We were lucky to catch up with Chris Christie recently and have shared our conversation below.
Chris, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
The idea of The Character Mill started over 15 years ago when I was a small business owner (I owned a bicycle shop and coffee bar) on the coast of Maine. While actively involved in the community, specifically with the youth, I knew there was a passion for making a bigger difference.
About five years ago, just after my older brother passed away, it hit me! Call it fate, the universe speaking to me or just a lucky break, but I read a stat that rocked my world. It stated that 86% of the people in nursing homes share something in common, That is, they all have regrets of things they didn’t do during their life. My brother was one of those 86%! I knew that I needed to reduce or eliminate that number!
So, I had the problem I was going to solve, but I needed the vehicle. This came soon after as I became increasingly more frustrated with current social media. The divisiveness, polarizing, and political landscape of current social media was infuriating as many of my dearest friends came from social media. BAM! There it was…the vehicle I needed to solve my problem.
The Mill was created to provide people with a NEW social media that eliminated the things we hated about current platforms while inspiring folks to live their adventures TODAY so they have memories and stories to share TOMORROW. By creating a positive-vibes-only community and reducing the barrier of entry to adventures we are beginning to do that! All while making a positive impact on the world through our Character Giving program.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
One of the things that inspires me to do the work I currently do is also one of my greatest frustrations. A very strong feeling occurs within me when I see people that have a talent and piss it away! When I was younger, I was one of those athletes and due to our family situation, I was unable to pursue my dreams. I was that type of young person who excelled in all sports becoming a State Champion in different sports. I loved the concept to pushing myself to excel. Whether it was for personal recognition from people as my dad left when I was only 10 or just an inner fire to succeed….either way it was the fuel to the fire.
The next lesson that shaped who I was going to become as an adult, was in my college days. I started college at Ferris State in Michigan for a Professional Golf Management and Marketing degree. After one year, my first internship took me to Lynchburg, VA. During that time, I played in a few tournaments and caught the eye of Methodist College. They subsequently offered my a scholarship to transfer to NC. In hindsight, I should have learned to require all of the details before making such a move, but as an eager young man searching for attention I took the leap! One week after being there, and after just beating the current top 3 players on the team, we were told that we all had to attend a seven day qualifying event. In a nutshell, I told the coach that I was not going to participate as he promised me a spot on the team if I came to Methodist. I feel like I fulfilled my obligation so it was time for him to fulfill his. On the first day of qualifying and not being on the team, I packed my bags and headed North to Maine.
Years later I would realize that decision helped shape who I was going to be. The winter after leaving college, I dove into ski coaching and was asked to attend a Bob Beattie Summer Ski Camp in Oregon as a coach. Skiing on the glaciers in Oregon is the most incredible feeling! After three weeks of that, I returned back to Maine only to have another life altering opportunity. During that camp I had impressed someone as the called me and offered my the Head Coach position in Telluride, CO. As an eager 19-year-old, I answered with an emphatic YES! That opportunity led me to subsequent coaching opportunities at Winter Park and then work with the Developmental and US Ski Teams.
While ski coaching was fun, I was also a PGA Golf Professional on a mission to introduce and make the game of golf more fun for everyone! I was featured in Golf Digest as a Golf Conditioning expert and created my own Golf School. Golf is the easiest sport in the world to be good at, but the most difficult to be great at!
On a trip to FL, I entered my uncle’s bike shop and realized that was the next direction of my energy! To a fault, when I feel like I have succeeded in something, I look for the next shiny object! I had succeeded as a ski coach and golf professional. Now, I needed to succeed as a small business owner.
During the time as a bicycle shop owner life was anything but smooth. I went through a divorce and began a career in alcohol abuse. It essentially ruined everything in my life except the relationship with my son! I would not do to him what my dad did to me! As a single father with custody of a teenage boy, I knew that I needed to do better. During that time, he had seen his dad at the lowest of lows…I didn’t hide any of it from him! Looking back I am glad I did that as he now sees his dad succeeding and happy.
Throughout all of these events, the passion for making a positive difference in the world became stronger. Words like empathy, patience, mindfulness, and CHARACTER became the headlines of my life. I strive to make CHARACTER a mainstream word! I truly believe that when folks take a hard look at what defines who they are, and they take the time to learn more about themselves, that is when true magic can occur. When people understand their character and strive to improve it on the daily, then true social change can occur. That is the premise to The Character Mill and the two legs of it…The Mill and The Character Institute.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I have a tattoo on each of my wrists. On my right wrist, I have the Japanese word IKIGAI. In very simple terms, it means the reason why you wake up in the morning. It is the area that describes a passion that you are good at, can make a difference in this world, can be financially successful and makes a difference.
On my left wrist, I have the Sanscrit word Mudita. This word, simply put, is to take joy in the success and pleasure of others.
When I combine those two things, along with the two words that guide my actions every single day, authentic and genuine, I feel that is the reason I have been successful and gained the respect of my colleagues in every market I have entered.
My actions come from a place of love and service.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
There are so many leaders around the world in this field. The top of this field, in my opinion, is Simon Sinek. However, it is my first employer during my internship in college that shaped my leadership philosophy.
My first internship was in Lynchburg, VA at a very private country club. On one of my first days, I was asked by the Head Professional what I though my primary job was to do. Initially, I answered with tending to the members, keeping the shop clean, keeping my personal game at a high level, being trustworthy and selling appropriate merchandise to the members. He looked at me and said, NO!
His response floored me! He said my main obligation was to make him look good! At first, I didn’t understand what he meant but as years went on I realized that what he meant was that if I did everything that I listed in my response then I would succeed doing his response. It also meant that he had established the chain of command.
In subsequent years, I modified that leadership philosophy. While I still use that idea of making me look good, I have added another layer. I tell the people just below me on the ladder that their main priority is to make me look good and that my main job is to create the environment and provide all of the tools for them to be able to succeed. We use that in every level of operation. Everyone knows the expectations and the environment needed to succeed.
As a leader, I need to create an environment that allows for creativity, growth, respect and complete transparency. I welcome ideas and enjoy the process of them and making them better. It is fun when everyone feels like they are respected and heard.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thecharactermill.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecharactermill/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecharactermill
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-christie-22402044/
- Other: https://thecharacterinstitute.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/35646886/admin/feed/posts/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/82569748/admin/feed/posts/