Laura Brandenburg started an online business in 2008. In 2012, shortly after the birth of her first daughter, she landed on a mix of digital project offerings that enabled her to build a 6-figure business while working part-time from home. Now, Laura empowers women to build online businesses the ‘mom style’ way – profitable, flexible ventures that nourish your creative spirit.
Laura realized she was playing small when she found out that her boss was hiring someone else to take over a third of her team. She didn’t speak up at that moment. Laura reflects on that day, thinking if she could’ve focused on what she thought was right, she would have made a much bigger impact in that situation.
Laura hired a coach to figure out what was happening with her business. Her coach pointed out that her plan wasn’t leading to her goal. She wasn’t setting the proper financial expectations for the amount of people she was making offers to, which in turn was putting undo stress on her while trying to maintain her business goals.
Leading by example is Laura’s style of leadership. By being transparent, Laura has found it easier to connect with people.
Laura has been working on a Money Mindset Master Class Workshop. This workshop is going to be geared towards her knowledge on the taboo topic called money.
Laura found her leadership practice is about getting out of her own head. She takes a look from someone else’s perceptive and utilizes that information to give her a broader view.
The sooner you embrace that you can't please everyone, the sooner you can do more impactful creative work.
Stepping into her power is Laura’s mantra.
Facebook group for momprenuers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/momstylebiz/
As a psychology major, a corporate executive, a coach and a Director Consultant for BNI I’ve gotten tons of training on building relationships and managing my reputation. I don’t always do it perfectly but I’m constantly learning and integrating this learning into my life and my business.
Because of this training I’m also really good at identifying when others are doing things that hurt relationships and hurt their reputation. What also catches my attention is when they do these things oblivious to the consequences.
I see it all the time and it is very concerning to me because I know it’s hurting those people’s opportunities to grow in their career or grow their business.
People want to do business with people they know like and trust. The same is true within organizations. Managers want to promote those they know, like and trust.
What I’m going to address is TRUST.
I want to help you to not only avoid losing trust; I want to help you to know what you can do to build trust as well.
Here are five things that will cause people to lose trust in you.
I’m also doing a free webinar on How to be Recognized and Rewarded for the work you do. Go here to stay in the know on when the next one is coming up: https://womentl.com/webinar-interest
Post to accompany this episode: https://womentakingthelead.com/credibility/
Marina Darlow is a project manager and a productivity expert. She views her job as helping impact-driven entrepreneurs get 10-20 more productive hours a week, stop leaking money, and prevent stress-fueled breakdowns. An engineer by training, Marina came to a realization a couple years ago that working for a conglomerate is not as inspiring as she wants her life’s work to be. Marina’s quest for inspiration brought her to found Vision Framework, a company that builds small, purpose-driven businesses from the inside, helping entrepreneurs run their companies with ease by putting effective, easy-to-use and fun (yep!) systems in place.
www.womentakingthelead.com/102
Playing Small Moment
Marina felt lost, having panic attacks, and was in a confused frame of mind. She signed up for a career coaching leadership program, because she wasn’t certain of her career path.
The Wake Up Call
On a trip to New York City, Marina realized - while lying in bed in a swanky hotel - that she had exceeded her goal. Marina was ecstatic because at that moment she realized she can create her own reality.
Style of Leadership
Independence with support is Marina’s style of leadership. She believes people need to learn how to do stuff on their own. She can guide, but you are the one that has to do the work.
What Are You Excited About?
Marina recorded a podcast mini-series with Cameron Gott. This mini-series is based on the emotional needs related to the creation of systems for global visionaries with ADHD.
Leadership Practice
Marina believes there are non-negotiable qualities that one must possess to be a great leader: focus, determination, and empathy.
Book to Develop Leadership
Rising Strong by Brené Brown Ph.D.
What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?
Make as many mistakes as you can. Staying put, out of fear, is not OK.
Inspirational Quote
Change is possible. We can change our reality.
Interview Links
http://www.vision-framework.com/
https://visionframework.leadpages.co/appguide/
https://visionframework.leadpages.co/systemsforcreatives/
Kim Eisenberg is a Career Counselor and an Organizational Development Consultant who helps people and businesses create healthy relationships with work. She blends her expertise in corporate career services, counseling, and organizational leadership to deliver candid, strengths-based approaches to career and business development.
Playing Small Moment
Kim noticed her playing small moment after she first started her own business. Kim was fearful that she wasn’t making enough money, so she went out and got herself a full-time job. This job was a step down from what she was doing in the past and ended up being a complete disaster after only one month.
The Wake Up Call
Although Kim doesn’t like to focus on aha moments, she does remember some wake up calls. While Kim was working at the full-time job mentioned, she received high praise from one of her clients that she was coaching at the time. During this time, Kim also heard one of her research papers was being published by a peer review journal.
Style of Leadership
Kim has two different styles of leadership: situational and strength-based. She realized that people perceive themselves as much smaller than the world perceives them. Kim loves to delegate and feels that being the boss doesn’t mean she knows it all. Kim surrounds herself with people who have talents that she doesn’t have.
What Are You Excited About?
The launch of her programs geared toward woman negotiating. Kim doesn’t just mean negotiation for jobs; she is talking about all aspects of life.
Leadership Practice
Kim practices active listening. She believes the more substance the better. She also practices being a leader who can be in the present moment with people and not think about her own agenda.
Book to Develop Leadership
Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD
What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?
Kim would tell her younger self that the entire world is not falling apart. Just hang in there and keep chipping away at it.
Inspirational Quote
No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Strive to be happy.
— Excerpts from the poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann
Interview Links
https://www.facebook.com/KimEisenbergConsulting
https://twitter.com/kim_eisenberg
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimeisenberg
https://womentakingthelead.com/kim-eisenberg/
To celebrate the 100th episode on Women Taking the Lead I've collected and strung together the first 100 quotes shared on this podcast by our amazing guests.
https://womentakingthelead.com/100-quotes/
Sign up for this free webinar on How To Be Recognized and Rewarded for the Work You Do: https://womentl.com/webinar-interest
Carl helps coaches to get clear and visible, and to get clients through heart-centered entrepreneurship, so that they enjoy freedom and wealth. Carl believes that clarity is crucial to business success. His mission is to help coaches build a solid business that fully reflects their vision, skill set and strengths. So they can attract the right customers.
Carl has more than 20 years of experience, in marketing and communication in the UK and The Netherlands, working for major companies like Air France and British Telecom. He is also a certified life coach and motivational speaker.
A Woman Who Has Influenced Your Life
Carl has been influenced by many women throughout his life. However, one person really strikes a chord with him, his mentor Jennifer Hermenes. She taught him how to sell using his heart and how to serve people not just sell them.
What He Sees That Hold Women Back
Carl has noticed a trend; women seeking help and comradery from other women. He suggests you need to encourage everyone to work together and to not exclude others.
What He Has Learned from Women
Working with many women in his life, Carl has learned how to use his intuition. Carl is grateful to those women that have taught him how to hone in on this skill.
What Changes Does He See That Are Necessary for Women to Step Up as Leaders?
Carl says women should not be afraid to get in front of a camera and get themselves visible. He suggests recording a 30-second video on standing for what you believe in.
What He is Excited About
Carl is excited about his 2nd Business, Retreat for Women in Tuscany. It’s a week-long retreat to get women out of their everyday habits and focus on how to market using a heart-centered connection. You can find more details at eatpraylearn.com.
Inspirational Quote
“You can measure your worth by your dedication to your path, not by your successes or failures.” ~ Elizabeth Gilbert
Interview Links
What is the definition of a leader and what am I talking about when I refer to “taking the lead?”
In my view a leader is not limited to the person heading up a group. It is well recorded in history that certain famous individuals became leaders, not because they sought the role. Rather, they were living according to their values and following their conscience and that inspired others to join them on their journey and they were nudged into taking authority.
I remember from my corporate days learning the distinction between the position of leader and the actual leader. Though often the same person had the position of leader and was the actual leader, it wasn’t always the case.
The person who had the title or position of leader was not always the person that eyes wandered to when important announcements were being made. The person the eyes wandered to, that was the person that people were actually taking their cues from. However that person responded to the announcement would influence how other people responded.
So what had this person be so special?
Well, they usually were really good at forming close relationships. They didn’t have to be outgoing but people had a sense of who they were as an individual and where they stood on common issues.
They were responsible. Meaning they would respond to what was going on around them. They weren’t waiting for someone to give them direction. If they saw a problem they would get involved. Appropriately or inappropriately, it didn’t matter; they were somehow involved.
These people had an awareness of themselves. They knew what they liked and what they didn’t like. Though they could compromise and collaborate with others they didn’t comply because they didn’t have an opinion – they were just choosing their battles and thinking about the good of the group.
This awareness also extended to their strengths and weaknesses. Though we are all continually getting to know more about ourselves these individuals seemed to have a better sense of what they wanted to call attention to and what areas or characteristics to downplay.
They also knew their sphere of influence. They knew who would go along with their ideas and who would need convincing and how to convince them.
Sometimes these individuals could be convinced to take on the position of leader if they didn’t have it already and sometimes their preference was to lead from the trenches.
In my view, someone is “taking the lead” when they are responding to what is going on inside them or around them. They are not waiting for permission to respond or to respond in a way that feels good for them - they are responding.
When I first started the Women Taking the Lead podcast my thought was I wanted to inspire women to take initiative and be change makers in their professions or their businesses. But since launching my intentions have broadened.
I want to inspire women to take initiative and be change makers in any area of their life they are drawn to.
And here is what I know: when you make changes in one area of your life it ripples over to other areas because in order to cause change we have to change who we are being. When we change who we are being in one area we naturally take that evolved version of ourselves into other areas.
If you are taking the lead in your health and wellness and are gaining confidence in that area, that will ripple into having more confidence in your finances, your relationships, your spiritual awareness and so on.
If taking the lead for you means you’re going to do something about the lack of fun you’ve been experiencing lately I’m here to support you. I know that by making sure you are having more fun you’ll have more energy and enthusiasm overall that you can put toward anything you’d like.
If taking the lead means you finally say no to that group or association that no longer serves you, I’ve got a virtual high-five for you. Because I know that by saying no to this obligation you’ll be able to say yes and give more of yourself to the things that are truly important to you, reflect your values and feed your soul.
Here are some steps you can take to begin taking the lead in your life:
Your attention might get pulled in certain directions because you want more or you want less of whatever is getting your attention.
For me, right now my fitness and nutrition keep pulling on my attention – mostly because I would like to feel tired less and have more energy.
How would life be if you had more of what you want and less of what you don’t want?
Really imagine the details of what that would look like.
How would it feel in your body? How much fun would you be having? What would you be doing with your extra time, energy or money?
Choose goals wisely and choose goals that are worthy of you. Choose goals that will take you from where you are now to what you visualized.
For the example I gave above, I’m being more active and moving more. I’m getting more vegetables in throughout the day and I’m cutting back on alcohol. Alcohol for me is an energy drainer but it may not be for you. Pay attention to your body when you consume different foods and drinks
Don’t keep it to yourself, tell others about it. Talking about your goals out loud will make them more real and will give you some energy and momentum.
Respond. Respond in a way that is true to you and honors your values. Continue to share your progress with trusted friends and partners.
Now that’s what I call taking the lead in your life.
Do you have a particular area in mind?
Entrepreneurs and executives seek the business coaching, training and keynotes of Penny Zenker for her strategic thinking and ability to transfer these skills to others. Penny is one of the very few business and entrepreneurial coaches that merges her own high level success with extraordinary coaching skills to offer motivated individuals an exceptional resource.
Playing Small Moment
Penny undervalued herself after selling her IT company. She was working too many hours, so she decided to work for another Tech Company. After getting hired, she realized they wanted her to become the CEO of the company. Penny was dripping with fear and felt like she was over her head. She ended up staying with her job for longer than anticipated because her boss, who became her mentor, explained what his real expectations were.
The Wake Up Call
One of Penny’ wake up calls was when she ended up in a big fight with her 3-year-old. She realized she wasn’t giving him the attention and the presence he needed, because she was focused more on her work.
Style of Leadership
Penny has a coaching style of leadership. She comes from a place of curiosity and uses a collaborative way of coaching.
What Are You Excited About?
She is excited to announce that at the end of February, she is launching her new TV Talk Show, called Excellence Success.
Leadership Practice
Penny’s leadership practice is viewing the big picture and the whole picture by stepping back and getting perspective.
Book to Develop Leadership
What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?
Penny would tell her younger self to compare herself to the best version of herself. She has a book coming out next year called Compared to What, which speaks to this idea.
Inspirational Quote
Stop managing your time and start managing your energy.
Interview Links
https://www.facebook.com/PennyzPerspective/
https://twitter.com/pennyzenker
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennyzenker/
Cloris Kylie is a performance coach and branding expert. She helps coaches, authors, consultants, speakers, and other service-based professionals expand their client base through the power of social media, mass media, webinars, speaking, blogging, podcasting, and networking. Cloris has been featured on television and radio, and her articles have been published on websites with millions of followers.
Playing Small Moment
While Cloris was on a job interview, she realized the culture wasn’t a good match. She ended up getting the job; however, when they called to make her an offer, she thought about it and said no thanks she was no longer interested.
The Wake Up Call
Rebranding herself was Cloris’s wake up call. She realized she needed to cater to a specific niche. This made her message less confusing to her audience.
Style of Leadership
Inclusion is Cloris’s style of Leadership. The sign of a good leader is, wake up and say “I’m a better person today than I used to be.” You need to take the constructive criticism, breathe through it and thank the person, and then you can begin to unpack it.
What Are You Excited About?
Cloris has two major things happening in her business. One is the launch of the Lead Generation Academy; the second is the two-day event she has coming up on May 21-22 called the Client Attraction Bootcamp. Both of these events are focused around how to build and own your list of contacts.
Leadership Practice
Get out of your comfort zone and take chances that might seem scary at the time.
Book to Develop Leadership
The Power of No by James and Claudia Altucher
What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?
Give yourself time and space to think about a decision. Don’t do something you don’t want to do because you think it is something you have to do.
Inspirational Quote
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
Chinese Proverb
Interview Links
Live event: https://myplatform.info/client-attraction-bootcamp
Free eBook to expand your client base at https://myplatform.info/free-pdf-ebook
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cloriskylie
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cloriskylie
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/cloriskylie
https://womentakingthelead.com/cloris-kylie/
From climbing the corporate ladder to entrepreneurship, Erica Castner is not a stranger to the professional development world. She is the founder of Queen of Results Business Coaching & Consulting, a company dedicated to helping CEO moms go from "I wish I could" to "I know I can" and communicate their message with power and poise.
Erica is a member of: the National Association of Professional Women, the Dress for Success SW Florida Advisory Board, the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, the Above Board Chamber of Florida, and the American Business Women's Association.
Playing Small Moment
When the chaos started to consume her life, Erica came to the realization that she needed to take control.
The Wake Up Call
Not worrying about what others think was Erica’s wake up call. We all have a story; there are good, bad, and indifferent parts to each story. You can choose to lead with only the good, but there is no grit to that.
Style of Leadership
Erica’s style of leadership is leading with a team mentality not a dictatorship.
What Are You Excited About?
Erica is launching The Queen Bee Revolution, hoping to end the worker bee mentality.
Leadership Practice
She asks herself three questions each night: “What are the things I did really well today?”, “What were the things I could do better?” and “What are my intentions moving forward into the next day?”
Book to Develop Leadership
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) by Don Miguel Ruiz
What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?
To trust herself first and foremost. What you feel in your gut, will probably work out in your favor.
Inspirational Quote
“You were a warrior; you go through the finish line not to it.”
Robert be Apel
Interview Links
Website: www.thequeenofresults.com
Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/blog-podcast-queen-results/id964825673?mt=2
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thequeenofresults/?fref=ts
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/powermomsproclamation/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/QueenofResults
Lori believes that developing people’s true potential is the single most important job of any leader. After serving 14 years in education, she now helps entrepreneurs and new leaders build their leadership capacity so they can maximize their potential, performance and impact.
Lori has worked with top online entrepreneurs, local small business owners and highly successful professionals to provide business strategies, personal development and leadership coaching. Her mission is to change the world through leadership and influence.
Lori has a track record of staying in relationships too long without realizing it was time to leave. She would recognize there had been a long lasting problem after she had stepped out of the relationship.
Lori felt that she wasn’t receiving the mentorship she needed, she wasn’t being pushed to grow. Her next step was hiring a life coach. Lori’s life coach asked why she kept going to a place that wasn’t allowing her to grow, which opened up her eyes to the situation.
Lori creates a supportive and positive environment, but also giving it to them straight and laying out her expectations clearly.
Lori is excited about her new launch of a 14-day challenge with 14 micro-actions that leaders can take to improve their impact.
Lori surrounds herself with like minded people to keep up her success.
May Cause Miracles by Gabrielle Bernstein
If Lori could tell her younger self one thing it would be to research scholarships and be careful with the money she invests into college.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” - Martin Luther King
www.theleadershipinfluence.com
https://www.facebook.com/theleadershipinfluence
https://twitter.com/HeislerLori
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Commitment.
Committing to ourselves.
It’s so easy as women to advocate and commit to others but when it comes to doing this for ourselves – we back away.
Why is that?
I believe it’s because we are hard-wired to take care of others. We are also nurtured to do this. We are rewarded as children for doing thoughtful things for others but not for speaking up and asking for what we need or want.
We may have even had an experience where we were chastised for asking for what we needed or wanted.
When I was growing up making sacrifices for others was always acknowledged and celebrated. And it should be; it’s wonderful.
But there is something I believe must come first. There has to be a commitment to you and as much as I cringe saying this because of my conditioning, you have to come first.
If you don’t come first everything else will suffer as a consequence. Click to Tweet!
I’ve been struggling with this one. I have to be completely transparent that there is a part of me that resists commitment altogether.
I sometimes joke that it’s because I’m Sagittarius. I love my freedom too much to tie myself down to too many commitments and that it’s probably the reason why I’m single.
I make plans to meet up with friends for dinner and I’m really excited about it. Then the day comes and in the afternoon I get overwhelmed with the desire to just get into my pajamas at the end of the day and watch reruns of The West Wing.
I feel a pang of regret that I’ve made plans for the evening but my commitment and my integrity – that I’ve given my word – wins over and instead of pajamas and TV I’m with friends laughing enjoying a good meal and I don’t regret it.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always something fun that I’ve committed to and sometimes it’s just the satisfaction that I was true to my word that rewards me for overcoming any desire to be somewhere else or do something else.
Making and keeping commitments, especially to yourself, will help you to keep moving forward in the direction of your dreams despite any short-lived cravings to play it small, play it safe and play it comfortable.
Here are some things you can do if you struggle with making and keeping commitments to yourself:
How often have you found yourself committed to something that has no real value or meaning to you. These are the times you find yourself saying, “I don’t even know why I agreed to this?”
Be very clear on what you value and what your goals are and only make commitments that are a reflection of them.
Everything else is a “no.” And if you find yourself saying “yes” when you really wanted to say “no” take a look in the mirror and uncover what it was that compelled you to say yes. This can often range from a need to be liked to avoiding conflict.
Just know that whatever compelled you, in that moment, you gave it more power than your values and your goals. Think about how you can handle that situation differently in the future so when it comes up again, and it will, you will be able to navigate it with more power and ease.
If your commitment is relevant, if it does reflect your values and goals, it will be much easier to overcome the urges to break the commitment. You can remind yourself why this commitment is important and how it will improve your life in the long-term.
I’m in a phase right now where I have gotten off-track with my workouts and I’m trying to get back to the level of fitness I was at over the summer. Over the holidays and when I was in an intense period of catching up after the holidays my workouts took a nose-dive and I knew I needed to get back into a rhythm.
Knowing this would be a struggle, I committed to - at the very least - getting 10-15 minutes of cardio in everyday to start building up my endurance again. Easy, right?
Wrong.
Every day there was “one more thing and one more thing” that needed to get done before I could do my workout and before I knew it there wasn’t even 10 minutes to workout. Iin fact I was running late and barely had time to take a shower and get ready before I need to race out the door.
When I took a look at the list of things that made up the “one more thing” they were all tasks that could have waited. I was just using them to procrastinate because I hated the reminder, when I was working out, that I was no longer as physically fit as I once was. I didn’t look forward to this and so was avoiding it to my own detriment.
I made a conscious effort to change my mindset and focus on what I do enjoy about my workout: it’s 10-15 minutes just for me, I get to listen to my favorite music or podcasts, I can focus on the progress I’m making, I can enjoy the endorphin rush and the feeling of satisfaction that comes when I’m done and I can check my workout off my list. It’s not hanging over my head for the rest of the day that I skipped my simple workout yet again.
Many people resist accountability because it sounds like being taken to task and is just another way to feel bad about making and breaking a commitment.
However, accountability is only meant to be a check-in and not a disciplinary hearing. It’s an opportunity to communicate the status of your commitment and make any adjustments or recommitment if necessary.
Accountability is for you and not for the other person.
Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before and co-host of the podcast Happier, talks often about the four tendencies when it comes to forming and keeping habits: upholder, questioner, obliger and rebel.
You can TAKE THE QUIZ HERE to see what your tendency is.
I’m an obliger and I’m not surprised. That means that I am motivated to make others happy. I don’t like to disappoint people so accountability works great for me.
However, if your tendency is to rebel then accountability will probably not work for you.
As an obliger I also have to be cautious of over-committing, which I do often, because overcommitting will cause stress, resentment and ultimately, backing out of commitments.
Questioners will want to know everything about the commitment before they agree to it and Upholders will resist new commitments unless they can give 100% to it because they will give 100% and then some once they’ve committed.
Know what works for you and set yourself up for success.
And lastly…
I had a conversation with my father one day about marriage and the long haul and getting through tough times. In his wisdom my father shared that a commitment was not something you set and forget. It takes thoughtfulness, care and nurturing.
He told me that he chooses my mother every day when he wakes up. He recommits himself to her every day.
That’s the kind of love we need to have for ourselves as well. We need to choose ourselves every day.
Every day, regardless of how you feel, you need to commit to honoring your relationship with yourself.
This is how you develop self-worth and personal power.
You are worth the commitment.
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Stacy Curtis interviews fascinating people on her podcast at WriteOfYourLife.com. Her latest project – Lifestorytelling.com, a Lifestory Laboratory (and memoir writing course) – is taking off. This life story and memoir telling project is the culmination of years working to understand the psychology and art of life story writing, and making it easy for others to write their stories. It’s valuable to trace your trouble, transcribe your tale, and transform your life.
Click to tweet: .@WriteOfYourLife is sharing her story to inspire you on Women Taking the Lead! ▶ www.womentakingthelead.com/094
Stacy’s first husband cheated on her. After he told her he wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay with her or leave, she sat by the phone waiting for him to choose her. During a memoir writing class, she realized that she had never raised her hand. Not speaking up had become her life theme.
Stacy ended up in a second marriage, this time with a sociopath. She signed onto her computer for her daughter and spotted her husband’s Craigslist ad, soliciting himself to couples. Stacy’s realized that her kids would end up in similar relationships if she didn’t get up to show them how to stand up for themselves.
Stacy leads by encouragement. She guides people through her course by trying new things and encouraging experimentation.
Stacy is excited about her podcast, writeofyourlife.com, which gives her the chance to connect with so many different people. Her work helps her learn more about herself.
Grace to herself and to others. Stacy has been given grace so many times when she has failed, so she is sure to spread it to others.
One Big Thing: Discovering What You Were Born to Do by Phil Cooke
Raise your hand! Take the spotlight; you are not responsible for other people’s feelings.
“If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.” ~ Thomas Edison
http://www.writeofyourlife.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/WriteOfYourLife
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/WriteOfYourLife/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriteOfYourLife
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/WriteOfYourLife
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Writeofyourlife/posts
Instagram: https://instagram.com/writeofyourlife/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacycurtis
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Felicia Knight is the president of The Knight Canney Group, a strategic consultancy based in Portland, Maine. Previously, Knight worked in Washington, DC, where for five years she served as Director of Communications for the National Endowment for the Arts, and for the prior five years as Director of Communications for United States Senator Susan M. Collins of Maine. Before that, Felicia Knight enjoyed a 20-year career as an award-winning broadcast journalist in Maine.
When Felicia found out a new male coworker was earning so much more than she was for the same job, she marched down to her boss to ask why. He responded that this coworker had a family to support, and Felicia took that and didn’t push back. She saw the question as answered.
Sometime in her early 40’s, Felicia realized that she was a bonafide adult. At this point she could use the powers of yes and no. It was time for her to make the decisions for herself.
Felicia tries really hard not to micromanage. It was hard for her to delegate, but once she did – it was life changing. She does have a low tolerance for missed deadlines and no attention to detail.
Felicia is excited about a new enterprise called The Portland Science Center, which they are handling media and PR for, and is a very popular science museum in a great part of town.
Listening is Felicia’s strongest practice. She also tries to see from others’ point of view.
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Pay Attention. Life goes by very quickly and the average life is made-up of many small moments. Pay attention during that camping trip or that ordinary family dinner, and appreciate what is in front of you.
“Treat others the way you want to be treated.” ~ Felicia Knight
Sandy Weiner, founder of Last First Date, is devoted to helping women achieve healthy, off the charts love in the second half of life. An internationally known TEDx speaker, dating coach, speaker, and workshop leader, Sandy specializes in helping women communicate effectively, set clear boundaries in relationships, and value themselves. She believes that a woman of value attracts her best partner. Sandy has contributed hundreds of articles to several prestigious publications, including the Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and The Good Men Project, and she is the dating expert at Better After 50. She is also the host of Last First Date Radio, an acclaimed show about attracting and sustaining healthy relationships in midlife.
Sandy had the opportunity to do a TED Talk after discussing her love for TED Talks with a friend, but she was petrified of public speaking. She hired a speech coach and was able to deliver the speech with phenomenal affect. Sandy had to make the choice to play it small or be amazing.
Sandy looked to the future of her marriage, realized that she would be alone with her husband, once the kids were older, and moved out. This was a thought that she was not looking forward to, and the more time they spent apart, the more their differences surfaced.
Sandy teaches her clients to be their own coach. She says “It’s not about powering over, it’s about powering with.” Sandy believes that empowering to change is much more powerful than shaming into change.
She is re-launching Find Love Online After 40, a pre-recorded course that helps women learn how to find love online, successfully.
Having and accountability partner has been greatly beneficial for Sandy. They meet a couple of times a week and set small goals, then discuss their success or what they plan to do if they didn’t succeed.
Get more support! She tried to do it all, and lost herself. Self-care is so important, and it is essential to delegate, even at home.
“Strive not to be a success, but rather be a value.”
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/yourlastfirstdate/
Amber Lambke is the president of the Somerset Grist Mill, LLC and its Maine Grains label, which is carried by specialty food stores and used by fine restaurants and bakeries throughout Northeastern US. She is also the executive director of the Maine Grain Alliance. Amber has worked with local business leaders and community members to successfully bring the cultivation and processing of heritage grains back to Skowhegan, Maine, which is a driving force behind Maine’s sustainable foods movement. Her efforts through the Maine Grain Alliance have generated a broader understanding and appreciation of the nutritional and economic value of heritage grains and oats, as well as their exceptional flavor. The alliance’s Kneading Conference, co-founded by Amber, now draws thousands of attendees from across North America each year and has spawned similar conferences across the country.
Amber began to volunteer with an organization called, Main Street, from 2005-2007. Her mindset was focused on recruiting someone to start a business to help her town. Amber never considered that someone would be her.
Amber’s wake up call was recognizing the power of a project to unite people around a common cause. Leadership has been her biggest wake up call.
Amber leads by example. She likes to engage in a task with her eyes wide open in order to see who else could do it before they realize it, so she can bring more to the table.
Maine Grains is now 3 years into their launch and is recognizing the increasing demand for their rolled oats. New equipment has been purchased from Germany and Amber is excited to start upping their production to reach out to new businesses.
Amber always tries to keep her own thoughts in check and saying the right things to herself to be stronger.
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change” by Stephen R. Covey
Amber would tell her younger self to trust her instincts earlier. She always had a vision in business, and she didn’t know where it came from. Amber believes that everyone has intuition about where their life is headed.
“You need to have an affection for place, and people and animals; and you need to have an affection for hard work and the soil and all of the things that come together to make a successful and productive life.”
From: “It All Turns on Affection” by Wendell Berry
Kristie Kennedy is a motivational speaker, a personal development coach and an established author. Kristie has a rich treasury of insight and knowledge for women who are challenged in three areas: self-worth, self-starting and self-growth. She is a visionary leader, who serves as women’s beauty, business, brilliance and body image speaker with a passion for empowering individuals to live magnificently in the face of adversity.
Kristie is an artist at heart and didn’t know she could use those skills to be expressive and was often held back by her own fear. In college, she was afraid to contribute to class discussions for fear of being wrong and realized that her professor was enabling her fear and holding her back.
This year has been a year of transformation for Kristie, which is pivotal for her role as an entrepreneurial leader. After being terminated unexpectedly from her spa career, she realized that she was worth so much more than what she was working for.
Kristie leads from within. She builds herself up with affirmations from her book so that she can be strong form the inside out. Kristie is also a firm believer in doing unto others as they would do unto you.
Kristie is pumped about her new online radio show, Massive Momentum. Her show talks about small steps with massive power and how effective you can be once you overcome your fears.
Journaling has been therapeutic for Kristie, ever since middle school. She journals everything internally and externally, and finds peace in it.
“Aim for Greatness: See it, Say it and Soar!” by Kristie Kennedy
“The Mary Kay Way: Timeless Principles from America's Greatest Woman Entrepreneur” by Mary Kay Ash
“Dear Kristie, one day you are going to wake up and realize that all of your pain was a divine oyster housing a pearl of unrevealed power.”
“Success doesn’t come to you; you go to it.” Marva Collins
John Lee Dumas is the founder & host of Entrepreneur on Fire, a top ranked business Podcast where he interviews today's most inspiring Entrepreneurs 7 days a week.
An army veteran and dabbler of professions, he felt unfulfilled in his career until he hit upon his mission – to inspire and motivate would-be and newbie entrepreneurs, to keep going and to find success through all the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial roller coaster.
When John first had the idea of the Entrepreneur on Fire podcast, it was just an idea. He had no clue how to start, nor did he have any background experience. John found someone in a place where he wanted to be, Jamie Tardy. He asked her for mentorship but also made sure to ask how he could add value.
John sees a lot of women hold themselves back from within. In the military, he saw many females shy away from command, but he could not understand why, and knows he would have obeyed their orders. If you know you can deliver, you can create the results people want, that’s all they care about.
John has found that women are quicker at finding their voice as an entrepreneur than men; and that while some women might struggle, they often feel more comfortable being themselves.
Throughout 2015, John has been hard at work on The Freedom Journal, which can help you set and accomplish your #1 goal in 100 days.
“Try not to become a person of success but a person of value.”
John’s main leadership practice is focusing on his morning ritual. Making sure he takes care of himself and then he can take care of fire nation the rest of the day. Focus on yourself first.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhB3l1gCz2E
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Nellie Akalp is a serial entrepreneur, small business expert, speaker and author. She is the founder and CEO of CorpNet.com - an online legal document filing service - where she helps entrepreneurs start, grow and maintain a business. Nellie shares her expert tips with readers at Forbes, Entrepreneur and Mashable and is a regular guest expert on the Fox Small Business Center. Nellie has presented a workshop at Small Biz Expo and sat down with members of Girls in Tech, General Assembly, and more, to inspire and motivate others to make their business dreams a reality.
Nellie started her first business straight out of law school and right at the start of the Internet. The business took right off, as there was not a lot of competition. In 2005, the company was sold for a large sum of cash. Nellie took time off to focus more on being a mom. After her non-compete clause ran out, she realized she was too young, bored and passionate to take early retirement. So, Nellie jumped back into the game and started CorpNet in 2009, at the height of the recession. She was bombarded by competition and felt out of place with the new social media world we were in. After Nellie’s quick success in the past, she suffered from a false sense of being able to do the same thing again. Nellie had to adapt to a new way of doing things, and rethink her approach.
Nellie is very public about her panic attacks, even writing about them on The Huffington Post. A year ago she went to an Intuit convention and listened to Ariana Huffington speak publicly about her panic attack. Nellie realized she was not alone, and wanted to share her experiences.
Nellie is not your typical CEO. She expects a ton from her team, but she is very ‘all for one, one for all’. A great big company is a result of the sum of its parts.
CorpNet is updating their CRM software into a new, more engaging platform for their clients and employees.
Nellie has an open door policy where any of the employees can talk to her about what is going on. There should be a balance between keeping your clients and your employees happy. Nellie always makes sure her employees are thriving in a positive environment. She focuses on the positive rather than the negative.
“Burnt Toast: And Other Philosophies of Life” by Teri Hatcher
“Make the impossible your reality and it will ultimately become your reality.”
Sara Millman is an independent filmmaker and writer whose work has been screened and distributed on five continents. She envisioned backHer to enable fellow artists, activists, and entrepreneurs to grow budgets, while at the same time to support women who are rising from poverty and oppression. Sara has devoted much of her life to actively caring for people and animals. Social and economic justice has been a factor in her life from the start and Sara is especially passionate about creating and growing the backHer Rise Together Fund.
Click to tweet: .@filmworks7 is sharing her story to inspire you on Women Taking the Lead www.womentakingthelead.com/087
Sara’s film was the closing night film at a London film festival. As she was sitting in the limo that was provided, she suddenly felt super anxious about the upcoming events. Throughout her whole life, Sara wanted to be seen, but now that all eyes were going to be on her, she began second-guessing her decisions. Being at these fancy parties and being treated like royalty while not being able to afford a cup of tea, Sara struggled with a prince and pauper sentiment, still feeling like an outsider who did not deserve to be there.
In school, a science teacher ridiculed Sara for her veganism after her refusal to dissect frogs. Inside a closet, the science teacher came in and shoved dead kittens in her face. Sitting in the closet that day, a powerful knowing came over her and she left. Sara suddenly knew she did not have to go through that.
Sara seeks the leader in others; she tries to always live and work in a state of empowerment. It’s about encouragement of self-empowerment and leadership in everyone.
BackHer is a crowdfunding platform for women to fund their projects and ideas, while also helping underserved women. BackHer supports organizations that help women who are rising out of poverty and oppression. Their goal is to use crowdfunding to help women reach the next step while helping women in need get an education and the help they need.
Sara focuses on compassion; putting heart before ego. She tries to become more aware of the interactions she has with each person every day. Each of us deserves to be treated with respect.
Ted Talks
Why Do Ambitious Women Have Flat Heads? by Dame Stephanie Shirley
How to Overcome Our Biases? Walk Boldly Toward Them by Vernā Myers
Greenlight yourself. Don’t try to be part of the mold that doesn’t have room for you.
“If you manage to stay on your path in life, you will always be at the perfect place.” ~ Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu
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Christie Mims is the Founder and CEO of The Revolutionary Club, the number one destination for smart women who are unwilling to settle for anything less than career happiness. Compassionate, caring, and a little kick-ass, Christie is here to make sure that you love what you do (note: life is too short not to love what you do). A certified professional coach and recovering consultant with a background in working for Fortune 500 companies, Christie has been there, done that, and worn those uncomfortable shoes. She has dispensed career advice for Forbes, LearnVest, Brazen Careerist, Yahoo! and many more; and she can be seen speaking at the University of VA, The Daily Muse, Women for Hire, The US Army, and at a variety of other organizations.
Christie says we treat our jobs as Disney treats love. That is not really the case, though. Your career is something that is going to span 50+ years. When you enjoy your work, you tend to live a healthier and longer life. The more we invest in our careers, the happier we are in our careers.
Fear holds people back. Fear of failure, of not liking your new choice of career. Most people let the fear seep in and talk ourselves out of this big change. Sometimes it is easier to stay stuck than to make a change.
The best way to conquer your fears is to find a sense of community. Once you know that others feel the same and you get to talk about your fears and feel normal about it, it can help you face your fears. Also, get expert support and a plan. If you knew the answers, you would do it. So, let someone guide you towards getting over your fears.
When you find your passion, you are reconnecting with who you really are, which we tend to cover up by our safe jobs. When you stop following everyone else, it is a revolution. It can feel like you are shaking up your life. The revolution club is a space where people can talk honestly about their careers. She believes that if we can change the talk about work, we can change people’s lives.
After taking this program, students have said they found their passion or asked their boss for a raise. People said they have never felt better in their careers. There is no better time to be thinking about your career. The economy is finally getting better. Companies are changing their structures to allow for more freedom.
After a change in the way she thought and a career shift, one of Christie’s students is now an environmental engineer and she says she would never have had the courage to do it without the course. She did not believe it was possible. Another student is going to make more money in his own business than he is now and has a year of work already lined up.
Anna Lenhart is the founder of the Next Generation of Service, an online alternative career center that encourages recent graduates to start their career with a Year of Service. Anna graduated from Carnegie Mellon University. Using her Fulbright Grant, she studied sustainable waste management practices in Namibian townships. She has since staked a role in the San Diego community as a Salesforce and technology consultant, working primarily with non-profits and start-up companies. Anna is also an ambassador for the Franklin Project. She loves surfing, rock climbing, and camping; and has visited 23/53 of the United States National Parks.
Anna tried working with universities for funding. After the realization that it was too difficult working with universities for funding, they had to revert to traditional ways. Anna felt uncomfortable asking for donations and often came across as timid. Once she spoke to other non-profit founders, she had to change the way she approached donors and kicked up her confidence.
With Anna’s unique skill set, she often gets offered full-time jobs with large salaries while she is doing freelance work. She makes sure to carefully examine her current situation before turning down a job offer. As a result, others often question her about those decisions once they learn she has turned down those large salaries.
Anna has different methods depending on what/whom she is leading. She leads her construction engineering differently. In not-for-profit, she looks for very specific people that “get it”. Skill set is not as important as the passion people hold for the project you are working on. The key is to surround yourself with the right people.
Recently, they collaborated with the Positive Impact Podcast to hold an upcoming week long summit featuring successful individuals who got their start with a year of service.
Anna finds that she has a tendency to blurt out what she is saying, so she is trying hard to listen to everyone and hear what they really have to say.
Anna wishes she knew when she was younger that relationships are actually the most important things you have. She wishes she had been less of a jerk as she has a competitive nature that often came between friends.
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pool of what you really love, it won’t lead you astray.” - Rumi
Next Generation of Service: http://ngsmovement.org/
Franklin Project: http://www.franklinproject.org/
Journey to Social Entrepreneurship (Upcoming Online Summit): http://journeytosocialentrepreneurship.com/
The women of my family, young and old are sharing their thoughts on leadership, love, relationships, growing up and motherhood. We are joined by Lucia and Sophia Flynn, Kerri and Vanessa Sulminski and Erin, Danya and Eiryanna Gachuma to celebrate the past year and ring in the New Year with a fun, touching and humorous episode. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Describe your daughter to me.
You are raising a son and a daughter. Are there any considerations you have for your daughter that you don’t have for your son?
What are the challenges you’ve faced as the mother of a daughter?
What are your thoughts on raising your daughter to be a leader?
What do you wish for your daughter?
What wisdom would you pass on to other moms who are pregnant with a girl?
How would you describe yourself?
Describe your mom to me.
What do you like about being a girl?
What does it mean to you to be a leader?
What are you looking forward to when you grow up?
If you could change anything about the world what would you change?
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Gayle Brown is the co-owner of Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury, Vermont. She has 15 years of experience running the family business with her husband Paul. The mill is a popular tourist destination that welcomes more than 350,000 visitors a year. She has a bachelor's degree in Geology from the University of Vermont, where she was also the captain of the 1979 ski team.
When Gayle’s children were young, their bookkeeper got angry after she had simply asked for a statement. Gayle realized that the bookkeeper was manipulating her and her husband against each other. She did not want this to hurt her marriage and ended up pushing back her instinct that something felt ‘off’. Gayle remembers realizing how much manipulation took place across the years, because she was scared of losing the bookkeeper as an employee, which would have led to controversy in the business.
Gayle had taken a class with successful local business leaders and she might not have had any fancy letters after her name, but realized what she had to say was just as important. Gayle and her husband did not have to run their business any other way than they intended to.
Gayle likes to lead by example. She and her husband are both very hands on at the cider mill, so they can set the example. Gayle also makes sure to always give someone 5-10 minutes of face-to-face time or phone calls, if there is no way to meet in person.
Gayle is excited about their hard cider project and she describes her taste profile process. She would also like to create a new taste profile with bittersweet fruit from Great Britain. They are currently working with growers to figure out what is the best fruit to grow there for cider, to help with the shortage.
Gayle takes 3-5 minutes a day to allow her brain to quiet the noise. She has so many things up in the air at once that it helps to have the quite for a few minutes.
Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson
Gayle would tell herself that if you want something in your heart enough, and your heart and brain are connected – it’s okay if you don’t have a fancy degree – don’t let it affect what you want to go after.
“Our thoughts are magnets.”
Laura Roeder is the founder of Edgar, a new social media automation tool designed to prevent updates from going to waste. Laura began her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 22, when she quit a design job and decided to launch her first business. Since then, she founded B-School with Marie Forleo, has run successful courses of her own such as Creating Fame and Social Media Marketer; and she was named a Top 100 Entrepreneur under 30, in America. Edgar was created out of a need Laura had in her own business to more effectively manage social media – and so in 2014, Laura pivoted her business to dive into the SaaS world. Since launching in mid-2014, Edgar has hit over $150,000 in monthly recurring revenue, all the while bootstrapping the entire way. More than 3,000 customers are now using Edgar to help manage their social media.
Laura always felt self-conscious, because she looked too young. She would go to various chamber of commerce events where she did not typically meet anyone close to her own age. Laura always felt like she stuck out. She attended a speed-coaching program at a conference where the coach laid into her and picked her apart – she needed to change her clothes and her voice. Eventually, Laura realized she had lived through her biggest fear and was not changed by it; she had survived.
When Laura first moved to LA, she was doing social media consulting and helped her friend – an actor on Heroes – create a presence on social media. She walked home after a brainstorming meeting, realizing she didn’t fit into the mold she had created for that route.
Laura leads by giving ownership and letting her team truly own their projects. Most people start out by delegating but you’re still doing a lot. The way Laura leads, she has someone in charge of Customer Service and that person gets to make all the calls for their domain.
Laura is excited about Edgar, which launched a year ago. Edgar has grown super fast and they are now hiring a bunch of people. Meetedgar.com is a new approach to social media that handles your content differently than anything else out there.
Using a quarterly survey to ask, what should we stop doing, what should we keep doing, and what should we start doing allows employees to share their opinions on an ongoing systems.
Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity, by Hugh MacLeod
Focusing more time on the things she enjoys; bringing more value to her business.
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." ~ Annie Dillard