I am pleased to present to you today my conversation with Adam Braun, founder of Pencils of Promise. This was the interview that at one point was feared to be lost forever. Thankfully, the computer and internet Gremlins smiled upon us and saw fit to return to us what was rightfully ours. Pencils of Promise is an award-winning organization that has broken ground on more than 350 schools for children in poverty around the world. In 2015, Adam served as the Director of the Global Education Platform, an initiative conceived by the UN Special Envoy for Global Education to accelerate breakthroughs in learning innovation. He has also been featured as a speaker at The White House, the United Nations and the Clinton Global Initiative. And, he’s been named to Business Insider’s 40 Under 40, Wired Magazine‘s 50 People Who Are Changing the World, and was selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s original ten Global Shapers. Today, Adam and I talk about how an ordinary person (like you, for example) can create extraordinary change. His book is called The Promise of a Pencil, and his story is a fascinating one. Listen to the audio below Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS In today’s episode, Adam and I discuss: How he’s lived out the mindset that ‘self-discovery begins where your comfort zone ends’ What it means to ‘speak the language of the person you want to become’ The inspiration behind the idea of thinking like a ‘for-purpose’ organization as opposed to a non-profit And a lot more… This Episode is Sponsored By FreshBooks FreshBooks is currently offering a month of unrestricted use to to all RtLP listeners – totally free right now. And, you don’t need a credit card for the trial. To claim your free month, click here and be sure and enter ReadToLead in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section. If your business uses Freshbooks, and you’d like to share your experience with the Read to Lead audience, click the contact tab at the top of this page and let us know. Be sure and include “FreshBooks” in the subject line. Adam Braun’s Latest Book You can order your copy of The Promise of Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change right now. Adam’s Exclusive Invitation to Read to Lead Listeners Join Adam as he shares the 4 critical steps for growing your own ‘for purpose’ organization in this special webinar – just for you – happening May 19th! Books Adam Recommends Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Shantaram: A Novel by David Gregory Roberts Not Fade Away: A Short Life Well Lived by Laurence Shames