LEARN MORE ABOUT DALE
What’s the one quality that people most often speak of when they describe you?
People have told me that I am easy to work with, easy to get along with, and fun. I hear “nice guy” a lot. :)
What’s an impression people might have of you that really isn’t like you at all?
I am pretty much an open book. What you see is what you get. I do think that because I am a pharmacist by training, people think I am analytical and detail-oriented, but I think I am more of a big picture guy.
you have just been given your own late night talk show. who is your first guest and why?
This is tough! I like to wax philosophical and hear what deep thinkers have to say, so I imagine that my talk show would be a bit like Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday. As a coach, I’d love to talk with people like Brené Brown, Marshall Goldsmith, or Daniel Pink. In popular culture, I’d be interested in talking with people who seem genuine despite their fame, like George Clooney, Dan Levy, or Ryan Reynolds.
what book, movie, or tv series would you recommend? why?
I love movies so it’s hard to choose. Some I would watch over and over are Rudy, Shawshank Redemption, and Office Space.
I recently finished reading the book The Tattooist of Auschwitz and would highly recommend it. A heartwarming story in a horrible situation.
I watch a lot of TV. I love The Office, Modern Family, and Mad Men!
what’s a personal or life skill you’d like to acquire or get better at?
I enjoy cooking and baking and would love to get better at it. I’d like to be able to make things without a recipe and know just the right combinations, like what spices go with what.
what’s the most out-of-character thing you have ever done?
Quit a full-time job to start my own coaching and consulting business. I have always been employed and I’m usually risk adverse, so this was a big step!
what’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Something that has stuck with me since childhood is treat people the way you want to be treated. On a lighter note, I often repeat something that one of my first bosses used to say: Today’s favour becomes tomorrow’s expectation.
What quote or slogan would you say best describes your life to this point?
Life is what happens while you are making plans.
What are the top five things on your bucket list?
Travel could probably account for all five:
Experience foreign places and cultures
See WWII historical sites
See more of Canada
See more of Europe
Learn to speak a second language
Write a book
what is one thing you believed at the start of your career but think about differently now?
I believed you needed to be an expert at everything in your job description, that only the most educated and technically-skilled people should be leaders and that education and technical skills create confidence. I now know these are not true. Leadership is a skill of its own that needs to be developed and honed just like technical and other skills; education does not create confidence and almost everyone experiences imposter syndrome at one time or another. I am reminded of Deep Patel’s quote: Being fearless doesn’t mean you don’t feel fear; it means you don’t let fear hold you back."
Another quote I wish I had known earlier in my career is that some people have 10 years of experience and others have one year of experience 10 times. Experience is more than just being there - it’s what you do with it and how you build on it.
Whitehead, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland
what one place have you visited in your travels that you would visit over and over, or would even like to live?
I would say Ireland or Italy. Ireland is beautiful, it’s the home of my ancestors, the people there are so friendly and they speak English. Italy, especially Tuscany, is also beautiful. Rolling hills, great food and wine, and a lifestyle that appears relaxed and blissful.
what has been your biggest regret so far and why?
I don’t have many regrets. I believe we are where we are as a result of the roads we have taken. Looking back, I wish I had savoured time with friends and family more, especially when my daughters were little, but I know I did what I could and I have so many great memories.
what aspect of your personality adds the most value to the world?
I am a glass-half-full person who loves to have fun. I think my optimism, my sense of humour, and my light-heartedness are gifts I bring to the world. More recently, I believe my coach training has made me a better listener and enhanced my desire for connection with others.
what’s one thing you need to change about your daily or weekly routine to feel more fulfilled or less stressed in your life?
Stay focused on what needs to be done and ensure there is appropriate work/life balance.
if you could say one thing to the whole world right now, what would you want the world to act on?
What you think and say and do have an impact on you and those around you and it expands like ripples in a pond and you have the power to change it if you don’t like it. It reminds me of two quotes:
Never believe that a few caring people cannot change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have. —Margaret Mead
Every time you blame others, your environment, your background, or your culture - you give away your power to influence and to be the change you want to see in the world. —Robin Sharma
What has 2020 taught you?
That I can get by in life without many of the things I thought I needed and that too often I take family, friends, and health for granted.
