SAMBA Yearbook

—

by

jonpdale
in ,

Many of you know that I've spent the last six
months participating in Seth Godin's Alternative MBA Program.
 It's been an incredible experience; one that has changed the way I think
and the course of my life – I have met fantastic people, worked on fascinating
projects, contributed to a great blog, and most of all, learned from a master.
 I'm incredibly grateful to Seth for the opportunity.

Seth - picture

For me, this picture epitomizes the SAMBA experience.  Seth, soaking wet after a brief swim in the
Hudson, doesn’t miss a beat, and continues, paddle in hand, teaching us life and
business lessons.  Not reading to us from
a textbook, but rather sharing from his own experiences while creating
experiences for us.

Nothing about SAMBA has been conventional. From the interview
process to the limited edition MacLeod diplomas, Seth made sure this was nothing
like a traditional MBA.  For starters, we
spent as much time working on actual businesses as we did talking about
business. We learned that the ability to execute on an idea is much more valuable
than just coming up with an idea.  We
learned how to fight the resistance and how to be brave.

And, Seth showed us by his actions what it means to live a truly
generous life.

So, Clay, Susan, Al, Rebecca, Alex, Ishita, Allan, Emily and of
course Seth, thank you!  This has been
amazing. Each of you have a special place in my heart and a place to stay in Colorado
if you ever want to come skiing.

Thank you, Seth, for turning the MBA experience on its head. I,
along with the rest of SAMBA 2009, am eternally grateful.

Illic est haud refragatio – SAMBA 2009

Comments

19 responses to “SAMBA Yearbook”

  1. Chris Allison Avatar
    Chris Allison

    Hey John, what are you up to now? Are you still consulting for authors or are you moving on to something else?
    Cheers,
    Chris Allison

  2. Jon Dale Avatar
    Jon Dale

    Chris,
    Great question. I’m working with clients that include publishing houses, authors, web 2.0 companies, consumer electronics companies and non-profits.
    Stay in touch.
    Jon

  3. Seth Godin Avatar
    Seth Godin

    And yes, it’s true, you can fall in the Hudson and not need a tetanus shot.
    thanks for making the last six months so special.

  4. Jon Dale Avatar
    Jon Dale

    Seth,
    I only capsized my canoe so you wouldn’t be the only one in wet clothes ;). How I wish that were true!
    Jon

  5. Eric Mullett Avatar
    Eric Mullett

    “We learned that the ability to execute on an idea is much more valuable than just coming up with an idea. We learned how to fight the resistance and how to be brave.” does it get any better than that? Let’s spend a day on exploring all of it! : ) Excited for you–and everyone you touch from this point forward.

  6. Kevin Miller Avatar
    Kevin Miller

    So stoked for you Jon. And really eager for you to get your donkey back to Woodland Park so we can work side-by-side at the coffee shop and share ideas, diss bad business, and do some podcasting. And I’ll shamelessly take all you learned and broadcast it to my FreeAgentAcademy.com brethren. Also itchin’ for a new adventure, maybe you can intro me to kayaking.
    See you shortly…
    Kevin

  7. Dan Miller Avatar
    Dan Miller

    Jon – loved reading about your last events together in this life-altering process. And I’m delighted to have engaged you for the remainder of this year to be the beneficiary of some of that new-found wisdom! For all the other readers out there I’m one of those authors that Jon humbly acknowledges working with. I’m stoked about the new business models and ways of conducting business that are unfolding. Lead the way Jon.
    Dan Miller, 48Days.net — author and life coach

  8. Jase Bell Avatar
    Jase Bell

    Jon,
    Congratulations on the graduation.
    You know what happens when you mix canoes and Englishmen…. they will get wet, it’s part of your DNA! LOL
    Blessings from GB.
    Jase

  9. Parag Shah Avatar
    Parag Shah

    Really nice. I am sure it must have been a wonderful experience for all of you.
    Makes me feel like “I wish I too could have participated in something like this”

  10. Dillon Avatar
    Dillon

    Jon,
    Congrats and Kudos. I know you will do great work with what you’ve assimilated during this six months. In a selfish mode I know that myself and others at Free Agent Academy are going to benefit greatly as well. Good luck and all the best.

  11. Tom Ziglar Avatar
    Tom Ziglar

    Jon – congrats! Well done! As Seth said, go make a dfference!

  12. Jon Dale Avatar
    Jon Dale

    Thanks Tom!!!

  13. Ben.Kvanli@Olympian.org Avatar
    Ben.Kvanli@Olympian.org

    Jon,
    How you have done this I may never know, but if anyone ever deserved their MBA it is you! You never cease to amaze me, and I deeply appreciate the support that you revolutionized my business with.
    Ben

  14. Jon Dale Avatar
    Jon Dale

    Thanks Ben. You’re an inspiration to me.
    Jon
    For anyone wondering who Ben is, heruns the best whitewater kayaking school in the country (and he’s an olympian). If you want to learn to kayak check out http://www.kayakinstruction.org.

  15. John Avatar
    John

    Jon, It has been an honor to support you through our friendship. I am very excited to see where the years ahead lead you, Amy and the kids. The last six months have been inspirational to me. Your walk continues to leave a great impression on my heart.
    Blessings bro,
    John

  16. Jill Anderson Avatar
    Jill Anderson

    Congratulations to you, Jon. I have enjoyed following the blog and reading insights from your perspective. Kudos!

  17. Jon Dale Avatar
    Jon Dale

    Thanks Jill!

  18. Suyog Bhise Avatar
    Suyog Bhise

    I have learned a great deal from Seth, reading his blogs over the years. SAMBA is a wonderful initiative. Nice blog Jon! This sure looks like some helluva course…

  19. Allan Young Avatar
    Allan Young

    Jon – Congrats on graduating. I’m sorry I missed you and Susan on your last days, I didn’t know you both left early. I got a chance to say goodbye to everyone else at Seth’s house during the pizza party.
    You’ve got a ton to offer to the world and I’ll be one of your biggest cheerleaders going forward (I’m saying this to all our fellow SAMBA grads but it is so true). I’m grateful we got a chance to learn from Seth and I’m sure everyone will change the world for the better.
    Cheers!

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