Michelle McGlade is baaaaack after a short break. And she’s stronger than ever! Michelle wanted to take some time to just talk about fear and its blocking abilities to your transformation. You can’t get from one place to another without facing a bit of fear, but the trick to all of this is to do it anyway. As adults, it becomes easier and easier to completely stop dreaming and because of this, we start to lose alignment with ourselves. Don’t wait till a divorce or illness for you to start this journey of creation.   Key Takeaways Michelle needed a break! And now she’s back stronger than ever! Michelle wanted to read a blurb from the book Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh. A modern leader will be an inside-out leader. Are you going nowhere in your business and your life? You have the power inside of you to create. Creation creates transformation, and that transformation creates evolution. Our pesky mechanisms keep us safe, but they also sabotage us. Most of us wait to have the confidence to achieve our dreams. We need to first address the fear. Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear. Most people let go of dreaming, altogether, as life starts to get too busy. Keep your head out of the past or in the future. You need to keep yourself present. Success is on your terms! Michelle shares a couple of examples of how you can transform yourself. When you take action, despite the fear, a huge transformation and cascading effect can start for you. When Michelle was working her way up the corporate ladder, she had to take pause. “Wait, is this what I want?” To create something from completely nothing is a powerful transformation tool. The only thing that’s standing in the way is fear!   Resources: Evolutionizemedia.com Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm, by Thich Nhat Hanh   Quotes   “The way out is in. If you get deeply in touch with the inside, you get in touch with the outside, too.”   “You have everything you need. You are a creator and whatever you put your intention to, you have the power inside of you to create.”   “Because of that one choice, to do it despite the fear, to take a risk, my transformation began.”

Sherry Lowe is an award-winning print and broadcast journalist turned Silicon Valley marketing executive. She has experience in building marketing programs for rapid-growth tech companies. As a professional that served both in sports journalism and tech companies, she was completely used to being the only woman in the room. Today, she shares how she was proactive in searching for powerful mentors and being very conscious in bringing up younger professional women.   Key Takeaways Sherry shares her first experience with being the only woman in the room. Sherry focused her efforts on mentoring younger women and preparing them to fill leadership seats. How does someone find a good mentor? Don’t wait for a mentor to find you. Sherry’s mentors made her feel safe and allowed her to take risks without feeling like she’d lose her job for it. How did she create that/find that? What does Sherry do to work on herself? A stable and strong support network was huge for Sherry’s career. Give people the space to find the best way to do a task or the job. When it comes to Zoom calls, it’s important to look professional despite it being a ‘work from home’ day. Get ready for work. Sherry started in the sports industry; did she see a lot of workplace discrimination? Whatever you do, speak out. You will pay a price for it, but do it because it is worth it, not only for you but for future employees, too. How do you find good companies to work for? Interviews are two-way streets. They want you, but you should always want them. Trust your first impressions about people!   Resources Expanse.co Sherry on LinkedIn   Quotes   Michelle’s quote: “Most great leaders work on themselves so that they’re more stable within and they’re showing up more powerfully.”   “The mentorship started with me watching [successful women] and trying to learn, and then asking a lot of questions.”   “Don’t wait for your mentor to find you.”   “Getting space around yourself where you have time to think and create is very important.”  

Jody DeVere is an internationally recognized speaker, trainer, often-quoted industry pundit and spokesperson for the automotive industry on the women's market. Jody’s company, AskPatty.com, Inc. serves as the first point of contact for many women who are seeking the very best experience to buy a car and service by visiting Certified Female Friendly® automotive retail locations across the United States and Canada.   Key Takeaways Everything needs to be filled with compassion and empathy so that you can properly support your team. How do you shift as a leader and tap into your creativity in times of overwhelm and crisis? Jody takes an hour every morning to meditate and tap into her creative self. What do you want to be known for? Like truly? Jody has had to start over a few times. If your goal is to just make money, it’s not going to be enough. So many women have negative self-talk. Stop it! Why are you still doing this? Is it still valuable to you and your goal? You stop yourself more than the world is stopping you! What is your concept and relationship to money? Is it helping you or hurting you? Women are starting their own businesses about 10X the rate of men! Why? What was Jody’s very first car buying experience? Twenty years in, Jody is still passionate and loves what she does.   Resources Askpatty.com Jody on LinkedIn   Quotes   Michelle’s quote: “Whether you’re choosing it or not, your team becomes like you.”   “What do you want to be known for? With that, you crystalize that thinking and that vision for yourself, everything else becomes easy.”   “Women I talk to, they talk themselves out of a big audacious vision because they feel like they lack something. You stop yourself more than the world is stopping you.”   “I have partnered with numerous large brands, joined together on a mission, to make our industry a place where not only women want to work, but know they can break the glass ceiling and work at the highest levels.”  

Michelle is back with another solo episode and she wants to share with you her strategies to finding clarity when you’re so clearly lost in the fog. She has a couple of mechanisms she uses, and would you have guessed it, one of them includes breathwork! Really, really do not underestimate the power of your breathing because a lot of great nuggets of wisdom can flow through you.   Key Takeaways True leadership is an inside-out game! Everyone struggles with clarity! From the startup founder to the CEO running a multi-million dollar operation. What is the definition of clarity? Michelle talks it out when she needs to find more clarity. Michelle finds a lot of her answers when she is out in nature. Another positive mechanism that helps for Michelle is… breathing! Breathing helps with a couple of things, like getting your head out of the past/future. It took Michelle a while to get clarity on this podcast show name. When it comes to you, hear it, trust it, and take action on it. In the end, remember to trust your intuition.   Quotes   “Every time I get quiet, every time I take a walk, go for a drive, and start talking it out, insights start coming to me and they will come for you as well.”   “Breathing gets you out of the past, it keeps you from thinking ahead, and it gets you into the present moment.”   “Whatever would come to me, would be correct.”

Catherine Hamilton is the Vice President of Consumer Services and Strategic Planning at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont. Catherine is also a certified yoga instructor and prides herself on prioritizing her wellness first before serving others. In this episode, Catherine encourages women to not apologize for having good ideas. Be confident in the way you talk, and don’t second guess yourself. If you’ve ever wondered how a superwoman ‘can do it all,’ then you’re asking yourself the wrong question!   Key Takeaways How do you do it all? Catherine has never really been a perfectionist. We put so much pressure on ourselves to appear perfect. Why? So many women want to be strong and powerful leaders, but then they also want to be the good girl and not rock the boat. Why do smart women feel like they have to apologize for making a good point? Speak your truth and do not apologize. You have to train your inner voice to speak up and talk. As an overachiever, Catherine needs the support of her female friends to help her keep balance. Catherine gets asked, “How do you do it all?” But she doesn’t think that’s the best question to ask. Catherine creates time for herself and that helps her get more done. When Catherine was 40, she had twin boys. Her pretty stable life was thrown out of control and it took some time to adjust to. How was Catherine able to maintain and respect the boundaries she set for herself? It’s your responsibility to take care of yourself inside before you can show up as a leader. Catherine shares how she has adapted her self-care practice now that she is at home and working remotely. The more that Catherine gives, the more energized she feels. Everyone needs to be careful of their social media use and watching someone else’s perfect life. How can women better support other women?   Resources Drsamcollins.com Catherine on LinkedIn Wonder Women: Sex, Power, and the Quest for Perfection, by Debora L. Spar   Quotes   Michelle’s quote: “I’m not going to let you off the hook. Going inside and taking care of you, establishing practices for wellness day in and day out creates that stable foundation that you need as a leader.”   “Although women and men both suffer from perfectionism, women tend to ruminate more and feel pressure to live up to the perfectionist standards they have to fill.”   “I make the mistake of trying to please everybody at work and not say anything that anyone objects to.”   “If we want to change the world and our organization for the better, we have to be willing to say things that not everyone will like.”

Dr. Sam Collins works with communities and organizations to create the right conditions for empowerment, equality, and change. Throughout her 20 years of experience, she has worked with women and has seen some common themes appear over and over, like lack of confidence, fear to speak out and share their voice, and being fit into a blueprint that women have to take on all of life’s responsibilities. However, it doesn’t have to be this way! Dr. Sam shares her thoughts on this week’s episode.   Key Takeaways Sam has been doing this for over 20 years. How did she get into this field? When Dr. Sam first got into this, well-intentioned people were worried she was alienating half of her target market. Her dad was worried people would call her a — gasp! — feminist. As women, we have very unique skills and talents that have not been valued up until now. The good news is, things are changing. The whole system needs to change right now. We’re at a time where we all want change. Sometimes we ask ourselves the wrong questions. Women have been given a blueprint that says, if you do this, you will have to sacrifice something else. Over the years, Dr. Sam has not seen a lot of progress in a woman’s confidence. By us sharing our stories, you inspire other women to speak up, too. People think you’re born brave, the truth is, you have to learn it. Sam has consciously worked on being bolder and not worrying about what people think. It’s a lifelong journey. Sam shares what her experience was like when she first visited the Congo. Do not compare yourself to others. You are on your own journey. Take your own steps, and they can be small ones! You don’t need to take huge leaps and bounds in order to feel productive. Sam recognizes it can be challenging to speak up, but people need to hear your voice. What does Dr. Sam like to do in her free time?   Resources Drsamcollins.com Dr. Sam on LinkedIn   Quotes   Michelle’s quote: “It’s a time to start challenging ourselves and one another to come together, but to think differently.”   “Let’s measure empathy. Let’s measure femininity. Have you seen a performance review measuring our level of feminism? I haven’t.”   “There will be a consequence to the things I say, and I am okay with it.”   “It’s a huge deal to speak up at a meeting when you wouldn’t normally and there could be all sorts of judgment and consequences happening as a result of doing that. So, the more we make that okay, that’s how we learn and grow.”

Tricia Halsey is the thought leader behind Generous Leadership® and the Founder of Big Idea Project®. Tricia is a recovering overachiever and has seen, and felt, its nasty side effects up close and personal. She refuses to let anyone on her team be in their ‘striving self’ because it only does more harm than good! That doesn’t mean they don’t show up and work hard, but there is a conscious balance and effort that gets put into how you feel about yourself. You might be a people pleaser or a perfectionist, Tricia says stop! Take time for yourself and become comfortable in your own skin. Tricia covers all this and more on this week’s episode.   Key Takeaways Are you a perfectionist? People pleaser? Do you overwork yourself? This podcast is for you. Have people in your life that are truth-tellers, not just a friend or a colleague telling you what you want to hear. Tricia has always been an overachiever. As an athlete, it’s all about being in discomfort and pushing yourself. … And then Tricia got sick. Tricia was forced to recalibrate her values. No one on her team is allowed to live in a ‘striving’ mode. That doesn’t mean they don’t work hard. Why do we overwork ourselves to near-death? Why do we do it? Sometimes, there has to be a death before a rebirth can happen. When Tricia slowed everything down, that’s when she became reborn and healthy again. When you incorporate reflection, your productivity goes up! Be brave. You need to be brave to reach for the things you don’t have yet, but you know it’s in you to achieve. Michelle shares how her ‘striving self’ shows up in times of overwhelm. Why do we make things so much harder than they need to be? There is so much power and calm in just being who you are. Tricia would cause herself so much stress because she was such a people pleaser. Now, she has so much peace and comfort in her own skin. If Tricia is faced with an uncomfortable situation, she puts herself in their shoes, asks questions about what they might be feeling, and she leads with love instead of fear. Tricia has seen the results personally of just letting love lead. People are receptive to it and calm down immediately when they know you are on their side! People trust her more because of it. Belief determines behavior. Tricia explains what generous leadership is. We all go through seasons in life. Sometimes you have to put all of your energy into a project, but you just have to be conscious and know your limits, know when to take pause, and take a break. Be okay with the little stuff. Tricia breaks down how to practice generous leadership.   Resources Generousleadership.org Bigideaproject.org Tricia on LinkedIn   Quotes   Michelle’s quote: “Before we can make a change and see a shift within ourselves, we have to be able to identify.”   “In farming, there is a death before a rebirth. We see it, winter comes before spring. It’s all over in nature and it’s true for us too.”   “Our thoughts move a whole lot faster than our heart.”   “We can’t really truly change behavior until we change what the person believes underneath that behavior.”

Jen Coken is an executive coach and recovering stand-up comedian. Jen at an early age knew that she had to be the funny one because she never fit into the traditional archetype of the ‘pretty girl.’ She went down a journey of self-discovery a few years ago and discovered all of this was a byproduct of imposter syndrome. Today’s episode covers what is imposter syndrome, why everyone has it, and how to overcome these thoughts that are weighing you down.   Key Takeaways What is imposter syndrome? When our brain feels a signal that we’re threatened, we start to develop coping mechanisms to help us overcome them. Jen learned early on that she was going to be the funny side-kick. She didn’t fit into the model of the ‘pretty one.’ Everyone has imposter syndrome. Jen takes the lead and begins to coach Michelle on her own show! Men struggle with speaking out just as much as women do. However, they’re not as verbal about it as women are. When Michelle’s in a meeting, what is she afraid of? Don’t let your inner upset eight-year-old ruin your entire life. It’s only natural that we develop brain patterns to protect ourselves and to play it safe. If you didn’t have these thoughts holding you back, what kind of person would you be? What we see in others, a lot of times, is what we see in ourselves that we don’t like. What you can’t be, robs you of your power. If we are angry and reactive, our power gets robbed from being proactive. How do you get your power back? You look within. Jen shares a childhood story about anger when she was 15. The desire to help women overcome imposter syndrome and the framework to empower women started a long time ago for Jen because of what she had to overcome.   Resources Jencoken.com Jen on LinkedIn Impostorsyndrome.com The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, by Julia Cameron   Quotes   Michelle’s quote: “As you further yourself on the ladder of success, the better chance you have that you will struggle with imposter syndrome to a greater degree.”   “If you feel like you have to do it alone because if you asked for help, people would know you really didn’t have what it takes — that’s imposter syndrome.”   “She is looking for people to be critical of her, which is completely shutting down her voice.”   “If I wasn’t having all of these stupid thoughts questioning myself, who would I be?”

As a shy kid growing up, Michelle had to develop mechanisms to help her better show up and ‘perform.’ This is something she developed when she was just in 7th grade! Her method has slightly evolved since then, but she shares how you can slow down and create space for yourself so that you can speed up and rock it… even when you’re feeling down or sick or tired!   Key Takeaways Leadership is defined from the inside out! How are you cultivating the leader inside of you? Michelle was painfully shy when she was younger. The first time Michelle was on stage was in 7th grade. Music helped her get out of her shell. Because Michelle was so shy, she created mechanisms in place to properly prepare her for the stage. One of those things was ‘space.’ Michelle always liked being at things ‘first’ so that she could begin to create space and feel ready for whatever was going to be thrown at her. Even when you’re struggling, healthwise, you must find a way to make your dreams come true. When Michelle was struggling, these were the methods she used: creating space, diversion activity, breathing, mantra, and ‘present moment.’ Even if you don’t feel powerful, use these tactics to create space. When you’re coaching high performers, you need to help them slow things down.   Quotes   “These little sneaky mechanisms that seem to hold you back or get you in a downward spiral of no opportunity really can be turned around with a flip of a switch.”   “There are many of you out there, like me, who have struggled with chronic autoimmune challenges, and maybe that day you just don’t have it in you. But, you need to find a way. You need to make it happen.”   “You might not be feeling your most powerful self. I have those days. I use this process to create space.”

Michelle McGlade is back with another solo episode! You might get a couple of these over the next few weeks. Michelle shares her story with fibromyalgia and how she was able to overcome her health diagnosis. The main cause of it? Michelle’s tendency to overwork and not put herself first. When she started to focus on herself, her symptoms slowly began to fade away.   Key Takeaways Michelle is happy to be hanging with you again on this solo episode! Every time Michelle is able to slow things down and dial things back, she comes back stronger in self-confidence. It can be that simple! But it’s so difficult to put into practice. When you’re strong inside of you, you can lead yourself more fully. It seemed to Michelle that overwork was the only way to really succeed. Overworking held Michelle back. By the time Michelle went to university, she was already struggling with ‘doing all the things.’ It was showing up in Michelle’s health and she ended up becoming very, very sick. She couldn’t function and she was having seizures. How did she get out of it? Fibromyalgia is a life sentence and there’s no path out of it. But Michelle prevailed! Michelle had to focus on herself first. Stop underpaying yourself and pay yourself first. Michelle shares an example of overwork and how it shows up with us in a sneaky way. Do you feel like you can’t stop? When you take a step back, you can take several steps forward. Breathe! Take a conscious, deep breath.   Quotes   “When you’re strong inside of you first, you can then step into the next level of leadership for others.”   “While it appeared as if, pushing, pushing, and pushing, and using that mechanism of overwork, was serving me. Looking back now, it was holding me back.”   “Mechanism of overwork, mechanism of holding in the emotions, and mechanism of putting myself last. These are the elements I can see now.”