From Inner City Poverty to Boardroom Success: Joe Mechlinski's Journey of Conscious Transformation

Today, we are honored to have Joe Mechlinski, a New York Times bestselling author and a beacon of inspiration in the world of business and personal development. Joe's journey from the challenging streets of inner-city Baltimore to becoming a prolific entrepreneur and philanthropist is nothing short of remarkable.

As the founder of Shift, a tech-enabled management consulting firm, Joe has been transforming corporate cultures and driving human development on a national scale. Join us as Joe shares his incredible story, invaluable insights on consciousness and meaningful change, and practical advice for navigating failure and success.

In this interview with Joe, you'll discover:

-How Joe survived inner city Baltimore to become a prolific entrepreneur and philanthropist...01:30

-Why Joe views his lack of impressive credentials as an asset in transforming the cultures of businesses who seek his services...06:45

-Practical advice for those of us working on evolving our consciousness to make meaningful change in the world....14:37

-"The reason I failed so badly at that company is I sucked at asking questions"...22:10

-In closing: You have 3 options for when you fail - and you will fail...27:22

Remember, evolving our consciousness and making meaningful changes in the world starts with the courage to ask the right questions and the resilience to embrace failure as a stepping stone. Stay connected with us for more thought-provoking conversations, and until next time, keep exploring and expanding your consciousness!

With Love,

Jennifer K. Hill

Resources mentioned:

Joe's website

Books authored by Joe Mechlinski

Re: Consciousness episode with Perry Knoppert

About the guest:

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Joe Mechlinski is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, investor, and New York Times bestselling author.

But this is far from where he started.

Joe grew up in Baltimore’s inner city with food insecurity and intermittent, unstable housing. He attended the worst high school in Maryland, with no air conditioning and lead in its water. Out of 965 freshmen in his class, he was one of only 235 seniors to graduate.

Miraculously, he went from the worst high school in Maryland to one of the most prestigious universities in the country, Johns Hopkins University. This changed the trajectory of his life and, eventually, his business. After attending 23 funerals by the time he was 23, he had to make a shift.

Today, Joe is the founder and CEO of SHIFT, a tech-enabled management consulting firm that has been nationally recognized as a ‘Best Workplace’ nine times. With 20+ years of management consulting experience, Joe’s company has worked with more than 600+ companies, including names like John Hancock, New Balance, Stanley Black and Decker, Benjamin Moore, Sinclair Broadcasting, Fox Sports, and Crocs, to name a few.

Joe is on a mission to change the way we work to transform the way we live. He helps leaders and organizations unblock, unlock, and unleash the potential and momentum of their people. CEOs often refer to Joe and his team as hands down the best they have ever worked with when it comes to all things culture change, driving high performance, and helping companies grow.

Recently, Joe launched an employee engagement platform called Latch, which uses AI, storytelling and action learning to help executive leaders get their teams on the same page... without scheduling more meetings!

Joe‘s first book, “Grow Regardless,” became a New York Times bestseller in 2013 and led to his second book, “Shift The Work,” which invites readers to be all-in at work and home using the neuroscience of head, heart, and gut.

His newest release, Who Says? Question Everything and Discover the Genius of Thinking Differently, slated for publication in November 2024, is a manifesto for those who refuse to live life on autopilot. This book dares you to ask the questions no one else is asking, to defy the gravitational and seductive pull of the status quo, and to embrace a life of authenticity and boundless innovation.

Beyond this, Joe has devoted his life to being of service, especially to his hometown of Baltimore. He is dedicated to helping underserved, at-risk communities, donating and investing more than $1MM to cause and impact partners. He is also a venture partner with Conscious Venture Partners, a group that invests in minority and female-founded businesses, in addition to serving on several boards.

Joe’s been an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of Year, recognized by the Baltimore Business Journal multiple times: 40 under 40, Most Admired CEO, and VIP, as well as by the Daily Record as an Innovator of the Year. He has also been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, Fortune, and Authority Magazine.

Captivating and inspiring audiences on national stages, Joe’s passion is palpable - challenging the way we think, operate, and engage in ourselves, our relationships, our life and our work. Joe’s TEDx talk was ranked #40 most popular out of 15,900 TEDx talks from 2022.

Joe is a voracious reader, having read more than 2,000+ books. He also loves adventure, surviving a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro (his first time camping), jumping out of his first plane solo, and running his first and last marathon in Baltimore.

Ultimately, his heart is at home with his best friend and partner, Erica, and he loves coaching basketball and lacrosse with their two kids, Ellie and James.

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