Craig Hatkoff is following his passion.  In this episode of the the infinite connection podcast he shares what that means to him and the impact it has those around him.

Let me start by saying that I was lucky enough to meet with Craig earlier this year when I was in New York on a business trip, and it happened through a serious of coincidences and connections.  I was introduced to Craig by somewhere that I had met a few days earlier during the trip. When I found out that he was a great friend of a previous guest of mine, Irwin Kula, then it seemed perfect for him to come on the show that explores and talks about connection (more of this later). I am delighted that he agreed, and this conversation is the result.

Craig talks of his traditional background, in which he went to business school before going into banking. However it is when Craig starts to talk of the point that where he felt something was missing and realised it was time to make a change, that the it really starts to get interesting.  How many of us have had similar emotions and experiences?  How many of us at this point would step out of the environment that we know, a place that we are very comfortable in? How many of us would take that step when we are not really sure what we want to do next? It seems to me that Craig was ready to explore the things that interested him.

This exploration has led to the writing of 13 childrens books, following his love of music and starting the Tribeca Film Festival with his wife Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro, following the events of September 11th. Craig admits that whilst the domains of banking and his new “career path†could not be further apart, many of the core business principles do translate, however it is his overarching passion of “innovation†that has kept him interested and things moving forward.

Craig talks of the 3 touchstones that he uses to get the juices flowing -

“Passion - if you don’t have a passion for what you are doing, then it doesn’t mean that you won’t be good at it, but it will be a different experienceâ€

“Curiosity - it is amazing how we can now begin a process of exploration on how the world worksâ€

“Purpose - it makes a difference when things have meaning or have a purposeâ€

He sums it up perfectly by saying -

“If you have a purpose , curiosity and passion, it will help you fill out that canvas called life. It may not look like a DaVinci but we are all painting our own storiesâ€

Ok, so we don’t all want to write childrens books, but look beyond the specific outcome and listen how Craig did not let his initial perception that you had to be “invited to the club†to be a writer stop him. His curiosity in how it all worked and what it would take, started him on the path. That, and his inability to find a book about having your tonsils out for his anxious and scared daughter (who was 5 years old at the time).  So whether you want to write a children's book or you have a passion for something else, listen to the lessons that Craig shares through his experience.

Craig’s books are stories of connection, and of relationships. This applies to many of the stories themselves, as they are non-fiction books about the true stories of young animals.  It also applies to the fact that he writes them with his daughters. I loved hearing the about the various sparks that ignite the interest in Craig or his daughters around a story, for example seeing the picture in the newspaper of a hippo snuggling with a giant tortoise. Where many of us would ooh and ahhh for moment before turning the page, with Craig the curiosity took over and there was desire to know more. It doesn’t stop there though, as we talk about the fact that connection is often multi-layered, so Craig and his daughter apply the “AWE principle†when reviewing a story. Does it contain Awe, Wonder & Enchantment? Does it pass the goosebumps test? It may be a great story, but if it doesn’t give you goosebumps when you hear or see it, then it won’t connect. I love this and can see me applying this to various aspects of my life. If you want see a little more about these heartwarming and “awe inspiring†stories then check out OwenandMzee.com

We discuss how each of these stories is about overcoming adversity and creating resilience. Now at this point I have to admit that it was actually another piece of Craig’s writing that I connected with first, and was instrumental in prompting that original meeting.  Whilst it is not a children’s book, to me it does seem to have the same theme of overcoming adversity and creating resilience. It was a speech that Craig gave as the Keynote speaker at NYU Stern Undergraduate Baccalaureate entitled “The Greatest Flops in Historyâ€. Do yourself a favour and take the few minutes you need to read it.

Craig explains that most successful people will talk about failure, and how you shouldn’t expect to see earth shattering inventions from people who are afraid to fail. If you are not prepared to take a risk, then maybe you will make a better manager than an inventor or entrepreneur.

Craig Hatkoff shares many nuggets of wisdom and lessons throughout this conversation, and I think it is one to revisit with a notepad and pen. Of course, different things will connect with different people but this is all part of becoming self aware. It is all part of understanding what you connect with and why, and more importantly what you can do with that information.  As Craig says -

“The act of doing, of taking action, is almost a meditationâ€

It doesn’t have to be an earth shattering action, it is just about moving things forward and making progress. Often the simple action is all it takes, as one thing leads to another and creates the connections.

So as this is a show of connections, I asked Craig who he suggests that I connect with for this show and why. It was a joy to hear him mention his best friend Irwin Kula, saying that he is the best person he knows to discuss connecting and connections. Of course, the reason it was a joy is the fact I have already spoken with Irwin for the show and I have to agree with Craig. In fact to bring this full circle, during our first ever meeting earlier in the year in New York, I was outlining the show to Craig and of all the episodes I could have selected I mentioned my conversation with Saul Kaplan of the Business Innovation Factory. It was at this point that Craig mentioned he had a friend who was a Rabbi who was connected to BIF.  I asked if he was called Irwin, as I had just confirmed the arrangements for him to come on the show. The rest is history.  What a small world.

I really love where this podcast has taken me, and the remarkable people I have had the pleasure of meeting, and look forward to the ongoing adventure. I am certainly looking forward to reaching out and connecting with Craigs other suggestion and recommendation that I speak with Clayton Christensen.  He describes him as the father of Disruptive Innovation and the man that both Craig and Irwin quote as effecting profound change in their lives.

Ok, there is so much more that is covered in this conversation, so take a listen and let me know what you think.

If you want to know more about Craig Hatkoff, then he suggests that you can google him - and he would be fascinated to know what you find out - or of course you can head over to the website TribecaDisruptiveInnovationAwards.com and see what you get curious, passionate, and purposeful about.