Frazer Buntin: Monkey Business

Frazer Buntin of Nashville, TN started his career in discount retailing with Dollar General as a logistics planner. Today he’s a C-suite executive and an author, his career having traversed through the retail sector, to business school, and then into healthcare, entrepreneurship, and authorship. 

Along the way, Frazer would have what he calls “intense personal reflections” every few months to reevaluate where he was in his career and personal life. He credits this deep reflection time for helping him move forward in his career and in his personal development. Those reflections were times of sharpening the saw and of redefining his strengths, talents, and priorities. 

Intense personal reflection from a business standpoint provides a roadmap to make decisions around what you want to do. From a personal standpoint, it addresses questions like “How am I spending my time? What types of people am I surrounding myself with? What personal things do I want to accomplish this month/year?”

Frazer recently wrote a book, A Monkey Could Do Your Job. Each chapter addresses a feeling or emotion that one might have while on the job and gives tactics for how to handle those feelings. In today’s episode, Frazer shares some of those feelings and tactics. 

A master of operations, Frazer intentionally plans his time. He believes the advent of email has put many employees and managers in a reactive rather than proactive stance. He shares tips on how to take back control of your day and how to prioritize your time. 

Apart from work, Frazer loves to trail run and paddleboard, and he likes to train for day-long events in those sports in a way that some would call “extreme.” But he likes to take on big challenges and push himself in those ways.

Listen in and be inspired!

Quotes:

“There is much more portability in [leadership] skills than most people believe.” – Frazer Buntin

“For me, intense personal reflection has been the largest enabler of individual wellbeing and professional success.” – Frazer Buntin

“The question, ‘What do I want to do?’ is not answerable. The better question is ‘What is the next best thing that I can do now?’” – Frazer Buntin

“There really is no end goal. It’s the experience all put together.” – Frazer Buntin

“Usually the best people to have in your network or as a mentor are ones that someone has lifted them up in the past, and they are paying it forward.” – Frazer Buntin

“The modern employee has slowly drifted, as technology has developed, away from owning our day. Our day has become everybody else’s. We have stopped planning and prioritizing our work.” – Frazer Buntin

Some Questions I Ask:

• Tell the story about how you got to where you are today. (1:57)
• What are the positives of “job hopping”? (6:27)
• Tell us about the title of your book. (8:42)
• Tell us about the process of writing and publishing a book. (12:58)
• What is intense personal reflection, and what does it do for you? (15:26)
• How have networks and mentorships impacted your work journey? (27:05)
• What are your thoughts on monetary investments in mentor relationships? (32:13)
• Talk about the “degree of stretch,” the “line of boredom,” and the “line of maximum capability.” (33:09)
• Tell us the story about the ball-bearing plant in Nebraska. (38:59)
• You’re a master of operations. Tell us about how you manage your days. (45:46)
• What do you do to find peace? (53:37)
• What projects are you currently working on? (55:27)
• What’s a weird thing that most people don’t know about you? (56:40)
• Is there a new belief or habit that has improved your life? (58:22)

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• About how average job duration has changed over generations (6:55)
• About the “portability of skill” that allowed Frazer to switch sectors (7:37)
• What is a student of the work (9:16)
• About the title of Frazer’s book (10:28)
• Why we need to be comfortable not always having the answer (19:01)
• Why Frazer believes it’s too easy to apply for jobs today (22:16)
• How to distinguish yourself and stand out from a field of applicants (23:13)
• How to productively hijack a job interview (25:59)
• About finding mentorship and support and increasing your network (27:48)
• How to know when it’s time to seek a more challenging job or get help with a too-difficult job (34:26)
• How Frazer structures his day (47:52)

Connect with Frazer Buntin:

Frazer on LinkedIn

Frazer (Monkey Feelings) on Patreon

MonkeyFeelings.com

Also Mentioned on This Show:

A Monkey Could Do Your Job: Practical Tactics for Understanding and Overcoming Crazy Feelings about Work by Frazer Buntin