Ideas in the Wild: How John Walsh Aims To Help Students Becomes Standouts
Students and young professionals are growing up in the most amazing time in history but they are also facing more challenges, uncertainty, and competition than ever before.
The current education system and early career development do not prepare them for success and happiness across life’s many dimensions, nor does it help them be the one chosen in life’s most critical moments. They want to stand out, but they’re not sure how to do it.
That’s why John Walsh wrote The Standout Experience. He wants to provide students with the clarity, simplicity, and certainty that serve as the core foundations for success and happiness in life. John shares valuable ideas and advice from experts, mentors, and from his own journey, which is still ongoing, in the hopes it will change perspectives and raise awareness. I recently caught up with John to learn about what inspired this book and the ideas behind it.
What happened that made you decide to write the book? What was the exact moment when you realized these ideas needed to get out there?
There wasn’t a specific moment that drove me to write this book. I have always enjoyed personal development, leadership, and making a positive difference in the lives of others.
The more that I talked with others about the challenges students and young professionals face today, the opportunity that we have to help and the vision that I had for what we could do together, the more encouragement and support I got to chase that vision. So, here we are.
What’s your favorite specific, actionable idea in the book?
My favorite idea is the step-by-step playbook that “The Standout Experience” is based on. When I looked back on my own journey from being homeless in high school to becoming a senior executive with Disney and Madison Square Garden, I realized that this is the process that I used to overcome the challenges that we all face in our career and in life.
I wanted to codify the process and provide a proven way to help others find their own success and happiness. However, I also wanted to do it in a way that was clear to understand, simple to follow and flexible enough to allow the reader to make it their own.
This playbook idea accomplishes both.
What’s a story of how you’ve applied this idea in your own life? What has this lesson done for you?
I recently left a high-level, senior executive role in New York City to move back to Florida with my family and launch a startup company aimed at helping students and young professionals succeed early and often in their career and in life. This was a difficult decision for me but it was made easier by three key lessons I’ve learned. First, success is holistic and you can’t enjoy life if you are only doing well in certain aspects of it. Money and titles only go so far. Second, you have to take a chance on what you really want to do sometimes. Life is way too short. Third, true happiness comes from having a positive impact on others. I hope my story is an inspiration for others to follow their own dreams and make a difference in the world.
