Thrive and Connect came about in a rather roundabout manner.

Over the years our founder, Gary Monti, noticed an unusual but consistent behavior in personal and professional life. There was what people would say publicly but then there was what they would say over a cup of coffee or at dinner. The public “face” would speak one way, usually in terms we would call politically correct, and then when in private a different “face” would be presented.

Gary observed the private face was more consistent with how things played out than the public one. In fact, the public face would, at times, be a veneer for pushing the more private agenda (putting people with the best of intentions at risk for looking duplicitous).
This extended to the business world where figuring out what directions technical projects and business cases would go was best done by looking at the professions involved through a better understanding of the private individual.

Gary’s consulting practice moved steadily in that direction. It reached a point where personality assessments turned out to be great tools for getting a better “read” on people and speeding up the process of seeing just how far a team could get in working to succeed. It also helped in determining what behavior modifications would best help the organization achieve even greater success.

It has led to telling clients, “The project only goes as far as the politics.”

Thrive and Connect is a podcast dedicated to helping people make a connection between their private and public self through greater awareness of ourselves and those around us…the private faces. Making those connections can lead to a simpler, happier, and more abundant life.

Making those connections is frequently easier said than done. It requires risking being emotionally honest with those around us and building community. Through community we each get a better chance at being more of ourselves by using others as mirrors. Community also helps with growth by creating a space where we each can put something back in and doing it for no other reason than enjoying watching others do better.
With Thrive and Connect we want to go on a journey with you and risk seeing what can be created, understanding there are challenges and difficulties along the way. We believe, though, that taking that risk is much, much better than trying to reach goals through distancing ourselves from others and living in isolation, an isolation where others are mere objects to be manipulated in some way or another – a formula for emptiness, depression, restlessness, and loneliness.

So, take a risk and become part of the community of Thrive and Connect! We hope you’ll enjoy these podcasts and get something out of them. If you don’t, send us an email at comments@thriveandconnect.com or call us at 614-664-7650 and help make it a better podcast!