The Collective Voice

In episode 19 of The Collective Voice Podcast, Joy interviews Melissa Marks Garner.  Melissa is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Yoga Teacher. She began her own meditation practice in 1997 and has been practicing ever since. She has had the great honor of receiving teaching and meditating in the presence of a number of spiritual teachers. Melissa began giving wellness workshops and meditation trainings in 2005. Over this time, she has lectured and provided meditation groups and individual sessions to hundreds of people.  What's most fascinating about Melissa's work is that she packages the spirtual side of mindfulness and meditation in science-based content to facilitate buy-in from the most skeptical of audiences - and it works!  Listen in to learn about... What mindfulness/meditation is and why its so important in our fast-paced lives How to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine, in short manageable bursts Books, apps, and other resources to expand our knowledge in this area FREE promotion offered on Melissa's website, especially for our listeners! To learn more about Melissa and her work, visit: https://www.yourmindfuledge.com Connect with Joy at joyschwartz.com and Natalie at smalltownleadership.com.

In episode #18 of The Collective Voice, Natalie interviews Sabina Piras, a structural engineer by day and elite endurance athlete by early morning, evening, night and weekend. Most recently, Sabina qualified for the 2016 Olympic trials for the marathon; was the 1st place American at the Paris marathon, and has qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Kona commencing this October. Sabina talks Natalie through the transition from complaints about 1-mile (we've all been there) to running marathons and participating in Iron Man competitions. Listen on to learn about her infectious positive attitude as she recovered from injuries and personal setbacks. You'll unquestionably leave this episode contemplating how you can incorporate more discipline and resolve into your own life. For those of us in our 30s, feeling overwhelmed by career conundrums, home ownership, marriage, and/or parenting, let Sabina's story transport you back to the confidence and invincibility you likely felt in your 20s.  We encourage some of you to channel some of that into the present! Connect with Joy at joyschwartz.com and Natalie at smalltownleadership.com.

In episode #17 of The Collective Voice Podcast, Joy and Natalie push pause on podcast interviews to talk about three things: Their wishes - specifically for women - in 2017: Joy highlights the importance of setting boundaries, knowing what you value, recognizing that these needs evolve and focusing on self-care. Natalie discusses the importance of speaking up, stepping out and taking action. Podcast milestones - We recently have been syndicated through Live Lead Play and are well over 1000 downloads. We've featured 12 entrepreneurs - mostly women from Dallas who are inspiring us and our audience to take risks, say yes, and embrace our differences. Personal milestones - We talk about the continued growth of our side hustles. For Joy, this includes teaching executive education courses at SMU, consulting in the community, and collaborating on events such as My Forward Life Clarity Retreat. For Natalie, this includes celebrating the first birthday and 5000 visits to Small Town Leadership, joining the church choir, and wrapping up her Certified Professional Coach certification through iPEC. References: Slowing Down: Unexpected Ways to Thrive as a Female Leader by Sherry Welsh Connect with Joy at joyschwartz.com and Natalie at smalltownleadership.com

In Episode 16 of The Collective Voice Podcast, Joy interviews Kayce Kuntz and Alex Null, talented owners and founders of “Improv to Improve,” a women-owned Improv and Teambuilding company.  Kuntz and Null offer teambuilding workshops for individuals and groups of all sizes to build leadership, communication, and listening skills, allowing participants to gain confidence while enhancing their ability to be more effective communicators and public speakers. We cover: What Improvisation (Improv) is and how it can positively impact individuals and groups How Improv to Improve works with and customizes workshops for its clients An actual Improv Demo, putting Joy on the hotseat Advice for building a "side hustle" like this one while maintaining a day job An upcoming workshop for individuals hosted by Improv to Improve on Saturday, April 29.  To learn more about Improv to Improve, visit: https://www.improvtoimprove.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/improvtoimprove/ Connect with Joy at joyschwartz.com and Natalie at smalltownleadership.com  

Episode Overview In episode 15 of The Collective Voice Podcast Joy interviews Jasmin Brand, a marketing and branding expert, with Darby James AND Jenny Bair, co-founder of Living Well Dallas, an integrative and functional wellness practice in Dallas.  Jenny also wears MANY hats, life and marriage coach, health educator, functional wellness consultant and certified Aromatherapist, integrating essential oils into her coaching practice. We asked Jasmin and Jenny to be part of today's show to discuss their roles in and promote My Forward Life's Clarity event, a movement and an innovative networking event to connect “fun and fearless Texas women” May 19-20. There is no shortage of laughter, fun, and lighthearted girl power in this episode  Enjoy! Segments Part I - Jasmin shares the story of My Forward Life, as an alternative to the typical women's networking events, now in its 5th year. She and Joy promote the Clarity Event in May and offer a sneak preview of the agenda Part II - Jenny discusses how essential oils can enhance mood, health, vitality and what to expect in her session at the Clarity event. Part III - Jasmin shares more about the amazing work she is doing to impact the city of Dallas and offers lessons learned in entrepreneurship and friendship. To Register for Clarity, Learn about our Guests and the Hosts: Register for the event here:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/clarity-retreat-tickets-33568453147?aff=eac2 and visit MyForwardLife.com to learn more about how Jasmin Brand is bringing smart, fun, professional Texas women together.  To check out Jenny Bair and her work with Essential Oils:https://www.mydoterra.com/befreejennybair and visit LivingWellDallas.com to learn more. Connect with Joy at joyschwartz.com and Natalie at smalltownleadership.com    

We are continuing with the theme of communication in Episode 14 of the Collective Voice with guest, Alison Freeman. Alison is a highly experienced global, communications strategist, coach, and keynote presenter.  She is the president of AlliComm, a global communications consultancy and coaching firm, where she helps successful business leaders become more powerful communicators by being strategic, succinct, engaged, empathetic and business driven. She states that “Good leaders MUST BE great communicators because it is part of the job.” Following are some highlights of Joy's engaging and entertaining interview with Alison: The importance of being the recipient of what Alison refers to as “fearless feedback” and the power in the self-awareness that arises out of observing yourself communicate, on video That we communicate visually, vocally, and verbally - According to communication researcher, Albert Mehrabian, 55% of how we perceive someone is based on what we see. 38% comes from how they use their voice. Only 7% of what people remember are the actual words they say! AND, they only remember what matters to them.  Make the 7% matter, or the words you deliver as part of your messaging count! Being resilient in the face of life's challenges and then letting go of the “not knowing” Learn more about Alison Freeman and her work, visit www.AliComm.co, her YouTube Channel and 5 minute videos, Access Alison, or follow her on Twitter at the handle AccessAli, or via LinkedIn. Please submit a review of our podcast on iTunes at thecollectivevoice.us to help us build our following! Here's how: youtube.com/watch?v=B6H64xDckME&t=31s Connect with Joy at joyschwartz.com and Natalie at smalltownleadership.com  

Welcome to our first episode of 2017.  In this episode of the Collective Voice, Joy interviews Cathrine Hatcher,  a Professional Speaker, an Image Communications Expert and President of Persōnas Image Dynamics.  Cathrine has worked with everyone from TV stars to Fortune 500 executives to improve their outward appearance, inner presence, and the ability to communicate effectively by aligning the non-verbal messages they project with their verbal messages. In the interview, Cathrine introduces: The importance of and psychology behind the colors of our wardrobe choices, especially the color blue! How the inner confidence we project impacts the impression we leave on our audience Common image-related challenges and remedies, with several specific to women Preparing our wardrobe with intention based on planned interactions Thanks for joining us. To learn more about Cathrine, visit:personasid.com or email cathrine@personas.id.com. Cathrine's book and her wardrobe psychology color card are available through her website. You can also connect to her on Facebook.  Please submit a review of our podcast on iTunes at thecollectivevoice.us to help us build our following! Here's how: youtube.com/watch?v=B6H64xDckME&t=31s Connect with Joy at joyschwartz.com and Natalie at smalltownleadership.com

In this brief and final episode of The Collective Voice in 2016, Natalie and Joy reflect on insights from a recent professional coaching training they attended together and a successful first year of podcasting.   They discuss: Identifying your values and assessing whether you are living according to those values. Revisiting old rules and establishing new rules to guide our thoughts and behaviors. Engaging in a mindset shift focused on "the long game" and the "infinite." Everything in life is a continuous process and journey. Finding like-minded friends as sources of extrinsic motivation. Special thanks to all of our friends, family, and loyal listeners for supporting us in this new venture.  We look forward to learning from and sharing with you in 2017.  Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year! Joy and Natalie Sources: iPEC: www.ipeccoaching.com; Natalie's "AH HA Moment" Blog post: http://smalltownleadership.com/longgame; Career Values Online Card Sort Joy mentions in the episode: http://www.careerplanner.com/Knowdell-Career-Values-CardSort.cfm  Please submit a review of our podcast on iTunes at http://www.thecollectivevoice.us to help us build our following! Here's how: http://www.imore.com/how-rate-or-review-podcast-your-iphone-or-ipad Connect with Joy at http://www.joyschwartz.com and Natalie at http://smalltownleadership.com    

Getting Serious about Your Total HealthHave ever been curious about how to achieve sustainable health without medications? Maybe you desire a greater mind-mody-spirit connection for you, but don't know where to start? Or you just wanted to know about some small changes you can make in your life to feel better? Beyond health, have you dreamed about starting your own business? Exploring Functional Wellness If any of these questions resonate, then this episiode of the Collective Voice is unquestionably for you.  Our guest is Betty Murray, cofounder of the integrative and functional wellness Center, LivingWell Dallas. Functional medicine is all about addressing the underlying causes versus treating the symptoms of what ails us.  Murray is one of 300 certified functional medicine practitioners in the US and we were fortunate enough to have her on our show this week. In this episode we discuss… The connection between mental, spiritual,and digestive health The unfortunate realities of the modern US food system and conventional medicine, and what you can do about it Betty's amazing journey of transitioning from a high-powered corporate job to a whole new career As a bonus, Joy discusses her own experience  on the path toward sustainable health and her connection to Living Well Dallas We also comment on Murray's book, Cleanse: Detox your Body, Mind, and Spirit. To learn more about Betty and Living Well Dallas, visit the practice website or Betty Murray.com. To find functional medicine/wellness practitioners in your area the Institute for Functional Medicine Practitioner Directory.  Connect with Joy at http://www.joyschwartz.com and Natalie at http://smalltownleadership.com

Joy interviews Alise Cortez in this episode, during which they explore Alise's multiple identities; instructor, facilitator, lifelong learner, radio show host, consultant, entrepreneur, and world traveler.   The theme threaded throughout the episode is how Alise continues to uncover unique and impactful opportunities to broaden and deepen her experience the more she courageously put herself out there.  Listen in to take a journey with Alise and her fascinating life and career transitions including... Lessons learned from an upbringing in a small town from entrepreneurial parents Getting fired at age 19 by a boss who knew she was destined for bigger things Demonstrating vulnerability to thrive after a divorce  Starting her own company Hosting a weekly radio show On-ramping back into the the corporate workforce We've summarized three key points Alise leaves with our listeners: Be open to the experiences that come our way. Sometimes it is difficult to see where each individual stepping stone on our path may lead, but it's important to remember that we can pursue multiple paths on our journey. When undergoing transitions, we need to be selective about who we socialize with. Alice suggests that we go find a tribe of people who are going after what they want and succeeding at it - i.e., people who inspire us to go after what we want rather than remaining stuck where we are. Pursuing fulfilling lives and careers takes energy and courage. It won't come easily and it takes work. Natalie sums up the interview beautifully in her close: Our careers and lives are an evolution. Only when we put ourselves out there, surround ourselves with the right people, and put in the effort to make our work count do we become the best version of ourselves. Be sure to catch Alise's weekly radio show called “Working on Purpose,” airs on Voice America's Empowerment channel. To learn more about Alise and her work, visit her at http://www.alisecortez.com.  Connect with Joy at http://www.joyschwartz.com and Natalie at http://smalltownleadership.com

Natalie interviews René Delane in this podcast. René is the founder & CEO of Women Who Dare, where she offers speaking, coaching and consulting to corporations, organizations & individuals with custom-designed solutions for: women who want to up-level their confidence, presence and influence men who value the contributions women's leadership brings to the table growing inclusion/diversity initiatives because it's the right thing to do René takes us on her journey from a town of 3,000 people and 850 square foot home to a career in numerous medical fields and eventually to founding her own company. René is an amazing storyteller and story curator, and this episode features several inspirational and noteworthy stories about the people she has encountered through both her work and day-to-day life. She recalls meeting Gloria Steinem at an airport security gate, Frank Hughes, retired NASA Chief of Space Flight Training and STEM advocate, and Deborah S. Delisle, former Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education within the Obama Administration. Specific themes that emerge in this episode are: The importance of listening, positive thinking, and suspending judgement Taking charge of your change - based on her trademarked program Chocolate for the Brain™ René's take on our 4th podcast episode “Own Worst Enemy” and why she thinks women aren't as nasty to one another as media would lead you to believe. She also gives additional ideas about how women can support one another. How Girl Scouts shaped her view of diversity & inclusion René's tips for getting others to tell you their stories A new acronym - T.I.N.Y. How to build community and get over the thought “this person doesn't want to talk with me” René's take on millennials (and why she is not concerned by their generation) Why emotional intelligence is the most important trait leaders need to possess Our favorite quotes from René: One person at a time getting to know another person prevents stereotyping from happening Humans need 3 things: to love, to be loved, and to matter. Books and articles referenced in this episode include The Athena Doctrine: How Women (and the Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future René's blog post “Born White” Follow René on twitter @WomenwhoDare and contact her through her website www.women-who-dare.com

In Episode 8 of the Collective Voice, we introduce our listeners to Dr. K. Shelette Stewart, an author, speaker, and consultant with an impressive career trajectory and unique message for our listeners about seeking and setting yourself up for significance in your career. We address Dr. Stewart's educational and career journey and what ultimately led her to transition from a lucrative and high profile career to starting her own business, becoming an author, and serving a university and community of corporate leaders through her role in the SMU-Cox Department of Executive Education. Listen in to learn more about: Connecting your profession with your purpose Establishing a communicating a brand using the the 5Ps (Dr. Stewart added a 5th - “Platform” along with Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) Conquering barriers and overcoming fear Being planful and patient when it comes to your own life and career transitions Messages in Dr. Stewart's book, Revelations in Business, for both faith-based and secular listeners Stay tuned for a future episode when we bring Dr. Stewart to share more about her book, Revelations in Business.   Dr. K. Shelette Stewart can be found at: https://shelettestewart.com/ and her book is available on Amazon and wherever fine books are sold. Connect with Joy at http://www.joyschwartz.com and Natalie at http://smalltownleadership.com

In this episode, Natalie shares insights on mentoring from a recently delivered keynote address. She begins by defining mentoring and stating its importance relative to advancing in one's career.  Natalie and Joy go on to discuss the benefits and shortcomings of both formal mentoring programs as well as mentoring relationships that are cultivated more "organically." They share their own experiences as mentors to others and also as the recipients of mentoring.  Natalie and Joy introduce and explain a 7-step framework (created by Natalie and posted on her website) for establishing and maintaining a strong mentoring relationship: Why - Know why you need a mentor Who - Identify potential mentor candidates Introductions - Connect with several mentor candidates Pre-meeting homework - Research who you are meeting with Meet with potential mentors Meeting follow up Nurture and follow through Joy then describes foundational steps for establishing a mentoring relationship, which include categorizing and assessing the strength of our network. She explains this via an article by Linda Hill and Kent Lineback, The Three Networks you Need. Joy also makes the point that mentoring can be a great path toward addressing development areas and gaps in experience. Connect with joy at http://www.joyschwartz.com and Natalie at http://smalltownleadership.com Authors and sources cited in this episode include: Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Connections.mic on meeting organically, “The Three Networks you Need,” by Linda Hill and Kent Lineback, and last but not least, Natalie's website: http://smalltownleadership.com/ with mentoring-specific resources, located here. 

This episode called “No Girls Allowed” is an extension of Girl on Self crime we referred to in Episode 4, Own Worst Enemy, and the potential repercussions of what we do and say when communicating with others, especially men.  To get an insider view on the topic, Joy invited friend, former colleague, and executive coach with Partner Exec., Nihar Chhaya, to return to help our listeners better understand the pitfalls and challenges women face when communicating with men and pragmatic strategies for addressing those challenges. Nihar and Joy begin by reading a series of humorous quotes from an opinion piece from the Washington Post by Alexandra Petri called “Famous Quotes - the way a woman would have to say them in a meeting.” Listen in for some exaggerated examples of how women often communicate around men. They go on to make key points on gender and communication, referencing several authors and speakers throughout the interview: Amy Cuddy at Harvard discusses these two aspects - power, or strength and warmth as equally important to gain credibility in a recent HBR article, Connect, then Lead. Marshall Goldsmith, a well known leadership coach, describes leadership as a “contact sport.” Read why in this article or tune in with this video. Claire Damken Brown and Audrey Nelson, authors of Code Switching: How to Talk so Men will Listen, explain that women often communicate with an inverted pyramid approach, i.e., first providing more details and then offering a shorter summary at the end, whereas men tend to communicate via a typical pyramid, with fewer details at the beginning. Sylvia Hewlett is an economist, consultant, lecturer, and expert on gender and workplace issues. In her book, Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor: The New Way to Fast Track Your Career and in this video, Hewlett addresses three elements of executive presence: appearance, communication, and gravitas. We leave the audience with 3 key points: Know how you will motivate and inform your audience. Identify someone you trust to provide you with feedback and let you know if you are falling victim to communication pitfalls addressed in the episode. Silence your inner critic so that you can communicate in your own authentic way. Executive coach, Nihar Chhaya can be found at: www.partnerexec.com Connect with Joy at http://www.joyschwartz.com and Natalie at http://smalltownleadership.com

In this episode, Joy interviews friend, former colleague, and executive coach, Nihar Chhaya, founder of Partner Exec., to get an insider view on executive coaching and how we can develop ourselves. Nihar begins by sharing his background and demystifying executive coaching for our listeners. His career over the past 20 years spans what he calls the three B's – Business, Behavior and Best Practices in leadership development.  Leadership is not an exact science and there is no playbook to help us become better leaders (although self-help authors may disagree).  Nihar helps our listeners navigate through this murky landscape. He works with successful leaders that are stumbling due to some barrier, whether it's internal (i.e., struggling with self-doubt or need to expand their strategic thinking or business acumen) or external (i.e., those who may have negative perceptions from others around them that get in the way of their effectiveness as a leader). He also works privately with individuals who need a sounding board and accountability partner but prefer to work with a coach outside of their company. Nihar and Joy explore: Trust Vulnerability Benefits of coaching How to find out what “old tapes” are being played about you and how to address them They close with three key points: Make an effort to know and be honest with yourself about your strengths, areas for growth, values, interests, and motivators Proactively find out what matters to the organization around you Make a connection between the two and have the courage to adapt or make a change Executive coach, Nihar Chhaya can be found at: www.partnerexec.com Connect with Joy at http://www.joyschwartz.com and Natalie at http://smalltownleadership.com

This episode features a discussion about girl-on-girl and girl-on-self crime and tools and tips on how to catch ourselves in the act and overcome our tendency to judge and tear others down, when instead we should be supporting and lifting one another up. Girl on Girl Crime Joy discusses Amy Poehler's reference to “girl on girl” crime regarding how we judge the parenting of others from her book, Yes, Please. Natalie talks about Hollee Becker's article in the Huffington Post calling out Scary Mommy on how we treat our friends who promote their network marketing businesses on Facebook. She uncovers what led 3 of her friends into these businesses and challenges the audience to support women who are putting themselves out there. We discuss the 4 patterns uncovered in the book, What Works for Women at Work: Four Patterns Working Women Need to Know and related videos courtesy of the LinkedIn website.. The tagline of the book is “From Mean Girls to Queen Bees, we've all heard about how hard women can be on each other. “ The research cited in the book claims that it isn't just our natural cattiness, but goes deeper into unconscious biases women have about other women.   The root of it all is this perception that since so few women do have a seat at the table that the rest of us have to compete for those few seats.   Here are the 4 Biases we discuss: Prove it Again - senior women in an organization expect women who are newer to the workforce to work just as hard as they did to get there and may judge those of us who automatically receive flexibility and a seat at the table more harshly, instead of realizing that their hard work helped pave the way to make this happen - and being proud of it. Tightrope Bias – The fine line we have to walk between appearing too feminine, coming on too strong, too masculine, or being perceived as a *itch. Maternal Wall Bias – Unconscious bias toward working moms or working women who express interest in parenting. Tug of War Bias: girl-on-girl crime in the form of biases we pass through to other women, related to the other three patterns.   Strategies to combat the “tug of war” bias: Don't judge other women or join in when you see it happening. There's no “right way” to be a woman Be direct to resolve conflicts with other women. Approach them with positive intent and seek first to understand vs.to be understood Respect one another's experiences. Generationally, our experiences may be different. Get women to work together on projects or tasks, but preferably tasks not related to women's issues. Girl on Self Crime Joy references a short clip from an episode of Inside Amy Schumer - “Compliments - Uncensored”.  Warning that this clip is profane and vulgar. See this clip here. We wrap up by sharing tips from a Huffington Post article on ways to silence your inner critic.   Put a better spin on things, focusing on behavior in the moment vs. comments about your overall character or personality. Take the damn compliment. Before putting yourself down, ask “what would my best friend say? or better yet, “would a guy say this about himself?” Give your inner critic a name.  When you start speaking negatively about yourself, channeling “The Nag” or “the Gremlin” will bring levity to the situation and remind you about your overall awesomeness. Connect with joy at http://www.joyschwartz.com and Natalie at http://smalltownleadership.com

In this episode of The Collective Voice, Joy and Natalie interview longtime friend and mentor, Kathy Cleveland Bull.  Kathy is a highly regarded professional speaker, trainer, and consultant. Her company, N~Compass Consulting, has helped clients on three continents "Navigate the Art and Science of Change." Kathy has appeared with Dr. Phil McGraw and Deepak Chopra where she delivered her powerful change message to an audience of over 7,000 people.  Kathy is also the founder and director of the Center for Eating Psychology helping individuals change the way they understand food, weight, body image and nutritional health. Kathy will walk through 5 lessons for career success, including: 1) Allow for mystery – a great lesson for those Type A planners to understand the importance of being willing to let things be versus constant drive for success   2) Take your work seriously, but yourself lightly - a gentle reminder that you aren't all that , and that's okay. 3) Sprinkle your enthusiasm with the magic fairy dust of humility - A great lesson from Golda Meir and the 2 pieces of paper she carried in each of her pockets 4) Be willing to disappoint – a great lesson on facing failure and understanding that perfectionism is the royal road to disaster 5) The time of the lone wolf is over – in order to succeed anywhere – in business, in our communities, we can no longer live with an us vs. them. A great lesson drawn from the Hopi Native American tribe. Kathy concludes by referring to The Middle Passage James Hollis. “We don't really choose a vocation, rather it chooses us.” She urges the audience to be the larger person they are called to be. Interesting in learning more about Kathy? Find her at www.ncompass-consulting.com , www.cpeohio.com, or 614-397-1966 Connect with joy at http://www.joyschwartz.com and Natalie at http://smalltownleadership.com

In this episode of The Collective Voice, Joy and Natalie explore why networking is important, the elevator pitch - how to craft one and when to use it, and how to “get personal” with your network.

In this session of The Collective Voice, Joy and Natalie will introduce themselves, the podcast, and what topics they will discuss. Take 10 minutes to learn about the show creators!