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

Episode 247 How Our Biggest Obstacle Is Sometimes Ourselves artwork with flowers surrounding the title

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. 



About Megan

Episode artwork featuring a photo of Megan Miller and the quote "The advice we give out a lot of the time is advice we need to hear at that point in time."

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

 

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204: Inner Voice Have You Spinning? Fire Your Narrator!

How do we overcome that powerful voice in our head that keeps us from succeeding and sharing our accomplishments?

Sarah Elkins and Valerie Gordon tackle the topics from their previous conversation, as well as new topics such as questioning the loud voice inside your head and rewriting your own story. This engaging conversation dives into the deeper meaning behind the “narrator” we experience, how do we seize those thoughts and put them into action?

Valerie Gordon Knows a Thing or Two About Stories

How do we overcome that powerful voice in our head that keeps us from succeeding and sharing our accomplishments? 

Sarah Elkins and Valerie Gordon tackle the topics from their previous conversation, as well as new topics such as questioning the loud voice inside your head and rewriting your own story. This engaging conversation dives into the deeper meaning behind the “narrator” we experience, how do we seize those thoughts and put them into action? 

“Another type of narrator’s thoughts that’s going to get in your way of future success, where did that story start? And how do we rewrite it?”

*podcast show notes contributed by Tracy Ackeret


About Valerie:   

Valerie Gordon knows how to harness the power of a story to meet a wide range of business needs. A 10-time Emmy-winning television producer with two decades producing stories for CBS News, HBO, and ESPN, she knows what makes a story meaningful and memorable. Through Commander-in-She LLC, the career and communications strategy firm she founded in 2017, Valerie helps clients take command of the power in their own stories. 

Valerie works with corporations and speaks at conferences to engage employees, guide teams, and grow future leaders. She offers keynotes, workshops, virtual training, and individual coaching, providing the communication skills necessary to help clients ascend the leadership ladder, manage relationships and critical conversations, build their personal brand and create next chapter success.

Her new book, “Fire Your Narrator! A Storyteller’s Guide to Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Life” is about the stories we tell ourselves and the impact those internal stories have on our external success.

Visit Valerie’s website and follow her on LinkedIn!

*podcast show notes contributed by Tracy Ackeret


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.

Read More