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Kevin Hancock
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Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse

By Kevin Hancock

How a Businessman Lost His Voice and then Found his Soul on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation… A Lesson in Following your Heart- However Crazy it Might seem to others

The Unfolding of a New Approach to Leadership Lauded by Experts and even the NY Times

Winner 2016 National Indie Excellence® Award

Kevin Hancock was a highly successful businessman who took over his six-generation, family-owned lumber company that started in 1848, one of the oldest in America - and one of the largest in Maine - and steered it out of the financial strains of the recession. With hundreds of employees statewide, he had a tremendous responsibility on his shoulders. He was also a community leader, devoted husband, family man and coach for his daughters' sports teams. He was the one who took care of everything and solved problems for everyone.

And then, suddenly he lost the consistent and comfortable use of his voice to a relatively rare condition called spasmodic dysphonia. It became painful and difficult to push words out of his voice box. At nearly the same time, his mother-unbeknownst to him-gifted him a reading by a world renowned evolutionary astrologist. Her words and an article in National Geographic on the Sioux Nation with a photo of a modern day young Native American galloping across the prairie ignited something deep within him. He knew he was called to Indian country, but did not yet know why, but that became apparent in the four trips that he made within a year to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and the awakening of his soul.

Says Kevin in his remarkable award-winning new book Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse, "Within me lived a powerful impulse to take charge and protect my tribe, whenever it came under duress. I felt a strong pull to save everyone, and I took on all the work that went with that instinct. Worse, I internalized that responsibility to the point where it consumed me in ways I could not see. The price I paid for that approach was that I lost myself to both my role and my local circumstances. I had become consumed in protecting others. I had not yet learned that most everyone is capable of protecting themselves. I had not yet learned to share power. I had not yet learned to serve myself."

It is this and more that he discovers on this mystical and fascinating journey-a vision quest for a visionary. Kevin captivates with his story telling. He shares his growing connection and affection for the long-suffering, but resilient Lakota people-and what they teach him; his increasing awareness of human relationships to land, animals, nature and spirit; and how he unyoked himself from his sole leadership role to create shared responsibility that resulted in record profits for his company and a feature in the NY Times showcasing his new leadership model. Most of all, he reveals the inner workings of deep seeking that opened his eyes, his heart and his mind. 

With photographs that touchingly illustrate his journey, provides a realistic look at life on the Rez, and illuminates his growing awareness of interconnectedness, Hancock evokes messages for us all. He shows us a path so beautifully trod by the indigenous Americans that brings us into harmony with ourselves, our spirit and the world around us.   

Kevin will enlighten your listeners on what he discovered:  

We all come from a tribe, and while the pull of the past is strong, the soul is here to individuate.

Those who hold the power often overreach and go too far, not realizing that leadership in the new Aquarian Age is about doing less, not more.

Busyness is not living, and personal growth lies in looking inward, not outward.

The boundaries that have been set to divide people are not real. In the end, we're all one tribe.

To book Kevin Hancock on your show, please send an email with the name of the show, your contact information, a proposed date and time, and the calling details.  

Rachel Wandishin - Media Relations Manager

Email - rwandishin@hancocklumber.com

Phone - (207) 627-2153

 

"If you had told me a couple of years ago that my friend, Kevin Hancock, would set off on a quest for enlightenment, sparked by a long-distance astrological reading which would lead him to a sweat lodge in a remote Indian reservation-well, let's just say that 'skeptical' doesn't come close to covering it. What happened next is the amazing story Kevin tells here: Part history (and not very pleasant history at that), part spiritual journey, part moving portrait of some extraordinary people, and part leadership manual, this fascinating book will touch you and teach you on many levels." --Angus S. King Jr., US Senator

"I read Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse in record time. I simply couldn't put the book down. Kevin Hancock's courage in laying out his vision quest so beautifully and humbly is a true inspiration. It is my hope that all business leaders will heed the message that it is possible to care for our souls and our businesses simultaneously. In fact, for true sustainability and health, we must." -- Christiane Northrup, MD, The New York Times best-selling author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, and Goddesses Never Age

Biography

KEVIN HANCOCK is the President of Hancock Lumber Company. Established in 1848, Hancock Lumber operates ten retail stores and three sawmills that are led by 460 employees. The company also grows trees on 12,000 acres of timberland in Southern Maine.

Hancock Lumber is a multi year recipient of the ‘Best Places to Work in Maine’ award. The company is also a past recipient of the Maine Family Business of the Year Award, the Governor’s Award for Business Excellence, and the MITC ‘Exporter of the Year’ award.

Kevin is a past chairman of the National Lumber and Building Materials Dealers Association as well as the Bridgton Academy Board of Trustees. Kevin is a recipient of the Ed Muskie ‘Access to Justice’ Award, the Habitat for Humanity ‘Spirit of Humanity’ Award, the Boy Scouts of America ‘Distinguished Citizen’ Award, and Timber Processing Magazine’s ‘Man of the Year’ Award. Kevin also spent 20 years coaching middle school basketball for the Lake Region school district.

Kevin is a graduate of Lake Region High School and Bowdoin College. He is also a frequent visitor to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. In 2015, Kevin published a book about his experiences with the Oglala Sioux Tribe titled, Not For Sale: Finding Center in the Land of Crazy Horse. The book won the National Indie Excellence Award, first place in leadership and runner up in the spirituality category.

Kevin is an advocate of strengthening the voices of all individuals within a company or a community such as Pine Ridge through listening, empowering, and shared leadership. 

United States