Rise without Compromise

Hello and welcome back to the show! In today's episode, I give you a raw, behind-the-scenes look at leadership in real life -- or put another way, the tricky season I've been navigating lately and why I had to step away from the podcast for a while.  If you are looking for my regular actionable leadership insights - come back for the next episode.  But if you're feeling it too - or in a season that's asking a lot, listen in.  AND - interested in the Notion Leader O.S. I mentioned at the end of the show?  Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters and you'll be the first to hear all about it. 

In today's episode, we talk about loneliness in leadership.  Because it's a real thing, and it's often under-acknowledged.  Let's talk about it.    Recommended Resources:   Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Basecamp, Rachel Hollis, Human-Centered Leadership, and Vulnerability Hangovers A behind-the-scenes look at LEAD.Well Book a complimentary call with me The world needs your leadership  

Who gets to be a leader? Short answer: you do. ​ ​More nuanced answer: you do, and here's why you might not automatically see yourself that way.   Recommended Resources:   Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Be the author of your own ambition A behind-the-scenes look at LEAD.Well Book a complimentary call with me The world needs your leadership

If I'm honest, a big reason I got (and have stayed) off Instagram since June 2020 is because I'm easily influenced by other's ambitions. As I would scroll my feed, passively watching post after post go by of someone's perfectly curated version of success, I'd find myself wanting things I hadn't ever considered wanting or second-guessing the plans and desires I'd already thought were iron clad. It took me way too long to realize that spending time engaging in other people's plans inevitably warped my own, leaving me in idea limbo more times than I'd like to admit. Finally, I decided I'd had enough. Maybe it was the clarifying effects of the pandemic or perhaps it was just the compounding impact of Instagram's algorithms, but on June 17, 2020 I posted for the last time. And in that moment, I made a commitment to act on my own ambitions by doing all that I could to reduce the noise and influence of everyone else's. I haven't looked back (well, mostly). Has it helped you might wonder? Listen in to hear more. Enjoy the episode.    Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver everyday leaders A behind-the-scenes look at LEAD.Well Book a complimentary call with me The world needs your leadership "Good for her, not for me."  

Leadership is a practice, not a position. This is our guiding principle inside LEAD.Well, my community of practice for women looking to become better, braver everyday leaders. What began as essentially a paid newsletter has now become a thoughtful, curious community of practice for women and non-binary folks to reflect, develop and practice their leadership. Today, I'm taking you behind-the-scenes, sharing about LEAD.Well's origin story, how it's changed and evolved over the years (thanks pandemic!), and what it looks like today. The doors are open for our spring enrolment until May 2, 2022 as we kick-off our new Leadership Essentials program inside LEAD.Well on May 3rd. If you've been curious about whether LEAD.Well is right for you, this episode will give you a complete look at what we do inside LEAD.Well, why it matters and who this community is right for. And if you're ready to join us, you can do so right here.  Enjoy the episode!   Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Book a complimentary call with me The world needs your leadership

"It's not about my ambition for my team members; it's about me supporting them with theirs." Nekolina is the manager any employee would love to have. As the Director of Communications for ATB Financial, Nekolina leads a team of 10. Unlike many managers who get promoted based on their technical skills, but struggle with leading people, Nekolina has made it her life's work to be an empathetic, people-first leader. In this episode, we explore her leadership philosophy of 'giving a leg up,' and why she believes that investing in deep listening and active support of her team members is the best place she can put her time and energy. We also talk about some of the challenges that come with being a people-first leader and how she navigates them (think boundaries, differing expectations etc). This is a thoughtful, important conversation for anyone who leads others. Recommended Resources: Connect with Nekolina here on LinkedIn David Irvine Basecamp, Rachel Hollis, Human-Centered Leadership, and Vulnerability Hangovers StrengthsFinder 2.0 Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Book a complimentary call with me Join me on Twitter here

In our fast-paced, 24/7 world of hot takes and endless opportunities, what might be available for us if we slowed everything down and took a moment instead? When we think about leaders, we often think about ambitious, always-on-the go busy professionals moving from project to project. And while that's often true and certainly supports making a lot of big things happen, often leaders can benefit by slowing down just enough to then speed up. In today's episode, we'll be talking about three areas where we as leaders can benefit from slowing down: with our pace, our decision-making and our response times. Enjoy the episode.    Recommended Resources:  Leadership Lab: The Roots of Everyday Leadership (free workshop – Feb 25th) How to do nothing by Jenny Odell An Update on My Decision to Pause the Podcasts Offline podcast series with Jon Favreau A 3-part framework to create a sustainable plan this year For the exhausted Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Book a complimentary call with me Join me on Twitter here

Tired of setting goals, crafting master plans and elaborate task lists that aren't sustainable over the long-haul? Over the years I've had a love-hate relationship with goal setting. While it's true that nothing feels better than having a sense of clarity and a calendar full of milestones and metrics to meet, I've come to realize that for most of us, it doesn't work well long term. Things change, our environments change, our desires change and our situations change. And when we've got complex KPIs and BHAGs to keep up, it's easy to quickly feel defeated and deflated when we don't ‘rise to the challenge.' In today's episode I offer an alternative. It's not perfect and it's certainly a work in progress during these wild pandemic years, but it feels more generous and forgiving than so many of the plans I've tried before. I'll share with you how I'm unhooking from the pressures of January, why alignment should be your first priority before you do anything else, the umbrella I'm holding my commitments in this year, and finally my 3-part framework to doing the work. If you're interested in discussing this more or getting my help with it, I encourage you to join LEAD.Well – my community of practice, or book a complimentary call with me here to discuss how I can help you create a sustainable approach to your planning. Enjoy the episode!   Recommended Resources: Get your free Values workbook  Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Ted Lasso “I believe in believe.”  Betty White, a Television Golden Girl From the Start, Is Dead at 99 How to get over your fear of planning Everyday Leadership for Smart Women playlist – Planning Edition Atomic Habits by James Clear James Clear on Dare to Lead podcast (part 1 and part 2) Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Book a complimentary call with me Join me on Twitter here

Not every road to leadership is a straight one. For Heidi Johnson, her journey to leadership took a few twists and turns before she really sunk into seeing herself as a leader. Now, after 10 years in business – including some pretty major pivots along the way – Heidi is doing work that's meaningful and that aligns deeply with her core values. And that's what we discuss in today's Leader Spotlight. Heidi and I talk about the importance of values – and how she uses her values to steer and guide her business. We also talk about intentional practice as a means of getting better at leadership, and what she's currently practicing. We wrap up with a very specific story related to every leader's favourite subject – planning and goal-setting – and how Heidi took a radically different approach setting her goals this quarter to ensure that she'd break the cycle of setting big goals only to be disappointed when they didn't come to fruition later. This conversation is packed with thoughtful insights and useful perspective shifts for any leader looking to deepen their leadership and grow in 2022. Enjoy the episode. You can find the show notes here.   Recommended Resources: Heidi Johnson's site Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn Get your free Values workbook  #099 – We need a different definition of leadership Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Book a complimentary call with me Join me on Twitter here

We're celebrating 100 episodes! It's a big day over here as we celebrate our 100th episode. It's been a a winding road to get here, but I'm proud that we're still going strong considering most podcasts fade after 7-10 episodes. Thank you to everyone who's been with me since the beginning, and everyone who has joined along the way. Listen in to hear some of the changes afoot - including our new name.    Recommended Resources: #099 – We need a different definition of leadership Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Book a complimentary call with me Join me on Twitter here

We've traditionally defined leadership in too limiting a way for the challenges we face. We now need a different definition of leadership. In today's episode, we talk about a different way of talking about leadership - one that invites everyone to the table.  Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Click here for the written version to read or share. #094: Leader Spotlight: Kourtney Branagan's Run for Office The invisible is important Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Book a complimentary call with me Join me on Twitter here  

Victoria Smith is leading in the margins. Throughout the early months of the pandemic, while most of us were stocking up on toilet paper and watching Tiger King, Victoria was parenting two young children, working a full-time job, running a business, moving provinces and, wait for it...writing and publishing a book. But she's the first to say it wasn't easy or without sacrifice. In this episode, we talk about how she made it all fit (and how she redefined the metrics that mattered) and why now was the time to write her first book. This is an inspiring, real-talk episode about what it takes to lead in the margins. Enjoy the episode.   Recommended Resources: Grab a copy of Victoria's book, Stress Less in 90 Days: Your guide to beat burnout, build resilience and actually enjoy your daily life. Victoria's website Victoria on Instagram Ditch your metrics Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders

“Taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn't it? If you're comfortable while you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong.” ~Ted Lasso   Let's talk about being uncomfortable. In my mind, there are two ways we can experience discomfort in our lives, our work and our leadership. In today's episode, we'll talk about these two kinds of discomfort, and I'll offer up five strategies to help you move through them.  Enjoy the episode!    Recommended Resources: Prefer to read this issue? Click here for the written version. Explore your Values free workbook How to be a leader worth following Ted Lasso in my very favourite scene Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Book a complimentary call with me Join me on Twitter here    

This is a podcast version of my Leadership Letters, published October 7th, 2021.  You can subscribe to get the full letter including additional links, resources and tools for leaders here.    *SPECIAL PRE-SALE OFFER: As mentioned in today's episode, I have a special pre-sale going on until October 13, 2021, for my new private newsletter course, "Design your Leadership Operating System."  If you'd like to better understand who you are as a leader, where you're headed and how you'll get there, I encourage you to sign up.  We kick off on October 13th (you can still join after that date), and you can save $50 on registration if you sign up before then.  Learn more about the Design your Leadership Operating System private newsletter course here. 

When we talk about focus, we often talk about strategies and tactics to minimize distraction, clarify priorities and “do the work.” We say to ourselves that if we could just get it together and stay focused on what matters, everything would improve. What's often overlooked is that focus isn't really just about priorities or habits or time blocking, is that courage is really about this… Enjoy the episode --   Recommended Resources: Our ordinary breakfast: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins The advice that changed my life Why I love getting up at 4:30am every day My Sunday night planning ritual  5 helpful steps to take before you begin a new project Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters For the Exhausted (strategies to manage the overwhelm) Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Book a complimentary call with me Join me on Twitter here

In today's episode, I bring you a special Leader Spotlight with community builder and local political candidate, Kourtney Branagan.  Listen in as we talk about her journey to running for local office, why more women don't run, and how she manages the ups and downs of public life.  This is a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation with a smart, brave woman. I hope you enjoy it!    Recommended Resources: Visit Kourtney's campaign website Connect with Kourtney on Twitter Connect with Kourtney on TikTok Connect with Kourtney on Facebook Sign up for Sips and Leadership with Kourtney & I on Sept 29/2021 Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Last week's episode: For the Exhausted Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Book a complimentary call with me Join me on Twitter here

Thanks for listening to the Rise without Compromise Podcast.  Today I'm talking to you if you're feeling exhausted, depleted or just plain tired.  Here are the links mentioned in today's episode.  Recommended Resources:   Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters In praise of micro moves The question I keep asking myself this season Decision fatigue is real. And I have it. What you need to get about decision fatigue Join LEAD.Well – a community of practice for women who want to be better, braver leaders Book a complimentary call with me Join me on Twitter here

The show is back!  I'm thrilled to be back on the mic, and in your earbuds.  This episode is an audio version, with bonus riffs, of my weekly Leadership Letter newsletter.  You can sign up to get the full letter, including added curated content for leaders, over at StephaniePollock.com  The original essay first appeared here.   

I'm back!  After a short hiatus, while I navigated online school for my two kids, I'm back on the mic and am here to give you a quick, time-sensitive update.  Remember Inspector Gadget? This episode is like that: it will disappear from the feed on Wednesday, March 3rd.  I'm also inviting you to join LEAD.Well - my membership community for women looking to become better, braver leaders.  Our prices are going up March 1st from $150/year (CAD) to $770/year.  Visit WeLeadWell.co to sign up.  AND - as a special note, use the coupon code PODLW to get this pricing until the end of the day on March 3rd once the pricing goes up March 1st.  *NOTE: this coupon code is only good for the LEAD.Well Annual Membership, and can't be applied to monthly or the PRO version. And will only work between March 1st and March 3rd.         

“The most important possible thing you can do, is do a lot of work.” ~Ira Glass Over my years in coaching, I’ve heard many, many stories about something being ‘too hard’ or ‘too overwhelming’. And I’ve heard stories like, “I’m just not good at technology” or “I can’t ever seem to figure out how to launch my new thing,” a million times.  What I want to remind you of today is that what you tell yourself about your work will inform how you experience your work.  If you tell yourself that you suck at writing, you’re going to avoid it like the plague or never put it out there and you’re never going to get better at it.  If you tell yourself that you’re never going to catch up to those further ahead, you won’t because you won’t even begin to try.  If you tell yourself that you’re terrible and inexperienced at managing staff, you’ll avoid dealing with them and make things worse (for you and them).  If you believe that marketing is slimy and overly-complicated, you’ll stay the world’s best-kept secret.  It’s ok to be nervous about something new. And it’s fine to acknowledge where your real (not perceived) limitations are. We are not meant to be brilliant at everything. It’s time to close the gaps. Enjoy the episode. Recommended Resources: Truth: Good things take more time than we’d like The Taste Gap – Ira Glass video  Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

People will thank you if you created good rules, because otherwise it’s awkward, and you’re leaving everyone to figure them out on their own. ~Priya Parker Over the past few months, tens of thousands of meetings that would otherwise be conducted in boardrooms, coffee shops, libraries and dining room tables are now being held virtually – over Zoom, Google Meets and Microsoft Meetings. And while current technology allows for connection and continued business communications now more than ever, it isn’t without its problems. Hosts who’ve never conducted an online meeting are trying to push in-person ways into virtual rooms. Participants are exhausted, depleted and Zoomed out. Many meetings leave people feeling disconnected and confused. In today’s episode, we get really practice and offer up a ton of tips and strategies for both hosts and participants. Enjoy the episode.  Recommended Resources: Setting digital boundaries Embrace your humanness Zoom Effectively: Discover Ways to Lead Inclusive Meetings and Participate Productively CV Harquail’s mini-book, Bringing Feminist Practices to Online Work Sessions Why Zoom is terrible The inescapable pressure of being a woman on Zoom Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

“The courage to be vulnerable is not about winning or losing, it’s about the courage to show up when you can’t predict or control the outcome.” Brené Brown Yesterday, while cooking my seven thousandth meal in the past few weeks, I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts, NPR Politics. These hosts, who have been in my earbuds for years, are now recording from home – trying to produce a high-quality news show, while toddlers climb up their desk chairs and dogs bark in the background. I laughed yesterday, as one hosts’ dog barked a few too many times and she had to tell Buster to just “shush!” It was a moment of realness that pre-pandemic, would have quickly been edited out. There are have been many more of these moments over the past few weeks, as Late Night Show hosts introduce us to their family members, business owners share challenging behind-the-scenes moments of keeping operations afloat, Bon Appetit chefs teach us how to make gourmet Kraft Dinner, and closer to home, we all get glimpses into how people really live thanks to Zoom. And while we all wish COVID19 wasn’t a word in our lexicon, let alone dictating the way we live and work, there are some bright spots amongst the clouds. Our new willingness to let our audiences in – whether they be our friends on Facebook, our team members, our clients or our audiences-at-large – is an opportunity to connect with our people in a deeper, more authentic way. And I think that’s a great thing. Enjoy the episode. Recommended Resources:   Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders.  Buster the NPR podcast-interrupting dog Notice these moments Children interrupt BBC News interview Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns. Anne Lamott As we find ourselves in the middle of this global pandemic; past the shock and awe of those first few weeks of the shutdown and quarantining, yet still months away from anything that looks like 'normal,' I've been thinking about what we can notice about our experiences, right now. The conversations I'm having with friends, family and clients are ones around the future - what we want, what we no longer want and where we want to put our attention and focus when this is done (or close to done). In today's episode, I talk about the importance of noticing: paying attention to the rhythms of our days, to our energy, to where we find ourselves pulled. I believe these quieter moments in this global pause, can be helpful informants for how we make decisions about the future. Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. *Price goes up May 11th. Keep a quarantine diary Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. J.R.R. Tolkien As we all navigate working from home, with partners and kids, and new learning curves – it’s easy to find ourselves feeling foggy, scattered and completely unfocused. Given that most of us are now working from home with more familial demands on our time, it can feel discouraging and futile to carve out focused blocks of time to do your most important work. Here’s where using your margins becomes so very important. Enjoy the episode. Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders.  Pomodoro Technique 3 Reminders for Uncertain Times Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

In these shorter episodes, I’ve been primarily focusing on how you can better navigate these challenging times. This is the idea of putting our own oxygen masks on first as we can’t give what we don’t have.  Today, I’d like to shift focus and speak to how you can lead others through these times – whether they are co-workers, employees, clients, customers, contractors or even your family members.  We’re all carrying a lot right now, and as uncertainty runs high, it can be easy to find yourself with intrapersonal challenges because everyone is on alert.  This has been a source of many conversations with clients over the past few weeks. As they try to manage their own feelings and actions as a result of the pandemic, they’re also very mindful of the leadership responsibility they have to the people they lead.  So while this list is hardly exhaustive, let me take a moment to share five ways to lead your people through uncertain times. Enjoy the episode. Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders.  Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

Boundaries are a part of self-care. They are healthy, normal, and necessary. Doreen Virtue As we enter wrap up week six of working from home during COVID-19, many of us are looking forward to a weekend free from yet another Zoom meeting. While I'm grateful for what technology has offered us during this time, it isn't without its challenges. Today, we're going to talk about why setting digital boundaries are vital to preserving your well-being and capacity as a leader - especially now. Enjoy the episode and stay safe. Recommended Resources:  Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

Doing nothing is sometimes one of the highest duties of man. G.K. Chesterton Do you worry that you’ve got to make this quarantine count? Are you measuring yourself against what everyone else is getting done while at home? In today’s episode, we continue with our shorter sessions as we navigate COVID-19. We’re going to talk about why there is no test at the end of this and how to let go of the fear of not making this time at home count. Enjoy the episode and stay safe. Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders.  Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

We can endure almost anything if we are centered, if we have some focus in our life. You can endure if you have an anchor. Renita J. Weems A reminder that for the next little while, I’ll be publishing more often with shorter episodes as a way to talk about and support you during the uncertainty of the times.  Today I want to chat about finding your anchors.  A month into self-isolation I’ve learned that there are a few things I need to do every day to stay grounded. This goes beyond my micro-moves I talked about in the last episode – those were more about what I wanted to accomplish each day.  My anchors are the activities I do my very best to ensure happen every day, no matter what. These are simple things that help me feel more like myself, turn down the volume on any anxiety I’m feeling and remind me that at this moment – I’m ok.  When I do these things, I feel more capable of taking on the to-do items on my list. And when I do these things, I feel better, more hopeful and like I’ve had a mindset reset. Listen in to hear what they are and how you can find your own. Enjoy the episode. Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. USE coupon code: communitycare for 30 days free (April sign-ups only) In praise of micro moves Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

As I mentioned in last week’s extra episode, for the near foreseeable future, I’ll be coming to you more often - every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to drop a shorter episode with the hope of helping you navigate these new and uncertain times.  Alright, let’s dive in.  It’s Monday, April 13th and we’ve been in self-isolation for a solid month now. I don’t know about you, but my productivity has been all over the place. Some hours I’m raring and ready to go, and others I find myself lethargic and questioning my ability to get even the most basic of tasks done.  I know I’m not alone in this - countless pieces online and memes galore speak to this middle place we find ourselves in - where we’re home more and theoretically have more time (though any fellow parent can agree that we don’t have more time - we now just have more fragmented time).  We’ll talk about productivity more in a future episode, but for now, let me offer one simple strategy that’s helping me with the tension of wanting to get my work done while finding myself with depleted energy stores.  Enjoy the episode. Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. USE coupon code: communitycare for 30 days free (April sign-ups only) Here are the top 5 business lessons I learned in 2017 How to do more brave things Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

A quick note to share a podcast update. 

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. ~ Hal Borland We are navigating new territory as the world collectively deals with the impact of COVID19. Today, as we all continue to orient ourselves to this new 'normal', I want to come in and offer three reminders that I'm using daily (ok, hourly) to cope. These three reminders aren't a one-and-done, we'll be flowing in and out of them regularly, but hopefully, they're helpful touchpoints when the anxiety rears its ugly head or you're struggling to stay focused on anything, except refreshing your Twitter feed (or is that just me). Enjoy the episode. Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. USE coupon code: communitycare for 30 days free Burnout: the Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

  “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” ~Coretta Scott King I’m excited to kick-off a brand new series on the podcast all about masterminds, communities and networking for leaders. I’ve been planning this series for a while and given that spring is hopefully right around the corner, it’s a good time to think about getting out into the world and building relationships and deepening connections. And the good news is that all of what we’ll be talking about over the series also translates to the digital world. If you can’t travel, if accessibility is a challenge for you, if you’re a raging introvert or if unexpected forces ie. Coronavirus prohibits going into crowds, we can always leverage the power of online masterminds, communities and networking to support our connection goals.  Today we’re going to talk briefly about all three, and why they matter in your own leadership development path. It’s easy to take connection and community for granted in our busy, on-demand world, but it’s a vital component to how we get better as leaders and how we stay resilient in the face of uncertainty, change and setbacks.  Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. Learn more and apply to the Leadership League Mastermind Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

Most miscommunications and blow-ups happen because we enter into a tricky conversation without much thought. We’re angry, or frustrated, or overwhelmed – so we fire back words that don’t truly reflect what we feel, nor how we want to show up in the world.  We react first, and process later. We let our emotions rule before we can even stop and consider what we think and feel about the situation, and how we best want to handle it.  As leaders though, we will be faced with tricky and sticky conversations again and again. How we show up to them matters and with practice, we can get better at this. And it always, always starts with this one question.  Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. The Accelerator Sessions – private accountability coaching Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

“Learning is not compulsory…neither is survival.” ~ W. Edwards Deming In 2003, I took part in a program called Leadership Calgary (now called the Human Venture Institute). This program was instrumental in my personal and professional development, and in many ways has shaped who I have become.  A few years ago, I decided to revisit the program through an alumni 10-month program offering. Given that it had been 13 years since I spent much time with the concepts, it wasn’t an easy re-entry.  Over the course of the program, I wrestled with feeling like I was on the trailing edge compared to the others in the room who have taken the program more recently and stayed connected along the way.  I felt insecure. I doubted my own intelligence. And many, many times I questioned if it was worth continuing. As such, I held myself back from actively contributing, and stayed in my comfort zone as an observer.  And yet, something kept nudging me to keep going.  At one point, I needed to make a decision about whether to continue. A friend and fellow long-time alum was also wrestling with the same issue, so we hopped on a conference call with a guide in the program to sort through it.  I’ll spare you the details, but I stuck with the program. Here’s why, and how it may be useful to you. Enjoy the episode. Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. Human Venture Institute Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

Yeah. No, no, no, wait a minute, I always have tuna on toast. Nothing's ever worked out for me with tuna on toast. I want the complete opposite of on toast. Chicken salad, on rye, untoasted... and a cup of tea.  ~George Costanza, Seinfeld We all have things we’ve believed for so long, we no longer even question their accuracy.  In our minds, they are facts.  Hard, cold truths about who we are, what we’re capable of and what our future holds.  Some of these truths are helpful and reflect our best selves.  Most of them, however, do not.  Listen in as we talk about how to start believing something different.  Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter Thanks for listening: I want to thank you for listening and to those that have taken the time to review the show. If you like the Rise without Compromise podcast, please consider leaving an honest review in Apple Podcasts. Your review goes a long way to help this podcast get found by more people. Thank you! You can review & rate the show here Rise without Compromise

Can we talk about how hard it is to get feedback? Navigating feedback – both the giving and the receiving – makes up a lot of my coaching work. On any given Tuesday or Friday, clients will come to me looking for guidance on how to make sense of feedback they’ve received, or for help around how to give feedback to a team member or client. In today’s episode, we’re going to focus specifically on receiving feedback, and how to handle all the feelings that come when someone shares their perspective on our work. It’s tricky, it’s scary and it’s something most of us avoid at all costs. So let’s bring it out into the light and talk about it. I’ll start with a story that happened to me a couple of years ago. Trust me, there have been other occasions since, but this particular example encapsulates everything I want to share with you about feedback.  A few years ago, I released a new product into the world called Communicate Like a PRO. It was an idea that had been in my ‘someday’ pile for over a year, and I finally said, “Ok, enough. Create the damn thing already.”  So I did. And then came the feedback… Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

Hello and happy new year!  This episode is dropping at the end of my first week back post-holidays, and I feel like I’m just getting back into the groove. As I said on Instagram earlier this week, give yourself lots of grace and space as you re-enter back to work.  In our last episode, we talked about 10 questions you could ask yourself to close out the year. If you missed it and want to take that reflection time (sidebar, it’s not too late) head here.  Today we’re going to spend time envisioning what 2020 can bring you. If you’re listening to this much later than January 2020, don’t skip this. These questions are valuable at any time of the year.  Once again, I encourage you to give yourself permission to take some time to think these over. Head to a local coffee shop for an hour of uninterrupted time, with your favourite notebook. Don’t rush through it. Taking this time now will help you set up the year ahead in a purposeful, mindful way that can be sustainable.  Trust me, with a lot of personal and client experience behind me, it’s easy to get swept up in the January possibility vibes without really considering if you can make it happen once February hits.  Let’s jump into the questions and walk through each one. I’m going to break these up into two sets of five. The first set focuses more on what you want to do and accomplish this year whereas the second set is about you and how you want to be this year. Enjoy the episode. Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders. Break free of your addiction to possibilities (podcast #017) The key ingredient to have a stand-out year (podcast #018) Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on LinkedIn here

As we come to the end of the year, let’s all take a collective moment to pause, look backward and reflect on all the ground we’ve covered and lessons we’ve learned. It’s easy to want blow past the past and focus only on what’s ahead, but we do so at our own peril. When we take the time and flex our courage muscles to get honest about what’s transpired, we can learn and grow. We can use what we now know (that we didn’t know before) to shape how we proceed and what perspective we hold about the future ahead. In today’s episode, I walk you through the 10 questions to ask yourself to close out this year. I’ll be asking myself the very same questions and sharing my answers on Instagram and LinkedIn if you want to follow along. Enjoy the episode! 

Yes I’m an overnight success – 11 years in the making. ~Chris Brogan, author and speaker My husband and I were watching TV last week after a very long day. As I searched the PVR for something to watch, I saw that Modern Family had just started taping. Awesome I thought, we love this show. And so I hit play. And all was well until a commercial began and I realized because it was taping live, we didn’t have the luxury of hitting that little 15 seconds button a few times until we got back to the show. Can I tell you how annoyed we both were? We looked at each other in bewilderment like, “what is happening here? Do we actually have to watch a commercial? This is so wrong!” We were so used to having easy, on-demand access to the exact thing we wanted to watch when we wanted to watch it that it felt totally alien to have to wait. Ah waiting. Something we’re not so good at doing. Because for the most part, we don’t have to... Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: The Leadership League Mastermind  Nothing is ever wasted, it is all useful  A League of their Own (clip) Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter here and use the hashtag #risewithoutcompromise Thanks for listening: I want to thank you for listening and to those that have taken the time to review the show. If you like the Rise without Compromise podcast, please consider leaving an honest review in Apple Podcasts. Your review goes a long way to help this podcast get found by more people. Thank you! You can review & rate the show here Rise without Compromise

Shownotes >> https://stephaniepollock.com/rwc072 A bird sitting in a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not in the branch but in its wings. ~Unknown Spring has sprung, quarter two is ahead of us and I’m taking a moment to pause, catch my breath and regroup. In reality, that’s meant putting a few exciting opportunities on the backburner and easing up my work processes a bit. I’m not always good at parking projects – I want to do them all right now, thank you very much. But after 11 years in business, I know that when I try to do it all, I end up doing none of it well. And I’m actively working to break that pattern. In today’s episode, I share what’s going on for quarter two, what I decided to put in an Evernote folder for later and why it’s important for you to do a Q2 check-in too. And then I share three reminders to help you navigate these next months with ease and joy. Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: The Leadership League Mastermind Team Steph Book Updates ACE Class Master Class 30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #1) 30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #2) 30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #3) 30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #4) 30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #5) 30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #6) Thanks for listening: Stephanie is an amazing, and realistic, leader. She breaks business down into tangible chunks and realizes real life happens, but gives you tools to succeed in light of it. Her podcast is a breath of fresh air and I’m burning through her earlier ones at lightning speed and so pumped up to apply all her amazing tips!  ~ Liz of Lekker Cider I want to thank you for listening and to those that have taken the time to review the show. If you like the Rise without Compromise podcast, please consider leaving an honest review in Apple Podcasts. Your review goes a long way to help this podcast get found by more people. Thank you! You can review & rate the show here Rise without Compromise

The willingness to show up changes us. It makes us a little braver each time. ~Brené Brown You may remember that I chose the words “show up” as my focus for 2019. I wanted to show up in all areas of my life – from my work to my health to my friends and family, to myself. Today I thought I’d give you a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at how that’s going and what’s been getting in the way. My goal with this episode isn’t to make it all about me, but rather use my progress as an example to speak to how hard it can be for many of us to show up and be seen. I don’t have 5 quick tips in today’s episode either – this one is a little rawer than it is strategic. But sometimes we have to show up and tell the truth over another listicle, right? Listen in for a vulnerable, honest take about what it looks like when I lean into “showing up” as my mandate for 2019. Enjoy today’s episode. Recommended Resources: FULL SHOW NOTES HERE Instagram post about my Word of the Year Instagram post about showing up The Leadership League Mastermind – early bird spots are now available Team Steph Book Club – join my behind-the-scenes look at my book writing process Daring Greatly – Brené Brown RISE Conference Why I love getting up at 4:30am every morning Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Book a Breakthrough Session with me to talk about how you can start to show up and be seen Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter here and use the hashtag #risewithoutcompromise

Enjoy this short clip of my interview with Victoria Smith in celebration of her 100th episode of the Girl Tries Life podcast.  You can listen to the full episode here or by searching for Girl Tries Life in your podcast player of choice.  In this interview, we talk about the critical difference between self-care and self-comfort, how to avoid burnout and how to find a personalized plan to feel more like yourself.  Enjoy!    Self-Care vs Self-Comfort with Stephanie Pollock     

SHOWNOTES >> https://stephaniepollock.com/rwc070 Love your work, then you will find pleasure in mastering it. ~H. Jackson Brown Jr. Happy Valentine’s Day!  Today I wanted to use Valentine’s Day as a jumping off point to talk about ways you can love your work again – whether that’s your professional career or your business. And given that today is my 70th episode, I’ve come up with seven specific strategies you can try to get there. It may be Valentine’s Day, but it’s also mid-February. Which means that for most of us, we’re knee deep into winter with the polar vortex sweeping much of Canada and the United States. The new year energy is behind us, spring is still far away and it’s easy to feel slow, sluggish and perhaps even a bit discontented about our life and work. That’s why I wanted to bring these seven ideas to you today – so that you can intentionally find ways to make your work feel better, more fulfilling and perhaps even joyful. You don’t need to try all these strategies of course, but even if you give just one a go, my hope is that you’ll see your satisfaction rise. It’s easy to find ourselves doing the same thing, day after day, not really questioning things much until suddenly we have a moment where we think, “Is this all there is?” or “I’m not loving this,” or even just “This is good, but I bet it could be better.” I’ve talked about this before on the podcast, in episode 31 where I talked about how to bounce back after a crisis of confidence, and in episode 32 where we discussed what questions to ask when your business needs to change.  They are both helpful episodes if you’re feeling particularly disenchanted with your business or you’ve been dealt a tough blow. In today’s seven strategies, I’m going to focus more on positive actions you can take to bring the love back to your work, maybe not overnight, but slowly and steadily until it feels aligned and good again. Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: Subscribe to my weekly Leadership Letters RISE Conference (Mar 7-9, 2019) – use POLLOCKVIP to receive 15% off How to bounce back after a crisis of confidence What questions to ask when your business needs to change The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath Why I love getting up at 4:30am every day Build better habits (the ones that stick) Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport Deep Work by Cal Newport Book a Breakthrough Session with me to talk about how to do work that matters this year Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter here and use the hashtag #risewithoutcompromise Learnings, Practices & Celebrations: I’m gathering your stories and insights into what you’re learning, practicing and celebrating. I’ll be sharing them on upcoming episodes as a way to showcase the small and big wins that often get overlooked as we go in search of what’s next. If you’re particularly proud of something you accomplished or a hurdle you overcame, or if you’re practicing something that’s strengthening your leadership and impact, or if you’ve had a recent aha (as I share in today’s episode), please email me and let me know. You can choose to stay anonymous (just let me know in your email) or I can give you a shout-out on the show. My goal is to pay reverence and respect to all the steps along the way to creating a life and work we can be proud of. You never know who you may inspire. Submit your story (1-4 paragraphs) here. Thank you! Thanks for listening: I want to thank you for listening and to those that have taken the time to review the show. If you like the Rise without Compromise podcast, please consider leaving an honest review in Apple Podcasts. Your review goes a long way to help this podcast get found by more people. Thank you! You can review & rate the show here Rise without Compromise

>>Show notes: https://stephaniepollock.com/rwc069 With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ~Eleanor Roosevelt Rise and shine Ever since I began my (very) early morning routine some nine months ago, I’ve received a lot of questions about it. Some people look at me, mouth agape wondering what on earth I’m thinking of waking up before the sun. Others are curious, questioning if they too could rise in the wee hours to make time for themselves. Mostly, people want to know the answers to four questions: Why I decided to get up so early What I do during my morning hours What time I go to bed Is it worth it? In this episode of the Rise without Compromise podcast, I answer all four questions in detail and give you a behind-the-scenes look at what mornings look like for me. Before you listen, a couple caveats: This is not prescriptive. Early mornings aren’t for everyone and I don’t think getting up early makes me any more successful than the next person who works hard but gets up at 9am. It’s nothing sexy or particularly noteworthy. I say that to demystify the practice of getting up early. It’s honestly not that big of a deal, nor is that hard to do when you want to do it. It does not need to start at 4:30am. That’s what works for me, right now, and this season in my life and work. It’s about the “why” behind it, not the actual time on the clock. You can do the same thing at 6:30am or 2:30pm or 9:30pm. If you’ve been wanting to make more time for yourself, your work or your creative ideas, listen in and see if it inspires you to start a morning practice. And if not, then that’s perfectly fine too. As I say in the show, you do you. Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources:   Build better habits (the ones that stick) “Good for her, not for me.” Boost your chances for success with a set of these Simple Habit app The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron Up First podcast by NPR The Daily by the New York Times Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Book a Breakthrough Session with me to talk about how to do work that matters this year Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter here and use the hashtag #risewithoutcompromise Learnings, Practices & Celebrations: I’m gathering your stories and insights into what you’re learning, practicing and celebrating. I’ll be sharing them on upcoming episodes as a way to showcase the small and big wins that often get overlooked as we go in search of what’s next. If you’re particularly proud of something you accomplished or a hurdle you overcame, or if you’re practicing something that’s strengthening your leadership and impact, or if you’ve had a recent aha (as I share in today’s episode), please email me and let me know. You can choose to stay anonymous (just let me know in your email) or I can give you a shout-out on the show. My goal is to pay reverence and respect to all the steps along the way to creating a life and work we can be proud of. You never know who you may inspire. Submit your story (1-4 paragraphs) here. Thank you! Thanks for listening: I want to thank you for listening and to those that have taken the time to review the show. If you like the Rise without Compromise podcast, please consider leaving an honest review in Apple Podcasts. Your review goes a long way to help this podcast get found by more people. Thank you! You can review & rate the show here Rise without Compromise

Habits are the invisible architecture of daily life. We repeat about 40 percent of our behaviour almost daily, so our habits shape our existence, and our future. ~Gretchen Rubin >> SHOW NOTES: http://stephaniepollock.com/rwc068 Let’s talk habits. There’s a lot of talk at this time of year about resolutions, goal-setting and forming better habits. Because we all want to live better and work better, right? But what does it actually take to build a habit that sticks – one that goes from being hard to keep up into one that’s as easy as brushing your teeth? One you no longer have to decide if you’re going to do, you just do it. In this episode, I break down my own habit-building process – looking at why I was able to make two big habits stick in 2018 (reading 60 books and getting up most mornings at 4:30 am) while two other habits (working out and showing up regularly on social media) didn’t stick at all. If you’d like to find a different approach to habit-building, specifically one that doesn’t require high degrees of discipline or willpower, listen in. This approach to habit formation was a big ‘aha’ for me and will now serve as my way forward as I make other life and work changes, including giving my workouts and social media posting another go. Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: How to read more and better in 2017 Human Venture Institute Atomic Habits by James Clear Sustaining vs Striving: what’s the best way forward (RwC #067) Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Follow me on GoodReads Post about showing up on Instagram Don’t break the chain Habit Tracker PDF  Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Book a Breakthrough Session with me to talk about how to do work that matters this year Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter here and use the hashtag #risewithoutcompromise Learnings, Practices & Celebrations: I’m gathering your stories and insights into what you’re learning, practicing and celebrating. I’ll be sharing them on upcoming episodes as a way to showcase the small and big wins that often get overlooked as we go in search of what’s next. If you’re particularly proud of something you accomplished or a hurdle you overcame, or if you’re practicing something that’s strengthening your leadership and impact, or if you’ve had a recent aha (as I share in today’s episode), please email me and let me know. You can choose to stay anonymous (just let me know in your email) or I can give you a shout-out on the show. My goal is to pay reverence and respect to all the steps along the way to creating a life and work we can be proud of. You never know who you may inspire. Submit your story (1-4 paragraphs) here. Thank you!

May all that is unforgiven in you Be released. May your fears yield Their deepest tranquilities. May all that is unlived in you Blossom into a future Graced with love. *Blessing by John O'Donohue Hello and welcome back! It’s been a while and I’m happy to be back in your earbuds. First, let me wish you a very Happy New Year. Welcome to 2019! Speaking of the new year, this is the time when everyone is talking about goal-setting, words of the year, intentions, resolutions, planning and more, either because they love it and are having fun putting big plans on paper, OR because they hate it and totally resist all forms of it. Whatever camp you fall into, I have some insights to share around how to find a path forward that works best for you. In today’s episode, we’re going to kick off the new year by talking about the tension between sustainability and striving. You’ll also get to hear about my plans for 2019, how I’m approaching them and what my words of the year are. Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters Instagram post about my Word of the Year Book a Breakthrough Session with me to talk about how to do work that matters this year Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter here and use the hashtag #risewithoutcompromise

When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.  ~Audre Lorde Today we’re continuing with our Amplify Your Voice series. If you haven’t listened to last week’s episode with Nikki Groom, I highly encourage you to go check that out. I want to pick up where Nikki left off in a short riff today. Using our voices has been on my mind a lot lately, particularly in the wake our current political and cultural climate right now. Last week I had a great conversation with a potential client about where she’s headed in the next few years. This smart, ambitious woman declared to me her desire to step into the political arena and run for local office. She’s worked on campaigns before and is very civic-minded, but this will be the first time it’s moved from behind-the-scenes support to centre stage spotlight. My immediate thoughts when she told me were, “I am so damn excited for her” and “this is a brave woman.” Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: Be Seen, Be Heard with Nikki Groom Daring Greatly, by Brené Brown Dare to Lead, by Brené Brown Geeky Summit

It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent. ~Madeleine Albright Today I’m happy to have storyteller and entrepreneurial rockstar, Nikki Groom on the podcast to kick-off a series of episodes around amplifying our voices. Now, more than ever, we need more women speaking up, sharing their ideas and being change agents for good. And that’s where Nikki comes in. We talk about why speaking it up is so important and what gets in the way of us using our voice and showing up. Nikki is the host of Movement Makers, a podcast featuring in-depth conversations and unfiltered stories from business leaders and entrepreneurs who are making a difference on the planet, and founder of The 100 Stories Worth Telling Project, which seeks to amplify the voices of underrepresented entrepreneurs all over the world. Nikki is passionate about the power of storytelling as a way for thought leaders to humanize their businesses, build relationships with the people they most want to serve, and inspire readers into action. She is also a firm believer that all businesses should lead with empathy. Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: Nikki Groom’s website Nikki Groom on Instagram Nikki Groom on Twitter Nikki Groom on Facebook Andréa Ranae: Making Your Work Your Activism (Nikki’s podcast interview with Andréa) Your Story is Your Power: Free Your Feminine Voice by Elle Luna and Susie Herrick “There are no mistakes or wrong paths” – Oprah Winfrey Danielle LaPorte – Fire Starter Sessions Workbook (free download with the All-About-You Interview)

In celebration of both the name change for the podcast and my 10 years in business, I’ll be sharing the top 10 lessons I’ve learned in 10 years. Missed the first six lessons? Scroll back and listen to episodes: 061, 062 and 063.  Today’s episode is where the rubber meets the road. We’re talking about two lessons that are vital if you’re going to make any forward motion. We need to get you out of your head, and into action and these two lessons are crucial to make it happen. If you’ve ever wondered why things seem to be taking so damn long, or are unsure how to make you big dreams a reality, today’s episode will help. And if you want even more insights, I’m sharing an entire year’s worth of lessons over on my Instagram feed. Yep, that’s 365 leadership lessons hard learned by me. You can follow me over on Instagram via my handle @stephaniepollockinc. Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: #365LeadershipLessons on Instagram What I wish I knew when (part 01) What I wish I knew when (part 02) What I wish I knew when (part 03) Leadership League Mastermind

In celebration of both the name change for the podcast and my 10 years in business, I’ll be sharing the top 10 lessons I’ve learned in 10 years. Missed part one? Catch up on part one here and part two here. Today I’m sharing lessons five and six. These lessons are big ones and never really one-and-done. You’ll be coming back to them again and again. And if you want even more insights, I’m sharing an entire year’s worth of lessons over on my Instagram feed. Yep, that’s 365 leadership lessons hard learned by me. You can follow me over on Instagram via my handle @stephaniepollockinc. Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: #365LeadershipLessons on Instagram What I wish I knew when (part 01) What I wish I knew when (part 02) Killing it! An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Keeping Your Head Without Losing Your Heart by Sheryl O’Loughlin

Perfection is a 20-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us when, in fact, it's the thing that's really preventing us from being seen and taking flight. ~Brené Brown This month, in celebration of both the name change for the podcast and my 10 years in business, I’ll be sharing the top 10 lessons I’ve learned in 10 years. I’ll be sharing two every week in May. Missed the part one? Catch up on the first two lessons here. And if you want even more insights, I’m sharing an entire year’s worth of lessons over on my Instagram feed. Yep, that’s 365 leadership lessons hard learned by me. You can follow me over on Instagram via my handle @stephaniepollockinc. Today I'm sharing two lessons that I see at least 95% of my clients get stuck around, a likely carry-over from our school days where we feared the red pen and crammed for tests in hopes of getting all the right answers. Unfortunately, in business, our school-girl ways no longer serve us or our growth. Tune in to today's episode to learn why. Enjoy the episode! Recommended Resources: #365LeadershipLessons on Instagram What I wish I knew when (part 01) The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown The Pursuit of Perfect by Tal Ben-Shahar Dream, Girl