Episode breakdown
Barbara Turley, CEO of The Virtual Hub, talks about her passion for skiing and how it plays a role into her career running a company and challenging yourself towards mastering a certain skill!
- How Barbara Turley got into skiing
- How Barbara’s passion for skiing has impacted her career
- Talking about skiing at work
- Building the culture at The Virtual Hub
- You can’t help everyone
"I’ll ski for two hours and I’ll come down, I’m on fire, like my ideas, my division, my whole energy system has changed and it’s just vitally important that we give in to it and do it"
In this episode
00:05 Introduction and Podcast Overview
Barbara Turley introduces herself and her appearance on the podcast. John Garrett welcomes listeners to episode 347, explains the podcast’s concept of exploring hobbies and passions outside of work, and plugs his book related to the theme.
01:24 Rapid-Fire Questions
Barbara answers a series of fun, quick questions to reveal her personality, preferences, and quirks, including favorite colors, breakfast choices, tech preferences, and more.
04:54 Getting into Skiing and Outdoor Adventures
Barbara discusses her journey into skiing, starting in her 20s while living in Ireland, a place without a skiing culture at the time. A skiing trip with a boyfriend ignited her passion for the sport.
07:10 Living in Ski Destinations and Making the Dream a Reality
She shares her experience of moving from Australia to Chamonix, France, with her husband, fulfilling a long-held dream to live and work in the mountains and ski more regularly.
08:39 Skiing in Australia and New Zealand
Barbara talks about her surprise at discovering skiing opportunities in Australia and describes her experiences skiing in various places including New Zealand and different resorts near Melbourne.
09:13 Individual Sports and Leadership Skills
Reflecting on how her passion for individual sports like skiing, tennis, and horse riding has influenced her leadership style, Barbara discusses the value of mastering individual skills and how that pursuit of mastery helps in building and leading high-performing teams at her company.
11:44 The Role of Mastery in Individual Sports
Barbara discusses how skiing, tennis, horse riding, and yoga are difficult to master and require persistence, which has taught her discipline and the value of self-improvement. She connects this mindset to business, emphasizing the importance of focusing on self-growth rather than obsessing over competitors.
13:20 Importance of Disconnecting for Rejuvenation
Barbara reflects on the importance of stepping away from work to recharge, sharing how activities like yoga and skiing rejuvenate her and enhance her productivity and creativity. She emphasizes the need to truly disconnect rather than taking short breaks that don’t fully reset the mind.
14:56 Sharing Personal Interests at Work
Barbara talks about how discussing personal interests like scuba diving or yoga at work creates stronger connections. She contrasts her current remote setup with her earlier corporate experiences where sharing hobbies was more common.
15:32 Connecting with Employees Through Shared Interests
Barbara explains her desire to learn about her employees’ passions and “ands” to create deeper, more human connections in the workplace. She highlights how this approach fosters engagement and builds rapport across the organization.
17:10 Skiing vs. Snowboarding and Enjoyment Over Mastery
Barbara shares her hesitation about switching from skiing to snowboarding due to the learning curve and her desire to enjoy the sport. John shares his experience learning snowboarding later in life and how it suited his background better.
18:25 Creating a Culture That Supports the Whole Person
Barbara delves into her philosophy that companies should support employees as whole people, not just workers. She explains how the Virtual Hub emphasizes personal development and wellness, with training that goes beyond technical skills.
21:31 Recruiting Aligned Individuals
Barbara outlines her company’s revised recruitment strategy, which focuses on hiring people who align with the company’s core values and are proactive about their own growth. She uses the metaphor of “saving those who swim toward us” to illustrate selecting candidates who are engaged and eager.
23:00 Nurturing Passion to Improve Work and Life
Barbara and John discuss how pursuing personal passions can improve all areas of life, including work. Barbara advises listeners not to ignore hobbies for the sake of work, but instead to use them to energize and gain clarity.
24:25 Final Rapid-Fire and Podcast Wrap-Up
In a role reversal, Barbara asks John a few fun questions, including his preferences for powder vs. groomed slopes and books vs. podcasts. They wrap up the episode with light banter and mutual appreciation.
