247: Our Biggest Obstacle Is Sometimes Ourselves
Many times in life we do everything within our power to achieve our goal, whether that be a new job, to bring pride to others or ourselves, and to finally get over that hurdle our mental health has been lately. It’s easy to forget how far you’ve come when you see how far you still have left to go, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate your accomplishments now.
Our Biggest Obstacle Is Sometimes Ourselves, Featuring Megan Miller of Aprovechar Language Solutions
Many times in life we do everything within our power to achieve our goal, whether that be a new job, to bring pride to others or ourselves, and to finally get over that hurdle our mental health has been lately. It’s easy to forget how far you’ve come when you see how far you still have left to go, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate your accomplishments now.
In this episode Sarah Elkins and her good friend Megan Miller discuss the importance of allowing yourself to change and to celebrate every victory, no matter how small, because those victories are proof of your success.
Highlights
Sharing personal, vulnerable stories without any intention doesn’t help you.
Sometimes you don’t notice how much things change until you step back or get an outside perspective.
Celebrate the wins.
You get out what you put in.
Quotes
It’s soul, it’s about how you do it and why you do it.
The advice we give a lot of the time is advice we need to hear at that point in time.
Mentioned in this Podcast
About Megan
Megan Miller is the CEO of Aprovechar Language Solutions, LLC, a company which acts as a bridge between English and Spanish language learners. Her personalized and small group programs take a habit-based approach, and whether it’s in class or a Book Club – you know you’ll have fun!
She also helps IT companies in Latin America and Europe tell their stories for a U.S.-based audience through translation and localization projects. Megan has a Bachelor’s in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture and is a certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language.
Check out her Instagram and LinkedIn! As well as her website, Approvechar Language Solutions!
About Sarah
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Show notes by Chinook Bromlie
245: Our Authenticity Depends on Our Values, Not Our Comfort Zones
Throughout our lives we learn many lessons about ourselves and others, how we move on and grow from these lessons is how we become better versions of ourselves even if at the time it seems painful. By sharing what we’ve learned and our interests in a constructive and compassionate way, without sounding condescending or judgmental we can achieve our best selves.
Our Authenticity Depends on Our Values, Not Our Comfort Zones
Throughout our lives we learn many lessons about ourselves and others, how we move on and grow from these lessons is how we become better versions of ourselves even if at the time it seems painful. By sharing what we’ve learned and our interests in a constructive and compassionate way, without sounding condescending or judgmental we can achieve our best selves.
In this episode Sarah Elkins and Ben Albert talk about the importance of life lessons and sharing our interests with others in a way that doesn’t sound conceited, as well as balancing our work and life in a healthy way, and through doing so learn how to reflect on ourselves in order to benefit others and ourselves by being empathetic and vulnerable.
Highlights
Being conscious of how you speak and rewording things that can seem negative.
Being proud of being your whole self
There is continuity in steps that feel disconnected
Work and life are parts of the same thing, alignment of the two is essential for a healthy life
Quotes
“To me it doesn’t matter who gets the trophy, so long as the solution is found.” - Ben Albert
“ ‘Should’ doesn’t demonstrate care, it demonstrates judgment.” Sarah Elkins
About Ben Albert
Ben is the owner of Balbert Marketing LLC. He is also the curator of The “Real Business Connections Network,” where he hosts 5 podcasts, “Rochester Business Connections,” “Learn Speak Teach,” “Ben’s Bites,” “Five Minute Fridays,” and “Real Hits.” Once an underdog, now a successful entrepreneur, Ben is passionate about helping other underdogs achieve their dreams.
When Covid hit, Ben was furloughed from work. He found himself down and out, staring at an empty handle of Jim Beam whiskey. He was unemployed, depressed, and felt unworthy.
Hesitantly, he opened his Macbook and started reaching out to strangers on Linkedin. This spearheaded his entrepreneurial journey.
The rest is history.
Now Ben hosts a network of 5 podcasts called “Real Business Connections,” runs a massively successful marketing firm, Balbert Marketing, and has replaced his established sales income in just over a year. Ben found his way.
Once an underdog, now a successful entrepreneur, Ben is passionate about helping other underdogs find their way and achieve their dreams.
Ben is on a mission to move the needle on one million careers, one conversation at a time.
You can contact Ben via his Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and at Balbert Marketing! Or schedule a consultation with him Here! You can also listen to his podcast Real Business Connections on Apple or Spotify!
About Sarah Elkins
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Episode 160: When You Feel Honored to Do the Work You Do
This woman is absolutely compelled to improve life for people she encounters. She sees the best in people, and has a beautiful way of bringing out the most endearing qualities. At the same time, she doesn't hesitate to let them know when they're getting in their own way.
Her number one talent in the StrengthsFinder assessment is Includer, which means that she is compelled to include others, and to be included herself. Sarah is the kind of woman who walks into a roomful of people and has a sixth sense in finding the most uncomfortable person, knowing exactly what to say to make them more comfortable, and nurturing that comfort to the point of that person actually enjoying themselves.
Life Just Makes More Sense When Your Work Lights You Up
Image of Sarah Johnston for podcast cover art.
Have you ever interviewed or been interviewed by someone with your name? Boy can that feel strange and awkward.
This conversation with Sarah Johnston was anything but awkward. She dropped some insights here that kept my brain in gear and spinning for days afterward.
This woman is absolutely compelled to improve life for people she encounters. She sees the best in people, and has a beautiful way of bringing out the most endearing qualities. At the same time, she doesn't hesitate to let them know when they're getting in their own way.
Her number one talent in the StrengthsFinder assessment is Includer, which means that she is compelled to include others, and to be included herself. Sarah is the kind of woman who walks into a roomful of people and has a sixth sense in finding the most uncomfortable person, knowing exactly what to say to make them more comfortable, and nurturing that comfort to the point of that person actually enjoying themselves.
When Sarah works with a client, she listens with an intensity to hear what is not being said. Her story about the medical student who had given up on applying for a residency, and instead decided to focus on applying to be a medical technician or physician's assistant provides a crystal clear image of what she hears and how she compassionately presents her thoughts to others.
Sarah's work most definitely has huge impact on individual job seekers, but the true gift in her work is the ripple effect it has. For a person who has been out of work or under employed for a significant length of time, simply getting an interview can create a positive shift in mindset. Getting a job means a huge impact on that person's family and friends, and can shift the lives of others through the decisions to pay it forward.
The way that Sarah transitioned between jobs, and then into her own business is inspiring.
*Correction at approximately 20 minutes, I referred to Heather Younger's book, The Art of Caring Leadership, which will be released in Spring, 2021, but her first book is, The 7 Intuitive Laws of Employee Loyalty, and was published in 2017. Listen to her podcast here.
Episode 139: A Silent Retreat, an Adirondack Chair, and an Open Field: A Story of Letting Go
Sabrina Woods is a typical Type A personality. She thrives on setting goals and smashing them out of the park. For most of her life she pushed and climbed, and spent almost every moment DOING.
At some point, though, she started to feel tired. She started to question the constant doing, and began thinking more about being.
She was in between jobs thanks to a reorganization in the higher education institution she was working with, a couple of car accidents, and other stressful events, when she invested in herself by going on a silent retreat over a long weekend.
Pushing Ahead Rarely Leaves Room for Unusual Opportunities
In my years guiding clients in improving communication techniques, whether that's for keynote speaking or simply presenting themselves and their work, I've found that when we uncover pivotal moments in their lives and career, their most meaningful stories, they become more comfortable and confident to speak - anywhere.
As you listen to this podcast, consider the stories you share and how you share them. Think about how those stories build your personal brand, and how people perceive you based on the stories you share.
You'll hear me ask specific questions, revealing details that create an image in the minds of both the storyteller and the listener. This is a key to improving relationships with yourself and others: Being able to share your story in your voice with your genuine intent to connect with those around you.
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Sabrina Woods is a typical Type A personality. She thrives on setting goals and smashing them out of the park. For most of her life she pushed and climbed, and spent almost every moment DOING.
At some point, though, she started to feel tired. She started to question the constant doing, and began thinking more about being.
She was in between jobs thanks to a reorganization in the higher education institution she was working with, a couple of car accidents, and other stressful events, when she invested in herself by going on a silent retreat over a long weekend.
Sitting on an Adirondack chair, looking out over an open meadow, Sabrina became attached to the idea of letting go, allow for flow and openness, and take a break from pushing so hard, from beating herself up over the situation she found herself in.
As often happens, within a few months of "letting go", a perfect part time position dropped into her lap.
If you've been in that tough spot, or you're in it now, worried for the future and listening to the external voices about what you should do, it might be time to let go. Consider the worst-case-scenario, and the true likelihood of that situation occurring.
Sabrina walks us through an example of this strategy during this insightful episode, full of insights, entertainment, and of course... stories.
We touched on how our strengths show up as we make career decisions and in the projects we take on. I promised to reference our strengths here.
Sabrina's top 5: Maximizer / Activator / Ideation / Positivity / Connectedness
Sarah's top 5: Strategic / Activator / Ideation / Command / Adaptability
To learn more about the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment, click here.
When discussing our strengths (Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment results), I mentioned how I describe the theme Maximizer, using This Is Spinal Tap, the movie, as an analogy. Here’s the scene I referred to:
Connect with Sabrina on LinkedIn, and visit her website to learn more!
From her website:
Sabrina Woods has been helping individuals for 20 years to look more closely at their interests, skills, values and desires to help them discern what really matters and take the next steps to refocus their lives.
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Sarah Elkins loves to guide individuals and teams to improve communication, using storytelling as the foundation of her work. She is a Gallup certified Strengths coach and uses that tool to coach her clients to improve their communication in all relationships, and to find more satisfaction at work and at home.
Her book, Your Stories Don't Define You, How You Tell Them Will is available on bookshop.org (supporting independent booksellers), and on Amazon. The audiobook will be available in fall 2020.
Episode 114: An Accidental and Rewarding Career
Ash Rao fell into a career that now, ten years into it, she continues to find rewarding and challenging. What she seems to love most about her work as a recruiter and career coach is that moment when she identifies something special about the person in front of her or on the phone. When she figures that out about a person, she can truly help them find a job they love.
Stories That Shape Us Aren't Always Our Own
Ash Rao, Career Coach
Ash Rao fell into a career that now, ten years into it, she continues to find rewarding and challenging. What she seems to love most about her work as a recruiter and career coach is that moment when she identifies something special about the person in front of her or on the phone. When she figures that out about a person, she can truly help them find a job they love.
Because so much of our happiness and satisfaction in life depends on having a job we feel good about, Ash's work makes a huge difference in the lives of the people she serves, and she honors that with every conversation.
Our conversation was rich with ideas about career transitions, what makes her feel rewarded and satisfied in her work, and the legacy we can envision, especially as we experience grief.
Ash Rao works as a Global Talent Acquisition expert at verizon. She is a certified career coach and a published author. Her work has appeared in major publications like Thrive Global, Fast Company, and powerhouse global magazine.
Last year she contributed to the published book Tough Road Creates Tough People.
Her new podcast "Passion to Profession" is launching March 2020.
Connect with Ash on LinkedIn to learn more!
Episode 104: Truly Effective Leadership Begins with Self-Reflection
Rajkumari Neogy loved her job, but couldn’t shake the feeling of being excluded. As a leader in the organization, it was difficult to pinpoint where that feeling of dissatisfaction and exclusion was coming from because she had a great boss and an engaged team, but something just wasn’t right.
Leadership Development Requires Stories of Self-Reflection
Rajkumari Neogy loved her job, but couldn’t shake the feeling of being excluded. As a leader in the organization, it was difficult to pinpoint where that feeling of dissatisfaction and exclusion was coming from because she had a great boss and an engaged team, but something just wasn’t right.
So many of us feel disconnected from the communities we’re expected to feel close to, the community at work, at church or synagogue, even with our own families. Many of us feel like we’re out here on our own, like we simply don’t belong to any one community, like we just don’t fit in anywhere.
When Rajkumari left her job, her ultimate goal was to learn more about why those feelings were so persistent, to study the neurobiology behind those feelings of disconnection and exclusion, even when there was no evidence to support those feelings.
During our conversation about resilience and the impact of genetics on trauma, Rajkumari mentioned two scientists well-regarded in the field of epigenetics, Rachel Yehuda and Moshe Szyf.
From an interview with Dr. Yehuda: “Rachel Yehuda is a pioneer in understanding how the effects of stress and trauma can transmit biologically, beyond cataclysmic events, to the next generation.”(1)
Also mentioned was a book by Sarah Peyton, Your Resonant Self, which you can find here.
Our conversation spanned from that feeling of exclusion and where it comes from, to the strategies we can use to address trauma in our bodies and minds. Rajkumari is committed to self-reflection to continue to grow and improve as a coach, to and bring others along for that journey.
(1) https://onbeing.org/programs/rachel-yehuda-how-trauma-and-resilience-cross-generations-nov2017/