Lili talks with Kevin Schuering: Actor, Why Discovery Facilitator, and Co-Host of the upcoming podcast, Flip the Switch! They discuss the inspiration behind the Flip the Switch podcast, as well as all of the ways Kevin lives out his Why in his various career paths and as a person.
Kevin's website
Kevin's instagram: @daschuerthing
Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle TEDtalk
On This Side of the World musical
Becca Brunelle’s episodes of TDQ:
Episode 25
Episode 45
TDQ’s Website
Instagram: @thedreadedquestion
Lili’s instagram: @lili_torre
Email: thedreadedquestionpodcast@gmail.com
TDQ Kevin Schuering
[00:00:00] Lili Torre: Hello, and welcome back to The Dreaded Question podcast. I'm your host, Lili Torre, and today's guest is the one and only Kevin Schuering.
I've met Kevin through various people, and we even did a reading of a show together a little while back. And I think the universe keeps bringing him into my life to serve as a reminder of what a true growth mindset looks like.
Kevin has done some work with Jen Waldman and Simon Sinek, which has deepened his knowledge and understanding of what it means to live out your Why. We talk a lot about Why statements on this podcast, so in case you're not totally sure what that means. I'll link Simon Sinek's famous Golden Circle TEDtalk in the show notes for you to check out.
Kevin is in the process of starting his own podcast with a friend of TDQ's, Becca Brunelle. I'll also link her episodes in the show notes, in case you'd like to check them out.
Today, we talk about the inspiration behind their upcoming podcast, Flip the Switch, as well as all of the ways he lives out his Why in [00:01:00] various career paths and as a person.
So without further ado, let's find out what Kevin Schuering is up to.
So Kevin Schuering, what are you up to?
Kevin Schuering: Well, what I'm up to is growing.
Lili Torre: Ooh, what a thing to be up to.
Kevin Schuering: That is something that I have committed my life to a lot in that mindset of just being in the process of growth and change and trying to learn wherever I can. and, you know, I believe that the best version of myself. Doesn't just rely exists within myself. It exists beyond myself. So I'm constantly seeking to find things that I don't know about or ways that I can learn and better myself.
Lili Torre: I love that "The best version of yourself exists beyond yourself." What a cool way to look at a growth mindset of like the world has so much to [00:02:00] offer that can help turn you into the best version of yourself. I love that. And where do you think this. I'm going to call it a posture, this... this way of being has come from for you.
Kevin Schuering: In my life I faced, a lot of adversity growing up and certain things dealt with some, some pretty big experiences in my life. But the thing that really was, I don't want to say a positive that I take away from some of these experiences is that I truly try to embrace people who are different than I am.
I see the effect of it when people don't try to understand each other and try to bridge our common ground and embrace our differences rather than use it to divide us, you know?
So it comes from my own experiences with certain different traumas or, you know, just some things that aren't so pleasant, but it's its own silver lining in its own way. A gift that I can. Hopefully share with other [00:03:00] people.
Lili Torre: Absolutely. I mean, that's what we're talking about today is one of the very exciting ways that you are going to share this gift with other people is with your podcast, that you're starting with the amazing Becca Brunelle who has been on TDQ before we love her here.
Kevin Schuering: Yes, I am. I'm super excited. Becca and I have been putting our head together, for a couple of months now, and just trying to explore the different things to simplify and break down purpose-driven mindset, why, just so many different things. And give everybody an access point because I feel like a lot of these concepts that exist, sometimes aren't accessible for the average person or are just not made readily available.
And, you know, part of my goal with that, and I know Becca has a similar one, is to make that accessible and simplify that for people so they can use it and they can, you know, better their lives and make a [00:04:00] change and make the impact they want to see.
Lili Torre: Yes. I love that idea of giving everyone an access point to this type of work. That's, that's a beautiful purpose behind something like this. So I guess before we dive in too much about the Flip the Switch podcast, I would love to hear a little bit of the background of your experience of how you became acquainted with Simon Sinek's Start with Why and Find Your Why framework, and how you discovered your own personal why.
Kevin Schuering: So I discovered my why through a class called, I believe it was Artist Alliance at Jen Waldman Studio. It was a class offered. It was kind of about branding for the artist, but it was more than that. It was really getting to the center of who you are as a human being and how you convey that to the world as an artist.
And, you know, I found it through exploring the concept of Start with Why, which was, kind of the framework we were looking at in the [00:05:00] class, for, Jen's class and her relationship that she already had with Simon Sinek. I later was brought on to be a part of a new class that was offered at Start with Why called Speak Like a Leader.
And I spent about two years there. And we were teaching communication skills and also, we were doing Why Discoveries as part of this workshop. And it, it was a great experience and it, it kinda led me to, truly keep... my lens changed completely when I was introduced to that framework because it was kind of already the way I looked at things, but then there was something right there that was tangible in front of me that I was like, okay, this is, applicable. And this is something that I can see that like, I can see it visually in front of me. And it makes sense. Like it clicked, if that makes sense.
Lili Torre: That totally makes sense. Yes, one of the things that I really took from Start with Why is... It's something [00:06:00] that I found really comforting about that book is the idea that it's difficult to put words to something like your Why, because the part of the brain that processes that for you, isn't a verbal part of the brain.
It's not a part of the brain that's great with helping you figure out how to put what you're saying into words. And that was so freeing to me because so many people's Why's sound so beautiful and almost poetic to me. And there was so much pressure to me to try to get it perfectly right. And to say exactly what it is, but what I sort of, the permission that I felt that that book gave me was that you'll never necessarily feel a hundred percent like, "Yes, that's exactly what it is. That's exactly what that feeling is for me."
And I actually found that oddly, freeing to look at a Why as kind of an ongoing life project, where you can make little tweaks here and there, [00:07:00] as you feel like you inch closer and closer to what it is, you're actually trying to say.
And so I think it's kind of meta and interesting that even the process of finding your Why, or the concept of even having a Why at all was sort of like that for you, where it was something that you believed in and sort of understood inherently, but hadn't put into words.
Kevin Schuering: Well, and the thing is, you know, as great as this idea and concept is and how brilliant Simon is, this is something that he was inspired by too, that he saw, and then he was able to digest it in his own words and put it out in the world.
I would say, this is a little controversial, I don't know, but I always focus on the sensation and feeling. I think that is the number one thing, because that is something that you have already programmed in you and you experience in your daily life. You know, I always say this to clients, if I'm doing a Why Discovery for somebody, is that people like to get caught up on the words so much, [00:08:00] and the words are important because the words help you make it actionable in the end.
But for the first process of it all, I always focus on the feeling and the sensation because it is this, this thing that already exists and that the moment you actually start to give yourself cues to be aware that, "Oh, this is something I experience every time I watched this movie that I love and I'm moved to tears and there's something about it that I can't describe, but there's something that is attached to that in that moment that's important or meaningful to me.
And it's everything from the spectrum of that to you know, I always use, give an example of, you know, looking through a photo album. You know, looking through things that are, bring up nostalgic memories for you. And it's just these photos speak to you in a certain way, and you can't necessarily describe it in the moment, but as you explore it, you still have that sensation and feeling and like, that exists all along in those spectrums of the things [00:09:00] that are important and meaningful to you in your life. And that is something that you don't need words for. You literally just need to be like, "Oh, I'm going to file that under Z." Like, and you, you create and build this awareness.
I was actually, I was just doing a couple of Why Discoveries this past week. And, you know, I just get passionate about it because I love helping people unlock, you know, the essence of who they are and being able to convey that to, you know, put that out in the world and make the change they want to see.
Lili Torre: I love that. And I can, you know, even from what I already know about you, I you're so incredibly well-suited for that work. And I'm curious if you'd be willing to share your Why with us.
Kevin Schuering: Oh yeah. so it's come through many different iterations, but the, the words that settle right now are "To bridge our common ground so that we realize our infinite possibility."
Lili Torre: Ooh. "To bridge our common ground so that we realize our infinite possibility." [00:10:00] That's really beautiful. That's what I'm talking about, like some people's Whys are so beautiful and poetic and I want to unpack a little bit more what "To bridge our common ground" means because I think that's such an interesting idea and almost dichotomous in a way that if it's common ground, like, does it need bridging? So I'm so interested in that.
Kevin Schuering: Well, in its simplest form. It's our humanity, and I think that the reason why we need to bring awareness to that a lot of times is it's actually a choice sometimes to pay attention to that commonality and to want to create that connection. Not everybody wants to, but that is something that I want to do.
And I believe that would make the world a better place. And like I said, you know, I don't believe my best version of myself is within me, it's beyond me. And that, that describes what my Why is "To bridge our common ground so that we realize our infinite possibilities or [00:11:00] possibility" depending on the person.
You know, that is specifically the thing, I think, that describes that concept to me is that I don't have all the answers. I have my own blind spots, but I'm constantly seeking a way to fill those gaps and to create that awareness so that I can be a part of making the world a better place.
Lili Torre: Yeah. I mean, to me, it's so clear how that could apply to your work doing Why Discoveries and with the podcast with Becca. And I would love to hear some ways that you feel that's manifested itself in your work as an actor.
Kevin Schuering: Wow.... it.... I really am passionate about telling stories, of voices and stories that need to be seen and heard to elevate. I've been othered in my life. I've been marginalized. I know what that's like, and I know that that same experience is not the same across the board, but I still have a [00:12:00] passion to elevate all those people who've gone through that experience. To tell those stories, because there's a lesson that can be learned in that.
I just recently worked on a show called On This Side of the World and it's a song cycle that is from the perspective of an American immigrant, specifically a Filipino-American immigrant and everybody who came to the show said they connected with it on a human level.
Even if they weren't an immigrant, even if they weren't Filipino, they had this connection to the piece. An understanding, and they left feeling some kind of sense of urgency to action. And that's the kind of art, to me, that I like I gravitate towards. And most of the times, if I'm working on something, if somebody offers me something, that's kind of like my lens that I look at it, I'm like, does it accomplish that thing?
Lili Torre: Yes. I think, I think that's one of the gifts that [00:13:00] having a Why or understanding your own purpose, your own Why, gives us as artist is, like you said earlier, a lens to constantly evaluate things through. And especially when it comes to deciding what types of projects are telling stories that you want to put out into the world.
I mean, it gives you such a, a tangible lens to look through, and I love what you were just describing about On This Side of the World, that there were people who said, you know, " My parents aren't immigrants, or I'm not Filipino, but I saw myself in that story." And exactly, as you said, that's such a clear example of bridging common ground and it's just so cool to hear an example like that with something like a Why that can feel so intangible so much of the time to hear a kind of success story, I guess you could say, of a time when it was more tangible and where you could actually see that you were living [00:14:00] in alignment with your purpose.
Kevin Schuering: Yeah. I mean, those are the things that truly make it worthwhile. To be able to practice your art as an actor and artist, and to be able to do things that are completely in line with that. Because it's not always the case, but like there is, you have a choice sometimes, it can be difficult or you can find the silver lining.
There's always a lesson. I feel like to be learned in something. And that's the growth mindset part of, of my mind that I'm constantly looking for, you know. I'm not always successful, but it's something that I aim for.
Lili Torre: Yeah, it's a practice, definitely. And it's a practice that's easy to fail at sometimes, but as long as you keep going back to it, I think you'll continue to grow. And I was just thinking about something that you said earlier that I wrote down cause I loved ...was you were [00:15:00] referring to the podcast about giving everyone an access point and I'm curious, is that, does that language come up in your Hows at all? Is that one of your hows?
Kevin Schuering: Well "Start with the opposite" is one of my hows. So it's, it's, it's there, you know, in different iterations of my Why, a bridge was definitely in there. It was, you know, that imagery is definitely, an essence of what that is, and... or that gate opening up and just to see people being able to go in, that totally is something that I'm in line with.
Lili Torre: yeah, that I just felt like that idea of giving everyone an access point, but you're right, I guess that's exactly what a bridge is. And yeah. I just think that that seems to be kind of a commonality in your work and something that you seem to be successful at achieving.
And I think that's really cool. So you said that you started doing some work with Simon's organization, with speaking, right?
Kevin Schuering: Yeah. So, as you know, Jen Waldman and Simon put their heads together to [00:16:00] create this program that could help actors be the facilitators because we already have the communication skills part down. And then we would be paired with somebody from the team, from the Start with Why team to do the Why Discovery part.
So it was a two-part thing. And, we would collaborate on that with the actors and being the facilitators for the communication skills part. But we were also, we were very much a part of the Why Discovery part and, you know, I really loved bridging the gap of those two things too. Yeah, no, I was, I'm really grateful for that opportunity that I had.
Lili Torre: That's an amazing opportunity. And I'm curious how you and Becca started working together.
Kevin Schuering: Well, Becca is an extraordinary human being and Priya Mahendra, who's a dear friend of mine, has always planted the seed to both of us that we should work and collaborate together. And, you know, I had been away [00:17:00] from doing the Why work for a second and you know, some things during the pandemic, have just like, really pointed me in that direction, and I'm like, this is where I'm needed right now.
And so I reignited that and then I was like, you know what? Becca is the perfect person to run this by. So, you know, I let her know. I was like, "Hey. Priya has always been saying that we should reach out to each other and I'm going to reach out and like would love to have a conversation with you about this."
And it turned into, you know, multiple conversations we made, like kind of weekly thing. And now we're at the point where we just put our heads together and are trying to offer what we can to help people, through purpose driven mindset and, and through these difficult times, because, I think that, you know, we have some things that we'd like to share that might be helpful with that.
Lili Torre: So from those [00:18:00] conversations, I'm assuming the Flip the Switch podcast was born. I would love to know more about, first of all, the name I'm super curious about the name and then also, you know, what you're hoping to accomplish with this podcast and what you plan to talk about. And, yeah, basically everything I'm just really excited to hear more about it!
Kevin Schuering: There's all sorts of things. We have many different things that are, that are surprises, but there are things about showing up to give. What that truly means. With the intention of, there is no expectation.
We want to explore that because we see a lot of people who, who are trying to embrace these kinds of concepts and their intention is maybe misaligned with the, with the action of showing up to give. So that's something that we, we're going to tackle.
We're going to break down self care, it was something inspired by something that Baca said, and I'm super psyched. But there's all these different things [00:19:00] that have to do with, purpose driven mindset and just expanding and exploring it and maybe, poking a little holes in them a little bit too, just to see, to shake things up.
Lili Torre: Cool! Oh I love that! That's super fascinating. And I think it's important too, I, mean, that's part of a growth mindset, right? You have to be willing to challenge the things that you hold dear, and the things that you believe in to make sure that it still stands true with who you are today. And I think that's, that sounds really exciting.
Tell me more about where the name Flip the Switch came from.
Kevin Schuering: You know, we were just in a meeting one day and like we were, I think we had a different name at one point and we were just exploring one of the episode topics that we wanted to. And something about a light came on and then I was like, we just need to like flipping the switch. And then I said something like that.
And her eyes lit up and she's like, "I kinda like that." I'm like, "You know what? I kinda like that [00:20:00] too!" So it kind of happened in this discovery moment and that's the best, you know, like then we don't have to stress about having a name for the podcast. It just naturally kind of happened. So, I'm super psyched about that.
Cause you know, it was just a combination of things that we were inspired by and it was in the moment and boom, we had an aha moment, you know, so....
Lili Torre: I love that. And I think that the idea of sort of unpacking these concepts a little bit deeper will really resonate with a lot of people, especially right now. Because like you said earlier, I think that a lot of these ideas and the concept of a Why can just feel, intangible to a lot of people.
And ,and I think that that can make them, it's sort of hard to digest.
Kevin Schuering: It's intimidating, you know, to ask to explore things about your own purpose and your belief. There are a lot of buzzwords that exist, and this is something I learned in teaching leadership. Is [00:21:00] that like, there's always some word that's going to deactivate somebody or activate somebody, you know?
People have different purposes, actors on things. The important thing is not leaving people feeling that, that feeling of hopelessness and feeling like they don't have anything that they can sink their teeth into, you know, I really do believe this purpose driven mindset work is only beneficial. Because at the core of this all is, is like, "What are we doing that fulfills us?"
And there is some kind of privilege that goes into saying, like, "I can show up and do this and think about this" and that that's something I want to explore as well, if that makes any sense.
Lili Torre: It does. That's a great point.
Kevin Schuering: But at the same time, there's always a way to find the silver lining, which is another one of my Hows, is like, how can we find that in times like these, you know? How can we simplify it, break it down into more manageable pieces so we [00:22:00] can use that to serve other people in our own communities.
That's something that I feel like I'm super passionate about helping people activate because, without it, you know, it can feel just superfluous and just really big, or just like, "Oh, this is kind of like, woo woo." And I'm all for woo woo, so I don't, I don't care about people saying that, but, you know, I just want to give people, access to that kind of experience and, it's a gift, you know, once you can unlock something like that.
Lili Torre: That's also true and, and I'm curious, you know, you're talking a lot about wanting to give this gift to people. And as you may or may not know, I'm a, I'm a big Seth Godin fan, so with so much of the work that I do in general, I like to get really clear on who my work is for.
So I'm curious if, [00:23:00] if you and Becca have talked about who your ideal listener is for this podcast.
Kevin Schuering: Well, we've gone back and forth about certain things, but at the current moment, we know we want it to be for, for artists and creatives who, need a little bit more of clarity and guidance. And because like, you know, when we talk about Start with Why specifically a lot of people in the business, the way you brand yourself, everything, it revolves around What.
And answering the questions Why and How truly give you texture and help reflect to the world who the essence of who you are and what you have to offer. So it, it, it just only adds more and more in detail. So that's the same thing with all these purpose driven mindset things. It just gets to the core of where you can shine your brightest, you know, because I feel like focusing on the product or the destination, so often dimmers your light.
Lili Torre: That's so true. What a great way to, to frame [00:24:00] that, that I think theater is certainly no exception, you know, we think about a lot of these concepts as being business ideas, but theater, if anything is worse in it's sort of "What focused" marketing, especially as it pertains to actors and thinking of ourselves as products.
And I can speak from my own personal experience that shifting that way of thinking and committing to being more purpose-driven and Why-aligned has made so many changes for me, as it has for you clearly.
And I'm curious to what extent you feel like doing this type of work, both personally, you know, as this kind of mindset work, but also professionally as you've started doing some of this work outside of your theatrical career as a professional option and a parallel career.
I'm curious how you feel that has helped you as an artist.
Kevin Schuering: I just care about human [00:25:00] beings in general. And I think the more you care about people's humanity, the more you can care about a process. Cause when somebody creates something like, let's say a playwright, lyricist composer, or whatever, it may be director, they're asking you to bring it to life, right?
And it's something that I feel like is very often overlooked of the depth of what that process actually discovers because I feel- this is a whole nother thing that I could get into- but, I do believe in Western culture, especially with when it comes to the theater/entertainment industry, we've kind of gone away from process.
Everything has to be this, guaranteed product that we have three weeks to put up a Broadway show. It's not that short, but it's six weeks to put up a Broadway show when, you know, there were days when you had a three month process and now that's [00:26:00] gone. And the absence of discovery in those moments, it just shows in the quality of the show.
I feel like we're robbing people of the experience of truly understanding who these characters are, who these living and breathing people are. And what the story is, that's living and breathing, the lesson that exists within it.
So here's the thing, and this is something I was going to bring up and I don't know how to say it the right way, but I'm just going to say it: I think one of the common misconceptions is that as an artist, the art we do is our Why. I don't believe that. I think it's our How.
Lili Torre: Yes. Talk more about that.
Kevin Schuering: I think everything that we do is how we bring, why we do what we do or what we're, what our gift is to share with other people. It's the actions. The thing that we do, our art allows us to activate whatever that is.
So like perfect example of On This Side of the World that allowed me to live what my personal gift is. And to share that with the [00:27:00] world through that show and that, those characters and that experience. And, and, yeah, I just feel like some people I've heard a lot of this recently too, or, you know, people are feeling like they have to pivot in a way, like it's a, it's a, a must pivot and I have to get a business, I have to find a new skill or whatever.
The thing is, I really want to caution people because I, I mean, I know that you're, you're more of an expert about this than I am, but, we do multiple things really well. We have multiple gifts like that to me, doesn't define who we are. It's just how we put it out in the world and makes it clear, defined of who we are.
So like when I'm thinking about even being a mindset coach or being an actor, like, I'm not thinking, "Oh, I'm giving up my acting career." I'm literally thinking in that sense of like, "No, these are my tools right now that I've been able to identify that helped me put out in the world that kind of artist than I [00:28:00] am, or the kind of human being I am."
Lili Torre: Yes. I mean, you are speaking my language. This is so very much what I believe as well. You know, sometimes... I've encouraged a lot of people, especially if they're considering doing the, Doing It Also workshop with me, I've encouraged a lot of them to go through the Why Discovery process, because I feel that it helps people find other purpose driven alignments more easily than if they're not in touch with their Why.
And I sometimes get the question. "Oh. So I need to figure out what my why is for me as an artist," or I need to figure out what my, why is for me as a, you know, whatever they're doing and their parallel career. And the thing that I think people struggle to wrap their minds around is that the Why is specific to you as a human, it's not specific to these identifiers.
And like you said, the, [00:29:00] the ways that you manifest that Why can be so varied. Being an artist is one way that you manifest that work, but so is pretty much everything else that you do. And so in some ways, I feel like this pivoting language that has been so present during this pandemic is not exactly what we're talking about because pivot is kind of like going away from something.
And I feel like it's really a further exploration of the ways that you can manifest your purpose.
Kevin Schuering: You know, it's interesting that you said that pivots, we go away from, cause I think of in terms of basketball or dance, whenever you're doing a pivot, you head back in that direction.
Lili Torre: Yeah. I guess I haven't thought that deeply about what it means to pivot, but I, I don't know for me, it's something [00:30:00] so sort of, I picture it and dance as well. So I think of kind of sudden change of direction. And I, I guess that can definitely be purpose-driven. I just think that the direction it's taking you in, isn't away from your purpose.
Kevin Schuering: Yeah, it's just a different perspective. That's the way I look at it. You're just looking at the same thing from a different perspective, you know? Yeah. You know I had another thought and I don't know if this is controversial at all, but, this is what I do. I think about
these things. it's not even that controversial, but literally. When it comes to things of like purpose and Why. You know, I think people get so hung up on getting the right words, like I said, and the thing is, is like, I think people have to understand that I have been on this Why journey for six years or seven years now. I don't know how long whenever I did that class.
And I [00:31:00] just have an expansion and deepening and understanding of where it lives. Like I know what the feeling is, but the words sometimes change because we're here at, this is where this is where the controversy exists, because this is something that most people who teach this and understand this will say that your words never change or your why never changes.
But to me, your understanding of it and your awareness of it grows and changes. It doesn't mean that the center of it doesn't change. It just, it moves out more. So that's why I know that I've had different words over the time that equally, as Becca says, carbonates me, you know, and that's okay because it's for you.
It's not for anyone else. I mean, it is for other people. But what I'm saying is like the words for you or for yourself, like, if you're not excited about it, then there's no point as long as you can put it into action and put it out in the world, that's the [00:32:00] important part of it.
But that's just some, that's a thought, an idea I had there that I've been still trying to unpack, but it is a little bit of, a deviation from what people actually discuss.
Lili Torre: Yeah, but I mean, again, kind of like I was saying earlier, one of my big takeaways from Start with Why was that your purpose inherently in and of itself? I think the example that Simon uses is. trying to describe why you love someone or why you married the person you married. Like we ended up coming up with these sort of superficial reasons.
Like he makes me laugh. Like I didn't marry him because he makes me laugh. Like lots of people make me laugh, but it's because it's so hard to come up with the words or zero in on the exact reason why. And I feel like your Why statement absolutely lives in that same camp. And so why wouldn't you allow it to have that same sort of sense of growth as your growth mindset and, [00:33:00] you know, allow yourself to change some of these words as you feel like you're zeroing in a little bit closer to what you actually mean. I think that that's, again, a great manifestation of your growth mindset.
I would love to know a little bit more because I'm really excited by this line of thinking about your, why being unique to you, and then everything that you do, being a manifestation of that.
What excites me about this is that it means that inherently, you're not necessarily meant to just do one thing. At least that's what I kind of take from it. That if you really want your purpose and the change that you seek to make, to have impact, it would behoove you to take on at least a few ways of doing that. And I think that that is just something that artists so very much need to hear.
So I would love to hear a little bit about what your experience has been like [00:34:00] now taking on more than just being an actor.
Kevin Schuering: At first there's a little bit of imposter syndrome.
But what I believe about fear is fear... so emotions to me are not positive or negative, they're just survival instincts. That's what they are programmed into you. And the way I look at it is that fear can save my life. It can protect me, but there's also something about fear that it's literally bringing awareness to something I need to address and to talk about. Or to explore, and that's what gets me moving forward again.
So I was just like, at some point I have to be, I just gotta do it. Like I know I'm not an expert on these situations. I have plenty of experience and exploring these concepts and, and, and this, but to me, the true thing is, and this is something I learned from Simon and his team is like, when you show up to [00:35:00] give, everything takes care of itself.
Because nerves go away, there's no expectation. You are literally just showing up and just sharing what you've received at some point in your life. And you're just trying to share that with somebody else. And to me, that's kind of motivating all this and that's what gives me my own liquid courage for, for sharing these ideas and thoughts, because it's been a lot of time of, of thinking like, "How can I do this?" And, and not having any action.
But it took a pandemic, I guess. I don't know. Where I could crystal clear see where I was needed at this time, because the first thing I did when this all went down, I was in a gig, actually out in Virginia and we, we had two more performances when the shelter in place was announced here in New York.
And I, I was like, "I got to get back to New York." [00:36:00] I didn't realize that, like, it wasn't like a strict shelter in place, but when you're out of state and you're like, "I have no idea if I'm going to be able to get home."
I got home and from that moment on, I was just motivated to help other people. I had a friend who was going through something that was pretty traumatic at the beginning.
And that was part of that too, but it was just like really resonating with me. Like this is where Kevin, this is where you are needed right now. The universe is telling you that you need to be here to help people who are having a difficult time navigating this. Even if you are.
And ironically it makes it so much easier for me to navigate it when I can help people, because it injects me with this purpose and this thing that's attached to what truly is important and meaningful to me.
And yeah, and it also would, you know, I was just thinking this is random, but like going back to what we were saying about like how I'll view it as this unique thing that, you know, it's unique to the person and that you can express it so many different ways. I mean, that's part of [00:37:00] my Why, to reveal our infinite possibilities is that impact part of it. And it's like, I literally just think that there is no true tested method.
Like, I always resonate with teachers, coaches, or people who have mindsets of like, they're not masters of what they own, they, they literally have learned all these different things and they're just trying to share whatever they have with you and you use whatever works for you.
Like that's, that's a mindset that I'm, that works for me. I just realized that in the moment.
Lili Torre: Yeah. I agree with that so much. And I think that's such a great response to your imposter is like, "I'm talking about this because I'm not an expert and because I'm because I'm living it and experiencing it and going through it. And people need to hear from that perspective too."
And that, in my opinion, makes someone more trustworthy if they can admit that "I don't have it all figured out." And I think that that is part of the [00:38:00] beauty that will come from this podcast, from the Flip the Switch podcast.
I guess I would love to wrap up by hearing. What is the thing that you are most excited about, about the Flip the Switch podcast?
Kevin Schuering: I'm just so excited to learn more and explore the things. Cause I think the things that we bring up, we're going to bring up things that people aren't thinking about, but the responses that we get, the collaborations that we may have with other people during this time, there's going to be some things, some truths be said there are going to be things that are revealed to both Becca and I that are going to make us better human beings.
And, I'm all for that.
Lili Torre: Spoken like a true growth mindset human. I love that.
Well, Kevin, thank you so much, much for taking some time to chat with me today.
This was so much fun. And I feel like I learned so much about the Why Discovery process and how to live a life of growth mindedness. And [00:39:00] I just so admire everything that you do.
Kevin Schuering: I appreciate it. Thanks for having me on Lili.
Lili Torre: I honestly feel like listening back to this episode, lowered my blood pressure significantly. I find Kevin's voice very comforting, as well as his thoughts and ideas on how to live a purpose-driven, growth-minded life.
Kevin has such a great handle on what to do once you've found your Why. You've got the statement, you've got the words, now it's time to put it into action. To get familiar with the feeling of Why-alignment and chase it relentlessly, while still ever-evolving the ways you can manifest it.
I will definitely be keeping you posted on when Kevin and Becca start releasing episodes of Flip the Switch, both here and on TDQ's Instagram, @thedreadedquestion.
As always, I'm so grateful to you for listening, and I hope that you're continuing to stay well and stay safe in this unsettling time. I'm Lili Torre, and this has been The Dreaded Question. [00:40:00]