102 Be a Witness: Why Seeing Others and Being Seen Is the Key to Building Relationships with Corban David Janai

Relationships play a key role in fostering curiosity, building connection, and combating disconnection. But how do we create strong, authentic relationships? To answer that question, I’m joined by guest Corban David Jenai. Corban is an entrepreneur, artist, world traveler, and father. He also currently serves as the Chief Hope Officer at HopeGuide, where he draws from his own PTSD diagnosis and healing journey to help others find the freedom and connection they need to recover from their trauma. In this episode, Corban shares why vulnerbility and intentionality are important for building strong relationships, discusses why "being a witness" to others is the key to building relationships, and shares some authentic stories from his own journey.

3:14 – Talking about ourselves and real aspects of our lives is a way to kick off strong connections

4:00 – Vulnerability is a path to connection

4:23 – By listening and getting to know others on your team, you build a sense of trust, which in turn leads to greater results on performance, quality, safety, and more

5:03 – To show others that you care, you have to actually care

6:36 – To build connections, think about what is important to you, and work with the assumption that others might have feelings similar to yours

8:23 – While modern society gives us the chance to connect with many people, we don’t always have the time or capacity to form meaningful connections with every person we encounter  

10:15 – By connecting with smaller groups, we have the chance to be a witness to others, and they can be a witness to hear, see, and feel us as we are

11:06 – By investing in others at a deeper level, you can improve productivity and results

12:56 – Being vulnerable and open with your team allows them to see your humanity as a leader

14:38 – By looking at someone and actually seeing them, you can make a major difference, even if you don’t have a solution to their problems

16:51 – When people feel seen and heard, they are more likely to show up for you and your organization

20:06 – Even small moments of connection, like making eye contact, go a long way when forming connections

25:54 – Being a witness can help you show up better in all your relationships

Connect with Corban David Janai

Find Corban online at his website

Learn More About HopeGuide here