Mastering Complexity with Dane Barlow (Part 1)

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Joining me on the show today is Dane Barlow, a world-class ceramist and board member for the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. In part one of our two-part interview, he shares his methods and experiences taking incredibly complex tasks, breaking them down into their individual components, and mastering them in a short amount of time.

Dane and I talk about dentistry, but mostly you’ll get to hear how he has developed a speed to skill development. From construction to business ownership and martial arts, Dane shares his story of transformation and insight on coming back from difficult times in life. He has managed to fit so much into his life, while still excelling at the things he takes on, so I know you’ll get a lot out of this conversation!

Key Quotes:

“I came to the conclusion that I was worth more dead than alive.”
“There was a whole period of my life where I had to learn to correct thought processes that were incorrect.”
“I was a fighter—I wasn’t going to give up. I was scrounging with everything I had to not get beat.”
“I say, ‘what do I want to accomplish?’ and then I find a way to do it.”
“If you have a dream goal and you work yourself like crazy, sometimes you’ll get there.”
“I was obsessed with obtaining the impossible, and anything I thought was right, I’d just do it.”
“I thought I was diversifying, but everything I did was tied into homeownership, and when home ownership disappeared, my businesses went to nothing.”
“If you’re doing something wrong, you add a coach.”
“I’m going to give back to other people, and I’m going to recognize when other people need some hope.”
“My dad said, ‘You’ll never be a hero’—but no, I’m sorry, but I’ve done it! I’ve done it.”
“You want to know the secret? There’s no secret. Do what successful people do, and then do all the things unsuccessful people won’t do, and don’t do the things that successful people wouldn’t do.”