.
Always remember, you are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.
(39:13):
Thanks again for joining us on this episode.
Until next time!
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