The Legacy of Dan Miller and 48 Days to the Work You Love

This week, Host Anthony Craiker talks about the life and legacy of Dan Miller, popular author, speaker, podcaster, coach, and entrepreneur (or as Dan would say, "Eaglepreneur"). Anthony discusses Dan's popular book, 48 Days to the Work You Love, which provides a roadmap full of wisdom and practical advice for finding the work and life you love. Anthony also shares his own story about how this book inspired and helped him early in his career as a young attorney. Whether you're a Dan Miller follower or are just hearing about him for the first time, this episode will encourage you to find and create fulfilling work and a meaningful life!

https://fulfillingworkmeaningfullife.com/

Transcript

Anthony: 0:00

Welcome everybody to fulfilling work. Meaningful life. I'm your host, Anthony Craiker, and I'm excited to officially launch this podcast. This will be my first full episode. I did an introductory episode, which you can check out if you want to know a little bit more about fulfilling work, meaningful life, and a little bit more about me. But today we're going to officially start the podcast and. I'll be talking about Dan Miller and his book, 48 days to the work you love. But before we get into the topic for today's show, I wanted to make you aware of a resource that I've made available for free for my audience. If you go to my website, fulfilling work, meaningful life. com and you sign up to subscribe to my newsletter, you put in your email address, I will send you a free download of a resource to help you in your job search. This is a 14 day reflection journal for finding or creating fulfilling worK.. And the idea behind the journal is that you take a two week time period and really focus and get intentional About finding a new career or changing your situation with your current employment or possibly starting your own business or side hustle each day of the 14 days has journal prompts that you'll respond to in writing. You can write in the actual journal, there's space to do that. Or if you prefer, you can of course type that on your computer, but you'll respond to the journal prompts. And then after you respond to the journal prompts each day, there are. Action items that you take, and these action items are designed to get you to actually start making progress toward finding or creating fulfilling work, work that is meaningful to you, work that you are excited to get out of bed to go do. I, I mentioned last week, you know, I've certainly been in the situation that a lot of you are probably in where you just don't feel like you're in the right job or. You have difficulty being motivated to go to work and to stay focused. Maybe you work in a toxic workplace or you have a difficult supervisor or coworkers, and you really want to make a change, something that is a good fit to use your unique gifts and skills to help others and to have a way to. Support yourself and your family while also enjoying the work that you do. So this resource is designed to get you to act and be intentional and to not be acted upon by your life circumstances. I'm really excited about this resource and I hope that you'll take the opportunity to get that free download and. If you're not in the situation where you're looking for a new career or looking to make some kind of change in your employment, but you know somebody who is, please share this with them. Send them to my website. Again, it's fulfilling work, meaningful life. com. All you've got to do is subscribe to the newsletter that I send out monthly, and 14 day reflection journal for finding or creating fulfilling work. Okay, well, today's topic is related to that idea of finding or creating fulfilling work. I wanted to kick off this podcast officially by talking about Dan Miller and his book, 48 Days to the Work You Love. Now, many of you probably are familiar with Dan, but for those who aren't, Dan was a popular Podcaster, author, speaker, coach, entrepreneur, and just a really inspiring guy. He passed away unfortunately a year ago due to cancer and it was a big loss for the personal development community. I never got to meet Dan personally. I wish that I'd had that opportunity, but the stars never aligned and I never got to meet him, but I did listen to his podcast regularly. The 48 days to the work you love podcast. And I read, I've read several of his books. I first learned about Dan years ago when I was. listening to the Dave Ramsey show. I used to spend a lot of time on the road, driving all over the state of Florida and sometimes all over the Southeast going to hearings for my clients. So I was a road warrior and I would spend a great deal of time listening to talk radio and podcasts and things like that. So I was listening to the Dave Ramsey show one day, and he mentions Dan Miller. And that kind of caught my ear and I decided I wanted to learn a little bit more about Dan and I ended up buying his book called No More Dreaded Mondays, which I read and really liked. And then eventually I bought what is I. I would say his most popular book, 48 days to the work you love. And that book really had an impact on me. Interestingly enough, when I was reading 48 days to the work you love, I was. Pretty early on in my career as an attorney, and I had recently, relatively recently taken this new job. It's, it's the same job that I'm doing now full-time as a social security attorney, but I was just starting off, I didn't have a whole lot of experience and it was a fast-paced job and it required me to be on the road a lot. And it could be stressful at times especially dealing with. The clients that I was representing who were in some really difficult life situations. And I was kind of questioning whether this was the right fit for me, whether this was something I really wanted to keep doing. And so I read, like I said, no more dreaded Mondays, but then I. Started reading 48 days to the work you love and I ended up Coming to the conclusion and in the process of reading 48 days to the work you love I actually was really satisfied with the job that I had and it was a good fit it was allowing me to provide for my family which was the most important thing. I talked a little bit about that in the introductory episode about why it was so important for me to provide a stable home for my family. So it was good financially. And I, I did enjoy the work. I enjoyed helping people. I even kind of realized I enjoyed to a certain extent being on the road. I always missed my family when I was gone traveling, but the job allowed me to, like I said, listen to a lot of. Podcasts. I would be on the road for three, four hours at a time and I would listen to podcasts. And of course I came across Dan's podcast, 48 days to the work you love and started listening to that. And so it was kind of this. Ideal situation where I was able to learn and continue my education by listening to intelligent, thoughtful people talk about various topics while I'm on the road for my actual day job. So I realized I liked a lot of aspects about my job. I also had and continue to have, thankfully, really great bosses. I really liked the people that I was working for and I loved the flexibility that my job had which nobody was managing my day to day schedule. I mean, I had to be in court at certain times, obviously. But other than that, my, my schedule was my own. I worked when I wanted to work and where I wanted to work. I didn't have an office that I went into or anything like that. I was working from home. This is years ago, way before COVID and everything changed. And a lot more people started working from home. I had been doing that for years when COVID started. So I came to the conclusion that this job that I had, I really did like, I enjoyed. And it was a real blessing for me at that time in my life. It continues to be a blessing for me at this season of my life. But especially at that time, it w it was a blessing. And so I came to the conclusion that I was good where I was at. And you might be thinking, well, didn't you waste your time reading the book? 48 days to the work you love. If you ended up just staying in the job, not at all, because the book helped me. Realize that I was where I needed to be. And I was where I was able to use my unique gifts and skills and talents to help others while also providing a stable home for my family. I also learned a lot in the process of reading 48 days to the work you love. I've used the principles that Dan. Taught in that book as I've talked to other people and helped other people and their job searches over the years. So it was a wonderful experience reading the book. It was entirely worth my time. And it's a book that I go back and revisit from time to time. There's a lot of great information in there that, kind of applies more generally or more broadly to life. And so it's not just a book about finding a job. It's about helping you find and create the life that you want to live. And in fact, I believe the, the, the addition that I have of 48 days to the work you love is several years old, but I believe. There was a 20th edition published a few years ago, and Dan actually changed the title to 48 days to the work and life you love. So if you go and purchase the book on Amazon or whatever, I believe that's the version that you can buy now. I highly recommend that you get this book and read it, even if you're not quite sure that. You want to change the job that you're in. This book will be educational for you. It will help you get in the right mindset. And, it was a real inspiration to me. So I wanted to just kind of go through the book a little bit, talk a little bit about a few of the chapters and some of the content that's in the book that I think is particularly helpful, especially if you're Trying to make a career change and you're unhappy with your current work situation. So before I do that though, let me Let me tell you that I I don't have any affiliation with 48 days and and 48 days still exists You can go to their website 48 days calm, I believe Or just type in 48 days in Google and it should take you there. Dan was brilliant in his branding of 48 days because nobody else has 48 days. And he, created this idea of 48 days by taking the number 40 which has significance in the Bible. Those of you who are. Christian or familiar with the Bible, you know, that there's different stories that have the number 40 like Noah and the flood that was 40 days and 40 nights, or Jesus fasting in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights, the Israelites wandering for 40 years. So the number 40 has some significance in the Bible and it can. Mean different things like it can mean like a time of testing or challenge, or it can mean a time of rebirth and growth, things like that. I'm not a Bible scholar, but that's my understanding of what the number 40 kind of symbolizes in some of the biblical stories. So Dan took 40 and then he added eight days on. To give you a little bit of extra time to go through this process of finding work that you love. And so that's how he came to the idea of 48 days and that became his brand. that's what Dan was known for. So it's a brilliant lesson there in, in branding. So in the book at least the version that I have, there's a nice little forward by Dave Ramsey. And he he starts off the book with this brief section. It's not even really a chapter called your 48 day schedule. I love that he starts the book with this because right out of the gate, he says, this is what you're going to be doing. Here are the practical steps that you can take to find work that you love, work that is fulfilling and meaningful and profitable. As a reader, that tells me that this book is going to have useful information. It's not just going to be talking about theory or ideas or philosophies, nothing wrong with those things. But if I'm looking for a job, I'm not, Concerned so much about theories and ideas. I'm wanting to make a change in my life, a change in my employment, my career. And so right out of the gate you start the book and he goes through the 48 day schedule with you. And you get an idea of what you're actually going to be doing as you read through this book, if you decide to do this 48 day challenge. And then the first few chapters do kind of talk about the bigger ideas related to work. He talks about what work is and he talks about the importance of adapting to change. The second chapter is called the challenge of change, react, respond, or get. Trampled. And he talks about how you need to adapt the economy changes, industries, change technology advances, which eliminates jobs. And so you've got to be willing to adapt or you're going to get trampled. And that's an important point. I think and anybody who's gone through a layoff knows, you know, knows that all too well, that change is something that you've got to be ready for, and you have to be able to pivot and adapt to the circumstances that you're in, but continue to be proactive and taking responsibility for your own life. So I love that. He also has a chapter about creating a life plan, and then there's a chapter About the difference or the differences between vocation and career and job the idea of vocation., is more than just a career or a job. A vocation is a calling. A way to take your God given abilities and bless the lives of other people, whether that's through business or some other means. Vocation is. what we should aspire to have. After that, and this is, that's like the first three or four chapters. After that, he gets into the practical application one of the first things that Dan recommends that you do as you're starting this job search is to have a better understanding of your own personality type. And he recommends that you take a personality test. Dan talked a lot about using the DISC profile D I S C, if you're not familiar with that, the DISC personality test or personality profile is out there. there's various versions of it on the internet. You can. Find it if you google disc D I S C and I think there, there may be some free shorter versions, but you can pay, you know, 30, 40 bucks or something and take a fuller version. And that's supposed to give you some insight into your personality and the traits that you have to help you. Be able to figure out, where you fit into things, whether that's in your career or in some other aspect. I've taken the dis personality test. and Dan offered that through his website. So years ago I, I took it and I found it helpful. I know there's some, I wouldn't say controversy necessarily, but there's some question about the empirical validity of these types of tests. I don't really care about that. I found it useful. It's, is it a perfect science? Not necessarily, but I think it's worth the time and a little bit of money to gain some insight into your personality traits. So Dan recommends that you kind of start there. And then he gets into real practical advice in the chapter. He talks about how you can receive a job offer within 10 days. He debunks a lot of myths about resumes and, you know, resumes are an interesting thing. A lot of people that I. Talk to that are looking for work, they'll tell me, yeah, I uploaded my resume to indeed or one of those sites and you should do that. I mean, you want to cast a wide net when you're looking for work, but just creating a resume and putting it. Out on the internet or uploading it to a company website isn't necessarily going to get you the job. The idea behind a resume and a cover letter is to get you to the interview chair so that you can sit down with the employer and. You can interview each other. They interview you to see if you have the skillset and the attributes and the personality that they're looking for when they make a hire for a new position and you get to interview them too. You get to ask questions about the business that you're applying to work for and what the environment's like, and to make sure that. You both feel like it's going to be a good fit, but the resume and cover letter, aren't going to get you the job. The interview is what's going to get you the job. And that's that's a big misunderstanding. I think that a lot of people have, like, if I just have the perfect resume and the perfect cover letter, somebody is going to look at it and see, Oh yes, this person is qualified. We're going to call and bring them in for a, maybe an informal interview, but this is the person we're looking for. We're going to make, a job offer. That's not how it works. And Dan debunks that kind of myth and some other myths about resumes there's a great chapter here on the interview process and. Some great practical advice about interviewing, and then he's got a chapter about negotiating salary. The chapter is titled show me the money. If you've ever watched the movie, Jerry Maguire, you know, that the phrase show me the money is, a, a popular phrase that comes from that movie. Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. Scream that phrase., Cuba Gooding, Jr. Plays this football player and Tom Cruise plays this sports agent who's just starting his own sports agency and he's trying to get Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s character, a contract. It's kind of a fun movie, but that's where that phrase show me the money was popularized. So Dan use that in the title and give some great practical information about how to negotiate a salary. And then we get closer to the end of the book, the last few chapters, and Dan writes about. Becoming a business owner Chapter 10 is called. Do you have what it takes? and dan who Was a great entrepreneur and inspired a lot of other entrepreneurs writes about becoming your own boss, becoming a business owner and what that entails and whether that's going to be a good fit for you. It's not a good fit for everybody. And, and sometimes for people, it's not a good fit. At a certain point in their life, but it might become a good fit later on. But if you're interested in starting your own business or even just starting a part time kind of side hustle, you've got to make sure that you're ready to do it, to be able to deal with the ups and downs that come with starting a business put in the work and the hours the, that you're going to need to in order to be successful. There's also a great chapter towards the end chapter 11, that's titled skunks rags and candy bars. And I love that title. Dan was really creative in his writing and I, that title just kind of grabs you cause it's, it's so random, you know, skunks. Rags and candy bars. What is this about? Right? It makes you want to read it. And this chapter is all about thinking outside the box when we're looking for work or we're trying to make a big change in our lives. We need to be able to think outside the box, think creatively and come up with alternative solutions. And so the, the skunk, the rag and the candy bar all refer to different. Business ideas that people ended up having that they were able to take that were unique that nobody was doing and and they were able to take that idea and turn it into a profitable business. So that's a, another great chapter in 48 days to the work you love. At the end, there's a conclusion and an appendix that has sample resumes and cover letters and followup. Letters. So if you're in the hunt for a new job, this is a great resource to refer to because it gives you some good examples of what a resume and cover letter and followup letters should look like. So that's at the end of the book. So again, this is just a really practical resource. If you are trying to make a career change, maybe you want to change industries, maybe you want to move up with the company that you're at or the employer that you're working for and get into a better position, a higher paying position with more responsibility and more opportunity for growth, or maybe you want to take the plunge. and start your own business. This book has great practical advice for you and it's one you keep on the shelf and refer back to from time to time. that's one of the things that makes this book so valuable. So 48 days to the work you love is the book by the late Dan Miller, and I highly recommend this for your reading and, and reference. I wanted to conclude this episode by reading a quote from. The last chapter of his book, the conclusion of his book, and I think this is a fitting way to end the show and kind of gets to the heart of what Dan often preached to his followers. It says, quote, change is inevitable. How will you respond? You can choose to wring your hands as a victim. Or use your God given creativity to see where he is leading you. Each of us has been given unique skills, abilities, personality, traits, values, dreams, and passions. We should be at the forefront as innovators and inventors shining examples of. Excellence and accomplishment in all we do, creating an individual path of mission and calling, we cannot then be victimized by any corporate downsizing or any other effects of future shock. Rather, we will seize the opportunities and lead the way to higher levels of fulfillment, income and methods for blessing those around us, close quote. So in honor of the late Dan Miller, check out 48 days to the work you love. If you haven't already for those of you who aren't familiar with Dan, go to his website, 48 days. com and learn about him. I just looked at it just a few minutes ago. There are still several resources available there. Family continues to oversee the business. And there, there's a lot of great practical information and tools that he has available on the website. Again, I don't get any kickback from this. The 48 days is not a sponsor of the show. I'm not an affiliate. I just a Dan Miller fan and I wanted to honor Dan by having my first full show be about him and his great book, 48 days to the work you love. So I hope you've enjoyed listening to this episode next week. I'll be talking about embracing change something that Dan talks about in 48 days to the work you love. But the whole episode will be about how we can embrace change and I'll give you five ways that we can do that. So tune in next time. That'll be next Tuesday, episode two will drop. And in the meantime, don't forget to check out my website, fulfilling work, meaningful life. com. Subscribe to my monthly newsletter and I'll send you that free download of the 14 day reflection journal for finding and creating fulfilling work. Again, that's a great tool if you're at the point where you're really ready to put in the work to find a new job or make a big career change and really to find your vocation. Like Dan talks about to figure that out so that your work is part of your meaningful life. And that's an important point too. And Dan makes that point early on in the book. I should have mentioned that. Work is just one aspect of a meaningful life. It's not the be all end all. So keep that in mind too as you're searching for work that's fulfilling and meaningful and work that will. Help you and your financial goals. That's not the only thing that brings meaning to our lives. It certainly shouldn't be the only thing. A true meaningful life is built around much more than just the work that we do from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. But work is an important part of a meaningful life. And so we should try to find work that is fulfilling, meaningful and profitable and that will Not only be enjoyable for us, but we'll also allow us to use our gifts to help and inspire other people. Thank you so much for listening. I really appreciate you tuning in. You can follow me on social media. Just search for fulfilling work, meaningful life. I'm on Instagram X. I have a YouTube channel. And then I have a Facebook page that you can follow just search for fulfilling work, meaningful life and follow there or subscribe on YouTube. If you check out the YouTube channel, I'm going to be putting out different content at all. Usually touch on the same topic that I'm covering in the podcast, but it will be shorter video content maybe three to five minutes, sometimes a little bit longer, maybe, but just some other content, just another way to reach an audience and to share these things that I'm so passionate about. So check that out. And I'd be honored if you would share this show with somebody that you know, that you think could benefit from learning about how we can find and create meaning in all aspects of our lives, whether that's at home, at work, in our business and personal relationships, or in our own individual growth and personal development. That's what. Fulfilling work. Meaningful life is all about. That's what I'm passionate about teaching and talking about. And I hope to be able to connect with many of you as more episodes are released and this show grows over time again, thank you for listening. That's all for today. Until next time, let's make it a meaningful week.