Podcast appearances and mentions of joy at work

In this episode, Doug and Una dive into the myths and facts surrounding happiness at work. They challenge common beliefs, revealing that workplace happiness goes beyond perks like free snacks and ping pong tables. Instead, they emphasize purpose, recognition, and belonging as the true drivers of satisfaction and engagement. They discuss how productivity and happiness are connected but distinct, exploring research that shows happy employees are 20% more productive and 25% less likely to leave their jobs.Una and Doug also delve into the power of recognition, with insights on how appreciation fosters loyalty and reduces turnover. They explore the difference between fleeting happiness and lasting joy, referencing key ideas from the book Joy at Work. Finally, they highlight how workplace culture and personal joy are everyone's responsibility—not just HR's. Tune in to learn how meaningful recognition and a culture of gratitude can transform workplaces and drive success.Keywords: workplace happiness, employee engagement, recognition at work, productivity and happiness, joy at work, reducing turnover, company culture, employee satisfaction, team loyalty

With the current challenges faced by healthcare organizations around the world, maintaining staff morale and Joy in Work is a daunting task. The response of one medical imaging department in Northern British Columbia? Competitive baking! This week we interview James Cheesman, a Medical Radiation Technologist at The University Hospital of Northern British Columbia about “The Great X-Ray Bake Off”. With staff bakers competing for the Grandmaster Baker title and trophy, all other staff tasting and scoring the delicious entries and a resulting improvement in departmental morale and camaraderie, it's a win-win solution for everyone. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to our channel. If you have a question about healthcare quality improvement or feedback for us at Qualitycast North, email us at qualitycomms@northernhealth.ca and your question could feature on a future episode. Links: Northern Health Physician Quality Improvement Program Cake by Numbers – The UHNBC Grandmaster Bake off

Feeling the weight of burnout and wondering where the joy went? You are not alone! In this episode, I chat with physician coach Dr. Nora about simple yet powerful strategies to reclaim joy in medicine and life. Dr. Nora gets real about her own burnout journey and the practical tools she used to rediscover joy in her busy life as a doctor, mom, and wife.You will:Discover why joy is a gift you give yourself, not something you earn or wait for.Learn practical ways to incorporate joy into your daily work, even charting!Explore the power of transitions and how a simple 5-minute ritual can change the energy you bring home to your loved ones.Let's ditch the burnout and embrace a life filled with joy! About Dr Nora:Dr. Nora Vasquez is an Internal Medicine Doctor and Christian Physician Life Coach. Balancing her career and family life as a mother of two, she understands the pressures of modern medicine and the toll it can take. After questioning her career choices and feeling overwhelmed, she discovered Physician Coaching, which transformed her approach to work and personal life. With newfound tools to combat burnout and enhance her relationships, she now empowers fellow physicians to cultivate a growth mindset and live authentically. Dr. Vasquez is passionate about helping others find joy and peace in their lives. You can reach Dr Nora atWebsite: https://www.renewyourmindmd.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noravasquezmd/ Click Here to Secure Your Spot for the 2025 Wealthy You In-Person Gathering.It's time to finally take action on your financial goals. Join other women physicians who are choosing an uncommon life of financial and life freedom by registering for the 3-DAY Money Moves Challenge for women physicians. Register HereReady to explore the transformative power of sabbaticals?Download the free Sabbatical Guide at Moneyfitmd.com/Sabbatical and embark on a journey to financial freedom and personal growth. Share the link with your fellow physicians and join the movement to normalize taking pauses for a healthier and more fulfilling life.If you are a Hardworking, Busy Woman physician who wants to get good at money without wasting more time sifting through the internet. This is for you. https://www.moneyfitmd.com/guideWe are social:Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/MoneyfitMD/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyfitmd/Youtube: youtube.com/@money...

Managing is a tough job, sometimes a seemingly thankless one where you can feel squeezed from all sides. But for team leaders who are feeling burnt out or overwhelmed with their job, Daisy Auger-Domínguez has advice on regaining your joy at work. She recommends various techniques to incorporate optimism and well-being into your management role. They include remembering your purpose, embracing a beginner's mindset, keeping a folder of positive feedback as inspiration, and celebrating the contributions of team members. Auger-Domínguez is a workplace strategist and the author of the HBR article "Finding Joy as a Manager — Even on Bad Days."

Gabriel Francisco is an executive assistant and a seasoned globetrotter, leveraging almost two decades of international speaking engagements, teaching endeavors, and business relationships that enrich his professional tapestry.In this episode of The Leader Assistant Podcast, Gabriel talks about developing your soft skills, joy in the workplace, being a culture manager, and tips on public speaking and performance.Show notes -> leaderassistant.com/293Sponsor -> leaderassistant.com/nova--Nova Chief of Staff's course provides you with the knowledge and confidence you need to stand out on the job. Whether you want to land your dream position or level up in your current role, Nova's self-paced course gives you hands-on practice doing what Chiefs of Staff do every day.Visit leaderassistant.com/nova to enroll before the price increases in January 2025!More from The Leader Assistant... Book, Audiobook, and Workbook -> leaderassistantbook.com Premium Membership -> leaderassistant.com/membership Events -> leaderassistantlive.com Free Community -> leaderassistant.com/community

In this episode, Lou connects with the inspiring Elizabeth Lotardo, a consultant, writer, and online instructor who helps organizations drive emotional engagement. Elizabeth is the author of "Leading Yourself," a refreshingly candid playbook that teaches you how to create a work experience worth loving right now. Join Lou and Elizabeth as they dive into the concept of self-leadership, exploring practical tips and tricks to find meaning, joy, and opportunities in your current job—even in the face of imperfect bosses, weird economies, and annoying systems. From her personal experiences to professional insights, Elizabeth shares how anyone can take control and thrive in their workplace. Whether you're looking for inspiration or concrete advice, this episode has something for everyone. Tune in as they discuss: The journey and early seeds that led Elizabeth to write "Leading Yourself." Tips for finding daily meaning in work, even when it's frustrating. How to raise your hand for new opportunities and debunk limiting beliefs. How organizations and HR leaders can create a supportive environment for self-leadership. The importance of seeing purpose in what you do and the power of workplace momentum. If you want to learn how to lead yourself better and find more fulfillment in your current job, this episode is a must-listen! Guest: Elizabeth Lotardo - Consultant, Writer, and Online Instructor Host: Lou Diamond - Bestselling Author, Speaker, and Master Connector Don't forget to check out Elizabeth's book "Leading Yourself" and connect with her on LinkedIn for more insights and content. ***CONNECT WITH LOU DIAMOND & THRIVE LOUD***

You have a culture whether you're aware of it or not. Pay attention to culture, even if you're a one-(wo)man show. Here's why: as you grow you want to make sure it's what drives your hires, fires and business decisions. Whether you realize it or not, culture will create conflict ,and we want that conflict productive and repairing. In this episode, Shelby and Jenn discussed some ah-ha moments we got from our wonderful guest Moe Carrick, and lessons we've seen in our own lives and business around culture. We talked about how to - welcome questions as a leader (even when they're hard!) - foster a culture where people feel comfortable challenging you when you step outside of your values. - be honest about where you culture is “The way you do things here” is up to you! And it takes being an intentional leader and welcoming conflict to create a culture that bring joy at work. Here's what we talked about: 04:51 A common mistake business owners make when hiring 10:06 How values impact your culture at work and how conflict arises 14:05 How to foster curiosity and the story of porky the pig 19:30 The truth about leaders in toxic cultures 25:30 Culture and conflict 28:34 How you can influence culture as a middle manager 34:10 What is bringing joy at work right now Links/ Resources: Resources from this Month: Episode 53: Great Workplaces Need Conflict https://youtube.com/live/gDAtiNEbg8I Episode 54: How Culture, Productivity, and Joy Go Hand In Hand With Moe Carrick https://youtu.be/yhVKXqA5xIo?si=4f-LJTjJjAcY350M Episode 55: Cultivating Culture Starts with this Question with Moe Carrick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mCjgYHsSqk All about Moe: LinkedIn Profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/moecarrick/ Website - https://moementum.com/ Grab Moe's Book: When Work is Good https://amzn.to/4giUNi2 The Free 99 Step: Joyosity Explorer Map http://jennwhitmer.com/joyosity-explorer will guide you to understanding the deeper purpose and story you tell yourself about your work. Joy is linked to purpose and productivity increases by 20% or more when you directly link your purpose to your work. Ready to Make a Plan: Joyosity Jumpstart https://jennwhitmer.com/jumpstart If you're ready to stop leading from survival mode and lead with connection and joy, the Joyosity™ Jumpstart Session https://jennwhitmer.acemlnb.com/lt.php?x=3TxtmrUFUqPUT55qA3P3hOdr~a-jjAT0w-xlk5HEIFnKDXV8y_xGh.ae3HVViwBfx1K2Z5UWKXOd954KzNLKUr is for you. Clarify what you want, where you are, and what's getting in the way so you can make a real plan. Ready to Dive In: The Joyosity Leadership Retreat http://jennwhitmer.com/joyosity-retreat Work on your leadership stories, mindset, values, and alignment with Jenn and other women who are leading. Reset. Reimagine. Revive.

What do you do when someone tells you a story that isn't true? Maybe you were there or you heard it from someone else differently. As a leader, knowing how to handle stories (true or not) is so important for the integrity of your team. This month was all about the science behind why stories work and tricks for engaging others through story, thank you Kindra Hall! In this episode Shelby, who works behind the scenes in my company, and I dove into what we loved most about this month's content. What we noticed in our day to day lives about stories and my favorite part… what to do when stories don't feel true. We laughed about how to use stories in parenting and leadership and went through a few scenarios at work and home when a story was viewed differently from multiple people experiencing it. If you haven't been able to tune in to each show this month (we know you're busy!) This is a great one to get the overview of what we learned and what we're taking with us moving forward. Here's what we talked about: 04:07 Are you stealing stories? 08:42 The biology of storytelling 11:45 How to rewrite stories truthfully 13:02 What to do when someone tells a story that's untrue 16:06 What to do when you have two opposing point of views Resources from this Month: Episode 49: We're Literally Dying Without Joy Episode 50: The Biologial Power of Stories for Leaders, part 1 with Kindra Hall Episode 51: Storytelling as a People Power Skills, part 2 with Kindra Hall The Free 99 Step:Joyosity Explorer Map will guide you to understanding the deeper purpose and story you tell yourself about your work. Joy is linked to purpose and productivity increases by 20% or more when you directly link your purpose to your work. Ready to Make a Plan:Joyosity Jumpstart If you're ready to stop leading from survival mode and lead with connection and joy, the Joyosity™ Jumpstart Session is for you. Clarify what you want, where you are, and what's getting in the way so you can make a real plan. Starting the Journey: Enneagram Navigator Walk through the process to identify your Enneagram type — accurately! But then also know what does that mean in your every day life. Ready to Dive In: The Joyosity Leadership Retreat Work on your leadership stories, mindset, values, and alignment with Jenn and other women who are leading. Reset. Reimagine. Revive.

This is the Engineering Culture Podcast, from the people behind InfoQ.com and the QCon conferences. In this podcast Shane Hastie, Lead Editor for Culture & Methods spoke to Eb Ikonne about leading change without authority, joy at work and mental health in the workplace. Read a transcript of this interview: https://bit.ly/3Llhjsq Subscribe to the Software Architects' Newsletter for your monthly guide to the essential news and experience from industry peers on emerging patterns and technologies: www.infoq.com/software-architects-newsletter Upcoming Events: InfoQ Dev Summit Munich (Sept 26-27, 2024) Practical learnings from senior software practitioners navigating Generative AI, security, modern web applications, and more. devsummit.infoq.com/conference/munich2024 QCon San Francisco (November 18-22, 2024) Get practical inspiration and best practices on emerging software trends directly from senior software developers at early adopter companies. qconsf.com/ QCon London (April 7-9, 2025) Discover new ideas and insights from senior practitioners driving change and innovation in software development. qconlondon.com/ The InfoQ Podcasts: Weekly inspiration to drive innovation and build great teams from senior software leaders. Listen to all our podcasts and read interview transcripts: - The InfoQ Podcast www.infoq.com/podcasts/ - Engineering Culture Podcast by InfoQ www.infoq.com/podcasts/#engineering_culture - Generally AI Follow InfoQ: - Mastodon: techhub.social/@infoq - Twitter: twitter.com/InfoQ - LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/infoq - Facebook: bit.ly/2jmlyG8 - Instagram: @infoqdotcom - Youtube: www.youtube.com/infoq Write for InfoQ: Learn and share the changes and innovations in professional software development. - Join a community of experts. - Increase your visibility. - Grow your career. www.infoq.com/write-for-infoq

In this podcast, Michelle helps you to bring career progression when you just want to go to work and are not interested in climbing the ladder.If you think become that leader who has to make the tough decisions or have to work long hours or have a stressful life is not for you, then this episode is for you.Michelle provides how you can make your job more enjoyable.https://calendly.com/michelle-braveheartcoach/15min

Today my friend Fola joins us to share her creative tips for deciding to go to work and social events with a joyful attitude. You'll hear in this episode: 1. The Bible verse about joy that helps Fola shovel a thousand pounds of Canadian snow with joy! 2. Tips for showing up to work or events with energy and joy, even if you are having a hard day 3. Fun advice to make work a more enjoyable experience 4. The difference between happiness and joy 5. Why joy and hard emotions can co-exist (and why that's okay!) 6. Why joy is a choice and not based on your circumstances or your material things Connect with Fola: Instagram Connect with Nyla: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nyla's IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nyla's website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nyla's second podcast (The Intuitive Eating with Jesus Podcast)⁠⁠⁠

Send us a Text Message.On this last day of the month of May, there's a saying I love and wanted to share with you, even if just for a couple of hours.  You can take it into June as I'm going to talk more about our image, including how we feel in our bodies and how it affects us and our success, however we might define it.Here's the saying for the beautiful month of May:“En may, fait ce qu'il te plait “- which translates as “in May, do as you please”Originally talking about the weather and one shall dress for it, it is interesting to me how the idea of pleasure can change our perspective on things.So lets' dive into this topic that's crucial for sustaining our motivation and interest in our professional lives:  how do we define and find pleasure in our work?What is Pleasure in Work?Pleasure: "a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment."But pleasure isn't just about fleeting moments of happiness or satisfaction. It's deeper. It's that feeling of being truly engaged, where time flies by and you're deeply immersed in what you're doing, also described as a state of flow by some. It's about finding joy and fulfillment in the tasks and challenges that make up your workday.For some of my clients, especially nonprofit leaders, pleasure might come from seeing the tangible impact of their efforts on the community. For others, who are considering a career transition, it might be about discovering new passions and aligning work with personal values to see the impact of what they're doing everyday.Why Pleasure Matters?- it sustains motivation: When you find pleasure in your work, it's easier to stay motivated, even during tough times. This intrinsic motivation is powerful and can keep you going when external rewards aren't enough.- it reduces burnout: Pleasure acts as a buffer against it. When you're engaged in tasks that are enjoyable to you, you're less likely to feel exhausted and disillusioned by your work.- it increases creativity and productivity: You're more likely to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions when you are having fun.- it contributes to your overall  Well-Being: finding pleasure in your work contributes to overall well-being. It enhances your mental health and makes work feel less like a chore and more like an integral part of your life's journey.How to Find Pleasure in Work?- I like to always start by an assessment and in this case, I ‘d recommend you Identify Your Core Values. Understanding what truly matters to you is the first step. This might be social impact and community support or it could be creativity and personal growth. Aligning your work with thesSupport the Show.Thanks for listening today! I am Virginie Fite-Georgel and I help neurodivergent high achieving women in leadership roles who suffer from chronic stress or feel close to burnout, with tailored coaching tools to unearth clarity, cultivate confidence, and unlock their unique potential. Get out of chronic stress and get to make strong decisions! If you want to know more, hop on a free call with me.You can also share your takeaways with me on social here or there!AND finally if you want to help me or show your appreciation through something else than a review or a share, I have just created this page for you to get me a coffee: https://lnkd.in/g4p3s6Xj TIA

Welcome to Episode 71 of the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast! In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Rob Orman, a seasoned emergency physician turned medical educator and coach. Diving into the crucial topic of burnout in the medical field and exploring the navigation of stress, overwhelm, and ultimately finding fulfillment. Join us as we uncover practical strategies for creating sustainable models of clinical medicine and prioritizing well-being in the demanding world of healthcare. Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode: Reflection & Resilience: Dr. Orman highlights the significance of slowing down to reflect on decision-making processes, documentation practices, and interactions with colleagues. Building resilience and patience in clinical practice can combat burnout and enhance overall well-being. Small Changes, Big Impact: Instead of seeking immediate and drastic changes, Dr. Orman emphasizes the power of making small, manageable adjustments and building upon them. Taking micro steps towards sustainable habits can lead to lasting improvements in work-life balance. Personal & Professional Alignment: Dr. Orman's journey showcases the importance of aligning personal passions with professional pursuits. Finding joy in your career and addressing stress through self-reflection and mindset shifts can transform your approach to clinical medicine and enhance job satisfaction. Dr. Rob Orman Bio: Rob Orman, MD spent 21 years as a community emergency physician and is a certified executive coach who works with doctors to build resilience within their medical practices, deconstructing ideas and strategies to live and work with intent. He specializes in helping doctors reverse maladaptive behaviors that might threaten their jobs and relationships. -------------- Would you like to view a transcript of this episode? Click here **** Charting Champions is a premiere, lifetime access Physician only program that is helping Physicians get home with today's work done. All the proven tools, support and community you need to create time for your life outside of medicine. Learn more at https://www.chartingcoach.ca **** Enjoying this podcast? Please share it with someone who would benefit. Also, don't forget to hit “follow” so you get all the new episodes as soon as they are released. **** Come hang out with me on Facebook or Instagram. Follow me @chartingcoach to get more practical tools to help you create sustainable clinical medicine in your life. **** Questions? Comments? Want to share how this podcast has helped you? Shoot me an email at admin@reachcareercoaching.ca. I would love to hear from you.

Listen to today's Laugh Again with Phil Callaway, "Joy at Work." Enjoy!

In 2023 the US Surgeon General issued a report on the epidemic of loneliness stating 1 out of 2 Americans reported experiencing loneliness. This tells me finding joy and making connections in the workplace are more important than ever. This podcast will provide you help with how to find more joy at work for yourself and your team. I would love to workshop this with your organization and facilitate how we can bring more joy bolster your team. Reach out to me at jay@jccharityservices.com and let's talk about how I can tailor an interactive program that will elevate your team's success! You can learn more about my work at www.makingourworldbetter.com. Some of my favorite subject matter leaders mentioned in this podcast: www.jongordon.com: Jon Gordon www.oceanpalmer.com: the official site of Ted Simendinger www.reallifecatholic.com: Chris Stefanik  

Hear how when you allow life to unfold, you find that miracles happen I first interviewed Dr. Srikumar Rao in July 2023 and was so deeply inspired by the wisdoms he shared with us that I wanted to have him back so he could teach us more. And he does. The title of his new book is Modern Wisdom, Ancient Roots, in which he offers solid tools we can use to let go of the mental chatter that gets in the way of seeing what's possible. The universe is benevolent, Dr. Rao says, it's your friend, and when we understand this, that's when we can change our story and thus, the direction of our lives. Are you ready to make a change, today? Watch and listen to our conversation here Some of Dr. Rao's wisdoms which you can apply to your own life The most important thing is not what you're doing but who you are being as you do it. Too often we get hung up on the doing, and we completely miss the fact that being is much more important than the doing. Allow life to unfold. And as you do, you find that miracles happen, and they happen on a regular basis. We never experience life the way it is. We always experience life according to the story we tell ourselves about it. When you change your thinking from the universe is indifferent to the universe is friendly, your experience of life has such a tremendous transformation. Open yourself up to possibilities. The universe is benevolent. The universe is your friend. Recognize that it's your friend. And the more you do this, the more signs you will get that it in fact is your friend. Your job in this life is to recognize who you really are and cast yourself free from this cage in which you have ensnared yourself. Trust yourself and recognize that the door to your prison is always open and unlocked. All you have to do is open the door and step out of it. Why does the universe give you stuff you don't want? Well, the universe doesn't give you what you want, but gives you exactly what you need for your learning and growth. We all have mental chatter. And the problem is not that you have mental chatter, the problem is you identify with your mental chatter. So sit back and observe your mental chatter. Observe yourself feeling worried. Observe yourself feeling anxious. And as you create that distance, you no longer have your mental chatter. You're the observer of the mental chatter. Then it loses its ability to take you to places you don't want to go. To contact Dr. Srikumar Rao You can reach out to Dr. Rao on LinkedIn, Twitter or his website, The Rao Institute. Watch his TED Talk here and email him at srikumar.rao@theraoinstitute.com. More inspiration for finding joy and purpsoe on your life journey: Blog: Time to Add Gratitude to Your Life—And Your Company's Culture! Blog: You Can Find Joy And Happiness In Turbulent Times! Podcast: Richard Sheridan—How To Lead With Joy And Purpose! Podcast: Meg Nocero—Can You Feel Joy As You Rethink Your Life? Additional resources for you My two award-winning books: Rethink: Smashing The Myths of Women in Business and On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights Our new book, Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success, co-authored by Edie Fraser, Robyn Freedman Spizman and Andi Simon, PhD Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants Read the transcript of our podcast here  Andi Simon: Welcome to On the Brink With Andi Simon. I'm Andi Simon. I'm your host and your guide. And as you know, this podcast is designed to help you get off the brink. The one thing we don't want you to do is get stuck or stalled. But you can begin to understand how you can change. And that's what we like to help people and their organizations do. So today, I have a wonderful gentleman here, and Doctor Rao did a podcast with us earlier, last July in fact, that was just a hit, but he's got a new book coming out. Actually, it's out and I have been reading it and you will love it. Let me tell you a little bit about Dr. Srikumar Rao. He is a creator of creativity and personal mastery. His bio doesn't fit a bio. It's a wonderful story about a life well-lived. He's a speaker, a former business school professor and head of The Rao Institute, and I urge you to take a look at that online because it's full of rich opportunities for you to begin to see, feel and think in new ways. And I use those words, but they mimic the words he uses. He is an executive coach to senior business executives, and he helps them find deeper meaning and engagement in their work. He also talks about the fact that work isn't work. And I love the idea because I love to work, and people say, when are you going to retire? I say, I'm never going to retire. Why is work bad? Because we define it as something that is not fun, but work isn't work. Work is something that gives us all kinds of things, purpose, meaning, joy. What could it do for you? My last thought today is to make sure that you understand Dr. Rao has programs and coaching that you can enjoy because they are joyful to help you begin to become the kind of person that you'd like to be. I'm going to call you Srikumar. Srikumar Rao: Works just fine.  Andi Simon: Thank you for joining me again. It's really a pleasure. Srikumar Rao: It's my pleasure, Andi. I had such a blast the last time you interviewed me that I was positively looking forward to this session. Andi Simon: For our audience, watch out, here comes some really wonderful, wonderful stuff. Give the audience some context, though. Who are you? A man of your journey and why was this book? The book is called Modern Wisdom, Ancient Roots. Now when you buy an ebook, that's how I can show you the book. And I did buy a hard copy, but it isn't a hard copy. And as I'm reading it, I think you're going to find it wonderful. What is the context for this book and who are you? Why should they listen?  Srikumar Rao: Who am I? As you mentioned, I'm an executive coach, and I have a very well defined niche. I work with successful people, mostly entrepreneurs, who have already done very well for themselves. But they're driven. They want to have an outsized impact on the world. But at the same time, they have an explicitly spiritual bent that they would like to infuse into every area of their life. They know that life is about more than getting the biggest toys, or the most expensive toys. And there's something deeper, and they want to bring that into all parts of their life. So that's the sandbox in which I play, and to the best of my knowledge, I'm the only person who's playing in that particular sandbox. I may be wrong, but I'm not aware of any others. Andi Simon: Well, clearly it's not a red ocean of lots of competition pushing you away, is it? Srikumar Rao: No there isn't. By the time people come to me, they've already done their homework. They've listened to my TED Talk. They watched many of my videos on YouTube, and they know they want to work with me. Andi Simon: And when they do the kind of work you like to do with them, can you give us some ideas? Srikumar Rao: We have conversations. We have deep conversations, and I have an unusual take on coaching. So let me explain that. In my view, the only thing you ever do in life, Andi, is you work on yourself. A benevolent universe has given you many tools. Your husband is a tool. Your daughters and granddaughters are tools. The business you run, the clients you have, they're all tools. You want to do the very best you can for your clients. You want them to feel: Gee, hiring Andi was the best thing that I ever did. But in the process of doing that, what you're really doing is you're working on yourself. You want to be a great wife. You want to be a great mother. In the process of doing that, what you really do is you work on yourself. The only thing you ever do in life is work on yourself. Now the universe has given you wonderful tools and running a business is a Swiss army knife of tools. You use that skillfully, but you never lose sight of the fact that in using these tools skillfully, what you're really doing is you're working on yourself. Does that make sense to you, Andi? Andi Simon: Yes. Maybe because it requires you to be reflective of what you're doing, how you're doing it, and what the impact or the outcome is.  Srikumar Rao: Exactly correct. Because the most important thing, Andi, is not what you're doing. but who you're being as you do it. And too often we get hung up on the doing, and we completely miss the fact that being is much more important than the doing. Andi Simon: I'll stay on that for a moment. I don't want to lose track of why this new book and how it fits. But as I hear you, you work with successful people who may or may not realize how they have become who they are. They may not be happy with where they are, but they don't seem to have a toolkit to begin to take them to the next place. And that is a big theme that I'm finding that people find themselves either in retirement or transition or job change or career growth, and it's being done to them instead of them owning their life and who they are, something that you have found as well. Srikumar Rao: Absolutely, yes. Because too many people, Andi, go around trying to make life happen. Andi Simon: Forgive me for laughing. Srikumar Rao: I love life to unroll, unfold. And as you allow life to unfold, you find that miracles happen and they happen on a regular basis. Andi Simon: Well, you and I were talking about serendipity, but miracles are a different word. Similar? Your early conversation about a path through life, I think, is so valuable to think about for our audience, who's either watching you or listening that the steps aren't necessarily, you can't necessarily see them, but you can begin to live them. Srikumar Rao: Exactly correct. You know, let me share something with you, Andi. If you ask people: Are you happy? Most of them will say, Yes, I'm happy. Remember, these are successful people already, but we define happiness too narrowly. We define happiness as there's nothing really bothering me right now, and there are actually some things that I like, or I'm looking forward to watching a new Netflix series or having dinner with a friend or something like that. That's a very low part. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about, do you feel radiantly alive? Do you feel so full of gratitude that you feel as if you're bursting? Are you not walking, but joyously floating through the air, hitting ground every 100ft or so. Is that your experience of life? And if that's not your experience of life, why not? Because that is your nature. So how do you reclaim the joy you felt as a child, when you could spend an hour watching a dog chase its tail? Why have you lost that? And how can you bring it back to your life today? That's what my coaching is about. And the wonderful thing is that when you're in that space, your business and whatever else you know just floats effortlessly and you accomplish more than you could ever have dreamed possible. It just happens because you're not trying to force things. You're allowing the universe to unfold. Andi Simon: Let's dig deeper into that. Marissa Peer is really a renowned hypnotherapist who often talks about the fact that we live the story in our mind. And our mind also loves to go to pleasure, not pain. Even if the pain causes pleasure, like narcotics might. And the habits take over and you don't even know that you're habit driven. You think you have free will. And so this complicated human where we want to take and know our own selves and take ownership of it, determine our careers, determine our life, give it more intentionality, a purpose, isn't that easy. And so the question becomes, how do you change the story, modify the habits, begin to not simply just wish, but to begin to actually feel that gratitude, that happiness. I don't want to add my ideas, I want to hear yours because our listeners do. But there's a way of taking where you are. You may have your house, you may have your car, you may have your club. You may think you're happy, but take it to a whole next level where you are. Every day is a gift, and you wake up happy to be there. Srikumar Rao: And the short answer to that, Andi, is, you have to work at it. Because we have been programmed, we have been conditioned, and we are so programmed and conditioned that we don't even recognize that we have been programmed and conditioned. It's true. And what we have is, we've got a lot of extraneous thoughts going on. I call it mental chatter, and mental chatter is always with you. It's so much a part of your life that you don't even recognize you have it. You know, the kind of thing that goes: Oh, drat my secretary screwed up again, and should I keep her or should I fire her? And I'm sick and tired of having to go through these small snafus that keep coming up, which she should have handled. All of that is mental chatter. We live our life defined by our mental chatter, and we never recognize that we're living a life which is defined by our mental chatter and not by what is really happening internally to us. But one of the first things that I do with my client is, I get them to understand that this mental chatter, which you ignore, is actually creating the life that you live in. So the first step is to be aware that there is this stuff that is happening. The first step is to recognize that this is happening and this is really running your life. And when you do that and you become aware of your mental chatter as opposed to being carried away by your mental chatter, you start to say, hey, you know, the world isn't what I thought it was. It's something that's different. Yeah, that is the starting point. Andi Simon: With that in mind, I don't like to tease my audience, give us something a little bit more illustrative, concrete to take from it. Stop the mental chatter because when you stop it, then you're going to fill yourself with an opportunity. Srikumar Rao: Absolutely. Let me share something which I'm sure some of your clients and many of the people listening to this podcast can relate with. I was teaching in London Business School and I had a student who was an investment banker and a very successful investment banker. There were many problems in his marriage. Because he was an investment banker, he was working long hours. And because he worked long hours, he missed many family occasions, dinners. You know, his son's first piano recital and stuff like that. And his wife would get very upset at him. “You said you'd be back and you weren't.” And she accused him of not caring. From his perspective, the very fact that he was working long hours at a job that he didn't particularly like was evidence of his caring. And obviously they were able to maintain the lifestyle that they did because of the income he pulled in from his job. So the very fact that he was working long hours was, in his mind, an expression of caring. When she laced into him, he would get defensive, they'd have massive fights. And yet it was just a very uncomfortable, uncomfortable situation. And they were rapidly heading towards divorce. And then in my course, somebody suggested to him that, look, when your wife is lashing it to you for not caring, what she's really saying is, honey, I miss you. And I wish that I was with you or you were with me. Totally not convinced but he agreed to try it. And the next time he was late and his wife started getting mad at him and accusing him of not caring, instead of reacting the way he normally did, he said, Honey, it must have been really tough on you. I'm so sorry. Which is so different from what he usually said that she was taken aback. And what would have been an entire evening quarrel petered out in 30 minutes. And as he continued doing that, and each time that she got angry at him or started to get sarcastic, he would simply say, I love you. And I realize it's very tough on you, I will try to make it up. And gradually their bitter quarrels faded away. They didn't entirely resolve the situation, but it became something to be handled as opposed to: this is going to lead to the end of our marriage. I was about to say that's the way in which we're always telling stories to ourselves. And we don't recognize that we're telling stories to ourselves. We believe this is the reality. Andi Simon: Let's stay there. I'm making some notes. In the stories, we're always a hero. Stories that we're telling ourselves, we're always the hero. Srikumar Rao: Yes. Andi Simon: Right. And so the story you just shared is a beautiful one. Where he was right. She was wrong. She was right. He was wrong until they stopped being heroes to themselves. But literally, he just became, in the words he said to her, caring about how she was. It deflated all of the competition, the animosity. What a beautiful story to share and think about. Yeah, because it's not complicated. It's just, you know, change the story and change your life. Srikumar Rao: Exactly correct. What we don't recognize is that we never experience life the way it is. We always experience life according to the story we tell ourselves about it. And most of us never understand that this is what is happening, that it isn't reality. It's the story we have told ourselves and which we believe without ever recognizing that it is a story, and we have the opportunity to change the narrative. And what I'm very good at, is helping people understand that and to change the narrative. Andi Simon: That leads very nicely, though, into your new book. Tell us about the timing, the pacing. What was a catalytic moment for another book. Modern Wisdom, Ancient Roots has a purpose, and there's something at the end of it for you to use to self-assess. But the context is important here because as the listener thinks about their story that's guiding their life either toward happiness or toward less than, it's an opportunity to begin to rethink who am I and the story I'm living and what am I thinking. Please, what was the motivation for this book and tell us about it. Srikumar Rao: A book, Andi, and you can understand this, being a multiple times author yourself, is like a baby. You know, it comes to a point at which it has to be born. Yes, that's what happened with this. I wanted to, as you know, I'm an executive coach and people ask me questions. And I noticed that there was a great deal of similarity in the questions. And this cuts across countries, cuts across culture, cuts across ethnic and other backgrounds. They're human problems, not problems related to any particular occupation, country, or religious or ethnic background. So I figured that if I put this down, it would be a help to people to understand that. And some of them, of course, might want to go deeper. And if so, they reach out to me and we discuss what I can do for them. But the idea is to give them solid tools, and the heart of it is to understand that the world we're living in is not a real world. It's a construct. We build that construct with our mental chatter and our mental models. Now, this is hugely liberating because if the world we're living in is not real and you don't like it, then you can deconstruct the parts of it you don't like and build it again.  But what do you do if the world you live in is real, and you don't like it, you're screwed. But if it's not real, you can change it. So how do you go about doing that? That's what my coaching is all about. And some of the tools that I use are given in that book Modern Wisdom, Ancient Roots. And I've tried to illustrate it by means of stories, because I find that stories bring it home very, very powerfully. This is a story I shared with you about the investment banker and his wife. And, you know, they were able to make almost a U-turn. Andi Simon: Now stay on that. I want to talk a little bit more about some of the chapters in there but we often say that we live an illusion. The story creates an illusion that guides our day but isn't real. And the only truth is there's no truth. It's very hard for people not to say, this isn't real. Well, sort of, but the pen is only real enough when you write with it, and something happens but it's hard to understand that some of them, the stories that you have in there, though, are really very important for thinking about who am I and what am I doing and why am I doing this. Can you share a few of them? I'll say the short chapters, but there are a couple of major points. Srikumar Rao: Here's one. Now, how do you think about the universe? Einstein said that the most important question you will ever ask yourself is, is the universe friendly? Now we respect Einstein because he was a great scientist, but he was also a philosopher who had a very intimate understanding of how the universe worked. And Einstein said, the most important question you will ever ask yourself is, is the universe friendly? Now, there are some people who believe that the universe is distinctly unfriendly, and the sole purpose of the universe is to frustrate. The vast, overwhelming majority of us believe the universe is neither friendly nor unfriendly. It's indifferent. The universe doesn't know you exist and couldn't care less. So here you are going around doing your thing. There's a universe going around doing its thing. Sometimes it seems to work with you, sometimes it seems to work against you. But essentially it's a random process. What if that wasn't true? What if the universe was aware of your existence and the universe was well-disposed towards you? Why does the universe give you stuff you don't want? You want to go on vacation and the universe gives you pandemics and lockdowns. Why does the universe give you stuff you don't want? Well, the universe didn't give you what you wanted, but gave you exactly what you needed for your learning and growth. Like you're a small child and you want a tub of ice cream, and the universe gives you fruits and vegetables, and you don't want fruits and vegetables, you want a tub of ice cream. But the universe through your parents gives you fruits and vegetables. It isn't until you reach a much higher level of maturity that you can say, thank God I got fruits and vegetables rather than a tub of ice cream. What if the universe was exactly like that? That is a mental model, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out it's a superior mental model. And regardless of whether the universe was friendly or not, if you believed the universe was friendly, your experience of life would be a whole lot better.  How do you adopt this mental model? And the idea is recognize that it's a superior mental model and look for signs that this is operating in your life. And I advocate people having a notebook where they write down the signs that the universe is friendly, and when you do that, you'll see them everywhere. I'll give you an example. This happened to me yesterday. So I had a plumbing issue in one of my toilets, and I called the plumber and he came and fixed it. And after he did that, he had come to my house earlier, and he was missing a drill, and he thought he might have left it downstairs. So I went to the basement to check, and he noticed that there was a pinhole leak in one of my pipes, and discovered it purely by accident. But he looked at that and pointed to my attention and said, I'm here and I'll fix it. It could have been quite major, and he fixed it. Completely serendipitous. That's a miracle. It's a sign the universe is friendly. Most of the time when something like that happens, we dismiss it as a coincidence. So coincidence is a miracle killer. But when you start noting the ways in which the universe seems to be working with you and has your back, you notice so many of them that you'll reach an internal tipping point. And in that tipping point, you will tip over from “the universe is indifferent” to “the universe is friendly.” And when you do that, your experience of life has such a tremendous transformation. Andi Simon: And I think that the timing of your conversation today is so interesting because I too, I believe in, in those kinds of chance moments which aren't clearly by chance. And there was nothing that made him go down there, except perhaps he left his drill down there and nothing that said, please take a look at a pinhole in the pipe or anything for you. I started a conversation today talking about where we're going and the kinds of things we're in. But, it is an interesting lesson for our listeners, a wisdom to begin to open up your mind to possibilities. Srikumar Rao: That is the key point. You've hit the nail right on the head. Open yourself up to possibilities. Andi Simon: Because that's the only way you're going to grow. As we know that the brain hates change, unfamiliarly. It fights everything that comes in and threatens what's current. You have to overcome that cortisol that's produced until it, nope, I want some oxytocin, because I think this is the greatest idea that I could begin to think about. But the only one who can manage that is you. Srikumar Rao: Absolutely. And when you start living in a friendly universe, then you say something happens to you and you say, okay, you know, there's a lesson in there for me. And what is the lesson and how soon can I learn it? And you'll invariably find that the unfortunate situation resolves itself. Andi Simon: So when you're up at two in the morning thinking about something that's really bugging you, let it go. Meditate, quiet the mind.  So I'm watching our time and it's almost ready to wrap up, but I want to talk about one thing more and that is meditation, mindfulness, managing your mind. Because unless you understand there are things you can do, in fact, I'm not going to say take charge of your mind, but quiet it, you're going to think, I don't know how to do that. I don't know how to let go of those negatives to absorb the positive. Any things that you particularly like to do? I've learned mindfulness myself, but please. Srikumar Rao: What happens? Andi we have this mental chatter going on, and you can't stop it. It's pointless saying, you know something is happening, don't worry about it. If you could not worry about it, you'd not worry about it. But you're incapable of not worrying about it. That's okay. You cannot stop worrying about it, but you can observe and be aware of the fact that you're worrying about it. So one of the cornerstone exercises of mine is, look, you have this mental chatter that's going on. And the problem is not that you have mental chatter. The problem is you identify with your mental chatter. And when you identify with the mental chatter, it can grab you by the neck and take you to all kinds of dark places. So sit back and observe your mental chatter. Observe yourself feeling worried. Observe yourself feeling anxious. And as you create that distance, you no longer have your mental chatter. You're the observer of the mental chatter. The velocity and the power of that chatter, it diminishes and it loses the ability to take you to places you don't want to go. It's very easy to describe and it's very easy to start off on that. It's very difficult to keep it there because you start observing your mental chatter and in seconds you've lost it and you become your mental chatter. When that happens, go back to being the observer. This is one of the cornerstone exercises of my programs and my coaching. But as you become better and better at that, you can be an observer for a longer and longer period, and you'll find that the things that used to bother you no longer bother you because you let them go. Andi Simon: And that letting go is a lot like what you have to do to grow up. Yeah. Let it go. And at any age, you can be, you know, still a child, let it go to get to the next stage in your own personal growth. I've enjoyed this so much. I do want to say one thing for our listeners and our viewers, that when you're working, when you're in an organization that may have gotten toxic or may seem to be unpleasant to get to work every day, or your folks are beginning to struggle, time to sit down with them and think about that mental chatter that's going on. It may come from outside of the workplace or inside. Or maybe somebody said something to someone. Think about the investment banker and the different ways he can deal with his wife, one of which is caring about the fact she's been alone, or the other is angry that she cares so much about herself that she's not thinking about him and the work he's doing. Same situation, two different stories. But, if you have an organization that seems to be fragile and it's not a bad methodology to begin to sit down and listen to the conversation, observe, be an anthropologist, hang out, listen to the conversations at lunchtime. Begin to pull out of the stories people are telling that mental chatter that's creating noise instead of joy. Because so much joy is there waiting to happen. The universe is joyful. Let it happen. Srikumar Rao: Absolutely. The universe is benevolent. The universe is your friend. Recognize that it's your friend. And the more you recognize it as your friend, the more signs you will get that it in fact is your friend. Andi Simon: And then every day, coming to work isn't work. It's about growing and learning and teaching and gratitude and just having joy. Srikumar Rao: Exactly, exactly, exactly right, Andi. Andi Simon: Last thoughts? Dr. Srikumar Rao has been with us today, talking about his new book, Modern Wisdom, Ancient Roots. But it's about you and about how you can turn work into growth. Begin to think about that, that chatter in your mind as something to let go. Some last thoughts. Srikumar Rao: Your nature is happiness. You're not this shell of skin and bones and blood that you think you are, who you really are is pure awareness. Your job in this life is to recognize who you really are and cast yourself free from this cage in which you have ensnared yourself. Trust yourself and recognize that the door to your prison is always open and unlocked. All you have to do is open the door and step out of it. Andi Simon: This has been a pleasure. I could keep talking. I've enjoyed our conversation and I know our listeners and viewers will as well. Let me wrap up. It's such fun to share people like Dr. Rao with you because it takes us to the next stage in our own growth. And I don't care where you are, that noise in your brain is going to get in the way of seeing what's possible. And in fact, the little challenge here or a little opportunity there if you let it turn into an opportunity. Next thing you know, you're rising with it. And he's smiling and so am I. So thank you for coming today. Srikumar Rao: It's been my pleasure. And I look forward to a wonderful association. And I don't know which way it's going to go, but I know it's going to go exactly the way it's supposed to. Thank you. Andi Simon: Thank you. But the joyful universe is going to take us on its own way, and we're going to have some fun. The timing couldn't be better. Now, for those of you who come, remember, I love to help you see, feel and think in new ways. I can't thank you enough for coming. Refer to us anybody you'd like to hear on our podcast. We are getting booked up for the rest of the year and so sooner is better. My new book, Women Mean Business: Over 500 Insights from Extraordinary Leaders to Spark Your Success is doing extremely well. It's full of wisdoms and people are learning. We often say, turn a page and change your life. Who knew? The book has an energy and a force well beyond being a book. There's more. You're smiling. The books aren't books, are they? Srikumar Rao: Books are in books. Books have a life force in them, and they reach out and grab the persons who are right for them. I could not agree with you more. Andi Simon: Couldn't say it better than you have. So I'm going to say goodbye. Let's say have a great day. Please turn your observations into innovations. Don't wait around. The world is waiting for your new ideas. Bye bye now. Srikumar Rao: Let's go further than that, Andi. Have a wonderful rest of your life. Andi Simon: I love it. Everyone's cup should be overflowing like yours and mine. Thank you.     WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS® is a registered trademark of the National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO)

In this solo episode, Dr. Robin talks about how to renew your joy at work. She uses examples of personal experiences and expertise along with one of her favorite books - The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. Dr. Robin highlights the importance of operating within your "zone of genius" as the number one step toward becoming a person who has meaning and purpose in their lives and work. In this episode she shared: it is possible to have joy in your work choosing the types of activities that can bring us joy ways to get started today on your pathway to purpose   Would you prefer to watch or listen to the podcast on YouTube?Head on over to https://www.youtube.com/@leadershippurposepodcast   Want to connect? Connect with Dr. Robin on  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinlowensphd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robinlowensphd Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/robinlowensphd/ Email: Robin@LeadershipPurposePodcast.com   Thank you for listening! Rate, review, & follow on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast player. Talk to you soon!   This episode was produced by Lynda, Podcast Manager #YourPodcastHelp at https://www.ljscreativeservices.co.nz    

"Organizing Your Professional Life"

This week's topic is JOY. How do we bring more joy into our work? Follow along and find out. This week's topic JOY is inspired by Ali Abdaal's new book Feel Good Productivity.Get your copy on Amazon.Educator State Of Mind is written, produced, and performed by Jake Ruzi.To learn more or get involved go to JakeRuzi.com/Podcast Intro/Outro music by Music_Unlimited via PixabayEnjoying the show? Considering Buying Me A Coffee

Do you find yourself on auto pilot for days or weeks at a time? Going through the motions of running your organization but not getting joy and awe from your work?  Steve Fredlund, known worldwide as The Safari Dude, helps you bring wonder and excitement back into your daily life. Steve was an actuarial scientist who recognized and escaped the “good life” trap. As an author, two-time TEDx speaker, coach, and keynote speaker, he guides others on their path to greater joy and fulfillment.  In our episode today, he will share with you 5 factors that can bring more happiness to your work, your leadership, and your life.  Links mentioned in this episode The Safari Dude's website Steve's LinkedIn  Looking for more? Check out these amazing episodes: 8 Proven Ways to Feel Happier at Work with Bea Boccalandro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website with show notes Solving Burnout at Your Nonprofit with Jennifer Moss on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website with show notes

Do you still feel the passion you had for plants when you started this game? Or are you just turning up to work each day, going through the motions?My guest Maria Failla from the Growing Joy Podcast is here to teach us how to "connect with nature," "find our joy," or practice "self care," even if those terms don't really resonate with us.Plant care is a form of therapy that's being used to treat a wide range of mental health conditions, disabilities, and people of different ages. Even if you don't have access to a horticultural therapist, you can still take advantage of the healing power of plants by slowing down, breathing steadily, and turning your attention to the plants that you care for.Maria treats her mind like a garden where she sows seeds of joy, gratitude and wellness, and celebrates her harvest each and every day. As she points out, there will always be the weeds of negative emotion but through practice, we can learn to recognise and work with them so we don't feel overwhelmed.EPISODE LINKSGrowing Joy's website: https://growingjoywithmaria.com/podcast/Maria's book, Growing Joy - The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants): https://growingjoywithmaria.com/bookApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growing-joy-with-plants-wellness-rooted-in-nature/id1313519159Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/33ExNjMA35y9Uv7ceJZaOKYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/bloomandgrowradioInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/growingjoywithmaria/Hort People: HortPeople.comFOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIATwitter: @PlantsGrowHere / Facebook: @PlantsGrowHerePodcast - Join our Facebook group!VISIT OUR WEBSITEwww.PlantsGrowHere.comLET'S WORK TOGETHERAre you in the industry or an enthusiast with something of value to share? We're always on the hunt for interesting people, doing interesting things. If you'd like to work with us send a message via our online form or a direct email to plantsgrowhere@gmail.com.

Angel Scale Biotech: Learn More   Kevin Majeres, MD, teaches cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) at Harvard Medical School. CBT is the gold standard to treat mental health conditions without drugs. CBT can also help with workplace issues such as burnout or anxiety. Dr. Majeres (pronounced Majors) has built a digital platform, OptimalWork.com, to improve the quality of work life. I learned really useful things from this interview.   Sponsored by Purdue University entrepreneurship and Peter Fasse, patent attorney at Fish and Richardson.   Highlights: Sal Daher Introduces Dr. Kevin Majeres What OptimalWork is Solving "... what we are doing is bringing the insights of cognitive behavioral therapy out of the normal context, which is working with the cognitive behavioral therapist. We're bringing that to people in the setting of their work..." "... In fact, everything with regard to eating behaviors, there's abundant evidence that cognitive behavioral therapy works. At one level, you could see that the more someone was afraid of hunger, the more likely they would be to act on it..." "... This is why I think anxiety is the most central emotion to understand because anxiety is the urge to avoid challenge as challenge..." "... Cognitive behavioral therapy, I should say, it also tends to focus on what's happening right now. What are the emotions showing up right now? Where's the avoidance right now? Where does the reframing have to take place right now?" "... I think that we need more and more things like Endeavor OTC that are helping to identify what are the particular mental muscles that can be worked out, and whether these things are going to be universally applicable, or maybe there are certain subpopulations that that's exactly the workout that they need..." "... How would you compliment this Cybex machine for the mind with cognitive behavioral therapy?" "... That in a sense is like what we teach people at The Golden Hour, is how to just briefly strategize what you're about to do, lay out the steps in advance, think of how you want to be stretching yourself in these steps, calm your mind down for a moment, and then launch into it. Then you're going to have full traction, and then you get momentum. Flow is really just momentum in work..." Dr. Majeres' Psychiatry Journey "... anxiety is adrenaline waiting to be reframed..." Advice to the Audience   Topics: discovering entrepreneurship, scholar

Is joy a work extra? When joy is absent, there are high costs — actual dollar bills (or pound notes or bitcoin…) are squandered when joy employees do not have joy at work. What exactly is joy and what in the world does it have to do with the workplace? In this week's Linkedin Live, we revealed some staggering statistics about the business outcomes of joy. We discuss the impact of joy in the workplace on productivity, employee retention, and profitability. We look even deeper into the “joy deficit” and experience a true coaching moment for you. Here's what we talked about: 2:44 Business Outcomes of Joy: productivity, retention, and profit 9:48 Is Joy at work a problem? The joy deficit numbers 12:46 Coaching moment 14:28 What is Joy at Work: the joy equation What do you think? Is this new for you? How do you set intentions for cultivating joy at work? Tell me in the comments.

In tonight's Sleep Hypnosis with Jessica, we're going to work on our negative thoughts, opinions and feelings about work. Let's bring up the worst of these thoughts, and start to relax into them, slow them down, and begin the process of turning them around. If work is a real challenge for you, I suggest you listen to this regularly. And it's a practice you can work on any situation, not just at work! Relax, get comfy, and let's begin.  As always, tonight's episode will start with a relaxing introduction from Jessica, before we sink into tonight's Sleep Hypnosis. Want more Sleep Magic? Join Sleep Magic Premium ✨ Enjoy 2 bonus episodes a month plus all episodes ad-free, access to Jessica's complete back catalog of over 60 episodes, and show your support to Jessica.  To Subscribe

Joy Anyway, IV: Joy at Work 8/20/23 by Kenilworth Union Church

Ebony Little: Focus on service and make the business case —  Many women of color face multiple challenges at work due to toxic work environments.  This results in many individuals not being as productive and resourceful as they could and would be, if they were treated well and felt valued and appreciated.  Ebony Little discusses what women of color can do to be proactive in creating meaning in their work and influence change in hostile work environments.  Ebony is the Program Director the National Association of African American Insurance Association (NAAIA).  A self-proclaimed “army brat,” Ebony has lived in Germany and Florida.  Currently she makes Fort Lauderdale, Florida, her home. Resources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebonynlittle/   Highlights from our conversation: Ebony's personal and professional trajectory The importance of creating affirming relationships at work Identifying mentors, advocates and sponsors Finding joy at work through service to others Making the business case to employers about changing hostile work environments National Association of African American Insurance Association (NAAIA) How to address personal doubts of speaking up and speaking out at work Strategies for college success

Hear why a big part of life is having a life worth living, even at work. Today I spoke with Lori Pine, a 25-year corporate VP turned certified executive leadership coach. What Lori teaches us is something we maybe all innately know but often don't recognize: that a big part of life is having a life worth living. To many executives on that hamster wheel, this is a big statement. Yes, moving up the ladder and advancing your career are certainly worth pursuing, but we shouldn't overlook the importance of self-care. As Lori tells us, creating a community, finding soul connections, doing simple acts of kindness, and just simply getting enough rest are all part of the path to a happy life. Listen in, learn and share! Watch and listen to our conversation here The answer is within, not without In our conversation today, Lori touched on several key insights we can all learn from: Corporations have a responsibility to enable their employees, men and women, to have a life worth living. Part of that is having community, which goes beyond company-organized ERGs [Employee Resource Groups]. Employees have earned the right to control the environment in which they are working. Employers are waking up and seeing the newfound negotiating power of employees. We're in a cultural transformation where your behavioral health, your mental health, your well-being are really part of your job. Workers have more autonomy and power than they think they do. Self-care is more than a mani-pedi. We can learn to take care of ourselves in many ways that are life-changing. To connect with Lori, you can find her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and her website, loripine.com. For more on finding joy in your work and your life, we recommend these: Blog: You Can Find Joy And Happiness In Turbulent Times! Podcast: Meg Nocero—Can You Feel Joy As You Rethink Your Life? Podcast: Richard Sheridan—How To Lead With Joy And Purpose! Additional resources for you My two award-winning books: Rethink: Smashing The Myths of Women in Business and On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights Our website: Simon Associates Management Consultants Read the transcript of our podcast here Andi Simon: Good day to all of our fans out there. I'm so excited to do another podcast. Remember, you have brought us to the top 5% of global podcasts, and so I can't thank you enough for being such a great share because you take the podcasts and share them with others and they get opened all across the world. So my thank you. Today, I'm On the Brink with Andi Simon. I have a wonderful guest for us. Lori Pine is a beautiful woman who's here to tell you about how she can help you do what I like to help you do: see, feel, and think in new ways so you can get off the brink. Let me tell you a little bit about Lori and then she'll tell you about her own journey because you're going to be fascinated by how life is not in a straight line, as you know, and hers curves and twists and so can yours. So who is Lori Pine? Lori is a 25-year corporate VP, turned certified executive leadership coach. And that's not without importance here. She helps female executives establish healthy leadership pattern practices with the goal of creating thriving professional and personal lives, working with global powerhouse brands like Anheuser-Busch, a Coca-Cola company, and Campbell's Soup. Lori learned firsthand the preciousness of being a woman on the rise. And today with Lori's guidance, clients can develop curated action plans that prioritize self-awareness, empowerment, and even a little self-care, allowing them to spend more time enjoying their lives and this time not feeling stuck. So she's going to tell you her journey because it's a really cool one, and then we're going to talk about how she can help you see, feel, and think in new ways so you get off that stuck-in place. And whether you're an executive or a rising executive, you're going to find it very interesting to listen to Lori. Lori, thank you for joining me today. Lori Pine: Thank you so much Andi for having me. I'm so glad to be here. Andi Simon: Tell our listeners: who is Lori Pine, how did you get to where you are now? Because the journey is an interesting one, important for them. It tells people who it is that we're listening to. So who is Lori? Lori Pine: So I'm a girl from Maine. I grew up in pretty humble beginnings. Small town, one traffic light. My family owned a restaurant and so I grew up with a really strong work ethic, close Irish Catholic family. And I couldn't wait to leave. I had big dreams. I wanted to see a city, I wanted to see the world. And as soon as I was done with college, I was off on a plane and I really had aspirations to be a corporate VP, to climb a corporate ladder, to see the inner workings of business and companies and to have an impact, to work with smart people. I wanted to work on big projects and all of that, to experience what was out of the state line of the state of Maine. And I really got to do that. And from Maine, I went to Tampa and then I would go on to seven more states and it was a tremendous career, in working for three really big global brands and the training that came with that and the people and the friendships and the experiences. I mean, I got to do everything from go to the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia to every imaginable NCAA  final four to the Super Bowl that you can imagine with some of these big brands. And in the meantime, I really wanted to be this female who made other female relationships and helped other women rise. But you know, if you think about it in the nineties and the two thousands, this was kind of a new concept and there was a lot of competition and there was a lot of, who's going to get the job? Is it you? Is it me? And with finite positions, it wasn't always friendly fire. It's a limited number. We can operate in an environment like that if all we do is work, but that's not all we do. We're human and we're having personal lives as well. So I would go on to get married. I would have two children, and then I would also go on to get divorced and become a single mom for seven years until I ended up remarrying. And there were times in there where there were some really dark times where I was crying myself to sleep at night, not knowing who I could turn to, not knowing who I could trust. Then 11 years ago, I lost my mom. When your world starts to kind of fall out beneath you, you start looking around saying, where do I turn? And I don't know if I just wasn't aware of the coaching industry or they just weren't presenting themselves to me, but I wish that I had had a coach who I could have confided in and trusted, who understood what it was like to be in my industry and in my workspace, to really help me get through some of those dark times, sleepless nights, knotted stomachs, big presentations. But I didn't have that. So learning to navigate all of that on my own brought me to an experience two years ago where I was in this corporate VP role. We were in a global pandemic and my youngest son was really struggling through the pandemic. It became kind of this pivotal moment for my family where I actually made a decision to become a stay-at-home mom when he was 17 years old. And it was one of those experiences and moments in time where I never could have predicted it. If you had told me it was going to happen, I would've told you, there's no way. But here I was and it made all the difference in the world for my child and for our family. And it gave me some space to hire a coach and to say, what do I want to do next in my career? And so here we are today. Andi Simon: How interesting, because you're talking about your perspective of that rising star in a corporate environment that challenges, amongst others, men and women, for fewer and fewer slots. Sometimes they complain that the pipeline has nobody in it, and sometimes they don't realize that they jumped off because it wasn't exactly a great journey to get someplace. And did you really need to be there, but sometimes you don't know who you are and what you're looking for. And that sounds like your epiphany, which was, oh man, where am I? Why am I doing this? Is this really me or what I want to do? Your aha moment was a catalytic moment with your son and that transformed him and transformed you. Because now you are a life executive coach, correct? Lori Pine: Yes. Andi SImon: And in that training, I have a hunch, you went through your own self discovery, did you not? Lori Pine: Yes, for sure. And I have been on a journey of self discovery for probably two decades. You know, when you go through a divorce and your children are two and four, you kind of say, I need to be self-aware of what is happening here. So it had been almost a two decade journey of self-discovery. But in my executive coaching program at Rutgers that I went through about a year and a half ago, it took me through some really profound exercises with my cohort and the instructors and you're taught to really ask these profound questions. And some of those questions are like, wow, unnerving. So yes, it gets to some really deep stuff. Andi Simon: Well, sometimes we can only move forward not by going backward, but by going inside. It was in that room inside. And I have a hunch in your executive coaching now, you help women do the same type of dig inside to know not the past, but where the future is coming. Am I right? Lori Pine: Absolutely. You know, I think the therapy field really works on the past. That's not my expertise. It's an inside job and that's what we really try to cultivate.  Andi Simon: Well, in that process, what are some of the things that you're discovering? You don't have to cite anybody, but I have a hunch that the process itself is a bit abstract for our listeners or our viewers. So what does an executive coach like yourself do? You're not helping them grow the business, you're helping them grow themselves. Lori Pine: Yes. Grow themselves, understand themselves. You know, who am I, who really am I as a person? And where am I willing to bend and where am I not willing to bend? Where are my boundaries? For a busy, either rising star or executive, where's my self care? I can't be all work, I can't be all mother, I can't be all wife. I need some self care of my own. And, what does that look like? And I really talk to my clients about that., I'm not just talking about a day at the spa or a mani-pedi, I'm talking about your boundaries, your ability to say yes and your ability to say no, that are to things that are meaningful to you. Your ability to be able to discern when somebody's taking advantage of you and to be able to identify your ability to raise your hand and ask for help and not to see that as a sign of weakness. Also, your ability to be able to speak your truth in a way that's not whining or complaining, but it's your truth. And to do that so that it comes across empowered. And so just those things alone can be impactful and change a trajectory for somebody. One of the things that really was important to me as I built this coaching practice was, I really thought about the young woman I was who was crying myself to sleep at night, who didn't know where to turn, who was so busy that she could hardly eat lunch at my desk with a Diet Coke and a bag of pretzels. And to think about that time-starved, energy-starved person who's probably now Googling at night or watching something on TikTok for a solution. But what she really needs is somebody to hold her hand who's been through it and knows what she's experiencing. And so that's really what I've tried to do. Andi Simon: You know, you mentioned to me before we started about resilience, a tremendous amount of discussion about women's resilience now, and you had some ideas about how you help them believe that they can be resilient. You clearly found a pathway that wasn't easy. What are some of the things that stressed-out women should think about to allow them with or without a coach to begin to resolve some of these complexities? Some can afford a coach, some may not even know where there's one, as you did. But, I have a hunch you can give them some wisdom. Lori Pine: Yes. You know, I think it's important to have a group of like-minded women that you talk to, that you surround yourself with, whether it's a networking group or a peer group in your work. Lots of HR departments have employee resource groups to be a part of something where there's like-minded women that you're talking to a friend group, where you're going out and you're talking at night and you can share: Hey, here's what's going on. Those soul connections can be just so enriching to our whole life. Andi, you have those groups in your life. I know you do. So that is the opposite of isolation. You know, when we stay isolated, there's very little room for resilience because we stay really stuck. So to get out of the isolation, to be in connectivity, to be in collaboration with women who are very like-minded, that helps with resilience. Also, a simple act of resilience is to rest. Sometimes that's very counterintuitive for us. We don't want to rest. We want to keep on going because that to-do list is so long, but simply getting eight hours of sleep can change everything for us. The science of well-being, that's the most popular course I took. I had to. The Denver Mental Health Center is my client and they said, before you work with us, you have to take the science of well-being. As I listened in…remember these are Yales, they worked really hard to get into Yale and this is their most popular course, because they're depressed. I laughed. So what does she teach them in the science of well-being? This is all in your hands. This is not that hard. One of the first things is acts of kindness. They gave people money and said, You can keep it or give it away. The people who gave it away had a huge soar in their well-being. And those who kept it had nothing.  And they did it in Africa. And the same thing happened. It was human, not a particular culture. And then they found that not only acts of kindness, but gratitude are things that we know. You send out three notes at the end of the day and your self-worth goes up and their happiness goes up as well. It doesn't take much to have a gratitude diary. Oprah will sell you one for $29. Or you can just do things that give you gratitude. Like you're saying, you must eat and sleep. The human body needs peace and they need exercise. And it is a mystery to us why we've put ourselves in such a bad state. Bad enough. We've lived alone during the pandemic and we haven't been able to get out and have community, but we really haven't realized that it puts us into a depressed state. We have no one to talk to. Humans are hurt animals. We need to have other humans. We need to celebrate with them. Share with them. And, I have a hunch, both you and I, between our spouses and our family, realize that the community doesn't fatigue us. It enriches us. So one resilience tool I have is, build a community of friends you can trust, and enjoy them. Yes. And don't live alone if you can help it. Andi Simon: Agreed 100%. You know, the opposite, the end of it gets to be burnout. And we're hearing so much in the media and Harvard Business Review about these studies on burnout and that seems to be like the end of the scale. In terms of this resilient scale, when we get to that point of burnout, it's as though we've left ourselves so untended for so long trying to please everybody else that there's nothing left in our gas tank. So at some point, we have to stop and say, how do I put fuel back in my own gas tank? There has to be a flag in the ground with all of the things that you just said and a sense of worthiness that says, I'm worth it. Lori Pine: I am disturbed that corporations, like the ones you talked about, whether it's Anheuser-Busch or Coca-Cola, don't realize that they have a responsibility to allow and enable their employees, men and women, to have a life worth living. And part of that is having some time, some community. Those ERGs [Employee Resource Groups] are far too formal to be communities. People are getting community fatigue. This is not a mystery for them either. And so a little note of gratitude coming from a senior to a junior person is not so terrible. And beginning to get people to have a little lunch together and just sit and talk about life or the baseball game with women and not to keep them out of that beer party on Friday night that the guys go out to. Bring them in, even though they have to go home and watch their kid play soccer. I mean, there's a time now for a cultural transformation. Employees have earned the right to control the environment in which they are working. Employers, if we want to keep the talent better, wake up to see this is a new world. And if you don't take stock soon and do something, does anyone at the large companies actually think about your behavioral health, your mental health, your well-being as part of their job? Andi Simon: Yes. I think that they did. And I think that there were certainly initiatives for that, but it became very much a mixed message. So on the one hand, they're thinking about it: there's programming, there's initiatives, and then on the other hand, every two years, like clockwork, there was a reorg. And there was a restructuring and people were let go and it created such anxiety. Were you going to be let go? Were you going to have a job? Were you not going to have a job? But the flip side of that was, were you going to have a job without all of the support of the people who were just let go? And so every two years you were going through this learning curve of either a new role or learning to operate with fewer people. And this whole mantra of, We can do more with less. And, you can until you burn out. And so it always contradicted the other. And that became just an expectation that this reorg was coming, this downsize was coming.  Lori Pine: That all of corporate America seems to buy. Andi Simon: You know, with the advent of AI and the fear that this is going to lead to job changes, if not job losses, I think we're going through the next transformation, which makes the work you're doing for women and perhaps for men too, extremely timely. And how do we prepare for them?  I teach a program on the fast-changing times. How do you adapt to thrive in fast-changing times? Because the times are not getting slower. And if you don't understand why change, humans hate change, they like their habits. They would rather do yesterday's today rather than think about learning something new. So that's who we are. Now the question is: the times are changing and now as you look forward into the future, do you see anything coming that you can share, other than how you're going to help people to survive in this? Lori Pine: Yeah. I think that openness, willingness, kind of setting aside everything we think we know, is how we're going to operate because it is coming so fast. I mean, if you just think about what's happened in the last decade, how much technology has changed, how much all of our working styles have changed, what the pandemic alone did to working styles. Now hybrid work, hybrid work in-office work. I mean, every day there's a new article about hybrid versus remote versus a hundred percent in the office and which way is it going? So I believe it's willingness and openness and the more we can educate ourselves, certify ourselves, and be willing to pivot, it better prepares us. Andi Simon: And maybe a little executive coaching could help you prepare to pivot. Every two years for the reorg and now the reorg's every day. Life is a reorg.  Lori Pine: It does feel like that. And if you look at the headlines, somebody's reorging. Some major companies are reorging every single day. 10,000 jobs, 12,000 jobs, 25,000 jobs. So it's happening right here. And people are afraid right now. So how do people preserve themselves, help themselves? Andi Simon: Wonderful. Lori, this has been such a pleasure. Can you share with our listeners even two or three things you don't want them not to forget? Lori Pine: They have more autonomy and power than they think that they do. The answer is within, it is not without, it is within. And self-care is more than a mani-pedi. We can learn to take care of ourselves in many ways that are life-changing, Andi Simon: Those are just beautiful. I was hoping you would say those for our listeners and our viewers. You know, Lori has gone through her own great transformation. Her journey has been not without bumps and bruises. And now she's here to help you see, feel and think in new ways so that you can get resilient. But the times are changing and how do we prepare ourselves for something that people by and large, humans hate change. Lori, how can they reach you if they'd like to talk to you? Lori Pine: You can come to my website, lori pine.com, where I have five self-care habits you did not learn in the boardroom. And you can follow me on Instagram at Lori Pine. Andi Simon: I think that's just great. The joyful CEO I think is so much fun. For my listeners, thank you for coming, as always. I truly appreciate it. Many of you have gotten my book Rethink: Smashing The Myths of Women in Business or On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights. So many of you have called and emailed and thanked us for the wisdom we try to share. My new book comes out in September. You can pre-order it now. And I urge you to, Amazon loves pre-orders. It's called Women Mean Business, and it's under Andi Simon. And it is a time for us to realize that women do mean business, not simply because they're moving up that ladder, but because they're building businesses that are productive and financially very remunerative and really successful in different ways. They lead differently, they see the world differently. So we have 500+ insights from leading women in that book, ready to help you turn a page and change your life. It's a time for change and you're going to enjoy it. Lori has a great smile. Lori, thank you for coming today.

As the modern workplace is disrupted time and time again, employees struggle to establish a sense of purpose and contentment in their work. With more people working remotely, the lines between professional and personal life have blurred, making it harder to set boundaries and find balance. And a multi-generational workforce with different needs and expectations makes fostering a sense of belonging even more challenging for employers.  To discuss these challenges, our host Lois Coatney speaks to Stephanie Marcon, director of ISG's Experience Assessment Center. Their conversation focuses on the different ways employers can boost employee experiences, encourage healthy relationships and create an environment that supports well-being and productivity. Plus, get tips on how you can prioritize time for self-care and get the best out of your work relationships. Tune in!

For many, work has become an unavoidable and sustained pot hole along the chaotic highway of our day to day that knocks the alignment from the goal of peace each of us has in life. Beckoning a variety of responses from the menu of emotions available to us throughout the day, we respond to life's potholes with entitlement and exasperation feeling betrayed when we get thrown off track.   We want happiness, when truthfully, we expect a nonlinear annoyance to be the theme of our Monday through Friday. It would serve us well to contemplate a novel concept; happiness is spasmodic, temporary; joy is manufactured and intentional. Canadian psychologist Philip Brickman and American psychologist Donald Campbell coined the aptly named phrase “hedonic treadmill” in the 1980s.  It is the thought that happiness is fleeting, always seeing it in the short jolts by which it comes, and yet always looking for more.  The elation or misery that comes typically returns to a baseline emotion quickly. The happiness we seek in our work will under-satisfy because the treadmill of life marches on at a steady pace forcing us to continue moving on rarely allowing us to sit in those happy moments for long.   Each moment ceases quickly to become embraced with gratitude in favor of being installed as a new level of expectation. Jean-Jacques Rousseau warns that “these conveniences (think happy moments) by becoming habitual had almost entirely ceased to be enjoyable… men were unhappy to lose them without being happy to possess them.” In our work at Business On Purpose with heroic business owners, we've achieved a notable level of chaos-busting tools and coaching, and yet a failure that we have had since we started in 2015 is building an incentive compensation structure and coaching module that works for everyone.  We have never seen more than 10-15% of employees offer a sincere and non-expectant thank you for additional compensation received (bonuses, etc.) Why? Maybe the joy of possessing them was immediately rooted out by the numbness of expecting them. Employees are hoping for a “hit” when they get the next pay bump or are lauded with the next award.  It wears quickly and returns to baseline leaving us in need of more.  More hits.  More substance.  More of something to numb the reality I feel that you cannot see… the reality that I live with internally but rarely share with you.   Recently, we began asking a new question during our every-other-weekly individual check-in with team members:  Can you describe a hard moment that you experienced these past two weeks, and how you found joy in that moment? We focus on joy rather than happiness because it seems that joy is a choice, where happiness is a feeling. Feelings will not sustain because we rarely control them, choices will sustain precisely because we have the option to opt-in or out. James was the son of an Israeli Construction worker who lived in a village town between Haifa on the Mediterranean and the modern Sea of Galilee. When they were older, his brother was falsely accused of a crime, and murdered in public.  James himself was later beheaded because of his teaching and his body buried in Spain. What sort of teaching could be so vile that it results in a man's beheading? This is a paraphrased excerpt of a key element of James' message, “(In all things) joy… make it your in-front-of (first before any) thought”. That's it.   A message of actively choosing joy in front of any other response is a core part of the message that ended a notable man's life.   Joy is the “willful acceptance that a situation has brought you favor” and it brings long-term value.  Hard things bring testing, testing provides conditioning and endurance, that endurance reinvests into growth and fullness, and fullness counteracts the isolation of emptiness. Joy says, “I accept hard things to endure because the outcome is fullness.” Our modern work environment shuns and works endlessly to mitigate difficulty.  Conditioning, endurance, growth, and fullness cannot divorce themselves from quandary and perplexity.  To garner the refreshment of fullness, we must walk through the pluff mud of decomposed problems.  If problems did not exist, then there would be no need for your labor to solve those problems.   Problems are a fundamental reason for work.  Problems provide opportunity both to solve the problem and to build endurance. How do we choose joy while staring down the barrel of problems?   Joy willfully accepts the problem realizing the outcome and the long-tail value that outcome of endurance and fullness. How do you rediscover joy at work?  Begin by reframing problems as endurance-developing opportunities knowing that fullness is on its way leaving you spent and satisfied instead of exhausted and vexed.

Today on the podcast I talk to Gladys Camacho, a certified professional coach & mom, who had a 20 year career in Human Resources before stepping out to start her own business. We talk about going through adversity from being a teen mom, to many other struggles and hardships and flipping the script from victim mindset to victor. Gladys shares her story of feeling shackled at work and experiencing burn out to deciding to start her own coaching business. If you want to be encouraged to step through the trials and tribulations of life and into what you truly want this is the episode for you.Connect with Gladys on Instagram @camachocoachingThis is Your Life. Your One Life. How Will You Choose to Live It? I choose to celebrate those among us who stepped off the path of expectation and into their purpose and a life worth celebrating. Step into an Abundant Life & Business God has called you to.Are You Ready to Be Inspired and Encouraged to take a chance and bet on Yourself? To finally say Yes to Your Deepest Desires or Make Your Biggest Dreams Come True? Then Get Comfy and Join Me each week as I talk to guests about How they are Building a Life They Love.Kristin speaks to entrepreneurs who are doing work they love and building lives they love and doing it on their terms and stepping into what God has called them into- let's start taking action to create and monetize our creative ideas and passions and turn them into thriving businesses- let's go after our dream work, make more money and spend more time with people we love living our best lives and have lasting impact in the world. Learn more about working with Kristin, joining her community or her podcasts at KristinFitch.com#buildabusiness #buildanonlinebusiness #chaseyourdreams #purpose #godsizeddreams #buildalifeyoulove #christianbusiness #kingdombusiness #sidehustle #findyourcalling #followyourcalling #humanresources #victimmindset #mindsetshift #growthmindset #whatsyourwhy #personaldevelopment #selfdevelopment #teenmom #overcomingadversity #burnout #soulscalling #personalstory

Do you believe in the power of building a happy workplace to grow your business? We definitely do, and this week we bring proof. This week's guest is an expert in creating joy at work, no matter how many days a week you're in the office. If you need some inspiration to build trust in your team and set the foundations for a happy culture, this is a must-listen for you. This week on The Melting Pot, we learned from a long-time friend, Henry Stewart,  founder, and Chief Happiness Officer of Happy, a company that helps organisations create happy workplaces. Henry and Dominic met many years ago when their organisations were competing for the Unisys Service Excellence Awards. Happy is the second happiest company in the UK or Best Place to Work, as measured by the Great Places to Work organisation, and number 15 in Europe. Henry has an innovative approach to running a business and was part of the British pilot for 4-day work weeks. Then, he decided to continue on that path, which resulted in 40% year-over-year revenue growth and increased productivity. He also implemented a salary transparency system, made the staff set his salary, and decided not to make any decisions, after which his employees took ownership of raising prices during the pandemic, which ultimately saved the company. Henry is now exploring Employee Ownership Trust and is happily living out his 4-day work week. Download and listen to this fantastic conversation today. On today's podcast: The impact of a four-day week at HappyImplementing salary transparency in HappyShould your staff decide your salary?How to maintain productivity with a four-day weekCan a CEO make no decisions? Follow Henry Stewart: Happy WebsiteLinkedInTwitterBook Book Recommendations: Maverick by Ricardo SemlerMultipliers by Liz WisemanReinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux Enjoyed the show? Leave a Review

Big news: Alex Liu's new book, “Joy Works: Empowering Teams in the New Era of Work” is now available. Get your copy for a wide range of perspectives on how to create more joy in your work and your organization. In this episode, Alex shares more about the book, talks to FFWD co-founder Lee Brailey about the joy of innovation, and looks back on his favorite moments from this season of the podcast. Featured in this episode: Lee Brailey @ FFWD John Dutton @ UpLink Shailie Mehta @ Acacia Eco Nick Taylor @ Unmind Emily Ketchen @ Lenovo Eerika Savolainen @ Slush Amy Gallo, author of “Getting Along” Kirk Bresniker @ Hewlett Packard Labs   Joy@Work is produced by Kearney, a global management consulting firm. We help our clients reach their full potential and find the way forward during uncertain times. We're inspired by FFWD, Kearney's breakthrough business builder. FFWD works with leaders across the globe to inspire new business models that enhance stakeholder value and accelerate tech-enabled growth. Learn more about this show and about our innovative work at https://www.kearney.com/joyatwork.  

It's one thing to have a big “aha!” moment. But how do you turn that big idea from a solo moment of inspiration into a coordinated movement? How do you create innovation at scale? Those are questions we explore with Kirk Bresniker, Chief Architect at Hewlett Packard Labs. Get insights into how to combine ingenuity + opportunity + investment to make an impact. Joy@Work is produced by Kearney, a global management consulting firm. We help our clients reach their full potential and find the way forward during uncertain times. We're inspired by FFWD, Kearney's breakthrough business builder. FFWD works with leaders across the globe to inspire new business models that enhance stakeholder value and accelerate tech-enabled growth. Learn more about this show and about our innovative work at https://www.kearney.com/joyatwork.

Can't we all just get along? The research shows that when we get along at work – when we collaborate and even build friendships with our coworkers – we are happier and healthier. Harvard Business Review editor Amy Gallo joins us to share lessons from her new book, “Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People).” Joy@Work is produced by Kearney, a global management consulting firm. We help our clients reach their full potential and find the way forward during uncertain times. We're inspired by FFWD, Kearney's breakthrough business builder. FFWD works with leaders across the globe to inspire new business models that enhance stakeholder value and accelerate tech-enabled growth. Learn more about this show and about our innovative work at https://www.kearney.com/joyatwork.

Today's podcast guest is Molly Clark. She is the owner of Molly Clark Coaching and Consulting with a focus on Culture, Leadership and Human Resource needs. We discuss her immediate engagement with the culture of Ritz-Carlton and memorizing the "employee promise" and "credo" within moments of being hired. Her first service experience came when working at a deli during high school. She was taught the value of customer engagement and offering a warm welcome. Within 15 feet of the counter, she would notice and observe the client, within 10 feet of the counter she would smile, and within 5 feet she would share a verbal greeting. In her 20-year human resources career in luxury hospitality, she has cultivated best in class cultures, achieved five-diamond status awards, and developed individuals and teams within human resources, operational and executive groups. Molly is SHRM-SCP (Senior Certified Professional) certified as well as a certified coach through iPEC(Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching), accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). More information on Molly and her services can be found at: mollyclarkconsulting.com

Joy is key to tackling big challenges - especially during a time of uncertainty. Leaders share strategies to rethink everything from meetings, individual success, to-do lists and more. This episode features insights from: Nela Richardson, Chief Economist, ADP; Alex Liu, Managing Partner and Chairman, Kearney; Chano Fernandez, Co-CEO, Workday.

Joy is key to tackling big challenges - especially during a time of uncertainty. Leaders share strategies to rethink everything from meetings, individual success, to-do lists and more. This episode features insights from: Nela Richardson, Chief Economist, ADP; Alex Liu, Managing Partner and Chairman, Kearney; Chano Fernandez, Co-CEO, Workday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How will we build the future? Today's guest, Eerika Savolainen, leads Slush, a grassroots startup incubator founded by students in Finland to change the startup environment there. They have succeeded in building a powerful engine for innovation and change. Eerika credits two key drivers: risk and curiosity. She shares key insights into how the next generation will build solutions to the world's hardest problems. Joy@Work is produced by Kearney, a global management consulting firm. We help our clients reach their full potential and find the way forward during uncertain times. We're inspired by FFWD, Kearney's breakthrough business builder. FFWD works with leaders across the globe to inspire new business models that enhance stakeholder value and accelerate tech-enabled growth. Learn more about this show and about our innovative work at https://www.kearney.com/joyatwork.

We had a hunch: If you talk to leaders who are orchestrating major change inside their companies, joy will be easy to find.  We were right. For this special episode, we talked to 4 marketing leaders, live at the ANA Masters of B2B conference. We heard about how they focus on purpose, how they practice servant leadership, how they figure out what's working, and how they remember that life is short and work should be joyful. Thanks to our guests: Emily Ketchen, CMO, Lenovo; Jeff Lowe,  EVP and CMO, Smart Technologies; Heather Malenshek, CMO, Land O'Lakes; and Mike Rucker, Vice President, Branded Content at NBC Universal. Joy@Work is produced by Kearney, a global management consulting firm. We help our clients reach their full potential and find the way forward during uncertain times. We're inspired by FFWD, Kearney's breakthrough business builder. FFWD works with leaders across the globe to inspire new business models that enhance stakeholder value and accelerate tech-enabled growth. Learn more about this show and about our innovative work at https://www.kearney.com/joyatwork.

Dr. Nick Taylor helps us think about mental health as a spectrum. Nurturing our mental health should be a daily practice we integrate into our routines, just like brushing our teeth. We explore how we can think about mental health at work, on teams, and at organizations that are building an innovative new future. Joy@Work is produced by Kearney, a global management consulting firm. We help our clients reach their full potential and find the way forward during uncertain times. We're inspired by FFWD, Kearney's breakthrough business builder. FFWD works with leaders across the globe to inspire new business models that enhance stakeholder value and accelerate tech-enabled growth. Learn more about this show and about our innovative work at Kearney.Com/Joyatwork.

Welcome to the newest season of Joy@Work. First up, we're talking about the link between innovation and joy with John Dutton, who connects socially minded entrepreneurs around the world through UpLink, the World Economic Forum's open innovation platform. We'll also talk to one of those entrepreneurs, Shailie Mehta, co-founder of urban forest startup Acacia Eco.  Joy@Work is produced by Kearney, a global management consulting firm. We help our clients reach their full potential and find the way forward during uncertain times. We're inspired by FFWD, Kearney's breakthrough business builder. FFWD works with leaders across the globe to inspire new business models that enhance stakeholder value and accelerate tech-enabled growth. Learn more about this show and about our innovative work at https://www.kearney.com/joyatwork.

Innovation drives joy. And joy drives innovation. It's a virtuous cycle. Around the world, people are innovating to keep pace, get ahead of the curve, and build a better world.  If we've learned anything from the past few years, it's that change is all around us and there's no going back. So bring on the innovation! This season on Joy@Work, we'll talk to people who are rethinking the status quo, all while using a joy mindset. We'll find out how business leaders and futurists are focusing on JOY to power their curiosity, imagination, creativity, and discovery. They share their stories of breaking down barriers, creating new partnerships, and experimenting to unlock joyful innovation. Joy@Work is produced by Kearney, a global management consulting firm. We help our clients reach their full potential and find the way forward during uncertain times. We're inspired by FFWD, Kearney's breakthrough business builder. FFWD works with leaders across the globe to inspire new business models that enhance stakeholder value and accelerate tech-enabled growth. Learn more about this show and about our innovative work at Kearney.Com/Joyatwork.

There are so many different expectations for our experiences at work than ever before. We're going to talk about some of them and what it takes to actually create a joyful experience in the workplace.

Blair Bloomston, CEO of GameNation, joins us to discuss how to enhance our relationships, interpersonal skills, and joy at work. She shares improv techniques to cultivate active listening, failure stories and how mistake-making builds empathy, and how to rebuild connection with simple practices. She also gives us a preview of her upcoming TD magazine article on leveraging game dynamics to improve any relationship, communication, or learning activity. Find Blair on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairbloomston Check out the Game On Nation live streams: https://www.youtube.com/user/thegameonnation/videos See her keynote at Core4: https://core4.td.org/keynotes

Is your work environment helping you to become a better person or is it sucking the life out of you? When is the last time you felt joy at work? Going to work does not have to be so much ‘work', it is possible to experience your workplace as a gift rather than looking for ways to escape it. Join Casey & Bernard as they share how your mindset and leadership choices can transform any place of drama into a masterpiece of design. The AHRK path reveals a pattern that creates a lifestyle of better choices, and your workplace is no exception. https://ahrkpath.com/

We live in a very demanding world where fast performance is required. With shorter deadlines every day, it's often impossible to stay focused. We lose our focus and concentration  as in a way, we're programmed to do so. Our brain is a toolbox and it has many defense mechanisms that can affect our concentration. Distractions can occur in any form. A small fly, a buzzing phone or even a conversation that is not related to you can make you loose focus on the task at hand. However it is essential for every human being to understand the root cause of their distractions in order to avoid it. In this episode

Today, we talk about “3 Key tools to becoming a more impactful and self-aware leader” and their impact on your well-being and professional and personal results. In part 2, Dr. Ginny A. Baro shares, “Finding meaning, purpose, and joy at work during this chapter in your career." If you enjoy this content, leave us a five-star rating so others can also find us, subscribe to hear more, and share this podcast with your friends. And if you want to stay in touch and hear from us, join our community to receive valuable strategies and expert advice at www.executivebound.com. To reach us, visit www.executivebound.com or email info@executivebound.com. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/visionaryleaderscircle/message

The "Golden Age of Auto Racing" began after World War II and lasted until the early Seventies. It's a period that is frequently romanticized.  But that thin veneer was shattered on the afternoon of June 11, 1955, when a catastrophic collision caused the deaths of Mercedes-Benz driver Pierre Levegh and at least 83 spectators. Here's the story of that terrible day and its aftermath.SUPPORT THE POD:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hpheritageSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:http://modelcitizendiecast.comhttps://drivetowardacure.comFIND US ON THE WEB:https://www.horsepowerheritage.comMUSIC CREDITS:"Joy At Work" by MusicLFilesLink: https://filmmusic.io/song/8448-joy-at-workLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license"Recollection" by Lilo Soundhttps://filmmusic.io/song/6459-recollectionhttps://filmmusic.io/standard-license"Enchanted Valley" by Kevin MacLeod https://filmmusic.io/song/3709-enchanted-valleyhttps://filmmusic.io/standard-license"Round Drums" by Kevin MacLeodhttps://filmmusic.io/song/4308-round-drumshttps://filmmusic.io/standard-license"Damn It, I'm Being Followed" by Horst Hoffmannhttps://filmmusic.io/song/8568-damn-it-i-m-being-followed https://filmmusic.io/standard-license"Greta Sting "by Kevin MacLeodhttps://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3827-greta-stinghttps://filmmusic.io/standard-license"Clear Waters" by Kevin MacLeodhttps://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3516-clear-watershttps://filmmusic.io/standard-license"How To Bloom" by Lilo Soundhttps://filmmusic.io/song/6530-howtobloomhttps://filmmusic.io/standard-license

This episode manages to make a discussion about intellectual property sexy. The reason I could do that, was my dynamic guest, Kenya Pierre. She is an intellectual property attorney and is now a corporate deputy general counsel. You're going to want to stay on until the last moment because we also talk about life lessons and finding joy in your professional life. Who doesn't want to have fun while working? Questions this episode will answer: -why should you care about intellectual property? -what are essential things that anyone should know about intellectual property? -why you should not be ashamed if you don't want to be entrepreneur? -what are some strategies to increase the joy in your life? Connect with Kenya https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenyathackerpierre Resources: Overwhelm Solution Blueprint ebook: overwhelmblueprint.com Telepsychiatry from Dr. Goodwin: askdrgoodwin.com About Kenya: Kenya Pierre is a cum laude graduate in Chemistry/pre-med of Spelman College and a Law Review graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Kenya first started her law career as a patent attorney with the Procter & Gamble Company in Cincinnati, Ohio supporting the Beauty Care Division. She then moved to Atlanta to support global juice and nutritional research science with The Coca-Cola Company and then subsequently to support corporate research and innovation, litigation, global compliance as the lead business counsel for global nonwovens at the Kimberly-Clark Company in Roswell, GA. Most recently she served as the general counsel for Arauco North America, a leader in composite manufacturing for particleboard, MDF, laminates and other types of composite panels. Currently, she is the deputy general counsel for Strava, the leading internet and app for athletes who wish to track their running and cycling routines. It is a perfect opportunity that blends her legal and athletic background. Kenya has three daughters who keep the family busy with volleyball tournaments. In her “spare time”, she is a certified 200 RYT yoga instructor who enjoys leading others in their journey to well being.

In this episode, I dive into the importance of steadiness as a skill to be developed. So many people focus on their performance and improving their skills, but many don't realize how important consistent and steady effort is to being successful in their career. This episode allows you to reflect on your own steadiness along with 2 more areas where we can evolve ourselves to the next level, and most importantly, to be happier at work.This has been an idea I've been chewing on for awhile and can't wait to have you listen in and join the conversation.WANT TO MASTER THE CORE TOOLS AND IDEAS TO DITCH THE DRAMA AT WORK AND COACH YOUR TEAMS TO GREATNESS EACH DAY?Buy my No Ego: The Reality of Peace, Happiness and Great Results Virtual Course. This is a 2-hour self-lead course that will change the course of your career forever. The 5 sources of drama that will trip you up and exactly how to navigate passed them with our 5 proven tools to do so. Work becomes effortless after completing this course!Buy my 25 Lessons of Reality-Based Leadership Video Course with Discussion Questions. If your team has found every excuse for why there isn't time to start practicing and learning these ideas I discuss - this course is your solution. Each video is 1-3 minutes with a couple of discussion questions. Hit play, watch the video before your meetings and have a 5 minute discussion. This is the fastest way to start transforming your teams in less than 10 minutes.So if you are someone thinking about:How can I be a more consistent contributor in my role at work?What can I do for my team to stay consistently energized?What great reflective exercises can I share with my team to improve performance and get better results?How to continue to evolve my leadership to be happy and successful regardless of challenging circumstances?How to identify the most 'willing' people on my team to buy-in and continue to develop them?Then this will be a great podcast for you!For those that haven't listened to the updated podcast yet. The new format is to read a blog that has been previously released on my Workplace Portal Newsletter that comes out every other Wednesday (get signed up to receive that here!) and after reading, I add a few stories, the inspiration behind the blog, why it was on my mind and/or why I think it can help you continue to move beyond drama in your career.Below is the full blog in it's entirety in case you want to share it:Title: Willing, Able and SteadyThree massive pieces to a successful and happy career.Are you willing?You cannot work with the unwilling AND you cannot make great impact in the world with half-hearted willingness. Most people put spend enormous amounts of energy either focused on the most unwilling or showing up each day with low willingness to do what it takes at work. They spend hours trying to bargain, beg, and plead for their unwilling folks to finally get on board. Or, they show up to work every day collecting a paycheck, but their mind is somewhere else.Gallup tells us that nearly 70% of the American workforce quits their jobs every single day. The problem is they keep coming to work and collecting a paycheck. This is active or passive disengagement from the work they do and essentially, underlying unwillingness to buy-in each day.So notice this idea of willingness - yours and others - and spend as little energy as possible working with unwillingness.Are you able?If you find your workplace experience shifting to the point where you feel you are "unable" to do your job at a high level - stop ignoring that feeling. Notice it.That is a gift. It is shining light on your next growth opportunities.If emerging tech or new software, for example, is swallowing up the way your job was done in the past, don't continue to resist and hunker down until the transition passes.Remember you have the ability to continuously evolve.Look at the last thing you learned - a new recipe, a new skill within your favorite hobby, or how to assemble something you bought online through a YouTube tutorial. You have an endless ability to learn and absorb, but many don't generalize that skillset of learning to adapt to less-than-preferred newness (aka change) at work.Realize you are able, but you haven't applied it to this new situation yet. Step into the learning in front of you, take the training or learn the new skill with this shifted perspective.Too many continue to skip the necessary growth needed in any profession yet continue trying to do their job without modernizing their skillsets and live in fear and defense each day to not be "found out" that they are 'unable' to deliver what's needed in their new reality.No happiness flourishes there.Are you steady?Have you ever had that team member that quickly responds with, "I'll add that to my list." and you come to find out, a few weeks later, that the 'list' they referenced often disappears and no action is taken?One day this person is a rockstar, gets it done at all cost, and succeeds in spite of the facts, and the next day, you can barely recognize their work.Maybe we've all had moments in our careers personally when this was the case.This is all about steadiness and being steady is highly underrated.Can you consistently show up to work in 'high-self' and bring energy to move us forward? Or is your energy or effort highly dependent on external circumstances in your life?Two people can be in very similar challenging circumstances and, based on their mindset, one stays steady while the other can no longer be relied on to continue executing their role.Steadiness is tied to our accountability levelsgiven the circumstances,but isn't dependant on our circumstances.Pause and reflect. In this moment of your career:- Are you consistently willing (whole-heartedly bought-in each day)?- Are you able (updating my skillset as needed)?and, most importantly...- Are you steady (in my accountability level regardless of my circumstances)?If not, you know what to do. You always have. Go be great.-Alex