Figuring out adoption, careers and maintaining positivity with Bruce Cleland
Discover the wisdom of a seasoned parent and entrepreneur: Bruce's journey through life, business, and fatherhood.
Meet Bruce Cleland – father, entrepreneur, and as he puts it, “ just a dude tryna make a dent in the universe”.
Bruce has been married to the love of his life for over 30 years and is a father of 2. Along the way, he’s started 4 companies and as a business consultant, helped more than 25 entrepreneurs build their businesses. Amid all that, he and his wife flew halfway around the world to adopt their 2 children. Bruce has some incredible stories and one even involves a cyclone.
Listen in, because in this episode we cover:
+ 7 life lessons from Bruce’s experience in work, life and fatherhood
+ The story of adopting their two children (from a country they knew nothing about)
+ His continued mission to live an interesting, useful, and productive life.
Here are some of the life lessons I took away from the episode:
Life Lesson 1 (8:30)
The best is in the bad.
Life Lesson 2 (10:30)
Sometimes, you just gotta step off the dock.
Life Lesson 3 (15:45)
Side hustles are amazing. They give you a way to start, to iterate and to claw towards something you’re passionate about. And as he puts it, ‘You haven’t failed until you stop.”
Life Lesson 4 (15:30)
Narrow your focus.
Life Lesson 4 (29:30)
Advocate for yourself and be relentless in your passions.
Life Lesson 5 (34:00)
It really matters who you do business with, for reasons you don’t always know. (33min)
Life Lesson 6 (45:00)
Kids are not vessels to be filled, but candles to be lit.
Life Lesson 7
“You need to love, be loved and have a sense of purpose.” - Bruce’s father
Bruce’s “Official” Bio:
Bruce has been married to the love of his life for over 30 years and is a father to 2 amazing kids. Along the way, he’s started 4 companies and as a business consultant, helped more than 25 entrepreneurs build their businesses. Amid all that, he and his wife flew halfway around the world to adopt their 2 children. Still, he’s just a dude tryna make a dent in the universe. Bruce is on a mission to live an interesting, useful, and productive life. He'll share his insights on how to strike that elusive balance between work, family, and adventure.
To connect with Bruce on LinkedIn click here.
From your podcast host Andrea
Andrea Barr is a certified career coach, strategist, and workshop facilitator. After establishing herself in the advertising sector early in her career, she made a shift to learning and development within the corporate world. As a new mother, she was struck by a lack of support for parents looking to find a balance between their career ambitions and family lives, and decided to fill that gap. Andrea offers support and solutions for parents who want to advance their careers without compromising what matters most: their families.
