Just Me
How I became “Mental MacGyver”
I was finishing up a call with someone who had a very successful exit from a marketing and public relations business. In thanking me for the work we had just done together he said, “All you need is a button, some bubble gum and a piece of string to make stuff work.”
I laughed and said, “I’m like a Mental MacGyver!”
He got dead serious and said, “That is exactly what you do. Get that URL and start using it.”
I laughed it off, “Yeah. Okay.”
He said, “No. I’m serious. I have been doing this a long time and that is phenomenal branding for you.”
When someone gives you expert advice, take it. And so, Mental MacGyver was born.
A Bit of My Story
It is often easier to reach out to someone when you know a little bit about them first. Here are a few “fun facts” about me that have very little to do with the work I do but are part of who I am as a human being.
- I grew up on a small farm, the oldest child of a large, Calvinist family. We were poor but not destitute. That gave me a “if it’s already broken you can’t make it worse, figure it out and fix it” mentality
- My dad taught at the high school I attended. Yes, that was as awkward and geek-making as you can imagine.
- As a teenager I believed the biggest threat facing my generation was the pressure to be mediocre because you can’t fail if you don’t try. Sadly, many people still follow that idea today.
- I graduated valedictorian from high school but went to work instead of going to college. (Long story best told over drinks.)
- The best advice I’ve ever received: “Robyn, you are resilient. Stop making decisions that make you prove it.”
- I started college at 32 and got my undergrad, masters and doctorate in 6.5 years
- Author Fred Dawson featured me in his second book – Pearls: Women who radiate success
- I enjoy learning about astrophysics, quantum physics and metaphysics for fun
- Pre-pandemic I enjoyed being Happy2Listen. I am hopeful I will be able to do it again soon.
- I have an amazing husband, Russ
- We are plant-based
- We run the Whole Food Muscle business together
- Training our dog Nebby brings me joy (see the video below)
- For exercise I lift weights three days a week and do cardio at least two. Weather permitting, I have a goal to ride my bike 100 miles every seven rolling days.
- Managing the discontentment between great and perfection is where happiness hides
- I love the work I get to do and I would be thrilled to have a conversation with you about it
Work