LeaderImpact Podcast
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LeaderImpact Podcast
Ep. 63 - John Westbrook - Redefining Success Through Endurance and Wisdom
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What if overcoming a turbulent childhood could set you on a path to becoming a beacon of hope for others? John Westbrook, whose 44-year career in business growth and development is matched only by his remarkable personal journey, opens up about his early life in a dysfunctional and abusive household, revealing how he grappled with being a "poser" and performance addict, constantly in search of validation. Hear about the pivotal moments that helped him overcome these struggles and find his genuine self, including a life-changing volunteer stint in the Solomon Islands. His insights into stability, positivity, and teamwork offer a roadmap for anyone looking to excel both professionally and personally.
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Leadership Journey
Speaker 2Welcome to the Leader Impact Podcast . We are a community of leaders with a network in over 350 cities around the world , dedicated to optimizing our personal , professional and spiritual lives to have lasting impact . This show is where we have a chance to listen and engage with leaders who are living this out . We love talking with leaders , so if you have any questions , comments or suggestions to make the show even better , please let us know . The best way to stay connected in Canada is through our newsletter at leaderimpact . ca or on social at Leader Impact . If you're listening from outside of Canada , check out our website at leaderimpact . com .
Speaker 2I'm your host , Lisa Peters , and our guest today is John Westbrook . John has spent his entire career growing businesses . In his 44-year career , he has worked for the Business Development Bank . He was a principal with the management consulting practice of KPMG , vice president of sales and marketing with Dollco , one of Canada's largest printers , and spent 24 years as vice president of client services with Acart Communications , a preeminent social marketing advertising agency . John also invests in his community through his involvement on the boards of several organizations and is currently a volunteer director with Whitestone , a ministry serving ex-offenders who have returned to the community . He lives in Ottawa with his wife , Sharon . Welcome to the show , John . How are you ?
Speaker 1I'm fine , Great to be here with you .
Speaker 2Lisa , it is great to finally meet you . I've heard lots about you and excited to have you on the show , so thank you for joining us . That's quite the bio and I know I've read a little bit more about you . There's a lot more companies and some really great marketing and communications , and I know there's more . So I'm wondering if you can start with a little bit of your professional journey and how you got to where you are today .
Speaker 1Okay , I was born in kind of a dysfunctional some would say abusive household . I dropped out of high school like I didn't finish high school , worked in as a house painter for a couple of years and then I realized I need to go to university . I did that . I earned two degrees . I started with the business development bank and there I realized that the dysfunction from my house , you know , had an impact on me . I was a poser and a bit of a performance addict . While I was with a bank I would work all night long writing a credit app just so I could get an attaboy from my boss . I'd never heard a responsible male tell me anything positive or nice , so I was feeding on that .
Speaker 1After the two years at the bank , I went overseas and lived in the Solomon Islands as a volunteer with CUSO for three years . I came back . I worked for KPMG for 11 years , started at the junior level , ended up as a principal , which is a non it's a partner , but a junior partner or a non-equity partner . From there I went into pure sales for the printer , and that was great . And then , from then , 24 years at Acart Communications . I think for the first part of my life , my childhood , this dysfunctional family caused me to be wanting to be a poser , wanting to perform , wanting to strive when I didn't need to , and that kind of marked the first half of my career .
Speaker 2Wow , you know , I think , well , I don't know , I feel like I can resonate with a bit of the poser and the performance addict and I think of now , you know , here we are doing a podcast and then I go out and I promote , promote , promote and I'm just like I perform , like I literally perform . And I think of when I was young and had my babies and I went back to work early because I just I had to , because I mean you can't forget about me , and I just I was looking for that at a girl . Good for you . And I don't know if anyone really cared , like , as you said , that I'm like you know all that work I did . Does anyone really remember me ? Or you know ? And I wonder if people are feeling that yeah , yeah .
Speaker 1Yeah you , I was doing that to create a counterfeit me like a poser . You know I'll get people to like me or I'll get people to . I will do all of this proposal and work all weekend just to be liked and I . It's really dysfunctional . It's kind of counterfeit . It took me many years to figure that out , but towards the end of my career I figured that out , thankfully . Yeah , yeah .
Speaker 2So I'm going to ask you another question , but are you going to dive into that a little bit like how you got over that ? Because I , I mean , I don't want to , I know because that is so .
Speaker 1Go ahead with your question . I will answer that . Go ahead with your , okay , all right .
Speaker 2So we always talk about pivotal moments on our podcast because those are just really important moments in our life . So I'm wondering if you can share a couple snapshot of those pivotal moments along your journey .
Speaker 1Yeah , I think for me a pivotal moment was going to the Solomon Islands as a volunteer . For three years I went with CUSO and I went . I was making like one quarter of the salary that I would have at the business development bank , but I realized I was going to the beach every day . I was happy , everyone on the island was happy Like it was it was . I realized there is another way to live your life and people without any of these material goods are amazingly happy . So that that was a a good pivotal moment . And then , I guess , another one for me .
Speaker 1You know I worked four years for Dollco Printing and when I started the sales were around $14 million . I grew that to like $28 million . We had $5 million on the bottom line . We were voted one of the best performing companies in Canada privately owned companies in the top 50 . And I got fired and it was an eye opener for me . I was sitting as if I owned the world , but my boss had another vision and had another person that could see the business growing from 30 to 60 million and that was a very humbling experience for me and it was a very good experience for me . And you know what my boss , and this new guy that he hired grew the business from 30 to 60 million , so it was eye-opening for me .
Speaker 2I was very hurt very humiliated , very humbled .
Speaker 1I was like whacked on the side of the head and had to scramble to get a new job . But it was good for me . It was in the big picture of things , yeah .
Speaker 2We've talked about it . Yeah , I thought I was a hero . You know , know , I'm the guy and I wasn't the guy so that was the thing , yeah , when you're in it it is so hard and you don't see the other side . Right , you're living in , I just got fired . I you know this , the sadness of it .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2The shock . Actually that's great , but things did turn out .
Speaker 1Yeah .
Speaker 2Yeah , I find it interesting . So when you went away to volunteer for two years and the salary is a quarter , as you said , and you found yourself at your most happiest moment and the people there were happy , yet you came back . You came back to the corporate world .
Speaker 1Yeah , I know I felt I was missing out , not having a real job . I had a real job . I was like assistant provincial planner and budget director For where I was living . I had a senior role . I had a driver and a car and I could order a helicopter to go and visit a hydro project or whatever . But yeah , I felt I was missing out on the career . But , I you know I had lots of friends that stayed and made a career in international development and they had very good careers .
Speaker 2Yeah , I think I'm glad you said just that missing out because I think a lot of people have that , you know , fomo , the fear of missing out . Like what am I missing out on ? I should be wheeling and dealing and corporate jets and you know , or whatever . Whatever yours is , it's not all that . But yeah , we , that is real , the fear of missing out . It is a real . So I thought I just felt it , or you know , but so I'm glad you said it
Lessons in Endurance and Emotional Intelligence
Speaker 2. Yeah , we talk a little bit about their best principles of success and I'm wondering if you , if you can share yours and if you have a story that illustrates that .
Speaker 1Yeah , I would say maybe two things . The first one would be endurance . Like my marketplace career was 44 years . Now I'm on my second career doing ministry and it's like four years . But I would say endurance is one . And like last year , my wife and I walked the Via Francincina , which is a Roman road that goes from Canterbury , england , to Rome , and like we didn't walk the whole thing , we walk sections of it , it's a pilgrimage .
Speaker 1But you know , some days are rainy and some days you get scraped and fall down and bleed , and some days are sunshine and some days are magnificent , that are just breathtaking .
Speaker 1And I think a career is all of those things it's . So , you know , endurance and maybe the toughest years are not the years in the valley or on the mountaintop , they're just days where you go to work and you work and nothing spectacular happens , but it comprises a whole career . My second principle would be just emotional intelligence . You know , warren Buffett's sidekick , charlie Munker , had this expression that the single most important thing about running a business is being emotionally stable and controlling your emotions when things go bad . So just emotional intelligence is huge like showing up on time , being positive , asking questions of authorities in the right way , enjoying the success of other people , being a good team player , being someone who's hard to offend , like all of these things that you know comprise emotional intelligence , just being steady and pleasant and a great team player . So those would be my keys endurance and emotional intelligence .
Speaker 2Yeah , when you spoke of endurance and you talked about you know , sometimes it is really hard and you're going through the hard times . Maybe those are the times you're learning the most . Our group is currently reading I think it's called Great to Good , good to Great . It's by Jim Collins . It's the second book and we were talking about the recipes to success . And as long as you have a good recipe right , you'll get through the good times and the bad times , because ultimately you know , you know that you know the plan and the times are going to be good and they're going to be bad , but if the recipe is good , if the , if the , if the ground is good , it'll be okay .
Speaker 2So , obviously you had good ground . You got through the hard times . But yeah , I think we do learn a lot more in those hard times . And emotional intelligence . I sometimes wonder , as I have entered a different transition of my life , if my emotions are all intact right now . That's a great point . I think we do . You make some great points there , so thank you for sharing those . So we talk a lot on the show about failures , failings and mistakes and I'm wondering if you have anything you can share . We know that we learn more . As you said , you know we learn more in those trials . Do you have one that you can share ? A failure that you learned ?
Speaker 1I do indeed . You know I told you the story of getting fired from DOLLCO and I joined Acart Communications and you know , great new job , great salary , great title , and within a couple of months there were three big opportunities came our way . One was with an existing client , a government department , one was with a major shopping center and one was with the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club . They were all due on the same day and like , rather than you know , you know , the best way to have quality is to you know , or you know , real quality is to limit quantity . I went for all three and I , you know our firm came in second on all three . So we totally missed out , like , rather than investing in one or two , and wow , that was so painful , that was such a painful lesson .
Speaker 1I was this new guy . I was like this , you know , going to be the , the superhero . I was pulling the all-nighters , that kind of thing , and we came second and one , one of them , what . We were already the incumbent . So I lost the existing business . So , but my boss was very gracious and he knew how invested we were , and a few years later we went on to win the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club account and we've had that ever since , I think . Since I've left , I think the account is still there . So , yeah , I think that's an important lesson and it's really , you know , it's about boundaries , like what's an appropriate boundary , like making good decisions , not being greedy , having focus all these things are so important . Brokenness in me that you know , wanting to be a performance addict , wanting to be the superhero , wanting to be loved , I think that you know , led to that mistake and that's was a great learning moment .
Speaker 2Yeah , I always reflect on when we do things that didn't go the way and you know I would ask you . At the time it seemed right and so you know . So if I asked you , did you have a team behind you ? Maybe you looked and went we've got some depth here , we could handle this , and I know three for three and they're all due on the same day , yeah , that is a lot , but I want to think that at the time you kind of looked and went . We can do this Hindsight .
Speaker 1Definitely I had a great , yeah , like a great . In an ad agency , there's usually a media team , there's a creative team and then there's a strategy team and an account team . And , yeah , I can't , I can't blame the team it was . I can only play and I wasn't my boss . My boss wasn't forcing me to go for all three . I can only like and I wasn't my boss . My boss wasn't forcing me to go through all three , like .
Speaker 2If I want to lay blame , it goes at my feet , all right . All right , we know that you've been part of Leader Impact and we grow personally , professionally and spiritually for increasing impact , so I was wondering if you'd be willing to share an example of how the spiritual makes a practical difference in your life as a leader .
Speaker 1Yeah , you asked me about overcoming my performance addiction and then , like halfway through my career , well , into being an adult I think it was my 30s I became a Christian and then it's a journey . It's not , you don't become perfect overnight . It's like that pilgrimage . I went on through Italy .
Speaker 1It's a walk , and one of the things I've learned is that let God run your business , not you . Is that let God run your business , not you ? And to be a person that is humble , be a person that is absolutely . Integrity is everything . Be a person who creates a vision for your company and sets the course , which is a spiritual principle . Be a person that prays for the business and prays for your staff and prays for your suppliers . Be that person , so humble , vision casting takes on a servant leader who takes on the hardest parts of every job and gives the and apportions work according to people's abilities .
Speaker 2And those would be the principles , but humility would be up there yeah , um , you know , if , if people stop listening at let god run your business , um , I'm wondering if , because they they're like , yeah , okay , but then you went on to explain that you know everything . You , you know we still work hard , we still have a bottom line , right , and I wonder if you've ever you know those are misconceptions from some people and I'm wondering if you've ever had to defend , if you've ever had to . You know , if , if you ever in a conversation and someone said , really you're just going to trust this to God , and I don't know , I just it depends how forward you are Okay .
Speaker 1There's a difference between being like , you know , like performance is essential and like I . Hard work is essential , hustle is essential , being on time is essential . All of these things are important and you know , there's no question , those things are extremely important . But I think when I said like God , ridden your business , I mean understand that , like I'm a fallible human being that can make mistakes , and if I'm praying for insights and supernatural abilities , then those come , those will come , yeah .
Speaker 2Good . You are uniquely you , john . So at Leader Impact , we are leaders who have a lasting impact . So , as you continue to move through your own journey , I'm wondering if you have considered what you want your faith legacy to be when you leave this world .
Speaker 1While I was at Acart the last 12 years I was also board chair of Jericho Road . It's an organization that takes , identifies schizophrenics that are on the street , probably using street drugs , takes them off the street , gets them to see a doctor you know a family physician gets a referral to a psychiatrist , provides a home for them and they do very well and we had , when I was there , we had eight homes . I'm going to a Jericho Road event two days from now , so it's a great charity .
Whitestone Ministry Impact and Joy
Speaker 1And then , when I retired and were from the marketplace in 2020 , I started a ministry called Whitestone . We work with ex-offenders and ex-addicts and we do five things . We find them a really good job and I'm not talking a minimum wage job , I like to find them $80,000 jobs we connect them with a church , with new friends , and we connect them with a prayer partner , someone that we call it a praying Monica , like St Augustine had a mother Monica that prayed for him for 17 years , so we have a person assigned to each of our guys and then like a mentor . So mentorship , prayer , new friends , a great job and connect them with the church .
Speaker 1It's been great . We've worked with about 130 men and women and it's been lovely . And I told you at the beginning that I was born into an abusive , dysfunctional home . Just about every person I've met that's ever been to prison was born into an abusive , dysfunctional home . So these guys are these people are my brothers and my sisters . I can totally relate and , um , you know , as you bring healing to others , you know God brings healing to you , so it's it's so sweet , it's so sweet yeah .
Speaker 2So how long have you had white , white stone ?
Speaker 1Yeah , started in November uh , november 2020 , the month I retired from the marketplace and yeah , it's been good . We actually meet in the same ad agency where I worked . I was there last night , had the use of the kitchen . We've got three different boardrooms there . It's all . We serve a meal and we do a little study or help , and we have a fantastic time .
Speaker 1You know one thing I would say , is that these men and women leaving prison never , ever heard someone say I'm proud of you , or they've never heard someone say great job , or no one's no one ever said oh , man , I love you , You're awesome .
Speaker 1And when these are people that have committed serious criminal offenses and when they hear these things they turn into small children they're just like they melt . They melt . So it's amazing working with them . And , uh , I just had the privilege of being with leader impact in mexico . Uh , on on the middle of april , we were in Ixtapa Mexico and I brought one of our um program participants from whitestone there . His His name is Sam and you know he was charged and convicted with murder and , yeah , he was traveling with me to Mexico and it was great . And now he's a completely new person , has a great job , goes to a good church , he's connected with a group and just able to participate in people's lives like that . It's so good for my own heart .
Speaker 1And so good for my own healing yeah .
Speaker 2I sometimes don't know if people understand what volunteering can do for you . It's almost selfish how good it is for you . Right , totally .
Speaker 1Totally . There's a little . There's a little section in the Bible . I think it's Isaiah 58 . It says when you bring healing to others , god brings healing to you . And it is so sweet . Like we have a Tuesday night meeting with a meal and time together , and like I'm , I get home . I got home last night at 10 and it's just sweet , sweet , sweet time .
Speaker 2Yeah , beautiful , Wow . Thank you for sharing that . That was good , and my final question for you is what brings you the greatest joy ?
Speaker 1I think it's . You know we are commanded to love . You know the Bible says in Matthew 22, . You know , love the Lord , thy God , with all your heart and your soul and your mind and your strength , and then love your neighbor as yourself .
Speaker 1So we're told to love other people and then , three chapters later , we're told to love the least , the last and the lost . So I get to do all these things with Whitestone , so loving on the unlovable it is pure joy .
Speaker 1You know , our ex-offenders tend to be in three groups . They're either like a sexual offender a group of those . They're either an addict that needed to commit crimes to support their addiction , or they're a violent offender who , you know , didn't have any controls when they were young , and usually the violence is committed within the family all terrible crimes , you know I I appreciate that . But they um , giving them love and seeing them turned around and , uh , seeing how they can become new people , it is so , so sweet . And seeing how they give back , it's just a beautiful experience for me .
Speaker 2Yeah , wow , that's a great answer . I haven't heard that one on the Greatest Joy . That is really good . Thank you for sharing , john . That brings us to the end of the podcast , but I would like to know , if anyone wants to find you or find Whitestone , what is the best way to connect with you ?
Speaker 1If you want to find Whitestone , it's whitestonecanada . ca Whitestonecanada . ca and find me . You can find me on LinkedIn . You can also track me down by scrolling to the bottom of the website as well and sending a line of email . Lisa , thank you , it's been a privilege to be on this podcast and thank you .
Speaker 2Oh , thank you . I love being here , I love hearing the stories . It just makes my faith a little bit stronger every day . So thank you for everything you do and sharing today . It's been a wonderful last 30 minutes , thank you .
Speaker 1All right , thanks , lisa .
Speaker 2All right .
Global Leadership Outreach and Connection
Speaker 2Well , this ends our podcast , and if you're part of Leader Impact , you can always discuss or share this podcast with your group . And if you are not yet part of Leader Impact and would like to find out more and grow your leadership , find our podcast page on our website at leaderimpactca and check out our free leadership assessment . You'll also find on our webpage chapter one of Braden Douglas's book Becoming a Leader of Impact . You can also check out groups available in Canada at leaderimpactca or , if you're listening from anywhere else in the world , check out leaderimpactcom or get in touch with us by email info@ leaderimpact . com and we will definitely connect you . And if you like this podcast , please leave us a comment , give us a rating or review . This will help other global leaders find our podcast . Thank you for engaging with us and remember impact starts with you .