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The Stories and Identities of People and Organizations with Sam Coates

What makes you get up every day and do your best work? It’s motivation that drives you to do what you do each day. It keeps you pushing through the obstacles that get in your way. However, not everyone can determine what drives them. Some are still searching for their deeper reasons, while others have lost them over time. If you don’t know what drives you, you may find yourself unable to do your best work, stagnating, and afraid to take risks.

Sam Coates slowly lost his drive over time, but he eventually found his answers through the stories of other people. In this episode of Seek Go Create, Sam joins Tim to dive into what you can learn from the untold stories of people. They talk also about why telling your story can help you find the right people for your business. Learn from Sam’s ups and downs and how he pursued what he’s driven to do, no matter the risks.

Tune in to hear Sam’s journey and be inspired by his passion for sharing the lives of driven trailblazers!

3 Reasons to Listen:

Be inspired by Sam’s story and how he discovered his drive.
Learn when to keep an eye out for risks and when to take a risk.
Discover what keeps you motivated.

Resources

Visit the Seek Go Create website for show notes, resources, and more!
Check out the Driven By Podcast by Sam Coates
Driven By Podcast Episode Recommendations
Drew Holcomb | Start-up Hustle, The End Game, Thick Skin, Identity, Imposter Syndrome, Contentment, and More
“I Have to Start Here?” with Geoff Calkins
Dead Or Alive, You’re Coming Home. Why We All Want Closure with Justin LeHew from History Flight
We Were Built For This with Pat Lawler
Connect with Sam on his website

About Sam

Sam Coates hosts Driven By Podcast which tells the stories of what drives people to do the work they do. Each episode is a conversation that dives into leaders, trailblazers, and driven people about their deeper reasons. Sam helps them tell their stories, the risks they’ve taken, their values, and learnings for others to hear and learn from.

Sam is also the founder of Driven By Productions, where he produces private and public interviews for companies all over the States. They interview business leaders and tell the stories of the businesses they’ve built. He helps his clients share their messages with those who need to hear them.

Connect with Sam and find out more about what drives him on his website.

Episode Highlights

[02:08] What Drives Sam

Sam produces interviews that share who people are at their core. He captures the stories of corporations, companies, and individuals to inspire others.
He started a business in college that he ended up selling in 2019. He’s still an entrepreneur to this day.
Sam’s interest lies in connecting with other people. He’s in the flow when he’s talking to someone and drawing out their stories.
Podcasting is much more than just having conversations. Despite the challenges, he wants to keep on doing what he enjoys.

[08:16] The Stories of Corporations

Sam started his podcast in June 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
After an interview with a company’s co-founder, they wanted him to make a podcast for them. It would share the story and the culture of the company with its many employees.
Sam then started to work with different clients on different projects.
He also monitors metrics. With the right analytics, you can measure profitability, engagements, and more.

[12:15] What People’s Stories Tell You

There’s something about people who want to be in their workplace that leads them to excel.
He looks into what drives a person and how it’s part of something bigger.
Stories create a sense of community. A person’s story can contribute to finding the right people for a business.
It’s important to look at people and honor their skills. Sharing their stories allows other people to learn.

[15:41] “[People] have something inside of them that makes them want to be a part of that company. And even though that company is trying to make money and grow, they do love their people. I get to tell the stories that reflect that.” - Click Here To Tweet This

[17:59] Identity as a Foundation

The identity of an organization is foundational. Sam helps people share their identities through his work.
The identity of a company matches the personality and values of its founder. You can learn more about an organization by understanding the founder.
He works with founder- and non-founder-led organizations.

[26:27] Sam’s Story

Sam was born, raised, and is currently living in Memphis. He started his lawn mowing business in 2009, and it was thriving by 2012.
Hiring good people and leveraging their skills enabled their team to do good work. For him, it was fun to grow the business and make people happy with their service.
In the past, Sam’s family went bankrupt. He became wary of the risks and possibility of failure in life.
Sam started losing energy and passion to work. He ended up with many losses and had to sell his landscaping company.
He now has his drive back, working hard to tell people’s stories.
Sam is a follower of Christ. He firmly believes that God has a plan for his life.

[31:45] “It was like a switch changed . . . I was trying to do it, but it felt forced.” - Click Here To Tweet This

[37:13] Building a Business

Businesses will always have risks. His experiences encouraged him to watch the numbers closely and be careful when making decisions.
Sam prays for open doors to the right way and closed doors to the wrong ones.
Building his business has taken risks, time, and effort. Despite the challenges, he wants to continue to serve people, build great relationships and make a difference.
Don’t get too wrapped up in your ideas and emotions. Look outside of yourself for the help and guidance you need.

[43:34] Taking Risks at Work

Running a podcast comes with a lot of worries and hesitation. Sam watches his risk closely and pushes through by taking advantage of open doors.
There will always be a risk. However, the skills and knowledge he gained will stay with him even if his business runs dry.
Sam also makes sure to work with people who work hard and are compatible with his personality.
He’s encouraged by the work he does, which honors and serves others. Sam is more willing to take risks for them despite his initial hesitation.
There are a lot of opportunities for people willing to do great work and do the right thing.

[48:48] “I think there's a lot of opportunity for people that are willing to just get after and do great work and try to do the right thing.” - Click Here To Tweet This

[49:43] The Stories from Driven By

Driven By currently has 77 episodes. Altogether, Sam has done close to 300 conversations.
Sam sometimes gets stuck comparing his past failures with the successes of his friends. He needs to release this insecurity to do what he does best.
One principle he learned from his conversations in Driven By is to love, focus, and hone your craft.
He also found that it’s the people who have experienced pain and adversity that can cut through the noise. Their experience with brokenness has revealed their wholeness.
Find out more lessons Sam learned through Driven By and his guests when you tune in to the full episode.

[55:32] “It essentially broke their personality. And then you see the beauty and the wholeness that’s who they are.” - Click Here To Tweet This

[58:09] How Driven By Came to Be

Sam started his podcast during the pandemic. He saw the difference between people who committed to their work and impact versus the people who weren’t.
When the pandemic hit, Sam felt like it was the end of the world. However, there were still people who kept pushing through and working against the pandemic.
He wanted to find out what drives these people. He wanted to know how he could be focused and driven like them.
Check out the resources section for Sam’s recommended Driven By episodes.

[01:00:50] “It was essentially my own curiosity to understand why other people were driven in the ways that they were.” - Click Here To Tweet This

Enjoy the Podcast?

Seek Go Create is for anyone seeking excellence, moving towards success, or creating something new. We share topics, stories, and conversations that allow us to rethink how we live, work, and lead. The journey goes on, but through kindness, grace, and a creative soul, it will be worth the walk!

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To growing and becoming all we are created to be,

Tim