Women Taking The Lead With Jodi Flynn

Hello everyone and thank you for joining me for this month-end episode on goals. Here in the US we just had our Thanksgiving Day celebrations and I am now in a detox mode. Luckily I had the opportunity to help my brother and his wife move so I’ve burned off most of what I consumed and now I’m just waiting for the cravings to go away. Now we are in full swing for the holidays and I am wishing you all peace, joy, and happiness as you make your plans, do your shopping, wrap your gifts, and make time for all the holiday parties and events that you want to attend. Remember, you don’t have to attend them all. Celebrate the holidays in the way that fulfills you. Last December I did a series of episodes to walk you through my goal setting process and I used myself as an example to take you through all the steps. I promised during that time that I would keep you updated on my progress toward my goals in the hope that it would be helpful for you as you work toward accomplishing your goals. I want you to know we are in

Hello everyone and thank you for joining me! And hello November! The countdown is on to the holidays. When I think of the holidays I think of busy and I want to share with you an insight I had recently around the whole concept of busy. I, like many of you, dream of a time in the near future when things will settle down and there will be an opportunity to move at a slower pace and enjoy a phase where not much is going on. The insight I had was there really is no slow time of year. Sure, certain activities slow down at certain times of year but then other activities creep in to take their place. I remember when I was in my office job summer was a slow time of year in terms of how much mail we were getting, so the day-to-day workload was lighter. However, this was also the time of year many people were taking vacation so it wasn’t uncommon to have weeks where we were staffed at 70% or less. This was also the time of year projects needed to be completed because we didn’t’ have time for them the rest of the year.

Hello everyone and thank you for joining me for this month-end episode on goals. We are solidly in the 4th quarter of 2018. Can you believe it? This is the time we all typically have a wake-up call when it comes to our goals. Are we going to achieve them? Do we need to adjust them to make a realistic motivated push between now and the end of the year? Or are we going to throw in the towel on our goal. Unless you realize you set a goal you don’t give a care about I am always going to encourage you to adjust instead of throwing in the towel. Throwing in the towel will leave you feeling defeated and as the next couple of months will also be focused on setting goals for 2019 you don’t want to go into that process with a defeated mindset. There’s nothing wrong with adjusting so that you’re still stretched a little bit, yet don’t feel so overwhelmed you don’t know where to begin or start to feel like, “what’s the point? I’m not going to achieve this goal anyway.” Remember, achieving goals is largely due to your min

Over the summer when I shared my Mom’s cancer diagnosis I asked this community to help support me in doing the Women Taking the Lead podcast by giving me some ideas for future episodes. I knew I wouldn’t have a lot of creative energy so your suggestions would take a couple things off my plate. I have to thank Geraldine Carter of the She Thinks Big podcast who sent me voice recordings that she created while she was out for a walk with ideas for future episodes. On idea was to talk about Tara Mohr’s book, Playing Big. We talk a lot on this podcast about playing small so this is not the first time I had heard of Tara’s book or gotten the suggestion to read and possibly review it. This time, however, I was ready and an open recipient for the suggestion. Geraldine, thank you so much for the support you have been to me. Let me dive into some of the underlying premises of Tara Mohr’s book, Playing Big. Women Are Playing Small and They Don’t Like It Women work really, really hard to deliver value and then undervalue

As I’m recording this it is a rainy Sunday morning, I’m sipping my hot beverage looking out the window at the trees that have started to change colors. It’s a very relaxing picture but let me warn you this is not going to be the tone of this episode. The pace so far today is giving me an opportunity to reflect on the past week and this past week was anything but tranquil. I was already a little off balance when something good happened and yet it sent me into a spiral. Let me set the scene. Last weekend I drove my friends to the airport in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday and that began for me a week of house sitting and doggie sitting. My friends have two dogs and one is a one-year-old Australian Shepard. He requires a lot of attention and engagement and will get in trouble if you don’t wear him out. This was also the week the BNI leadership positions transition over and as the incoming Secretary/Treasurer of my chapter there were a lot of things that needed to be requested, communicated, decided, put i

Hello everyone and thank you for joining me for this month-end episode on goals. Can someone please tell me where September went? With a couple trips home to Worcester, The Maine Women’s Conference board and activity surrounding next year’s event ramping up, the BNI Maine Leadership Team training and transitions going on, as well as my October group program joyfully on the calendar, the month of September seemed to go by in a blink! However, I made peace many years ago that September is a very active month. And although we’ve had some wacky weather here in Maine it has now settled into the mild days and cool nights that I enjoy the most. I’m releasing this episode late on a Sunday because I was determined to get the month-end update on goals episode out by month-end. Last December I did a series of episodes to walk you through my goals process and I used myself as the Guinea pig for that purpose. I promised during that time that I would keep you updated on my progress toward my goals in the hope that it would

I chose the topic today because I noticed a lot of activity lately on a post I first released in 2014 titled, 5 Reasons Why Having Clear Goals is Critical for Your Business. It being September, the other New Year, and just before the beginning of the 4th quarter of 2018 I’m thinking it’s not a bad idea to go over some of the reasons why you would want to have clearly stated goals. For those of you who have been listening to Women Taking the Lead on the regular, you know I love setting and accomplishing goals. In fact, if someone asks me what my hobbies are or what I do in my free time the answer I give, a bit tongue-in-cheek but  also true, is I set and accomplish goals. Some of the questions that drive me and I want to explore in my lifetime is, “Who am I? What am I capable of? What can I accomplish when I put my mind to it?” As a side note, if you are someone who doesn’t have hobbies because any hobby you take up either begins to bore you or becomes a pursuit, don’t feel bad and stop judging yourself. Many

Emi Kirschner, speaker, coach, and author masterfully combines her deep intuitive abilities with her analytical sense to help creative entrepreneurs double and triple their revenue. Committed to impacting 1 million entrepreneurs over the next 5 years, Emi teach the leadership skills necessary to help you to confidently step into the CEO role in your business. She is known for giving meaningful tools, not just theory, to implement marketing, sales and operational strategies that result in increased profitability and more freedom in the rest of you life. Zone of Genius Emi believes that when you aren’t working in the zone of your genius, you aren’t able to grow. People tend to get stuck on things that aren’t bringing clients in, and that is where she comes in to help out. Changing the Belief Emi encourages her clients to bring along team members to start off-loading their tasks to. Emi also has them put their planning and development into their calendars, including eating and exercising. Having your week laid o

Hello everyone and thank you for joining me for this month-end episode on goals. Can you believe this is the 8th monthly update on goals? We are 2/3 of the way through 2018! Here in the US we’ve also got Labor Day next week which is our unofficial end to summer. This is also when all the kids go back to school, if they haven’t already. September is also known as “the other New Year” so this is great time to set new goals or recommit to the goals you’ve been working on. Times of transition are great times to make changes or start something new. Our brains have an easier time accepting change during transition so take advantage of this if you been meaning to change some habits or take up anything new! Okay, on to what I’ve been up to in the month of August in regards to my goals. I have four focus areas and each area has a specific goal assigned to it. Focus area #1 Increase profitability in my business Goal: have a net income (earnings minus expenses) of $80,000 minimum this year. With the help of my mastermin

I've been administering the Energy Leadership Self-Assessment tool I use with my clients more often lately and because I tend to work with perfectionists and "recovering perfectionists" quite a bit there's something that has been coming up quite often: the fear of failure. Perfectionists HATE failure and will employ nearly any strategy to avoid it. The strategy can range from not trying at all to running yourself into the ground to ensure success. But if you avoid trying at all you also keep yourself from some of the sweetest moments life has to offer. According to Robert F. Kennedy, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” And if you are sacrificing your health and well-being to avoid failure you won't be in a state in which you can appreciate your success once you've achieved it. I know this feeling myself and many of my clients know it too. The empty feeling you have when you've achieved something big and you don't feel anything. You are so tired, you are so done that you don't want

Randi Levin, founder & CEO, Randi Levin Coaching – is a nationally recognized transitional life strategist, Fortune 500 keynote, author, & reinvention expert. Randi supports women in becoming legends in their own lives through redefining legacy as a power tool for change and redirection TODAY. You may have seen her featured in Thrive Global, HuffPost, Better After 50, Reader’s Digest, Working Mother Magazine, American Express Open Forum, or The WSJ. Randi is also contributing author in Get RESULTS! Playing Small Moment Randi was convinced that she had to choose one thing or another in life. She thought her kids would be her legacy, until she realized that her legacy wasn’t just what she was leaving behind, but what she could create in the current moment. Once Randi embraced the use of and instead of or, her life changed. Style of Leadership Randi leads by example. Once she commits to something, she is all in, and wants others to do the same. What Are You Excited About? Randi is thrilled to be hosting

Hello everyone and thank you for joining me for this month-end episode on goals. As I mentioned in the June month-end update on goals episode, I took myself through my goals process to see if I my goals are still in alignment with what I’m really trying to accomplish in my business and my life and there were a few tweaks. And there are some more tweaks this month which will also drive the theme of this episode which is going with the flow with what life is presenting to you. Let’s dive in to the progress I’ve made on my goals so I can explain everything that is going on. Focus area #1 Increase profitability in my business Goal: have a net income (earnings minus expenses) of $80,000 minimum this year. With the help of my mastermind group and going through my goals review I have 4 sub-goals for this goal. These sub-goals are, by year end: Have had 12 new Executive Leadership Coaching clients. This is coaching that focuses on leaders within organizations to help them with their performance and happiness at work

I don't know about you but I feel like this season is going by at lightning speed. There's so much I'm doing and accomplishing and yet there's so much more I want to do and accomplish that I'm finding I have to be very intentional about taking breaks to do nothing. In fact, when I realized it had been years since I'd read a fiction novel I committed to read at least one this summer. I got my Portland Public Library card and by recommendation from the Women Taking the Lead private Facebook group I checked out The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley and it is so good! I've also discovered the podcast Binge Mode Harry Potter and that is just a pure pleasure. Warning: it is not for children or for someone who has just started getting into the Harry Potter series. They swear and their conversations contain adult content and they tie themes between all 7 books and all 8 movies in any given episode. The Mists of Avalon and Binge Mode Harry Potter, that's what I'm up to right now in my down time and transition t

Deb Elbaum, MD, PCC, is a neuroscience coach, author, and speaker, who works with women and professionals during times in their lives when they feel ready for a new challenge personally or professionally. She brings enthusiasm and a wide-ranging toolkit that incorporates the best of neuroscience and intuitive coaching to help clients break though mental blocks, spark new connections, and take action. Deb facilitates workshops around how Think Positively and Effectively, and was a recent presenter at the Maine Women's Conference. Topics We Discussed: We all have times when we lose our composure, or feel overwhelmed and stressed. Fortunately, there are strategies that can help us return to calm, clear thinking and leading. Deb will share some brain concepts and tools that you can use right away to start building awareness of your patterns and how to shift them. These concepts include: The amygdala and prefrontal cortex The left and right brain hemispheres Networks in the brain for different types of thinking

If you've been following along with the podcast or got my newsletter a couple weeks ago you know I was sidelined with a strained muscle in my lower back and I am feeling so much better now and am back at my burpee workouts and moving toward my goal. This is going to sound strange to say but I am so grateful to be back doing crazy amounts of burpees! I did a lot to care for my injury but the real turning point was when I sucked up the scary and the discomfort and started going for walks, doing light aerobics and then building from there. Go figure, movement is beneficial to the body. Recently I had a conversation with someone about leadership challenges. Her biggest challenge is one we all face – and one that seems so much more overwhelming at this time of year: How to stay focused when you have so much to do – and you feel like all you’re doing is simply putting out fires and keeping up with minutia – and getting nothing of significance accomplished. I know this is an all-too familiar topic for many of you. T

Kelly Gushue is Founder & CEO of Personal Finance Warrior. She empowers women all over the world to claim their financial power inside their business and in their personal life through her online programs and coaching. She also holds live workshops for companies, women's groups and alumni groups. Kelly has worked in several areas of finance including portfolio analysis, research and investment management. She holds a BA from Harvard College and an MBA from the Booth School of Business at The University of Chicago. Playing Small Moment After living in Shanghai for 3 years, Kelly returned to the U.S. and took a job as a financial advisor. When she received the job offer, she was told there was no room to negotiate, so Kelly took the first offer. After a few months, a female manager pointed out to Kelly that she should have negotiated for more. Kelly now uses that experience to teach other women to stand up and ask for the pay they deserve. Style of Leadership Kelly leads with enthusiasm, which is one of her

In this review I have narrowed down my focus areas from 5 to 4, removing outsourcing as a focus area. Outsourcing is still going to happen and will occur as a part of my overall plan; it just won’t be something I focus on or measure for progress. Focus area #1 Increase profitability in my business Goal: have a net income (earnings minus expenses) of $80,000 minimum this year. With the help of my mastermind group and going through my goals review I have 4 sub-goals for this goal. These sub-goals are, in the next 6 months: Have 12 new Executive Leadership Coaching clients. This is coaching that focuses on leaders within organizations to help them with their performance and happiness at work. To do 10 corporate workshops. Promote the DIY products that are on the website for sale Do two more group programs by the end of the year. May’s Profit and Loss report showed a net profit of $1658.40, down about 39% from April’s profit and still far off from the average $6700/month required to see a net profit of $80,000.

I was thinking about last weeks episode and how it was all about getting out during the summer months to network and continue to meet people. The following is a keynote address I delivered to the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce in January of 2016 on the power in community. Having shared it with some friends I was encouraged to re-purpose it for the Women Taking the Lead podcast. I hope you enjoy it. It’s no secret that business owners like their independence. They like to set their own hours, be the ultimate decision maker and forge their own destinies. The same holds true for those shooting for the top levels of their organizations. They tend to be the people who want to be in the know and be the decision makers. However, rather than a state of independence, it is a state of interdependence that has worked to grow economies and organizations. It takes a village to raise a business In my corporate career I was absolutely the benefactor of mentoring and partnerships. But, much like how a grammar school

Summer is just about here and we've actually passed Memorial Day in the U.S. which marks for us the unofficial start to summer. You probably know all too well about the “summer slowdown” – that time of year when everyone seems to be on vacation or planning one. So big plans are tabled until fall, and unless you are in a seasonal business and this is your time of year it’s easy to feel like your business or career growth is in a bit of a slump. Now I know not everyone listening to this podcast is in the northern hemisphere so if you are living somewhere and it's getting colder outside keep this episode in your back pocket as a future reference. What I want to offer you in this episode is some reasons why it’s important to continue to network through the summer and some ways you can do it without feeling like you’re missing out on enjoying the gorgeous weather. Networking in the Summer is the best! What better time than during the longer sunny days to be face-to-face networking? In fact, recent economic downtu

Alexa Gilmore is a vitality warrior who takes a stand for your fullest potential. As an acupuncturist, Chinese herbalist, bodyworker, and coach, she takes a no-nonsense approach to the healing arts and expects positive outcomes: function rebalanced, harmony restored, resilience renewed. She welcomes guests from around the county to her clinic in Portland, Maine, where she specializes in chronic illness, women’s health, and skin disease, but her passion is to use optimal health as a vehicle for personal transformation. Playing Small Moment After months of seeing her maximum amount of patients each day, Alexa suddenly realized there was more she wanted to accomplish. Alexa knew that if she could get her hands on people uninterrupted for as many hours per day, magic would happen. So, why did she feel that it wasn’t possible? This helped her come to a realization about who she was and what she wants to offer the world. Style of Leadership Alexa starts off as a guide for her clients and patients, to help lead them