Kick off!

Hello! My name is Mary Lou Kayser and this is the introduction to the Play Your Position Podcast.

In today’s show, I will share my story with you about why I decided to create this podcast, as well as lay the groundwork for what to expect in upcoming shows. I’m very excited about this journey, and I’m grateful you’re joining me on it!

So let’s dive right in!

For starters, I grew up listening. I’ve always loved radio. I’ve always loved audio. I’m a huge NPR and podcast junkie and to this day, I prefer listening to books than reading them, although don’t get me wrong: I love reading, too. There’s just something so intimate and personal about listening to something, especially stories.

When I was a sophomore in high school, my great uncle Bill told me I had a great “radio voice.” I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but I’ve never forgotten it so when 2014 rolled around, part of my mission for the year was to be more generous with people in my circle of influence and podcasting was a natural fit for accomplishing that. I love conversation, I love people, and I love sharing great stories. Podcasting allows me to do all three.

Move the Chains

We are living in a world where choices have never been greater. The Internet alone has opened up options today that were unimaginable only a few short years ago. Disruption is the name of the game these days and while all these changes and new opportunities are exciting, a fall out of having too many choices is it’s far too easy anymore to hop from one thing to another and never really master anything – jobs, relationships, hobbies, etc.  A growing trend is people falling into the trap of believing you have to play a bunch of different positions to be successful, but that’s simply not true.

Mastery remains the secret key to unlocking the door to a life well-lived, and that’s what I’m most interested in.

Celebrating people who exemplify mastery and leadership, in other words, people who play their positions and never apologize for it, is one of the biggest reasons I created PYP.

The term Play Your Position comes from the sports world and because I love sports, especially football, I thought it was a natural way to frame my show.

If you’ve ever watched a championship team, you see players who know what position they are supposed to play. The quarterback trains to be the quarterback. The linebacker trains to be the linebacker. The team works and wins games because everyone is clear about his respective position and doesn’t try to be something he’s not.

Now this isn’t to say that at times, we are forced either by circumstance or by choice to have to play out of position – for example, when a linebacker catches an interception and has to shift from defense to offense, instantly moving to a different role. Instead of trying to knock down the big guys, now he’s trying to run past them. Because I’m as interested in stories of people playing out of position as much as the ones about people playing in position, you can expect to hear some pretty powerful tales from my guests because there isn’t one person I know who hasn’t been in that situation at one time or another and I think some of life’s greatest insights can be gleaned from the times when we are not in our comfort zone, when we’re out of position.

Touchdown

My ultimate goal for this podcast is to inspire you, the listener, to continue playing your position to the best of your ability, or if you’re like I was not that long ago, I hope to inspire you to get back to playing your position or perhaps find a way to take what you once did and transfer it into a new one so you can once again experience the joy and happiness that comes from being in alignment with who you are and what you’re doing.

Because you see, about eight years ago, my life took a dark turn when I convinced myself that I had to play a completely different position than the one I was really good at. The consequences of that decision were costly: I lost a lot during those years including my confidence, my clarity, and some very precious connections. During this dark time, I could never catch a ball, so to speak, let along carry one for any yardage. I was the worst player on the team and found myself benched the majority of the time. Let’s just say it wasn’t much fun.

What I learned from that experience is one of the main reasons I created this podcast – to get back in position. Because once I recognized what the problem was, why I wasn’t getting anywhere and what needed to happen to get back in the game, everything changed in a good way. I recognized how critical playing your position is to happiness, success, and an overall feeling of contentment, and I wanted to make that story count in a bigger way than simply keeping it to myself. I knew from talking to people that there were others in the world who would appreciate these kinds of stories, too.

Here’s what to expect on upcoming episodes of the Play Your Position Podcast…

Every week or so, I will be joining you in your earphones or on your car stereo, at the gym, on your way to and from work and I'll be bringing you a new conversation with a person who has a great story because he or she plays his or her position in life and/or work exceptionally well.

There will be three main sections in the program: Kick off, Move the Chains, and Touchdown.

I’ll begin with “Kick off” where my guests will share a broader overview of who they are and what their story is. Kick off will set the stage for the show, and provide background and context for my guest's story.

The middle section is called “Move the Chains” and this is going to be a lot of fun because it’s really the heart of the story. For anyone who doesn’t know what this means, “move the chains” is a football term that refers to when a team is moving the ball down the field towards the end zone to score a touchdown.

Every time the offensive team moves the ball forward ten yards or more at a time, the referees on the sidelines have to designate where the new first down is on the playing field and these markers are often tethered together by chains -- hence the term, “move the chains.”

I chose this term for this section of the show because moving the chains is at the center of how anyone who is great at what they do in life gets to that point: one first down at a time. During this segment of the show, my guests will share specific ways they’ve been able to move the chains in their lives despite the odds, or obstacles that may have held them back or gotten in their way including things like metaphorical interceptions, sacks, and injuries.

Finally, I will round out the show with a segment called “Touchdown” and guests will share 1-3 key offensive plays straight out of their “playbooks” that you can take away and use right now to get the ball into the end zone of your business or life.

Become a Part of Team PYP

At the end of the day, the Play Your Position Podcast is a show that celebrates excellence, leadership, and the human condition. In the coming months, I look forward to introducing you to lots of fascinating people who have great stories you probably wouldn’t otherwise hear.

One small favor I ask is that, if you enjoy the program, would you be kind enough to leave me a 5 star review on iTunes so more listeners can find these amazing stories and benefit from them just like you have. Just click the purple button below.

One again, thanks for joining me on this journey. Welcome to the team!