This past week has been transformational. As I work to build my business model for Successful Culture and develop strategies to bring you the best content and value in the most effective & actionable formats, I find myself in unfamiliar territory.

I’ve successfully built an exceptional brick-and-mortar organization that proudly serves 18 federal agencies as well as leaders in the private sector, employs true rock stars, and serves as a thought leader in the areas of education, human capital , interactive, and strategic communications.

I’ve scaled from nothing – after being told by a boss that I was worth less than $40,000 – to almost $20 million, and we’re still climbing.

And yet, I find myself back to Square One – working only with a vision, a clean slate, and a passion to build something extraordinary that is so strong, I can barely sleep.

“All learning has an emotional base.” ~Plato

It occurred to me this weekend after I attended Yanik Silver’s (http://www.yaniksilver.com/) Underground 8 Online Seminar that one of the primary reasons I am SO FIRED UP about my future is because I am on the LOWEST RUNG of what I call my Personal Learning Ladder™ (PLL). I immersed myself in 36 hours of non-stop learning, in an industry where I knew almost nothing before walking in those doors. I was one of the greenest novices in the room. I watched 25-30 outrageously successful entrepreneurs take the stage over a period of three days to share their strategies for building their businesses, and there was NOT ONE that told me what I already knew.

I can’t remember the last time I learned so much in such a short period of time.

“Man’s mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions.” ~Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

The closing keynote was Brendon Burchard (http://www.brendonburchard.com/) who is one of my heroes. Not only is his personal story of triumph so incredibly inspiring, but his passion and commitment to helping others build meaningful lives and businesses is rocket fuel for me. Brendon challenges all of us to live a life that allows us to answer YES to this one question: “Did I live? Did I love? Did I matter?”

I left Yanik’s Underground 8 filled with ideas, inspiration, and action plans to help me execute my vision of building the best Successful Culture possible which will help you build your best companies and lead your best lives. I connected with dozens of people who will remain in my life because they too are committed to living intentional lives, and live from a place of abundance and growth.

My growth this weekend will lead to your growth.

I challenge all of you reading this to ask yourself:

• Where am I on my Personal Learning Ladder™ (PLL)? On which rung do I sit?
• Have I reached the pinnacle of my learning? Am I in a place of comfort, familiarity – and soon to be complacency?
• Am I halfway up my ladder, still somewhat stimulated by the knowledge and people around me? Am I still feeling motivated to improve but not overly enthusiastic?
• Am I near the bottom of the ladder, excited every day about my journey and opportunity to learn and grow?

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” ~Alvin Toffler

Learning opportunities are all around us. We have unprecedented access to knowledge, people, and information that previously was unattainable. What are you doing to continue your learning and growth?

In the next few months, I will be rolling out a suite of tools and products to help you on your personal journey of learning and will lead you through the process to construct your Personal Learning Ladder™ (PLL). Until then, I challenge you to start thinking about the answers to the questions I posed today.

“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.” ~Peter Drucker