Beyond Pro Podcast: Leadership Insights For Women In Business

I can’t go far without hearing the statement, “You do you.” It seems to be the quote-du-jour. This idea of “You do you” is similar in sentiment to Amy Poehler’s words, “Good for her, not for me.” These words come from her hilarious book, Yes, Please! The full quote reads: “That is the motto women should constantly repeat over and over again. Good for her, not for me.” When I heard this, I thought about just how true the statement is, and yet how much we fight against it. And the thing is, business is hard enough without working against ourselves, so let’s sink into what it would really mean to live Poehler’s words. Enjoy today’s episode! Recommended Resources: Yes, please! – Amy Poehler Better than before – Gretchen Rubin Four tendencies quiz How to create a personalized success plan How to live a good life – Jonathan Fields Submit Your Question: Starting next week, I’ll be adding a new episode to the weekly line-up where I get to answer your burning business and leadership questions. I wanted to add t

Hi there! We'll be back in your earbuds next week with our regularly scheduled program, but for today I wanted to let you know about an exciting update to the Beyond PRO Podcast.  In the spirit of being as useful as possible, I've added a new weekly episode to the mix where I'll answer a listener question. I'm looking for questions around business and leadership (not business mechanics).  I'd love to answer your question on the show (you can stay anonymous).  To ask a question, please go to:  http://bit.ly/BPPquestions Thanks, and I'll talk to you next week! Steph

Sometimes, you just don’t feel it. After attempting to record a different episode for this week’s podcast and struggling to get it done, I had a stroke of insight about why I was feeling so indifferent to doing the work. Instead of spending the morning deep in my own work, I had instead spent it consuming other people’s content. I fell down the rabbit hole of link after link after link, and before I knew it, I had whittled away too much time ingesting information and not making anything. This noticing gave the idea for today’s podcast as I experiment with a new way of navigating the way I do my work. I identified three core things I need to be putting my attention toward in 2017 to grow my business. And while none of this is particularly new, what was clear is that the order of when I do these three things matters. A lot. Listen to today’s episode and find out the three things I’m doing to achieve more this year.  Recommended Resources The case for drinking as much coffee as you like StrengthsFinders 2.0 by

As we jump headfirst into 2017, you’re probably thinking a lot about where you want to take your business this year. And if you know that it’s time for a change, today’s Beyond PRO Podcast will help you ask yourself the right questions. A couple of quick housekeeping items before we get into the heart of today’s content. If you’re in planning mode for 2017 (or need to be), I’m running a free email course called Plan with Purpose 2017. In it, I walk you step-by-step through my planning process. You can register for it by clicking here I wanted to share that last week, Entrepreneur Magazine named this podcast as one of 24 Exceptional Women-Hosted Podcasts for Entrepreneurs in 2017. I am thrilled to be included in such amazing company, and I wanted to thank all my long-term listeners for their support, and welcome my new listeners to the podcast. Thank you. I have big plans for the podcast in 2017. Now onto today’s content — Last week we spoke about what to do if you’re facing a crisis of confidence. If you want

“Life will not always deliver your desired outcomes. It has to teach you that your spirit will get its muscle by bouncing back and giving it all you can.” ~Dodinsky At some point in your business journey, you will likely find yourself at a crisis of confidence. It might be because of something that has happened in your personal life - a baby, a divorce, a death, a marriage, or a financial change. Or it might be because of something specific inside the business from a shift in the market, an economic downturn, disinterest in the current business or a failure that stung. Let’s talk about what it looks like when you find yourself having a crisis of confidence. Recommended Resources Learning about struggles of famous scientists may help students succeed in science Teens do better in science when they know Einstein and Curie also struggled My PRO Plan - a comprehensive planning system for small business owners

Welcome back to another episode of the Cup of Ambition series.  Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy! Stephanie

We're back!  I'm thrilled to be back in front of the microphone with fresh episodes of the Beyond PRO Podcast.  In this short & sweet episode, I catch you up on what's been going on behind-the-scenes and what to expect moving forward.  Thanks for listening!

Welcome back to another episode in our Cup of Ambition series.  This is actually going out Tuesday due to an error, but is just applicable today as it would have been yesterday.  Enjoy! Steph

“Not my monkey, not my circus!” As a business owner, sometimes it’s easy to jump on every bandwagon that comes along because we think it’s what we ‘should’ do, what will work and what will get us to success. While there’s always merit to learning from others’ experience and implementing proven tools, over the long haul it won’t be sustainable to simply follow someone else’s path. You have to define your own definition of success. And that’s what we’re talking about on today’s episode. Your business will only work if it works for you – in all aspects. Even if it doesn’t line up with the common and over-hyped success indicators we see online. A personalized success plan is tailored to you – your values and priorities – anchors into the whole picture of your life. The only way to live your life by your design is to get clear on what you truly want and then incorporate strategies, habits, checks and balances that support you.   Recommended Resources Work, Sleep, Family, Fitness or Friends: Pick 3 CEO Fast Track

Happy Monday! Grab a hot cup of coffee and listen in to today's Cup of Ambition episode.  Have a wonderfully productive week.  Steph

It’s a fine balance, isn’t it? As entrepreneurs we struggle not to be consumed by our work, to spend time with our families and to make sure we have it all under control. It’s great in theory, but how do we live it out? How do we find that sweet spot that allows us to work on our success and our business, and also gives us the freedom to choose our own path? Suggesting a Sunday night ritual may sound almost hypocritical coming from someone who works diligently at being with my family when I need to be with my family, but part of what keeps me sane is spending the few minutes I do on Sunday evenings, getting a head start on my week. If I go to bed knowing that I’ve set up my week and I’ve got a handle on what’s ahead, I sleep better. I also wake up better, because the anxiety of Monday morning chaos combined with wondering what I’ll be facing work-wise has been removed. It’s not about being a workaholic, it’s not about giving up my Sunday evenings, but it is about working smarter. If we truly commit to a 15 mi

Welcome back to another episode of the Cup of Ambition series.  Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy! Stephanie

Squirrel! Your phone vibrates as a text comes through, your email pings and your little one asks for a cookie while you’re speaking with a potential client on that phone. You feel pulled at from every direction, but as an entrepreneur you also feel that you are required to be available for every distraction that gets thrown at you in any given moment. How do you combat that sense of defeat before you even begin your week? Can it really be as simple as designing it ahead of time? What’s the point if the busy-ness of it all is just going to disrupt the best laid plans? Living life by design puts you in the driver’s seat and allows you to solidify your own agenda before it gets taken over by the demands (or plans) of others. Think about it: why does someone else’s agenda or even lack of planning constitute an emergency on your part? Why do we live in the belief that it’s required of us to respond to the pings and beeps as they arrive? Gaining more control by designing our ideal week puts our priorities at the fo

Happy Monday! I hope you are enjoying a hot cup of coffee while I share this week's quote and action step with you.  Enjoy, Steph  

Welcome back to this week's Cup of Ambition.  Today, we're talking about Mastery and the path the get there.  Enjoy! 

  Here’s a couple of patterns I see play out again and again at this time of year. Pattern #1: To completely ignore all past business missteps and hard knocks, in favour of focusing on the bright shiny future and possibility. Pattern #2: To completely dwell in the past, get locked in a story/personal narrative, and never go beyond it. Naturally, neither are constructive. Pattern #1 misses the critical opportunity and gift of past experience to shape the future direction and decisions we will need to make in business. Pattern #2 keeps us stuck, miserable and never moving forward. It does a number on our self-confidence and worth, and becomes a never-ending destructive cycle of doubt, shame, fear and guilt. I want you to embrace a third pattern. One that holds the perspective that nothing you’ve done is ever wasted, and contains valuable inside to drive your business forward, while not keeping you locked in past mistakes or regrets. The idea of making New Year’s Resolutions has come under fire the past few ye

Welcome to the new addition to the Beyond PRO Podcast! Every Monday, check your Podcast player for the latest episode of my new series, Cup of Ambition. Brewed every Monday.  My hope is to spark action, motivation and inspiration as you embrace the week ahead in 5 minutes or less.  Enjoy!  

    in·ten·tion·al inˈten(t)SH(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective done on purpose; deliberate; done in a way that is planned. I know, I know. We hear repeatedly how ‘this one thing’ will change everything, but when we peel back the layers it becomes apparent that ‘this one thing’ consists of a thousand other steps before we can bring it all together. The reality is that there will always be steps we need to take to get where we want to go. But how can we possibly maintain our grit and determination to get there when we are constantly bombarded with distractions and circumstances? All you need to do is have a couple of kids to realize that the road ahead is anything but straight and narrow, so how can you help yourself stay on that winding road without sliding down the slippery slope of living an average year? As Robin Sharma says, “Postponing your greatness is a recipe for heartbreak; and being casual about the life you deserve leads to casualty.” Do you feel yourself heading towards heartbreak because you have post

Is there a way out of the rabbit hole? The old Chinese Proverb that says, “He who chases two rabbits catches neither,” rings true still today. We are tugged at and bombarded by everything new – new ideas, new products, new courses, new connections – and they can immobilize our ability to get anywhere. What rabbits are you chasing? Have you caught any of them? Have you fallen down one of those rabbit holes? On today’s podcast we discuss the idea that being addicted to possibilities traps us into doing nothing. In the land of possibilities, information overload and new, shiny courses, we are bombarded with endless possibilities. How do we end the madness? Escape the trap? “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities. In the expert’s mind, there are few.” ~ Suzuki Roshi 3 Big Possibility Pitstops we uncover and focus on: 1. I’m worried I’ll make the wrong decision. 2. Fear — as long as I don’t pick a path, I’m not open to criticism, failure or even success. 3. Lack of focus and clarity, leads to major

Welcome back to Season #2 of the Beyond PRO Podcast! Not only is this the first episode back, but it’s also our inaugural interview. Today, I’m talking to the formidable Tiffany Han. I am a big, big fan of Tiffany. When I see a woman who clearly has decided to choose courage over fear, and action over hiding, I know I’m in the presence of someone great. Tiffany and I are in a small online coaches group together, and over the past year, I’ve watched her go from birthing twins to launching a year long program to getting her self out there with speaking gigs, interviews and more. This woman is a force. I’ve watched her raise her hand and say yes to getting 100 Rejection Letters and growing her business like gangbusters in the process (all while raising newborn twins btw!). Tiffany is an inspiring example of what happens when you take bold action in your business, embrace creative risk and go after the things you want – even if they’re outside the boundaries of your comfort zone. In our interview we talk about: