b Cause Work Doesn't Have to Suck

Life often whispers at you. If you don't listen, it gets louder and louder. But what if you not only listened, but used it as the thing that powered you to rise to new heights?

This week, Erin interviews Rafat Fields, Founder of Powered to Rise. Rafat is a woman small in stature but gigantic in spirit. They discuss everything from her career ups and downs to her son's autism to her journey from obesity to competitive USA weightlifting. Rafat also helps you to see that your personal brand is the key to unlocking success for you and your company.

Rafat tells us that she has an addiction to being in control, something that's likely relatable to a lot of us. She talks about a time in her life where she felt a lack of talent or ability, of always trying to live up to standards expected of her (or of herself), and how it had massive negative effects on her mindset and quality of life at work. So, Erin asks her to discuss why she started feeling this way.

She discusses her son's autism, how that affected decisions at the time involving work and where to settle. She moves on to discuss her weight, and her journey from being obese to becoming a competitive athlete.

They also talk about the power that your own values and personal brand can have on your success within your own company, whether you're the CEO, a sales person, or just about anyone in the company.

Finally, Erin and Rafat discuss how she is feeling, as a black woman living in America, in light of recent events. "Exhausted", Rafat replies.

Rafat is an incredibly humble and inspiring soul. This is not an episode you want to miss!

Follow Rafat @

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoweredToRise Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafat-fields

If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options...

Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/group-coaching

b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ www.facebook.com/groups/bCAUSEPodcast

We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).

Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to https://www.bauthenticinc.com/dog-quiz

We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/

Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/our-2-cents

We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-you-shop

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Tweetable Comments:

"I think what shaped me most in my youth was being an only child."

"You had an addiction to being in control."

"There's this conditioning and training, that you'll have to work twice as hard, to get half as far."

"There was a point where I couldn't think of a single thing I was good at."

"Weightlifting in general, I do five or six times a week. And for me it's about breathing, the music I play. Giving myself time to relieve tension."

"The soundtrack to my life is 50% Beyoncé, 50% gospel music."

"It's not just the values of the organization, it's the values of the leader."

" if you want people to connect with your company, tell a story."

"Systemic racism is there, but we can't live that emotion every day and still function, so we compartmentalize, we keep moving forward."

"I do not see myself as an expert at solving the problem, but I've always been good at building relationships and connecting people."

"I think a lot of people see silence as complicit behavior."

Erin and Nicole sit down, in light of the death of George Floyd, to discuss a truly pressing topic; how do we hold institutions and ourselves authentically accountable for basic and supposed inalienable rights, like equality, racial justice, and diversity?

Erin and Nicole - while acknowledging the conversations being between two white women of means - reflect on the very nature of racism and recognizing it in ourselves as something as simple as passive indifference, inaction or avoidance. From there, they consider how we all get to a place where black and brown communities, first and foremost, are treated with dignity and value by default.

Nicole and Erin take on a tough conversation about centers of power and institutions; which just like corporations need to consider what continuous improvement and systematic change looks like - especially when people's lives depend on it. They also consider the power of incentives and creating places and spaces where people can come together individually and collectively to see each other as people, while recognizing what investing in each other really looks like. And while it may not be that hard in theory, they know that shifting mindset and human behavior long term is very hard to do.

But because even a global health crisis, massive economic disruption and global social unrest can't keep Erin's positive energy from flowing, she announces that she has reached a career "bucket list" goal: Being selected to give TEDx Talk on October 10th in New York. Erin and Nicole find humor in the ambiguous process even to apply to TEDx, with Erin ultimately finding that making it a family affair served her authentically to bring her right to the TEDx stage!

If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options...

Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @ https://bbrilliant.bauthenticinc.com/

b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ www.facebook.com/groups/bCAUSEPodcast

We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).

Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to https://www.bauthenticinc.com/dog-quiz

We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/

Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/our-2-cents

We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-you-shop

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Tweetable Comments:

"I feel for the first time in a long time, that I need to have a good honest conversation with myself about the choices I am making, and the kind of citizen that I'm being and how I am rising up diverse people."

"It comes down to: how do you spend your money, who do you have at your kitchen table...it's really that simple."

"Racism is...passive indifference. Or inaction. It's a form of ignorance. It's not even showing up."

"If we're going to hold ourselves to a higher standard, let's actually hold ourselves to a higher standard."

"There's no reason why, in this country, people shouldn't have a level of support."

"Minority groups have buying power, speaking power, and you need to consider how to gain their trust."

"I don't know how to tell anybody to think anything or do anything. But I know I can do things in my own life that allow me to walk around the earth in a more open way."

"Everything is amplified. The good is great, and the bad...friggen sucks."

"The reason we have a gender diversity issue is because the best talent is opting out, out of fear of compromise."

"The only thing that had time to go through my head was "Thank frickin' lord I showered today."

"If I'm the selection out of spite, I'll take it."

If there's one thing we've all learned during these crazy times, it's that our lives were/are full of unnecessary bullshit. Whether it's meetings at work where most people are probably watching cat videos on Youtube or endless personal calendar commitments that weren't serving anyone, now is the time to flatten the curve on the BS in your life.

Nicole Licata Grant and Erin Hatzikostas sit down for another catch-up episode, where they discuss communities slowly coming out of quarantine and what this could mean. For example. do we have to all go back to wearing underwear and tidying up in case guests visit?

Nicole discusses her promotion and how much response she's gotten from others in the b Cause Facebook community. She talks about how she's sharing her "template" for success that she used to ask for a promotion at work. If you need some guidance, please join the b Cause Facebook group!

Nicole also discusses what work-life is like for her right now, including how some important work got deprioritized behind a story on pets in quarantine.

Working from home has its perks, but how much are we affected by a lack of human interaction? Do we have the same experience by video, are we losing a big part of our work, or do we just need to find ways to adapt?

Most importantly, Nicole and Erin discuss the opportunities we all have to capitalize on the changes we're all faced with. How can we use this time to cut out the things that don't matter? And just as importantly, how can we use this time to leverage the new ways of life (hello, video conferencing?!)

Erin and Nicole discuss it all, as well as their ideas for some new business buzzwords that we're likely to all see post COVID.

If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options...

Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @ https://bbrilliant.bauthenticinc.com/

b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ www.facebook.com/groups/bCAUSEPodcast

We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).

Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to https://www.bauthenticinc.com/dog-quiz

We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/

Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/our-2-cents

We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-you-shop

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Tweetable Comments:

"Ok so the world opens today, and I'm supposed to greet it with open arms...and put on shoes and underwear?"

"No Food, No Booze, No Blunts."

"A lot of the work I do is cyclical, so a lot of my crazy is cyclical too."

"What are greetings going to be like? There won't be hugs, there won't be handshakes."

"Do we actually have any lessons to teach today?"

"You can't say 'I don't get on video'. That's bullshit. think of all the people you could connect with."

"You can do everyone!"

"Let's use this as an opportunity to cut out some of the bullshit."

"We're flattening the curve on meetings."

"Talk to the hand, just don't touch it."

"There are some meetings that are just bullshit."

"Who gets to write the business casual rules for mask-wear?"

"You might have meeting fatigue, so get rid of some of what you don't need."

Nicole Licata Grant sits down with Melody Miles, the emerging millennial leader on the topics of rest, self-care, and "creating space in life for your soul to breath." As the creator and "Chief Soul Officer" of the Soulcation, Melody joins the b Cause Podcast to share a personal journey that led her to help others "design a life they don't need a vacation from."

Formerly with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Melody was leading their global campaign to eradicate malaria, with the goal of saving millions of lives. Yet, in all her work - 35 countries before the age of 30 - fighting for the wellness and healing of others, was she living well with herself? Spoiler alert from Melody: she wasn't.

Sound familiar, b Causers?

That's the point in time where Nicole and Melody start their conversation. On the floor. Of a bathroom. With Melody having a panic attack and realizing perhaps that her "perfect life" wasn't so perfect after all. Then, trying to figure out how would she get up off the floor, and where would she go from there?

Melody shares the unexpected losses and epiphanies that upended the oath that she thought she was on, the sabbatical from the grind she took, how she sold all her belongings, travelled the world with freedom, and how it helped her tap into her own purpose and calm.

Nicole - thinking about what a "Soulcation" might look like for her - seeks to now "what puts the soul in a Soulcation?" Melody helps her see that escaping pain (a.k.a "vacation") is not a long-term solution, and that the real goal is to live a life that calms inner chaos rather than foments it. Finally, not only is this possible, but embracing regular soul-soothing self-care is a necessary ingredient for anyone who wants to change the world.

Join the Soulcation Sisterhood: https://www.melodymiles.com/mastermind

Download the Free 12 Step Soulcation Blueprint: https://www.melodymiles.com

Follow Melody on Instagram: @themelodymiles

If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options...

Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @ https://bbrilliant.bauthenticinc.com/

b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ www.facebook.com/groups/bCAUSEPodcast

We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).

Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to https://www.bauthenticinc.com/dog-quiz

We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/

Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/our-2-cents

We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-you-shop

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Tweetable Comments:

"I'm hanging in there. Another day in Quarantine."

"I built up this armor around me. It was unbreakable."

"I describe self-abandonment as anytime you're putting someone else's needs and desires ahead of your own."

"You can't belong to yourself if you are abandoning yourself."

"I had created this beautiful life, and then the universe hit me with this cosmic 2x4."

"What if I forgot about everyone else's needs for a hot second...or a whole summer."

"The path of descent is like the path of healing."

"One thing I've learned is people couldn't care less about your life."

"Even when I was traveling, it was doing the ordinary things that brought me the most happiness."

"The longest journey I ever took was the 18 inches from my head to my heart."

"1 in 4 women are faced with anxiety right now in America."

"My whole mission is to help people design a life they don't need a vacation from."

"Rewrite your narrative so you're a hero in your own life."

From connecting with others to helping our local communities to women having "equality" barriers come crumbling down, Erin and Nicole come to this week's episode with an uplifting Top 10 list. It's a heavy dose of gratitude sprinkled with doses of humor that hopefully will also have you seeing the pandemic positives. What do you think number one is? And what is the thing that you have now as a result of COVID that you're the most grateful for?

Nicole Licata Grant starts off by talking about her marathon Sasquatch binge-watching. Is there a conspiracy with Netflix, forcing Nicole to watch conspiracy theory videos? Or does Nicole just watch so many conspiracy theory videos that Netflix is kindly suggesting others she might like?

Erin Hatzikostas asks Nicole to discuss one thing that certainly isn't a conspiracy: her recent promotion. Nicole discusses people's reaction to the news, and how her method of letting the world know is probably slightly different to how most people do it.

Nicole asks Erin to talk about the recent workshop that she led alongside Kaitlyn Czapiga called "Your Richest Life." Erin talks about the magic they were able to create for the attendees by combining their complementary skillsets and knowledge to develop this program that helps people find their "ikigai", or their life's purpose.

Erin discusses hiring a book coach to help her with her writing process, and how when you're taking on a huge project it can be extremely beneficial to get some aid. She also encourages people to adopt the "shitty first draft" mindset that is used as a writing technique.

They move on to their Top 10 list for this week. "Top ten things that are actually good out of Covid." From connecting with others and helping our local communities, to planning our futures differently and saving, and even connecting with our natural environment more.

If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options...

Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @ https://bbrilliant.bauthenticinc.com/

b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ www.facebook.com/groups/bCAUSEPodcast

We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).

Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to https://www.bauthenticinc.com/dog-quiz

We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/

Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/our-2-cents

We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-you-shop

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Tweetable Comments:

"The pig-pen, that's my office - or the sweat-lodge."

"Do I believe in Bigfoot? I don't know. But we've been watching a lot of Sasquatch movies."

"People just wanna know where they can get a vintage tracksuit with some glitter sneakers."

"In these times we feel unbalances because we've lot regular things that we do."

"To go on a journey you need a couple of things, a compass and a map, but it's pointless to go with the compass and not the map."

"Our Top 10 list: because without a list, we can't persist."

"There's an opportunity to do a lot of good, in our communities and in our families."

People are seeing the Himalayas from parts of India for the first time in a generation."

"We're not going to get back to normal. We're going to get back to better."

"I wanna be an imperfectionist - that sounds amazing."

"The number one priority you should have is yourself."

"I'm seeing creativity in so many ways - reducing barriers to access, less egalitarian."

Inviting more people to exercise their creativity, in work or life, is the best thing we can do right now."

"Less is more."

"Sometimes you have to strip things away from your life, in order to have a richer life."

"People need to be more accepting when they are sick, to give themselves space to make themselves well."

Imagine starting a new daily habit to help boost one of your most important values. Now, imagine doing that for 365 days straight. Do you think it would create a fundamental shift in your life? How about your work and/or business?

Erin Hatzikostas sits down with John Israel, a.k.a Mr. thank You, to discuss a curious journey of gratitude than spanned an entire year.

John starts by telling the story of how he first got into business, selling Cutco knives to pay his way - losing his first big sale, but getting some golden advice from his mom, and how this ultimately led him to start the Mr. Thank You project years later.

The Mr. Thank You Project is one which started as a personal quest and ended as a movement, where he's now on a mission to inspire 74 million 'thank you' cards written around the world. Ho did he go from writing a semi-awkward 'thank you' card to a single customer to trying to elevate the happiness of the entire world?

John tells stories about just a few of the incredible occurrences that arise from his quest. He talks about what he learned as well as how he inspired others.

He provides the listener with practical advice about how to find, set, and attain new habits that can change the course of their life in multiple ways.

Erin and John talk about the difference between recognition and acknowledgment, including how it can become important in both your work life and your personal life.

Finally, be sure to check out the 'What I love about you' video challenge, which he invites all of us to try.

You can find out more about John and the Mr. Thank You Project at: https://mrthankyou.com/ Twitter @ themrthankyou Linkedin @ John Israel Email: [email protected]

If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options...

Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @ https://bbrilliant.bauthenticinc.com/

b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ www.facebook.com/groups/bCAUSEPodcast

We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).

Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to https://www.bauthenticinc.com/dog-quiz

We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/

Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/our-2-cents

We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-you-shop

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Tweetable Comments:

"Who's gonna pay the most to do something that's legal and can allow me to keep my clothes on ideally."

"I realized I wasn't upset that I'd lost a customer. I was upset that I'd lost that relationship."

"When you realize you can value people over profit, you start to realize it's people ou bring you your profit."

"In business, people don't care what you sell. They care why you're selling it."

"I wanted to challenge myself to explore my capacity."

"How do you appreciate someone you've never formally met?"

"We took a high value and we made it an intentional practice to live that value every day."

"I stopped trying to make it this 'I have to do it every day', and I instead tried to become aware of great opportunities to acknowledge somebody."

"There is a difference between recognition and acknowledgment. Recognition is thanking someone for what they do. Acknowledgment is thanking someone for who they are."

"How do you treat that for which you are grateful?"

So you feel severely undervalued; who HASN'T been there at some point in their career? But all is not lost; especially when we realize that the person with the greatest power to change our "status quo" is us. So, after months of (over)thinking, coaching, reflecting, scheming, proposing, and battling (especially with herself) - Nicole makes a move, and it literally pays off!

Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Grant sit down for a special mini-episode to discuss Nicole's big news: her promotion!

Nicole reflects on what inspired her to take action (even when things feel so uncertain), how she went about making a case, what she asked for, and the surprising allies who helped her along the way. She discusses what she wanted and what she, surprisingly, got (hint: a lot more than she expected).

Erin and Nicole then talk about what the next rung of the ladder is like, while Erin shares a truth: it's critical to understand what behaviors you must exhibit to get promoted into senior roles. It is NOT about working harder. It takes much more strategic steps.

If you want to get out episodes where we first teed up the challenges Nicole was having with not feeling valued and that fueled her crusade, check out Episodes 41 & 42.

If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options...

Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @ https://bbrilliant.bauthenticinc.com/

b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ www.facebook.com/groups/bCAUSEPodcast

We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).

Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to https://www.bauthenticinc.com/dog-quiz

We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/

Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/our-2-cents

We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-you-shop

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Tweetable Comments:

"This has been a crusade."

"Don't worry, that doesn't mean that I'm going to be a slave to the grind forever."

"There were a lot of things in my life that were leading me towards feeling undervalued."

"I got more than I asked for, and that surprised me."

"So now I'm at the minimum wage of the next salary band up, of course."

"What's the next step up? It's not about harder work. It's about being strategic, being a better leader. Creating ideas instead of just executing them."

"All the people out there doing coaching - people are listening, and it's having an impact."

Have you ever been told you can't do something, and it fueled you even more? Good. That's the story of Erin Berube's life. You can't. Ok, I will prove you wrong.

Erin Hatzikostas sits down to interview her old friend and colleague, Erin Berube.

Erin Berube talks about her difficult start, and how it fueled her to get more from life than what she had experienced growing up. She talks about coming out of an abusive relationship, and how she met (our) Erin, who inspired her to tell her story and lead more authentically. Erin H. recalls how they first hired Erin B. and why she was drawn to her style of work and character.

Erin B. discusses struggling with an illness - how she found out about it and how it affected her. At one point it was so bad she was in a wheelchair, with a high chance she would struggle to walk again, and possibly never have kids. But she walked again. And hiked Mount Kilimanjaro!

After hiking the peaks of Kilimanjaro, she discusses combatting the odds yet again to start a family, even after doctors told her it would likely be very challenging to get pregnant.

Erin B then discusses her second pregnancy, and the unfortunate situation of losing the child due to complications, and how difficult it is to continue to go to work and have back-to-back meetings in an environment where most of your colleagues wouldn't understand the struggle or the pain you're experiencing.

Erin H. opens up about some of her miscarriages, and how it's easy to assume no one will understand or no one will relate, so you take the burden on alone, but how she thinks the stigma os miscarriages is shifting and people are more open to discuss and understand.

Erin H. asks Erin B. what she has a leader would suggest other leaders can do to help people in difficult situations and any kind of hidden pain. Her advice: kindness and positive intent.

Erin B. talks about the company she's recently launched - LACUNA - which she runs alongside her corporate job (she calls herself a "paralapreneur"). She talks about what spurred her to make the change, and how the journey has gone so far. She avails that Erin H's journey away from the corporate world inspired a lot of that for her.

Erin B. talks about wanting to plant seeds for the future, so that at a later stage in life she can step away from the corporate world (like Erin H.) and have the life she wants - working where she wants, with more time for herself and her family.

Erin H. asks Erin B. what is coming up next for her career, her company, and her journey overall. She has two retreats in the fall with spaces still open.

www.lacunaleaders.org Insta @ lacunaleaders FB @ Lacuna Leaders Linkedin: Erin Berube

If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options...

Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @ https://bbrilliant.bauthenticinc.com/

b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ www.facebook.com/groups/bCAUSEPodcast

We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).

Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to https://www.bauthenticinc.com/dog-quiz

We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/

Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/our-2-cents

We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-you-shop

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Tweetable Comments:

"You grow up in that environment and you think 'it's all my fault'."

"For me, it was about focusing on things I could control, and I learned that at an early age."

"There's always been this spark, this fire, burning inside of me that makes me want to do more and be more."

"Humour comes from trauma."

"Doctors told me I was never going to hike again, run again, any type of competitive cycling...I'm going to prove them wrong."

"This is a disease that hits 70-year-old men, this is not a disease a lot of young people get."

"I think the stigma of miscarriages is changing, but we have so far to go."

"I think the number one thing any leader can do is have a positive intent."

"Leading with kindness is super important."

"There's no greater time to just mix it up."

"you love to travel. I love to teach yoga. We both love to lead. What if we pool it all together and make something?"

"It's all about planting the seeds so I can do what I want to in the future."

"I have no other response other than 'I want to eat him for dinner'."

We're all spending way too much time at home these days. Are we supposed to be reveling in extra time with the family and the dust bunnies?

But wait: Do you actually prefer "playing" with your work more than playing with your kids, for example? Even famed TV producer Shonda Rimes agrees. Erin and Nicole talk about how Shonda opens herself to new things, but definitely sets some boundaries ("10-minute rule.) What else in your life can you apply this rule too? You have limited energy - how do you order and reorder it?

Erin Hatzikostas and Nicole Licata Grant sit down for another 'How Was Your Week?' episode, during a time where everyone's week are either a bit slower paced or more all over the map than usual (or both). Even the price of gas is back to 90's era prices. With that, Nicole hopes there are free corn dogs in her future.

Nicole's parents have been married for 50 years, but the family can't go to Portugal to celebrate together as planned. If her parents can make 50 years together, we're sure they can manage confinement and a postponed celebration. But do you have to celebrate at 50? why not 49 or 51? Why do we have to even celebrate the same milestones in life? Do things your own way! Here's to the Azores for 51!

They both discuss adapting to the lockdown and being at home all the time; juggling work and life, especially kids (yeah, here comes that "guilt" about not wanting to "play".) At Nicole's pad, the occupants are having conversations about required dress code to avoid any video call mishaps, while Erin tried to 'Milli Vanilli' her son's music homework. This is Gen X at it's finest.

Erin also reflects on some difficulties and doubts about being an entrepreneur at the moment. In a rare glimpse of role reversal, Nicole talks Erin through her struggles. Nicole is actually one of the struggles as it turns out.

After working on the podcast for a year, and following Nicole's journey throughout, Erin asks her to talk about where she is now amid all of this. Erin admits that she wants more for Nicole.

Nicole helps Erin see that she has changed and is changing authentically in ways you can't always tell on the surface; that her growth is deep within her and is real. And, on her own terms. Her own way. and, there are some boundaries about how much everyone has to see.

Erin follows on by reflecting on how she coaches, what it teaches her about herself, and how they can both use that (along with all of you!) to move forward and continue to make positive changes in their lives.

If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options...

Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @ https://bbrilliant.bauthenticinc.com/

b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ www.facebook.com/groups/bCAUSEPodcast

We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).

Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to https://www.bauthenticinc.com/dog-quiz

We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/

Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/our-2-cents

We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-you-shop

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Tweetable Comments:

"When you get ahead, the Universe always finds a way to screw you."

"Do things your own way."

"Leave it to your pre-teen daughter to solve all your problems."

"Everyone seems to be having these moments of questioning."

"The things I rely on to make me feel relevant, valued...a part of something bigger, balanced...I've lost a lot of those things. We all have."

"At some point they're going to be flagging you in for free gas and a corndog. You heard it here first."

"We're going to need a language, and a culture - culture leaders - to help us get to that 90 degrees in-between."

"What he's learning isn't really important; him having to figure things out is way more important."

"Every time I'm asked "Mommy will you play with me?" It's either a distraction of me trying to get work done that's critical or a distraction from me 'playing' with my work."

"This process has taught me to be less afraid and to hide less. I think I probably hid parts of myself for a very long time."

"I might just have more compassion now."

"Developing emotional intelligence doesn't come over night."

"As long as we're moving."

"If it's five years from now, or ten years from now, and there aren't big fucking things in your world, I'm gonna kick your ass."

"If you want bigger things you have to reorder the energy in your life."

What makes a superfan? And can you create superfans for your business, product...or even yourself? Brittany Hodak, Superfan Expert, talks about what a superfan is and you can create and cultivate them to propel success. Not to mention, her story shows you that even a small-town girl can make big stuff happen.

Erin Hatzikostas sits down with Brittany Hodak for an interview discussing her career from its early days as a junior in high school through the current day.

Brittany first started her career as a radio station mascot at the age of 16. She found a way to creatively utilize her name as a play-on-words that allowed her to hang out with rock stars and documenting it all through her "Brittany Jones' Diary" blog.

She talks about her vision as she writes a business plan, while still at college, to save the entire music industry. Did it work? Nope. She was sent back to doing intern work because that's what happens to young interns with big ideas.

But after years of hard work and experience, with that one business plan still in mind, she eventually decided, with a little push from a good friend, to start her own business and take her business plan forward on her own.

Erin then asks Brittany to continue to discuss the journey she took with her business, growing it from an idea through to a massively successful enterprise. Brittany tells the story about getting a call from a Shark Tank producer and he experience on the show. She talks about her favorite aspects of her business, and which artists were her favorite to work with, from Dolly Parton to Kiss. She discusses the personal best moments of her career, and the times she made a complete ass out of herself - because let's face it, those are the best stories and really the ones we all want to hear.

They move on to discussing Brittany's exit from her company. How she spur-of-the-moment purchased a house in Nashville and started to move into the consulting side of the business, which then led to her being asked to do more ad more public speaking.

Brittany and Erin will both be attending and speaking at a Create Wow conference hosted by Social Survey this coming September (or at some point, if it is rescheduled), so be sure to check it out!

To find out more about Brittany and her current work visit: Website @ https://www.brittanyhodak.com/ Instagram @brittanyhodak Linkedin @ Brittany Hodak Facebook @ Brittany Hodak Twitter @ Brittany Hodak

If you like jammin' with us on the podcast, b sure to join us for more fun and inspiration! Here are some options...

Check out the b BRILLIANT career coaching program @ https://bbrilliant.bauthenticinc.com/

b Cause Podcast Facebook group @ www.facebook.com/groups/bCAUSEPodcast

We share even more crazy stuff here (you probably thought that was impossible).

Take our simple, fun and insightful "What Kind of Dog Are You At Work?" by going to https://www.bauthenticinc.com/dog-quiz

We have so much fun stuff going on...we wouldn't want you to miss out - join the authenticity movement and our community by adding your email just about anywhere @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/

Check out our blog for more of our no-BS career advice @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/our-2-cents

We have fun and inspiring t-shirts @ https://www.bauthenticinc.com/b-you-shop

DISCLAIMER: This episode is not explicit, though contains mild swearing that may be unsuitable for younger audiences.

Tweetable Comments:

"I had this front-row seat from behind this giant bee suit."

"I was blogging before blogging was a thing."

"2021 is going to look like a very different place to what our world looked like in 2019 for sure, no doubt."

"The downside was we had to figure everything out ourselves. We had no board, we had no investors, we had nobody helping us."

"We had our client, the publicist, who clearly wanted us to get out. And then we had the Beach Boys with their arms around us telling us to stay."

"The Beach Boys were singing to us in a conference room."

"That was the first and only time we were ever late to an artist interview. You are never, ever late, to an artist interview."

"Not only did I love it but speaking paid way more than consulting."

"If you just keep moving, take risks, if you invest in yourself, you don't just learn you meet this incredible new solar system that raises your frequency."

"A superfan is a customer who creates more customers for you."

"The same things that make people a superfan of a celebrity, are the same things that make people a superfan of a product or a service."

"I'm a superfan of my exterminator, Scott."

"The things that we love become part of our identity."

You need to be the world's best you, rather than a pretty good imitation of somebody else."

"When you understand your story it becomes your superpower, and part of what you do that makes you better than everyone else."