In order to narrow down the perfect set of Panelists and Live Case Study Contributors of the upcoming XYBOOM Conference we’re running, I’ve had to do a series of interviews with various types of people from all sorts of backgrounds and industries. One thing I’ve learned during this process: there are so many amazing people out there doing some awe-inspiring things.

I have learned so much just by speaking to these individuals in these short interviews, but the most interesting thing to me is the sheer consistency in the way the most impressive people presented themselves. For many, you can see the level of thought and sophistication put into each answer, and the fluidity in how they angle and answer any given question. However, for the most undeniably impressive individuals, each and every one shared these four common characteristics:

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For those of you that know me, you know that I come from a Human Resources background, and that, in addition to My Loud Speaker, I’m also the Co-Founder of an HR-centric non-profit, XYBOOM Intergenerational Organization. The organization runs an annual conference around the topic of intergenerational relationships in the workplace. It sounds almost irrelevant to my work at MLS, but how I ultimately landed in the marketing industry was really unexpected and complicated – it took a few random twists of fate which, from what I hear, is very common for careers nowadays. So, even though I really love what I do in marketing, it’s understandable that a lot of what I really do at MLS is centered around running a small team of passionate and talented young people. And, in doing so, I’ve learned a few ways to keep them learning and engaged, and for those of you who manage teams, you know this can sometimes be a difficult feat. I’ve highlighted three of our most common practices:

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A couple of weeks ago, I saw a Chiropractor for the first time for a hockey injury I sustained.

As he was shifting, cracking, and massaging, he told me that most people go through their entire lives with minor aches and pains that they just get used to. I know i’m one of those people; I told him that I had ignored this pain in my hand for almost a year until it got to the point where it hurt too much to even play. I’ve even been laughed at for working through almost an entire summer with a sun beam directly tanning the right side of my face. Anyways, more on that later.

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I was at a bad networking event. You know, the kind where people hand out business cards before saying “hi” to you. The kind where people stop being people, and transform into stiff, sweaty robots with ties and elevator pitches. Yeah, that kind. I caught a bad scent of this one early and warily walked in – heading straight for the food table. I had some brief conversations with several people before someone interrupted me as I grabbed some shrimp. Let’s call him Bob.

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I saw a clip recently in which Louis C.K., one of the funniest stand-up comedians today, explained how he was inspired by his idol to completely throw out all his material – material that he’d been using for 15 years – and start completely fresh.

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