*We apologize for any issues with sound quality. Due to the ever-changing state of the world because of Covid-19, many of our guests are taking interviews and recording shows outside of their homes which interferes with recording.*

In this unprecedented time of isolation, we should be so thankful that we have the technology to remain connected. Here to discuss her new venture as well as what it means to be technologically connected is JJ Ramberg. JJ is no stranger to media and her new company is an amazing way to connect and learn all at the same time.

JJ is an entrepreneur, TV host, speaker, and best-selling author, and she is no stranger to the perils and beauty of media. Earlier this year she and her brother launched Goodpods, an app that allows you to follow your podcast loving friends and see what they’re listening to. 

Her insights on the ways that we can connect in this crazy world and how to navigate entrepreneurship in this new landscape are impressively poignant. Her words of advice and encouragement are much needed and the fact that she has successfully launched a business in spite of world events is uplifting. 

You won’t want to miss any of JJ’s nuggets of wisdom and reflection. Take a moment, step away from the enforced family time, and listen as we chat about all things business and entrepreneurship.

Show Notes:

• [01:46] Welcome back! We live in an amazing world of technology. 
• [03:02] Deirdre welcomes JJ Ramberg to the show to discuss how lucky we are to have the technology we do today. 
• [03:57] What prompted JJ to shift her business? 
• [05:33] JJ shares what skills she had to learn to pivot her business.
• [07:23] How do the challenges of being a TV host differ from being an entrepreneur? 
• [08:32] Which responsibilities would JJ like to delegate to her brother and business partner? 
• [11:31] Learn more about Goodpods.
• [14:09] How does JJ face fears as an entrepreneur? 
• [15:49] Has JJ had any “aha!” moments that have impacted her path? 
• [19:37] JJ shares how she is managing her stress so that she can help others.
• [22:49] Listen as JJ leaves you with her parting words of advice. 
• [23:57] Connect with JJ.

Links and Resources:

• Goodpods
• Goodshop
• JJ on Twitter
  
• JJ on Instagram
  
• JJ on LinkedIn
  
• Goodpods on Twitter
  
• Goodpods on Instagram

Episode Sponsor: FEEL First Test

We all need a little bit of magic sometimes. Ale B has built a career by helping women of all ages see and feel who they are meant to be. She is a self-proclaimed light-worker helping others to reveal the magic of confidence, joy, and love in others. 

From an early age, Ale knew she was meant for more. With the help and encouragement of her mother, she found her true calling and has been beautifying the world ever since. An actor, director, teacher, set designer, wardrobe stylist, makeup artist, producer, and choreographer, Ale wears many different hats. 

She reveals how her experiences have helped her to encourage and inspire others and how her business is changing in light of the current state of the world. We are in unprecedented times, but this does not give us the right to give up.

Listen as Ale shares how you can reveal your light and magic, why we need each other now more than ever, and why we need to take the time now to do some introspection. Pay attention to your thoughts and actions and work to reframe the negative. 

Ale is truly inspiring. Take some time and let her help you find your magic too.

Show Notes:

• [01:40] We’re focusing on self-discovery.
• [02:37] Welcome Ale B to chat about activating your magic. 
• [03:05] Why did Ale become a beautifier? 
• [05:05] What are the first steps you need to experience to activate your gifts? 
• [07:21] How do you start living in the now? 
• [09:54] Makeup is a revelation tool. Use it to enhance. 
• [11:15] Ale shares her process for helping her clients believe in their gifts.
• [12:50] Learn how Ale faces her fears.
• [16:01] How can you reframe negative thoughts?
• [19:07] Use this time to reconnect and rewire.
• [22:41] Ale gives poignant advice on how to show the world your magic.
• [24:13] Connect with Ale. 

Links and Resources:

• Ale B’s Website
• Ale B on Facebook
• Ale B on YouTube
• Ale B on Instagram
  

Episode Sponsor: FEEL First Test

Your mindset is the key to finding your passion and your purpose. Hazel Ortega grew up in one of the worst areas of Los Angeles and didn’t realize that her upbringing was keeping her from living out her dreams. In many ways, her past kept her from dreaming at all. 

Fast-forward several years to a time when she was working as a legal secretary. She sustained an on the job injury that threatened her entire livelihood and took the opportunity to complete her education. Later on, she went back to school and finished high school.

She then completed her associates, her bachelors, and went on to complete her Ph.D. As her education expanded her confidence grew and grew, but she was still stuck in a place devoid of dreams. 

Hazel confronted her issues with the past and began manifesting the dreams she’d suppressed her entire life. The rest as they say, was history. Listen in as Hazel shares how she shifted her mindset to focus on her dreams and why that has resulted in life-changing opportunities. 

Hazel’s story is so inspiring and her advice on how to shift your mindset blocks is truly actionable. 

Show Notes:

• [01:59] What would you say to someone who told you that your life could change drastically? 
• [03:22] Learn more about Hazel Ortega and how she got to where she is today.
• [06:42] Getting hurt on the job changed her life. Hazel shares why.
• [09:19] For Hazel, getting an education led her to live her best life. 
• [11:46] Having role models around us is so important. This was true for Hazel too.
• [13:14] How did Hazel tap the full potential of social media in her journey? 
• [15:16] What challenges did Hazel face after getting her degrees? 
• [17:49] Why Hazel’s past and her story kept her from dreaming big.
• [19:20] Learn how she combatted her past to create a new future. 
• [22:12] How can you move past your negative default thoughts? 
• [23:20] Hazel shares her key points of advice for pivoting and changing your life.
• [26:01] Connect with Hazel. 

Links and Resources:

Hazel’s Website
The Mastery of Miracles
From Bounced Checks to Private Jets by Hazel Ortega

Hazel on Facebook
Hazel on Instagram
Hazel on LinkedIn
Hazel on Twitter
Hazel on YouTube

Episode Sponsor: Routledge

What’s the saying? When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life? Laleh Hancock has spent her life helping others find joy in their work and life. She is a leadership and entrepreneurial coach who has spent the last 30 years inspiring others. 

Laleh’s early life was rife with change. Her family abruptly moved from Iran to avoid being caught up in a war. This was one of the first times she evaluated how to approach the world. Rather than spending her time hiding away from the world, afraid to get involved, she jumped in and lived her new life.

She credits her ability to handle and thrive in change for some of her entrepreneurial success. If you can flip your mindset and turn problems into promises, then success will come. It all starts with having a mind for leadership and positivity. 

Listen as Laleh shares her thoughts on being featured in multiple books on leadership, why her work is so important to her, and how examining your mindset is the first step to happiness. She has so many wonderful pieces of advice on dealing with the blocks that hold you back. 

Laleh is an inspiration. You won’t want to miss a minute of this conversation.

Show Notes:

• [01:31] Reach out and let Deirdre know your thoughts about the show and topics!
• [03:03] Welcome Laleh Hancock and learn why she became an entrepreneur.
• [05:02] What is it like to be one of America’s Leading Ladies? 
• [07:18] Learn the things that hinder people from making an impact.
• [09:15] How can you find your voice? 
• [13:20] What gives Laleh the most joy in what she does? 
• [14:38] Laleh shares how she incorporates empathy and emotional awareness in her life.
• [18:18] Learn the challenges that Laleh faces in her life and business.
• [21:30] When you keep barriers up you are repelling everything, even the good things. 
• [23:33] Every problem has the possibility to be a gift.
• [24:23] How can you be intentional and find joy in business? 
• [26:19] Connect with Laleh.

Links and Resources:

Leaders and Legends by Pat Sampson

America’s Leading Ladies by Pat Sampson

Laleh’s Website

Laleh on LinkedIn
Laleh on Facebook
Laleh on Twitter

Episode Sponsor: FEEL First Test

It’s been a while since I’ve done a solo show, but it’s time to dig deep into the FEEL First Model. This topic is heavy-hitting and so important to the future of your organization and hiring practices. You see, Millennials are coming up through the rank and they need different things from the generations before them to make them feel happy and valued. 

You’ve heard me talk about FEEL First Model several times because we’ve spent a lot of time and energy to create a truly meaningful tool for reflecting on your beliefs and actions. We track and measure your ability to face your fears, communicate with empathy, use ethics and good judgment and discover your love for your mission.

We polled and chatted with several millennials to get a better feel of what they need and want in the workplace. The typical corporate processes no longer hold up when it comes to the new workforce. For instance, the corporate system of keeping quiet and holding onto secrets no longer works. Your employees have spent years in school navigating problems and circumstances that come up each and every day in the workplace.

Listen in as I share practical tips and advice for you to measure and understand your FEEL score, and what this means in your interactions and communication. Millennials are the new workforce. If you want to decrease turnover and inspire massive loyalty, then you need to listen to this episode and learn what millennials are looking for!

Show Notes:

• [00:59] Welcome back to the show!
• [01:55] Learn more about the FEEL First Model.
• [03:27] Listen as Deirdre shares what she learned from millennials in the workplace.
• [04:30] Ask yourself, why aren’t you being transparent with your employees? 
• [07:08] Millennials want empathy. Listen to a story about one lady in particular. 
• [10:20] What is your position on ethics and values in relation to your employees? Are you communicating in a way that makes your employees confident? 
• [13:40] The last part of the FEEL model stands for love. Unleash the love of your mission!
• [15:52] Consider different kinds of communication platforms and meeting setups.
• [17:12] FEEL First is a roadmap, but you first have to take the test.
• [20:05] Learn a technique that helps you pause, breathe, and ask why.
• [22:24] How can you test how empathetic you are? 
• [23:27] One quick exercise you can do to evaluate your ethics and values… YOURS… not your business’. 
• [24:50] Ways that you can evaluate the level of love you have with what you’re doing and in your business.

Links and Resources:

Why Millennials Quit: A letter to incompetent leaders by Tim Denning

Episode Sponsor: FEEL First Test

Have you been walking your path but feeling like it’s not as good as or “right” like someone else’s? Believe it or not, your path and purpose are yours alone. Your success is dependent upon the things that make you happy. Here to chat about leaving the Jones’s behind in favor of finding your success is Laura Gassner Otting.

Laura is a lawyer and serial entrepreneur who has made a career out of figuring out what makes her happy and then going for it. She is the Chief Catalyzing Officer of her business and helps others to start taking action and find their path. 

There is no right or wrong way to be successful. As you grow and change your values mature and strengthen, your view of success oftentimes morphs as well. Laura says you should lean into those moments and realize that you are right where you are meant to be. 

Too often we shame ourselves for not focusing on one path, but as women, there are so many different entry points and doorways in our lives. From young adulthood, through college, marriage, children, career, etc. women have the luxury of spending their entire lives being given the opportunity to change their path.

Laura gives the absolute best advice to all women on how they can reach their “limitless” and you won’t want to miss it. From the beginning of the episode to the end, her ideas will make you think and take stock of what you think success should be. Listen in and prepare to feel the punch to the face, wrapped in a warm hug.

Show Notes:

• [01:08] Welcome to another episode of Women Worldwide.
• [03:37] How do you become a chief catalyzing officer? 
• [05:11] Why is Laura a “punch wrapped in a warm hug?” 
• [07:46] What are the takeaways Laura hopes her readers get from her book? 
• [09:23] Being limitless doesn’t mean you have to make huge strides. It means following your path.
• [11:26] Learn what holds people back from finding their “limitless.” 
• [14:23] How does Laura emphasize empathy in the workplace? 
• [17:45] Laura shares one of the most poignant aha moments in her career.
• [21:38] ...which led to her becoming a speaker and author. 
• [24:25] Where does our exhaustion come from and how can you overcome it? 
• [26:04] Connect with Laura.

Links and Resources:

• Limitless by Laura Gassner Otting
• Laura’s Website
  
• Laura on Instagram
  
• Laura on Facebook
  
• Laura on YouTube
  
• Laura on Twitter
  
• Laura on LinkedIn
  
  Episode Sponsor: Feel First Test

These days most people have no intention to stay with a company for more than a couple of years. In fact, if you go into any business class across the nation, you’ll hear the students being encouraged not to stay with a company for more than a few years. Crystal Martinez, however, has climbed the ladder at one company from high school to now. Listen as she shares why she’s stayed, how they’ve built a family, and the challenges she has faced by taking on more responsibility.

When Crystal started at Fieldwork Anywhere she was in high school and had no clue she’d still be there, all these years later. She met her husband and best friend while working there and has managed to climb the proverbial corporate ladder all the way to becoming the President of Fieldwork Webwork. All of this has been made possible by the family-style culture that has been built over the years.

Climbing the corporate ladder has not been without its challenges though. As she’s gained responsibility, she’s had to adjust her relationships within the Fieldwork family. She shares how she’s managed to do that and maintain close friendships with her employees. 

Crystal credits Fieldwork’s values of inclusion and diversity for making it a company she’s wanted to stay with. Rather than keeping her employees in the dark on decisions, she lets them sit at the table. It has been this way since she started and feeling like she’s been a part of the growth of the company has contributed to her lasting investment. 

While it’s less and less common for companies to hold onto their employees, it is possible. Crystal’s story is inspiring for anyone who thinks it is impossible to climb the ladder at one company. You just have to find the right company that will allow you the freedom to do it.

Show Notes:

• [01:21] Welcome back! We hope you feel empowered to share your challenges with us.
• [02:45] Joining Deirdre is Crystal Martinez to discuss workplace culture and having people stay.
• [04:18] When Crystal started with her company, did she intend to stay? 
• [05:28] What are they doing at Fieldwork to keep people? 
• [07:10] Do they do anything specific to attract the younger generation? 
• [08:57] How does Crystal manage the hard conversations while still fostering the feeling of family? 
• [12:08] Listen as Crystal shares how she incorporates emotional intelligence every day at Fieldwork.
• [14:44] What are some of the challenges that Crystal faces in her role? 
• [17:22] Has Crystal had any big AHA moments where she learned something about herself?
• [20:08] Crystal shares her advice for building teams that want to stay.
• [23:01] Connect with Crystal.

Links and Resources:

• Fieldwork Anywhere
• Crystal on Twitter
• Crystal on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor: Feel First Test

Wherever you're communicating, leadership in communication means bringing all thoughts and ideas into a seamless framework; it's the ideal give and take. Valerie Simon is a communications and marketing role model for Atlantic Health System. Listen in as she shares her strategy for building teams and strong communication across a national network with more than 17,000 people.

Valerie knew at a young age that she wanted to be an attorney. Every decision she made as a young person took her steps closer to that goal. She worked multiple jobs, completed unpaid internships, and worked to move the needle toward becoming an attorney.

When she didn’t get into law school she realized that she just wanted to be a voice for people who weren’t being heard. She took all of the experience she’d gained while working to become an attorney and dove into communications.

Listen in as she chats about her story and shares what it has taken to be a C-suite executive as well as a wife and mother. Learn why you have to balance sacrifice in your career and your family in order for both to be healthy, happy, and thriving. 

Show Notes:

• [01:54] What does it take to be a communications leader today? Learn more from Valerie Simon.
• [03:31] How did Valerie choose a career in healthcare and communications? 
• [07:47] Valerie’s unpaid internship helped her realize she wanted to be a voice for people.
• [11:29] What characteristics does Valerie look for in her team members? 
• [14:05] How did Valerie manage to get her doctors and team members to be more involved in social media?
• [17:06] What does being a trusted confidant mean to Valerie? 
• [20:08] Valerie shares how she manages to be a wife, mom, and C-suite executive.
• [24:56] How does Valerie manage the stress of the job?
• [27:05] Learn more about the development process for Valerie’s team.
• [28:01] Hear about the resources that feed Valerie’s soul.
• [29:25] Valerie gives a bit of advice for being a great leader. 
• [30:54] Connect with Valerie.

Links and Resources:

Atlantic Health System

Valerie on Twitter
Valerie on LinkedIn

Episode Sponsor: Routledge Publishing

Do you tweet? I know that for many of us, Twitter seems to be that platform plagued with controversy and turmoil, but did you know that it can be the backbone of the social media in your business? Samantha Kelly, the Tweeting Goddess, shares her tips and tricks for using Twitter correctly, but also why it is one of the best platforms for building relationships.

Samantha started her entrepreneurial journey at a very tumultuous time in her life. She’d recently lost her father, gone through a divorce, and her daughter was becoming a woman. It was as she was trying to find some information for her daughter that she realized there was a huge gap in the women’s health market. 

She created her first business by building a box of goodies designed for young girls to coach them through those first few milestones of puberty. Samantha quickly learned that successful businesses have strong social media strategies and began studying all about it. This was when she first discovered Twitter. 

Samantha realized she’d found her calling when other entrepreneurs began approaching her to learn more about Twitter and overall strategy on social media. Listen as she discusses going from the Funky Goddess to the Tweeting Goddess and how her life has done a complete 180 at the same time.

Building great business relationships requires work and effort from all parties. Be kind to others and that kindness will come back to you. Samantha is full of wonderful advice that you won’t want to miss. Also check out her book, The Tweeting Goddess Little Book of Twitter Magic for more actionable tips and advice on creating meaningful relationships on social media.

Show Notes:

• [01:08] Thank you for tuning in, showing up, and shout out to Leah.
• [03:34] Welcome to the show Samantha Kelly.
• [04:03] Learn how Samantha became an author, speaker, social media strategist, and Tweeting Goddess.
• [06:58] How creating a taboo starter box for young girls turned into finding her passion of creating connections.
• [10:34] From Funky Goddess to Tweeting Goddess, what did that journey look like? 
• [13:16] What is the big takeaway Samantha hopes her readers find in her book? 
• [15:31] Why kindness is such an important thing to show to others.
• [17:54] How does Samantha incorporate emotional intelligence in her work? 
• [20:11] Samantha shares a few quick tips on how to optimize Twitter.
• [23:47] What are the challenges and “aha” moments Samantha faces every day? 
• [26:48] There are a lot of women who can do it all, but why don’t they delegate? 
• [29:38] Focus on the platform that is working with you. You don’t have to be everywhere.
• [30:36] Believe in yourself and what you have to offer and you will shine.
• [32:01] Connect with Samantha.

Links and Resources:

Samantha Kelly

Women’s Inspire Network 

Samantha on Twitter
Samantha on LinkedIn

The Tweeting Goddess Little Book of Twitter Magic by Samantha Kelly

Episode Sponsor: Feel First Test

In a data-driven world, it can sometimes feel like building real relationships with others is impossible. Tricia O’Malley shares why that belief is less true now than it has ever been. Tricia is the Director of Client Relations and Marketing for Northwestern Mutual and has spent her career building REAL relationships with her clients, co-workers, and friends.

Tricia’s background in creating strong donor relations for hospitals has helped her create a world-class client experience. Listen in as she shares her best advice for nurturing relationships in all areas of your life. You won’t want to miss her comments on how touch can help solidify budding new connections. 

Despite the ever-growing reach of social media and the online experience, when professionals take the time to set down the phone and make eye contact, their clients and customers feel heard and understood.

Tricia builds on this idea by sharing stories about her team and how she connects and builds deeper relationships with different personality types and ages. Don’t be fooled by demographics. It doesn’t matter how similar people appear on paper, we are each our own person. Recognizing those differences and being curious about them is one of the best ways to let others know that you care and are interested in them.

Building real relationships takes time and interest but is also integral to creating a thriving work environment. Tricia shares some amazing advice and pertinent “aha” moments that you won’t want to miss. Take a moment and grab a notebook. This episode is all about how you can win friends and influence people in your day-to-day life.

Show Notes:

• [02:02] What are real relationships? How do they differ from regular relationships? 
• [02:40] Welcome Tricia O’Malley to chat about how to create real relationships in your business. 
• [03:50] Tricia shares her career journey and how she became a relationship manager. 
• [06:00] Learn the most important characteristics a Director of Client Relations needs to have.
• [08:46] Tricia’s team only works with people who are interested in the process and the program. Learn why. 
• [10:11] “Building a relationship starts with a seed of curiosity.” Tricia O’Malley.
• [12:04] A vital piece of relationship building was revealed to Tricia through How to Win Friends and Influence People. 
• [13:30] Is it harder today to make people feel as if they matter today? 
• [15:10] Listen as Tricia shares a story about a superior experience she had after a non-profit event. 
• [17:49] How does Tricia bring empathy into the workplace with her team and clients? 
• [20:19] Hear Tricia chat about some of the “uh-oh” moments she’s had in her career. 
• [25:20] Very early in Tricia’s career she had an impactful learning experience. Listen as she relates the story and her takeaways. 
• [29:14] Tricia chats about stress and how she handles it.
• [31:53] Hear Tricia’s parting advice for how women can build better relationships and careers.
• [33:04] Connect with Tricia.

Links and Resources:

Small World Wealth Management
Tricia on LinkedIn
Email: tricia.omalley@nm.com 
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Episode Sponsor: Feel First Test

What happens when you combine the left and right side functions of your brain? For Nora Gardner, she merged finance and fashion to create functional, beautiful professional wear for the intrepid career woman. Listen in to hear how she did it, why she did it, and the challenges she faced while building an exclusive collection of women’s workwear. 

We would be remiss not to share that Nora always had a love of the arts. She coupled her love of design and training in business and finance to fill a need that has gone ignored for too long. After 6 years in the finance industry, Nora realized that while men had custom-designed workwear that stood the test of a busy business person, women did not have the same. 

She shares the impetus for starting her first collection and why inventory is one of the biggest challenges. One of her most pressing concerns, aside from creating beautiful designs, is sustainability in the fashion industry. Too many big businesses create excess inventory that eventually ends up in our landfills or burned. Hear how Nora aims to curb these excesses in her own business and why more designers need to do the same.

If you’ve ever wished for a custom suit or a tailored dress made from luscious fabrics and functional design, then you need to take a look at Nora’s collections. The pieces are limited, but the wait is worth it. Listen in to hear how you can bring opposite worlds together to create harmonious design.

Show Notes:

• [01:14] What are you looking forward to in 2020? How can we help you? 
• [02:52] Welcome Nora Gardner, a former investment banker turned fashion designer.
• [04:26] Why did Nora decide to transition from banking to fashion? 
• [07:15] Did Nora develop any skills in her early career that helped her build the business? 
• [09:20] Listen in as Nora shares the process she went through during the research phase.
• [11:43] How does she plan out her year and collections? 
• [15:53] Nora shares some of the challenges she’s faced and how she’s overcome them. 
• [22:44] How is Nora bringing emotional intelligence into her business? 
• [29:47] Learn Nora’s strategy for building her team.
• [33:01] Does she still step out of her comfort zone? How? 
• [36:06] Hear Nora’s advice to that person who wants to take that next step!

Links and Resources:

Nora Gardner NYC
Nora on Facebook
Nora on Instagram
Nora on Twitter

Episode Sponsor: Feel First Test

What does it mean to find clarity in your life and your business? Steve Woodruff, the King of Clarity, joins me to discuss just that. You won’t want to miss his valuable pieces of information on why you should find clarity and how.

Steve has spent the last 30 years helping businesses, small and large, to get on the same page with their message both internally and externally. There are five questions that many companies don’t take the time to ask themselves about what they do, who they do it for, how they do it, and why. 

One of his biggest dreams is that all companies start asking and answering these questions at the C-suite level, or the top of their organization. Once your leadership is clear on the company message, it can be filtered down to every employee. When everyone is on the same page, your clients and customers will always feel that the message they receive is consistent. 

If you have no idea where to start, think first about what it is you want to do. You cannot find clarity with your message if your offer or your service isn’t clear. You cannot be heard if you don’t know what you should be known for. People can’t refer you to others if they’re not sure what you do.

Listen in to hear all of Steve’s wonderful advice. Then start answering the five questions for yourself and your business. Let us know if answering those questions helps you to see your own message more clearly.

Show Notes:

• [02:05] Our topic for today? Getting heard and referred!
• [03:06] Welcome Steve Woodruff, the King of Clarity, to Women Worldwide.
• [04:11] How did Steve become the King of Clarity? 
• [06:32] Learn why Steve’s company is called Clarity Fuel.
• [07:34] Steve shares the main takeaways from his book and who it is for.
• [09:35] How does the activating language work? 
• [12:29] What channels and where should you focus your efforts? 
• [14:05] Learn how to ask the right questions of yourself to find clarity.
• [17:44] How does Steve apply emotional intelligence to his company?
• [20:17] Steve shares how he has found his own clarity.
• [23:03] What are the best questions you should ask yourself to find clarity?
• [27:17] Hear Steve share one of his dreams for all businesses.
• [29:13] What advice does Steve have to help you find clarity? 
• [30:40] Connect with Steve and grab his book.

Links and Resources:

ClarityFuel
Clarity Wins by Steve Woodruff
Steve on Facebook
Steve on LinkedIn
Steve on Twitter

Episode Sponsor: Feel First Test

Effective communication is the key to removing gender bias and promoting equity in business. Susan Freeman has made it her life’s work to help women in business find effective ways to communicate with the world while educating men on the right way to communicate with women in business. She has a passion for helping women succeed and has founded and co-founded several programs to help empower women and girls in finding their success.

She recently coordinated and sponsored the Empowered Women 2019 event which was her biggest event to date. Susan has made it her mission to help women and plans to continue the Empowered Women events for the next two years. (They’ve already been scheduled!) 

Listen in to learn her biggest tips for promoting parity in the workplace and how leaders can better show and use empathy with their employees. She shares a poignant example of some people’s willful misunderstanding of the gender equality movement that you won’t want to miss. Her response to a blatantly abrasive question is masterful!

The tips and advice Susan shares in this episode are amazing reminders of how women can assert themselves without taking on the persona or antics of men. It’s also extremely refreshing to learn that there are men in business who are truly ignorant of the issues that women face in finding parity. 

Are you ready to show up in the workplace armed with more knowledge on how and why women communicate differently than men? Then grab a notebook and get ready to learn.

Show Notes:

• [02:11] Learn how to boost communication and promote equity with Susan Freeman.
• [04:36] How did Susan know that helping women find equity was her calling? 
• [06:50] What are some of the different communication styles women and men use? 
• [10:12] Does this apply to how men and women take up space in the room? 
• [15:00] If hope is not a strategy, how do we change equity in the boardroom? 
• [18:03] What can leaders do to become more empathetic? 
• [25:32] Susan shares more information about the Empowered Women 2019.
• [28:05] How does it feel coming off her first big event? 
• [35:08] Hear Susan’s advice for dealing with challenges in communication.
• [36:48] Connect with Susan.

Links and Resources:

• Cara Hale Alter
• Freeman Means Business Website
• Susan on Facebook
  
• Susan on LinkedIn
• Susan on Instagram
  
• Email: Susan@FreemanMeansBusiness.com
• Wonder Women in Business Podcast
• Wonder Women in Business on Twitter
• Empowered Women 2020
• The Ultimate Women Associates’ Law Firm Marketing Checklist by Ross Fishman and Susan Freeman

Episode Sponsor: Feel First Test

In the course of our 250 episodes (can you believe it?) on Women Worldwide, you’ve heard from successful and impactful women in business, politics, entertainment, and many other challenging industries. Now it’s time to chat with a high-powered woman from the law enforcement and intelligence field. This is a field that historically and today has been male dominated for a variety of reasons, but Lauren Anderson decided that there was no reason she couldn’t make it in intelligence as well.

Lauren grew up in a home where she was always told that she could do or be whatever she wanted. The sky was the limit for her dreams and ambitions and, looking back, she realizes that those dreams always pointed in the general direction of intelligence. She didn’t immediately start down that path however, she first decided that becoming a doctor was her calling. After spending several miserable years studying medicine, she switched paths. 

After and during her amazing career with the FBI, Lauren has moved her focus to helping other women and young girls find their paths and battle gender inequity across the globe. Listen in as she recounts tales from her FBI days that propelled her desire to help other women succeed in male dominated fields.

Lauren holds nothing back in this interview. Her advice and recommendations are spot on for all women and men, not just those seeking careers in law enforcement. While she is always seeking to find gender equality, she has no desire to exclude the men in her life from her vast business and intelligence knowledge. As she says, find those partners in your career, be they women or men, and develop relationships.

This is the last show of 2019 and the 250th show of Women Worldwide and there couldn’t have been a better guest than Lauren Anderson. Can’t wait for you to hear her advice and everything she has to offer with regard to starting your own business and impacting women around the world. 

Happy Holidays! Looking forward to serving you in the New Year!

Show Notes:

• [02:06] Women Worldwide is going on holiday break!
• [03:26] Welcome Lauren Anderson, a strong woman in law enforcement and intelligence.
• [04:14] Lauren shares her journey to working in the FBI.
• [06:45] What kind of studies do you need to get into the FBI? What did Lauren study? 
• [07:52] Learn what it was like to finish the FBI Academy and how many women there were.
• [09:17] Lauren chats about the most challenging aspects of the FBI Academy and the FBI.
• [11:53] Did she have to prove anything while working in the field to prove her worth? 
• [14:26] What kind of skills did she have to develop to succeed in law enforcement? 
• [17:23] How can leaders be more empathetic with their employees? 
• [21:46] Why did Lauren decide to start her own consulting firm?
• [26:56] Lauren shares the resources she uses to stay on top of her field.
• [32:16] Hear Lauren’s best advice to women in difficult and underrepresented careers.
• [34:52] Connect with Lauren.

Links and Resources:

• What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Nelson Bolles
• Slack
• WhatsApp
• SmartNews
• Women’s eNews
• Geneva Centre for Security Policy on Twitter @TheGCSP
  
• Vital Voices
  
• International Women’s Forum NY Chapter
• @WomensForumNY
• The Uncondemned
  
• Women’s Media Center
• Red Dot Foundation/Safecity
  
• Project Liberation
• G(irls) 20
• Lauren on Twitter
  
• Lauren on LinkedIn
  
• Lauren on the Forbes Podcast
• Lauren on FBI Retired Case Agent File Review
• Episode Sponsor: Feel First Test

It’s the holiday season. Are you stressed yet? So many people walk around living in and with unnecessary stress. Dr. Jane Tornatore, a therapist and speaker in Seattle, WA, helps people convert outdated patterns and stress into more freedom, joy, and authenticity. She shares how people process stress, when many of our mindset issues form, and how we can overcome them and maintain a less stressful lifestyle.

With her studies in mental health and neuroplasticity Dr. Jane has found effective ways to help others turn their bad habits into effective solutions and change the course of their lives. She says that the majority of our major mindset hurdles form when we are less than six years old, as we move into an aware consciousness. Habits however, can be broken. Learn how as we chat.

Awareness, practice, and choice are the keys to changing your less than ideal habits. Our brains are naturally designed to look for problems that need to be fixed. Learn how you can overcome grim situations and how Dr. Jane’s new book, Everything is PERFECT, Just Not ME!, can help you move through your negative self-talk.

Dr. Jane has been studying the brain for more than 25 years and her insights into how our brains process the world are invaluable. Listen in and learn how you can work on altering your neural pathways and be kinder to yourself. Mindset and business success go hand in hand, but only if you keep working on the blocks that hold you back.

Show Notes:

• [01:54] Dr. Jane Tornatore discusses how to turn stress into confidence and peace of mind.
• [02:56] Learn about Jane’s background and why she chose to become a therapist.
• [05:15] What do patterns of stress look like and how do we identify them?
• [07:09] Are there people who push back on identifying and addressing their stress?
• [08:34] Hear about the mind work needed to uncover and overcome our longstanding mental blocks.
• [11:34] How does Dr. Jane help others keep from backsliding into bad habits?
  [13:05] Change is simpler than we think, it’s simply practicing… for the rest of our lives.
• [17:25] What does Dr. Jane do when everything looks grim? 
• [19:09] Dr. Jane shares what she wants people to walk away with from reading her book.
• [21:29] Where does the concept of perfect come from? 
• [23:37] How can you reassure someone that they don’t have to be perfect?
  [28:10] What kinds of challenges has Dr. Jane faced in her business and how does she approach them?
• [32:15] Learn how you can overcome the stress of the holiday by walking through an exercise.
• [34:54] Connect with Dr. Jane.

Links and Resources:

• Dr. Jane’s Website
  Dr. Jane Tornatore on LinkedIn
• Dr. Jane Tornatore on Facebook
• Dr. Jane Tornatore’s Amazon Author Page
• Everything is PERFECT, Just Not ME! by Dr. Jane Tornatore

Episode Sponsor: Routledge. Download a free chapter of my book Answers for Modern Communicators at http://bit.ly/learningtheessentials.

Do you struggle with creating deep meaningful conversations that lead to lasting connections? In this world of instant feedback and world-wide connectivity, having real conversations has become harder than ever. Dr. Karen Jacobson works with organizations to strengthen their communication practices and learn how to create lasting impressions through power conversations.

Karen is the President of Aligned Leadership Academy and a former Israeli military commander. She has run her own Chiropractic practice and is a champion ballroom dancer. She has many and varied experiences that have helped her to connect with others in a sincere way. 

She is now a high-performance strategist, speaker, and author who helps others realize the power of connected conversations. Her book Power Conversations, develops her ground-breaking communications framework called the High-Performance Triad. Karen helps leaders find their personality and leadership style and how they can best adapt conversations to create effective communication opportunities with their teams.

The ability to communicate effectively is the key to growing a business, serving your family, and developing relationships. Listen in as Karen shares the four personality types, why we all have a bit of all four, and why being confident in your knowledge and abilities will lead to success. She’s done it all! Listen to the end to hear her top tips for developing your power conversations.

Show Notes:

• [02:18] Welcome! Dr. Karen Jacobson here to discuss how to start power conversations.
• [03:41] What stands out the most throughout Karen’s career and shaped where she is today?
• [05:01] How has her military career impacted her later pursuits? 
• [06:40] Learn how to build trust within the military and in leadership.
• [09:10] Karen unpacks her books and what she hopes her readers take away from them.
• [11:14] Why you have to temper your personality with emotional intelligence in different situations.
• [12:22] Karen shares the four characters or personalities from her books.
• [18:57] What does it mean to Karen to command a presence in a room or on stage?
• [21:32] Learn why you need to keep a cool head under pressure to maintain your beliefs.
• [25:13] Which extends to all career tracks as well.
• [28:47] How has Karen tackled challenges throughout her career?
• [34:36] Karen shares her top tips for developing power conversations.
• [35:47] Connect with Karen.

Links and Resources:

• Aligned Leadership Academy
  
• Dr. Karen Jacobson’s Website
  
• Dr. Karen on LinkedIn
  
• Dr. Karen on Facebook
  
• Dr. Karen on Twitter
  
• Dr. Karen on YouTube
  
• Dr. Karen on Instagram
  
• Dr Karen’s Amazon Author Profile
  
• DISC Assessment

Episode Sponsor: Routledge. Download a free chapter of my book Answers for Modern Communicators at http://bit.ly/learningtheessentials.

Politics has historically been a man’s world, but in recent years women have come to the forefront of many influential political roles. Joni Wickham is a shining example of a strong woman in a political leadership role. She grew up reading newspapers and watching the nightly news as a child while spending time with her grandparents and originally planned to report on political events herself.

Fast-forward several years and Joni found herself in a position without power while a decision was being made to cut a social service that directly impacted her and her family. It was then that she decided to change her focus and have a seat at the decision-making table. She has since built a career in politics that culminated in her being named Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Kansas City, MO. 

Listen as Joni shares triumphs and failures she experienced in her political career and the skills and traits that have benefited her the most in her career. Ever resilient and hard-working, Joni has created a women’s empowerment initiative that has been implemented in several cities and benefits women seeking to build a political career.

Joni, like many of you, is smart, driven, motivated, and resourceful, but her path has not been easy. Hear her take on carving your own path and what it takes to be truly successful. Joni is an inspiration for all women seeking to have their voices heard in the political arena. Do you have what it takes? 

Show Notes:

• [02:15] Women in politics, how can you be successful in a difficult position? 
• [03:31] Welcome Joni Wickham! Learn how she found herself as a leader in the political forum.
• [07:01] What was like to be a woman in politics as the Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Kansas City, MO?
• [09:02] Joni shares the skills she’s relied on to move her through her political career.
• [10:52] How did preparedness conquer the ever-encroaching imposter syndrome? 
• [13:04] Why did Joni choose to enter into entrepreneurship?
• [15:37] Hear the biggest challenge Joni faced as a woman in politics.
• [17:32] Learn Joni’s take on how women can best support one another.
• [22:09] Millenials in government. Joni shares her thoughts!
• [23:33] What does it take to build trust with millennials?
• [25:27] How did her younger staff members change with the focus on team building?
• [27:07] Social media and communication in politics. What are Joni’s thoughts?
• [30:33] Joni shares her advice to business professionals facing tough times.
• [31:34] Connect with Joni! 

Links and Resources:

Wickham James Website

Joni on Twitter
Joni on Facebook
Joni on LinkedIn

Wickham James on Twitter
Wickham James on Facebook
Wickham James on LinkedIn
Joni’s LinkedIn Series

Episode’s Sponsor: Empowered Women Event - December 5th, 2019. Get your ticket here: http://bit.ly/empowereddec5

We all have to eat! Deepti Sharma has a new take on how to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to have their food voice heard. In 2011, Deepti founded FoodtoEat, a community-minded catering concierge service that connects immigrant, women and minority-owned food vendors to growth opportunities. She saw an area of need and has worked tirelessly to provide an equitable solution.

Deepti shares the impetus for creating FoodtoEat as well as the process she followed to move from helping food trucks reach more audiences to facilitating relationships between restaurants and corporate catering needs. Her work has helped New Americans build stronger business skills and fostered a more diverse work culture.

Her background is in political science and she is an advocate for policies that benefit small business owners and immigrant entrepreneurship. She also focuses on gender equity in the small business space. After taking stock of the number of companies founded and owned by men, she began to take a greater interest in helping women to build and foster their own businesses. She also shares what she thinks is the best way for women to help other women business owners.

All of her work has not gone unrecognized. Deepti is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and a Forbes 30 Under 30 alumnus. Her insights into small business and diversity in the community are amazing. From the way she’s built her team to the plans she has for the future of FoodtoEat, Deepti is a wealth of knowledge about entrepreneurship and advocacy. Listen in to learn more ways that you can impact your community by harnessing the power of diversity and inclusion.

Show Notes:

• [02:06] There’s power in bringing diversity to your community. Learn more with Deepti Sharma.
• [03:30] Deepti shares a bit about her background and what drove her to create FoodtoEat.
• [08:39] Learn about the challenges Deepti felt in pivoting from food truck supplier to corporate catering.
• [14:53] What is Deepti’s philosophy on team creation and nurturing?
• [17:24] How can women help one another in fostering equity in the workplace?
• [20:06] Deepti divulges the things she’s learned about herself while building her business.
• [24:37] Has her team been able to tap into her resilience? 
• [27:25] Learn how Deepti manages her time between being a mom and wife, a business owner, and a woman.
• [31:42] Deepti shares her best advice for staying resilient in building your business.
• [33:19] Connect with Deepti.

Links and Resources:

• Deepti’s Website
  
• Deepti on Instagram
  
• Deepti on Twitter
• FoodtoEat
• FoodtoEat on Instagram
  
• FoodtoEat on Twitter
• I Made Your Food campaign

Episode’s Sponsor: Empowered Women Event - December 5th, 2019. Get your ticket here: http://bit.ly/empowereddec5

Being bold and taking full ownership of our capabilities is not a natural talent for most women. More often than not we get stuck thinking that we couldn’t possibly succeed if we don’t have the right education, upbringing, social views, etc. Here to debunk those beliefs is Kate Isler. She is an author, international marketing executive, co-founder and CEO of Be Bold Now, Inc., and she did it all without a college degree.

Kate has had a fabulously dynamic career in which she has traveled the globe while working as an executive at Microsoft. She helped open subsidiary offices in Africa, Eastern Europe, India, and the Middle East, Latin America, and China. When she finally returned to the US she lead the international marketing and campaign teams for Microsoft Windows.

It wasn’t until she left Microsoft, after achieving so many career milestones, that she finally stopped and obtained her degree. Kate is supremely passionate about supporting women in reaching their career and life goals, which is what drove her to co-found Be Bold Now. Their mission is to build a network of women to support and inspire each other to take bold action in pursuing gender parity for women in leadership.

Be Bold Now is an outlet and community for women to share their stories and help others find the courage to take action in their own workplaces and communities. If you have a Bold story to tell, take the time to tell your story! Kate has also penned her very first book, a memoir about her young adult career that is due out next year. 

Kate’s advice for women leaders and those who simply want to reach for the next milestone is fantastic. She shares so many amazing stories from her own early career and how her actions then have informed her life today. Listen to the very end to learn why asking for help is not a weakness and why the first step on the road to success is to have a goal. 

Show Notes:

• [01:11] Welcome back to everyone and thank you for being here.
• [02:42] Kate Isler is on the show to help you learn how to be bold, now.
• [04:02] Learn more about Kate’s beginnings and why she created Be Bold Now.
• [07:15] What does Kate tell women who feel alone in the boardrooms of corporate America?
• [08:57] Hear why diversity and inclusion are separate ideals that must be addressed equally. 
• [10:51] Are there common roadblocks to integrating diversity and inclusion? 
• [12:43] What has Kate learned from hearing the stories of those involved in Be Bold Now? 
• [15:51] Learn what it means to self-select oneself out of an opportunity.
• [17:46] How can women support one another to achieve equity in leadership?
• [21:46] Kate shares information about her new book, a memoir about her young adult life.
• [25:33] Any lessons that stand out for Kate that helped propel her forward in her career? 
• [27:41] Where should a woman go to ask for help within their company and in life?
  [30:13] Kate shares her final piece of advice on how to Be Bold. 
• [32:09] Connect with Kate.

Links and Resources:

• Kate Isler on LinkedIn
• Kate Isler on Facebook
• Kate Isler on Twitter
• Be Bold Now, Inc
  • Be Bold Now on Instagram
    
  • Be Bold Now on Twitter
    
  • Be Bold Now on Facebook

Episode’s Sponsor: Empowered Women Event - December 5th, 2019. Get your ticket here: http://bit.ly/empowereddec5

Taking the leap and changing your career or launching your own business is a seriously scary prospect. Sara Bliss knows all about changing roles, pivoting her focus, and building a brand and a business. She has done everything from ghostwriting books to building brands through words. Her most recent book, Take the Leap, is the result of 10 years of labor, love, and a drive to never quit.

There is no better person to discuss what it takes to move out of a job you hate to creating a business you love than Sara. Before writing Take the Leap she interviewed over 60 entrepreneurs who made the transition from employee to CEO in various stages of their careers. The insights she gleaned from hearing their stories and taking the time to compile them into this wonderful tome are as inspirational as they are informative. 

Listen in as Sara discusses the ups and downs, ins and outs of ghostwriting and writing for major publications. She also shares how taking on the voice of her customer has helped her to dial into what a brand requires to survive. Learn why taking on every project and writing for nearly every topic has helped her better realize the scope of her abilities and how that applies to building her business. 

This conversation was a true adventure into the mind and world of a person born to be an entrepreneur. Sara’s vast experience and willingness to move, grow, and change is something to be admired and studied! Don’t miss out on all of her juicy business tips and listen to the end to hear her fantastic parting advice.

Show Notes:

• [01:08] Welcome back. We just turned 5! Sending a huge thank you to all our listeners!
• [02:24] Sara Bliss, the author of Take the Leap, is here to chat about making huge changes.
• [03:32] Learn all about Sara’s career path and all of the changes she has made over the years.
• [05:26] What was it like becoming a ghostwriter? 
• [07:04] Why did Sara feel that bringing Take the Leap to life was important? 
• [09:27] Sara shares her process for completing and compiling her research and interviews.
• [10:40] Learn more about the challenges Sara faced as she wrote the book.
• [14:07] How do you get rid of the chatter so that you can take the leap? 
• [18:36] Sara discusses how you can best handle rejection.
• [20:24] Where did most of the people interviewed for Sara’s book fall in their career cycle before taking the leap?
• [24:21] Speaking with all of her interviewees inspired Sara to continue to make pivots.
• [25:04] Learn more about the different types of roles Sara has taken on throughout her career and how that has bolstered her business.
• [27:20] Is retirement an ideal prospect anymore? 
• [29:31] Sara gives all of us a piece of advice for everyone thinking of taking the leap.
• [31:34] Connect with Sara.

Links and Resources:

• Sara on Twitter
• Sara on LinkedIn
• Sara on Instagram
• Sara Bliss Website
• Bobbi Brown

Episode’s Sponsor: Routledge

Download a free chapter of my book Answers for Modern Communicators at http://bit.ly/learningtheessentials 

Priya Nembhard and Joan Pelzer couldn’t have approached becoming entrepreneurs in more different ways. Priya has been a serial entrepreneur since 2003 when she and her husband created their first business. Joan, on the other hand, happened into the entrepreneurial life by chance and hasn’t lost the bug for a moment since. 

It wasn’t until the two came together to create media magic, that they realized their true passion and purpose in this space. When they met and came together it was as if all of the pieces of a puzzle slid into place. They now create a radio and YouTube talk show called Follow Me Friday and have truly learned the beauty of creating a brand and following on their own terms.

Listen in as Priya and Joan discuss the evolution of Follow Me Friday, why their partnership has bolstered their personal businesses, and why embracing various media has taken their show and their businesses to the next level. 

They both admit that your branding is the foundation upon which your business should be built. It is the voice, the “texture,” the “feel” of your business and it is what people will remember long after you’re gone. Their biggest advice with regard to this unbelievably important business creation step? Make sure that your branding speaks to not only your business goals and your ideal client, but that it also speaks to YOU.

These two make creating a social presence seem like a breeze, but it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Listen in as they share the ups and downs, highs and lows, and most important of all, the challenges they’ve faced and continue to face as their partnership grows. 

Joan and Priya definitely understand the intricacies of having a media presence and this conversation is full of fun and laughs, but best of all they share tangible advice that you can use to start becoming more comfortable with being social!

Show Notes:

• [01:08] Thank you for showing up every week!
• [02:18] Learn more about our two guests, Joan Pelzer and Priya Nembhard.
• [03:50] Joan shares a bit about her entrepreneurial journey.
• [05:14] How did Priya become a serial entrepreneur? 
• [06:30] Priya chats about the story of how she and Joan met. 
• [09:19] The two discuss the evolution of Follow Me Friday.
• [12:05] How does the show come together? 
• [13:40] What makes for having a really good guest? 
• [16:00] Learn more about how Follow Me Friday morphed into video from audio.
• [18:24] Hear Joan and Priya discuss why branding is important to creating a thriving business.
• [23:20] How do Joan and Priya manage Follow Me Friday with everything else that they do? 
• [24:50] What would the duo say to the entrepreneur who is scared to be social? 
• [27:57] We chat about the pros and cons of feedback from other people.
• [30:08] Priya and Joan provide a bit of parting advice for all of our entrepreneurs.
• [32:15] Connect with Joan and Priya!

Links and Resources:

• Follow Me Friday Website
  • Follow Me Friday on Facebook
  • Follow Me Friday on YouTube
  • Follow Me Friday on Twitter
  • Follow Me Friday on Instagram
• Joan’s Website
  • Joan on Facebook
  • Joan on Twitter
  • Joan on Instagram
  • Joan on LinkedIn
    
• Priya’s Website
• Priya on Twitter
• Priya on LinkedIn
• Episode’s Sponsor: Fabian Geyrhalter and eRESONAID course
• Download a free chapter of my book Answers for Modern Communicators at http://bit.ly/learningtheessentials

There are no words to express the impact that Gloria Feldt has had on the world of women in leadership and women in general. As the former CEO of Planned Parenthood and the founder of Take The Lead, Gloria has spent the better part of her life fighting for the rights of women across the country to decide what to do with their bodies and their lives. She is an inspiration in the fight for women’s rights and this conversation is one you won’t want to miss. 

Gloria didn’t start off with a driving passion to fight for women’s equality in society and in business. She was once a young woman with a cause no greater than being an amazing wife and mother to her family, but after having her third child she wondered what else there was. 

Gloria was lucky! She grew up with a father who encouraged her to pursue her dreams in a time when women weren’t supposed to have dreams beyond nurturing a family. Having heard that she could be and do anything during her entire adolescence gave her the confidence needed to pursue a new dream. 

Fast forward a few years and she was presented with the opportunity to lead Planned Parenthood. 

The same organization that helped her realize that her life could be better organized, better controlled, came back around and wanted her to be their voice. She couldn’t say no. Since then she has made it her mission to help support women in leadership and women in power to maximize their impact. 

She has since retired from Planned Parenthood and now owns her own business, consulting and coaching women leaders to be the best in their fields. 

To say that this was an inspiring conversation would be a gross understatement. Gloria’s life and work have been full of ups and downs, but her positive attitude and her drive have kept her going and working for women everywhere. 

Listen in as she discusses the role of social media in our lives, how to encourage women to take their fair share, and how you can get more involved in this wonderful cause. You won’t want to miss a second of this discussion!

Show Notes: 

• [01:09] Welcome back and thank you for your dedication to the show, learning, and community.
• [02:08] Meet Gloria Feldt, the cofounder and president of Take The Lead and former CEO of Planned Parenthood.
• [04:02] Gloria shares a bit about her early life and what drove her to the role of CEO and teaching other women to lead. 
• [08:44] Did Gloria feel supported in her journey toward leadership by other women and men? 
• [10:42] What qualities are really important for women to have when learning to manage power and leadership? 
• [14:47] How are the cohorts selected for the 50 Women Can Change the World program? 
• [16:23] What is the importance of branding when building or launching a venture or business?
• [21:02] Gloria gives advice to younger women and men who are working to choose their life’s path.
• [25:24] What challenges has Gloria faced in her work with Planned Parenthood and in her business today? 
• [27:46] Learn how Gloria keeps herself sharp both mentally and physically.
• [30:37] Gloria shares what the oppression of other people’s opinions on social media really means!
• [32:56] Hear Gloria’s parting advice for women regarding power and leadership.
• [34:28] Connect with Gloria.

Links and Resources:

• Gloria’s Website
• Gloria on LinkedIn
  
• Gloria on Twitter
  
• Gloria on Instagram
  
• Gloria on YouTube
• Take The Lead
• 50 Women Can Change the World

Episode Sponsor: Fabian Geyrhalter and eRESONAID course

Download a free chapter of my book Answers for Modern Communicators at http://bit.ly/learningtheessentials

I am so excited for you to meet Connie Zack. She is the co-owner and Chief Sales Officer of Sunlighten, a company founded after her brother began experiencing the after-effects of chronic fatigue syndrome because of toxic levels of heavy metals in his body. Connie shares how her brother’s healing journey led her and her husband to create Sunlighten, an infrared sauna creator and distributor. 

Listen in as Connie reveals why family comes first and how her drive to impact the world in a big way pushed her to leave the security of her corporate job with Procter & Gamble and create a business that helps so many people ease the pain and stress of everyday life.

Connie digs into how the journey from being a witness to the healing properties of infrared saunas to understanding how to grow and scale a fledgling business has changed her life. 

From learning how to hire staff and keep them motivated to discerning how to get their product into the forefront of the public consciousness, Connie reveals why each step was a moment of learning that has brought Sunlighten to the precipice of success. Every step has had a purpose in their journey and staying positive and keeping learning has been key to their prosperity.

Learn what it takes to go from starting a business in your basement to international renown. 

The world is noisier than ever, but as Connie says, YOU are the one responsible for how you perceive every situation. 

Focus on what you can learn from your failures and then move on to the next task or the next situation. Keep a positive attitude, be willing to learn, and take the time to better yourself with continuing your business education and focus on building strong relationships. These are the steps to succeeding in this noisy world.

Show Notes:

• [01:05] Welcome back and thank you so much for spending your time with us!
• [01:38] Our topic today revolves around how today’s entrepreneurs can grow their businesses in our extremely noisy world.
• [02:23] Meet Connie Zack, co-owner and Chief Sales Officer of Sunlighten.
• [03:51] Connie shares her journey from working in corporate to business ownership.
• [08:00] Was entrepreneurship in Connie’s original life plan? 
• [09:35] What was the growth process like in the beginning? 
• [11:51] Were there any unexpected surprises that came with entrepreneurship? 
• [13:00] Connie reveals the obstacles that had to be overcome as the company grew.
• [14:42] Why creating a powerful team is Connie’s greatest success in creating a business. 
• [18:12] Connie shares what you can do to be a better role model.
• [21:13] Does Connie think it is harder for today’s entrepreneur to get out there? 
• [23:27] You will make mistakes! Learn why those missteps will propel you forward.
• [24:08] How important are relationships when developing your company?
• [25:47] Learn more about the uses of infrared saunas and infrared light therapy.
• [27:47] Be sure to marry your work and personal life and goals for greater levels of success.
• [29:03] What is it like being a husband and wife team? 
• [31:36] Connie shares her best advice for the woman entrepreneur.
• [33:15] Connect with Connie

Links and Resources:

• Sunlighten on Facebook
  
• Sunlighten on Twitter
  
• Sunlighten on Instagram
  
• Sunlighten on LinkedIn
• Sunlighten Website
• Call Sunlighten: 877.292.0020
• Episode Sponsor: Routledge.
• Download a free chapter of my book Answers for Modern Communicators at http://bit.ly/learningtheessentials

One of the leading experts on futuring, Dr. Connie Reimers-Hild is joining me to discuss how you can create the business vision of your dreams become a reality. The key is in creating your ideal vision and learning ways that you can bring it to life. 

Dr. Connie has been helping businesses and business leaders to create personal and organizational innovation and transformation by developing their ideal visions. Her work recently has spun more towards helping women and women leaders understand their true ideal vision and how to achieve it. She has created a huge body of resources and loves to share her knowledge about how futuring impacts business.

We discuss everything from what futuring is, to how it has impacted Dr. Connie’s life and work, and why the concept is supremely important for all businesses. Nobody wants to become the next Blockbuster or Kodak and Dr. Connie’s unique training in both futuring and coaching has given her a fresh perspective on how to help businesses find their best next path.

We discuss so many fantastic bits of information that you can use in your life and business. Ever wonder how to involve your kids in your entrepreneurial endeavors? We chat about that too and why our kids’ involvement is so important to our businesses. If you’ve wondered how to take your business to the next level while maintaining your home life, then this is the episode you want to hear.

Show Notes:

• [01:05] Are you facing challenges? Reach out to me!
• [02:38] Learn more about futurist Dr. Connie Reimers-Hild.
• [03:28] Welcome Dr. Connie to the show.
• [03:49] How does one become a futurist? 
• [04:35] Is the concept of a futurist prevalent in the business space or does Dr. Connie have to explain it often? 
• [06:06] How do futurists help companies find new roads to success? 
• [07:44] What goes into helping businesses find their vision for the next 5 to 50 years? 
• [10:37] How do leaders affect the vision and success of their company? 
• [13:49] Why communication is the skeleton key to success.
• [14:45] Trust is necessary to enact change.
• [17:04] What does Dr. Connie think is necessary to start a podcast? 
• [19:06] Dr. Connie shares the challenges she has faced while building her business.
• [21:57] Are professionals more hesitant to step out and create their own business dreams? 
• [25:10] Staying at a job, isn’t always the safe choice…
• [25:50] Why involving our kids is extremely important to both of us.
• [26:42] Are there days of stress and overwhelm or is it easier to manage business and life? 
• [28:29] Everything you do today, impacts the future of your family and business. What are you doing? 
• [30:51] Dr. Connie provides her advice for zeroing in on your ideal future.

Links and Resources:

• Dr. Connie on Twitter
• Dr. Connie on LinkedIn
• Dr. Connie’s Website
• Dr. Connie’s Amazon Author Page
• The Bee Who Was Too Busy by Dr. Connie
• Future School for Women 
• Episode Sponsor: Routledge.
• Download a free chapter of my book Answers for Modern Communicators at http://bit.ly/learningtheessentials

Midwife, author, and activist, Patricia Harman has done it all. After living in rural communes during the 60s and 70s, Patricia, or Patsy as her friends call her, moved to the east and settled in Virginia. While living in Virginia she was asked many times to help birth the babies in her community. She soon realized she had a love for helping women and went to school to officially become a nurse-midwife. 

She has since spent the past thirty years caring for women as they go through the process and transformation that is childbirth. In an effort to document and memorialize some of her patients’ journeys, she began writing her first memoir, The Blue Cotton Gown: A Midwife’s Memoir. After her second memoir, she realized that she wanted to tell a different kind of story and began writing fiction.

My conversation with Patricia was an amazing look into midwifery and modern healthcare practices for women, along with the ins and outs of the publishing world. Patsy definitely has a way with words and she paints a vivid picture of her life and her inspiration for starting her writing career. Listen in to gain insights on some amazing topics from the font of knowledge that is Patricia Harman. 

Show Notes:

• [01:08] Thank you for listening and elevating the stories of our guests.
• [01:48] Learn more about Patricia “Patsy” Harman, my guest for this episode.
• [03:01] Patsy shares more about her backstory and midwifery.
• [05:43] We dig deeper into whether or not high-risk pregnancies can deliver with a midwife.
• [07:41] Midwives are more than medical caretakers.
• [08:42] Are more people opting for midwives for delivery? 
• [09:32] Why did Patsy transition to writing? 
• [13:38] Was Patsy’s first heroine based on her and her life? 
• [14:45] Learn more about the world of publishing and Patsy’s process for writing/publishing.
• [15:58] What did the publishing process feel like? 
• [19:34] Why is feedback a gift? 
• [22:27] What challenges did Patsy face in running her practice with her husband?
• [24:06] Always make sure your accountant is a CPA! 
• [25:05] Patsy’s tips for overcoming writer’s block.
• [27:22] What moments stand out for Patsy from her life’s journey?
• [31:20] Patsy shares her final bit of advice for our listeners.
• [32:18] Connect with Patsy and find her books.

Links and Resources:

Patricia Harman’s Website

Patricia on Facebook

Patricia’s Amazon Author Profile

Episode’s Sponsor: Routledge

This is a good one! Today we welcome Karen Walker to discuss how CEOs should view organization growth. Karen is an executive coach and consultant who advises CEOs and senior leaders on how to grow and thrive. She is the author of No Dumbing Down: A Guide for CEOs on Organization Growth, and has influenced and grown multiple businesses beyond the 6-figure mark. This is not an episode you want to miss.

First, we discuss Karen’s start in engineering and tech. She was one of very few women in both spaces and she thrived in the environment. After helping Compaq grow from a few employees to over 100,000 employees, she realized that being a part of a high-performing team and meeting and exceeding goals was one of her major drivers. She has taken that drive and applied it to coaching CEOs and business leaders in how to duplicate her efforts at Compaq.

Karen shares amazing insights into what it means to be successful, why you should think bigger about your business, and how CEOs and leaders should look at the success of their business. She is a paragon in the business coaching space, and the advice and information she provides is priceless. Check out nodumbingdown.com for Karen’s book and let us know if you have any questions.

Show Notes:

• [01:07] Women Worldwide is turning 5! Thank you to all of our listeners!
• [02:02] There’s still time to register for the Turn Up the Volume Workshop!
• [02:55] Our topic for today: the CEO and growth for the organization.
• [03:15] Welcome Karen Walker here to discuss how CEOs affect their organizations.
• [05:19] Karen shares how she transitioned into coaching from the engineering and tech space.
• [09:07] What was it like to be a woman in tech during her Compaq days? 
• [10:58] Any common challenges in her women’s groups? 
• [12:03] Karen shares the biggest takeaways she wants leaders to glean from her book.
• [14:59] Do most senior leaders look externally for indications of success? 
• [17:13] The skills needed to be amazing individual contributors are not the same as those needed to be an amazing team member or leader.
• [18:13] What is Mayple and why do you need it? 
• [19:39] Karen shares what her interview questions would be for a marketing department interviewee.
• [21:26] How can CEO’s be more accountable and do they get in their own way of showing accountability?
• [24:15] Resist falling back into old habits when trying to pivot in a different direction in business.
• [24:56] Is there any way to help leaders stop the “blame game” feeling in meetings?
• [27:08] Does Karen face stress and challenges in her role today? 
• [29:02[ Growth is never in a straight line.
• [30:42] Karen shares her parting advice to the listeners.
• [33:32] Connect with Karen.

Links and Resources:

• Karen Walker’s Website
• Episode’s sponsor: Mayple
• Quest Nutrition
• Karen on Twitter
  
• Karen on Instagram
  
• Karen on LinkedIn
• Karen’s Book 
• No Dumbing Down Podcast

Today on the show, we have Patrice Tanaka, CEO and Founder of Joyful Planet, a business purpose consulting firm in New York City. Joyful Planet is focused on helping individuals and organizations discover and actively live their purpose. She is also an author, a coach, a speaker, and a mentor.

Patrice spreads joy wherever she is. She gives us the four steps to finding our purpose in business and our personal lives. She believes that the definition of purpose is how you leverage your talent, expertise, and passion in service to others and our planet.

Patrice and I talk about why businesses need to have one business purpose that everyone can focus on, to help drive more business. We also discuss how purpose-driven companies significantly outperform profit-only driven firms, and how more businesses today are taking the time to articulate their purpose.

She shares how dancing and competing in ballroom dancing gives her joy. Writing her book 'Becoming Ginger Rogers' lets her share that joy with others. Patrice says that if you live your life's purpose, you will be happy, and when you share that happiness with others, it can impact the planet. You won't want to miss the fantastic eye-opening conversation.

Show Notes:

• [03:28] Welcome to the show, Patrice Tanaka!
• [04:13] Patrice speaks to us about how she got her purpose.
• [06:14] She saw her purpose with the shock and horror of the loss of life on 9/11 in the twin towers.
• [07:20] Her mission was to live joy every day, to be mindful of that joy, and to share it with others.
• [08:52] Dancing and competing in ballroom dancing makes her happy.
• [09:33] Writing her book Becoming Ginger Rogers allowed her to share that joy with others.
• [10:05] She left the PR company she co-founded and opened her consultancy called Joyful Planet.
• [11:43] Patrice chats about how finding your purpose can give you a competitive advantage.
• [12:37] Purpose to Patrice is how you leverage your talent, expertise, and passion in service to other people and our planet.
• [13:15] What is the most important thing for you to accomplish as an individual or a business?
• [14:05] Patrice speaks about having one business purpose that everyone can focus on to help drive business.
• [16:14] Purpose-driven businesses significantly outperform profit only focused businesses.
• [18:10] We are at the beginning of a trend to increase value for all stakeholders and all people.
• [23:13] Patrice tells us the four steps she recommends to get your business purpose.
• [25:35] She gives us the four steps to get purpose in your personal life.
• [28:38] Patrice faces challenges daily, but she tries to keep her focus on her purpose.
• [30:57] When you choose joy, it builds on itself, joy builds on joy.
• [34:05] Patrice's advice is to live your life's purpose because when you are happy you spread the joy with others.

Links and Resources:

• Patrice Tanaka
• Joyful Planet
• Becoming Ginger Rogers
• Performance 360
• Patrice on Facebook
• Patrice on Twitter
• Patrice on LinkedIn

On the show today we have S.J. Kurtini, co-founder of Tinybeans an all-in-one app that provides a safe and loving space for parents to document their children's lives through photo sharing, journaling, milestone tracking and photo album printing. 

S.J. shares her incredible story of how she went from being a stay-at-home mom to co-founding one of the top parenting apps. She is proof that if you follow your dreams and put your heart into it you can make your wildest dreams into reality.

S.J. and I talk about Tinybeans and what it means to people who are far away from their families, how she stays connected with her own family even though she works long hours and the challenges entrepreneurs face on a daily basis. 

She also shares great advice on how to build a truly amazing team, a team it’s fun to work with every day, how to network when you’re in a new city and don’t know anyone and so much.

Show Notes:

• [04:09] Welcome to the show J.S Kurtini!
• [04:30] When she started working on Tinybeans she didn’t think too much about the future, much less than 3 million people would be using the app.
• [05:38] When she met her co-founder Stephen O’Young she was on maternity leave, she had just had her 2nd baby.
• [05:43] She was working from home and a friend asked her to manage some facebook accounts. She started making a name for herself doing that and that’s how she met Stephen.
• [09:10] What's the best part of being an entrepreneur? What's the worst part?
• [11:48] The challenges never get easier, once you get over one another bigger one comes along.
• [13:15] She was looking for people that had the right mindset, a learning mindset is most important, be humble and be fun to work with.
• [14:30] They have offices in NY and Sydney so they have a challenge with the time zone differences.
• [15:35] Tinybeans is private, it isn’t on social media. When they post pictures, it is with the permission of the owner.
• [16:45] She does do personal networking but since she moved to NY she has had to be very intentional about it because she didn't know anyone. She makes 5 to 10% of her week about getting out and meeting people.
• [23:02] Eddie was very instrumental in getting the funding from investors because of his business background, it was a long process but they succeeded in the end.
• [25:28] It was a little stressful with finding the right investors. They now have investors that know it is a long term investment.
• [27:27] How did you get the company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange? How long was the process?
• [31:25] S.J tends to internalize stress which makes her lose sleep so she does yoga and tries to laugh at things to relieve stress.
• [33:40] S.J’s husband stays home with the kids while she works. She uses her app to stay in touch when she can.
• [35:02] She keeps her life balanced and organized with two apps - SaneBox, an app that keeps your inbox zero and Wunderlist. 
• [38:32] Her advice for doing something different in your career is to go with your gut, try it and simplify your life before you start it.
• [39:44] S.J’s father told her to have an FU fund, that way if you don’t like the situation you are in you can just walk away.
• [41:05] Tinybeans is a free app and you can find it at www.tinybeans.com.

Links and Resources:

• S.J. Kurtini on Twitter
• S.J. Kurtini on LinkedIn
• Tinybeans on Facebook
• Tinybeans on Twitter
• Tinybeans on Instagram
• www.tinybeans.com

On the show today we have Chris Winfield, CEO of Super Connector Media. Chris, also known as The “Super Connector and Media Matchmaker” is the creator of Unfair Advantage Live, the premier publicity event that helps entrepreneurs and experts make connections that will get them in front of the influencers in their industry that make things happen.

Chris has had other businesses over the years but he wasn’t passionate about them and he didn’t feel like he belonged. When his business imploded a few years ago he decided to change the way he did business. 

He wanted to help people connect with people that could help them be successful. So, he started Unfair Advantage Live to bring together entrepreneurs and media people and see if they could help each other. They went from a one-day event to many-days events and he hasn’t looked back since.

In this Women Worldwide episode, Chris and I chat about his story, how he became the “Super Connector,” why he created Unfair Advantage Live and what his advice is for entrepreneurs who don’t feel comfortable asking for help. 

Listen in and see if this conversation hits home with you and where you are in your business right now. Are you afraid to ask for help? You might just learn some new tricks and tools to get you where you want to be.

Show Notes:

• [02:43] Welcome to the show Chris Winfield!
• [03:20] Chris tells us that when you see someone or read about someone and you think to yourself that should be me, what’s stopping you?
• [04:47] He chats with us about starting his own web design company even though he didn’t have any connections.
• [06:32] Chris says he got his first million-plus dollar client from a small blurb that was written about him in USA Today.
• [08:10] He started Unfair Advantage Live to teach entrepreneurs how to do the stuff that he did that made him successful.
• [10:28] Chris discusses how he went out each day and talked to people, being open about what was going on in his life at the time, being honest.
• [12:31] He found, when talking to new entrepreneurs, that he knew people he could connect them with.
• [15:07] Chris tells us that word of mouth is how he gets people to attend his events. He doesn’t have to advertise any other way.
• [16:05] He says that 95 percent of the entrepreneurs he knows won’t ask for help.
• [23:52] Chris shares the challenges he faces every day in his businesses.
• [25:16] Fear, ego and expectation hold us back when we don’t prepare ourselves for challenges.
• [27:57] What is Chris surprised that he’s accomplished?
• [29:56] Chris tells people to keep things simple and to keep reaching out to one person every day. He also has a program that will keep people on track.
• [32:16] Listening and how you make people feel are so important to think about when building relationships.
• [34:49] You will never build a real relationship on social media but meeting one on one will.
• [37:32] Chris says the women in his life, his partner and his daughter have taught him so much.
• [39:20] Chris’s advice to women in business is to promote yourself, believe in what you do, we are all just people.

Links and Resources:

• Unfair Advantage Live
• Chris Winfield
• Chris on Facebook
• Chris on Twitter
• Chris on Instagram
• Chris on Linkedin

Through her own experiences with addiction and depression, Mal Duane has transformed her life and recreated herself into a highly successful business woman. She is a certified midlife coach and helps women through midlife transitions to heal, reclaim their lives and gain great success where they never thought possible. Also a best-selling author, Mal says all of her books, coaching and speaking is designed to inspire and elevate those souls who feel unloved and unworthy.

Mal had no idea what life had in store for her but once she found her path and mission, she held on with both hands and made the decision to help others that were taking the same journey. 

Everything that happens to us in life is a learning experience, finding our triggers through meditation and journaling is how you grow and become a better version of yourself.

In this Women Worldwide episode I chat with Mal about her life, her success and her journey to self-awareness. She gives us the tools we need to become self aware. You won’t want to miss this episode so sit back, kick your shoes off and listen with an open mind. 

Show Notes:

• [02:58] Welcome to the show Mal Duane!
• [03:25] Mal speaks to us about her journey through addiction and depression to the light at the end of the tunnel.
• [05:02] She tells us that everything we go through in life teaches us the path of negative patterns or character traits that we must heal.
• [06:15] The pain that you are experiencing at this moment may inspire you to change your life and take a different path.
• [07:15] Do you rely on others to give you your self worth? Validation from other people?
• [09:12] We need to look under the hood and learn our truth.
• [10:08] Once we learn what our triggers are we will find the pathway of personal development, meditate and journal.
• [12:48] When you meditate you are getting out of your head and into your heart.
• [13:40] Mal discusses her new book ‘Broken Open: Embracing Heartache and Betrayal as Gateways to Unconditional Love’.
• [16:10] Unconscious pain and unfulfilled wishes lead to very poor conscious choices.
• [16:45] Your ego tries to keep you safe but it will also hold you back.
• [19:13] Mal says that all of the suffering and pain she carried for years was not about what people did to her it was about what she thought, her own ego.
• [23:23] You can keep people in your life as long as your boundaries are not violated.
• [25:13] Mal believes that life is a big classroom, you learn something everyday.
• [27:00] She discusses the tools she uses in her toolbox for self-awareness.
• [29:35] You have the power to change where your life is going, what is stopping you?
• [31:15] Mal has a formula for going through life thinking positively, live everyday with intention.
• [33:05] Helping others helps our personal growth more than anything.
• [33:44] Mals formula spells FAITH - focus, acceptance, intentions, thoughts and helping others. If you practice these steps you will have unwaveringly faith in yourself.
• [34:51] She still has challenges but she looks at them as taking her to another level.
• [36:32] Mal tells us how dangerous social media can be, it needs to be monitored and filters need to be used because of how people use it.
• [38:58] She gives us some final thoughts and advice about figuring out what we really want.

Links and Resources:

• Mal Duane
• Mal Duane’s Books:
  • Broken Open: Embracing Heartache and Betrayal as Gateways to Unconditional Love
  • Alpha Chick
• Mal Duane on Facebook
• Mal Duane on Twitter
• Mal Duane on Instagram

Leonard Kim an award winning marketer and author is on the show today chatting with us about showing the real you, making your life transparent so that your biggest failures can’t be used against you. He believes that if you control your brand in a proactive way you won’t have to be reactive down the road. Plus you might inspire others who are going through the same struggles you did.

He went from being almost homeless, failing at every company he tried to build to the successful businessman he is today. He had to step back from his failures and see what choices he made that caused him so much heartache. That’s when he realized he had forgotten what he had been taught about putting others first, focus on serving first. He was so focused on himself and what he couldn’t do that he forgot about all the things he could do to help others.

Listen in as Leonard takes us through the journey to success and the roadblocks and milestones he had on the way to transparency and being true to himself.

Show Notes:

• [03:05] Welcome to the show Leonard Kim!
• [03:55] Leonard chats about the journey from almost being homeless to an award winning marketer and author.
• [11:08] His book is about ditching the regrettable moments in your life.
• [12:35] Should you tell the world about the skeletons in your past or do you just need to reflect on it?
• [15:05] Things can’t be used against you if you are transparent about them, control your own narrative.
• [16:18] He talks about the exposure resume - sharing the bad and the ugly of your life.
• [18:07] We live fragmented lives in business, personal and social media.
• [19:16] Sharing the good, the bad and our version of our ugly on social media will make us more cohesive as a person.
• [22:10] Why should you be the lead of a brand called “me”?
• [26:55] There are 5 different levels of exposure around brand transparency.
• [29:13] Which of the 8 steps of the brand process does Leonard recommend?
• [33:00] Your Bio needs to reflect the real you even if you look vulnerable.
• [37:25] We all feel closer to someone who shares the same experiences as we do.
• [40:25] Leonard's final thoughts and advice about how to be more vulnerable and transparent. 

Links and Resources:

• Leonard Kim 
• Ditch the Act by Leonard Kim
• Influence Tree
• Leonard Kim on FB
• Leonard Kim on Twitter
• Leonard Kim on Instagram
• Leonard Kim on Linkedin

Sandra MacLeod, the CEO of Echo Research is on the show today to talk about how important our reputation is in business. She tells us how as women we can build our reputations by keeping an eye out and paying attention to what is being said about us. It is ok to be different but be strong and different, don’t let anyone keep you from doing what you think is right.

Sandra believes that being an entrepreneur today is about believing in yourself and managing your expectations, there will be ups and downs so just hang in there. Also, surround yourself with like-minded people and create an inner circle that will support you and keep you strong.

Sandra has accomplished many things in her career and she isn’t stopping now. When she looks back she remembers a friend of hers saying “Make a promise, keep a promise” and she has lived by that every day of her life.

Show Notes:

• [02:27] Deirdre introduces today’s guest Sandra MacLeod.
• [03:59] How did Sandra go from communications to research?
• [08:35] In her opinion you need a sense of numbers and an understanding of statistics to be good at research.
• [11:04]  Are companies coming to her before they are at a crisis? Listening?
• [12:49] She feels that social media is a wonderful power but there is also the dark side that can hurt individuals and organizations.
• [17:04] Building a following on social media can be very helpful in your business.
• [18:27] How can women build their reputation among their peers and as a leader?
• [20:58] Dare to be different, you can be different and be a strong woman at the same time.
• [22:20] What does it mean to be true to your brand?
• [25:15] Sandra thinks what it takes to be an entrepreneur today is belief in yourself and managing your expectations.
• [27:57] Who do you surround yourself with? Who’s in your inner circle?
• [30:46] When looking back on your career of the things you have accomplished, what surprises you?
• [32:40] She had a friend that used to always say “Make a promise, keep a promise.” This has stuck with her over the years and she tried to always follow through.
• [36:15] What resources does Sandra use to keep up to date with current ideas?
• [38:46] Does she think young professionals should get involved with their industry associations?
• [39:32] How does she manage her time? Does she have “me” time?
• [40:55] Her final thoughts on reputation management and staying on your brand.

Links and Resources:

• Sandra Macleod on LinkedIn
• Sandra on Twitter
• Echo Research Website
• Echo Research on Twitter
• Echo Research on YouTube

Keeping in touch and building bonds with people takes communication, patience and dedication. In business and in your personal life consistency in communication is a must. My guest today has a network of 5,000 lawyers to communicate with. She says that there are many ways to communicate with people if you take the time and put in the effort. 

Lindsay Griffiths is the International Lawyers Network Director of Global Relationship Management. She works closely with the Network’s Executive Director on oversight and management of day to day operations of the ILN. 

In her role, she develops and facilitates relationships among INL member firm lawyers at 90+ law firms in 67 countries. She seeks opportunities for member firms to build business and relationships while ensuring member participation in Network events and initiatives.

Today we talk about how relationships are needed at every level and what we do now can ensure that we have the best people around us later. We also chat about how her future promotion is affecting the people around her and how having a tribe of good people in your circle can keep you on track.

Show Notes

• [02:39] Lindsay Griffiths started her path to Global Relationship Management when she asked the Executive Director, her father, if she could work with him at ILN.
• [04:53] To maintain a good relationship with your members it takes consistency. You must know, like and trust each other for it to work.
• [06:09] Everyone is busy, prioritize what is important. When you make people feel important, they are more willing to create that level of business that is important to you.
• [08:05] In relationships with clients communication and responsiveness are key. Clients want to hear from you. Even if the news is bad, communicating the issues and having a plan to fix it is always better than silence.
• [11:48] They encourage everyone to use as many different types of communications as possible. There are 5,000 lawyers in the International Lawyers Network (ILN) all over the world, so many different types of communication are utilized.
• [13:26] They use all of the social media channels now, 10 years ago they only used LinkedIn. It’s been a long road but now there are lawyers even on Facebook.
• [14:32] Being a woman in a man's world is challenging some days. She says it’s harder in the US than it is internationally.
• [15:22] There is a women's group in the ILN, they just had their biggest showing at a conference, 30% of the attendees were women.
• [15:53] Lindsay is being promoted to Executive Director, there was some push back but the majority of people have been very supportive.
• [17:16] She feels like she has to prove herself but it just might be because she hasn’t really promoted herself the way men do. Because she is taking over from her father some might not think she can do it until she is in the role.
• [22:44] When men promote themselves they are seen as go-getters. When women promote themselves they are seen as showy or bragging too much.
• [24:50] She recommends that you have a very strong support network of women who want the best for you and will give you honest feedback. It can be very tough to find those kinds of women but keep looking because you will find your tribe.
• [27:03] Don’t be afraid to stop being friends with someone who isn’t a fit for you, if they don’t support you or have your best interests at heart you don’t need them.  
• [29:52] She is a photographer so when she isn’t working she is taking pictures of animals and posting them on Instagram. She also enjoys crocheting hats for cancer patients because cancer has affected her family.
• [33:18] A fear of failure is what Lindsay says gets her up in the morning. She is a perfectionist and loves the idea of figuring out how to better help her lawyers collaborate and layer relationships.
• [35:52] Social media for her is about relationships if you are careful, it can be a good tool.  
• [37:28] She spends about 2 hours a day on social media. She used to use it more but now she has someone managing social media for her.
• [38:24] She goes to at least one industry conference a year to keep up with the changes in the industry, she also reads a lot to see what other industries are doing to get ideas.
• [40:02] Lindsay’s advice for building and maintaining really important bonds is consistency, make sure the people you want to be close to are being communicated with on a daily basis, reach out, stay in touch so they know that they are a priority to you.

Links:

• Lindsay Griffiths on LinkedIn
• International Lawyers Network
• https://www.zenlegalnetworking.com/about/
• Lindsay Griffiths on Twitter
• https://www.ilntoday.com/
• Lindsay Griffiths on Instagram

Have you ever had a story you wanted to tell but you had no idea how to get it out to the masses? Have you ever felt like you didn’t know where to start? My guest today did it on his own and took his book Eat Less and Move More to the best sellers list along with two more books that also had the same level of success. 

The journey made him realize that it's not easy to write a book, get it edited, published and marketed with limited resources. He thought why not do something that would help others in the same situation and so Brody Consulting Group was born.

Paul Brody is the founder and CEO of Brody Consulting Group. He works with his clients to write, publish and market their books with a proven system he designed. He is also the host of the Get Published podcast. 

We chat about his journey in writing his books and taking them to the best sellers list on his own steam and how that experience catapulted him into the business he leads today.

Show Notes:

• [03:32] A health crisis caused Paul to reevaluate his life when his doctor told him if he didn’t lose weight and get his act together, he’d be dead in five years.
• [04:14] He lost the weight, kept the weight off and beat the odds, he wanted to tell the story about his own journey.
• [04:42] He had no idea how to get his story out there or get a book published.
• [05:02] Sitting by the pool at the Mirage in Vegas everything started to flow, opened up his notes app on his phone and sketched out the entire outline for the book. A week later he wrote 20,000 words and that became his first draft.
• [05:39] He spent 8 hours a day learning the publishing side but then he had to figure out the marketing side. He then spent more days learning how to launch a book successfully and how to evolve with a changing market.
• [06:08] A month later, in August he launched the book “Eat Less and Move More.” It became his very first bestseller.
• [06:24] Paul was also a motivational speaker and wanted to write a couple of books based on those seminars, he wrote Motivation 101 and Positivity Attracts. They both became best sellers.
• [06:31] He started having other authors ask to be shown what he did to become successful so early on, how to market and publish their books.
•  [06:52] He started coaching people one on one on writing, publishing and marketing their books. Within a year and a half, his company was up and running.
• [07:03] They then expanded into hybrid publishing where they do, done for your publishing services, done for your book marketing and this last year they have added executive ghostwriting.
• [07:31] One book from a health crisis completely changed his life. Everyone has a story you just have to get it out there.
• [08:53] The most typical mistakes that first time authors make is trying to edit their own book.
• [09:51] Always do a final proof even when you have an editor and always read the book out loud.  
• [11:06] Paul’s company takes a holistic approach with writers, they don’t pitch ideas, they just want to know about your book, your situation and what you want to get out of it. He tells his clients that it's not a book launch, it’s a product launch.
• [14:23] He tells people that he is a farmer because all he does is plant seeds.
• [15:20] His proven system is breaking down everything into bite-size portions, simplify.
• [18:05] Having a great looking professional book cover is very important for a successful book launch.
• [23.37] He never even thought about starting a podcast until people around told him he should spread his knowledge and that it would be a great medium to do that.
• [24:17] He started the podcast Get Published recording one episode a week, went to 5 episodes a week and at one point was doing four episodes a day. They have done 350 episodes in the year since the podcast was launched.
• [26:15] After authors build their platform, having a podcast to get the information out to more people is definitely a great way to get their brand out there.
• [27:33] Social media is a great way to drive brand awareness and push people towards your website to bring that traffic in.
• [30:22] LinkedIn’s sales navigator is something he recommends for the ability to reach out to people and send traffic your way.
• [31:30] The challenge he faces in his business is setting expectations early with clients, making it clear that they are not going to make millions of dollars on the front end with royalties.
• [34:01] You can not be an introvert as an author and expect to sell tons of books, you have to get out there to keep the momentum going.
• [36:24] Online speaking and virtual summits are great ways of getting out there without having to physically be in front of people.  
• [38:50] Paul always says he gives his information away for free, clients pay for implementation.

Links:

• Eat Less Move More
• http://www.brodieedu.com/
• Get Published Podcast
• MGM Resorts
• Motivation 101
• Positivity Attracts Improve Positive Thinking
• https://www.linkedin.com/sales

Why do we sometimes find ourselves in relationships with partners that aren't right?  Everybody wants to find joy and love. Being trapped in a relationship that is hurtful or harmful isn't good for your health. The right partner can bring so much joy into your life, but how do you avoid those hurtful and harmful relationships? My guest today is an expert on this topic. 

Iris Benrubi is a psychotherapist and marriage counsellor. She is also a dating and relationship expert who has spent the last 20 years coaching and counseling men, women, and couples on how to find true love. She is also the author of Lonely & Single to Loved & Adored. On today’s show, Iris shares her journey, her dating expertise, and tips from her book. 

Show Notes:

• [03:16] This is Iris's fourth career. She was a psychotherapist and marriage counselor for many years. When her 18 year marriage ended in divorce, she had an identity crisis and had to do a lot of soul searching.
• [04:26] A couple years later, she entered the wild west of dating. She realized she had to own that she couldn't see her own blind spots.
• [04:53] For the last few years, Iris has been teaching women how to find and maintain the relationship of a lifetime, they don't have to go through what she went through. 
• [05:33] Her book and programs look at three components. The first one is finding who are you and how do you show up? Women often compromise to make relationships work and come from a place of fear. 
• [06:15] Once we know our own value we start to look for someone different. Women need to be clear on what they are looking for.
• [07:40] We have a blueprint that we are born into from our families. Babies are a blank canvas, but what gets imprinted on us is how relationships work.
• [08:04] We get an identity, and we also look at how our parents interact. Even though we may not like it, this relationship blueprint is imprinted on us.
• [08:43] It takes work, but you can shift your relationship blueprint.
• [11:53] We pick our partners based on the wounds we have from childhood. If we pick a partner who is conscious, we both get to heal from those wounds, and create a happy and safe relationship.
• [12:22] Ask what the shift is that you need to make to be attracted to a better kind of partner.
• [13:20] Go for 80% and work to grow the rest.
• [14:30] If you cut people out for tiny little things, it may be because you have a fear of intimacy and getting your heartbroken.
• [15:29] When there is safety and you can feel what you feel, you can then negotiate and reach a compromise.
• [16:08] We either do exactly what our parents did or the exact opposite.
• [19:00] What we don't see and challenge is our blind spot.
• [20:43] You don't have to agree with what people are saying, they just want to be heard and acknowledged for what they are feeling.
• [21:46] Relationships are about how safe do I feel with you. The more we can allow someone to be who they are, the more space there is for them to want to be with you.
• [23:34] One thing Iris learned was that it was difficult for her to express what she needs.
• [27:16] Make sure you get into relationships that are in alignment with your values. 
• [28:49] The first six months is the honeymoon stage. After this, we start to see reality. How do the two of you show up when there is conflict. 
• [30:52] People often think dating is a numbers game, and that's a recipe for exhaustion. You need to know how to screen potential partners.
• [31:32] You need to write a profile that attracts the kind of people that you are looking for, and you need to know how to screen and sort potential dates.
• [32:01] Women need to be the buyer not the seller.
• [32:51] Online dating becomes fun when you start picking people who are fun for you.
• [34:57] Am I having fun? Do I feel safe? Am I happy?
• [35:57] It's about the quality of time that you spend together. 
• [38:09] Iris's clients keep her going. Helping people excites her.
• [39:15] Be introspective and responsible for yourself. This is where you get to create inner peace. Invest in yourself and get the skills you need to upgrade yourself. 

Links and Resources:

• Iris Benrubi Website
• Spark a Man’s Desire Free eBook
• Iris Benrubi on Facebook
• Iris Benrubi on Twitter
• Lonely & Single to Loved & Adored

In business, does growth equate to bigger means better? What if you could scale your business and find more freedom and success with a company of one mindset? Today's guest has a lot to share on this topic. Paul Jarvis is a designer who likes writing. Paul has been working for himself since the 90s. He is the creator of the online courses Creative Class and Chimp Essentials. 

He is also the author of Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business and the co-founder of Fathom Analytics. 

His work has been featured in WIRED, Fast Company, and more. He has been noticed and mentioned by Ashton Kutcher and Arianna Huffington. 

Some of his clients include Microsoft, Danielle LaPorte, Mercedes-Benz, Maria Forleo, and too many to mention. He is here with us today to share the mindset of a company of one. We talk about what it means to scale your business, be profitable, and find freedom. We’ll learn that sometimes in business, bigger isn't always better.

Show Notes:

• [03:31] Paul wasn't planning on being an entrepreneur. He worked for an agency in Toronto. He loved the work and the clients, but he didn't like the company. 
• [03:57] When he left the company, clients started calling him. He then realized that he might be able to do this on his own.
• [04:30] Paul became an entrepreneur by accident. His planned trip to the library to learn how to write a resume turned into a trip to learn how to start a business. 
• [05:20] The biggest benefit of running his own business is being able to have a direct client contact. It's a lot harder to get a new customer than to keep an existing one.
• [06:03] He preferred to focus on retention as opposed to acquisition by offering excellent customer service.
• [07:35] One of the biggest client misconceptions is that they will let you know when they need more work done. Paul started contacting his clients and discovered that they did want more from him.
• [08:07] Keeping in touch also keeps you top-of-mind.
• [09:50] Paul can run a business with a very small group of people and outsource things without having everyone on the payroll.
• [10:24] Paul doesn't want to run a big company and manage other people. He doesn't want to build a business that will put him into that role.
• [11:36] It's hard to be skilled at every area of a business. Focus on what you are good at and get others to help with the other stuff. 
• [14:17] Paul is extremely driven when he decides to do something. He didn't plan to be a writer, but he enjoys it, and it's a great way to share ideas. 
• [15:22] Paul's favorite story is about his friend's dad who was an architect that started working at home. Above his computer he had a sign that said "overhead equals death."
• [17:08] Expressing personality is attractive to clients. Sharing your personality can draw in the people who are the right fit and push away the people who aren't.
• [20:51] People buy based on how they feel they are treated. Fostering success and making customers happy is the best way to sell. 
• [22:34] One of his friends encouraged him to start a podcast. He now has two shows and is starting another one. 
• [24:29] A business has to make enough to keep going. Helping people also makes you feel really good. 
• [26:31] We often put self-inflicted pressure on ourselves in business. 
• [28:07] Growth is beneficial in the beginning of starting a business. People are happier if they make more money, but only up to a certain point. 
• [30:18] Freedom is important, so working 16 hours a day isn't a requirement.
• [31:05] Doing less is Paul's biggest productivity hack. He also turns off distractions. Take on less stuff. 
• [32:10] “No” should be the default for everyone. This way you only do what needs to be done. 
• [34:50] Find the types of projects and clients you enjoy working with and that can really move the needle. Say “no” to the other stuff.
• [35:22] Overtime you can narrow your niche down. In the beginning, you may have to be more open to trying different things.
• [36:04] Paul likes routine. He wakes up early. He makes himself a coffee and then goes on to work on creative stuff. After that, an hour or two on admin. Then he'll garden or exercise. 
• [38:05] Paul's biggest “aha” moment was when he wrote an article about why he doesn't put growth at the top as priority for his business. He got 1,200 or 1,300 replies from people who had the same sentiment. He realized that there was probably a book that could focus on this topic.
• [39:48] The byproduct of business success isn't growth it's freedom.

Links and Resources:

• Paul Jarvis
• Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business
• Fathom Analytics
• Creative Class
• Chimp Essentials
• @pjrvs on Twitter
• Sunday Dispatches
• Company of One, the podcast
• Invisible Office Hours

Are you reaching your full potential? What does this even mean? How do you find your flow and feel more fulfilled? Sheila Murphy spent a really long time in Corporate America. She was a senior legal counsel at a Fortune 50 company. She trained teams, built leaders, and knew what clients were looking for in their lawyers and their law firms. 

Today, she is a coach and career consultant specializing in working with lawyers and law firms to help them reach their full potential. Which means building a book of business, developing their networks, and their reputations. She is also the founder of Focus Foreword, LLC. Sheila shares her story and we talk about how it’s possible to find a career that you really love.

Show Notes:

• [03:45] After years in the corporate world, Sheila felt like she wasn't being challenged anymore.
• [04:01] She started talking to her network and thinking about what she was good at and what she loved to do.
• [04:38] The core of her being was to help people develop and empower them to reach their full potential.
• [05:15] As she was contemplating her career transition, she kept telling herself to focus on going forward. This is also how she came up with the clever name for her coaching and consulting business.
• [05:57] She was strategic about thinking about what her next chapter would be. She was also strategic about where she spoke and how she branded herself and her use of social media.
• [06:11] When Sheila launched her business, she had certain people lined up from her network. She also had a plan to grow.
• [07:07] It's not as easy for women as it is for men in law firms. The pay gap with women is getting worse. 
• [08:11] The overall way that women are treated on a macro-level could be improved and then individual coaching on a micro-level could help women equalize the pay and respect they receive in law firms.
• [09:12] Sometimes women don't sell themselves, and they just stay behind the desk and do the work. Selling yourself is important in the corporate world. The biggest indicator of success is your network.
• [10:04] A mentor is someone who gives you advice. A sponsor is someone who moves you forward and speaks for you when there are opportunities.
• [10:46] Having a sponsor can really propel your career especially for women and people of color. Someone has to believe you're going to go in a 120% to sponsor your career.
• [12:18] It's really critical to find a sponsor, because it will make such a difference in your career.
• [13:02] Networking doesn't have to be that scary, it's just a conversation with another human being. Networking is also about giving value to the other person.
• [15:26] It takes 7 to 20 contacts in the legal field to convert somebody from meeting them to doing business with them. 
• [16:28] As soon as you meet someone send them a personalized LinkedIn invitation. Also respond when something happens on their profile like when they post an article or get a reward. 
• [19:21] Social media can give you amplification and help you do some of the lighter touches without meeting in person. So, it can be very helpful.
• [21:16] One of the most important skills a leader can have is to listen to people with an open mind.
• [23:15] Challenges Sheila faced when she switched to being an entrepreneur included losing her corporate title and not having an assistant. She always strived to be a better leader and better communicator. 
• [26:04] Having someone do administrative tasks helps you focus on what you need to focus on as an entrepreneur.
• [26:49] Blocking time allows Sheila to fit in important things like going to the gym or meeting with friends or just sitting and thinking.
• [30:08] Sheila loves finding her purpose and being happy. People often think they can't control their career, but they can. It's really about finding your best place that makes you the happiest.
• [34:22] Early in your career path, talk to other people about what the journey is like.
• [36:53] The stresses of being an entrepreneur are much more self-imposed.
• [39:01] Sheila's corporate legacy was giving the company very strong employees that were engaged and effective. Making an impact on these people's careers to her was a success. This is what she hopes to have in her new business. 
• [40:06] Push yourself out of your comfort zone and believe in yourself, and you can have a healthier, more fulfilled career. 

Links and Resources:

• Focus Forword Consulting
• @SheilaMurphy_ on Twitter
• Sheila Murphy on LinkedIn

Most moms want to be great supportive moms, but how do you do that? My guest today, is an energy healer who believes that to give your kids the support they need, you need to come from a place of freedom. Laura Hackel uses crystal bowl healing sessions, ceramic vessels, and crystals to raise vibrations and assist with healing.

We talk about what all of this actually means and how to be a better mom using “mom GPS,” as Laura calls it. She shares her story of how she found this calling and explains how energy healing, vibrations, and trauma all tie together. This is a fascinating look into looking at life in a different way to benefit yourself and those around you. 

Show Notes:

• [04:07] Laura majored in computer science, but quickly learned she liked talking to people. She got a job at a startup where she could talk to people. She worked in staffing and ran different departments, but as the company grew she knew she wanted something else.
• [05:08] Her identity was tied in to who she was at work. She started taking yoga, was gifted a bowl, and started taking classes. She was also asked if she was a potter.
• [05:43] She gave herself time to experiment. 
• [06:32] She then met a healer. It was amazing to see what life had opened up. 
• [07:13] She went to shaman school. 
• [07:50] Her children challenge the status quo and she is a conflict avoider. 
• [08:30] She then played the crystal bowls. They all have different tones. The vibration is high and energy that doesn't serve you has to rise up.
• [09:28] When she plays the crystal bowls for a room of people different amazing things will happen for each person.
• [09:43] There is high vibration and low vibration energy. If you are angry or ashamed those are low vibration energy switch will stick with you.
• [10:21] Stuff that happens in our external energy field leads to illness in our bodies if we don't clear it.
• [10:37] The vibrations will target what needs to leave and some of it will be really old and you don't even know what it is.
• [11:04] The bowls can help you negotiate through difficult times.
• [14:10] When you heal a belief you change how you feel about it.
• [14:54] The whole idea of being a mindful mom is knowing that inside of you you know what your child needs.
• [16:45] What you think something means causes you to suffer.
• [18:07] To help other mom's be mindful, you have to be mindful.
• [22:50] We travel with people whom we've traveled with before and whom we will travel with again. They are our soul family.
• [25:07] Crystals get to sit in Mother Earth, and they come out with a high vibration. Find a crystal and see what calls to you. Laura keeps crystal in her water bottle.
• [29:04] Different crystals support different needs. You can put them under your bed.
• [32:23] Ceramic bowls have a higher vibration, but the ones that Laura makes have a high vibration. She has channeled her intention to heal. 
• [34:22] Embracing more is a six month to a year process. 
• [36:03] Trauma gets trapped within us, and we are never free of it until we process it. 
• [37:16] Trauma can be from anything, even small things in a child's brain.
• [38:34] When we experience something traumatic our beliefs get flipped on their head. It's easy to get stuck as a victim when something traumatic happens, so work needs to be done to get your power back.
• [40:15] Our pain can be our gift.
• [40:37] Do something outside of your comfort zone to get perspective.
• [41:07] Write down what happens when you get angry about something. Then laugh at how not factual it was. 
• [42:26] Find a crystal. Try things and see how it feels. Take 10 minutes a day to breath.  

Links and Resources:

• Artful Healings
• Laura Hackel on LinkedIn
• Laura Hackel on Facebook
• Laura Hackel on Pinterest
• Mary Ann Robbat

Jaime-Lee Fraser is a business growth expert who develops professional companies into market leading brands. She is also the co-founder of Kwired a branding and acquisition readiness firm. Jaime-Lee has coined the acronym CAUSE which stands for connection, authenticity, uniqueness, storytelling, and emotion to build brands that really stand out.

Jaime-Lee stands out with her own unique story. She was vacationing in Bali in 2002 when she ended up being surrounded by flames after the building that she was in was bombed. She used this as motivation to thrive as opposed to living in fear.

We talk about being your true self, building brands that get noticed, authentic storytelling, masterminds, personality types, and even using the Wim Hof method to sit in a bath of ice.

Show Notes:

• [03:31] Jaime-Lee was in a bombing attack in Bali in 2002. She wasn't harmed physically. She was trapped in a burning building. It was remarkable how everyone wanted to help everyone else survive.
• [04:50] She came out the other side being grateful for being alive. Although, the experience did take an emotional toll.
• [05:05] The experience was traumatic and transformational.
• [05:44] She tries to look at it as post-traumatic thriving.
• [06:30] It was difficult moving away from the fight or flight mode. She did recognize that she needed to take time out to rest.
• [07:32] She moved to London by herself.
• [08:24] Performance is the core of what we do as humans. She started working with great mentors and she met her business partner Shawn Wells.
• [11:14] CAUSE came about because these five concepts are important to grow a brand.
• [13:13] A huge piece of standing out is being authentic. All of the pieces need to be taken into the storytelling to build a brand.
• [15:47] She also uses NLP when working with clients.
• [19:19] Jaime-Lee loves masterminds and the events that she attends. In person meetings are a game changer.
• [21:51] Consistency is key for growth.
• [23:24] Jaime-Lee is an ENFP in the Myers & Briggs personality test.
• [25:04] To step out of her comfort zone Jaime-Lee seeks new experiences. She did an ice bath challenge.
• [27:43] They used the Wim Hof Method.
• [28:18] You have to bring yourself to a place of control. You have to master the breathing and connect your breath to a place of peace.
• [30:40] Having routines in place helps Jaime-Lee deal with stress. Getting decisions in place is helpful. Using lists also helps with overwhelm.
• [35:18] Asking too many questions means you are out of flow.
• [39:28] We all need a reset and a break from technology.
• [40:03] Look at CAUSE and what it means to you. Are you bringing it into your brand and relationships?

Links and Resources:

• Answers for Modern Communicators
• Kwired
• Jaime-Lee Fraser
• Jaime-Lee Fraser on Facebook
• Jaime-Lee Fraser on Twitter
• Jaime-Lee Fraser on Instagram
• Jaime-Lee Fraser on LinkedIn
• Lewis Howes
• The Future of Men: Men on Trial
• 16 Personalities
• The Myers & Briggs Foundation
• Wim Hof Method

Did you know that it’s not only possible to achieve your lifelong dreams, but the process of doing so will increase your success and competency in other areas of your life too? This is exactly what happened to today’s guest Karen Brown. Karen was successful, but she always felt she was missing out on a calling or purpose. She also was always drawn to Ironman races. One day, it finally hit her that her calling was to compete in an Ironman race.

She did this, and the challenge and discipline of preparing for the race improved her life in other areas. She was even able to take what she learned along the way and use it to focus on leadership coaching. This conversation with Karen is really inspirational. She shares knowledge based on science that we can all use to shift our mindset and use the power of our subconscious thoughts to create any habits we want. Karen is an expert in leadership and professional performance and the author of Unlimiting Your Beliefs: 7 Keys to Greater Success in Your Personal & Professional Life. She shares so much truth and knowledge in this episode that you won’t want to miss it.

Show Notes:

• [03:32] Karen was climbing the corporate ladder as a leader for about 20 years. She had the outward trappings of success, but she felt like something was missing.
• [04:01] She was feeling a lack of purpose. She was wondering what this was all really about.
• [04:20] Whenever she watched the Ironman World Championships on TV, she felt these emotions.
• [05:00] 1982 was a dramatic Ironman year for women.
• [05:53] Watching the Ironman made Karen wonder if she had something inside her similar to that in which she hasn't tapped into yet.
• [06:51] Karen truly believes that she was meant to do the Ironman World Championships because it was the toughest thing that she could fathom at the time.
• [07:11] It forced her to stretch and expand her comfort zone. It became her personal growth and development vehicle of choice.
• [07:53] She thought that professional capabilities and personal goals and dreams were completely separate, but they are actually inextricably linked.
• [08:15] The doorway to being able to access her abilities came through achieving a lifelong dream.
• [08:30] Once Karen stepped into the pursuit of her dream, she was able to elevate.
• [09:14] All of us have a lifelong dream whether we admit it to ourselves or not.
• [09:35] There are scientific reasons why we tend to back away. Yet this is the exact thing we need to do in order to transform.
• [10:27] People limit themselves because they are scared. Our unconscious mind makes it a behavioral pattern kind of like a habit. The pattern of limiting beliefs repeats itself.
• [11:47] Our default pattern is not to try something new.
• [13:43] Women's typical limiting belief is some version of I'm not enough, while men feel like they have to do everything themselves and can't ask for help.
• [15:23] Conscious thoughts are actually gateways into our unconscious mind. We also compare ourselves to other people who are already doing that big goal. This is called comparison bias.
• [17:11] Our subconscious mind is the most simplistic yet powerful machine. It will believe and carry out anything we tell it.
• [18:46] Conquering limited beliefs is a three-step technique.
• [19:08] We also need to tap into our dreams and harness the power of our unconscious mind.
• [20:16] We need to do whatever it takes. Have “No Discipline” or the ability to say no to the distractions and things that will get you off-track from achieving that lifelong dream.
• [22:41] Feedback is always tainted with our own personal filters and values. Think of it as perspective.
• [23:58] Change your company's feedback system to a prospective system. Other people's perspectives are the best way for us to see things in a different way. This is a gift that allows us to grow and change.
• [25:17] Women will hold their thoughts back in the boardroom until they've thought out every option. Men just talk on the fly.
• [26:34] Comparison bias. Our subconscious is also judging. Once we understand how our operating system works, we are really only in competition with ourselves.
• [28:53] Once you know yourself better and know how unconscious behavior patterns are formed, it's so much easier to change them.
• [30:32] It's common in our culture to look for a quick fix instead of looking inside of ourselves.
• [31:19] We need to be present when we are talking to people and really listening.
• [33:03] The younger generation immediately switches into the how. It gets in their way and stops them from harnessing the power of their unconscious minds and coming up with incredible solutions.
• [35:33] During Karen's journey with Ironman, she learned how to manage distractions.
• [38:31] Part of Karen's morning routine includes getting enough sleep. Then she wakes up early, works out, and has quiet time. She spends at least 30 to 45 minutes learning or whatever she feels like doing in the moment.
• [40:55] Pay attention to whatever your lifelong dream is and put it front and center. It's the key to everything you're looking for.
• [41:50] Our unconscious mind can carry out anything that we think up.

Links and Resources:

• Answers for Modern Communicators
  
• Velocity Leadership
• Velocity Leadership Consulting
• Velocity Leadership on Instagram
• Velocity Leadership Facebook Page
• @VelocityLeaders on Twitter
• Karen Brown on LinkedIn
• Julie Moss - 1982 Ironman
• Unlimiting Your Beliefs: 7 Keys to Greater Success in Your Personal & Professional Life
• Brene Brown

I am so excited to have Dr. Erin Macdonald on the show today. She is an astrophysicist and aerospace engineer. She has managed to take her childhood love of science fiction and the X-Files and turn it into an exciting career. She is a teacher and lecturer who puts as much emphasis on her language and communications skills as she does on her scientific knowledge.

Erin makes science fun and inspirational for her students by explaining how science and movies intersect. She also consults for TV, movies, and video games and found a way to make math fun, because once you progress past a certain point it becomes like a new language that you can communicate in.

Erin is a role model and mentor for up and coming women and girls who are interested in getting involved in STEM careers. She is an extraordinary guest and you won’t want to miss this interview.

Show Notes:

• [03:16] Kids love space and dinosaurs. Erin loved the X-files growing up. When she looked into things she found out that she could learn how the world works. She was inspired by studying astrophysics.
• [04:47] She started teaching and got involved with aerospace engineering.
• [05:41] Math is like a language. It will come together once you get into it. Erin came to a point where she could describe stuff using math.
• [06:32] Stick with math, don't let poor teaching get you down.
• [06:53] Being able to write and having the ability to communicate your ideas effectively will get you very far in the field.
• [07:15] Being able to convey very complex ideas in a very succinct way will get you very far.
• [08:06] Public speaking is important. When you’re in an academic environment you do have to go to conferences, you have to explain your research and answer people’s questions. So, being able to talk is very important, plus you have a lot of teaching that you need to do.
• [10:04] Scientist need to have the ability to communicate and not make the other person feel dumb. This is crucial to society's perception of scientists.
• [10:56] In the fields that Erin has been working in, there has been about one woman for every seven guys.
• [11:45] Erin did have trouble finding other women mentors (other than Dana Scully from the X-files). The biggest surprise in her field was the lack of support from the older generation of women.
• [13:01] It was kind of like she had to earn the right to be there.
• [14:05] It would be wonderful if women would lift each other up and find and build a community. Even if you don't have mentors, you could have female peers to help and support each other.
• [15:57] Erin feels lucky that she was able to craft her dream job. She always wanted to be behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.
• [16:40] She started speaking at science fiction conventions, and she was able to share scientific information with a diverse group of people. She also started meeting actors, writers, and producers while she was there.
• [18:21] She started making connections, and people started reaching out for advice about the science behind the shows that they were writing.
• [19:16] She recently worked on a scripted live sci-fi show called Orbital Redux.
• [21:33] Erin answer question #35 from Answers for Modern Communicators book - “Is it better to be a Type A or Type B personality?” Her Type A personality helps her with that, but diversity is important.
• [24:29] If we aren't challenged, we aren't doing it right. Having to pitch herself is the most uncomfortable thing that Erin has to do. She has to convince them that she is different.
• [27:42] Her tough skin has helped her become more confident with whatever she is doing.
• [30:13] Erin had to give a speech to non-scientists. She started taking acting classes and getting out of her comfort zone.
• [32:41] Talking about science fiction can be an anchor to teach real science.
• [33:59] A day in Erin's life. Public speaking and science communication is a skill. She gets up early and works with the Air Force. Then she does doctor errand stuff at the end of the day. She also goes to the beach to decompress or takes breaks when she needs them.
• [36:26] Burnout warning bells put you in a negative space and not wanting to do stuff. It's being tired and irritated. Physical anxiety. We know when we are pushed too far. The difficult thing is fixing it.
• [38:33] I'll work better if I get the rest that I need. Self-care is so important.
• [39:46] Relentlessly pursuing happiness is the way to find what work is for you. It's okay to walk away and think outside the box and pursue new things. Confidence is contagious.  

Links and Resources:

• Answers for Modern Communicators
• Stop Worrying and Start Learning
• Dr. Erin Macdonald Website
• Dr. Erin Macdonald on Facebook
• Dr. Erin Macdonald on Twitter
• Dr. Erin Macdonald on LinkedIn
• Dr. Erin Macdonald on Instagram
• Dr. Erin Explains the Universe

Statistics show that anxiety is on the rise for Americans and for younger people. Conditions such as anxiety and insomnia can have a negative effect on our lives and prevent us from doing what we want to do or just make life more challenging than it needs to be. Fortunately, I have anxiety expert Stephanie Dalfonzo on the show today. Stephanie has an interesting story and career trajectory.

She began working as a DJ, then she started a hypnosis practice and now she helps people overcome their issues with anxiety. Stephanie is the author of Goodbye Anxiety, Hello Freedom, and it’s such a pleasure to have her on the show. She shares techniques and wisdom to start fighting anxiety with simple practices that anyone can do. She has so much knowledge to share and this episode is packed with wisdom and resources.

Show Notes:

• [03:33] About 20 years ago, Stephanie was a celebrity radio DJ. She developed insomnia and went to the doctor and got a prescription. The prescription worked but only for a short time.
• [04:52] She started researching just for her own sanity. Through her research, she realized that she had struggled with anxiety her entire life.
• [05:22] She started looking for ways to manage her emotions. We can control our emotions by learning new healthy habits.
• [06:02] Stephanie went to coaching school and learned hypnosis. She ended up having a successful hypnosis practice for 10 years.
• [06:22] Most of the people who came to her had issues rooted in anxiety. According to a Gallup survey, Americans are the most stressed people in the world.
• [07:13] Stress, worry, and anger lead to feelings of anxiety. Kids, teens, and young adults are also experiencing crisis levels of anxiety.
• [08:07] Anxious parents have anxious kids.
• [08:40] Signs of anxiety include anger and being controlling. Hopelessness, sleeping, and withdrawing are also signs.
• [10:48] Stephanie's book has 35 techniques for dealing with anxiety, and they are all in alphabetical order. This is intentional because simple shifts create lasting change.
• [12:36] We have to continuously empy the stress bucket with these simple techniques.
• [17:02] Smile and your subconscious mind will think you are happy. Express 3 things you are grateful for first thing in the morning because gratitude is so powerful. It will set the tone for the whole day.
• [20:46] Turn your affirmations into a question. Why am I healthy and well? You’ll start seeing possibilities.
• [24:14] What we focus on becomes our reality. The best way to handle rejection is to shift your focus.
• [25:16] Breathing takes us to the present moment.
• [29:06] Standing in a power pose will give you higher testosterone levels and lower cortisol levels.
• [32:02] Tony Fadell talks about how devices are intentionally addictive and give us a dopamine hit.
• [37:15] Stephanie starts her day with gratitude. She also has a daily yoga practice.
• [40:00] Crossing left and right sides of the brain is balancing.
• [42:26] Adverse childhood experiences can lead to problems later on in life. If you have childhood trauma, you need to do the healing work.
• [45:40] For the next seven days, choose a couple of techniques and practice them.

Links and Resources:

• 5 Easy Ways to Calm Anxiety
  
• Goodbye Anxiety Hello Freedom Stephanie Dalfonzo
  
• Goodbye Anxiety, Hello Freedom
  
• Stephanie Dalfonzo on Instagram
  
• Stephanie Dalfonzo Facebook Page
  
• Stephanie Dalfonzo on LinkedIn
  
• @sdalfonzo on Twitter
  
• Viktor Frankl
  
• Shawn Achor
• Louise Hay
  
• The Book of Afformations: Discovering the Missing Piece to Abundant Health, Wealth, Love, and Happiness
  
• Answers for Modern Communicators
  
• Amy Cuddy Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are
  
• Mindfulness In America Summit - Wisdom 2.0
  
• Tony Fadell on Twitter
  
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Statistically, women are underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and there are many programs encouraging girls to study STEM careers. In spite of the stats, women have made significant contributions in these fields. My guest today is one of those women. Diana L. Burley, Ph.D. is a globally recognized cybersecurity expert and Executive Director and Chair of the Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection (I3P) at George Washington University.

Growing up, Diana was always interested in technology and how it affects the behavior of people involved with it. By going into cybersecurity, she found the perfect intersection of people and technology to research. She is at the forefront of the latest research in cybersecurity and the evolution of new threats like holes in the world of the Internet of Things. Diana has always been a problem solver and shares the aha moment she discovered in Graduate school along with her no-nonsense approach to everything cybersecurity.

Show Notes:

• [03:16] Growing up, Diana was always very interested in technology and how it shapes people and their behavior around it. Her expertise is the intersection of people and Technology. She's now a cybersecurity expert.
• [04:39] Being a woman in cybersecurity can be lonely. Diana thinks of it in terms of the impact that she can make.
• [05:45] Diana suggests that young women follow their passion and be prepared for whatever field they're going into and don't let fear stop them.
• [07:03] Cybersecurity is a very broad field. Whatever your path make sure you are taking courses that help you solve complex problems, develop analytical abilities, and develop communication abilities.
• [08:21] You will need communication skills wherever you go.
• [08:56] Relationships are key for making introductions and seeing pathways that you wouldn't normally see.
• [10:27] One of the things you need to think about with cybersecurity is what are the motivators for the people involved. The issues need to be looked at holistically.
• [12:09] People, process, and technology takes a lot to get up to speed. There needs to be a constant state of vigilance because threats are always evolving.
• [14:29] Understanding and using technology as it involves is all about not being afraid to try things.
• [15:22] There's constant learning that has to take place in the cybersecurity field. If you have passion, it doesn't feel like work.
• [18:54] Even without reading the terms of service, you should assume that your data will be used online.
• [19:35] You can help yourself with cyber hygiene. Use strong passwords. Use different passwords for every site and change them regularly. Don't click on links from unexpected emails.
• [21:24] Tools like LastPass can be very helpful.
• [21:42] Diana runs a research institute and is developing some executive education courses for the university.
• [23:44] When a situation looks grim, Diana looks for solutions. Once you break the problem down into pieces, you can chip away at it.
• [25:59] One of the things that has surprised Diana is the impression that she has made on people.
• [28:32] When Diana was working on her dissertation, she focused on the individual tasks. She was actually stunned when, after completing a task, her advisor said she was done. Anything can be completed if you break things down into small doable tasks.
• [30:15] Diana is a researcher. Mistakes are more like options that didn't work and can be crossed off the list.
• [32:34] Diversity and different experiences and backgrounds help inform gut reactions. Bringing together differences of opinion and thought helps create very robust solutions.
• [34:31] Diana is primarily a researcher. She could be working with a client to develop a strategic solution for their cybersecurity program. She could also be working with a research team for deeper analysis. She could also be giving speeches or talking to students. She also has quiet days where she can just sit and write.
• [38:38] People can be a cybersecurity weak link. Changing behavior is very important. Another hot topic is cybersecurity and IoT devices.
• [40:44] The best advice Diana can give is to be proactive about your security in the digital space. Be an active participant.

Links and Resources:

• Diana Burley George Washington University
• Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection
• LastPass
• Answers for Modern Communicators
• @dianaburley on Twitter
• Diana Burley on LinkedIn

How we feel about ourselves can be a big part of how confident we feel. Like it or not, things in our appearance like our hair make a difference in our inner confidence. Today’s guest has not only found a way to empower women when they need it the most, but she has built a solid business around it. Caliz Sotelo Moore co-founded Wigs.com in 1999. She was exploring online niches and was fortunate and wise enough to stumble onto the wig niche.

When she realized that there was a need to help people with alternative hair and how empowering it could be, she made this business her sole focus. Things paid off and Wigs.com is the world’s largest online wig retailer. She now focuses on education and building a team that is empowered and passionate about their work. She has partnered with BreastCancer.org, and she has a huge soft spot for children’s charities. Carliz works passionately to make the world a better place one life at a time.

Show Notes:

• [03:25] Carliz started Wigs.com in 1999. She has been entrepreneurial since she was a kid.
• [03:50] She was helping write business plans and noticed that niche markets online were wide open.
• [04:16] Her goal was to get 10 online platforms with products shipped from the manufacturer to the consumer. The wig market was wide open. It was also very needed and educational aspect was very important.
• [04:49] Alternative hair ended up being the only thing that they focused on. There was such a need.
• [05:34] Her parents and grandparents were entrepreneurs and it just was in her DNA to become an entrepreneur.
• [06:14] As an entrepreneur, you can make the necessary improvements you want.
• [07:07] When you empower your team they have exponentially more passion.
• [08:18] Passion is the personality trait that Carliz looks for. Team members get ownership of what they do.
• [09:44] Everyone has passion, we just need to figure out what sparks it.
• [10:45] It's important to push yourself out of your comfort zone and keep improving.
• [12:30] Alopecia is on a scary rise. Hair loss in general is up for women.
• [13:15] We lose 80 to 90 hairs a day. Hair production goes down in our 30s.
• [14:14] New wig technology is so beautiful and well made.
• [15:29] Quality is great now. Wigs are like human hair. Wigs are fun to experiment with.
• [17:22] There is a medical need for alternative hair, but it's also a fun way to express yourself without added chemicals, time and expense.
• [18:23] With a wig you can have perfect hair in an instant.
• [18:28] Their biggest partner is BreastCancer.org. Anyone who purchases on Wigs.com has the opportunity to give to BreastCancer.org.
• [18:54] They also help with educational videos and answering questions women don't know about wigs.
• [19:05] Carliz loves charities related to kids.
• [21:17] What skills do you need to get noticed? Be of value and put yourself out there. Don't be afraid to be unique. Find value and be yourself.
• [23:53] Carliz has surprised herself with her ability to stick to it. She had a gypsy spirit, but fell in love with the client base that she serves.
• [26:29] Four or five years ago, they put out a survey and decided that they needed to listen to the client. Without listening to the client you will miss some things.
• [28:53] Women in business have different challenges. Women manage differently than men. Women seem to have a higher EQ. It's positive but can be draining. Women need to get out there and do it.
• [33:49] Carliz has a great group of people that she bounces ideas off. We do need a network.
• [34:55] Find a group to connect with peers. Look for networking groups like EO or Vistage of other peer groups.
• [36:32] There is always someone who can share a unique perspective.
• [37:14] Carliz learns from clients and any related resources that she can find.
• [38:22] She loves engaging in all aspects of her company. There are different things every day, and she is thankful for her amazing team.
• [40:25] Follow your gut and listen to your instincts. Never give up and make a difference. You are successful if you are passionate about what you are doing and getting paid for it.
• [42:11] Don't settle. Find the right team and find a job where you can make a difference.

Links and Resources:

• Carliz on LinkedIn
• Wigs.com Website
• Wigs.com on Twitter
• Wigs.com on Facebook
• Wigs.com on Instagram
• BreastCancer.org
• Answers for Modern Communicators
• Entrepreneurs Organization
• Vistage CEO Group

Emily Pereira was living the perfect life, but deep down she knew that something didn’t feel right. When her life and relationship came crashing down, she realized that perfection wasn’t the answer, it was the problem. She went on a quest to find her real life’s passion and through writing and creativity, she discovered her authentic self and true happiness.

Emily is a life and love coach, author, creator, retreat leader, mother, and an advocate for finding creative passion within to live your true magical and radiant life. She lives in a magical world in Costa Rica with her partner and her daughter. She now allows her creativity to flow and helps other women do the same. You will laugh and be inspired with this wonderful conversation I have with Emily.

Show Notes:

• [03:09] Emily is a mompreneur who holds retreats in Costa Rica.
• [03:23] About 10 years ago, Emily started wondering when she was going to do something that truly mattered to her.
• [05:12] She worked for a Fortune 500 company and lived on the beach with an original Internet  tycon Myspace founder.
• [05:53] She did more of what she knew. She worked more, shopped more, and escaped more.
• [07:02] Emily was working from a framework of external happiness and deep down inside she had a nagging feeling that this wasn't working for her.
• [08:02] Her boyfriend cheated on her, and she moved out of the beachfront property. She was full of pity and blame.
• [08:40] A beautiful new beginning can be disguise by a painful ending. She connected with a powerful spiritual teacher.
• [09:47] She discovered that her pain had more to do with the illusion she had bought into than what had actually happened with her breakup. She didn't have to be perfect.
• [10:42] All of our thoughts have an energy validation.
• [12:02] It's not about being perfect, it's about being authentic.
• [13:02] Creativity is a natural part of being human.
• [14:06] You don't have to be perfect to participate, you just have to give yourself permission to be a beginner.
• [14:48] She began tearing down illusions and taking radical personal responsibility.
• [15:56] When are you going to do something that matters to you? This question kept coming up.
• [16:37] She knew she needed to write her story.
• [17:10] She began writing a little before bed. The words flowed freely when she suspended judgement.
• [18:57] The floods of creativity burst forth from her, and she started doing all types of creative endeavors from painting to dance.
• [19:45] She discovered that creativity was connected to spirituality.
• [20:05] She felt connected to who she was and why she was here in those moments of inspiration.
• [22:16] Writing is a super powerful way to draw the authentic out of you.
• [22:57] She also suddenly felt a camaraderie with other women. She discovered her life's work was going to be helping other women see the truth and beauty of who they are.
• [25:14] For Emily, success is touching lives and moments of bliss.
• [26:51] Emily had an epiphany where she discovered her new version of her authentic self.
• [28:53] Radiance and consciousness is an everyday practice.
• [29:42] Every morning she writes down 10 things that she is grateful for.
• [31:11] Things change, and there are going to be challenges.
• [33:05] Time management can be a challenge for a busy mom.
• [34:19] Emily lives in Costa Rica with her daughter and life partner.
• [35:40] She works with women who want to attract love.
• [36:36] The nature, jungle, and life force of Costa Rica is amazing. As well as the fruits. They have a very International community.
• [38:20] There's absolutely nothing wrong with you, if you aren't happy. You just bought into an illusion. There is a wellspring of magic living inside you. Tap into your creative passion to fulfill who you really are. Permission. Passion. Purpose.

Links and Resources:

• Emily Pereira
• Emily Pereira on Facebook
• Emily Pereira on Instagram
• @bethebeginner on Twitter
• Unstoppable Woman
• The Quest (Coming Soon)

Rebekah is a Nashville, Tennessee based writer and entrepreneur. She joined the founding team of PRTech company Onclusive (formerly AirPR) in 2012, where she helped build the industry’s first PR attribution technology, while also convincing PR and Communications professionals to embrace data. Now she is on the Advisory Board, and is thrilled with the progress the company is making under new leadership.

Prior to this she has started one of the fastest growing PR firms called talkTECH with her dear friend Kristen Tischhauser-Grossi. She now has her own writing collective she calls WriteVest where she works on the types of projects she wants to work on and gets paid fairly for doing so. We talk about how PR, writing, journalism, blogging, and content creation using data has all changed. We also talk about how important it is to remember that there is another person on the other side of that computer screen.

Show Notes

• [04:12] Rebecca built a Communications and PR Company. Then she was a co-founder and helped build are PR. She sense left that company and now launched right vest.
• [04:43] Her and her friend founded a percomplaony, now It’s AirPR
• [05:08] She took time of to just explore what was her passion and what does she love. We need factful writing and critical thinking. We need an outside perspective on things and people who can tell a thoughtful storyo.
• [06:02] There is a need for good writing that is thoughtful
• [07:12] It's important for professionals to dive into data, but there is also the creative side.
• [08:00] Being a good communicator doesn't mean you're able to write content that is compelling. After looking at different data points she discovered different content is for different customers.
• [09:03] There is a good need for good writing and content. The press release isn't the best way to tell a story.
• [10:31] PR was the writing. The sizzle came from the marketing. The role of PR is to adapt and be flexible when needed. What is going out is all considered PR.
• [12:55] Part of it being creative. Part of what you are doing is trying to connect with a customer base.
• [15:03] The thinking part is taking a topic and tying it into a granular topic.
• [17:51] Marketing, writing, and advertising all have to work together.
• [18:47] Everybody is media to day. Look at yourself as a publisher and storyteller.
• [19:49] We need good journalism, but we also need people created content.
• [20:50] Data shows us what's good and not good. Communicate effectively.
• [23:24] Look at the value of the content produces. Get paid as a creative person first.
• [26:05] How you share information when you have writer's block. Lock yourself in a cabin for four days or get out in nature. Reading good writing helps.
• [30:25] The biggest thing she has learned is that she doesn't know anything until she shows up.
• [32:28] Behind every computer screen is a person.
• [33:03] Be open to what comes. Don't take too much on and don't let it bother you when things don't turn out as they should.
• [34:32] After grief, you learn who your people are.
• [36:58] Important things are what matters, don't waste your energy on the little stuff.
• [39:36] It takes a lot of humility to be a good leader. Good leaders need to be able to listen.
• [40:50] We can only see if people show up consistently as the same person.
• [44:30] Do what brings you and work with people who align with your value system.

Links and Resources:

• Rebekah Iliff Website
• Rebekah on Twitter
• Rebekah’s Articles in Entrepreneur Magazine
• Rebekah on LinkedIn
• WriteVest Website
• John Stuart Mill

Have you ever thought about intentionally designing your life? The beginning of our lives are usually shaped by external factors and people like our parents, teachers, communities, and culture. Once you reach a certain point, you might realize that you want to live with intention and design a life of your choosing. You don’t have to wait until your in your 50s to do this, but that’s what happened to my guest Kelley Connors.

She reached a point in her life where she decided it was time to be brave and take charge of the second half of her life and live with the kind of impact that she wanted to make. She even became a coach, so that she can help others do the same. In this inspiring episode, we talk about choosing a pathway that works for you, practicing the power of positivity, the importance of slowing down, and how Kelley helps people navigate through awareness.

Show Notes

• [04:47] When Kelley turned 50, she started thinking about the second half of her life. She thought it would be great if she could be more of a designer of her life and be more intentional instead of just living out habits. If she was more aware of what was possible in her life, would she create a different future for herself?
• [05:40] She decided to help other women do the same thing and learn from the experiences that she had.
• [06:59] Something may just stir in you, and you might realize that you want to live with more impact in your life.
• [08:23] You are worthy of a life where you can work well, live well, and thrive.
• [09:24] We've been shaped by parents, teachers, neighborhoods, and culture by the time we're in our early twenties. These are external factors that impact how we see our life.
• [09:51] Reshaping your life requires an understanding and belief that you can let go of those habits.
• [11:39] We evolve throughout our whole life with experiences, but we also have the ability to change our thoughts.
• [12:48] We are now more aware than ever because of communication and mindfulness.
• [14:24] The first steps are slowing down and pausing. Use the power of whole being.
• [15:24] Recognize that your body is connected to your head. Bring awareness to how you are feeling in your body.
• [18:06] Constricted energy points are fear, and bravery is an everyday opportunity to break through fear and feel vulnerable and connect with others.
• [19:37] Getting in touch with your gifts is finding what you can offer the world that makes you happy.
• [24:03] Coaching is different than consulting, because you have to inspire people with a promise of something better.
• [26:55] There's new research that says self-reflective people are more creative. Solitude improves your ability to be self-reflective and that improves your ability to be creative.
• [30:23] Energy is your superpower as you age. You have to be smarter with how you use energy.
• [31:28] You can generate life force with positive thoughts.
• [32:34] Kelley has learned by quieting down and being interested in others. She also reads a lot. She has been learning from other people, because she is writing a book about bravery.
• [35:49] Kelley is launching a Life Work Collaborative so others can reignite their life's work.
• [37:41] Social media actually disconnects us.
• [38:41] Kelley's mom was a key inspirational figure in her life, and she became that even more so after she had a stroke and became disabled.
• [39:39] If we knew more about others, we would be happier.
• [42:19] It's important to have a couple of good friends in your inner circle.
• [43:19] Spend some time every day and slow down and be quiet. Notice your breath and embrace positive thoughts.

Links and Resources:

• Kelley’s Brave Moves Website
• Kelley on Twitter
• Kelley on Instagram
• Kelley on LinkedIn
• Brave Moves on Facebook
• Brene Brown
• Martha Graham
• Walking in this World: The Practical Art of Creativity
• My Stroke of Insight
• Insight Timer App
• Join the Life Work Collaborative

Donna O’Donnell Figurski and her husband David were just going about their normal morning routine when something went terribly wrong in David’s brain. When he was doing his morning workout, his brain started bleeding while he was doing his 13th chin up. He felt pain, but thought it would be okay. After a short time, Donna called the paramedics, and it led to a life or death situation, several surgeries, and Donna unwittingly becoming a caregiver before she even realized what that role meant.

Donna is here today to talk about traumatic brain injuries and the role of a caregiver. She shares her story, and gives a lot of pointers and advice for people who find themselves in this situation. She stresses asking for help and taking time for self care. Donna is the author of Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale, and you can find her writing and speaking about this topic online and in magazines. She also publishes children’s stories, but her greatest accomplishment is being caregiver for her husband and high school sweetheart.

Show Notes

• [04:01] On January 13th 2005, Donna's husband David did 13 chin ups during his morning workout and something burst inside his head.
• [05:33] The pain in his eye and head was so bad that Donna called the paramedics. He had a bleed in his brain. He had emergency surgery with a 1 in 20 chance for success, and Donna was instantly turned into a caregiver.
• [08:39] Donna was glad that she happened to be at home during that time. Things could have turned out a lot worse.
• [09:21] It took many years, before Donna realized that she was a caregiver. It never crossed her mind until she wrote the book.
• [11:06] Things are a lot easier now 14 years later. At first, she had to help him with everything.
• [12:43] The surgeries and all of the treatment was a huge hurdle for Donna.
• [14:32] Donna never believed that all of these problems would be forever. The neurologist always gave them hope.
• [15:40] They kept going towards the little glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
• [17:18] She got David transferred to Columbia Presbyterian after the neurosurgeon said David would be a good organ donor.
• [19:22] She knew that the transfer was the right thing to do.
• [23:50] Donna learned that she was stronger and more capable than she ever thought she was.
• [24:55] Donna had to take over all of the jobs that David used to do including paying the bills.
• [26:26] She had to step up and learn and now she does everything even the taxes.
• [26:59] It's important for others to know your partner's job, so you can take over if you have to.
• [28:13] At the beginning, Donna accepted help from family members and close friends. On the first day of surgery the nurses and the receptionist took care of her. They were her support system until family arrived. When everyone left she was on her own.
• [30:59] Donna used the email updates she sent as fodder for her book.
• [31:24] David's also helped with his students and his lab. His students even came in while he was in rehab. He had his cognitive abilities, he just had physical issues.
• [33:56] David was a keynote speaker a year-and-a-half after his injury. Donna credits the man who invited David to speak for giving David back his scientific life.
• [36:09] At the time, Donna lived in the moment and just dealt with the stress by getting stuff done and keeping her head in the sand.  She now encourages caregivers to take me time.
• [38:03] Donna puts little stones in her pocket to remind her to take me time.
• [40:06] Donna needed some time alone to cry when things first happened. She didn't want her kids or David to see her upset. David said he wasn't worried because he know that Donna was there taking care of everything.
• [41:46] Take care of yourself. Get some stones for reminders. Accept help.
• [42:42] Don't take it personally when someone has brain injuries. Don't be afraid of people who are different. They are just people.

Links and Resources:

• Donna O’Donnell Figurski Author Website
• Donna O’Donnell Figurski on Facebook
• Donna O’Donnell Figurski on LinkedIn
• @DonnaFigurski on Twitter
• "Another Fork in the Road" with Donna O'Donnell Figurski
• Surviving Traumatic Brain Injury
• Prisoners Without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale
• Donna O’Donnell Figurski Instagram
• Donna O’Donnell Figurski Pinterest

We have an impressive guest today. Sue Bhatia is the Chairman and Founder of Rose International which is a global IT and business services provider. Sue immigrated to this country to pursue the American dream. She was happy with her job, but felt climbing the corporate ladder would take too long, so she took a big chance and founded her own company.

She is now able to do that she loves and create a positive impact. She works to help promote and develop women entrepreneurs, and she is passionate about everyone finding work that they love. She has won several awards including Fast Company's Top 25 Women Business Builders in North America and Enterprising Women of the Year from Enterprising Women Magazine. She is passionate about the future of work and technology and shares why reskilling the American workforce is a must.

Show Notes

• [03:18] Sue grew up in New Delhi, India. She came to the United States in 1987.
• [03:45] Her first years here were hectic. She got married and received her masters degree in management information systems. She had two children and was really happy with her job.
• [04:39] She thought she was living the American dream until she was offered a raise and realized that it would take forever to achieve the type of success that she wanted.
• [05:11] She had seen her workplace hire many temp workers, and decided to start her own agency.
• [06:00] In spite of naysayers, she quit her job and got to work. She got a lot of rejections and realized that it was harder than she thought.
• [07:08] She kept trying and got three large contracts and business began to take off.
• [07:16] In six months, her husband had to quit his job and join her.
• [07:32] He ex-boss also came and joined her.
• [07:44] The business has come a long way. They hired 10,000 people in 2017 and 10,000 people in 2018.
• [09:54] The future of work is here. A lot of skills are going away because of automation. We are going through a huge digital transformation.
• [10:18] Next year, there will be twenty billion Internet of Things connected devices.
• [11:21] There are 30 million us workers in danger of losing their jobs to artificial intelligence. 1.4 million of these jobs will be disrupted by 2026. 57% of this will affect women.
• [11:40] Women are in more support positions than men are, and these are the jobs that are going to be automated.
• [11:58] In order for people so survive in their jobs, we have to learn new skills and reskilling is.
• [12:16] 65% of kids in elementary school today will be doing jobs that don't even exist today.
• [12:24] One of the most valuable skills right now is emotional intelligence combined with artificial intelligence.
• [12:37] All of our jobs are being impacted by artificial intelligence, big data, and virtual reality.
• [12:52] We all need to be open to change and lifelong learning.
• [13:48] Relating to people and thriving in a team culture and being collaborative are valuable skills.
• [14:18] Soft skills are really going to be in demand going forward.
• [15:02] AI is humans coding machines to learn over time.
• [17:39] Colleges need to find a way to incorporate soft skills. People with STEM skills earn statistically $30,000 more.
• [18:45] Students need to be open to learning and not narrowly defining their goals. Be open and let the market and your internal definition of success take you in the right direction.
• [22:46] Sue studied architecture and then management information systems, but the skills that really helped her as an entrepreneur we're having a goal-oriented mindset and having the ability to take risk.
• [23:29] One of the main risks that she took was immigrating to America. She is open-minded and is willing to try things and see what happens. Flexibility has also helped her a great deal.
• [24:28] Having a business is like surfing. There's no firm ground under your feet.
• [26:14] Sue loves having the ability to make a positive impact in so many lives through her business.
• [28:03] People do business with people they like, so relationships are key. It's important to have a transparent honest relationship with everyone involved with the company.
• [29:51] With entrepreneurship, the key is to enjoy the journey, and you have to adapt and reinvent yourself over and over again.
• [30:55] Leading by example is very important. It's also important to create a positive work culture where people want to do their best.
• [31:37] Leaders are also responsible for watching the market and keeping track of the latest trends in their industry. And always leading from the heart. As well as, creating a ladder for people to move up.
• [32:29] Leaders also need to have the resilience to face the ups and downs.
• [33:51] Her most pivotal moment was starting Rose International. She also realized that she is more capable than she thought.
• [34:50] She saw an Iraq Vet panhandling. Which then led to starting Deployment to Employment this is a program set in place to hire veterans. They have hired 800 veterans over the last couple years. They have created a support system to help veterans find a job with resume writing workshops and more.
• [37:44] Stress is a part of life. Negative thoughts are part of our survival mechanism. To handle stress Sue practices mindfulness and keeps things in perspective and focuses on the positive. She also loves connecting to nature.
• [41:00] Define what success means to you and be clear about what you want to do and research very carefully.

Links and Resources:

• Sue Bhatia on Twitter
• Rose International on Twitter
• Sue Bhatia on LinkedIn
• Rose International Website
• Rose International on Facebook
• Sue Bhatia Website

Evan Hackel has an extensive background in training, human resources, and learning development. He is the CEO of Tortal Training and the creator of the Ingaged Leadership brand. If you are wondering if that is a typo, the answer is no. On this episode Evan shares the difference between engagement and ingagement. Especially as it applies to a leadership role.

Evan is the author of Ingaging Leadership: 21 Steps to Elevate Your Business a book not only for business, but for life. We are all leaders in some respect, and we all need to be more ingaging when we talk to people. We learn some of the principles in Evan’s book, and he shares a story where he saw his father engage in true leadership and find an opportunity that others had missed. Evan’s philosophy is to get everyone on the team inspired to work for the same vision.

Show Notes

• [03:30] Evan has a passion around the power and impact that people make. In most businesses, the people are the asset.
• [03:47] A big part of accessing this talent is learning development and training. It's giving people the tools they need to succeed and helping them to understand how to be successful.
• [04:07] Involvement is the "I" in Ingagement. To engage people you need to involve them. You want a common vision with shared values.
• [04:26] When everyone in the organization has a responsibility for success it makes a massive difference.
• [05:09] A bottom up organization with everyone valued is a game changer.
• [06:16] When team members have ownership in goals, they work very hard to achieve those goals.
• [07:38] Evan's company has a learning strategy and an engagement strategy. When companies reach out to him, they try to get to the root of what the organization really needs.
• [08:29] Everyone in the organization is part of the design process to get to what is truly needed in the organization,  instead of what they thought they needed. People actually get the training they need.
• [09:21] The consulting process has mechanisms that involves everyone in the organization also.
• [10:36] People at all levels have important things to say.
• [12:34] Evan wrote his book Ingaging Leadership to pass on to his kids and to make a difference in the world. The book is really about leadership and life in any fashion.
• [13:45] Listening for the kernel of truth. Try to listen to people to see how they are right. When you are really listening people feel heard. This is a trait of a good leader.
• [18:25] Management is about execution and leadership is about inspiring.
• [21:31] People don't become leaders by mistake. The idea is to build upon that success and learning new and growing existing leadership skills.
• [23:49] Evan shares his big aha moment on leadership. An amazing example that he learned from his father.
• [28:36] Evan would rather err on the side of trust as opposed to distrust. He values positivity in his team.
• [34:24] When everyone knows the key things in the company that are trying to be achieved, everyone works in the same direction.  Seeing the financials and knowing the vision helps key in their role to success.
• [35:49] Being successful takes grit and determination. Honestly carrying is at the core of who Evan really is.
• [39:16] Make sure you find the time to grieve. Holding it in is not the way to go.
• [41:29] All of the principals in the book will make a difference in someone's life.
• [41:45] Another principle that Evan wants to share is distinguishing fact from opinion. A lot of people share opinions as facts. This makes conversations difficult.
• [44:38] Take some time and think about your conversations and whether you are speaking fact or opinion.

Links and Resources:

• Evan Hackel on Twitter
• Evan Hackel on LinkedIn
• Ingage Consulting on LinkedIn
• Ingage Consulting on YouTube
• Ingage Consulting Website
• Ingaging Leadership Book
• Tortal Training
• Evan Hackel Speaks
• Ingaging Leadership: 21 Steps to Elevate Your Business

Allison Pickens is the COO of Gainsight a customer success and product experience platform. Allison is a speaker, blogger, and host of The Customer Success Podcast. She is also a Board Director and advisor to several companies. She was named one of the top 50 people in sales and business development and top women in SaaS. She joined Gainsight in 2014, and helped grow the company and build the sales and development team.

She has always been passionate about organizing and building teams, and that is a big part of her role today. We talk about skills needed for women to make it to the c-suite in one of the roles of CEO, COO, or CFO. Allison shares how she learned to rely on her individual skills and how important it it so recognize the talent in others. We talk about technology, team building, what success means, the importance of perseverance, and more in this episode.

Show Notes

• [03:20] It would have been hard for Allison to anticipate the adventure she's been on.
• [03:40] She has always loved organizing groups. In school, she was president of the athletic committee or the spirit team.
• [04:26] She also started a women's leadership initiative in college.
• [04:37] Organizing communities is something she's always been passionate about and today, it's a big part of her role.
• [04:59] She likes technology and gets excited about the future. She's also been entrepreneurial and likes building things.
• [05:49] Requirements for c-level positions vary a lot by company.
• [06:11] Being able to learn quickly has helped Allison. Learning is a skill, and life doesn't always teach us how to learn quickly.
• [07:30] Early in Allison's career, she had to quickly switch client engagements, and then later on, sectors and opportunities in the investment world.
• [07:39] Her schedule is really busy, and she's focused on different challenges every day. This leaves her with small windows for learning.
• [08:37] She mostly learns through dialogue. Although, she is also a visual learner.
• [09:31] Problem solving is a huge part of her role. Being able to dive deep and then surface up is important. Looking at patterns is also important.
• [11:45] They're also parallels between different fields that can help you learn.
• [12:31] Type B can step back and connect the dots. Type A runs around and does everything.
• [16:29] Allison loves focusing on teams. In Lacrosse, you win with an interconnected system. It's not about any one person. A great team has these connection points.
• [19:20] Signals that people can be team players includes whether they listen or if they interrupt during the interview. The way they resolve issues in another key.
• [20:38] The greatest challenge is to mobilize different skill sets and push everyone ahead. Find the balance with yourself and your team members.
• [23:17] Allison is not an early adopter. She doesn't adopt a technology unless she sees a clear path with it making her life better in some way. She does understand the tools she uses for work.
• [25:04] Going for a hike is a great way to get grounded.
• [26:00] She is active on LinkedIn. It helps her share content. It's also a great way to stay connected with people she works with in a variety of capacities.
• [27:55] Alison is learning about herself all the time. One of the things she learned on her career path is that she can persevere. Perseverance and just showing up is a really important factor when it comes to success.
• [30:33] Allison is working on structuring her day in a way that is effective for her.
• [33:06] Allison has had some fear with sharing personal stories, but people have been extremely supportive and appreciative.
• [36:27] Success is having deep relationships that create meaning for her and other people. She wants to follow her values and build communities of people that inspire.
• [38:21] Be brave, because you might be braver than you think you are.

Links and Resources:

• Allison Pickens on Twitter
• Allison Pickens on LinkedIn
• Gainsight Website
• Gainsight on LinkedIn
• Gainsight on Twitter
• The Customer Success Podcast

Parents can sometimes get so wrapped up in caring for their children that they lose their own identity. This can become a problem once the children leave home, and the parent suffers from empty nest syndrome. My guest today is a life coach, corporate wellness practitioner, and facilitator of special programs to help us become happy or regain our happiness.

Samantha Lewis was so inspired from hearing a motivational speaker years ago, that she now travels the world coaching and helping others. While working with clients, she discovered that empty nest syndrome was a problem for many. She now works with clients and gives them the tools to discover what makes them happy and brings the fun and joy back into their lives. She also shares tools and questions to help improve communication and start living in the present.

Show Notes

• [04:53] Samantha was inspired by a motivational speaker that she heard years ago. She decided that she also wanted to do that.
• [06:08] Samantha became a single mom, and she wanted to add things to her life to be what she could for her children and still be there for herself.
• [07:25] She kept exploring what else was out there in life. She used self-help and healing to bring all she could to her children.
• [08:21] She searched, so she wouldn't be lost in being all she could for her children.
• [09:32] When she started coaching clients, she discovered parents started questioning what their lives were about when the kids started leaving. This was especially hard for people with only one child.
• [11:05] She started asking people questions, so that they could re-engage with who they were. They needed to see the change as an opportunity not a void.
• [12:10] Having something missing can affect a marriage.
• [13:24] Wives can ask husbands what is going on for them almost as if it's a reflection of what's going on for the wife.
• [15:41] Strategies to avoid empty nest syndrome.
• [16:00] Find a way to stay connected to things that you find fun. Start doing this right away and add one fun thing each day.
• [17:23] Be willing to ask for and receive help. Team up with other moms, so you don't have to do everything yourself.
• [19:16] By teaming up you find solutions that you wouldn't have thought of on your own.
• [24:15] What helps keep Samantha motivated is when she actually helps people, and they let her know how much she has changed their lives.
• [25:57] There is a difference between listening and active listening.
• [26:52] When Samantha begins to feel stress, she stops and asks herself, "what is really going on here and is it mine." She also takes walks in nature or plays with her cats. She also asks what she can do to change it.
• [30:22] Stress can be turned into energy to use for something positive.
• [32:25] Samantha doesn't really see her work as work. It nourishes her and it's fun.
• [34:16] The Being You Adventures are about having a space where people can come and get a sense of what being really is. It helps reconnect people with who they are and bring more of who they are into everything that they do.
• [38:02] Some of the challenges that Samantha encounters with her work are that people want to see something tangible. Because of this, she tries to be an example and role model.
• [39:06] Being happy is a choice. It's really about asking yourself is this fun for me, and if it's not fun, look for something that you can add to make it fun.
• [40:16] Live in the present not the past.

Links and Resources:

• Samantha Lewis
• Access Consciousness
• Being You Adventures
• Samantha on Facebook
• Samantha on LinkedIn
• The Power of Habit

How do you know when to pivot and follow a passion project? Can you align your work with a greater purpose? Erin Ganju did just this when she made a pivot from the for-profit sector to the nonprofit sector. She is a social entrepreneur that started out in the financial industry and then moved on to co-found Room to Read. It was here that she honed her social entrepreneur skills as she moved from CEO, COO, to Emeritus Board Member.

Erin is the author of Scaling Global Change which is a how to guide from start-up to scaling and driving impact. In this episode, we talk about finding ways to create change, being a leader, knowing when to pivot, building a team and collaboration, having great mentors and role models, and creating the change you want to see. Erin shares so much knowledge and wisdom in her own authentic way.

Show Notes

• [03:37] Erin started out in the financial world at Goldman Sachs and now she's the managing director of the Echidna Giving Fund and a Co-founder, former CEO, former COO and Emeritus Board Member of Room to Read, an organization that believes World Change Starts with Educated Children.
• [03:55] The connecting line through her career is working internationally and finding ways to create change.
• [04:43] It's important to help people see how wonderful it is to invest across our borders and look at our world more holistically.
• [05:36] It's a common theme in many sectors to see women drop out as you move up the ranks.
• [05:50] Erin enjoyed being in a dynamic group of men and women, but she decided to take another path.
• [06:22] During Erin's career change from the for-profit to the nonprofit sector included an aha moment where she questioned why she was working so hard for causes that she didn't care deeply about.
• [06:50] She decided that she wanted to align her work with her values. She decided to pivot into the social sector.
• [06:59] Erin believes education is the great equalizer and wanted to provide education for children no matter where they were born.
• [07:28] Scaling Social Change is the how to guide to turn something that you deeply believe in into something that can really scale.  The key behind the book is that it takes building a strong organizational foundation.
• [09:06] You also have to focus on your operational excellence.
• [10:17] Hiring top talent is a challenge for social entrepreneurs.
• [11:04] Founder's syndrome can be a huge issue. It can be hard to delegate.
• [12:03] Erin stepped down as CEO of Room to Read last year and let the first non-founder CEO take over.
• [12:57] You need to compellingly explain the problem and tell your story and how it connects with the world. Make it personal and connect it to the global.
• [15:30] Organizational fit is very important.
• [17:37] Understand what is and isn't working using data.
• [20:07] Interacting through social platforms helps connect conversations.
• [24:51] Great leaders know when to step down, it's about the bigger cause.
• [26:20] For Erin, female mentors and role models were essential.
• [28:06] Success for Erin has been about seeing her place in a dynamic team and creating impact.
• [30:26] Collaboration is natural for people. Women sometimes need to take more credit for what they do.
• [34:30] In the social sector, you can share emotions and be authentic. People trust the leader more when they are authentic about their cause.
• [39:23] Tap into the positive such as focusing on education being about the future.
• [40:23] Erin and her team are creating an open source database that is mapping around girls education. It's amazing what technology can do when it comes to making connections.
• [41:35] Social media can be important in terms of telling your story, but you need to cut through the noise.
• [42:49] Take risks. You will never succeed if you don't try. Take the less traveled path. You can also join forces with an established organization collaboration is important.

Links and Resources:

• Room to Read Website
• Room to Read on Twitter
• Room to Read on Facebook
• Echidna Giving Fund Website
• Erin Ganju on LinkedIn
• Scaling Global Change
• Good to Great
• Being Nice Can Be Your Superpower with Fran Hauser

Dr. Jill Garripoli Pedalino is an award winning pediatrician who was named New Jersey Family’s Favorite Kids’ Doc for the years of 2011-2018 and one of New Jersey’s Compassionate Doctors from PatientsChoice.org in 2013. In this inspirational interview, we learn what inspired Dr. Jill to become a pediatrician and her unique outlook on patient and parent care.

She also shares what it’s like for a solo practitioner to open their own practice and take on all of the business responsibilities from billing and coding to being a team leader. Dr. Jill shares her unique outlook on being a team leader and how self care helps her manage day-to-day stress and decision fatigue. This is a wonderful look into the life of a thoughtful and caring entrepreneur.

Show Notes

• [02:33] Dr. Jill Garripoli Pedalino always wanted to help people. She liked kids but thought she would become a lawyer. She then decided that this may not be the best way to help people.
• [03:19] She spent a summer working at a hospital and saw a baby delivered. This is when she knew that she wanted to take care of that baby.
• [03:34] She then knew she wanted to become a pediatrician.
• [04:20] She was always a good student and she loved learning. The challenge was having a bit of insecurity and wondering if she can risk taking people's lives into her hands.
• [05:14] She was encouraged by friends to get through her insecurity and self-doubt.
• [06:05] Medical school was learn as you go. It was important to listen to her instincts and reach out when she needed help.
• [07:30] There's a lot of nuance to being a doctor that isn't taught in medical school.
• [08:14] Dr. Jill Garripoli Pedalino has been doing a lot of research into nutrition.
• [09:07] Dr. Jill Garripoli Pedalino keeps motivated by having the opportunity to change the lives of these children's parents. She walks the walk, so they can trust her more. She talks to parents from a place of truth.
• [11:24] We are now so in-tuned to our higher selves.
• [12:50] Dr. Jill's patients actually enjoy coming to see her. She is there for them and gives them a sense of respect.
• [13:43] She also tells her patients that she loves them so much.
• [14:13] As a solo practitioner, she is 100% invested in both sides. There are a lot of business aspects from billing and coding to team management.
• [15:43] She is always reading and studying about how to be a better leader. She tries to lead by example.
• [16:49] She looks for people who are go-getters and who are present and reliable when adding to the team.
• [17:11] She has a medical secretary and medical assistants. She tries to find people who want to be there, but she also understands that this is a job for them.
• [19:01] She delegates and leaves her staff to do it which gives them a sense of importance. She checks in but doesn't micromanage.
• [20:40] She tries to treat her office staff like friends and family.
• [22:46] What trust means to Dr. Jill Garripoli Pedalino. She believes people are inherently good. She trusts people until that trust gets broken.
• [25:12] Dr. Jill knows that she will have a good day, because she doesn't create any space for lack of trust or negativity.
• [27:04] Building relationships with patients parents can be a delicate thing. Dr. Jill is very gentle about building trust and includes everyone on the team.
• [28:17] Keeping the parents as part of a team from the beginning helps build trust.
• [30:02] We shouldn't listen to formulate our next response. Active listening is a skill.
• [30:37] The littlest things we say matter. Telling parents that they are doing great helps with their confidence.
• [31:35] Dr. Jill tries to be as present as possible and treat people the way she would like to be treated.
• [32:17] We are just on the tip of the iceberg when it comes to learning about nutrition. Dr. Jill is also concerned about how children watch everything that their parents do.
• [33:01] Her concern is that people aren't paying enough attention to diet, nutrition and how their energy is transferred to the kids.
• [35:21] Decision making can be draining. Dr. Jill meditates to keep herself in a good space to make those important decisions.
• [36:11] She also goes to the gym and gets good sleep.
• [37:34] Deirdre worked with Navy Seals and learned how important sleep is.
• [39:24] It's important to prioritize how you want your life to be.
• [40:03] If something makes you a little bit scared and a lot excited, then you should go for it.
• [41:18] Have faith in yourself, because if you don't try, you won't know what you can achieve.
• [43:11] Find a spouse or partner who lifts you up.

Links and Resources:

• Dr. Jill Garripoli Pedalino Pedalino
• Healthy Kids Pediatrics, NJ on LinkedIn
• Healthy Kids on Facebook
• The Untethered Soul

Today's show is about happiness. We are really going to focus on happiness in the workplace environment and the antidote to negativity and even bullying.

Kyla Mitsunaga is an entrepreneur, an author, a speaker, and a workshop trainer who has been busy developing a happiness workshop.  

She is also sharing her approach in 14 different countries across three different continents. She empowers  corporations, organizations, institutions, and individuals to succeed by first being happy. Kyla shares how she stumbled upon the topic of happiness and how it took off from there. Learn how one woman's journey has made more people happier by making each other happy.

Show Notes

• [03:18] Earlier in her career, Kyla was a professor. In 2014, she spoke in Austria. She realized that she had to be the change that she talks about and actually live it. This began her journey.
• [04:42] She was then asked to speak in Mexico on empowering students to give back to their communities. While she was researching the subject, the topic of happiness kept popping up.
• [05:39] She based the happiness workshop on a simple premise of if we can make other people happy then we can become happier.
• [06:01] After being featured on the evening news, Kyla decided to share her workshop with as many people as possible.
• [06:24] She brought her happiness workshop to the university that she taught at in Korea.
• [07:32] Her students are initially surprised when they have to make as many people around them as happy as possible.
• [09:27] It can be hard for people to step out of their comfort zones and be happy.
• [10:58] Everyone in every culture wants to be happy. Everyone also has their own internal roadblocks.
• [11:31] Happiness takes work just like anything else. It's a mindset.
• [12:12] Her book was inspired by her 2012 TED Talk.
• [14:27] With the prevalence of devices, people aren't paying attention anymore. Hiding behind a device is not the way forward.
• [16:01] Her book is deeply personal. It's part memoir and part self-help. It's her journey of getting to WITH.
• [16:49] Kyla sees everything with a WITH versus AT lens. Her book is written in a WITH style with activities and QR codes so you can watch videos.
• [19:04] Kyla wanted to create change and be an example for other women like her to look up to.
• [21:08] She had a huge epiphany that she had spent 40 years of her life with blurry vision. She discovered that the reason why she does what she does boils down to WITH.
• [22:48] For Kyla, WITH is an idea of oneness.
• [23:33] The more you understand yourself, the more you can be with other people. WITH has a lot to do with empathy.
• [25:57] Happiness to Kyla is total alignment with yourself.
• [29:03] Kyla is her work and her work is her. The more she understands herself and her personal growth, the more that she can share with others.
• [29:58] She is motivated, because she has been through depression. She also had a lot of guilt over her mother's illness. Emotions are ego-driven, and ego doesn't like change.
• [31:37] It's helpful for Kyla to have a talk with her ego.  
• [32:43] The deeper she goes with herself, the deeper her participants can go with themselves.
• [35:31] Journaling helps Kyla with the sustainability of her happiness practice. Women can be held to impossible standards.
• [37:27] Write down all the AT things you say to yourself. Then draw an arrow and have a WITH thing.
• [40:33] Change starts with yourself. Start with the power of WITH.

Links and Resources:

• Kyla Mitsunaga
• Kyla Mitsunaga: Why teachers must learn "with" their students
• WITH vs AT: Two Prepositions That Changed My Life
• @kylamitsunaga on Twitter
• Kyla Mitsunaga on LinkedIn
• Total Alignment

Dede Watson is a social media consultant and strategist who owns and operates Turn It Social a social media marketing company. She is a top social media influencer and a Forbes Top 50 Social Media Power Influencer. In this episode, I chat with Dede and learn how she went from selling furniture to social media consultant, strategist, and Forbes power influencer.

We talk about how filling a need and getting asked for help is one of the best ways to build and grow a business. We talk about the importance of stepping outside of your comfort zone, what makes a successful entrepreneur, and how to get started promoting a business with social media. Dede shares tips, tricks, and some of her favorite tools and apps for video. We talk about Facebook advertising, how social media is evolving, and more.

Show Notes

• [03:20] Dede started selling furniture in Daytona Beach. After about 10 years, she was burned out. She started looking online for different opportunities.
• [03:48] It took her about five years to actually develop her own business. She started building websites and realized she needed to understand how to promote them.
• [04:14] At the time, social media was new and she wanted to do some creative advertising.
• [04:27] She began promoting herself on MySpace and then moved to Twitter. People started asking her about her social media services around the same time that she realized she enjoyed social media.
• [05:08] She began her social media career on Twitter.
• [05:36] People coming to you and asking for help is one of the best ways to grow and build a business. Her business didn't happen overnight, it took about three years.
• [07:02] You need to have a plan and money saved when venturing out into entrepreneurship.
• [08:29] Normally Dede prefers to be behind the computer. She is stepping out of her comfort zone by promoting her own brand.
• [10:08] Being hypercritical can hold you back and make you miss your window of opportunity.
• [12:34] Entrepreneurs need structure and discipline.
• [15:00] In the past, Dede never thought she could accomplish what she has. She learned that she can be a successful business woman.
• [16:40] Dede is also enjoying consulting and mentoring people. She gets satisfaction from seeing the results of helping people.
• [18:32] As she changes her business model to consulting, scaling is her biggest challenge. Facebook is making it challenging for small and midsize businesses to market with advertising.
• [20:15] Making connections through Twitter is still a tried-and-true method. Instagram also has a large reach. You can do free advertising just by building communities.
• [23:14] Dede was intimidated by using computers. She still isn't extremely tech savvy. She delegates what she can't do.
• [25:47] Dede is a hands on learner who has to see and hear it.
• [27:17] She wakes up and starts posting from her phone.
• [27:47] She is trying to change course and not make her phone the first thing she does in the morning and the last thing she does in the evening.
• [29:52] Deirdre carves out time to be on social media, so she's not doing it all the time.
• [30:42] Every platform is different and automatic posting doesn't look natural.
• [31:43] You have to be strategic in your posting and micro-target on your business page or account. On Instagram, you can post up to 30 hashtags.
• [33:12] If you type in your tag on the explore page, you will see related tags. Curate your tags with ones that have been used between 5000 and 500,000 times.
• [35:13] Don't reuse all of the same hashtags, or you will be shadowbanned. Dede goes back later and edits her hashtags.
• [37:03] IGTV is a way to find new viewers. Exercise and motivational videos do well. Create a nice story behind your video.
• [40:07] It's all about building an engaged community on social media. Spend some time, be authentic, and show that you care.

Links and Resources:

• Dede Watson Website
  
• Dede Watson on Facebook
  
• Dede Watson on Twitter
  
• Dede Watson on Instagram
  
• Dede Watson on LinkedIn
• InShot
• Vidstich
• PicPlayPost
• StoryArt

Fran Hauser the author of The Myth of the Nice Girl is here today to talk about how being nice can be your superpower. Today's episode is about speaking up and being assertive and finding your voice while still being kind. Fran is an author, speaker, and a media executive. She is an entrepreneur investor and the founder of Hauser Ventures.  

She has held many senior positions at some of the world's largest digital media businesses including People, In Style, Entertainment Weekly, and AOL. She is now a startup investor who largely invests in female entrepreneurs. She was named one of Business Insiders 30 Women in Venture Capital to Watch.

Show Notes

• [03:14] About five years ago friend was working at Time Inc as an executive running digital for women's brands at the company.
• [03:41] She realized the part of her job that she liked the most was meeting with technology-based startups.
• [04:16] She realized that even if they didn't partner, she spent a lot of time advising the founders on their business models. She started advising them for equity.
• [04:53] Doing this full-time would give her flexibility to be with her family.
• [05:26] This is why she made the shift from media executive to investor/advisor.
• [06:19] It took her about a year to make the transition.
• [08:48] Fran mentor's a lot of women, and they kept asking how can you be nice and still get ahead. Fran decided to write her book on that topic.
• [10:28] You don't have to choose between being nice and being strong.
• [11:32] Bringing her niceness to work has enabled Fran to build relationships and teams.
• [12:54] Fran prepared to speak up at a meeting and it allowed her to become more comfortable.
• [15:30] Women aren't raising hands at open Q & A, but are coming up after the lecture. It's more important that your voice is heard.
• [16:43] If someone isn't speaking up find a way to draw them out.
• [17:36] Fran shares a story where she went over the head of one of her coworkers and felt terrible about it. She realized that this was an example of doing something that didn't sit right with her.
• [19:26] It's exhausting being someone who you aren't.
• [19:54] Be yourself and have your actions align with your values.
• [23:40] A section that resonated with readers was where she talks about how women apologize too much.
• [26:24] You can always ask someone to be your accountability buddy. Being vulnerable and asking for help goes a long way.
• [30:27] Fran had to share stories to be vulnerable and relatable.
• [31:29] Fran was inspired by Ann Moore and Paul Caine from Time Inc. They are perfect examples of people who lead with kindness and strength.
• [31:58] Ann would bring people to breakfast and have them share something that they were grateful for. Paul had meetings and told stories.
• [35:22] Fran loves owning her own business. She gets to choose the people and the projects that she works with. It also gives her flexibility.
• [36:57] She loves how a thought leadership platform is emerging from her book. Fran is also doing more speaking.
• [37:37] People who come to her are women looking for career advice, founders looking for business and fundraising advice, and people who want to write a book.
• [39:17] Fran keeps up-to-date by reading and meeting with people and being curious.
• [40:35] Bring your whole self to work. Don't feel like you have to check kindness and compassion at the door.

Links and Resources:

• Fran Hauser
• @fran_hauser on Twitter
• Fran Hauser on LinkedIn
• Fran Hauser on Instagram
• Fran Hauser on Facebook
• The Myth of the Nice Girl
• Chief
• Luminary

How do you build successful teams and positively impact the people around you? My guest today has a proven track record of team-building. Paige Goss is the CEO and founder of Point Solutions Group. Paige is an experienced industry executive with a proven track record in operational execution, large enterprise partnerships, and organizational development.

Throughout her 10+ year career in IT Services, she has been responsible for starting and building teams from scratch in multiple disciplines. Paige’s goal is to positively impact the lives of those around her every day and you can see this in every aspect of her work. Paige’s innovation, efficiency, and diligence recently earned her a spot on the Staffing Industry Analysts’ (SIA) 2018 40 Under 40 list.

Show Notes

• [03:11] Paige grew up in an entrepreneurial family, and she always wanted to be an entrepreneur.
• [03:58] She had a background in athletics and working with teams, so she knew that she would be able to create an impact working with teams.
• [04:28] Paige got into technology sales right after college. She joined a boutique firm and helped it grow from 8 people to 2500 consultants across the country.
• [05:17] In April of 2017, she launched Point Solutions Group.
• [05:55] It takes guts to be an entrepreneur. There's also the daily grind. You also have to set goals.
• [07:55] The sales aspect of your role is the grind everyday. Your best customer is the one that you are yet to meet. This constantly puts you in the mindset of building your business.
• [09:10] Paige is an optimistic realist. She sets aggressive goals and gives herself a plan of action to get there realistically.
• [09:51] She's a little more realistic with the finance side and tries to manage expectations.
• [11:10] If you're not growing, learning, and challenging yourself as an entrepreneur than your team isn't doing it either. Her biggest challenge is getting out of her own way.
• [12:59] Stepping out of your own way is also stepping out of your comfort zone so you can grow.
• [15:08] To build a successful team, you need to look for the gaps and then build from there. Paige also tries to focus on diversity.
• [15:35] We can teach skills, but a lot of times it's difficult to teach behaviors and mentalities..
• [17:23] The more women see other women lift each other up the better we will all be.
• [18:03] Culture is everything and people create culture.
• [22:30] Leaders set the vision of the organization. The vision can shift and change as the company grows. Paige's strengths are morphing the organization into what it is meant to be and helping customers with their challenges.
• [23:59] She has the gift of helping other people see what's possible. She's also a competitor and wants to win.
• [25:45] She challenges herself everyday. One of her weaknesses is thinking she has limitations when she doesn't or having unnecessary fears.
• [27:20] Communication is critical for a leader.
• [30:51] Paige exercises, writes, looks at what she is trying to accomplish, and sometimes drinks wine to combat stress.
• [32:53] Be present or take a step back and see where you are.
• [34:29] Let your team know what you are working on and focus on the human aspect. Don't be afraid to ask for help when needed.
• [36:04] Networking and building a personal brand is paramount for the new company to succeed. It's important to constantly be out there.
• [37:37] Paige does a ton of work on LinkedIn.
• [38:05] She loves to meet people face-to-face and in-person.
• [39:17] Learning for Paige is fine-tuning what she is good at.
• [40:13] Go for it and pursue your dreams. You never know what you are capable of until you put yourself in that situation.

Links and Resources:

• Point Solutions Group
• Paige Goss on LinkedIn
• Point Solutions Group on LinkedIn

How do you go from lawyer to actor to entrepreneur and podcaster? Find out with my next guest who is an expert in wanderlust. John Lim is an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, author, and podcaster who I had the pleasure of connecting with on Twitter. John is a lifelong learner, and began his first career as an attorney at the age of 25.

While developing his presentation skills, he stumbled upon his interest in acting. Through a series of events he ended up being on National Geographic, the History Channel, and commercials. He also played Sulu on Star Trek the Next Voyage across from George Takei. John shares his journey and explains how he ended up becoming an entrepreneur and podcaster.

Show Notes

• [04:30] John's career wanderlust has been more of a reflection of his own journey.
• [06:05] When John was in law school, he took an acting class because he thought it would help his career.
• [06:51] He fell in love with acting.
• [07:27] He was an attorney at 25 years old. He chose the wrong firm, and he was unhappy.
• [08:58] Sometimes young attorneys go to law school for the wrong reasons.
• [09:20] John left his practice and shifted into educational consulting.
• [09:55] He developed his presentation skills and was advised by an acting coach that maybe he should try getting back into acting.
• [10:17] He took more acting classes.
• [11:08] Being on camera really stretched John past his comfort zone. His acting teacher also encouraged him to take up acting.
• [11:21] He started auditioning and actually got some rolls. He acted for National Geographic, the History Channel, and did some commercials.
• [12:12] He discovered independent films called fan films.
• [12:54] He was blown away by Star Trek New Voyage.
• [13:44] John auditioned for the role of Sulu and even played across from George Takei.
• [15:24] While still trying to act he had a life-changing event. His mother had a heart attack. He was crushed when he lost his mother in 2008.
• [17:03] He started consulting again.
• [17:58] He decided to go back to school and get his MBA.
• [18:24] He met some great professors who were entrepreneurs.
• [18:52] John decided to take the leap and become an entrepreneur. Launching his podcast has been part of the journey.
• [20:24] John is a lifelong learner and being an entrepreneur fits perfectly with that lifestyle.
• [21:14] John and Deirdre connected on Twitter.
• [24:47] John stumbled upon podcasts accidentally and started listening to Robert Kiyosaki's radio show.
• [25:14] He became immersed in podcasts and realized that he might want to try it.
• [27:09] The podcast helped him develop relationships and find connections on social media.
• [29:14] John has been working on a project helping his dad take his business online.
• [30:38] Because of his podcast, John was invited to give his first TEDx Talk.
• [31:28] He is working on his first book and starting a second podcast.
• [32:34] John has been able to grow and try new things because of failures and setbacks.
• [32:53] For John, success is about family and health.
• [34:20] He considers business success being on your own and being able to pay the bills.
• [35:20] When you become an entrepreneur sometimes your outlook changes. Even relationships sometimes require an audit.
• [36:38] Trying something different can be a lens to see who in your life really support you.
• [37:47] As an entrepreneur, John has failures every week.
• [39:28] Making your own decisions can be stressful. You need a tolerance for ambiguity and a tolerance to know that everything you try may not work out.
• [40:17] John's biggest failure last year was probably saying yes to too many things which detracted from his real priorities.
• [41:32] It's also important to know your worth and guard your time when necessary.
• [43:07] Consume as much content as you can. Start creating content. Put yourself out there, because the content you create will become part of your branding.

Links and Resources:

• Moving Foreword
• @bemovingforward on Twitter
• John Lim on LinkedIn
• Rich Dad Poor Dad

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:

• Inner Peace & Wellness
• Julie Hannon on LinkedIn
• Julie Hannon on Facebook
• My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey
• InsightTimer

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:

• Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
• @VossNegotiation on Twitter
• Chris Voss on Facebook
• Chris Voss on LinkedIn
• The Black Swan Group
• @BlackSwanGrp on Twitter
• The Black Swan Group on Facebook
• The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.
• Text FBIEmpathy to 22828 to sign up to Chris’s newsletter.

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:

• Shipsomnia
• Shipsomnia on Instagram
• Shipsomnia on Facebook
• @Shipsomnia on Twitter
• Alessandra Maderni on LinkedIn
• Ale@madfreshentertainment.com

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:

• Brave Leadership: Unleash Your Most Confident, Powerful, and Authentic Self to Get the Results You Need
• Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value
• Onstage Leadership
• Brave Leadership
• @OnStageKimberly on Twitter
• Kimberly Davis on LinkedIn
• Kimberly Davis Facebook

We've reached our 200th episode. For this Women Worldwide show, the tables are turned and my coach, Dolores Hirschmann, is interviewing me. So, I'm in the "hot seat." I share who I am. What I do. And what Dolores calls getting under the script of Deirdre.

Dolores is a friend and a coach who focuses on effective public speaking whether the focus is growth or improved communication. She believes in people and ideas and emphasizes clarity in communication.

She has a background in academic business, and entrepreneurship. As well as being the East Coast TEDx organizer and an executive coach.

Today’s Episode:

Show Notes

• [03:04] Deirdre teaches on LinkedIn learning, and she has written multiple books. She is also the voice of reason behind many brands and has helped them articulate their message.
• [03:40] Deirdre is in the business of storytelling and relationship-building.
• [03:46] She has been helping businesses and business executives find their voice, elevate their brand, and most of all to be recognized.
• [04:04] Deirdre has always focused on building relationships around your passion. She is happiest when working with professionals who love to amplify their purpose. It all starts with finding your voice.
• [04:30] She owned an agency for 14 years. Now she has a communications consulting practice. She finds voices, raises them up, and creates impact and makes a difference.
• [05:08] Taking care of messaging is what helps position you. It's how you create authority and build your reputation.
• [07:38] It's okay for an executive not to have all of the answers. You can get the information as things unfold. It's good to stay authentic.
• [08:56] A lot of what Deirdre does is to help corporations think and things that we do naturally in business.
• [10:44] Women worldwide is about the same things but also about how you feel. Do you have fear? Do you have empathy? Are you true to your ethics? Do you have love? Breaking the gap between think and FEEL.
• [12:06] Bringing think and feel together could change the world.
• [13:35] The FEEL model starts with your employees and showing it. It comes down to balancing your emotions and EQ.
• [14:38] It looks like giving people credit when credit is due. And not having to be the smartest person in the room. It's opening up your own frame of reference from different perspectives.
• [17:09] Deirdre stepped out of her comfort zone and helped someone who came out of prison but really wanted to do the right thing. He used his voice to help people be in compliance.
• [17:57] They rebuilt his brand through social media and the content that he created us blogger. He actually went from prison card to MasterCard and is doing a training series with MasterCard.
• [19:51] Dolores shares how Deirdre is a magical woman, because she can help create new stories.
• [21:28] Trust your gut and get out of your comfort zone even if you are scared.
• [24:15] When Deirdre was young, she wanted to be a veterinarian.
• [25:28] Her parents were a big influence on her and she wanted to be an educator. Now she is an educator. She has courses, mentors, and writes books.
• [27:05] Beneath the script is an awakening after the death of her daughter. She is being very present and not taking anything for granted. Cherish the moment more.
• [30:54] Self-care is crucial. She can go on autopilot if she lets herself. That is a recipe for complete burnout.
• [32:23] We need self-care refueling and balancing. Deirdre carves time out for herself everyday. She also read The Miracle Morning.
• [32:18] She follows the SAVERS program which is silence, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading, and scribing. You can do it all in 6 minutes, take however long you need, or split it up.
• [32:58] She does the program every morning for 30 minutes to an hour. She even gets up earlier if she has to to refocus and center. Meditation helps to handle challenges and bring yourself back to your center.
• [33:50] To amplify your passion, you need to know what your passion is and what you actually love.
• [36:13] We should make most of our money doing what we love to do and what we are born to do. It would be authentic and genuine. We would strive to do our best work. The love and passion we have would be magnetic and contagious.
• [37:30] Follow the path of your passion, because it builds upon each other like following your headlights on a dark freeway.
• [39:19] Deirdre has had so many amazing guests that a women worldwide reunion would be awesome.
• [40:50] If you're going to read Deirdre's books start with PR 2.0, Putting the Public Back in Public Relations, Social Media and Public Relations Practices, and then Answers for Modern Communicators.  

Links and Resources:

• Pure Performance Communications
• Deirdre Breakenridge
• Deirdre Breakenridge on Facebook
• LinkedIn Courses by Deirdre Breakenridge
• Deirdre Breakenridge on LinkedIn
• @dbreakenridge on Twitter
• Dolores Hirschmann
• Dolores Hirschmann on LinkedIn
• @DglarH on Twitter
• The Miracle Morning
• Books by Deirdre Breakenridge

Using data correctly can keep us abreast of what is happening now and predict future trends. One of the problems of using date is presenting it in a way that people can understand. My guest today is a data visualization expert, author, and speaker who specializes in EdTech. Dr. Kristen Sosulski is the author of Data Visualization Made Simple: Insights Into Becoming Visual and an Associate Professor of Information Systems at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

She is here today to talk about what EdTech really is and the role of technology in learning. She also talks about her speciality of data visualization and the role it plays in education, business and society. We even discuss how she stays organized and grounded with a busy schedule.  

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Show Notes

• [03:19] Kristen learned how to code during the .com era.
• [03:38] She started working at a new media lab that was focused on technology while she was continuing her education.
• [03:52] She thought using technology to help people learn was such a shift from her business background.
• [04:02] Educational technology is the study and practice of facilitating learning and improving learner performance by using technological resources.
• [04:41] She received a Masters of Instructional Technology from Columbia University then a second Master's and then a Doctorate.
• [05:41] The technology tools used in learning need to be designed in a way that allow for learning.
• [06:46] She worked while she was earning her degrees the entire process took about nine years, but she was able to apply her knowledge to her work experience.
• [07:15] The goal of EdTech is to add components that will best facilitate learning.
• [09:01] One of the best skills that an educational technologist needs is the ability to wireframe and present their ideas in a concrete form. Project management and meeting deadlines is also very important. Communicating why certain design decisions have been made is also important.
• [11:01] Kristen's book data visualization made simple is a book for anyone. She explains the core function of how to work with data.
• [12:49] A big takeaway of the book is not to make your audience work too hard.
• [14:10] Data visualization is the ability to help tell stories. First it's a tool to communicate. It can show cause and effect or clarify ideas.
• [15:42] Data can be transformed into information such as trends, product, sales or displays. A great example are dashboards.
• [16:52] Data doesn't have to only be from the past, we can show what is happening in the present. We can also make predictions for the future with data.
• [18:07] Everyone needs the opportunity to create data-driven goals and to collect new data.
• [18:36] Modeling the types of behaviors that you want to see in an organization is the best way to build a culture of use.
• [19:50] Training around visualization and the best way to use this technique are super important.
• [24:47] Challenges in EdTech include the ability to slow down and give the attention needed to the task at hand.
• [25:51] Have the confidence to show your work at a stage when it still isn't perfect. Be open to accepting feedback.
• [28:32] The technology is always changing so Kristen is always learning. There are always new programs in software challenges that need to be learned.
• [29:32] It's great to have an understanding of programming, but you don't have to code to be a data visualization expert.
• [30:19] Kristen likes to incorporate different types of data graphics into her work. She creates multivariate displays by using a few lines of code, because it is much simpler than using a ready-made solution like Tableau.
• [31:54] Business analytics has recently really exploded. This is a great opportunity for data scientists and learning scientists to model data and improve their practices.
• [33:50] One of the things throughout her career that Kristen has learned is how she learns. She learns best by teaching others and simplifying the process. She also needs to immerse herself in the topic.
• [36:57] When we learn we really want to balance all of the systems, we don't want to overload audio or visual etc.
• [37:39] Allowing for time and slowing down even in your data of presentations is critical.
• [38:01] Kristen's son keeps her grounded.
• [38:32] Being more efficient with her time is another thing that helps keep her grounded. When she goes home it's about being a mom.
• [40:06] Exercise and movement or running or a barre class are some of the ways that Kristen uses to keep stress at bay. Face time also helps mitigate stress.
• [41:21] One of the tools she likes to use is Google Calendar. She also keeps and shares floating agendas with her team.
• [43:10] There's a huge opportunity in organizations right now to lead with visualization.

Links and Resources:

• Data Visualization Made Simple: Insights Into Becoming Visual
• ks123@nyu.edu
• Kristen Sosulski
• Kristen Sosulski on LinkedIn
• @sosulski on Twitter

Fibroids will affect 70% to 80% of women at some point in their lives. For some, it’s a very serious condition that requires surgery and lifestyle changes. Yet, many aren’t familiar with the condition and don’t know how to get help even when they are experiencing symptoms. My guest today is Saterial Venable.

Sateria was diagnosed with fibroids in her 20’s. She had trouble finding information about the condition and treatment options. She became her own advocate and is now a patient advocate for all women suffering from fibroids. She began her working career as an architect, but it was her calling to be a patient advocate, entrepreneur, founder, and social media strategist. She started The Fibroid Foundation and is passionately helping women find the answers and treatment that they so desperately need.

Show Notes

• [02:42] Sateria is an architect who doesn't have a medical background.
• [02:53] She was diagnosed with uterine fibroids when she was in her 20s. This health challenge is what brought her here to us today.
• [03:24] After being diagnosed, she began searching for solutions.
• [04:16] A lot of women don't even know what fibroids are. It was much more far-reaching than she had realized.
• [04:36] She first started a blog and then a non-profit.
• [06:06] 70% of all women will develop fibroids at some point in their lifetimes. In the African American community it is 80%.
• [06:55] Annual healthcare cost in the US is in the billions.
• [08:20] Fibroids are triggered by hormonal surges. Reducing hormonal intake can slow the growth.
• [09:39] The surgery is very invasive and it takes 8 weeks to 7 months to heal. Fibroids can also grow back.
• [10:26] Satoria had success by changing her diet.
• [10:56] Her foundation provides education to women in several countries.
• [12:28] They vet fibroid specialists, but one of the frustrations is trying to help women where there aren't any specialists available.
• [14:09] Challenges as a social entrepreneur include making the vision a reality. She had to believe and focus to make her dream come true.
• [17:02] Reiki is energy healing. It's a focus of intention of healing.
• [18:13] Satoria reached out to a reiki specialist and became a believer and a practitioner.
• [19:19] Naprapathy is also a technique she uses along with yoga. Eastern medicine is very helpful.
• [20:41] Medical interventions may also be necessary using Western medicine.
• [25:35] Satoria tries to be caring and inclusive with her team. It's important for her to incorporate healthy practices into their work environment. They focus on self-care and wholeness.
• [28:54] Compassion and being sensitive to the plight of others are a couple of Satoria's greatest strengths.
• [31:06] Fundraising takes a lot of effort. Networking has helped her the most because people like to interact with people. Develop relationships and make sure your partners see the value and what you are doing.
• [32:57] Their Facebook fundraisers have been a wonderful area of support.
• [34:23] Social media has been very pivotal in fundraising. Especially, now that she has the platforms in place.
• [36:10] Success looks like being able to help a woman in distress who needs help.
• [38:11] Being able to provide that comfort is why Satoria is here.
• [40:02] Satoria's mom let her be her. Her mentor was her uncle who she lived with after college. He was an angel who touched her life.
• [43:02] Follow your natural inclination and devote specific focus to what you are trying to achieve. Follow your bliss.
• [44:21] We have the ability to bring things in the world that have never been done before.

Links and Resources:

• The Fibroid Foundation
• The Fibroid Foundation on Facebook
• The Fibroid Foundation on Instagram
• @FibroidFoun on Twitter
• The Fibroid Foundation on Pinterest

Actor, writer, producer, entrepreneur, and storyteller Ivana De Maria is here to talk about the importance of communication through story. She believes that we learn from telling our stories and listening to stories, even ones that we may not agree with or that are different than ours. She feels so passionately about this process that she has created an app called StoryPlace that enables ordinary people to tell extraordinary stories.

Ivana grew up in the entertainment world and began acting, but she soon discovered that writing and producing would enable her to tell the stories that she wanted to tell. Ivana studied finance and law at Boston University and has attended several acting schools. She has starred in a number of independent films and TV shows. She is also a series regular on the TV series "Beauty and the Beasts" (La Bella y las Bestias) which airs on  Primetime Univison.

Show Notes

• [03:21] Ivana grew up in the entertainment world her brothers are producers. She has always been in media and has always loved interpreting people.
• [05:18] Ivana started as an actress, but she soon realize that she had stories that she wanted to tell. She then began developing her own content, and she also realized that we are living in a time when that is possible.
• [06:02] She writes, produces, and then acts in with her own content. She then started producing content based on true stories.
• [06:51] She now wants to find the stories that are worth telling. All around the world. Her app gives people the voice to tell their stories.
• [08:26] Truth was lacking in social media. The real story is the egoless story.
• [10:30] Being an entrepreneur can be overwhelming. Breaking things down into smaller steps definitely makes large projects more attainable.
• [11:07] Even though the unknown is scary and a bit exciting, Ivana started taking chances on herself.
• [11:57] Being an entrepreneur requires a lot of discipline and can be very difficult.
• [12:34] people want to be a part of something that they care about, and this has given Ivana a strength to believe in what she cares about.
• [13:07] Discipline, perseverance, and passion are three characteristics of entrepreneurs.
• [13:47] She is the youngest of seven children. her mother led them by example, because it's not what you give your children it's what you teach your children.
• [15:49] Ivana learned to be independent at a young age similar to how a stray dog can take care of itself.
• [16:25] She is a lifelong learner and has a tattoo that says eternal learning.
• [18:07] You can do a lot of different things as long as you are organized and true to yourself.
• [19:47] She studied business and law in college. She knew the business side of things, but an app is different.
• [21:25] StoryPlace is a free app. Ivana wants to solve the empathy deficit.
• [29:01] A big part of StoryPlace will be teaching people the culture of storytelling and why their story matters.
• [30:46] A person's opinion is only their opinion. Rejection shouldn't be taken to heart.
• [33:15] 95% of everything that Ivana does is based on her instincts. It took her years to develop the skills to trust her own instincts.
• [35:39] Each role she acted in gave her new perspectives. Light a flashlight on a wall, she wants her light and perspectives to fill the whole wall.
• [37:09] Every story is a new perspective and makes us better people. Be able to acknowledge that there is a story different than years.
• [38:43] Woman often commit to give 100%, but make a conscious choice of where those percentages will go. This is the definition of being empowered. Be intentional and realistic about where you will give your energy.  

Links and Resources:

• ivana@mariasfilms.com
• @ivanadmaria on Twitter
• @ivanamaria on Instagram
• Ivana De Maria on LinkedIn
• Ivana De Maria
• StoryPlace

Veronica Kirin is here today to talk about being intentional with your technology. Veronica is the author of Stories of Elders: What the Greatest Generation Knows about Technology that You Don't. This is a fascinating look into “The Greatest Generation” (born before 1945) and the last generation born before the digital revolution.

Veronica is an anthropologist turned entrepreneur. She is a Forbes notable graduate of Grand Valley State University and a 40 Under 40 Business Leader. She is the founder of GreenCup Web Design and an entrepreneur coach to LGBTQ business owners. She is known for her Self Care Through Scaling™ program, and she is the founder of the Fempreneur Forum. It’s her passion to help entrepreneurs scale their businesses to reclaim freedom and time.

Show Notes

• [03:11] Veronica is still an anthropologist. Anthropology is the study of people. She is a cultural anthropologist which studies current people.
• [04:15] Anthropology marries perfectly with entrepreneurship, because it teaches you to have insights into others especially those who aren't like you.
• [04:26] To understand your target client, you really need to predict their needs and wants.
• [05:56] Veronica's book is a bridge between anthropology and technology, as she noticed technology was starting to change her behaviors. She noticed she was sending texts instead of face to face interaction and also growing more depressed.
• [07:39] The elders in Veronica's book have lived approximately a lifetime without technology. She wanted the contrast between these people and younger people who only know technology.
• [08:19] People who grew up without tech have a completely different perspective on what is happening now.
• [08:51] She discovered that the elders had a deep sense of intentionality, and they wanted to choose whether they wanted this technology in their lives or not.
• [12:12] 25 is an important age because that is when the brain is fully developed.
• [13:31] One of her favorite stories in the book is Edwin Gould's story who engineered the first spy satellite for the country. The leaps we have no show the amazing shift.
• [16:16] Veronica did 100 interviews which amounted to about 8,000 years of stories for her book. She worked with an author coach which was really helpful.
• [18:07] She was also inspired by the author Racheal Rose Steil who wrote Running in Silence. They became friends and collaborate on different projects.
• [20:14] The book took three and a half years from inception to publishing.
• [24:00] To get these interviews, Veronica drove 12,000 miles through 40 States in 6 weeks. It was a very stressful experience, and she learned how important self-care really is. It took her six months before she could start processing these interviews.
• [25:51] She also learned to be more intentional about her technology use. She doesn't look at the phone first thing in the morning. She allows herself to walk away from the computer. Our bodies are designed to move and stop looking at screens.
• [27:27] She also has tech free monthly brunches.
• [30:51] Veronica used Kickstarter to fund her book and it became a staff pick. Technology has been critical in the production of her book.
• [34:28] Digital marketing has played a huge part in the promotion of her book.
• [35:42] Being an author is being an entrepreneur. If you don't have the marketing skills, hire someone who does.
• [36:59] Having a coach and mentor is so important.
• [37:37] To Veronica, success feels like moving forward and moving the needle. She also loves the energy derived from her client work.
• [39:05] If you want to do something, just start. You have what it takes to find what you need and make it happen.

Links and Resources:

• Stories of Elders: What the Greatest Generation Knows about Technology that You Don't
• GreenCup Design
• Veronica Kirin
• Veronica Kirin on Facebook
• @vmkirin on Twitter
• Veronica Kirin on Instagram
• Veronica Kirin on LinkedIn
• Identity Publications
• Angles of Lattitude Podcast
• Paper Raven
• Running in Silence

We hear a lot about the customer experience, but should you start with the customer experience? Maybe it would be better to start with the internal experience of your own people.

My guests today are Dr. Rachel MK Headley and Meg Manke they are senior partners at Rose Group Int'l where they developed their proprietary leadership framework. This allows leaders to solve team problems, address generational issues, manage changes, and address goals. They are also co-authors of iX Leadership: Create High-Five Cultures and Guide Transformation.

Rachel is a Mensa PhD scientist, a Project Management Professional, TEDx speaker, and is on the Council of Trustees for South Dakota State University. Meg is a culture and leadership expert with years of experience leading companies through transitions, mergers, acquisitions, and behavior-based training. I am so excited to have them here today to talk about iX Leadership and culture transformation.

Show Notes

• [03:19] Meg and Rachel were in some of the same leadership groups.
• [04:06] They realized that work shouldn't be so hard for people and started developing the concepts of iX leadership.
• [04:25] Rachel had a company and was doing corporate consulting. She started noticing how some teams could thrive and some teams could be miserable even though they were under the same leadership.
• [05:47] Rachel knew Meg was the person to partner with when it comes to culture, motivation, and connection. Their skill sets complemented each other.
• [07:16] Meg and Rachel developed a lot of concepts right off the bat. They then decided to put it in an easy to digest book to make the largest impact.
• [09:25] The book was for everyone. There is something in the book for every team.
• [10:37] People make up the culture of a business environment, and team culture is difficult to shift.
• [11:05] Shifting the culture and the mindset. We create the culture. A great internal experience is designed. It doesn't just happen by chance.
• [12:14] You have to help people understand why the change is important for them.
• [13:23] Organizations have to find the thing that it is to get people to fight for them. The leadership team needs to be passionate and then transfer that passion to their team in terms that they understand.
• [15:19] Transparency is super important, because it develops trust.
• [16:03] One of the biggest barriers is people's discomfort with change.
• [16:21] If you understand the type of work environment your people prefer, then you understand how they move through change.
• [16:55] People who like freedom jump on the change. Others may be more reluctant. The anxiety around change needs to be turned into excitement.
• [19:50] Once enough people get on board with the change, other people will join them.
• [24:09] Rachel thinks one of the fun things about having a partner is sharing highs and lows.
• [24:49] Rachel wants to surrounded by people who disagree and challenge her on things. This is one of the reasons that her and Meg have a great collaboration even if they don't agree on everything.
• [25:41] Meg thinks that they have their arguments curated down to a discussion of how to proceed forward.
• [26:24] Even if they don't agree, they bring themselves back to their real goal of making an impact on the world.
• [28:01] Recently two colleagues took the iX Leadership book into job interviews.
• [29:46] One of the most rewarding things about being a female in business is that with work and perseverance we can do anything.
• [31:20] One of Rachel's toughest challenges was lack of confidence and money anxiety. She left these thoughts behind. Her biggest challenge now is taking Meg on as a partner. The benefits outweigh the anxiety. The collaboration is really exciting.
• [34:19] Your perspective seems to root itself in your current challenges. Challenges always exist no matter what level you are at. For Meg, making sure everything is moving forward is the most challenging.
• [37:00] Rachel manages stress through music and singing.
• [38:22] Running is Meg's stress buster. She also has her best aha moments during running.
• [39:31] Advice from Rachel is to start small. Do something small but doable and build confidence. Don't be paralyzed by the fear of failure. Celebrate your wins.
• [41:05] Advice form Meg is know your core values and what is important to you. You don't know, if you don't ask. Trust your gut and go for it.

Links and Resources:

• Rose Group, Int’l Website
• iX Leadership: Create High-Five Cultures and Guide Transformation
• Dr. Rachel MK Headley on LinkedIn
• @sprfsh_rachel on Twitter
• Meg (Kokesh) Manke on LinkedIn
• @meg_manke on Twitter

Mary Marshall is the new President of Forrest Performance Group, the nation’s most cutting edge sales and management training company. She is going to share her journey including how she was an instrumental leader in growing FPG into an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company. She has also been instrumental in creating FPG’s Stevie Award-winning sales, customer service, and leadership programs.

Her background includes online learning facilitation, sales, professional speaking, and moderating. She helps change behavior by teaching FPG’s award winning programs. Today, we talk about fulling tapping into human performance to increase sales, performance, and profits. Mary shares a lesson she learned in a call center job that she hated until she learned to change her mindset. These techniques on changing her perspective still hold true today.

Show Notes

• [03:35] Mary's first job was at the college call center asking for money. She learned so much. She cried in her first ten minutes.
• [05:37] This job made her miserable. She decided to talk to the top salesperson and find out why he was so happy.
• [05:39] Every day was wonderful for him talking to people on the phone, hearing their stories, taking something off their to-do list, and making them smile.
• [06:14] This changed her whole trajectory. The next semester everything was wonderful for her. She went to work excited every day.
• [06:38] She took this mindset into every sales job that she had after that.
• [06:52] At FPG she began helping the content team and now she is president of the company. It has been an incredible journey for her.
• [07:53] The power of reframing the mindset is amazing.
• [10:06] If you don't believe you can't create an environment for yourself or others to believe.
• [11:30] Beliefs are what hold us back from selling. It's our mindset and not deciding to yield or give up.
• [13:01] Persuasion is pushing forward when you know the product is right for that person or company, by doing your homework up front as opposed to manipulation.
• [14:49] Internalizing beliefs like people don't want to be sold to makes a salesperson think that there is something intrinsically wrong with what they are doing.
• [15:38] People love to be sold to. They don't want to be sold to buy anybody who's unethical.
• [16:29] To be successful sales release mindset issues that prevent you from doing things like selling on the phone.
• [17:39] Mary shares the difference between working with individuals as opposed to teams when doing sales coaching.
• [18:16] Skill training is great in a group framework. Some will act and some won't. This is where individual training comes into play.
• [19:19] Find the leash that is preventing the salesperson from following through.
• [19:58] One-on-one coaching can help change the limiting belief.
• [24:37] Before Mary starts her day she thinks about the type of energy she needs according to the task or people that she is going to be dealing with. She wants to always be in the right frame of mind.
• [25:54]  She also writes things down and practices preparing herself for her next task or sales call.
• [26:22] Be present with who you are with. By preparing you can be grounded. Role play or have other people listen to what you are doing.
• [27:30] The most important thing is to have a process.
• [27:47] Mary uses the seven steps of starting strong with each person she sales too.
• [29:12] The first step is to ask a triple binding question. Get people to make decisions as fast as possible.
• [31:27] Sales and leadership isn't personal life or professional life, it is just life.
• [32:07] Success for Mary is responding in the most loving and effective way.
• [32:57] Her biggest goal is creating leaders for her company. She wants to create a space and environment that allows people to become leaders.
• [35:19] Mary listens to as many books as possible on Audible. She also does a lot of learning on Growth Cafe. She is also on Wunderlist.
• [38:04] Mary likes using social media to stay involved and excited with old neighbors that she used to have.
• [38:41] People can't be successful today without connecting on social media.
• [39:48] When you finally meet someone in person who you've known on social media for a number of years it's like meeting an old friend.
• [40:17] Out of college, Mary went up to the president of a company that she wanted to work for who she saw at a party,  and his reply was we don't hire little girls as sales people.
• [41:29] This fueled her to prove him wrong. She also started noticing people who actually believed in her, and she realized she had to let go of the situation with this man.
• [42:26] Listen to people who actually believe in you. This is the fuel source that gives you the energy at the end of the day to do your job and go home and be a great mom.
• [43:30] Find the person who is the most successful in whatever you want to do and do what this person is doing.

Links and Resources:

• FPG Website
  
• Mary Marshall on Twitter
  
• Mary Marshall on Facebook
  
• Mary Marshall on LinkedIn
• Get 2 Weeks of Prep Dish Free
• Audible
• Growth Cafe
• Wunderlist
• Evernote

Healthcare is one of the leading sectors when it comes to innovation and creating new drugs and treatments. Today’s guest is passionate about healthcare, patient treatment, science, startups, venture capital, and helping women businesses create innovative answers to today’s healthcare problems. Rafaele Tordjman, MD, PhD went from medical doctor to venture capitalist in her quest to help patients find the absolute best care.

Rafaele Tordjman, MD, PhD is the founder and chairwoman of WITH Association an international organization of female biotech, medtech, digital health, and healthcare executives. The organization supports innovative healthcare solutions across the globe. She is also the founder and CEO of Jeito a next-generation fund with a patient benefit approach. These organizations empower women entrepreneurs to innovate life science and global healthcare.

Sponsor Spotlight: Prep Dish

Prep Dish is a healthy subscription-based meal planning service designed to help you shop once, prep once, and enjoy wholesome, delicious meals that come together in minutes all week long. Sign up at www.prepdish.com/worldwide to get your first 2 weeks FREE.

Show Notes

• [03:22] Rafaele started as a medical doctor specializing in clinical haematology and internal medicine.
• [03:54] She wanted to do more for the patients and understand the biology and cells behind the patients. So she earned a PhD.
• [05:04] She then joined the investment world working in biotech.
• [05:29] She became an analyst and worked for 15 years. She discovered that creating the best drugs requires a lot of innovation and diverse groups of people.
• [07:41] Some of the latest treatments include using people's own immune systems to fight cancer cells.
• [08:05] There weren't a lot of women in the VC world when Rafaele began. There still isn't a lot of women involved in venture capital.
• [08:57] 80% of healthcare decisions are made by women. This is one of the many reasons more women need to get involved in these sectors.
• [09:08] Rafaele is part of the wave of getting more and more women involved.
• [09:38] WITH is a result of Rafaele noticing there weren't enough women in the healthcare ecosystem. She wanted experienced women from different parts such as scientists, physicians, and investment people.
• [10:59] The purpose is to have a collaborative effort that creates better health for women and all patients.
• [11:38] It's a global organization with a diverse International group of extremely talented women. They have 500 women all around the world.
• [12:40] Her dream was for this group of talented women to work on one project and have something positive come out of it. In order to speed things up, she started her new venture which is Jeito.
• [13:21] Jeito means where there is a will, there's a way. This is company that will invest in biotech in a new way. They also focus on having more success getting drug access for patients.
• [14:35] Jeito mentors coaches and finances women who are driving medical innovation.
• [15:52] It's inspiring to have an entrepreneur start an organization with great goals and then move it into a new even more inspiring organization.
• [16:53] They have a team of 11 people. The goal is to improve things, save time, and decrease risk.
• [20:31] It's so important to have women involved in healthcare and studies because they think differently.
• [22:41] As a leader, women have to do much more to keep things collaboratively moving on. Women can be results-oriented. Women should also believe in themselves and respect themselves in leadership roles.
• [25:54] Even the accomplished women in WITH need support to know that they are as good as if not better than some of their other colleagues.
• [26:51] Rafaele was influenced by her father. He didn't want her to be dependent on anyone. He wanted her to be able to choose how she lived and what she did.
• [29:34] Networking is key in the VC industry. It's all about people and relationships and betting on the right partners.
• [30:39] Rafaele is in favor of in-person meetings.
• [33:53] Rafaele likes the aspects of patients sharing information with each other on social media but meeting a doctor in person is still the best way to get a diagnosis and medical help.
• [36:09] Women are beginning to catch up to men when it comes to heart disease. It's more important now than ever for women's health to be taken seriously.
• [36:41] Rafaele's ventures are not a balance with her family. It is more of a coexistence.
• [38:00] Women can make their own choices without having to justify it. Surround yourself with supportive people who will partner with you.  

Links and Resources:

• WITH
• @WITH_asso on Twitter
• Jeito
• @RafaeleTordjman on Twitter

Entrepreneurs often struggle with juggling demands on their time. Not being able to get everything done is a constant source of stress. One constant in every entrepreneurs life is that they need to eat. Family meal time is not only necessary, but it is a time to unplug, recharge, and focus on what matters. My guest today, wants to remove the stress from family meal time and bring back the joy.

Allison Schaaf is the founder of Prep Dish an online meal planning service that provides tools to quickly and efficiently prep healthy gluten-free and paleo meals for the week. Allison has always had a passion for cooking and has a degree in Culinary Nutrition. She owned a personal chef company, but wanted to reach more people with Prep Dish and solve the problem of having accessible healthy home cooked meals even when people are busy.

Sponsor Spotlight: Prep Dish

Prep Dish is a healthy subscription-based meal planning service designed to help you shop once, prep once, and enjoy wholesome, delicious meals that come together in minutes all week long. Sign up at www.prepdish.com/worldwide to get your first 2 weeks FREE.

Show Notes

• [03:22] Allison always knew she would be an entrepreneur. She found a way to combine her love of cooking and entrepreneurship with Prep Dish.
• [05:35] Allison started out as a personal chef. She knew this wasn't for her because when she got home she didn't have enough energy left to cook for her family. What she did do was take her systems she used for her personal chef business and integrated it into her new business.
• [06:51] From an early age, Allison knew that food was the one thing that brought people together.
• [07:25] Food is also fuel and needs to be healthy.
• [07:39] Using meal prep to create the meal plans is what makes Prep Dish different.
• [08:44] Allison loves helping her customers, she even saved someone's marriage.
• [09:47] If you want to grow a business, it involves a team and hiring people. Allison likes providing jobs that people are passionate about it.
• [10:50] Her team are people from within her community. She takes the time to make sure the hiring process is the right fit.
• [12:53] One of the questions in the application process is do you like vegetables. The people who create meal plans have strong backgrounds in culinary service.
• [15:21] They have a Facebook community which helps with support and getting people excited.
• [16:36] Social media plays a big role and helps them get to know their subscribers.
• [18:24] They send out a survey twice a year. Their audience hangs out at Facebook and Instagram. Go where the people are.
• [20:14] Allison tries to be intentional with her time that she spends on social media.
• [21:04] Prep Dish removes the decision of what's for dinner and adds variety with their great recipes. Deirdre loves the sweet potato frittata and the superfood salad.
• [21:58] Allison's favorites are the beef and butternut squash tagine and pizza soup.
• [24:15] Allison's greatest success is that she started Prep Dish over five years ago and it’s still going strong.
• [25:36] One of her biggest challenges is wrapping identity into her business. She needs personal success and business success.
• [27:15] When it comes to problems everything is “figure outable”. Nothing is life or death. Sometimes you have to trust your gut and make a decision. Sometimes you have to reach out to other people.
• [32:42] Allison actually does better when she works less hours and gives her brain a rest.
• [33:17] There are statistics that entrepreneurs are more productive if they take a vacation.
• [33:45] Allison is a big meditator. She also follows her own meal plans.
• [35:52] Entrepreneurs need to have passion, accountability to themselves, and dedication.
• [38:02] Entrepreneurs also need to be disciplined.
• [39:04] Allison has been in business for over five years. She has learned to learn from her mistakes, and she has built a great team.
• [40:05] A series of mistakes makes a great entrepreneur.
• [40:31] Know your strengths. Create systems, processes, and efficiencies.

Links and Resources:

• Prep Dish
• @PrepDish on Twitter
• Prep Dish on Pinterest
• Prep Dish on Instagram
• Prep Dish on Facebook
• Get 2 Free Weeks of Prep Dish use code WORLDWIDE
• Marie Forleo
• Hubstaff

Are you on the road to financial wellness? Are you taking the right approach? Is it too early or too late to start thinking about financial planning for your future? If you have asked any of these questions you are going to love my interview today with Lori Atwood, the founder and CEO of Fearless Finance. This is a platform and app that gives a complete 360° view of your entire financial situation.

Lori also has the expertise to back up her work. She started Fearless Finance after working in the finance industry for over two decades. Some of her prior experience includes private equity funds, investment banking, being CFO of an Internet startup, and telecom investment banking in Europe. She also has a financial planning consulting business where she helps clients understand overall cash flow and retirement planning.

Sponsor Spotlight: Prep Dish

Prep Dish is a healthy subscription-based meal planning service designed to help you shop once, prep once, and enjoy wholesome, delicious meals that come together in minutes all week long. Sign up at www.prepdish.com/worldwide to get your first 2 weeks FREE.

Show Notes

• [03:13] Lori started out on her own in kind of a roundabout way. She wanted to improve her video skills and started offering free finance workshops. Pretty soon people were asking her if she took clients.
• [05:01] She became a certified financial planner. While working with clients, she discovered that many people had the same questions and she wanted to find a way to automate things.
• [05:40] Lori took her passion and combined it with technology and Fearless Finance was born.
• [07:16] The Fearless Finance platform can be a way to discreetly run different financial scenarios and explore your tree situation.
• [08:07] Fearless Finance is only $6.99 a month.
• [09:21] With the software, Lori is trying to reach people who don't want to come in and see a human.
• [10:06] She also wants to help people who are making it, but who just aren't financially secure yet.
• [11:58] Most people are too overwhelmed to work on their finances.
• [13:33] It's never too early or too late to track your expenses and project your savings. Clients range from college students to retired people.
• [14:57] A lot of Lori's clients are millennials and what stands out about them is that they are asking questions.
• [15:47] Getting people to ask the question creates an opening to serve people with Fearless Finance or consulting.
• [16:59] Lori has an undergraduate degree in computer science. She's always been interested in technology.
• [17:58] The biggest obstacle when offering something new is getting people to understand that they need it.
• [19:16] The ultimate challenge is finding a need and then finding a solution to that problem.
• [20:04] Taking the first steps when starting a business can be nerve-racking. People need to understand the runway of cash they need to get going.
• [25:34] Lori gets so much done because she has a single focus. She also tries to be extremely economical with their time.
• [27:40] Lori knows how long things take to do, so she sets out realistic time goals.
• [30:51] It's better to set out time to do the unpleasant tasks then to get behind and become stressed out.
• [31:45] Lori is a one-woman crusader for living within your means. She thinks it's better to face things head-on.
• [33:01] Lori likes tools that help her simplify her life.
• [34:47] Lori just came back from FinCon and people told her that her app was amazing. She is building the app because it needs to be built because people need a tool to help them with their finances. Lori feels successful because she is filling a need by helping people.
• [37:52] Your passion finds you. Be open to your passion finding you.

Links and Resources:

• Fearless Finance
• Lori Atwood
• @LoriAtwoodsays on Twitter
• Fearless Finance on Facebook
• Lori Atwood on LinkedIn
• MileIQ
• Get 2 Weeks of Prep Dish Free

You may be storytelling about your brand, but are you a courageous marketer? Do you have what it takes to cut through the clutter? Courage is something that we need to embrace today, especially if you are a marketer. How do we make a brand stand out? How do we get recognized? CMOs have to have both sides of their brain working.

My guest today is Drew Neisser the founder and CEO of Renegade, a marketing company that helps courageous CMOs cut through the clutter. Drew is a strategist and writer who has helped dozens of CMOs unleashed their inner renegade. He has told the stories of over 300 marketers via his AdAge column, his book The CMO’s Periodic Table: A Renegade’s Guide to Marketing, and his podcast called Renegade Thinkers Unite.

Show Notes

• [04:09] Drew's first taste of marketing was when he was in college. He created flyers and passed them out at Duke University when he was running a film event.
• [04:36] To his surprise, his tactic worked and people came to the theater.
• [05:39] Working at an agency Drew learned everything you shouldn't do when marketing.
• [06:19] He worked at different agencies until he finally had the opportunity to get involved with Renegade, which he eventually bought out.
• [08:04] Calling your agency renegade sets the bar pretty high. They present clients with ideas and programs that they may not necessarily be expecting.
• [09:59] Drew's books orchestrates and organizes all of the elements that CMO's use. He used his existing interviews and added a few more, and ended up with a book.
• [11:32] The CMO roll is the most bespoke role. CMO's are in charge of so many different things from marketing to sales to product development.
• [12:18] A great CMO can pick what they need in the moment and apply that with some general principles in mind.
• [13:06] A great CMO has the courage to be unique, and the courage to make sure that the brand is unique.
• [14:35] CATS courage, artful, thoughtful, and scientific. These are the things that make a great CMO. Plus, having the ability demonstrate that they can solve the problem the client didn't even know they had.
• [14:58] CMO's have to artfully build a team. The great ones are also great storytellers.
• [15:56] Being thoughtful and thinking about how to be of service to your customers.
• [16:45] Science is always creating hypothesis and testing.
• [19:00] Because of all of the technology, CMO's frequently have to go back for more for more continuing education.
• [24:09] The difference between male CMOs and female CMOs. Sometimes female CMOs are reluctant to put the spotlight on themselves. They talk more about building and nurturing teams and seem to be more self aware.
• [28:29] Get the operational experience that you need and then when you get on a board, keep in mind that it is an advisory role.
• [28:56] Leaders who give credit to their teams excel.
• [29:43] As a CEO, Drew tries to do only the things that only he can do. He also understands how to delegate. He focuses his interviews on people who will be of interest to his clients.
• [31:47] His episodes are also a springboard for additional content like his AdAge columns.
• [32:22] Business books are about delivering hope. Books that give a simple path seem to be more successful.
• [33:50] One of Drew's heroes is Benjamin Franklin. He was America's first chief marketing officer. "Well done is better than well said." This Benjamin Franklin quote has been a mantra for Drew.
• [35:26] Drew personally loves social media. In 2008, when they pivoted to social media, it saved their company.
• [39:16] Drew is a marketing omnivore. He just loves learning. He knows that working on one business and just one channel would bore the heck out of him.
• [40:14] He also needs deadlines and pressure to do his best work.
• [42:06] To become a better leader Drew recommends reading Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln to learn how to bring out the best in a team.  

Links and Resources:

• Renegade
• AdAge
• Renegade Thinkers Unite
• The CMO’s Periodic Table: A Renegade’s Guide to Marketing
• Drew Neisser on LinkedIn
• @RenegadeLLC on Twitter
• @DrewNeisser on Twitter
• Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Our current economy is growing. Some would even say it is booming. Are you feeling the financial effects and saving more? My guest today, not only wants to solve the problem of people not saving enough but has found a way to do it that makes it fun. Lindsay Holden is the CEO and co-founder of Long Game an app that combines savings with gamification.

With Long Game you get a personalized savings system that includes an FDIC insured account. This account is also interest bearing and is linked with winning prizes and getting free crypto rewards. It also educates users. Lindsay graduated from college with dual engineering degrees, but was interested in entrepreneurship.

This is her second company. She has helped Long Game raise $6.6 Million from Thrive Capital and Collaborative Fund. In this interview, Lindsay shares her enthusiasm for the app, the purpose behind the app, and her inspiration. This is a great interview where a young entrepreneur shares how innovation can change our futures.

Show Notes

• [03:17] Lindsay's dad was a huge influence in her life. He ran a pet hospital in San Francisco.
• [03:38] Being an entrepreneur for Lindsay is a combination of being a die-hard optimist and having a sincere interest in solving problems.
• [03:58] She started her career caring about problems with the environment. She then became more involved in tech and financial services.
• [04:29] Most people are extremely bad with their finances.
• [04:41] This is a huge macro problem. It is taboo to talk about financial stress. You can feel like you are failing when you are failing at your finances.
• [05:24] Lindsay was watching a John Oliver sketch on the lottery and realized how huge it was.
• [06:20] This inspired her to take a mechanism that people love and use it to inspire them to save.
• [06:30] Long Game is a mobile app that is an FDIC insured savings account. When you save money in the account, you get opportunities to win up to a million dollars.
• [06:49] This is a no risk way to engage in risky lottery type behaviors without risk.
• [07:07] The app solves the problem of savings and getting finances under control.
• [07:28] Half of Americans can't come up with $500 to cover an emergency. Most are walking a tightrope without a net.
• [08:25] A lot of people cope with financial problems by ignoring them. Many people don't budget.
• [11:08] Why gamification? How we feel really matters. The goal is to bring joy and fun into finances. The strategy to achieve that is to use games.
• [11:53] there are a lot of sparkles, graphics, characters, and you get to play a game of chance. This makes savings exciting and it feels different.
• [12:34] There was a lot of resistance at first especially from investors.
• [13:32] The purpose of the app is to help people make meaningful change by playing games as opposed to grinding through it.
• [13:57] They had to have a banking partner and convince them that came of was the way to go.
• [14:25] The first design of Long Game felt like a bank. Then they realized it didn't have to look and feel that way.
• [15:12] Crypto currency and how it plays a part in the platform.
• [15:25] Blockchain is a new way of storing and distributing information. People have built currencies on top of this platform.
• [15:42] It's an exciting time with crypto, but it is still a very volatile market.
• [16:12] Crypto isn't the most responsible place to put your $500 that you are saving for a rainy day.
• [16:16] Crypto was added as a reward in the app. You can win ethereum and bitcoin and other crypto currencies. This is an opportunity to encourage savings and to educate consumers about crypto.
• [16:55] Ethereum is a distributed computing network. It is on blockchain, transparent, and managed by a community of developers. They are building an infrastructure for other platforms to launch on. One of those is ethereum.
• [18:08] The purpose of Long Game is to attract people to save by enjoying rewards. The average Long Game consumer is under 26 years old and already aware or interested in crypto. This is just a way for them to be rewarded with more in a safe way.
• [23:29] Working in startups you learn a lot about your strengths and weaknesses. Early on in Lindsay's career she thought she had to be good at everything. She had her team take personality assessments and they all learned about their own strengths and weaknesses.
• [24:41] For Lindsay the test confirmed her traits like being a number seven an enthusiast.
• [26:05] Lindsay is willing to give up things that she doesn't do well at.
• [26:27] Lindsay's biggest accomplishment is Long Game. She is super proud of creating something completely new that is helping a lot of people.
• [27:18] Mistakes are how we learn. Maybe Lindsay's biggest mistake is not making more mistakes earlier.
• [29:11] At long game you earn .1% interest. They do plan to move into other financial services.
• [30:59] Everybody's Long Game account is personalized. And they are all different.
• [32:00] Lindsay likes to focus on the energy and intention of how she is showing up. She is building a product she truly believes in and is excited about it, and her team feels the same way.
• [32:45] An important entrepreneurial skill is truth telling. It's important to build trust with your team and deal with situations head on.
• [34:55] In Lindsay's spare time she hangs out with friends and family. She loves to cook and is going camping this weekend.
• [36:28] There is actually more to do once the app is launched.
• [36:51] Be the change that you hope to be.

Links and Resources:

• Lindsay Holden on LinkedIn
• Long Game
• The Lottery: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
• The Enneagram Institute

Do you remember how you first learned about leadership? Today’s show will make you take a step back and reflect on that. Maybe it was in school, an internship, or at your first corporate job. Maybe you're an entrepreneur, and it was when you launched your first company. My guest today has a really interesting career journey. She is going to be sharing how she learned about leadership in an unexpected place.

Helen Rothberg, PhD, was a bartender in New York City throughout her academic career. She has also consulted with Fortune 500 companies, small technology start-ups, and nonprofit organizations. She speaks regularly at associations, alumni, and student gatherings about leadership and bartending.

She is the author of The Perfect Mix: Everything I Know About Leadership I Learned as a Bartender. She has dual degrees in business and behavioral science. She is a professor of strategy at the School of Management at Marist College, senior faculty at the Academy of Competitive Intelligence, and president of consulting firm HNR Associates.  

Show Notes

• [02:49] Helen originally planned on becoming a doctor.
• [03:30] Having summers off was a big motivation for Helen to go into an academic career.
• [03:54] She also realized that there was something special about helping young people find something magnificent in themselves.
• [04:11] She became addicted to helping young people have an impact on the future.
• [04:28] She also helps companies build a future.
• [05:49] Helen's book is a fantastic book, and Deirdre thanks her for writing it.
• [06:25] Helen realized all of the skills, about management, being successful, and leadership were learned when she was behind the bar.
• [07:20] She thought the book would be meaningful.
• [07:46] Deirdre was also a bartender, and that is one the reasons the book resonates. It's also interesting how these bartending stories relate to corporate stories.
• [09:03] A friend recommended that Helen match the stories to corporate life.
• [09:45] ADVICE is Helen's recipe for leading yourself.
• [10:14] The A is about taking action and the lesson is doing more and saying less.
• [10:18] D is about determination and finding a way to get things done with civility and ingenuity.
• [10:35] V is about vision which drives everything. A leader turns on the light and shares the vision.
• [11:02] The I is for integrity. Tell the truth all the time, don't create drama, and if you do own what's yours.
• [11:35] C is for communication which is one of the hardest things to do well.
• [12:00] E is for empathy dare to care, because everyone has a story.
• [12:23] Stand in your own shoes and don't be afraid to be your authentic self.
• [13:02] Shape shifting and having the courage to change. Have the courage to leap.
• [14:15] Helen's favorite story is the story about Eduardo in the empathy chapter.
• [17:55] Helen shares the story where Eduardo regained his humanity.
• [18:45] A story about communication and five guys in a bar. Communication is more than just words.
• [21:17] Actions speak louder than words, and there are other ways to handle situations rather than being violent.
• [27:30] Deirdre shares a story about how she had a similar moment, but decided to leave the job. Once we feel threatened it's hard to move forward.
• [29:55] Helen's biggest lesson learned is that bartending, just like life, is about relationships.
• [31:03] Helen also learned how to build a community around herself.
• [33:34] Letting people shine and do what they do best makes great things possible.
• [35:16] Helen shares how Frank McCourt who wrote Angela's Ashes was her English teacher in 10th grade. He was her first influencer.
• [37:50] He made her believe that at a young age she could do it and be a writer.
• [39:59] When we are young, we don't realize that we are stressed. Walking and dance class always made Helen feel better.
• [42:16] She learned lessons from living life and wasn't afraid to say so. It's important not to get lost in life. Keep something that is yours. This will help manage stress.
• [43:53] Trust yourself and ask yourself what really matters to you and what you can do to support it.

Links and Resources:

• The Perfect Mix: Everything I Know About Leadership I Learned as a Bartender
• Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
• Helen Rothberg
• About Helen
• @HelenRothberg on Twitter
• Helen Rothberg on Facebook
• Helen Rothberg on LinkedIn

Without change business owners will become irrelevant. Change is all around us, but it’s never easy whether in your personal life or business life. Entrepreneurs who are able to embrace change and integrated thinking are the ones who create opportunity. I have the perfect guest today, to talk about change and her journey going through change.

Gini Dietrich is a Women Worldwide alum and the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, an integrated marketing communications firm. She is the author of Spin Sucks, co-author of Marketing in the Round, and co-host of Inside PR. She also is the lead blogger at Spin Sucks and is the founder of Spin Sucks Pro. She is a speaker, award winning blogger, and we are fortunate to have her here today to share her story.

You can find Gini Dietrich here:

Gini on Google+
Spin Sucks
Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age
Marketing in the Round: How to Develop an Integrated Marketing Campaign in the Digital Era
Inside PR Podcast
Spin Sucks Pro
@ginidietrich on Twitter
@spinsucks on Twitter
Spin Sucks on Facebook

Show Notes

• [03:19] Gini is a PR and digital marketing pro.
• [03:30] AI and machine learning are some of the biggest changes out there right now. We need to think about how this will change what we do with our jobs.
• [03:49] We are even seeing these changes with animation and computer software making our lives a little more efficient.
• [04:07] Most of what we do can be replicated by robots, so we really need to think about what we can do to generate income.
• [04:17] We need to focus on things that AI can't replace like creativity.
• [04:59] Women and millennials have fears of their jobs being taken over by A.I.
• [05:36] With all of the technology changes we have to change as professionals and in business.
• [06:09] The fear of change may be in part to humans getting busy and not learning anymore.
• [07:23] Calculated risk when we aren't under pressure is best. If we don't take risk we can't reach our goals.
• [08:28] The importance of getting into the habit of learning and the habit of professional development.
• [09:18] A habit is rewiring something to become muscle memory.
• [10:24] Change can be stressful. Any entrepreneur is somebody who sells an idea and then figures out how to deliver it.
• [11:44] When Gini's team launches something new she creates the course and gets the process in place. Then roles adjust or new people are added to the team.
• [13:29] This year Gini's business was about $40,000 away from laying everybody off. They then discovered that their messaging and marketing weren't correct. They took a step back and figured out what was going on.
• [16:03] A pivot is where you think you are going to go down one path then you pivot until you find what works.
• [17:23] Using data to handle the pivot and correct course. If something isn't working use data to find out why.
• [19:11] There is a math fear that revolves around data, but it is really about reading the numbers.
• [21:49] When it comes to professional development Gini has been working on her writing and working on becoming a better communicator.
• [25:35]  Feedback is a gift to help us grow and learn things.
• [26:15] Being a virtual organization has challenges, but Gini thinks being a good leader comes down to listening and motivating people according to their strengths.
• [27:38] Going from a manager to a leader is a challenge.
• [29:02] Throughout Gini's career she has had mentors that took her under their wings, but now there is mentoring through communities.
• [33:58] A significant improvement for Gini has been hiring a nanny. You have to know when to ask for help.
• [36:23] What success feels like. For Gini, it is having her daughter say that the best part of the day is hanging out with her. From a business standpoint, it is giving back to the industry.
• [38:07] Conversations and creativity cannot be replaced.
• [38:54] Gini would tell her younger self to build a thicker skin and not take things personally.

Links and Resources:

Shift Ahead
Sex, Lies and A.I.
Master Class
The Power of Habit
Educated: A Memoir

Today on Women Worldwide, we are talking about impact on a global scale. There are so many ways to make a positive impact on our own lives, on the lives of the people around us, and on the planet we all share. Together we can thrive!

Women Worldwide alum Cameron Brown is an adventure seeker, international speaker, storyteller, corporate trainer, and founder of The Thriving Collective. He has traveled the world seeking to create impact and has immersed himself in diverse communities and cultures worldwide. His travels have taken him all over in an effort to help people everywhere thrive. Cameron does this by teaching others how to create impact personally, professionally, and environmentally.

Stay tuned to hear all about Cameron’s amazing journey and learn about his mission to leave thriving communities in his wake. From an animal sanctuary in Bogota, Colombia, to speaking engagements in Canada complete with piano accompaniment, you won’t want to miss a stop on Cameron’s journey.

In This Episode

• The Impact Diaries: Bettering the world through music, film, and education
• World travels
• Using technology to bring people together
• Saving the planet
• Taking care of yourself so you can create Impact

Quotes in This Episode

“Even though I’ve learned something in the past, there are ongoing places and situations that I am exposed to that allow me to learn it at a deeper level.” —Cameron Brown

“The Thriving Collective–which is the company that I run–the mission is very much about inspiring people to make a greater impact.” —Cameron Brown

“I write songs about emotional intelligence, and about human behavior, about sustainability, about relationships, and these areas that can help us grow and evolve and be good stewards of the planet.” —Cameron Brown

“It seems a little crazy to destroy the things that are keeping us alive.” —Cameron Brown

“Technology, when used purposefully, can bring people closer together—the way that a lot of people use it at the moment is creating a sea of shallow relationships, and for me, it’s been the exact opposite.” —Cameron Brown

“You know that something isn’t quite right with our planet and the way we are treating it when war is what keeps it ‘safe’ and peace is what destroys it.” —Cameron Brown

“First and foremost, health and wellness must be an absolute priority!” —Cameron Brown

Resources

Follow Cameron on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

Visit Cameron’s website

The Impact Diaries

Listen to Cameron’s first conversation on Women Worldwide

Let’s talk about learning social media! Not only has social media become a ubiquitous tool in our personal lives, but it's one in our academic and professional lives, too. Whether you’re a student, professor, or professional, you have to step out of your comfort zone to embrace technology and explore how to build relationships through new media.

Karen Freberg is an Associate Professor in Strategic Communications at the University of Louisville as well as an adjunct instructor for the Integrated Marketing and Communications Graduate Online Program at West Virginia University. She is a consultant actively involved in researching new directions in public relations, reputation management, crisis communications, and of course social media and author of the upcoming textbook Social Media for Strategic Communication: Creative Strategies and Research-Based Applications. (Women Worldwide listeners can pre-order a copy here.)

Stay tuned as we dive into Karen’s celebrated work in the world of teaching social media, and discuss the pros and cons of using social media—from building relationships and creating a community to cyberbullying and “fake news.”

In This Episode

• The pros and cons of leveraging social media
• Karen Freberg’s New York Time’s best-selling book and forthcoming, full-length textbook
• How to prevent cyberbullying by thinking twice before hitting send
• Verifying the veracity of our social media new sources
• Choosing how and where we spend our valuable time and attention online
• Networking and building relationships

Quotes in This Episode

“I tell my students all the time that I have three weaknesses: coffee, shoes, and technology.” —Karen Freberg

“I love the fact that social media allows you to become your own media outlet and establish your own brand.” —Karen Freberg

“It’s very tempting to be first without going through the facts.” —Karen Freberg

“From an ethical point of view, I try to lead by example. I tell my students, my personal philosophy on social media is to be positive.” —Karen Freberg

“Time and attention are our two biggest currencies that we have right now on social media.” —Karen Freberg

“The Rock can call me Dr. Karen.” —Karen Freberg

Resources

Karen's PR and Social Media Blog

Connect with Karen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn

Pre-Order Social Media for Strategic Communication

Buy "A Roadmap for Teaching Social Media"

mattkushin.com

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

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

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

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