Gratitude Through Hard Times

"Those who can't do are good hype men for others." This simple principle serves as the heartbeat for a life dedicated to authentic human depth. In a world optimized for digital efficiency and "frictionless" convenience, the true currency of a meaningful life remains the unscalable power of independent thought, presence, and intentional effort.

In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, Chris Schembra explores the growing cultural movement of human connection, proactive resilience, and the universal language that unites us. Cris Burnam shares insights from his personal journey, including navigating a life-changing career evolution since pivoting from corporate agriculture to a transformative year in Japan in 1982, executing intense multi-billion-dollar real estate transactions, and the long road to paying forward the lessons of grit and character learned from his parents, Gordon and Mickey. Together, the conversation dives into how we show up for others, the power of surrounding ourselves with people who challenge us, and how leaning into creative outlets outside the boardroom can fundamentally alter our perspectives.

10 Memorable Quotes:

"In business, you're either moving forward or you're going backward. There's no treading water."

"Dad was basically a serial entrepreneur, and we counted up over 35 different businesses that he was in... Now, he only made money in a couple of them."

"She said that she could pick 100 pounds of cotton in a morning at their own fields before she was allowed to go over and pick for money in the neighbor's fields."

"I woke up and I realized that I was not gonna get to where I wanted to be if I didn't do something to distinguish myself."

"That's kind of when I realized that I had to do things for myself, and that maybe climbing the corporate ladder was not the career path for me."

"We stopped off at a gas station and bought a 12-pack and drank it on the way home, strategizing about what comes next."

"Nobody ever really wants to rent a storage unit. They do it because they have to. So how do we make ourselves a little more memorable, a little more fun?"

"I constantly feel that I don't have to invent anything. I just have to innovate what's there and make it the best it can be."

"I always go back to curiosity, 'cause that tells me that it's somebody who knows how to learn, who wants to learn."

"If you ask me what one of my deepest fears are, it's retirement 'cause I'm not sure I can handle that. I feel like I still have like one more big deal in me."

10 Key Takeaways:

The Test of Truth Tellers: Why surrounding yourself with realists who check you and challenge your ideas is infinitely better than building an inner circle of "yes people" who let you wander in a thousand directions.

The Dreamer and the Realist Balance: Understanding the ultimate family and operational synergy created by combining a curious, creative idea person with a grounded, practical realist.

The Transition from Analog to Digital: How the rise of automated platforms and AI is atrophying critical human muscles like radical curiosity and our basic willingness to listen to one another.

Dismantling Structural Silos: Breaking away from transactional customer relations by injecting cheeky humor, satire, and unapologetic color into an otherwise boring and rigid industry.

The "Three-Letter Word" Framework: Defeating corporate "calcification" by using gallows humor, adopting an A/B test mentality, and leaning into a "Win The Future" approach when faced with immediate crisis.

Grit at the Dinner Table: Reclaiming the narrative of hard work by looking to foundational role models who understand the relentless, grinding effort required before chasing a reward.

The Tyranny of the OR vs. The Genius of the AND: Learning that world-class leadership requires balancing business-minded curiosity with a deeply empathetic capacity to stop talking and truly listen.

Failing Fast with Guidance: Why navigating massive, sudden transaction collapses under intense pressure alongside trusted "wingmen" is the ultimate vehicle for long-term relational and corporate survival.

The Core Value of Peer Review: Recognizing that "perception is reality" in business, making it vital to step into the field, wander your competitors' floors, and experience what people actually think.

Curiosity Maxing and the Renaissance Ideal: Shifting the goalposts of success from purely financial metrics to building a balanced life filled with intentional wandering and raising multi-dimensional individuals.

About our Guest:

Cris Burnam is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of StorageMart, the world's largest privately-owned self-storage company. Alongside his brother Mike, Cris co-founded the enterprise in 1999, building a formidable four-generation family business out of Columbia, Missouri that now manages over $10 billion in assets. Dedicated to the self-storage industry since 1987, Cris has grown the portfolio to more than 250 locations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Throughout his tenure, Cris has overseen more than $8 billion in self-storage transactions. His strategic vision has driven landmark industry moves, including a 2008 expansion that brought 60+ Canadian properties into StorageMart, a 2016 push into the United Kingdom to acquire the country's fifth-largest storage company, and the massive 2021 acquisition of Manhattan Mini Storage. Valued at more than $3 billion across 17 premium NYC locations, the Manhattan Mini deal holds the record as the largest single transaction in the history of the self-storage industry.

A highly decorated corporate leader, Cris was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year for the Central Midwest in 2014, received the Better Business Bureau's Torch Award, and was twice honored as a CEO of the Year by CEO Today Magazine in both 2020 and 2021. He is a frequent industry voice in top-tier publications like Forbes and Entrepreneur.

Before building his real estate empire, Cris laid his groundwork through unconventional paths. After realizing a standard corporate climb wasn't his trajectory, he left college to study Japanese business at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan in 1982—an era when Japan Inc. was poised to take over the global market. There, he embraced the mindset of Ganbatte (to attack, charge forward, and do your absolute best). He went on to earn a B.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri and worked as a commodity trader managing millions of dollars for agricultural giant Cargill in California before stepping into the family business during a massive structural reorganization. Today, the family legacy stands stronger than ever, extending to his son Alex, who serves as Senior Acquisitions Analyst, carrying forward the foundational work begun by Cris's late father and StorageMart patriarch, Gordon Burnam.

"Those who can't do are good hype men for others." This simple principle serves as the heartbeat for a life dedicated to authentic human depth. In a world optimized for digital efficiency and "frictionless" convenience, the true currency of a meaningful life remains the unscalable power of independent thought, presence, and intentional effort.

In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, Chris Schembra explores the growing cultural movement of human connection, proactive resilience, and the universal language that unites us. Samantha Wolfson shares insights from her personal journey, including navigating a life-changing career evolution since moving to Amsterdam in 2017, executing intense top-tier tech launches at Wieden+Kennedy, and the long road to paying forward the lessons of grit and character learned from her father, Steven. Together, the conversation dives into how we show up for others, the power of surrounding ourselves with people who challenge us, and how leaning into creative outlets outside the boardroom can fundamentally alter our perspectives.

10 Memorable Quotes:

"He is the reason I have become a pit bull in some areas and can be very soft in others because I see that is how he can both engage and react to the people around him."

"Never did I think that could actually become such a quintessential part of my career."

"I want every woman that's coming to not know each other. Just bring a bottle of wine and I will cook the food."

"You don't have to trade a life that looks good on paper for a good life around the dinner table. It's an and, not or."

"The moment you stop is when you'll fall into the trap of thinking you can do it all by yourself."

"Growth starts at those points of like, 'Ooh, I don't know how I feel about that.'"

"Who's at the table is as important as who's not at the table."

"There's no value in what's been said. There's only value in what's being unsaid."

"Community is the hardest thing to build because there is, for the most part, not crazy financial gain behind it."

"Hard work breeds luck, and I definitely live by that."

10 Key Takeaways:

The Test of Truth Tellers: Why surrounding yourself with an executive team and community that pressure-tests your ideas is infinitely better than building an inner circle of enablers.

Six is the Gate: Understanding the tactical benefit of keeping meetings and gatherings to exactly six women so that everyone has an active voice, safety, and a real seat at the table.

The Transition from Analog to Digital: How navigating high-intensity tech rollouts like the Ray-Ban Meta glasses exposed the deep human exhaustion behind the corporate digital push.

Dismantling Structural Silos: Breaking away from transactional networking by designing spaces where professionals connect over shared human truths rather than industry metrics.

The "Three-Letter Word" Framework: Cultivating deep conversation by refusing to counter someone's story with your own anecdote, choosing instead to simply ask "why?" to uncover what is unsaid.

Grit at the Dinner Table: Reclaiming the narrative of hard work by looking to foundational role models, including Steven Wolfson's lessons on listening, character formation, and absolute abundance.

The Tyranny of the OR vs. The Genius of the AND: Learning that world-class leadership requires balancing binary traits, integrating logical business goals with emotional human connections.

Failing Fast with Guidance: Why moving forward through a community's hard times and "imperfect dinners" under strong internal resolve is the only real vehicle for long-term relational success.

The Core Value of Peer Review: Recognizing that even in an automated, AI-driven environment, verified human connection and peer-reviewed credibility remain irreplaceable.

Mudita and Pro-Social Gratitude: Shifting away from keeping score to actively finding joy in the achievements of others, which ultimately drives collective organizational momentum.

About our Guest:

Samantha (Sam) Wolfson is the founder of & the Table, a global dinner platform that brings ambitious women together around a shared meal. The platform operates on a distinct format: six women who have never met, three courses, one host-chosen theme, and a strict rule that everyone shows up completely alone. What began in 2022 as just five open spots at her Amsterdam apartment quickly went viral, drawing more than 500 applications in its very first open round. Today, & the Table has built a robust global presence, empowering more than 75 hosts in over 10 countries, spanning from Nigeria to Spain to Hungary.

A Philadelphia native, Sam studied Media, Culture, and Communications at New York University before launching into the music industry, where she spent years on the road producing branded sponsorships for major music festivals across Mexico, Australia, and beyond as an account manager at LiveStyle, Inc. After falling for Amsterdam during a work trip, she relocated there permanently in 2017 and transitioned into advertising. She served as an Account Director at world-class agencies Wieden + Kennedy and TBWA\NEBOKO, leading global campaigns for heavyweights like Airbnb, Samsung, Ray-Ban, and Adidas.

Before scaling & the Table into a full platform, she honed the concept as "Sam's Dinners"—her personal hosting practice designed to meet other women and build deep connections in a new city. Outside of her dinner platform, Sam is also the co-founder of the card game WHAT ARE THE ODDS, and frequently shares her insights as a speaker at events like the Self-Made Summit in the Netherlands. She currently lives in west Amsterdam with her partner and her dog.

"The best man on the floor is actually a woman." This simple principle serves as the heartbeat for a life dedicated to authentic human depth. In a world optimized for digital efficiency and "frictionless" convenience, the true currency of a meaningful life remains the unscalable power of independent thought, presence, and intentional effort.

In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, Philip Greer explores the growing cultural movement of human connection, proactive resilience, and the universal language that unites us. Philip shares insights from his personal journey, including navigating a life-changing career evolution since joining the firm in 2005 as a software engineer, building the company's first content management system, and the long road to paying forward the lessons of grit learned from his mother, Sherry. Together, the conversation dives into how we show up for others, the power of surrounding ourselves with people who challenge us, and how leaning into creative outlets outside the boardroom can fundamentally alter our perspectives.

10 Memorable Quotes:

"There was no position that was beneath her, but also no position was the ceiling."

"Sometimes they say no because systems are built that way, but that doesn't mean the answer is no."

"The bookkeeping of benefits is simple. It's all an expenditure. We give for the sake of giving. We do not keep score."

"I have so much belief that if we keep saying the bad ones, the good ones will come to the top."

"The more you congratulate others, the more they'll end up congratulating you."

"The best man is a woman, and it's her right there."

"Limitations are what created limitless belief."

"I want to be able to solve problems that people say can't be solved."

"We must step out of the Tyranny of the or and step into the genius of the and."

"Just go out there and congratulate some people today."

10 Key Takeaways:

The Test of Truth Tellers: Why surrounding yourself with an executive team and community that pressure-tests your ideas is infinitely better than building an inner circle of enablers.

Eight is the Gate: Understanding the tactical benefit of keeping meetings and task forces to eight people or less so that everyone has an active voice and a seat at the table.

The Transition from Analog to Digital: How leveraging a software engineering background allowed Philip to modernize a global data platform away from fax machines and phone calls.

Dismantling Structural Silos: The strict rule that task forces must pull from multiple departments—such as research, engineering, sales, and finance—to achieve true cross-pollination.

The "Tuesday Talks" Framework: Cultivating a transparent culture through monthly, small-group touchpoints that openly address what's working, what's failing, and high-level strategy.

Grit on the Factory Floor: Reclaiming the narrative of hard work by looking to foundational role models, including Philip's mother breaking barriers in military transit and heavy manufacturing.

The Tyranny of the OR vs. The Genius of the AND: Learning that world-class leadership requires balancing binary traits, integrating logical business goals with emotional human connections.

Failing Fast with Guidance: Why moving forward and making quick mistakes under strong mentorship is a better vehicle for success than remaining frozen by the fear of limits.

The Core Value of Peer Review: Recognizing that even in an automated, AI-driven environment, verified human connection and peer-reviewed credibility remain irreplaceable.

Mudita and Pro-Social Gratitude: Shifting away from keeping score to actively finding joy in the achievements of others, which ultimately drives collective organizational momentum.

About our Guest:

Phillip Greer is the CEO of Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review resource for top talent in the legal profession. He has driven the company's continual evolution since joining in 2005, originally as a software engineer. By tapping into his engineering background, he built the company's first content management system and led the transition, in his own words, "from analog to digital." He was named President in 2013 and CEO in 2018.

Under Phil's leadership, Best Lawyers has solidified its reputation as a market leader and innovator, processing millions of peer-review votes each year and powering rankings that are syndicated by partner publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Handelsblatt in Germany, and the Australian Financial Review. He has led international expansion strategies that bring Best Lawyers recognition to attorneys and firms in markets including the United States, Canada, Australia, Spain, and Germany.

Phil is a graduate of Augusta University and is based in North Augusta, South Carolina. A lifelong musician, he writes and performs music with his family (most recently with his daughter) and is a frequent supporter of his son's musical theater and dance productions. His perspective on leadership and disruption has been featured in Authority Magazine's "Meet The Disruptors" series and on Gina Rubel's "On Record PR" podcast, where his episode was the #1 downloaded of 2023.

"At the end of the day, that's what we do. I mean, that's our job... we're professional helpers." This simple principle serves as the heartbeat for a life dedicated to authentic human depth. In a world optimized for digital efficiency and "frictionless" convenience, the true currency of a meaningful life remains the unscalable power of independent thought, presence, and intentional effort.

In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, Chris Caldwell explores the growing cultural movement of human connection, healing, and the unexpected ways community anchors our lives. Chris shares insights from his personal journey, including navigating his rise from a part-time teller to the CEO of a historic community bank, the critical behind-the-scenes support of his wife Bettie, and his deep-seated commitment to paying forward success through active volunteerism. Together, the conversation dives into how we show up for others during challenging times, the power of people who challenge us, and how a chance commitment to local service can bring an entire community to life.

10 Memorable Quotes:

"If there’s an opportunity to be part of a conversation about gratitude... sign me up. I’m all for it."

"When you understand that your job is to do more than just take a deposit to make a loan—it is to be an integral part of our community—that’s when we excel our best."

"At the end of the day, that’s what we do. I mean, that’s our job... we’re professional helpers."

"I can’t force others, I can’t change others, but I can have the courage to change how I show up, and the wisdom to know the difference."

"If you don't take care of your customers, someone else will."

"There are people out there that are willing to give up their time, the most expensive thing we have, and volunteer."

"She is my biggest cheerleader. I wouldn't be where I am today without her support."

"We want to make sure that we're there for them through the good times and the bad times."

"Community is in our name, so we better do it right."

"Go thank someone in your life, but do it the inconvenient way. Sit down and write a letter rather than just clicking a button to sending a gift card."

10 Key Takeaways:

The Character Test of Leadership: Why surrounding yourself with people who challenge you and say the hard things is infinitely better than building an inner circle of enablers.

The Evolution of a Community Banker: Understanding the stark reality of early career growth, where starting as a part-time teller teaches you the foundational value of frontline human interactions.

The Power of Behind-the-Scenes Support: Recognizing the profound impact of spouses and loved ones whose quiet, proactive baseline contributions keep leaders grounded and supported.

Active Volunteerism vs. Writing a Check: Dealing with the heart-centered shift from merely donating money to physically getting out into the field, proving that true community connection requires active presence.

The Value of Leading by Example: Processing the realization that you cannot force a charitable mindset onto others; instead, you must consistently model the behavior to inspire your team.

Balancing the Old and the New: Reclaiming the narrative around technological advancement by ensuring digital innovation (like AI) never replaces the human desire to "see and be seen" by someone you trust.

Sympathy vs. Presence: Learning that showing up for a community in crisis requires skipping transactional interactions and simply sitting with people to understand their immediate needs.

Bypassing the Corporate Script: A look at how unexpected, vulnerable bonds form when leaders choose to skip fiscal policy talk and instead lean directly into conversations about human gratitude.

The Inconvenient Path of Gratitude: How breaking past personal convenience to write a handwritten letter rather than sending a digital gift card can fundamentally alter the energy of a relationship.

The Micro-Intervention of Trust: How breaking past systemic corporate barriers to prioritize local relationships allows a business to become a true sanctuary for the people it serves.

About our Guest:

Growing up with a deep appreciation for local connection shaped the foundation of Chris Caldwell's work ethic and sense of purpose. As a dedicated leader in the banking industry with over 30 years of experience, he learned early the value of hard work, resilience, and the tradition of contributing to what you build together. Those early experiences—alongside holding advanced degrees in history from Manchester and Ohio Universities and an MBA from Anderson University—instilled in him a deep appreciation for perseverance, lifelong learning, and creating a meaningful life rooted in community.

After entering the financial workforce, Chris discovered a lasting passion for connecting with people within the community banking space across Indiana and Vermont. What began as an early career in commercial banking and business consulting evolved into a fulfilling leadership path, culminating in his role as President and CEO of Community Bancorp and Community National Bank. Dedicated to being both a steward and advocate for the regions he serves, Chris actively believes relationships are at the heart of meaningful work. Outside of his career, he stays involved in his community by serving on the boards of the Green Mountain United Way and Manchester University, championing a culture of gratitude as a core leadership practice, and enjoying life in Newport, Vermont, with his wife Bettie.

"You are always a student, never a master." This simple principle serves as the heartbeat for a life dedicated to authentic human depth. In a world optimized for digital efficiency and "frictionless" convenience, the true currency of a meaningful life remains the unscalable power of independent thought, presence, and intentional effort.

 

In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, Sandra Lopez explores the growing cultural movement of human connection, healing, and the unexpected ways we tune back into our personal truths. Sandra shares insights from her personal journey, including navigating a high-stakes executive career at tech giants like Intel, Adobe, and Microsoft, confronting a pivotal 360-feedback review that labeled her a "robot," and utilizing the forced pause of the COVID-19 pandemic to embark on a radical road of self-discovery through Kabbalah. Together, the conversation dives into how we show up for our teams with deep empathy, the power of using technology as a contrarian force, and how choosing a messy, non-traditional path allows leaders to trade superficial ego validation for lasting, soul-led growth.

 

10 Memorable Quotes:

"Business is business, and you keep your personal life separate."

"Until, you know, maybe two years into, uh, my management, I got my 360 feedback, and, feedback is a gift."

"One of my team members said, 'I don't know Sandra. She seems to be like a robot.'"

"A good leader delivers results, but how do you become a great leader? And the great leader is the understanding that we are all humans."

"The greatest gift that I get isn't my bonus. It's the little emails that I get..."

"I'm 53 and I would say most of my lifespan, was probably giving gratitude very superficially."

"Am I doing this for my ego or am I doing this for my soul? And that's a very hard transition actually."

"The soul responds to the soul. So when, if you're starting your own business and you really focus on what's the soul of the company... Humans are gonna respond to that."

"The moments, the hardest moments of my life was when I saw exponential growth."

"Be delusionally... Be delusional about finding your soul. How's that? DeLulo"

10 Key Takeaways:

The Character Test of Feedback: Why embracing uncomfortable 360-degree reviews and extracting truth from critical peer assessments is infinitely better than building an inner circle of enablers.

Good vs. Great Leadership: Understanding the stark reality of corporate metrics, where delivering OKRs only makes you a good leader, while a great leader prioritizes the unscalable human-to-human capacity.

The Hidden Debt of the Ego: Recognizing the profound impact of modern business systems and digital platforms like LinkedIn, which function as machines engineered to feed external images rather than internal truths.

The Evolving Rules of Tech: Dealing with the modern reality of AI engagement, choosing to use technology strictly as a contrarian tool to challenge strategic blind spots rather than a superficial echo chamber to validate existing bias.

The Value of Trailing Humans: Processing the bittersweet realization that while tools can assist operations, chatbots lack a conscience, meaning true personal breakthroughs require stepping away from screens to converse with a real human being.

Remembering COVID's Gift: Reclaiming the narrative around global and personal hardships by extending genuine gratitude to a crisis that forced a necessary internal pause and deep ancestral self-discovery.

Systemic vs. Soul Presence: Learning that showing up authentically requires skipping rigid, traditional expectations of how leaders "should" live or format their personal partnerships and spaces.

Sitting in the SAVERS Routine: A look at how intentional daily habits form resilience, utilizing quiet mornings dedicated to silence, gratitude, visualization, exercise, contrarian reading, and scribing.

Certainty and Intuition: How dialing into your core intuition prompts people to pause, providing an unshakeable confidence that overrides logical fears when making massive career pivots.

The Micro-Intervention of the Zag: How breaking past a commoditized, fast-paced, and highly automated corporate landscape to bring the purposeful messiness of the soul back into business is the ultimate competitive advantage.

About our Guest:

Growing up with a relentless work ethic shaped the foundation of Sandra Lopez's purpose-driven approach to leadership. Guided by the personal philosophy that "you are always a student, never a master," she learned early that true wisdom requires a lifelong commitment to unlearning, learning, and continuously putting one foot in front of the other, no matter how grueling the path becomes. Raised to appreciate the delicate balance between high-stakes profit metrics and a deep responsibility to give back, those early values instilled in her a lasting dedication to community advocacy, representation, and leading with radical transparency.

After entering the technology workforce, Sandra discovered a deep passion for driving corporate transformation at an elite level, spending over twenty years holding executive and leadership roles at iconic global brands including Intel, Adobe, and serving as the former CMO of Microsoft Advertising. What began as a traditional path focused on hard business outcomes evolved into a fulfilling calling as the CEO of Ambi Ventures, where she partners with ambitious businesses to provide elite fractional CMO services, advisory expertise, and investments. Dedicated to being an active advocate for Latina executives across America and serving as a co-chair for the World Economic Forum's AR/VR Model Commission, Sandra believes that integrating empathy and humanity into corporate spaces is at the heart of meaningful growth. Outside of her advisory career, she stays actively involved in exploring diverse spiritual and mindfulness practices like Kabbalah, prioritizing intentional morning routines, and inspiring the next generation of leaders to look past the ego to connect deeply with their soul's true purpose.