Possibility, Redefined, with Ron Alford – Episode 463 of The Action Catalyst Podcast

Ron Alford, Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker, and Senior Partner with Southwestern Consulting, covers the principles and parables in his newly revised edition of “Redefining Possible”, and talks about finding the joy in having his soul crushed, collecting “Ron’s Rambles”, the importance of putting on blinders, truths vs. lies, diving into the data, but going with the gut, and why his pals call him “Switzerland”.

About Ron:

As a senior partner, the vice president of recruiting, and an executive-level sales and leadership coach for Southwestern Consulting, Ron Alford is an expert in recruiting, sales training, and coaching, helping individuals and teams to reach higher than they ever imagined. Ron has shattered every sales and revenue record at Southwestern Consulting since joining the company in 2013.

Ron has a long history with Southwestern Family of Companies. He is a company record holder, having personally achieved the highest level of sales 70 times with Southwestern Advantage. He’s also a leadership record holder, coaching and training more top 1 percent producers than any other manager since Southwestern Advantage was founded in 1868.

He is passionate about helping people break down barriers and coaching them to reach their God-given potential. With firsthand experience knocking on thousands of doors, Ron has recruited, interviewed, and hired well over 100 sales professionals during his three-decade career. He is an expert in buying, selling, and management behavior, and understands how to adapt to the way people want to communicate. He has delivered keynote speeches to a wide variety of industries and audiences around the world.

In his personal life, Ron enjoys testing his physical limits of what is possible. He has completed dozens of endurance ultrarunning events in a variety of settings. The events range between 50 to 100 miles and include the 98-mile Wonderland Trail that circumnavigates Mount Rainier, the 48-mile Rim to Rim to Rim trail through the Grand Canyon and back, and the 100-mile Born to Run Ultramarathon. Most of all, Ron is a devoted dad to three kids and a loving husband.

Ron Alford has also authored the bestselling book, Redefining Possible, which is a guide to set you on a proven path to help you overcome barriers, accomplish your goals, and impact others to do the same.

Learn more at RonAlfordSWC.com.

The Action Catalyst is presented by the Southwestern Family of Companies. With each episode, the podcast features some of the nation’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing meaningful tips and advice. Learn more at TheActionCatalyst.com, subscribe below or wherever you listen to podcasts, and be sure to leave a rating and review!

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(Transcribed using A.I. / May include errors):

Adam Outland
Welcome back to The Action Catalyst. Today we are joined by Ron Alford, a senior partner and VP of recruiting executive coach and speaker at Southwestern Consulting. It’s awesome to have you back on the podcast you’ve been others before. I am excited to formally interview you because you’re trapped. I could ask you all the embarrassing things publicly that I’ve always wanted to.

Ron Alford
Thank you for having me on.

Adam Outland
But in all honesty, you know, one of the things that I’ve always respected about you and how you’ve lived your life outside of business is, I guess, first and foremost and how you run my first experience learning about you. I remember who’s when you talked about how you just run 35 miles one year for every year you’ve been alive, because it was the 35th birthday. I was both amazed and thought you were a masochist at the same time. But then when you unpacked you know why you did it what it meant to you. I thought that was really cool. But talk about when did running start for you?

Ron Alford
Yeah, it’s such an interesting thing, how gut feelings happened. I remember walking into a running store, you just get some shoes, not thinking much of it. My whole life was basketball, football, just more team sports. And I saw this fundraiser for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society where you can do a triathlon, you can go to Kona, Hawaii with a group of people you don’t know and raise, I think I believe a six and a half 1000 to go to Hawaii and do this this triathlon, this Olympic distance triathlon. And I didn’t have a bike I didn’t y’all really run other than to score a basket or a touchdown. Or if and I just thought, man, it’d be neat. I was, you know, getting a little older and team sports were the thing anymore. And I remember fundraising for that and falling in love with the whole philanthropic side of what we were doing there. But then also the actual race itself and the endurance side of it, and just really what it took to prepare there. And so after doing the race, I thought, Oh, the biking was cool. The swimming was cool. But man, the running art was awesome. And so that that started a series of like, okay, let’s see what these half marathons and marathons and these things are like, and finally got into some some trail stuff where you’re not as consumed with the watch. You can’t really you know, when you’re going up a mountain or doing technical single track, you can have an 18 minute downhill mile that changes everything. So that’s that’s kind of where the running part started, and how I’ve more fallen in love with the distance endurance side of it.

Adam Outland
And today, like roughly how many ultras?

Ron Alford
So in actual events, roughly 20 things. I’ve done more on my own. Yeah, I’d say 35, 40.

Adam Outland
How does running fit into your book Redefining Possible? Where do you feel like how the psychology of how you do what you do? Because for listeners that don’t know, how long is it typical ultra?

Ron Alford
Anything typically 50k or above, so anything lot, technically longer than a marathon louder than 26.2. So 50 ks 31 miles, but the thing about Ultra is, is they are usually in mountains or deep trails, or they’re not your typical road kind of terrain. You know, obviously the book I’m sure we’ll talk more about it. But it alludes to belief barriers that alludes to, to unconditional confidence, and running humbles any person. Like there it is, it crushes your soul. And so it’s so good for me to get out there and just get beaten. And I don’t know any other pretty way to say it. And you remember those moments where you were so depleted, your legs were shot, you could hardly move the cramps were in can you take some breaths, you take a minute, you recollect your thoughts, your mind receptors, and suddenly your body follows your mind. 10 miles later, you’re eating snacks, you’re reinvigorated. You’re, you keep rallying. I would say the other part of it is just in a world where it’s, if you’re in business, if you have, you know, multiple kids like I do, I’m in a blended family. You know, we’re all have stress environments. And I welcome that I want to be in areas where I feel pressure, I want to be in areas where I feel stress, I think that’s a healthy thing. If I don’t let it get to me too much. And that’s where the running really helps me. Calm, I come home from Iran. I’m a better listener to my kids. I’m more calm with my wife, more loving my wife and more patient with prospects or clients, you name it.

Adam Outland
I’ve noticed, I think that’s a common trait. A lot of people found this this success is that a number of them not all but a number of found their ability to manage controllable actions on a physical level, so, Arnold Schwarzenegger going to the gym and knowing all the reps and see the results from the reps he put in, you control your body, and the results are an extension of that.

Ron Alford
Absolutely. And yeah, Schwarzenegger’s story. So you know, he talks about how that fitness aspect helped him in the world of acting and becoming, you know, arguably the top actor of his time then in the world of politics, and so I can’t agree more it just it blends in to every part of life and it doesn’t matter if it’s extreme weightlifting, like Arnold or running or whatever the person’s thing is, but it’s finding that.

Adam Outland
You know, in prior interviews, we focused on some of your kind of your earlier life and how you built into Southwestern consulting and the impact that you’ve had there, I’m wondering, I guess, more recently through COVID. And in these last few years, what are some lessons that you’ve taken back and thought about the work that you wrote and Redefining Possible and new applications, new inspirations that you’ve had? Just over the last three or four years?

Ron Alford
Man, I love the question. I think for every listener, for each of us, like I really am more and more convicted on the seasons of life. You know, it’s crazy how I could have spoken with you six months ago on some of these concepts. And today be in a totally different frame of mind. For listeners that are familiar with the book, the the overriding theme is impact, and you cannot grow older, you can’t go through things and not think about what is my legacy? What is significance really mean? We all know that dollars don’t equal the joy. And yet, it’s still so easy to fall into that trap of whether it’s more money, a new title at work, a better race time and my running or whatever the carrot is, is going to bring that joy. Yeah, you and I both know, man, it just the thing that’s really going to fill that cup is the difference I believe I’m making in the lives of others. I think I could have known that maybe a few years ago, and but I feel like I’m in a season now where it’s like that that is it. That is the metal, that is the thing that we’re going after. And so if I believe that, then what am I doing in my life? What are my morning routines? What are my habits? What am I who’s holding me accountable to where I can get the best out of what I’ve been given?

Adam Outland
I’ve always seen you as a long term thinker. But when you said recently, there’s been a reflection on legacy. We’ll go into that a little bit more like what how have you kind of reset legacy for yourself? Like how have you started to reassess or refresh legacy and what’s important to you?

Ron Alford
Really, it’s just more top of mind. And I wasn’t planning to go here, but they have a recurring event, every other Monday afternoon, Ron’s call with Mark Stacy. And Mark is a mentor for 1000s of people and impact her as as joyful of a person I’ve ever worked with Cindy on life with, and I got to work closely with him. And for years, he and I had our recurring calls, and I got to go to Austin, Texas, to travel with them and be with them. And Mark passed away, gosh, little over a year ago to now incredibly unexpectedly, it just you can’t go through things like that every every listener that’s had a loved one go through a terminal condition or lost a loved one unexpectedly. And so for me, I actually keep that recurring event, it’s still on my calendar. And I don’t want to remove that because it’s as much as it can kind of make me sad for a moment. Emotional. It also reminds me of like, if perspective is brought back instantly, I might be thinking, Oh man, I’m behind on my goals, right? I’m this or that? Or what was me or Gosh, our profit margin is a little off. Or it’s like, come on, stop. And perspective comes back instantly. And so trying to have those kind of reminders in my life daily, where it’s more top of mind.

Adam Outland
Yeah, and I think you have this ability to hold things loosely. Like maybe you even said this analogy years ago, and I probably heard it from you, but you grip sand too tightly in your hand it slips through your fingers. If you if you cradle it, it’s the only way to hold that. I think that might have been you bid but I hear that I almost in that story where it almost like that early reminds you to hold sort of things that maybe we think are important can hold it loosely instead because it’s not as important as that perspective.

Ron Alford
Yea, and just even as a parent, you hold your kids lives, ya know, it’s hard to not squeeze, my kids are gonna get good grades, they’re gonna be respectful, they’re gonna look people in the eyes, and they’re gonna greet people, well, they’re gonna be little athletes and et cetera, et cetera, you know, good music and art. And so you use like, you know what, I’m going to do the best I can. I’m gonna have a ton of faith. I’m going to lead by example, and I’m going to hold those things loosely. Otherwise, I put so much pressure on my dang kids, they they turn into a little monster.

Adam Outland
Exactly. Yeah, control you can and don’t try and control things that you can’t I love that. Another question would be of some of the principles that you bring up redefining possible What’s another one, I guess, that you’re really been focused on here over the last year or two?

Ron Alford
I’m really into focus because I think when you’re juggling things, think of the wheel the spokes of the wheel right you know, and I’ve got my my spiritual goals like for me, my faith is this the beginning and the end, right? It’s the center obviously, my role as a husband, my role as a dad, my role, my business role, you know, with internal clients, all of our coaches and company external clients. So you have all these things on your plate that I’ve chosen. So that’s the ownership piece. This isn’t a oh my gosh, look at this is like thank goodness, I made these choices. So I’m fully owning it, but the focus piece is big. And just even as I talk to you, looking down making sure my phone is upside down, there’s no lighting there’s no notifications of y’all my computer screen man, no way would it would there be a notification pop up that would somehow Take a little bit of my momentum or my inertia or my focus away from our conversation, just the blinders are more and more and more fascinated with that concept. And I love studying it with people, learning from people that just no matter how much they have on their plate, whenever I’m with them, they really seem present and engaged. I would say one last part of that is because, again, to my three kids, my twin boys are literally just about to start getting their driver’s licenses. And so it’s like, Man, I don’t have a ton of time with my kids at home. I want to have focused time with these kids. You know, I want to make sure the time I have with my wife counts, I want to make sure the time I have in my co workers get Yeah, you get it.

Adam Outland
Yeah, absolutely. Speaking of focus, writing a book takes a lot of focus. I mean, to get your ideas on paper, and not even second guess yourself. It’s really difficult. It’s me, there’s a couple questions around just writing and putting these ideas on paper. What was the best way for you to focus on writing that book?

Ron Alford
Yeah, I look back now. So I would say three, there’s kind of three phases. The first was just a loose over a couple years loosely, having a having notes of Ron’s rambles I call them and it was just little little rambles, little thoughts, little things I wanted to study, I had no idea what I wanted to do with them. Maybe it’d be a blog, or a video or part of some different keynote speaking things or a book. But that was just a number of years of just kind of collecting thoughts and pondering and just almost journaling and writing and processing it. That was absolutely the first part. The second was getting myself in a room and kind of organizing the thoughts into something that made sense. Like, if I’m beginning with the end in mind, what is the finished product look like? What do you want readers to take away? If no one read it, except my three kids? And maybe their spouses someday? Would they be proud of their dad, if this is like my journal, and are some sort of a way to process part of my life and part of the things I believe deeply in, essentially, what I’m devoting my professional life, but even a lot of my personal life, too, if I can get this organized on paper, will my kids be proud of it? That was the second part that was there was more of an intense focus of getting it all arranged. The third part was evenings, where I had help and had a bit of a team that would you know, from six to 8pm, and thankfully, my wife was awesome. She said, Hey, you have total permission to take that time at night, and just you know, so it was two to three hour segments at night, where I would grab a bite of dinner with my family, and then by six or 615 be back in my office. And it was just book work time from like, maybe six to eight 830. And then they’ll kind of relax a little bit with my my wife and family before bedtime. So just more spurts two to three hours a couple of nights a week.

Adam Outland
I always get in a place where I question whether I’ll still think what I’m putting down as important. Five or 10 years later. You now have this perspective. I guess coming back and adding some highlights to the book when you wrote it, I guess how did you know that this was gonna be something that you read again five years later and go yes, I still believe these things are still important to me.

Ron Alford
I think just anything that is principles like to me trends come and go right fads come and go 30 Day diets and clothing styles, I have a lot of old pictures of clothes that shirt or not in style, right? But But principles are just there. They’ve been there the rock, I really believe the character traits that I want to be known for the character traits that I wanted this book to be about, and the principles I want it to be centered on. And really the principles that represent Southwestern, this isn’t my book, I worked hard to put a lot into it. But this is stuff that thankfully, southwestern has given me over 30 years. And so that was really important as well as that making sure anything we really dove into was things that were going to last things like vision right having a purpose for one’s life is not a come and go topic. It has been since the beginning of time and will always be right things like belief systems, and really rewiring thoughts and being hyper aware of the thoughts running through my head and how do I reframe beliefs and not let my story go into a negative way? Those are principles that are going to be truths, right I call them truth versus lies. I unfortunately, like any human pick up on a lie frequently in my mind starts doubting and fill in blame and fill and worry and anxiety and but these are truths that bring my mind back to center. I love that. Yeah. And then we just wanted a fun mix of some personal stories, of course and examples and but then a lot of his history, right, we learned from history. So a lot of historical whether it’s data and studies and actual case studies, but But history that kind of backs up a lot of these principles of how important they are to our lives.

Adam Outland
100% Yeah, I love that. You know, there are a lot of listeners that probably haven’t had a chance to pick up the book yet. I know you said you wrote it with even your own kids in mind like would they be proud of you, but in the world of business and the people that are listening in here, who did you write This book for like, who are the people that are going to pick this up, read it and go, gosh, that’s exactly what I need it?

Ron Alford
Well, clients were top of mind through a lot of this. And a lot of them are in sales, a lot of them are in leadership. They lead small teams, some of lead small teams, some of the lead companies, but at the end of the day, they’re people that that struggle with time, how do I how do I plan my time more effectively? How do I manage my time more effectively? How do I have boundaries and there are people that struggle with the emotional side of being people pleasers or being control freaks. So definitely the the clients internally and externally. So I mentioned that earlier is you know, for us, we hire coaches, they have this tremendous background, just as you’ve got a brilliant resume and all these accolades and all these certifications doesn’t mean you don’t get humbled daily, put it that way. So I wanted this to be something that are tools for our coaches that we can help coach on, but obviously for our clients and, and again, stuff that people can use not just in the boardroom, but things they could use when they go home with their own children, or when they have their own routines or their own quiet time where they’re wrestling with their thoughts. So that that was who it was written for.

Adam Outland
You know, I think you you really do exemplify what you write about there not many people who are able to show up at home and at work and live out things as much as you do. And you’ve done a really good job being a living example. Just for our back end of time. I wanted to do a little lightning round of questions for you. It’s kind of a fun question. I asked a lot of folks we interview who is a person you always wanted to meet, but never have?

Ron Alford
It’s funny I go to Troy Polamalu first, if listeners know who that is that Google him whatever you know, as a long, long, long time 45 year Pittsburgh Steeler fan, that’s one part of it. But way aside from that, he was the kite he is for everything I’ve read, but the kindest, gentlest, calmest, he would literally pray before every play, and yet he was ferocious. Like if you go to go on YouTube and watch him, he was just wreck. I mean, he was Raizy on the field and pro bowl after Pro Bowl, all the all defense MVP, etc. So just crazy in the field, but yet he had a way of calming himself down and the way he treated people with so unconditional, I was read about things he and his wife have done to impact people. And it just it a ton of admiration for for Troy.

Adam Outland
That’s a really good one. Good balance of humility and in prayer with aggression, that’s appropriate.

Ron Alford
Exactly.

Adam Outland
What’s something that significant, I guess, that you’ve actually changed your mind about recently that you’ve had a change of mind about?

Ron Alford
I think, I think just right and wrong, it’s hard to be around politics or just divisive things. And I’m more and more and I don’t know if I like this about myself, but I’m more and more becoming one of my co workers. He calls me Switzerland sometimes, because we’ll take aside at times. Now, obviously, there’s certain things that convictions are like, come on, I have absolute principles and convictions I’ll die for, I’m gonna I’m gonna dig in on certain things. And a lot of it I’m not, I’m not going to stick my flag on that I’m not going to act like that’s, I just think ego does these crazy things to us humans where we think we have to be right, which means they have to be wrong. Someone just as wise across the aisle is saying the same thing about you. And so just more and more and more, whatever the topic might be disbelieving there can be some truth in both sides. How can we listen? And so it’s just more and more not being quick to judge quick to speak but slower to ask questions and try to seek to understand I don’t know if it’s a new principle, but it’s something I’m I have a higher conviction of lately than I did years ago.

Adam Outland
So you embrace the moniker Switzerland?

Ron Alford
I do exactly. While other countries are going to war. We’re just like, hey, life’s good. Like more wine more cheese, more calm. Switzerland is happy.

Adam Outland
What’s the best piece of advice that you ignored? Intentionally? Like when you’re glad you did the one piece of advice that maybe you’ve received that you didn’t take?

Ron Alford
I think having to have data pros and cons always have to be aligned, like logic is gonna win, always. And just sometimes there is a gut, there’s an art to as a big baseball fan. You know, you can see that the analytical data studies, where there’s a lot of GMs that have baseball teams that eyeball stuff. Yep, exactly. And so that’s one thing where I believe it out love data. I love trends. I love studying analytics. And I believe there’s absolutely a world of logic. And there’s times where it’s like, you know what, I’m going to trust my heart. Like there’s something there that is true and pure. And I don’t want to always be a slave to what the data says.

Adam Outland
Really true. The pendulum swing sometimes like in the tech sector at swing that swings all the way over to data driven decision making, but you could dig your grave with the amount of data there is to sift through and analyze and in data at the same time ends up as being numbers we know that tells a good portion of the story, but you can wrongly interpret data and unpack it incorrectly.

Ron Alford
There is an art. I think it’s the art and the science. Both are great things. And again, maybe that’s the Switzerland in me. But art or science, it’s both.

Adam Outland
What’s your current morning routine?

Ron Alford
So you know, bathroom routine, come out, 30 seconds with my dog, I literally get on the steps and just literally hug my dog and like lay with them and just kind of, and then come down, feed the animals. And I come into my office as then I lay on my office floor at about a 15 minute stretchy routine that just helps you know, some back situations and some stuff with my dog. So it’s quiet time with my coach where I’m stretching and relaxing. And he does his downward dog and his stretching. And then depending on the day, he either gets a quick walk and I go to the gym, or I take a we grab the leash, which of course he goes crazy for meaning we get to go for a run and the trails that’s absolutely morning routine that it’s back. By that time, my daughter’s up and my wife’s up and the kids are up and whatnot and get to see the family and then kind of get ready and ready for the day. Nothing crazy.

Adam Outland
Nope, that’s perfect. And stretching, I think is a big thing that I’m missing.

Ron Alford
Yes. And I’ll just quickly add to it the physical side of course, but it’s it’s way deeper, I believe that spiritual, the emotional, the physical, the mental, all four components, that helps me with my my shoulders drop. And even in the middle of the day, when when anxiety or stress starts to add up having a quick routine, you know, maybe just after lunch, or the two o’clock, 10 minute break, or something where I can go out and kind of re stretch in a way maybe not the same as I did in the morning, my breathing changes the tone of voice, the calmness, like I said, the posture that, you know, I can have neck issues or whatever. And so I think it really does get your art, right. So it’s because I’ve stretched where my mind is in 18 different places, and I’m scrolling apps and I’m my mental side is not there. And it’s not nearly as effective. But when I stretch with breathing, and with calmness and with no distractions and just being there with my dog, there’s something more there’s a deeper level of health that comes from it.

Adam Outland
Have you ever hired like a trainer or a coach of some kind, like business or physical related to like prepare for something?

Ron Alford
Yes, not as much as I’d like to say I have. So I’ve hired some trainers to help with, like, even physical therapists, for example, definitely, I’ve hired physical therapists not reactionary because I’ve got an injury but more proactively to help me with preventative things from my back or my hips or my knees or, you know, as I get older, and you’re, if I’m training for 100 mile race this August, and I’m gonna spend a lot of time how do i proactively prevent injury versus reactively? Do it. So I’ve done a lot of that kind of thing for sure.

Adam Outland
That’s awesome. Probably a good analogy for business coaching, too, is that so many people gravitate towards coaching or help when it’s already, not necessarily too late. But the problems already become so painful, that they’re scrambling for a need, there’s probably a lot of value to preventative maintenance in every area of your life. Right? Do you really want you know, marital counseling, when it’s really, really needed? Or do you want to get ahead of that, right? I mean, there’s lots of examples.

Ron Alford
And in all seriousness, like I cannot agree more, and it’s painful to think of all the times I’ve made the mistake of the opposite. Let me not act in any way. Like I’ve been some proactive person my whole life. No way, messed it up so much. But now it’s like, I won’t be able to do that training. But I also still want to play basketball with my boys every weekend. I want to be able to run with my daughter and do things and keep up with them. And it’s getting tougher, y’all but it’s like, I still can rock one on one with my twins. And it’s like, I wanna be able to do that and not you know, when they have their kids, I want to go play with my grandkids some day. So there’s some deep emotional Of course, that’s back to the vision board type stuff. deep emotional purpose behind this, that has sparked the action in hiring the PT on the on the front end.

Adam Outland
Yeah, it’s really cool. This has been a really insightful and energizing interview just spent a lot of really great anecdotes and stories, things that I hadn’t heard before. And I think our listeners are gonna love hearing this reading your book and and so on that last point. Where can people find Redefining Possible?

Ron Alford
So of course Amazon any any book selling places there are southwest your websites so SouthwesternConsulting.com or my own, RonAlfordSWC.com. Any of those are good. Yeah. Even on my Instagram or LinkedIn or those places that it has links for it.

Adam Outland
Coaching, training, speaking, Ron does it all here you can find more info on all those same places for that as well. Right?

Ron Alford
Correct. It’s fun to learn with and that’s why I love being a part of this as we get to talk through stuff. That’s okay. I’ve got more focus and energy for my days. So thanks for having me on talking about all this.

Adam Outland
Yeah, you got it Ron, appreciate the time.