Women Worldwide with Deirdre Breakenridge

When people are at a crossroads in their life and are looking for healing they will often seek out the help of a shaman. Shamans are all about connecting to the Earth and energy healing. My guest today is Julie Hannon. Julie began her career in HR, but always felt called to the Earth. After leaving her high-stress job, she went back to her roots and rediscovered shamanism.

Julie is the founder of Inner Peace & Wellness where she facilitates joy and wellness in the lives of those she works with. Julie also has a master’s degree in psychology, over 20 years experience as a human resources director, she is HeartMath certified, she has 20 years of yoga experience and has completed yoga teacher training, and she is also a teacher at the Light Body School for energy medicine & shamanism. She is here today to share her journey and story with us.

Show Notes

  • [02:43] Julie worked in HR at a biotech company and helped the company grow from 140 employees to 2,500 employees until they restructured down to 1200.
  • [03:02] She loved her work, but didn't love not being able to see her two young children more often.
  • [03:19] Julie decided to take a leap of faith and take some time off. During this time someone gave her a book about shamanism.
  • [03:27] Reading the book changed everything for her. She had studied some Shamanism in the past. Her call to be connected to the Earth was a lifelong calling.
  • [05:51] A shaman dances with their feet in both worlds. The world of energy and the world of matter.
  • [06:35] A shaman is someone who can shift their state of consciousness at will for the purpose of healing and accessing information.
  • [07:21] In quantum physics we are mostly energy and .00001 percent matter. We spend all of our time thinking that matter is what matters.
  • [07:48] The shaman works with the other percent and helps us pay attention to the energy and change our frequency so that we can have joy.
  • [09:09] We should upgrade our energy body as often or more often than we upgrade the operating system on our phones.
  • [09:58] Ways to upgrade your energy include meditating and being in nature. Along with, yoga and being still.
  • [10:44] We can update our frequency by connecting to the Earth. You can do grounding exercises by taking your shoes off and standing outside on the grass.
  • [11:31] People who've tried other things and our looking for their purpose and happiness try Shamanism.
  • [12:05] It's about the body, mind, and soul. The third place of perception is the soul level. Outside of that is the energetic.
  • [13:27] Her focus is really about helping people rediscover their own connection to the Earth and living their best life and giving them the tools to do that.
  • [14:46] How do you clear your energetics in in order to see new possibilities? Anything is possible.
  • [15:27] Imagination is the largest nation on Earth and when you join into that place anything is possible.
  • [16:16] Julie never imagined traveling the world and teaching Shamanism, but it changed her world.
  • [17:16] If we release our suffering, we have joy. If we let go of our attachments, we have possibility.
  • [18:09] Things that would prevent people from Shamanism could be their logical mind.
  • [18:42] The left brain is about logic, and the right brain is about possibilities.
  • [20:11] Being in nature you can grow the connections between your left and your right brain.
  • [23:33] One of Julie's biggest challenges is she doesn't like to sit in front of the computer.
  • [23:59] Julie is an extrovert, and she finds entrepreneurship somewhat lonely.
  • [24:27] It's really important for her to participate with groups that brainstorm and finding community.
  • [26:23] Failure is an opportunity for learning.
  • [27:26] Success is a place of having people show up to classes. It's getting up and making moves forward.
  • [29:19] It is possible to tap into that energy. Have you ever had a few moments when everything was connected? The idea is to clear the pathway, so we have these more often.
  • [31:05] Julie had a lot of exposure teaching. Now she is partnering with other people and having local ceremonies in the Boston area.
  • [32:26] She is growing a business brand and uses social media for this.
  • [33:40] Social media is about making connections and finding people. The best relationships are in the physical world with people in person.
  • [37:21] Julie uses music online and InsightTimer which is a meditation app.
  • [38:18] It has access to a lot of amazing teachers and free meditations.
  • [40:06] Julie feels news can deplete your energy.
  • [41:42] Breathe in and out of your heart. Take a breath and really find what's in the way of breathing out of your heart.
  • [42:32] Be present with your breath.

Links and Resources:

Direct download: WW204.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

How do you rate yourself as a negotiator? Do you negotiate as if your life depends on it? Today's special guest is an expert negotiator, and he shares negotiation tips that we can all use in our business and our lives. We learn how Chris became a negotiator, the four steps to negotiation, how these same principles can be applied in business, and more.

Chris Voss is a 24-year FBI veteran and was the lead international kidnapping negotiator when he retired. He is the author of the national bestseller Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It. He is now the CEO of The Black Swan Group where he specializes in solving business communication problems using hostage negotiation solutions.

Show Notes

  • [03:13] Chris was originally on the SWAT team and he liked crisis response. He likes it when people have to make up their minds and make a decision.
  • [03:40] He had a knee injury, but he still wanted to be in crisis response,so he decided to become a hostage negotiator.
  • [04:23] Talking to people can be hard and Chris had to take a deep in-depth dive. He also had to volunteer on a suicide hotline to hone his emotional intelligence skills.
  • [04:44] He realized that empathy could be a played in hostage negotiation and in everyday life.
  • [05:22] Chris and the FBI started using empathy and emotional intelligence in bargaining in hostage negotiations. This was a shift from the FBI previous tactics.
  • [06:08] The active use of emotional intelligence changed everything in bargaining.
  • [06:34] Understanding doesn't have to equate to agreement.
  • [07:48] You can also shift confrontation, so it's not confrontational.
  • [08:07] Mirroring for hostage negotiators is just repeating the last three words of what someone has said. This actually creates a powerful connection in people's heads and they say more.
  • [09:16] Criminals like everyone else want to relax and have a good time on Saturday night. By being patient they would frequently settle negotiations on Saturday morning.
  • [09:47] The four steps to negotiations. Use the late night FM DJ voice. Start with I'm sorry. Mirror. At least four seconds of silence to let the mirror work it's magic. Repeat.
  • [10:33] Everything is learned it's just that some people put their 10,000 hours in before others.
  • [11:33] There is nothing wrong with I'm sorry. It's the context. It's a great warning device.
  • [13:04] Mirror the last three words. People will expand.
  • [14:32] The difference between you are right and that's right.
  • [15:55] Show that you understand and summarize the perspective and get to that's right.
  • [16:45] We negotiate five or six times a day, especially with commitments of time.
  • [18:33] Some people want silence so they can think, but others think of it as an interpretation of anger. If you treat people the way you want to be treated you are wrong 2/3 of the time.
  • [19:51] Emotional intelligence is unlimited all you really have to do is try.
  • [23:00] Chris is a regular guy. He's from a basic blue collar culture. He knew he wanted to go into law enforcement when he was 16, but he just envisioned himself at the police department.
  • [24:36] He was attracted to the big city environment and Kansas City. He was also in New York City for 14 years.
  • [25:06] Managing stress comes down to attitude. The difference between ordeal and adventure is mindset.
  • [27:19] Chris shares a hostage situation in Harlem. He practiced one-way dialogue. Calling out negative emotions diffuses them. Eventually, after 6 hours of no response the suspects came out.
  • [31:05] Chris has learned that he loves helping people make great deals. He has an impact and it is ongoing.
  • [31:58] They have a strategy of calling out all of the negatives that the other party may be feeling. This is called an accusations audit.
  • [33:20] One of Chris's colleagues turned the tables on him.
  • [34:32] Chris's biggest influences in life were his father and his mother.
  • [35:54] Both of Chris's parents were entrepreneurs, and he always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur.
  • [36:36] He has close colleagues, and his family is involved, and he's helping the people who work with him.
  • [37:18] To be a good entrepreneur you need a team.
  • [39:04] Let the other side go first. Hear them out. Never be so right that you won't go for something better.

Links and Resources:

Direct download: WW203.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:51am EDT

Alessandra Maderni is the co-founder and CEO of Shipsomnia a music festival cruise. Take a look at the Shipsomnia photo gallery to really get an idea of what that means. She is also a shrewd business woman who launched the floating music festival with $350K in seed money and turned that into $4.4 million in sales with projected sales of $50 million by 2020.

We talk about what Shipsomnia is and how it creates an immersive experience. Alessandra shares her background in marketing and branding. Her positivity and enthusiasm are contagious. We talk about whether passion can be taught and what to look for when building a team. Alessandra also closes with her top advice for launching a large business venture.

Show Notes

  • [03:29] Shipsomnia is the first fully themed music festival cruise with the world's biggest production at sea.
  • [03:47] It's the ultimate vacation experience driven by disruptive content. They are blending the film industry with themed custom travel in a cruise format.
  • [04:07] The end goal is to become a floating theme park. Kind of like a Disney for adults and millennials.
  • [04:21] They create motion picture content that tells a story and then translate it into an immersive experience for the guest.
  • [04:41] They are providing the legends of the Seas from a steampunk perspective.
  • [04:55] It's an epic voyage into culture and places. It's an experience in science and technology.
  • [05:57] Alessandra ran a nightclub in Thailand, and she discovered that she loved creating themed events.
  • [06:54] Shipsomnia has enabled Alessandra to combine all of her passions in one huge masterpiece.
  • [07:38] Alessandra discovered that she had a unique skill for handling pressure.
  • [08:01] Shipsomnia is an expensive production. You have to Charter a cruise ship, create a massive production, and book top musical artists.
  • [08:31] She was able to bootstrap sales with her skill in marketing.
  • [10:06] At the seed stage, proving concept is a challenge. The new challenge now is scaling the business.
  • [10:42] Mistakes can be your biggest assets at the end of the day.
  • [12:11] Some issues that Alessandra encountered at the beginning included their server crashing because of going viral and payment issues because of overseas and US payments.
  • [13:19] The concept of Shipsomnia transcends all cultures. They are rewriting the legends of the sea.
  • [14:52] For the market that they are targeting, they only advertise online. 100% social.
  • [17:07] What drives sales is the disruptive content and the storytelling.
  • [18:27] They had to coordinate with cruise line staff to make the events happen.
  • [22:39] Alessandra's strengths are branding and marketing.
  • [23:19] She has a co-founder who is great at operations.
  • [25:20] When finding team members, Alessandra always looks for passion. People who have true passion for the brand always over-deliver.
  • [26:23] Passion can't be taught.
  • [29:54] Alessandra likes to think big. She loves the challenge and it keeps life interesting.
  • [30:22] It's easier to think big, because people like to invest in large projects.
  • [31:33] Looking back, sometimes it surprises Alessandra that she is an entrepreneur. It's possible she got the bug from her grandfather.
  • [34:47] Having a positive mindset at all times helps overcome obstacles.
  • [37:57] Live the journey is a message that is really dear to Alessandra's heart.
  • [40:01] When starting a business do your homework and do as much research as possible. The more prepared you are the better off you will be. Have the courage to jump.
  • [40:44] Be flexible. Be able to pivot. Learn your strengths and weaknesses. Then keep on knocking on the right doors.

Links and Resources:

Direct download: WW202.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

Leadership can make or break a team. Today, we dive into the secrets of brave leadership with actress, speaker, and author Kimberly Davis. Kimberly has led cross-cultural workshops throughout the world. She is a TEDx speaker and an expert on authentic leadership. She is the author of the book Brave Leadership, and she is here to share her message of personal power, authenticity, and courageous leadership.

We talk about how teaching leaders stage presence evolved into teaching brave and authentic leadership. Technology and the work culture has changed so much in the past decade, and we are asking more than ever of team members. To really relate and find that passion, joy, and loyalty in your team or coworkers, you really need to connect to people at the heart level. We talk about this and more in this episode.

Show Notes

  • [03:37] As a child Kimberly was fearless, when she went to her first theater audition she suddenly discovered what fear was. Through her theater training, she learned to work through nervousness.
  • [05:17] When she entered the corporate world, she started studying her colleagues and leaders to discover what was getting in their way or blocking their path to success.
  • [05:37] She discovered that some of the things that got in her way as an actor were also getting in the way of these people in corporate America.
  • [06:06] When she realized the human connection and that there were tools in the theater that can help people in corporate America, she started applying these principles.
  • [06:16] She launched her business on stage leadership about 12 years ago.
  • [06:21] She developed a leadership program based on theater.
  • [08:14] She did a test program and discovered that this was the work of her life and what she was meant to do.
  • [08:38] She started writing her book 5 years ago.
  • [09:18] Being who you are powerfully in this world is the bravest thing that you can do. She discovered she was teaching brave leadership not onstage leadership skills.
  • [10:10] We all have the ability to be brave leaders. It's about showing up in the world in a way that people want to engage, listen, and invest in what you're doing.
  • [11:13] A big part of the book is why a new kind of leadership matters now. The world has really transformed since 2008. There's been an explosion in technology and we are asking more people than ever before.
  • [11:49] The old standard command-and-control leadership is just not getting the results that we need.
  • [11:59] We have to connect to people's hearts to get to Passion, joy, and loyalty.
  • [12:21] People connect to people. They need to see who you are as a human being. That's a vulnerable place to be in the workplace.
  • [13:21] Bravery unfolds one situation at a time.
  • [14:25] We have to surround ourselves with people who are focused on growing and learning and being better.
  • [16:10] One of the biggest barriers to being brave is where we focus our attention.
  • [17:20] Focus on fear is the problem.
  • [19:28] Impacts live in action.
  • [20:13] Are you genuine, worthy of trust, reliance, and belief? You don't get to decide if you're authentic. It's the people you lead and influence who get to decide.
  • [21:00] It's how other people experience you. And that is what gives you access.
  • [21:20] Being who you are powerfully and then layer in the action that you want to take.
  • [23:09] Focusing on danger and pain can be your biggest barrier to brave. What you need is an alternate focus.
  • [24:35] Successful actors were differentiated by their focus of attention. They focused on making an impact on someone or something on the stage with them.
  • [25:25] Harnessing your attention on purposeful action will completely transcend your performance.
  • [26:41] We are all far more brave than we know. It's our focus of attention that makes the difference in how we show up in the world. How we show up in the world is what makes the results.
  • [27:40] Presence begins with being present.
  • [29:06] Impact lives in the eye of the beholder. Whether or not you achieve your super objective is up to them.
  • [30:23] Think about how the other person feels.
  • [30:58] Kimberly has learned that she is incredibly human but also better than she knows.
  • [31:29] Taking focused action and one step at a time is what really changes your game.
  • [31:52] Take your life one situation at a time and focus on the impact you want to have.
  • [32:23] If you're not bringing mindfulness, focusing on impact, and looking from the other person's lens you are going to mess up.
  • [34:14] Bring your best self now and try to do better in the next situation. Don't beat yourself up.
  • [35:13] Vulnerability is our biggest barrier and our biggest breakthrough to brave.
  • [38:05] Your super objective is what drives you and get you out of bed in the morning. For Kimberly, it's connecting people to the best of who they are.
  • [41:54] Give yourself permission to be who you are. Know that who you truly are is enough.

Links and Resources:

Direct download: WW201.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am EDT

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