“At the end of your life you want to be able to look back on your life and know you made a difference. That you left some kind of mark, some kind of imprint, that you were here.” - Joe Ehrmann.
Our good friend, Bobby Danga, is a person of many talents! He’s a successful accountant / finance manager based in Canada, he’s a winning Crossfit athlete and he runs a podcast called Your Hidden Talent.
The latter he does as a platform to serve others to do what brings you joy, pursue whatever that thing looks like with courage, even if you feel uncomfortable at the start and give yourself permission to enjoy the abundance of joy when you do what you love to do.
We’ve been very lucky to spend some time with Bobby to talk about Unlocking Your Hidden Talent!
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(VIVO): Thanks so much for taking the time to chat to us Bobby. Your a person of many hidden talents - accountant, athlete, podcaster - how did you find yourself with so many identities and how you do juggle such differing occupations?
Bobby: I guess it stems from my love of constant growth and evolution & from the belief that we don’t have to be bound by our past or by what society says we “should” be. I often reflect on times in my past where I haven’t pursued something I really wanted because I was too scared of failing or that people would find it weird … only to find that I would end up giving it a shot few months or even years later and loving it once I started.
I want to be able to look back on my life and know that out of all the infinite possibilities of reality I could choose from, I crafted the one that makes me the happiest and had a positive impact on others. The Human body and human mind is the ultimate adaptation machine that can learn any skill and evolve under the right stimulus. With the right strategy and consistent disciplined action, transformation and evolution is inevitable… so why not try to learn? And why not have a good time doing it?
I never planned on having so many different occupations, I just discovered that we can learn anything we want to, especially in this age where there are countless resources like YouTube, podcasts, coaches etc. out there with experts willing to passionately share their knowledge and I feel like I’m only just getting started… like a kid on his first day of school.
(VIVO): Hidden talents is an interesting topic. Many of us maybe don’t find out hidden talents because we’re busy with everyday life as is - study, work, mortgage, family, responsibilities. Why do you think it is important to unlock our hidden talents?
Bobby: “You can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.” – that is one of my favourite quotes from Jim Carey.
But let’s be honest, it’s not always that easy, 100% we do have responsibilities and yes we still need to study, work and pay the mortgage. When you’re doing the “heavy lifting” and meeting the demands of a busy life, making time for the things that bring you joy is so important to your overall performance and mental wellbeing.
If you think about when you have shown up at your best, most likely you were in a positive state at the time. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the chances of connecting with people, showing up with energy and enthusiasm at work, coming up with the most creative ideas hardly come whenever we’re in a burnt out, tired and living in a frustrated state.
This is why I started my podcast, so we can show up more days at our best and less days dragging ourselves through the mud.
I find inspiration in real strategies and lessons from other high achievers who are living it. If my work can spark something in someone who can then create something positive in the world, then that brings me pure joy.
Unlocking your Hidden Talent is unleashing the greatness that’s already in you, sometimes you just need to do some work to find it, but I believe that is some of the most important work we will ever have to do even though it can be hard and confronting at the time.
(VIVO): Lastly, how do you recommend we find what our hidden talents are? Can you share a story of someone who you have seen uncover their hidden talent and the impact it had on their lives?
Bobby: Unlocking Your Hidden Talent is about being super practical by mapping out a crystal clear vision for your life right down to the most intricate details… being brutally honest with yourself through self reflection to highlight what exactly it is that’s holding you back, it means not beating yourself up but being objective, free from judgement and not blaming circumstances or people.
It requires crafting plans, implementing systems to organize your goals, months, weeks, days, mastering time and managing the pressure and stress that comes with it. It means looking after your mental, spiritual and physical health so you can show up as the best version of you and continue to evolve
It’s an ongoing process and it never stops. The best part is that you do it in your own way, true to yourself that is unique and authentic.
A good friend of mine, Brad Bodnachuck, was guest on Your Hidden Talent Podcast. At the time he was working a job he didn’t like and had dreams of opening his own restaurant. A few days prior to recording the episode one of his major investors pulled out and threw a spanner in the works and we talk about this on the podcast. Brad and his partner Lindsay also had their first baby girl on the way at the time, so in re-telling this story already gives me goosebumps because at the time Brad didn’t know exactly what the plan would be, but he had a clear vision, a loving family and the courage to go after his dreams… and that is all he needed.
Fast forward a year, in going through the fire and crafting a strategic plan of his own, Brad now hosts the highly successful Half a Dozen Hospitality Podcast and runs his own successful restaurant consulting business in Vancouver, Canada. Brad is quickly making a name for himself as an industry expert helping restaurant owners create cultures of excellence by implementing unique systems and processes.
Through his work Brad gives back to the community through charitable events and education about the food industry… looking forward to having him back on the show and super proud of what he has created in such a short time. Keep an eye out for him, he is only just getting started.
Check him out at https://www.bradbodnarchuk.com/
