The Happiness Blueprint Podcast
The podcast where we uncover how people build happier lives.
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The Happiness Blueprint Podcast
The Simple Mindset That Turns Ideas Into Reality // The Happiness Blueprint e018
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Ryan & Griffin, students at Salve Regina University, share their significant contributions to non-profit work, how they’ve learned to empower success, and the upcoming goals for their projects!
0:00 Ryan and Griffin from Salve Regina
0:43 Wisdom from We Mean Business Day
2:29 Non-Profit to Build Town Skatepark
3:01 Non-Profit for Ocean Protection & Conservation
7:46 Empowering Success
11:55 Advice for Past Self
13:16 What Makes Griffin Happy
13:56 What Makes Ryan Happy
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A special thank you to Vibe Arcs for sponsoring today's episode. To get started on tracking your personal, team or project happiness metrics, visit https://vibearcs.com/
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The Happiness Blueprint
// Powered by GBM6
// The podcast where we uncover how people build happier lives.
GBM6
// Let's Build LEGENDARY Together
// To get started, visit https://gbm6.com/
Think Like a Pilot
// Bobby Dutton, founder & director of GBM6, is a professional speaker, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He's also a licensed commercial pilot and flight instructor -- for fun.
// To connect with Bobby or learn more about his keynotes, visit https://thinklikeapilot.com/
This is the Happiness Blueprint, the podcast where we uncover how people build happier lives.
SPEAKER_02Welcome, friends. Welcome back to the Happiness Blueprint podcast. I'm here with two new friends, so please introduce yourself and your role on campus.
SPEAKER_00Uh hi, I'm Griffin Cosa. I'm a member of the Solvey Men's La Crosse team, uh, a member of the SAC and the American Marketing Association Club. And the Surf Racquare. And the Solve Surfrider Club. Fuck that.
SPEAKER_01Uh hi, how's it going? I'm Ryan Chalfi. I'm also a member of the Men's La Crosse team. I'm a junior here. I'm a marketing major. Cool. Um, yeah. Awesome.
SPEAKER_02Uh, what have you been through a lot of sessions today? Uh yeah, I think I've done three or four by now. Beautiful. What's one thing you took away from some of them? What's something that you gained? I think there's a lot of yeah, a lot of opportunity to grow ourselves here and get better and learn more about marketing or business or managing a team here. What'd you learn today?
SPEAKER_00I think the biggest takeaway I learned today was just kind of putting yourself out there and starting to build relationships. Um, a lot of networking doesn't start from going to the events and whatnot. It starts from just putting a smile on your face, shaking someone's hand that you wouldn't usually shake, um, just making the introduction.
SPEAKER_02I think that's tough. I think uh I played soccer growing up, I played a little bit of lacrosse and not as well as you guys, it seems like. But I think it's tough coming from sports where it's like the introductions are made because you're teammates, right? Like there is this thing like you're not taught to go outside of your circle because your circle is a great place here. Has it been tough to kind of learn as a business major to network out and get outside of your circle?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I would say that as a business major, you do meet a lot of the same people through classes and whatnot. I think a way that's helped is getting involved on campus, getting involved in other clubs outside of lacrosse and business to kind of meet a different variety of people. Um, and to circle back on that other question, the events today, I learned a lot that like people have very interesting stories, and just taking a second to listen, to hear what they have to talk about, you can learn a lot about someone and view different perspectives that can provide some helpful insight to your everyday life. Definitely.
SPEAKER_02It's so important to be in tune to the people around us and it's always being caught in our own world. And I think to some degree we all are, right? We're all worried about like what are people thinking about me? And it's like, most people aren't thinking about you. They're all thinking about their, they're all doing the same thing that we're doing, trying to figure it out here. Um, beautiful. I think it's also an important like business lesson here is to go out and like hear what people need. Like instead of trying to sell them something that they might not need, it's listening, like, what do you actually need? How can I actually provide value to you? Um, is that something you're hoping to do going forward here? Is like business and sales that kind of where y'all are falling?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, 100%. Something in the uh marketing and events realm. Cool.
SPEAKER_02Have you done anything with that in the past?
SPEAKER_00Uh yeah. So uh I actually started a nonprofit eight years ago. In cool. Um that is a community-based effort. Um, we privately fundraised uh over $400,000 to build a concrete skate park to give back to the uh to to donate back to the town uh upon fruition.
SPEAKER_02That's unbelievable. Good for you. Thank you. That's such a cool yeah. I was expecting a lemonade standing you went out and raised a half million dollars, just about a half million dollars. Awesome. Sorry, that's a tough act to follow, but have you guys have a business experience in your past that kind of leads to today?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I'm studying marketing as well. I hope to pursue that in the future, work for sort of a lifestyle outdoors brand. I've worked at a surf shop for the past five years in my hometown. I did some marketing for them past summer, social media, website engagement, that kind of thing. And then here at Salva, I started the Salve Surf Rider Club, which is a nonprofit foundation as well that focuses on ocean protection and conservation. So I've had some experience trying to coordinate events, um, market the club itself to get people to join.
SPEAKER_02So it's beautiful to have both have nonprofit backgrounds. That feels like you're way ahead of the curve for being college students and already having such experience in business. What motivated the founding of the nonprofits for each of you?
SPEAKER_00Uh, I think at its core was just giving back to the community. Um, when we started the project, we were young, 13-year-old middle schoolers just trying to learn how to skateboard and realizing that there's no safe place in the community for us to do this. Um, so the the biggest driving factor was this is something our community needs and has has the market for. Um now we just had to figure out how to sell the vision.
SPEAKER_02And how did you raise half a million dollars of the 13-year-olds?
SPEAKER_00Trial and error. Okay. Uh lots of private um small fundraisers and uh large-scale donors, small donors. Um, every penny counts. I have the the first dollar that we ever were donated as a 501c3 framed in my bedroom. That's just a homage to how far we've gone.
SPEAKER_02That's awesome. And it must be so cool to like drive past the skate park and see the kids enjoying it and like knowing that you're contributing to so many people's happiness and like the the parental happiness where they can be happy bringing their kid to a safe place, and it seems like a win-win for everyone involved here.
SPEAKER_00We're actually looking to break ground this spring. Awesome. Okay, okay. Grand opening at the end of the summer.
SPEAKER_02Awesome. Okay, so I'm a little ahead of the game here, but we're getting there. We're moving that direction.
SPEAKER_00Eight years wasn't long enough. We decided to push on to nine.
SPEAKER_02Gotta gotta make it count, gotta make every good year count. Awesome. What about your nonprofit? What motivated you to start it?
SPEAKER_01So the Surfrider Foundation exists nationwide. So this is kind of like an extension of that at Salve. But I got involved in my hometown. One of my dad's friends was the president of the New Hampshire chapter. And past summer I did some marketing for them to kind of expand my experience and uh get involved with the cause that I'm passionate about. Because myself, I'm a surfer, so I've grown up loving the ocean, spending time at the beach. So giving back, protecting that area that we enjoy is something that was important to me. And they brought up the idea of getting involved in Rhode Island or starting a club at Salva. And I was like, that sounds awesome, sounds like a great experience. I would love to create a community here that could hopefully contribute to having a positive impact in the Newport community. And that's kind of how things went, and here we are.
SPEAKER_02That's awesome. It's also both y'all are like pioneering better for people. I think that's always the goal here is to like, yeah, create something that empowers you, it lifts people up. But it sounds like both of y'all in very different ways, like a skate park in the ocean are two very different things, but they're both so important to communities, to people, to I guess the planet. Uh, it's so important to empower people in that way. How does it make you all feel to like see these things actualized and like see the difference you're being able to make and like see the results of your efforts?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think it's been uh pretty fulfilling, um, super inspiring to see uh just the next generation kind of taking on and uh seeing our project and feeling inspired to go out there and do something themselves and get involved in the community, and especially in this age of everyone's on their phones and kind of isolated within social media and they all feel connected, but no one really is. I think in this next generation, what's really going to separate the the different type like just different people is how well they can integrate themselves into their own community and how well they can inspire others to do the same.
SPEAKER_02I think you're right. I think it's brilliant. I think you're right that it's uh we feel very connected, and I don't know if it's genuine, I don't know if it's a real, I don't know how much that connection really uh empowers us day to day. So I think you're right to search for in like a yeah, in person here. Uh, I think it's also powerful that both of y'all have like built something and found success from it. I think that is the key to every like business venture I've ever heard of. Is like the first one, it sounds like both of y'all went a lot better than it does for most people, but usually it takes a couple tries to get it. And I think the confidence of seeing something grow from a seed to a tree and see when the skate park does break ground with the ocean, not the ocean saved. I know it's not a realistic goal, but like you will see your impact or you will uh I don't know, go out and clean the clean some part of it or whatever the the measurable return of the the investment of time is. Uh, I think it's beautiful to see those things come together. I think that's like such an empowering thing going forward to see like if I put the time into this thing, it will grow. And I think uh I assume lacrosse is a similar thing for both of y'all. Like, you put in the time from being six years old to now being in college, but at six you didn't appreciate how much practice and time you're putting in. You were just having fun, and it's not until you're an adult that you can really appreciate, like, oh, it takes these times and effort. I think it's a a beautiful lesson to give people. How would you empower, or what advice do you have for like other people who are trying to do the same thing, or they have a passion, they're trying to find a way to use that passion to better their community, better their people, uh, kind of like what you guys have done. How would you empower other people to find the same success that you have found?
SPEAKER_01I would say just try. Like, if you have an idea, you think it's stupid or it might not work. I mean, just give it a try and see what happens. People mess up all the time, people make mistakes all the time. So um just give it an effort, and even if you fail, it's okay. Try again, try again something else until it works.
SPEAKER_02That is the exact key to everything, and it's so unglamorous, right? It seems like we should be like, no, let's make the perfect plan so we can't fail. And it's like, that's not real. No one has ever done something and not failed. Those two things are unfortunately synonymous with each other, or not synonymous, intertwined with each other, and that stinks, that's painful, no one likes failing, no one likes the thing not going to plan, but it's real. So I think you're right that yeah, showing up and giving it a go is the best way, and then of course, correct. When it doesn't go to plan, figure out how to make it go to the plan. Um, awesome. Yeah, how would you empower people to have the same success?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, on the same wave, I would say just taking that first step. Um, whether it's something small, just say it ain't saying it out loud or writing it down in your notebook, um, and doing something that builds on that, that builds on that, that builds on that. Um, and eventually it starts to snowball. Um, like my project started off as an infomercial website, like just this joke idea, we're gonna throw it away. Um, and that started the brainstorm, just coming up with an idea, sitting around with my friends saying, What could we do that would make this place slightly better? Um, and it just everything snowballs, everything adds on itself. Um, every day counts, and just don't take advantage of what you got.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think you're right. I think it's also smart to sorry, you're yeah, can I add on to that? Please, please, please.
SPEAKER_01I'd like, yeah, I'd like to say that it seems like when you have an idea or you want to create something that you have to do everything at once, and that it's this like big grand thing. You have to put all these pieces together right away. Usually it takes so much more time than you think. Like, I thought I was gonna have the club started last semester, the start of the year. We could do a beach cleanup or whatnot last semester, and we just had our first meeting in February. Like, it took a long time to get all the pieces rolling, to put everything together, and I'm sure the skate park's taken eight years and it's still not built yet. So, usually things take a lot more time than you think, and it's not usually as stressful as you think. You kind of roll with the motions as it happens.
SPEAKER_02This episode of the Happiness Blueprint Podcast is brought to you by Vibarx. Goals, budgets, and KPIs can tell you what happened, but they don't tell you how people felt while doing the work. Happiness is the most important metric of all, and it needs a system. Vibearx is that system for prioritizing your mental health and tracking emotional metrics for individuals, teams, and even projects. Users submit a weekly two-minute check-in, online or in the app, for metrics like happiness, stress, and utilization. Then, Vibarx processes that data into quantified metrics that help spot patterns, celebrate wins, and encourage support where needed. Personally, I loved using Vibarx with my team at GVM6. It's really such a great way to check in myself and make sure I'm hitting both my professional and my personal goals. I especially love that asks me for three things I'm happy about every week. During busy season, I find that things can feel a little chaotic and stressful, so it's just felt like a really great tool to reframe my focus and make sure I'm aware of how many great things are happening around me, even in the most stressful moments. VibeArx is free forever for individuals,.edu teams, and .org teams. All other organizations can start with a 60-day free trial and then pay just $5 per user per month to build a healthier, happier, and more engaged workplace. Check out the link in our description to get started on your own journey towards a happier personal and professional life. Thank you to Vivebox for sponsoring today's episode. Alright, back to the show. And I think I've also almost come to love that, like, yeah, this is gonna fail. Like, I'm gonna have to audible and figure out a new solution. That's kind of a fun to be like, all right, we thought this was the plan and this is no longer viable. So now how do we audible? And I've kind of come to enjoy that problem-solving process of like, this isn't the road I thought I was going down, but how do we make this road profitable or not necessarily financially profitable, but like emotionally profitable, right? Soulfully profitable. Uh, I think it's an incredible, yeah, incredible lesson for y'all. Um beautiful. Uh, we have two questions we'd like to wrap up on here. One would be advice for your past self. Uh, so I'm curious as we reflect on this journey of like, I think y'all have both done great of like uh actualizing the things that mean something to you and finding a way to like build community off those. I think that's a yeah, great trait to have, and one that I think in the next 20, 30, 40 years will continue to empower great growth from both of y'all. Um, but how do we help other people with that? Yeah, what's some advice you have for your past self?
SPEAKER_00Uh, if I could go back and tell my past self something, I would say just not to take my time for granted. Um, obviously, there's a lot of stuff that has to get done. You have school, sports, clubs, uh, practice, games. Uh, but there's always more time. Everyone's on social media, put it away, save it for later. Um, social media won't die, but eventually you will. So use the time you have and use it wisely.
SPEAKER_02It's so much fun, but I know way too much about people that I will never meet. And yeah, you're right. I think uh prioritizing our own life is great. Yes, with something that uh makes you happy, or something advice you have for your past self.
SPEAKER_01I would say just having fun with everything you do. Like, I don't think life is as serious as people make it out to be. You can just have fun with whatever you do and kind of just roll the punches, and everything works out in the end.
SPEAKER_02And it might not work out the way you anticipated that it will, but it will work out in some faster. I think that's an important thing to keep in mind too. Beautiful. Uh, last question for both of y'all something that makes you happy. So we talked a lot about yeah, lacrosse skate park, uh, the ocean, surfing. Uh, what is something that makes you happy? Is there uh a place, an activity, uh yeah, cooking, a craft or something? What makes you happy?
SPEAKER_00Um, really just helping others, kind of putting a smile on someone else's face, holding the door, pulling a chair out for them, just the small, small acts, uh, everyday life. Um, it really just kind of kind of warms me up.
SPEAKER_02Yes, I had someone uh like hold the door, not hold the door. I can't remember what the oh, I was going to an ATM and like my card wasn't working to like scan to the door. He was like, Oh, can I scan you in? And it was one of those, like, yeah, thank you. It was such a tiny gesture that for some reason I was like, nice guy, that's a good guy. That's why we need more in this world. Those little moments that can yeah, help people and just yeah, be a little breath of fresh air to do the pass the good gesture on. Yeah, what about you makes you happy?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. I think helping people is awesome. Like, it's a great way to uh not, I mean, it's selfish that it makes yourself feel good, but you're also helping others, so to win-win. Um, but also I'd say just getting outside in any way possible, whether like you're outside, you're in the mountains, the ocean, you're in the park, whatever, like going for a walk. I enjoy skiing, like getting out in the snow, camping, any sort of way to enjoy an outdoor activity. I'm there. That's what kind of keeps me going.
SPEAKER_02I'd argue also that like making yourself happy is making other people happy, and they're not perfectly intertwined, but oftentimes it's like if you are starting a club because it makes you happy, it's like that will give other people happiness. And I think there's a uh yeah, not a selfishness, but a purity in that of like, let me just go make me happy and it will lift everyone else by design. Uh so that's beautiful, guys. Thanks for taking the time to come chat. I appreciate y'all hanging out here. Thanks for having us. Uh yeah, it's great to have you all spin another episode of the happiness blueprint, friend. Have a good one.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for listening to the happiness blueprint, powered by GBM6.
SPEAKER_02It's about making people happy.