Together, many small steps make a life journey. That’s the life motto of today’s guest, Paul McLean. That phrase has guided him to excel in both his corporate career and non-profit endeavors. On today’s episode, Barry and I chat with Paul about his Dreams for Life, his early childhood education charity in Indonesia. We discuss his journey to starting a non-profit, lessons he’s learned as a corporate and non-profit leader, and how he’s tapped into the growth mindset to expand Dreams for Life.
Over his 20 year career, Paul McLean has helped develop corporate culture, emotional intelligence, and leadership skills for a number of multinational corporations such as Qlik, Samsung, Konica Minolta, Fuji Xerox Asia Pacific, SAVVIS Inc., WAM!NET Inc. and Canon. Paul is now a senior leader at Palo Alto Networks, a top cyber security company, and specializes in talent development and human performance.
In 2016, Paul had the opportunity to visit Uganda through a corporate social responsibility trip. While volunteering with We See Hope, Paul faced a turning point in his life and was moved and inspired to create a children’s charity. He realized the power of children and wanted to help underprivileged children access education in order to help them reach their potential.
After his eye-opening trip, Paul created Dreams for Life with the mission of building smart communities and prosperous futures for underprivileged children. The program is based on the Montessori method to encourage both education and life skills. It also helps develop community members as educators and school administrators.
Their latest project, The Sumba Smart Centre, just broke ground and will provide teacher wages and training, plus education for 79 Kindergarten-aged children. Listen to today’s episode to learn more about Paul’s inspiring mission and how he’s using his corporate background to uplift Indonesian communities.
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[00:00:00] Anne O’Neil: Hey, hey GBLers! We welcome Paul McClean to our show. He is our first international guest calling in all the way from Bali Paul's life. Motto is together. Many small steps make a life journey. And in 2016, Paul created dreams for life where their mission is to build smart communities. And prosperous futures for underprivileged children.
This conversation is jam packed with colorful stories of giving back. So be inspired listening to Paul who emulates Gandhi's famous quote of being the change you wish to see in the world.
[00:00:48] Barry Gottlieb: It's a pleasure to meet you, Paul.
[00:00:50] Paul McLean: Good to meet you, sir.
[00:00:54] Barry Gottlieb: Well, and I've heard quite a bit about you and I have to say good evening to you and for everybody that's listening in, we're talking to somebody that's approximately 11,000 miles away.
[00:01:06] Anne O’Neil: Yes. Thank you so much for coming on and representing Palo Alto networks too.
So you're halfway across the world from us and we're also, you know, representing the same company. So I'm so excited for this conversation.
[00:01:20] Paul McLean: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you both for having me. I'm really, really appreciative.
[00:01:26] Anne O’Neil: So to give everyone a little bit of background of how I met Paul. I mentioned we both work at Palo Alto networks and I was following the slack channel called people giving back.
And I saw this video of Paul sharing about dreams for life and the work they were doing for kids and the community of Indonesia. And I said, I have to meet this guy. So I messaged him and we hopped on a zoom and we had very similar stories of volunteering and underprivileged country. I personally shared the story of me traveling to the Dominican Republic and putting on a basketball camp and painting the schools for kids in the rural areas.
And then Paul shared about the mission of educating children in poverty, through dreams for life. So that's how we connected and I would love it. Paul, if you can set the scene for everybody with that initial story of your trip to Uganda, the one that truly transformed the meaning and the purpose of your life.
[00:02:18] Paul McLean: You know, I had aspirations of, uh, of brand, ya, you know, I think maybe like all of us, you know, uh, wanting to get into the senior ranks and corporation life and things like that from a young age. But I think for me, it was. My last employer, they had a huge CSR program and I had the opportunity to go to Uganda.
[00:02:43] Anne O’Neil: And C NCSR is the corporate social responsibility program, right. Or they took you
[00:02:50] Paul McLean: corporate social responsibility program. And I had a, this partnership. With a waste hub, which is a big UK foundation and a, so we went there literally within 24 hours of getting off the plane. I was, uh, in the midst of visiting schools, visiting children in schools, schools that had signs, you know, no underage sex, you know, treat, treat girls with respect, uh, no underage marriage.
You know, these are signs on the school buildings and. Then to sort of hear children who had created a child rights club, which was all about educating adults on how to treat children. And that for me was the turning point and realizing the power of children. And if they actually had an opportunity. To have an education, then, you know what that's what I was going to do.
I decided that from that point on, I was going to search and find children that didn't have that available to them and give them that opportunity in life. It's fantastic. Yeah. I think, you know, that perspective it would. Coming back from Uganda and just considering it was not going to go back to Africa was, you know, was I gonna look in Asia because I lived a large part of the last seven, eight years of my life in Singapore.
Always traveled through Asia. So I thought I was starting to look at where non-profits were not really prolific. And I was thinking, okay, lots of people doing a lot of good things, uh, where in the world does this problem really exists and had lots of friends in, uh, in the. And so I traveled to Indonesia.
I started doing research. I started visiting orphanages. That's sort of how I started to get the, the field data, because I didn't believe the data that I was getting from, uh, you know, government websites. And I then thought, you know, I, I think I've found an opportunity here because I found 4.8 million orphans in Indonesia.
And I don't think that's the real number. And I said, you know what? I'm going to create my own foundation called dreams for life, which was. Totally dedicated around exactly what I just mentioned to you guys, which was providing free education to children. And that's how we started. We started with, uh, with a view of doing reading and things like that.
I soon found out that. Actually a bunch of people doing nice things. And then I started to think about how could we make this sustainable? I can provide an education, but how could I provide quality sustained education on a yearly basis? So that got me thinking into, well, we can't just address the children education problem.
We've also got to address the teacher, the teacher issue. So we build a to graduate teacher program that runs in line. What we've now built as Montessori and a box, which is a, a blended curriculum Montessori. And we offer that for free to target and communities and orphanages. And we also develop smart communities by developing community people as teachers.
They don't even have any of that experience, but we have a team that then coaches them and guides them to be teachers.
[00:06:23] Anne O’Neil: You know, one of the things that I looked up was the definition of Montessori. In the United States. We're not as familiar with that word. And it's a system of education for young children that seeks to develop natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods.
So it's not just about math and science. Tell us a little bit of what that looks like day to day with the young kids.
[00:06:47] Paul McLean: Yeah. So that's a really good question, actually, because it's, you know, if, if you take normal school, you know, it, it's a building it's structured. It's, you know, it's a black and white frame book of this is what you learn, and this is when you learn it and, you know, make sure teachers, you teach them this it's somewhat, I suppose, throwing the rule book out to a large extent.
I mean, Maria Montessori. You know, I started this too, to actually help underprivileged children and it's become a phenomenon worldwide and a massive commercial business. So to a logic stand on, sort of bringing it back 360 and saying, you know what, I'm going to bring it back to what Maria wanted it to be, which was to help children get an education that couldn't go to any sort of formal school.
But I think in answer to your question and. They're the real richness of it is it's really observation based learning. It allows for the foil, you know, a multi year classroom. So you can have three year olds. Four-year-olds five-year-olds they all learn differently and giving them base education, but then looking at observation based learning to help understand.
How does that child going to learn, you know, and up-skill differently to, to the other one and what activities or, you know, maybe there's a child that's more creative as opposed to beans that are academic, still teaching the fundamentals, mathematics and still teaching, you know, religions, still teaching art and craft.
You know, all of those elements are still there, but in a, what I think is a very logical way of learning and an appreciative of the, of the individual child.
[00:08:28] Barry Gottlieb: As a former principal of young kids, I applaud you for all the work you were doing, teaching them both educational and life skills. So, Paul, I have to ask you, you have two very different roles from your work building or culture of Palo Alto networks, and also a role building community with dreams for life.
What have you discovered being a leader in both of those roles?
[00:08:52] Paul McLean: It's extremely rewarding to sit on this side. It's extremely, yeah. Actually, you know, it's, you know, corporate life, you know, I guess it's hard for a, you know, shareholders and the C level and all of that, but this is harder. You've got to raise a flag so much higher.
You've got to. You know, find, find heart. And I think what I learned so far was, you know, when you're employing people, I'm actually not looking for any ability of the, the first thing I'm looking for is hot. Is that belief that, you know, there's an element that I want to give back and that it's reaching.
It's true. And that's what I'm looking for. Part of my role at Palo Alto networks is also in the education space. So on. Yeah, coaching, I'm guiding, I'm doing a leadership training. I'm helping the sales organization do better, make more money. You know, it's a bit of an ironic thing, isn't it? You know, I'm sort of a one Kia sort of helping everyone make money.
And I'm on the other side over here trying to give someone a life and a future. And there's some similarities, I suppose, in the. At other ends of the sky, you know,
[00:10:03] Anne O’Neil: Paul, I'd love to get a little bit of your background. You know, I know we had that athletics background in common. And if anybody's seen you on LinkedIn, you've got Michael Jordan on your cover photo.
Tell us a little bit about your experience through athletics and growth mindset through your career that led you to developing, you know, your corporate life, but also dreams for life. What that looks.
[00:10:28] Paul McLean: Yeah, I think, you know, the basis was a lot of it stemmed from my father. I mean, I might, my parents, you know, my father always sort of said, you know, just, just try things.
And I think that baseline, you know, got me into, you know, I would work at this company and I'd sort of get to a point down, you know what I think I've sort of got it. You know, I think I need another challenge. So I'm wired that way. I'm definitely always looking at. That sort of next step, I'm always sort of, you know, observing, willing to have an open, you know, growth mindset, as you say, and you know, willing to listen.
But I think in that probably the last 12, 15 years, that listening thing for me was actually a killer turning point. You know, maybe it's maybe Barry you'll agree, you know, the, the male maturity thing, right. Where we mature later in life. And we've certainly a factor for me. Taking the time to just listen to people and to draw in other thoughts and ideas and be self-aware and, you know, have that self-realization aspect and honesty with yourself that you are who you are.
You can tackle the things that you can tackle, but you can't solve all the problems. And I guess that's sort of what led me, you know, I think definitely in the last, you know, 12, 15 years to the point that I'm at now. And, you know, within my, my day career at Palo Alto networks, it's fantastic because it drives collaboration.
You know, it's, it's quite amazing. The things I'm learning in HR and learning, I'm actually able to apply and drink.
[00:12:07] Barry Gottlieb: You do a lot of high performance leadership. And so would you mind sharing for those people that are going to listen in and want to hear some business, part of this, along with the beautiful, you know, stuff that you're doing?
Tell us a little bit how you work within companies or help companies on the standpoint of culture, emotional intelligence leadership. So just a little bit of your thoughts on.
[00:12:36] Paul McLean: You know, I, I, I've learned a lot, I think over the last, you know, maybe 10 years I think, but probably the last six to seven years, I don't know.
I put a different perspective on thing. I think it was that, that listening element related to understanding what the needs of people were, you know, because I think a lot of learning and corporate learning. You know, you would hire people with all due respect to their capabilities and they would just be delivering things, you know, throwing things at you, whether it was face to face or in this crazy virtual world that we sit in today, it was like that.
And I started to think about this ability to, to have applied learning. Why don't we get the people to give themselves the answer. And so a lot of that coaching is about self-referrals. And being able to draw people in. And I think the, the beach. Positive and the winning element of performance is actually time.
It's the person affording themselves time to reflect, to, to really consider not this sort of oh yeah. You know, you know, I'll listen to you, Barry, and you know, all the. Really sitting down and understanding that doing, self-reflection asking other people getting that 360 input and view. And of course, some of us will do that.
Some of us won't do that. Right. So we're all different, different base, right?
[00:14:08] Barry Gottlieb: Self-awareness is such an important part of any kind of growth. And I think whenever you can create. Any kind of interaction, even going back to your point about listening, if we could truly get people just to learn actually how to listen to be better listeners, the world would be a much better place.
[00:14:29] Paul McLean: I mean, my work is really through, I suppose, raising the performance of the internal employees in order to then have, you know, the impact back down to the customer base. When, you know, Palo Alto networks, I'm passionate about, you know, our mission, which is, you know, protecting the digital wildlife. You know, all of our customers and their employees and their family, you know, I, I'm very passionate about that.
And I think it's about what you're putting in and giving back, but you've got to have that human piece, but that's the key and sort of, you know, recent conversations with, with leaders in the business, it's about. Hearing people talking about, you know what, I'm worried, I'm going to burn our group out because we're like a rocket ship.
So if I don't bring that human element into this and say, and like, literally, how are you doing? And spend that time, then I'm doing her a disjustice, you know, and the rest of the team. So as easily as we a rocket ship, you know, we could run out of fuel. I think if we, if you don't work that way,
[00:15:37] Barry Gottlieb: Before we take up all of your time tonight talking, I want to circle back to the dreams.
So there's a certain amount of money that if you raise enough, ammo was the number so that you could educate a child
[00:15:52] Anne O’Neil: at $365 a year, goes to educate a young child for an entire year. Paul, if you want to expand on that and what the education community looks like for that year, and also a little bit about your assumed bus smart center, I know you just, you know, Broke ground on that a couple of weeks ago.
So we'd love to hear the progress and what that looks like in the future.
[00:16:16] Paul McLean: Oh, so, yeah, I think on the first point we've sort of gone along this model that a dollar a day, you know, can educate a child, particularly in Indonesia. And that's partly due to the unfortunate, low wages. And obviously. The cost of materials and things like that.
Oh, and also the partnerships that we've been able to create. And then I suppose the evolution and Montessori in a box now as slightly increased that dollar amount to $395, which is actually the cost of Montessori to box. We then package into that pens and crayons and paper and all of the learning materials.
Materials for the teacher and, uh, and those sorts of guides. So that now has become, if you like your ability to sponsor a box three or $95, that box will then get shipped to a location. That's a. And currently we're working on seven locations across Indonesia, all across Indonesia. And, uh, one of those is Samba as well.
Yeah. Similar is a great initiative and project. We build a partnership with an organization, another foundation called thousand guru, who is, it's been like a traveling teacher type of foundation. So, you know, Barry, you and ANC and hook up with them, come out to Bali or an island in Indonesia. That will take you on a trip to say the children in the school, say them in class, maybe do some rating and things like that.
And they focus a lot on the elementary age. And so we found a commonality in what we do, but we found a partnership because they don't do anything with kindergarten age children. So we formed a partnership and we've started that with the somber school. And, uh, we had some great donations through some of our corporate partners that we've built CSR programs.
And, uh, yeah, we just, a few weeks ago, we're in Samba. We broke the ground on the hill that sort of overlooks the ocean. I keep saying to everyone, my God, the view for these children, seriously, it's going to be amazing. I don't know many children would have a view like that. When I go to school, but when we started the project and due to COVID, they've got the light, but we had about 33 children in that age group.
And now just through word of mouth and a few other things then plus the timing we've got 79 children are in that age group. So. Once it gets built. Uh, construction literally happened yesterday, so they started building the foundations and by February it will be finished. And, uh, we will be basically, um, funding, the three teachers, their yearly wages.
Coaching them and guiding them, teaching them all about Montessori and then providing a yearly education for those 79
[00:19:12] Anne O’Neil: children. And I love that you guys are not just focused on one aspect, you know, just like the children. You're really looking at the teachers and building. An entire community, you know, it's, it's, the ripple effect is going to be so huge for Summa, the island and you know, every little place that you guys are, are stopping in, in Bali.
It's going to affect everyone, which is such a big deal. And I did tell Barry, one of your. Awesome colorful stories of one of the first times you showed up. But if you could maybe share a little bit of what that looked like when you showed up with all those cool basketballs and soccer balls with the kids, it was really fun to kind of visualize and see that picture even from your web.
[00:19:52] Paul McLean: You're right. The picture is on my website. I think it will always be there because it was the reason why I today. And I think, you know, walking into those schools, you know, I'd mentioned to you Ann, right? That these kids are buried. They had for, you know, water bottles and they were scrunched up tight together.
That was the soccer ball. Wow. Wow. And so I had this habit of buying soccer, balls, basketballs, and skipping ropes, because I couldn't let the girls go with, with nothing just in case that if you might be grapple. Right. So I packaged them all up. I took, I think it was something like. Over a hundred bowls and skipping ropes to Uganda.
And then we visited four schools and then so I put them all together and then we sat there. They did this amazing singing and poetry and things like that. And then I said, all right, we've got something for you. So went out, got them. And I bought the pumps. I bought the inflation natal. I bought the whole kit and we went in, we pumped up the whole.
And it was amazing. There were boys there, like eight, nine years balancing the ball on the back of their neck on just one foot like they're professional soccer players, just incredible. They never touched a bowl. I never touched a skipping row. And. I was mentioning to Anne that when we walked into, I took this practice into the orphanages in Indonesia and they would look at me funny because they're expecting money, you know, just, you know, just give me some money.
And I said, well, I don't do that. I actually bring soccer, balls, basketballs, and skipping ropes. And they're like, okay. And looking at me really strange, what's wrong with this guy? I said, no, no, just, just bear with me. So I went and got them. We rolled the ball. And literally within a minute, there were seven kids and they were rolling the ball to each other.
And I looked at the owner of the orphanage and I said, that's why I bring the bowls. And that's why I bring the skipping rounds, have a look at the girls over there that was skipping. Like, you know, I just watched skipping, they never done skipping in their lives. It was just amazing. So again, it's just that proof that the child, you know, that company-wide.
The sponges and, you know, whatever they've learned on YouTube or on a mobile phone or something, or they've seen.
[00:22:17] Anne O’Neil: I love that I can see your eyes light up when you're telling the story, you know, like you're reliving that experience right now. And just the impact that even a tiny basketball and skipping rope can have. It's really, really cool at the same time. I'd love to hear cause people, you know, we're going to share about this.
They don't even know that you do this for on your own and your own community on Fridays and Sundays. So tell us a little bit about getting back Sunday of how you provide meals for over 50 people on a weekly basis.
[00:22:46] Paul McLean: Yeah. So that actually came from my wife. So we met very well with this whole. She wants to build a school ironically, so she wants to help children.
She has an amazing heart and, you know, we really totally bonded on that. And then through a dreams for life, um, focusing very much on the education. She said, you know what? I want to be able to. Also sort of develop my own thing. So she developed giving back Friday and giving back Sunday and she actually makes the, now she makes the mask holders, you know, the BD mask holders for the COVID mask and she sells them.
And then the proceeds, she, she gets in donations from people. We buy the food. So we have. Some people here locally, we buy the food form and she literally goes and collects that we package it up with water, make sure it's a nutritional meal and we hit the streets and we go around Denpasar. We go around the, the rubbish dumps that exist here.
And if you come from. I asked you to come along to say definitely some of the people, I mean the graciousness. Yes. But the conditions that, you know, people think Bali is a, you know, just the paradox, right. But it's, there's a lot of people that everywhere in the world that I'm not doing well. And, you know, we hope that.
We can just give them that meal, you know, and maybe that's going to get them to that next day and that next discussion, and maybe who knows what's going to come from it, but that's the way we think. So, you know, my wife, uh, are you as a name, she's the driver of it. And you know, very passionate about it. We go out there together and do it.
It's just a great feeling.
[00:24:25] Barry Gottlieb: What a wonderful story that you've shared with people here with us today. And I know that we're going to get ready to wrap up soon, but I want to make sure people can go to dreams for life.com. Is that it now don't old God, or because it's a nonprofit right. Dreams for life dot Oregon for $395.
We can educate somebody for an entire year.
[00:24:50] Paul McLean: Yeah, you can educate 60 children
[00:24:52] Barry Gottlieb: buried 60 children with the Montessori kids.
[00:24:57] Paul McLean: It's sort of the community spin on the world, vision sponsor a child with dreams. Why for your sponsoring a community and small community and the children, their education. So, yeah,
[00:25:08] Anne O’Neil: it's tremendous.
And what a way to wrap right there on that note is that you're not just educating a child, you're educating a community, right? Also doing that and you're giving back Sunday. So this has been, you know, an honor to be able to have this conversation with you and share about dreams for life and all of the work that you're doing in underprivileged communities.
And also, you know, I thank you for all your work that you're doing to make it an awesome company at Palo Alto networks to work for. So what a great conversation.
[00:25:38] Barry Gottlieb: Fantastic. Thank you for all that you're doing. Thank your wife, amazing people. It's an honor to meet you, Paul.
[00:25:45] Paul McLean: I really appreciate it. Basically sells hand and devastating it's up and, uh, I'm Barry and loved to come to the states, you know, and, and hang out with you guys as
[00:25:55] Barry Gottlieb: well
[00:25:55] Anne O’Neil: as you, should you come here and then we'll make our way to Bali those 11,000 miles.
We would love to, and be a part of, one of those events where you know, the smart center is up and running. I'd love to be a part of. Please
[00:26:07] Paul McLean: do please come. And, uh, you know, it's just an amazing experience you'll be touched. And I think you're, you're both wonderful people. So thank you so much for, for allowing me to have a voice with you.
It's, uh, it's really, really, really powerful, and I really, really appreciate it from the bottom line.
[00:26:51] Anne O’Neil: Well, thank you so much for listening into our conversation. If you have a GBL story in your life, share it with us on Instagram @getbusylivin_pod. We might just share your story on a future episode. And lastly, listeners of the podcast can get a free chapter of Barry's book: Brilliant On the Basics. Simply go to www.getbusylivinpodcast.com to download it now. Well, thank you so much for sharing in the good vibes and giving back and GBLing with us.