Women Worldwide with Deirdre Breakenridge

At some point in our lives, we will all face adversity. But if we want to be better leaders, if we want to embrace happier and more successful lives, we need to find the diamond in the rough of those difficult—sometimes even harrowing—experiences.

 

Dr. James Kelley is a speaker, host of the podcast Executives After Hours, and author of the upcoming book The Crucible’s Gift. Throughout his conversations with other leaders, James has honed in on how unique stories and adverse experiences help the best leaders become more self-aware, compassionate, and relatable so they can lead with more integrity. Today he’ll share with you some of what he has learned.

 

Follow along as James explains why he calls these moments crucibles, how they can shape and define us for better or worse, and how you can use these experiences to become a better leader.

 

In This Episode

  • Moments that make up a leader’s crucible
  • The different ways adversity can shape a person
  • James’ personal crucible experiences
  • How to find the gift in difficult, defining experiences
  • Why feedback should come from both above and below you

 

Quotes in This Episode

“Leaders who really thrive by using their adversity to springboard their life and their career—and their person if you will—they found the gift in what that adversity gave them. ” —James Kelley

 

“I never think that anyone's journey is any different, better, or worse than anyone's. It's just theirs.” —James Kelley

 

“You can fail and you can own it and you can pull it apart and you can punch it in the face. But you must get back up and you must keep going.” —James Kelley

 

“The hardest thing to get a leader to do is to be self-aware of their weaknesses.” —James Kelley

 

“Compassion for others is important, but it really starts with compassion with yourself.” —James Kelley

 

Resources

The Crucible’s Gift

drjameskelley.com

Subscribe to Executives After Hours

Connect with James on Twitter, LinkedIn, or send him an email

 

Direct download: Dr.JamesKelleyonWomenWorldwide.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:51pm EDT

When you think about work, or when you sit down at your desk every day, do you feel awesome at what you do? Are you happy? Or perhaps you suffer from imposter syndrome, or you are simply bored or burned out with your career.

 

Pete Mockaitis, founder of Awesome at Your Job, is an award-winning trainer who's served clients in 50 countries. His work has enhanced Fortune 100 corporations, high-growth startups, and major nonprofits. He's conducted one-on-one critical thinking coaching sessions for over 700 thinkers from every Ivy League university and numerous world-class organizations, including Apple, Goldman Sachs, and Google.

 

Follow along as Pete explains how to be your best self at work every day, from becoming a better critical thinker to focusing on clarity to treating happiness as the ultimate currency.

 

In This Episode

  • How to discover professional clarity and focus
  • Why every professional, at every level, needs to be a critical thinker
  • The work environment attributes that lead to boredom and disengagement
  • How cognitive biases affect product development
  • Different altitudes or horizons of focus

 

Quotes in This Episode

“At [an early] age, I learned, whoa, books make you better at stuff! That has just stuck with me forever, just that notion of knowledge really truly being power.” —Pete Mockaitis

 

“It's kind of rare that we devote a dedicated chunk of time to getting clarity on something. So, if you take that in the context of a skilled coach, and we're focusing for 30 minutes, 60 minutes on a question, you can unleash a whole lot of clarity at times in a fairly short window.” —Pete Mockaitis

 

“[Helping people think critically is] just a matter of building up the confidence associated with it. Once they are in the habit of having helpful, on-target thoughts, it's just a matter of encouraging folks to go and soar with it.” —Pete Mockaitis

 

“I think if you feel awesome at your job 100% of the time, you might not be challenging yourself enough, unless you have a very wise and holistic view of awesome, which includes failing from time to time and learning from those experiences.” —Pete Mockaitis

 

“When it comes to career stuff, I really recommend that you think of happiness as the ultimate currency. It's not money or prestige or appreciation or learning and growth… Your happiness is the ultimate priority.” —Pete Mockaitis

 

Resources

How to Be Awesome at Your Job

Listen to Deirdre’s guest appearance on the Awesome at Your Job podcast

Direct download: PeteMockaitisonWomenWorldwide.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:15pm EDT

Are you thinking about your next career adventure? Perhaps your job no longer gives you purpose or you’re feeling burned out. If you’re ready to make a change, there are tools—and possibly even counsel—necessary to get you where you want to go.

 

Emily Kapit is an industry-leading career strategist and the founder of ReFresh Your Step, a career advisory firm with national and international clients. Emily is one of the youngest global professionals to become a three-time certified master resume writer. She’s been profiled by Forbes, she’s a founding member of the Forbes Coaches Council, and was recently noted as one of the nation's 10 Resume Experts We Love by Recruiter.com.

 

Tune in as Emily discusses how more professionals are unhappy at work than most people realize, and if any of the feelings sound familiar, how you can work with a team of experts to start on a brand new career path.

 

In This Episode

  • How emotional intelligence plays a key role in career advising
  • Connecting your skills and achievements to a new career path
  • Why business owners need to automate and delegate
  • Using an accountability partner to keep your goals on track
  • How to leverage social media (and why you should)

 

Quotes in This Episode

“It's a safe place [to open up], and a lot of clients are in desperate need of that, because they're dealing with whatever's going on at work.” —Emily Kapit

 

“And so I'm trying to navigate this opportunity that I have in front of me to really, really grow the business in a little bit of a different way, and have a different structure for other client work, but trying to do that while keeping the business going and I also have a family, and I try not to burn out. So, trying to balance all of that is a challenge.” —Emily Kapit

 

“Whether it's work life or home life, I need to let go and let other people—that I know can learn, and want to learn, maybe grow into their skills a little more, and not just want to immediately take over—which any parent out there will tell you is skillset for being a parent. It's just all really true.” —Emily Kapit

 

“An accountability partner helps you to recalculate. The right person will understand real life happens and then work with you on a plan to actually reach those goals, whatever they might be.” —Emily Kapit

 

“As anyone running a small business knows, you need all the cheerleading you can get, right? It is a challenge each and every day, in a beautiful way, but to stop and actually celebrate those successes… You need to do it, because it helps you keep going and moving through the challenges that you're facing and moving towards increasing success.” —Emily Kapit

 

Resources

ReFresh Your Step

Connect with ReFresh Your Step on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook

Connect with Emily Kapit on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram

Suzanne Brown on Women Worldwide

Direct download: EmilyKapitonWomenWorldwide.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:57am EDT

What is art without community? For many artists, their work exists to create a dialogue with their audience or a greater collective. For today’s guest, looking, listening, sharing, and collaborating are inseparable from the paint, the place, and the form.

 

Meg Saligman, internationally recognized American artist, has produced over 40 permanent public artworks worldwide. Her practice stems from a deep desire to give a voice to communities through public art. She's received numerous awards in addition to the Visionary Woman Award, including the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program Visionary Artist Award and honors from the National Endowment for the Arts. Meg has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Artnet, and on the Today Show.

 

Follow along to hear Meg’s advice for pursuing a creative career, how to become more integrated into our communities, and the positive ripple effect you have the power to create.

 

Today's episode of Women WorldWide, which features a Visionary Woman Award winner, is being sponsored by Moore College of Art & Design. Moore is the first and only women's visual arts college for undergraduates in the United States.

 

In This Episode

  • Experiences that led Meg to become an artist
  • How a digital world is influencing creative careers
  • One question everyone should ask themselves when choosing a career
  • How to create an open dialogue in a community
  • The ripple effect caused by positive experiences in your life

 

Quotes in This Episode

“I was probably in about junior high I saw my art teacher paint a watercolor flower and I remember just seeing that thinking, ‘Oh my god, if I could ever do that, that would be the most wonderful thing. I actually think about that moment sometimes when I'm out there painting in a community or out on the street like, ‘What if someone like me at that age sees me painting and somehow I turn a light on?’” —Meg Saligman

 

“Whatever your goals are—I am so motivated by just playing with paint all day. That's the way I want to spend my days—if that's your motivation you're willing to work hard, I believe the money will follow. I say go for it and see where it takes you.” —Meg Saligman

 

“I would want to tell [aspiring young women artists] you can't have everything but you can make conscious choices and set your mind on getting what you choose.” —Meg Saligman

 

“I consider myself a vessel with a vision. But the vessel can hold the collective and individual voices of the community.” —Meg Saligman

 

“There is no one path or there is no set of rules that a woman has to follow in order to be a good mom, a good wife, a good whatever role she's adapting I think. So that's the inner compass that I think should find it.” —Meg Saligman

 

Resources

Megsaligman.com

Connect with Meg on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

Direct download: MegSaligmanonWomenWorldwide.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:13am EDT

1