Live Brave with Margie Warrell

Let's face it, if it were easy to be brave with our lives - to lean into our fears, choose ‘courage over comfort' and lay our pride, ego and vulnerability on the line, more of us would. Truth is, our deep seated fears often keep us from taking the very actions that would help us create more rewarding lives. In this new series, I invite you to step back and consider where and how you're being called to step up and ‘take courage' even as that little voice in the back of your head urges you not to.  If you need a little encouragement right now, you've landed in the right place! I'll be sharing insights from my first book Find Your Courage (McGraw Hill, 2009) throughout this series. Check out this book and all my books at www.margiewarrell.com/books  Get Margie's Newsletter at www.margiewarrell.com  

It's easy to criticize those in leadership roles for their lack of courage. Yet before we can change the world around us, we must first look at the world within us and reclaim the power we so often give to our fears. So as we close out one year and look toward the next, I invite you to think about where you may be letting your deepest fears keep you from moving toward the bravest vision and honoring your highest values. This podcast invites you to reflect on three key questions. Whatever your answer, I hope that you will move in that direction. Your future is riding on it.  

Every trait you admire in others also resides in you. Yet, it's easy to tell ourselves the lie that we have to first have more resources outside of us before we can become the person we'd most like to be. Not true. Deciding how you will show up for life right now is the most powerful way to become the person you eventually want to be. In this podcast, I invite you to start acting like the person you want to become and look after yourself as the would. There is no more powerful way to live life than by intentionally deciding how we will show up regardless of our situation or our setbacks. If you are feeling anything but fully positive and powerful in how you are showing up, take a listen. Download my Five To Thrive here Order You've Got This! audio book

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Every day you make hundreds of decisions. Some large, many small. Yet too often fear – conscious and unconscious – keeps us from making the decisions that would serve us most – in our careers, relationships and lives. Left unchecked, fear of what might go wrong can drive us to make short-sighted, reactive, overcautious decisions that limit our lives in ways we often cannot see in the moment. So whatever challenges you are facing right now, take a listen and then make the best decision you can. One year from now, you will be so glad you did. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: How to be brave TEDX TALK  You've Got This! Book How to avoid sweating decisions 

In this podcast, I dive into the dark shadows in which we carry shame that disconnects us from others and keeps us from living our best and bravest lives. As I share one of my most significant experiences with shame, I explain how 'shame stories' are not the truth, yet they warp our perception and shape our reality. Over time, they can keep us stuck in self-sabotaging patterns that disconnect us from all that is lovable in ourselves and good our lives. If you have any area of your life in which you hold secrets or feel “less than”, then this podcast is for you. Read my blog post: Shame Keeps Us Stuck Chapter 19 – Sharing Secrets in my book Brave

If your life was a Grand Masterclass, what lesson would it be teaching you? In this comeback podcast, I extend three invitations to transform what tests you the most into your most profound opportunities to learn and grow into the person your life is calling you to be. Beware – your fear and pride are pulling in the other direction. Please rate and review! USEFUL LINKS: Stop Playing Safe Audio Book Live Bravely - My Four Lessons for Living Bravely  TEDx Talk How To Be Brave You've Got This! The Life-Changing Power of Trusting Yourself

Time is a finite resource so learning how to multiply your time is a game-changer. In my conversation with Rory Vaden, New York Times bestselling author of Take the Stairs and Procrastinate on Purpose, we unpack how you can allocate your hours in the day in ways that create more time for what you love most and what makes the biggest impact for others. Get your free consult with BrandBuilds Group at margiewarrell.com/brand-you Learn more about the Live Brave Women's Weekend Feb 2022 Take my free Live Bravely video course

You are what you repeatedly do. And what you repeatedly do profoundly shapes the environment you create around you. So if you want to live a bigger, braver and more meaningful life you have to be really intentional. This starts with clearing out the ‘stuff' that keeps you thinking small and creating an environment - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual  - that sets you up to think bigger, act braver and thrive... no matter what. So how can you do that? In this episode I share practical strategies from the final chapter of Stop Playing Safe on how you can build the habits of mind and behavior that will help you bring your bravest self to your biggest challenges and highest goals more often. Grab your copy of Stop Playing Safe here Check out my Live Brave Weekend here

Victoria Labalme draws on over 20 years in the performing arts to help awaken the inner genius that lives in all of us. In our conversation, she shares insights from her best-selling book Risk Forward to help you embrace not knowing and take the very risks you need to move forward to creating a career and life you love.  Get the first four chapters of Victoria's book Risk Forward free here Live Brave Women's Weekend Take my free Live Bravely video course  

When a lifelong student of leadership, Captain David Marquet, took over the helm of the USS Sante Fe Nuclear Submarine, it was the worst-performing sub in the fleet. His decision to give intent versus give orders 'turned the ship around' taking it from worst to first and achieving the highest retention and operational standings in the US Navy. In my conversation today we unpack his leadership philosophy and insights on bringing out the best in others and ourselves.    More about David Marquet: Learn more about David  David's book - Turn the Ship Around Links and courses: Live Brave Women's Weekend Take my free Live Bravely video course

Research has found that the biggest predictor of high-performing teams is psychological safety; that is how safe people feel to speak up, share mistakes or ask for help. Yet creating a 'culture of courage' is not just relevant to organizations, it's relevant to each and every one of us in every sphere of life. When people around you feel safe and encouraged to be open, honest, and to engage in candid conversations, it not only helps them to achieve more but it creates an environment in which everyone is able to bring their bravest selves to their biggest challenges and boldest goals. So whether you're a leader of many or just trying to lead yourself to higher ground, this episode will help you become a more inspiring ambassador for the world (and family, and community and workplace) you want to live in. It draws on the three-part framework for leading more bravely and cultivating a ‘culture of courage' outlined in Chapter 7 of my book Stop Playing Safe. Grab your copy of Stop Playing Safe here Check out my Live Brave Weekend here

Belarusian Veronica Tsapkala embodies the courage required to lead change in the most challenging of circumstances. Fearing political persecution in Belarus after her husband Valery Tsepkalo was denied registration in the 2020 Belarus Presidential election by President Lukashenko, Veronica was forced to flee her country. She has since become a passionate voice for democracy in Belarus. In our conversation, Veronica shares her vision for her homeland while calling each of us to be vocal in standing up for the principles and the freedom we can so easily take for granted.  Find out more about the Live Brave Women's Weekend, Feb 25-27, 2022  

In this 100th episode of the Live Brave Podcast, I share 5 ways you can be braver in your life, starting with focusing on the bravest vision for your future. Of course, setting a bold goal doesn't mean you'll land on your feet every time, but as I share in this episode, it's not what you accomplish from living bravely that matters near as much as who you become in the process of daring to try.    Resources for this episode: Live Brave Women's Weekend Take my free Live Bravely video course You've Got This! Blog post: Give More Grace – To Yourself, To Others

How often do you risk failure? Chances are it's not near as often as would be serving you. As I discussed with entrepreneur Robert Glazer, the difference between winners and losers lies in how they win and how they lose. Our tendency to over-personalize failure keeps us from taking the very actions that would help us fail forward and succeed faster. If you've been holding back from trying something new, or particularly attached to your comfort zone, then please listen up! More about Robert here Learn more about the Live Brave Women's Weekend Feb 2022

My conversation with AJ Vaden, co-founder of the Brand Builders Group, explores how each of us can share our unique gifts and express our one-of-a-kind brand of brilliance most powerfully in the world. In sharing her own journey of discovering her unique 'super power' AJ has learned how each of us can find within ourselves everything we need to build our reputation for solving problems in ways that no one else can. If you sometimes wonder if you're on the right path or want to step more fully into your unique purpose and power, you'll enjoy where our conversation takes us.  Get your free consult with BrandBuilds Group at margiewarrell.com/brand-you Download your free You've Got This Manifesto here Learn more about the Live Brave Women's Weekend Feb 2022

Life is full of stressors - situations that have the potential to trigger a neural highjack and send us into a downward spiral of negative emotions. In this episode, I share the steps from my SOAR approach detailed in Chapter 6 of Stop Playing Safe to rising above those situations that too often pull us down and keep us responding to our challenges more constructively and with greater clarity, calm and courage. Grab your copy of Stop Playing Safe here Check out my Live Brave & Thrive Weekend here

My conversation with Chester Elton, bestselling leadership author explores how you can curb overwhelm, manage anxiety and live more gratefully. It's a conversation rich in laughter and practical strategies you can use to become more of the calm, centered and big-hearted person you aspire to be. More about Chester here  Chester's latest books: Leading with Gratitude and Anxiety at Work Check out my Live Brave & Thrive Weekend here

We all like to think that our way of viewing the world - and the people, problems and possibilities in it - is the right way. In fact, we all have what's called a ‘confirmation bias' that drives us to look for evidence to support our existing beliefs and behaviours and ignore or discount those which contradict them. Yet only when you are willing to say "I don't know" or "I could be wrong" and to actively seek out alternative perspectives that challenge your own best thinking can you unlearn what you think you know and relearn what you need to know. So if you keep finding yourself struggling with the same problems or you feel like you're not achieving the results you want, maybe it's because you're operating on an outdated or incorrect mental map. In which case, this episode which draws on Chapter 5 of Stop Playing Safe is for you!  Grab your copy of Stop Playing Safe here

The quality of your relationships is determined by the quality of the conversations you have in them. But often the conversations we most need to have are those we least want to have – too uncomfortable, too awkward, too risky. In this episode, I will share with you a few of the strategies I've written about in Chapter 4 of Stop Playing Safe to help you speak up about the issues that pull you down so you can resolve conflict faster and enjoy far stronger relationships with others than you ever would otherwise. So if you're feeling any degree of frustration, tension or stress in any relationship right now, this episode is for you! Grab your copy of Stop Playing Safe here

In this episode, I interview leadership consultant Dr Timothy R Clark who shares his four stages framework for building psychological safety and doing the hard things that leaders must do in a very human way. We unpack the 'why' and 'how' of connecting from both heart and head, embracing vulnerability and giving candid feedback. And so much more! More about Tim here and his book The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety here More about the Live Brave & Thrive Weekend here 

Daniel Gade spent a year in hospital after losing his leg while serving in the US Army in Iraq, yet, he is by no means a victim. Rather he is a passionate advocate for helping wounded warriors to thrive. His life story (which is far from over) holds a powerful lesson on actively choosing how you will show up for life, regardless of the circumstances you find yourself in. In a period of history when so many people are almost encouraged to operate from a victim mindset, Dan is testament to the principle that we are the creators of our own destiny and that those experiences which test us the most can ultimately shape us in the most positively transformative ways.   Dan's book Wounding Warriors is available at www.woundingwarriors.com or Amazon.

None of us are immune to cutting corners, justifying little white lies or taking the more expedient path even when we know, deep down, it's not the right one. Clearly, no one sets out to damage trust yet the little decisions we make every day can undermine the trust we build in our relationships. When people can truly trust you - your character, competence and commitment to doing what is right over what is easy - it changes everything. It's why grounding yourself in a foundation of integrity is so important to being able to discern the right course of action and to build the ‘high trust' relationships required for you to truly thrive and succeed in every domain of your life. In this episode, I break down my four pillars of trust model from Chapter 3 in Stop Playing Safe. I hope it will not only help you be a more ‘trust-worthy' person but also to become a braver one; willing to take the harder actions in those moments when it matters most. Grab your copy of Stop Playing Safe here

Let's face it, if it were easy to accomplish big things, more people would be out there, pushing boundaries and risking failure. But as I discussed with Patrick Leddin, author of The Five-Week Leadership Challenge, it's who you decide to be when plans go awry that makes life meaningful and makes the biggest impact on others. From parachuting into trees to running canceled half-marathons and climbing Kilimanjaro, in this podcast we discuss how you can find the inner grit to step up, show up and push on, no matter what.

Have you ever looked back and wished you'd been braver? Of course, you have. It's because we humans are wired for safety; to focus more on what we could lose than on what we could gain - to steer away from short-term risks and toward whatever shores up our sense of security.  But at life's end, most people regret far more the risks they didn't take than those they did. In this podcast, I share some of the research from Chapter 2 of Stop Playing Safe – why you need to embrace the discomfort that living your best life ultimately requires of you and the value of daring to lean toward risk... taking the very actions your fear would sooner you didn't.

Ambassador Verveer was the first U.S. Ambassador for Global Women's Issues and is the Executive Director of Georgetown University's Institute for Women, Peace and Security. Our conversation began with discussing the urgent action required to address the immediate needs of women and girls in Afghanistan to protect their future. Our conversation then moved on to the importance of building collective will to advance the social and economic empowerment for women, the need for male allies and applying a gender lens to "building back better" from the Covid-19 pandemic.    LINKS:  Sign Petition to Biden Administration to honor the commitment to Afghan women and girls  Georgetown University Institute for Women, Peace & Security Margie's Women's Day Forbes Column

My conversation with Kevin Cashman, 6x author and co-leader of CEO and Executive Development at Korn Ferry was as far-reaching as it was profound, most notably when Kevin shared his near-death experience in 2020. We dived deep into what it means to live ‘on purpose' and how you can apply his 3G framework to lead yourself and others through this stormy time anchored to a deep and compelling Why. Listen up! This interview holds deep wisdom for us all. Kevin's Books: Leadership from the Inside Out  The Pause Principle: Step Back to Lead Forward 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for many of us to step back and reassess our lives; what we are doing with our time and talents each day and why it matters. In Chapter One of Stop Playing Safe, I share my four-part framework for getting ‘on purpose' so that you can develop your greatest strengths in a way that is most meaningful to you and makes the highest degree of contribution for others. If you've been feeling stuck, or just ho-hum, taking time to get really clear about how you want to measure your one and only precious life can forever alter its trajectory. Grab your copy of Stop Playing Safe here

Welcome back to my fourth series of the Live Bravely Podcast. After taking an extended ‘leave of absence' I'm excited to be back with this brand new series focused on supporting you to show up in the world as the biggest bravest person you have it within you to be.    I get that some people see the word leader and tune out. If that's you, please don't.   The truth is that every one of us can be a positive force for good in whatever circles we're spinning in… which is what leadership is all about.   So as you look toward the future beyond this pandemic, I hope the interviews and insights I share in this series will encourage you to step into your power more fully and be the kind of person (and leader) others want to be around.    Please check out the wholly revised edition of Stop Playing Safe: How to be braver work, leadership and life.

As we look forward beyond this pandemic, I enjoyed a deep dive conversation with Dr Phil about its impact on mental health, irrational fear and building the confidence to ‘get back to life'. We covered a lot of ground, from removing the stigma around mental illness and the long-term impact of social isolation to how we can help our kids build self-esteem and confidence by better managing our own fears and mental wellbeing.

After years of derailed plans to return to my children in the USA, I am finally moving back to America. Recorded the day before leaving Singapore, I reflect on the power of embracing problems as opportunities to build our muscles for life. If you’ve had plans derail in 2020 or are feeling weighed down by your own problems – worried about the future and unsure how you’ll handle it – this podcast is for you.  Grab a copy of You’ve Got This! My Reset Your Life Compass course (use the code RESET2020 for 50% off until the end of 2020)

The over-simplification of the Law of Attraction (LOA) has given it a bad rap in recent years. So whether you’re a confirmed LOA fan or its biggest cynic, you’ll enjoy this conversation with Andrew Kap, the bestselling author of The Last Law of Attraction Book You'll Ever Need To Read. Episode links: Andrew’s book: The Last Law of Attraction Book You’ll Ever Need To Read You’ve Got This! The Life-Changing Power of Trusting Yourself  My online Reset Your Life Compass Coaching Program

When plans derail and you find yourself in circumstances you’d never have chosen, it's easy to fall into self-pity, fear or blame; feeling like life is working against you. In this podcast, I share news of moving back to the US after years of twists and turns. I encourage you to keep faith that life is working for you, even when you cannot see how; that you will eventually "live into the answers'' as dots only connect looking backward.  My Reset Your Life Compass course (use the code RESET2020 for 50% off until the end of 2020) Grab a copy of You’ve Got This!

As 2020 has disrupted the normal flow of life, it’s also taught us to embrace the uncertain, the unplanned, and unwanted that life throws at us. But this is easier said than done.  Today’s conversation with Dr Paige Williams, author of AntiFragile, provides actionable science-backed advice to help you become anti-fragile, including how to get more comfortable with the uncomfortable and why challenging your shoulds is vital to thriving in tough times. Learn about Paige’s book AntiFragile: www.drpaigewilliams.com/book Take the AntiFragile survey: www.theantifragilesurvey.com Life Compass Course: www.resetyourlifecompass.com  

Life doesn't happen to you, it happens FOR you. Recorded when I was fresh back from two months overseas, this podcast will inspire you to reframe your biggest challenges so you can turn them into your greatest gifts and growth. For more inspiration and resources, check out: Reset Your Life Compass at www.resetyourlifecompass.com (use the code RESET2020 for 50% off until the end of 2020) Grab a copy of You’ve Got This! at www.margiewarrell.com/ygt My quarantine experience - www.bit.ly/2G4KUsa

Turia Pitt is living proof that with the right mindset, anything is possible. Since suffering severe burns to over 85% of her body during a 100km ultramarathon, Turia has gone on to become a bestselling author, two-time Ironman and humanitarian. Enjoy my conversation with Turia as we discuss her new book, Happy and Other Ridiculous Aspirations.  More about Turia at TuriaPitt.com

Every attribute we admire in others also lives in us. The good news is that who you decide to be is entirely within your control. Confidence, courage, optimism, gratitude… these are all muscles you can strengthen with practice. So, in times when it's easy to let problems define us, it’s vital to be deliberate in defining ourselves; identifying the power virtues of the person we want to be and then practicing them daily. 

Taking 100% responsibility for the energy you let in and the energy you put out is always important. But, in the midst of challenging times, when we are feeling fragile, we have to be even more vigilant about the energy we let into our emotional space. More at margiewarrell.com

My illuminating conversation with Bronnie Ware, a former palliative care nurse who wrote The Five Regrets of the Dying, will help you reframe your challenges and look at your life through a larger lens, helping you to find the courage to step beyond the fears that keep you from living the life you truly want, and not the one others expect of you. More about Bronnie Ware at bronnieware.com  

In the midst of difficulty, we often want to ‘mask up’ or pull back from the people around us. Yet research shows that people who have strong social support not only bounce back faster from difficult times but are also strengthened by the strength of their relationships. In this podcast, I share why reaching out and asking for help is not a sign of weakness but a sign of courage.

We are wired for certainty so when life is uncertain, it’s innately uncomfortable and can easily trigger anxiety. Recorded on the eve of flying across the world amid COVID-19, I reflect on the importance of embracing uncertainty in the midst of an already uncertain time. 

Your hardships and heartaches may shape who you are, but they don’t define who you are. Only you get to define that. And therein lies your greatest power – to choose how you will show up and who you will be despite the circumstances of your life. In this episode, I share what I learned after being held at gunpoint in an armed robbery and soon after, losing my first child nearly five months into my pregnancy. If you sometimes feel overwhelmed by your challenges, take a listen.

My conversation with Janine Garner, author of Be Brilliant, will inspire you to stop selling yourself short and to start focusing your time, talents and energy on stepping fully into your own brilliance, regardless of what is going on around you. My July28/29 virtual workshop Janine Garner’s book Be Brilliant

Sadness is a natural response to loss. It holds the hidden gift of pointing us toward what truly matters most. Yet in the midst of loss, we often seek to numb the pain, push it down or distract ourselves from it. In this podcast, I share how I processed the grief of losing my youngest brother to suicide. If you are struggling with loss in any form, you may find healing in these words.

This week, I sat down in my own living room with Mary Barrett, a fellow coach, friend and neighbor. Mary shares her 18-year journey to fulfilling a lifelong dream of motherhood and we talk about not only why we must surrender our attachment to how we think life should be but why we should enjoy life’s unfolding in a spirit of curiosity and wonder. A perfect tonic for flagging spirits in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.   You’ve Got This Workshop  Latest book You’ve Got This More about Mary Mary’s podcast: A Cup of Tea with Mary B

In this podcast, I draw on a heart-wrenching moment with my brother as he processed the brutal news that he would never walk again after a life-changing motorbike accident. If you have found yourself dwelling on what you don’t want or can’t do, or what isn’t fair, this episode is for you.

Our language is not just descriptive, it’s also generative. The words we speak powerfully impact our experience of our circumstances. In this podcast, I share how to use language in ways that empower you to deal with your challenges with greater resilience, courage and optimism. The suggestions I share are taken from my new book, You’ve Got This! More here: margiewarrell.com/ygt Check out my Courageous Conversations Masterclass at courageousconversationsmasterclass.com

World-renowned specialist in human behavior, Dr John Demartini unpacks the science of stress and shares how we can build resilience by finding meaning in our challenges – reframing obstacles as 'on our way’, not 'in our way’. If you want to find purpose in the midst of tough times and live in greater alignment to your highest values, take a listen. Learn about Dr John Demartini’s Breakthrough Experience program and work at drdemartini.com Register for my You've Got This! virtual workshop coming up on June 30/July 1 here >> my.margiewarrell.com/workshop

We live in a culture that can take positivity to excess – overgeneralizing to 'be positive' in all situations. Yet forcing ourselves to choose happy in difficult situations denies our full human experience, keeping us from processing the harder emotions that are part and parcel of living a full, wholehearted life. In this podcast, I explain why the emotions we don’t own will own us and how sometimes feeling bad is the best thing you can do for yourself. Read my Forbes column here: https://bit.ly/2URuisf

In this podcast, I share with you my call to action – my Manifesto – to trust yourself more deeply and doubt yourself less often. It is also available in a printer-friendly version to pin-up so you can read it often. It’s during challenging times that trusting ourselves will lead us to higher ground. Download your copy at margiewarrell.com/ygt

This pandemic has upended all our lives and left many of us feeling anxious, overwhelmed and ungrounded. In this podcast, I share my personal journey (so far) through this pandemic and how you can use this crisis as a catalyst to rethink how you’re ‘doing life’ and move forward more purposefully, aligned to your deepest values and highest vision. Margie’s Reset Your Life Compass Course: www.resetyourlifecompass.com [Enter 2020VISION for 70% off until 15th May, 2020] More at www.margiewarrell.com

Recorded during quarantine – while my husband is in hospital with COVID-19 – I share powerful insights on how to become more grounded in your true strength and cope better with the swirl of emotions brought on by this seismic disruption to our lives. Grab a copy of my new book You’ve Got This! The Life-Changing Power of Trusting Yourself at margiewarrell.com/ygt