Podcast

The Giving Tree



	Brian Moran
	Jocelyn Ring
Guest:
	Cokie Cox Climber of the Seven Summit

In this episode, Cokie Cox is an entrepreneur, financial samurai, engineer, author, and climber of the Seven Summits. Jocelyn and Brian have a fascinating discussion with Cokie about the Shel Silverstein classic which was written almost 60 years ago.

Highlights and Takeaways from the Podcast:

“The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein, was first published in 1964 and has sold over 10 million copies.
The story is about a tree and her love for a little boy who visits her every day, and as he grows older, he asks the tree for more material things rather than spending time with her.
Critics have called the book divisive, and in 1988, a library in Boulder, Colorado banned the book for being sexist.
The book’s message is about love, joy, and happiness, and the giver being happy in giving.
In business, the boy could represent employees, or clients, while the tree could represent the owner or mentor. A key take away is that everyone could use a giving tree.
Gratitude is a key component to achieving a “perfect day;” rewiring our brains for gratitude is possible.
Hardships can be wake-up calls for gratitude, but it’s important to cultivate gratitude before those moments occur.
The deeper the grief, the greater the gratitude
Change is hard, but setting small, achievable goals can help us achieve larger changes.
Renewing oneself is important to avoid burnout and be fully present for clients, company, staff, and family.
Sometimes, businesses sell off their most important assets to address immediate financial issues, but ultimately it leads to trouble down the line.