Intentionality is important when it comes to living our best lives, but the reality is that we aren’t always going to have every detail planned out. Sometimes all we have to go off of is our intuition and knowing that it’s time to make a change.
Sometimes we just have to take a leap of faith and believe that we can keep moving forward despite any obstacles we may face.
Today’s guest, Scott Sauer, is here today to teach us that we don’t need to have every detail of our lives planned out in order to feel confident with the direction of our lives. His experience with leaps of faith into big life transitions gives us different insight on tenacity, persistence, and mindset and perspective. Listen in as he shares his journey with us!
About Scott Sauer:
Scott Sauer is the owner of Great Scott! Construction Inc.– a construction firm in Calgary Alberta, specializing in home renovations, additions, and multi-family condominium community capital projects and maintenance.
Scott is married to Sheila Sauer. Together, Scott and Sheila are raising three Children while maintaining and growing their business.
Before learning how to renovate homes, Scott was a professional Actor and Director for live stage performances. Much of his career in the Theatre was in Hong Kong, where he lived for 6 years.
Scott has found that his experience in directing stage performances translates very well to the construction industry where there are budgets, timelines, audiences (clients), actors (trades) and an ‘opening night’ when projects are handed over to clients for them to enjoy.
You can find scott on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Mentioned In This Episode:
- Better Than Today
- Find more Hope resources
Transcription:
Lindsay Recknell 0:03 Hello, welcome to another episode of the Hope Motivates Action podcast. I’m your host Lindsay Recknell. And I have a guest very cool perspectives to share with you today. Lindsay Recknell 0:12 Scott Thomas Sauer is Owner of Great Scott construction, a construction firm in Calgary, Alberta specializing in home renovations, additions, and multifamily condominium community capital projects and maintenance. Scott is married to Sheila and together they are raising three children while maintaining and growing their business. Before learning how to renovate homes, Scott was a professional actor and director for live stage performances. Lindsay Recknell 0:37 Much of his career in the theater was in Hong Kong, where he lived for six years, Scott has found that his experience in directing stage performances translates very well to the construction industry, where there are budgets, timelines, audiences, also known as clients, actors, the trades, and an opening night when projects are handed over to clients for them to enjoy. Scott story is both inspirational and motivational. And I think you’re really going to like it. Lindsay Recknell 1:03 As a reminder, if you’re interested in any of the books, resources and tools I mentioned in this episode, all the links you’ll need can be found in the show notes of your favorite podcast player, or head to the blog in pod page at my website at www, expert in hope, calm, and you’ll find them all there too. I truly believe that the future will be better than today, by taking action over the things we can control. And conversations like this really reinforced that hope. So without any more delay, let’s get to it. Lindsay Recknell 1:31 Hello, Scott, welcome to the show. I’m so excited to have you here. Scott Sauer 1:36 Hi, Lindsay. Thanks for having me. Lindsay Recknell 1:38 It has been such a pleasure to get to know you on a business level, but also in a perfect on a personal level. And I think you have quite an incredible story to share with people. So let’s just jump right in. Tell us share with us your story of how you use hope to motivate action? Scott Sauer 1:53 Well, I’m going to start by answering that question by saying that first action is generally required, what in my life in my experience actually has been required when, when I’ve got some kind of change in front of me. So usually, that’s when I’m at a crossroads where I have to make some sometimes hard decisions from multiple potential outcomes. And choosing a path can be a very difficult thing. Scott Sauer 2:23 But knowing that you’re at one of those moments where you are choosing a path, and looking down that path, and seeing if that’s where you want to go, is critical. And so I have used hope, by looking forward as far as a human being can see forward in time and in life by seeing what the potential outcome is, and going for it. Lindsay Recknell 2:53 That feels very intentional and very planful. Scott Sauer 2:57 That I am not actually that way. I’m talking on a broad set. So for me choosing that pathway is often an emotional choice, which is never great in business, of course, and evergreen in lots of things. But when it comes to living your life, for me anyway, for me living my life, I have to feel good about a direction. I usually don’t know what is in that direction. But I have to know that that I’m going a direction that I choose to go. Lindsay Recknell 3:32 Can you think of an example of a time where you were looking down that hopeful path? Yeah, I chose that path and it took you on an adventure. Scott Sauer 3:41 I’ve got my timeline in my life is has a few fairly major it shifts. The probably the largest one was when I graduated from the University of Lethbridge, Alberta and decided to buy a one way ticket to Hong Kong with about $300 Canadian in my pocket. Lindsay Recknell 4:07 So I did get fired. What inspired that choice. If I could interrupt you. Scott Sauer 4:12 I’ve told the story a few times. So what I’ve what I’ve come up with really is that it was a fear. It was a fear. So I have to lay out the situation for you a little bit. So I studied theater arts at the University of Lethbridge which I loved it was a lifelong passion when I went into it. And when I finished it, I figured I was okay at it. And I wanted to go and do it somewhere. Scott Sauer 4:37 But I was really afraid to go to Toronto. I was really afraid to go to New York. I was really afraid to go to LA and I didn’t see a whole lot of future in Calgary at that time in the theater. This is about 2002 So I decided that I would go somewhere where there was a theater scene where I might have some thing to offer. And I took a gamble. I mean, I had a one family member to family members actually who had lived in Hong Kong for a short period of time. And I pick their brains and they would know about the, the arts community. Scott Sauer 5:15 And I did some, you know, in 2002, the Internet was there as not as strong as it was, as it is now. But there was some research that I could do to get myself there and to feel confident that, that I would have a shot there at something. So I went, and I taught English for a few months, and things developed, and I was able to support myself doing theater in Hong Kong for six years. And it was great. Lindsay Recknell 5:44 It sounds great. And what uh, I mean, it, you know, you said that you kind of go in intuition. You, you know, you make these big, bold choices. But still, it feels like, I guess even when you after you’ve made those choices, it feels not calculated. Lindsay Recknell 6:01 But you know, you know, the risk, but you assess the risk, like it feels like you, you know, you spoke to your family members, you researched where to go, there’s there seems to be a little bit of planning in there. Perhaps not. Yeah. At your pens. Scott Sauer 6:17 I’m a broad thinker. I’m not a detailed person. I’m not a great planner, to be honest. I really just, I didn’t have a place to stay exactly. When I landed in Hong Kong. I knew of a place I could go and probably find a bed. And I was lucky it were. But just so I I am certainly not wanting to get paralyzed by details of planning. When it comes to these broad leaps. Things have a way of working themselves out. Lindsay Recknell 6:51 Yeah, how amazing I have a similar story, if you can indulge me for a minute. It was in 1998. So quite a long time ago. The guy I was seeing at the time was a fast pitch player here in Calgary, which is underhand, underhand pitch, but with the small ball nose off Alberta. And I got it into my head, one of the one of the players on his team, here in Calgary, had played in New Zealand, our winter before. So I got it into my head that he needs to go play while in New Zealand, so that I could take along and just go on a trip to New Zealand. Lindsay Recknell 7:29 I’m 19 years old, and I decided that this is what I need for my life. And he’s going to be my, you know, catalyst to get me there. He wasn’t convinced. But if anybody who knows me, tenacity is one of my virtues. And so eventually, I just said, you know, I’m going to buy a ticket. And I’d love you to come and if you don’t cool, but I hope you do. And so we bought a ticket. And same same story. We didn’t know anybody there. We knew that this guy had played on the team. Lindsay Recknell 7:59 My dad knew somebody in where they live that had a connection. So we met up with them for coffee before we went, got the name of people. This is a 1998. So even like four years before your internet, I, I randomly found this family who would do a house swap except I wasn’t swapping any houses, they’re just gonna let us live with them in Auckland for a bit. They were a family from Wisconsin. So we literally flew into Auckland took a cab to the stranger’s house, they put us up for a week while we called down to Christchurch to figure out what it was we were going to do, got ahold of this team, flew down there stayed in a hotel while we got an apartment, went and met the team. And then he played for the season. And then we came back home six months later. And it was amazing. Lindsay Recknell 8:44 You know, you just you kind of go on these leaps of faith, my future is going to be better than today. Because you know, we can see that vision. And then we just make it happen. And we have these great stories to tell for it. Scott Sauer 8:55 Yeah, yeah. And you know, there, of course, are times during these events and through this passage of life, that vision becomes cloudy. And, and things are a little bit murky. And I feel like I’m coming out of one of those after another big transition, even though it was one that might my intuition told me I needed to take and it was right, as usual. There have been some difficult adjustments in that. So that’s been interesting. Lindsay Recknell 9:34 So what what is the signal that you feel intuitively, that makes you think, Okay, it’s time to make a move here? Anything that you could suggest that people might be feeling or hearing in their own minds and bodies? Scott Sauer 9:51 Well, I there. There have been two really significant moments when I felt that intuition The last time was about 12 years ago and things. Life has changed a lot in 12 years. So there’s, there’s a large boat floating down the river, and I’m on it and it’s staying its course for some time. But in those two moments, I remember feeling that there just wasn’t another decision for me that I could be happy with that I would not feel regret for in the future. And that was my my guide. Lindsay Recknell 10:35 So you have one of these crossroads that you mentioned, where the only choice that you could feel comfortable with was the one to make a change? Yes. Again, it feels like intentionality to me. Scott Sauer 10:50 Yes, in a broad sense, yeah. Very broad, you know, poke in the dark, but one that where, you know, okay, this is the right direction, although we’re still in darkness. Yeah, yeah, Lindsay Recknell 11:02 we have we, we have hope that that future will be better than today, if we keep if we if we walk down this path instead of the path that we’re on? Yes. Awesome. All right. So six years, you’re in Hong Kong, you’re living your best life as a theater star, kind of a big deal. And then where was the next pivot? What brought you home? Scott Sauer 11:23 Well, it was love. It was what I saw in a long standing future, and sound of relationship that had ticked all my boxes, which I literally had written out after, you know, a few trial and error relationships. So when all of those boxes were ticked, I was willing to, to do anything to for my life around this relationship. And that my wife, Sheila, we met in Hong Kong, she’s from the US. And when it became apparent that she was going to leave Hong Kong, I decided that I would make plans to do the same. Scott Sauer 12:11 It wasn’t instantaneous. It took about a year and a half, two years to sort of wrap everything up that I was involved with, which is a different story, because she was fairly quick to leave when she secured some employment out of Calgary out of a Calgary based company. But yeah, that was, that was the the most major clear moment of intuition that told me that although I was, as you said, really living my best life, it was great. Scott Sauer 12:43 I was having a great time I was doing exactly what I wanted to do. And I put an end to all of it because my intuition told me that it was time to change. That was difficult because I was in a happy place. Lindsay Recknell 12:59 Well, and we don’t always listen to our intuition. And then maybe do you know, looking back hindsight being 2020 you recognize that it was your intuition driving you but you’re not awesome at listening to my intuition and looking back I often say, Tim, I wish I wish I’d listened. It yours feels very well honed. Scott Sauer 13:24 Well, I don’t know, I only have the one so I have no comparison. But I do know that in other instances in life when I haven’t listened to my intuition. I regretted that. Lindsay Recknell 13:43 Yeah, I can. I can see it. I have lived that dream also. Okay, so now you’re back in Calgary. Are you doing theater here? Scott Sauer 13:52 Yeah, I did. I when I came back I, I had an audition for some shows and was involved with several shows that toured through Alberta and had ambitions to continue my career here in Calgary. But at a certain point, wildlife the wheel of life was turning with marriage and a purchase of a house and a child coming. I again realized through intuition, maybe more or less through intuition this time and just through practicality, that it wasn’t going to one give me the same sense of satisfaction that I was able to achieve overseas because of the projects I was involved with the the level of work that we were doing and being paid for it. Scott Sauer 14:49 That was a major factor. Fair enough to be Yeah, totally. So I, I decided to make another shift and this is where the Some of the murky waters for me personally has been over the last 10 years just professionally, like, sort of finding my space, developing my skills in many new ways to me, that I wasn’t really familiar with before. And in making that work for me. So yeah, that was my 10 year period, maybe not quite 10 years, probably more like six year period, where things were a little a little bit more difficult for me. And I was felt like to use the illusion again, that I was in the dark, knowing that I was going in a direction that would work out. Lindsay Recknell 15:45 Oh, did you like, looking back? Do you believe? Or do you think that you drew on a specific, I don’t know, character trait or tool or something. Because often, when we get into that murky place, we get into that place we’re not sure about, it’s hard to keep moving forward, when it gets especially tough. Even if we have that goal in mind, if that goal is not clear, or if it’s not guaranteed. When the going gets rough, it’s hard to keep going. And yeah, doing it was put that Scott Sauer 16:23 I guess, I’ve always considered myself and and by Rice was trained to be a hard worker. That hard work has carried me through a lot of different situations in life and, and allowed me to travel a fair amount in my life. By simply doing hard work, and in my case, especially in early years, and still today, depending on the day, some very hard labor work was was something that I was good at, and and taught me how to work through pain sometimes. Scott Sauer 17:03 And maybe that sort of comfort level with just grinding, just keeping going working through problems. solving problem after problem is, is what I do now, on a daily basis. And so maybe that’s it maybe just hard work and the understanding that there are going to be roadblocks to deconstruct before you can have passage, Lindsay Recknell 17:30 persistence and grit. Yes. Well, and it’s cool, because what you just described to me that ability to overcome all those barriers and obstacles that get in the way. That’s what we in the positive psychology world call pathways thinking. And listeners of the show, know this theory a lot, because I speak about it a lot. But hope theory is goals. Lindsay Recknell 17:53 So clear goals in future, plus agency thinking, which is that ability to to take control over the things we can control, using our internal motivation to move us towards the thing, and then pathways thinking. So goals plus agency plus pathways thinking is that barriers and obstacles to get out of the way, because you can’t continue moving forward towards that hopeful future. Lindsay Recknell 18:17 If you stop at every dead end along the way, you know, there’s this analogy that says, if you were driving your car and came to a dead end, you’re not just gonna get out of your car and walk away, you’re gonna figure out a way out, you’re gonna turn around, you’re gonna make a left, whatever, you’re not just gonna get out of the Get out of the car and say, you know, guess that’s over, you know? Scott Sauer 18:38 Nice one. Yes. Yeah, Lindsay Recknell 18:41 it is it. I mean, I know you to be a very hopeful person. And this conversation just reinforces what I know about you. And I think I think that persistence and grit that you described is definitely something that you I can I can see you having leaned on in those hard times. I also know that you did 180 from theater. Tell us about the career you’re in now. Scott Sauer 19:08 Well, that was part of the development over the past 12 or so yours. But, you know, through hope and through grit, I discovered that my skills in the theater are quite transferable into the construction world. People are surprised when they hear of my theatrical background and and know what I do now, which is to renovate spaces and to build things. But I, after learning a lot of skills, practical trade type skills over the past decade or so, I have used my my training and my experience in putting together a production or a show to put together a project and so the skills are transferable. We have an audience in theater. In construction, we have a client who is an audience. Scott Sauer 20:05 We have budgets and timelines in both both streams, and we have actors, we have trades people, actors and trades, people are very similar often in character, they’re very similar. So I found that it was a beautiful transition. And with many hiccups, and many moments in the dark, but things are working Lindsay Recknell 20:28 well, and I think that’s a very, very cool perspective. So often, you and I are about the same age. And I feel like, often when we get, you know, we get so far along our career, especially if we have it in our mind, this is what we’re gonna do. This is what we’ve been educated to do. We’re on this pathway, it’s hard for many of us to see that there could be other options, especially if we’ve only done one thing or, you know, yes, and field of study. And then we go, Well, what, what possible transferable skills do I have, and nobody’s going to make a connection between theater and construction? Lindsay Recknell 21:00 But how you just described it feels totally real? And of course it is. And it’s just a matter of perspective. And I think, you know, it would behoove us to think more creatively along those lines, sometimes if we are thinking about pursuing a different passion. And one of those obstacles in our way is our mind block that says, Well, I don’t have the skills to do that. Well, maybe we do. Scott Sauer 21:26 Well, I think that most of us have the skills to learn. And that’s really all you need. You know, there’s a reason why we read to our kids every night, even if we’re really tired, because we firmly believe that, you know, I firmly believe that reading to them, and inspiring them to be curious, and to live vicariously as much as they can until they are able to make decisions that that point them in a direction is a key lesson. And if I’ve, if I’ve delivered that, then that’s my goal as a father Lindsay Recknell 22:05 success is so I imagine that lifelong learning feels like one of your values. Scott Sauer 22:13 It does. I also want to just say, for the record, that there are so many things that I feel like I’m neglecting learning that I would want to learn because of time constraints, and it’s just a decision. It’s just the way it has to be. Lindsay Recknell 22:31 Yeah, speaking of perspective, right. i It drives me crazy when people say they can’t find the time. No, no, you’re choosing not to. And that’s okay. Don’t get too necessary. Scott Sauer 22:41 Yeah, exactly. Lindsay Recknell 22:43 In fact, it’s often necessary. But I, I like the, again, the perspective that we are choosing our priorities. And I think that’s cool. And, you know, it gives us, it gives me a sense of confidence when I recognize that these are choices that I’m making, and I can choose to make other ones as well. But yeah, it drives me bonkers when people say they can’t find the time. But you can, if you wanted to, you can Scott Sauer 23:09 if you want to. And you can delay that too. You can. In my case, people often ask me if I will ever tread the boards or be an actor or director again? And my answer is, yes, that is my goal. I want to do it when when I’ve said some obligations, long term obligations. And and I can do it with free heart and put everything I have into it, even if I don’t expect to, to earn my bread from it. Lindsay Recknell 23:41 Yeah. Well, that’s the putting all the other obligations into place first becoming independently wealthy, perhaps, you know, then we can do our passion projects. For sure. Yeah. Scott, what gives you hope? Scott Sauer 23:54 Well, as I’ve alluded to, through our conversation and see, I’m Father, what is giving me hope in fire right now, for the future is my children. watching them grow and having this opportunity to guide them through the the best means that I have into a world that is often darkness. But to point them in a direction that is good, gives me hope. Lindsay Recknell 24:32 Feels very hopeful to me. They are our future. Right. And if we can give them great foundations and teach them how to make the choices and inspire their precariousness and and their what was the language used, like to be vicarious? You know, that is that is very, very hopeful. Lindsay Recknell 24:53 This has been such a wonderful conversation, Scott, I so appreciate you sharing your story with us and your journey. A lot of the listeners that listen to the show are, are like you are like me, you know, just regular people who are trying to do their best thing and live their best life. And I always want people to take away from these shows a sense of what they might do next, or or a different perspective. And I think you really delivered that today. So I really appreciate you spending your time with us. Scott Sauer 25:25 A pleasure and a privilege. Thank you. Lindsay Recknell 25:27 Take care, and I’ll talk to you again really soon. Lindsay Recknell 25:33 I hope you enjoyed this latest episode of The Hope Motivates Action podcast. These episodes are a labor of love inspiring conversations with hopeful people make my heart happy. Lindsay Recknell 25:42 If you also love this episode, it would be amazing if you could go to Apple podcasts and leave a review five stars if you’re into it. It’s these reviews that encourage Apple to promote this podcast to their network and the more people that listen, the more hope we can spread into the world. Lindsay Recknell 25:56 Don’t forget to check out the show notes of this episode to find all the links to my guests books and other resources referenced in this episode. You’ll also find the link back to my website where you will find additional support and resources for you, your team and your community. Lindsay Recknell 26:09 I truly believe that the future will be better than today. By taking action over the things we can control and hearing from these guests on these episodes. I know that even more hopeful future is totally possible. I’m always looking for inspirational guests so if you or anyone you know would like to be a guest on the show please reach out you can find me on the contact form of my website at expertinhope.com or by email at Lindsay@expertinhope.com. Lindsay Recknell 26:36 When I was a teenager who my sisters were leaving the house to go out for the night, I always made it a point to remind them to call me if they need me. It was my way to tell them that I cared and would always be there for them. I’d love you to know the same so all of you listening out there Call me if you need me. Lindsay Recknell 26:50 Again. Thank you for your love and support of this podcast my work in hope and your intentional focus on making your future better than today. After all, hope without action is just a wish Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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