Meet Dr. Quinn Denny | Industrial Organizational Psychologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Quinn Denny and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Quinn, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I studied courage and positive mental state, known as Positive Psychological Capital, PsyCap for short, as part of my dissertation for weeks upon weeks. When I think about risk, I think of courage. Someone can take a risk without exercising courage, yet it is those risks that people take that represent some kind of perceived possible loss that we most often associate with courage. That is why, in general, we respect risk takers, and particularly when they succeed. Where there is ample perceived risk, there is typically corresponding opportunity for benefit. The two are psychologically inseparable. Usually, minimal risk = lower benefit and greater risk = greater benefit. Truly, courage to risk loss in order to achieve gain is not recklessness, or worse, incompetence. It is rather the ability to act despite the intense realization that the higher the risk, the more serious the potential loss…and more importantly, the greater the potential for benefit! The ability to take risks, to attempt to achieve despite a realistic view of loss, is courage. There are all kinds of acts of courage in life and career. Some are more risky than others. Examples include changing jobs, changing careers, taking a pay cut for work that better fits one’s personality, and others of similar life changing magnitude. Smaller examples of courage are speaking up in business and personal contexts when the majority will not agree, doing something that is small yet scares you, or choosing to let go of one thing to have another. In both my personal life and career, risk taking (courageousness), has been a discipline of remaining true to myself. It is making the decisions that cooperate with one’s personality, one’s deep self, especially when doing so is excruciatingly difficult. For me, I do not want to reach the end of life asking myself, what if I had tried, risked, lived authentically? Courage breeds more courage, and forgoing acting courageously breeds more future avoidance. Risk taking in my life and career has always set the foundation for additional courage and grit. The key, I have found, is that what we consider inconsequential choices, have aggregate ramifications later…so, show up for that possible client even though you are tired, speak in front of that group when it is intimidating, put your ideas out there when you are not sure, do the very thing you might usually avoid. This produces a different energizing outcome. Many times, I have looked back on my journey and the journey of others I have the privilege of serving and been gratefully astonished at the results of many courageous micro-decisions. Tiny, modestly courageous acts will take you places you never imagined you might go.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started ioPSYte® out of a deep inner unrest, what we Psychologists call cognitive dissonance. That dissonance was a result of pursuing a career that I think I chose out of survival needs with a focus on money as the foundational motivator. Growing up as a child of divorce, my family was one ecenomically speaking, barely in the lower middle class income marked by frequent relocations and instability. ioPSYte® was born out of my brokenheartedness in work. Bluntly, I had pursued IT work for which I had no intrinsic motivation because I feared inability to contribute financially to a possible future family. I did this work for 20+ years! The shift to speaking, training, and consulting was difficult. I chuckle about it now because I have become so courageous. Yet, back then, I went to register for school to start my career change three seperate times and walked away from my computer terribly afraid. I finally made the commitment. That courageous act led to many more. I have learned that a person can do the most modest of courageous acts at first. Small decisions to risk, lead to a series of wins that inspire, grow, and transform. Many of us are in work and workplaces that suppress our personalities, stealing away joyful work, and robbing us of our most valuable daily resources, time and relationships marked by connection and authenticity. I have an intense passion to help people with their work, to heal their hearts, restore their motivation. My greatest joy in work is being able to train, consult, and ultimately encourage (fill with courage) those individuals and teams ioPSYte® has the great honor of serving. What is more, everything ioPSYte® does is rooted in evidence-based material so it works as opposed to ad hoc approaches which create emotional highs that quickly fade away amid challenges.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I think a great week of vacation involves intensity, rest, and reflection.

Each day would be marked by an activity while also having flexibility and spontaneity.

Sunday: Sleep in! Go for a walk with the foothills in view. Sit by the pool and swim.

Monday: Hiking in the mountains, maybe Estes Park.

Tuesday: Shopping in Vail Colorado and dinner at Beaujo’s pizza in Idaho Springs.

Wednesday: See a play at the Denver Center for Performing Arts with dinner at The Corner Office beforehand.

Thursday: Run a 5K, Hot Tub, and eat at the Great Divide in downtown Castle Rock.

Friday: Pick a classic movie and watch it outdoors, cookout on the grill, ciders, steaks, Bocce Ball, games, etc.

Saturday: Let my friend choose what we do!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
To get here, I sold a lucrative business, went back to school to change careers and spent 6 years learning and applying work psychology to develop ioPSYte®. During that process there were many people who encouraged me. My biggest supporters have been my wife Erin and my two sons, who cheered me on continually. Dr. Catherine Sees encouraged me at a vulnerable moment early on when I wanted quit. Dr. Matthew Swain and Dr. Rachel Piferi were there when I was in the most traumatic moments of my mom’s battle with cancer while still pressing academically. A book that has most impacted me is “Courage & Calling” by Dr. Gordon Smith.

Website: https://www.iopsyte.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iopsyte/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-quinn-denny-industrial-organizational-psychologist-8baaa1165

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079517661907

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTO6wTINAjJEziq2FtiXXYA

Image Credits
Headshots by Lisa Christianson owner of Castle Rock Headshots.

Speaking Photos by Aaron Sager owner of DoNorA.

Diagram property of ioPSYte®Isa