"Show what you know by the questions you ask." - Robert Doore
" Show what you know by the questions you ask." - Robert Doore
Robert Doore carries two names, Robert Doore and Rides at the Door, and a journey most maps don't draw: from Big Red football on the Blackfeet Reservation to becoming the highest-ranking Native American in the NFL since Jim Thorpe.
Now the President and CEO of Chief Mountain Sports and Consulting, he tells Ken he didn't learn the power of questions early on. He learned it at 21, in a Washington, D.C. room full of generals and cabinet officials, when he found the courage to ask a mentor, "How did you get to be so smart?" The answer, be well read, ask lots of questions, became his Jedi training.
The conversation moves through Maslow's summer with the Blackfeet, teaching "Indian 101" to policymakers, representation as a door-opener, and fear as the cousin of failure. Robert's right now question: What does success look like? His answer isn't money. It's impact.
This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.
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Episode Notes
00:00 Show What You Know By The Questions You Ask
00:38 Welcome to Curated Questions
02:01 Meet Robert Doore
02:53 First Lessons in Asking
03:41 Courage to Say I Dont Know
05:21 DC Move and Mentorship
06:26 In Rooms of Power
08:09 Culture as Superpower
08:53 Maslow and the Blackfeet
09:57 Blackfeet Leaders and Icons
11:52 Teaching Indian 101 in DC
12:26 Tribes Are Not a Monolith
13:56 Sovereignty and Media Myths
14:59 Bridging Two Worlds
15:40 Unlearning the American Story
20:52 Lemonade in the Lemon
21:59 Jim Thorpe and Role Models
25:09 Representation Changes Everything
26:30 Inquiry and Identity Struggles
30:24 The Questions Practice In Indigenous Tribes
34:37 Trust Through Curiosity
35:02 Hollywood Portrayals Shift
35:23 Modern Native Visibility
36:17 Hall Of Fame Mission
36:45 Inspiring Future Generations
37:30 Know Your Local Tribes
38:16 Ancient Footprints And Ruins
39:43 Land Acknowledgement Plus Action
40:35 Representation For His Son
41:18 Native Roots In STEM
42:44 Beyond Symbols Real Help
44:14 Bridging Two Worlds
44:17 Proving You Belong
45:35 Just Get Us In The Race
48:16 Ask Better Questions
50:08 Preparation And Leadership
53:19 Facing Fear And Failure
58:33 Defining Success And Impact
Resources Mentioned
Robert Doore's website robertdoore.com
Chief Mountain Sports and Consulting (https://robertdoore.com/)
Blackfeet Nation (https://blackfeetnation.com/)
Star Wars (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars)
Jim Thorpe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thorpe)
Abraham Maslow (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Maslow)
Chief Two Guns White Calf (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Two_Guns_White_Calf)
Elouise Cobell (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elouise_P._Cobell)
Erin Brockovich (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Brockovich)
Disney's version of Pocahontas and John Smith (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocahontas_(1995_film))
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Indigenous_Peoples'_History_of_the_United_States)
Carlisle Indian School (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlisle_Indian_Industrial_School)
General Richard Henry Pratt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Henry_Pratt)
Glenn "Pop" Warner (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_Warner)
Billy Mills (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Mills)
Audrey Lorde (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audre_Lorde)
Dances With Wolves (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dances_With_Wolves)
Yellowstone TV Series (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_(TV_series))
National Native American Hall of Fame (https://nativehalloffame.org/)
John Harrington (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Peabody_Harrington)
NCAI Tribal Directory (https://www.ncai.org/tribal-directory)
Rocky Balboa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Balboa)
Robert Doore on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-doore-business-executive)
Producer Ben Ford (https://www.producerbenford.com/)
Beauty Pill (https://www.beautypill.com/)