10 People That Inspire Me

Warning: This will be sentimental, with few to no surprises.

Professionally:

1. Seth Godin — Godin’s genius is in his clarity of thought. He has a unique ability to solve complex problems with simple solutions.
   (Recommended read: Purple Cow by Seth Godin)
2. David J Bland — I honestly can’t remember who recommended David Bland’s work to me, but I’m glad they did. Similar to Godin, David’s strength is in his clarity - in the obfuscating world of start ups his words are a breath of fresh air.
   (Recommended read: David’s Blog)
3. Jack Welch — I don’t agree with every tactic used by Welch but he was undoubtedly the driving force that turned GE into one of the most innovative companies in the world — a label that has endured long after he left the business.
   (Recommended read: Winning by Jack Welch)
4. Walt Disney — Like Welch at GE, Walt Disney’s legacy goes beyond him as an individual. His desire to touch people’s live is still evident in everything Disney does, even today.
   (Recommended read: Walt Disney by Neal Gabler)
5. Derek Sivers — Heard him on The Tim Ferris Show then bought his audiobook. Derek Sivers is a testament to the success that can be achieved when you put solving a problem at the very core of what you do. His approach to truly putting the customer first (even in counter-intuitive ways)is refreshing.
   (Recommended read: Anything You Want by Derek Sivers)

Personally:

1. My Son, Arlo — I know this is a little quaint but still… he remains my main source of motivation and inspiration (and anxiety if I’m honest). I constantly ask myself of my own actions, ‘Would I be proud of Arlo if he did/thought/said this?’ It helps.
2. Woody Allen — Not without controversy given his personal life, but it wouldn’t be an honest and complete list without him. His films had a lasting impact on me growing up and helped shape my view of the world. My favourite film of his is Crimes & Misdemeanors for the way it melds deep existential issues with Allen’s signature nebbish humour.
   (Recommended Watch: Take your pick, but a rarely talked about gem is Deconstructing Harry)
3. My parents — Again, it’s hard to clean the quaint from this one but it’s probably true for many of us. I came from fairly modest beginnings but what was always clear for me and my siblings was that we came first. My parents gave up so much to make sure we had what we needed. Not always what we wanted, but what we needed. I’ll always be grateful for that.
4. Sam Harris — Not to everyone’s taste, but I am consistently inspired by Harris’s commitment to logic and pragmatism. His detractors would probably point to a lack of emotion, but far from it… being righteous and virtuous are absolutely at the core of what he espouses.
   (Recommended listen: Harris’s podcast, Waking Up)
5. Christopher Hitchens — The world lost a great thinker, speaker and polemicist in 2011 when Hitchens died. Hitchens’ intellectual rigour was second to none and to watch him speak was both thrilling and educational in equal measures. An absolute heavyweight of the anti-theism movement and mischievous to boot. I miss him greatly.
   (Recommended read: God Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens)

Who inspires you? Who motivates you to be better? I’d love to hear your stories. Leave a comment below or hit the heart. Thanks for reading.