Join Paula as she sits down with Mike Shirey, Chief Operating Officer at Soles4Souls - a nonprofit organization that turns unwanted clothing and shoes into an opportunity for underprivileged children around the world. In this episode, Mike shares his inspiring journey of transitioning from a long career in the corporate shoe industry to making a big change and moving into the nonprofit world.

As the pandemic hit, Mike realized he was ready for a change and to pursue a more meaningful career. He shares how he made the leap and found a new purpose at Soles4Souls.

Tune in to this episode to discover:

• How your skills and experience in one industry can transfer into an entirely different career and lead you to the next phase of your professional life

• The value of listening for perspective and empathy and not just results

• The importance of adjusting to your company's culture while still bringing your unique strengths to the table.

Mike's story is a testament to the power of following your passion and making a difference in the world. Don't miss this episode to hear more about his journey and the lessons he's learned along the way.

Show Notes: reidnco.com/podcast

Time Stamps:

[00:05:40] “I think the first thing to share is that you, you take stock of your, your skill set, take stock of what you're good at. Um, and because you've been in the footwear and apparel and industry, retail, wholesale, or otherwise, It doesn't mean that that's only industry that you could be good at. It doesn't mean that that's the only path that you need to stay in. I think folks get appropriately comfortable and appropriately scared at the same time of what a change could look like. So I think that was the first thing I realized. I was like, I think there's, there's things within running the businesses and running sourcing and running operations that, that you can do that would transfer. And I think that's a really important first step. 

[00:13:25] “It was slowing down. You know, you make a great point and it mm-hmm. And not slowing down because of people's aptitude. You slow down because of the culture. You slow down because that it's culture of listening.It's a culture of learning. It's a culture of helping and it, and that requires, Being aware of the fact that you're not just trying to write the next order. You are, you are trying to understand who and where in the world. Mm-hmm. Um, you, you may be helping people, um, including your team, um, who at that time was going through quite an emotional change. The first thing that you really learn is, okay, slow it down, become more receptive to, People's input. and then bring what you bring though, right? You have to be who you are and, mm-hmm. You were brought onto the team for a reason. So it's not only to acclimate to the new culture, it's also to introduce what you have.”

[00:26:56] “Well, there's a lot of advice that I would love to have had given to me. Yeah. I think a lot of it goes to what we talked about, which is hearing perspective, listening, um, and having. Having empathy for, for the perspective of where other folks are coming from. Um, and that's, that's something that I wish I had learned long time ago. Um, and I, you know, I think, I don't know, somewhere in my mid thirties, it would've been great to learn that because I think you become a better teacher. I think you become a better leader.”

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What does it really mean to be bold? Paula explores this question and encourages us to face our fears. We all have the capacity to be bold. Paula explains how to start by simply choosing Not to lean into our fears in everyday life. Once you start making small bold decisions you will become more adept at making these types of decisions. It really is about tiny first steps.

The more we understand our fears, the less control they have over us. Ask yourself what would I do if I were not afraid? When Paula first started her business she was very afraid of not making enough money. She looked over the numbers and decided to make a calculated risk. She had a clear understanding of the risk she was taking. 

To make a calculated risk you first need to ask yourself a few questions and get very clear on the answers. What do you need to know to take that next step? What is the worst that could happen?

Show Notes: reidnco.com/podcast

Time Stamps:

[00:02:50] "But we all have that capacity. That is not a special sauce, okay? It's not a special sauce to be able to look at a situation and decide what the move is that you really need to make if you weren't afraid. Because the difference between being bold and not being bold is leaning into fear. It's leaning into calculated risks."

[00:03:17] "It's having the self-confidence that, and the innate belief that everything's going to work out. You'll figure out how to do it. So taking that to an everyday life scenario, what do you need to do? What do you need to think about in order to be bold in your everyday life?

[00:12:59] "The key is to imagine yourself in that moment and what is the worst thing that's going to happen. What is the worst thing that could happen? Calculate that out. And what is the worst thing that will happen if you don't step in? If you are not bold in the moment, what is going to happen And odds are good, you're either going to have to walk back down that cliff or you're going to have to stay exactly as you are."

Get ready for part two of Paula’s interview with Elizabeth Cowper, the visionary Founder and President of Ludo. In this episode, Elizabeth shares the inspiring story of how she made the leap from corporate VP to successful entrepreneur.

Elizabeth recognized that in order to make a real impact, she needed to pursue her passion on her own terms. She drew upon her extensive experience in corporate HR leadership roles to build a tech company with a specific focus on women’s inclusion.

Through this engaging conversation, Elizabeth reveals the lessons she learned about being bold and taking calculated risks to achieve her dreams. Her journey is a testament to the power of determination and the importance of staying true to yourself.

Tune in to this episode of Paula’s interview with Elizabeth to discover how you too can overcome obstacles and blaze your own path to success!

Show Notes: reidnco.com/podcast

Time Stamps:

[05:39] “It was my final supposed final day of being employed and the world imploded on that day. And, um, and so they asked me to stay on a bit longer because I wasn't going to another job. I was doing my own thing. So I stayed on for another six or eight weeks I think it was, and I crisis managed. The shutting down of all those 13 countries in Europe. So then became the, obviously from home, one of my daughters stuck a piece of paper on the wall that said the panic room, which made me laugh. So it was daily, you know, calls of, and it was crazy times the wildest, wildest two months. Um, and then I finished and set up my own. Iwent out with a bang. But you know what? I'm incredibly grateful for those two months because it was huge and possibly the most intense two months of my whole career. And yeah, I learned so much.”

[09:20] “Being bold. It's interesting because there is a certain level of comfort, um, and certainty about working for a company where you work hard every month and then you get paid every month. You know? That's the, yeah, that's the schedule. Um, and so, There is a huge amount of uncertainty and being bold and having courage, when you step out of that and say, I'm gonna not get paid every month and I'm gonna build something that is bigger than that because I feel passionate enough that this really makes a difference. And that's a really interesting dynamic because we still have to pay the mortgage feed, the kids, pay the bill. Like that's all, that doesn't go away. That's, you know, and that, so there is. Innate drive and passion and inner courage that just has, you really believe that what you're doing is the right thing and that you play the long game.”

[16:23] “I'd probably say if I go into my teens, early teens. I, so I, Just to give you context on this, I'm not that academic in terms of, you know, I just didn't find exams easy. I'm not an exam brain kid. Okay? You know, I got through school and I'm good on the coursework and the work in the classroom, but you put me in an exam, I used to really panic. So I think I would say to my younger self, exams aren't everything. Just breathe. It's okay.”

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In this episode, Paula reflects on her interview with Elizabeth Cowper and their discussion about the challenges women face in the workplace when they become pregnant, and the massive identity shift that takes place.

Paula shares a powerful exercise that can help anyone preparing to take on a new role. She asks you to consider, "What could you stop doing in order to start doing other things?" We all have a tendency to become entangled in tasks that are not the best use of our time. By taking the time to evaluate all the areas of your life and where you spend your time, you can make positive changes that can be life-changing, especially before a new baby arrives.

Tune in to this episode of Beyond Neutral to learn more about navigating pregnancy in the workplace, making the most of your time, and how to tackle the challenges that come with an identity shift.

Show Notes: reidnco.com/podcast

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Paula interviews Elizabeth Cowper, Founder and President of Ludo. Elizabeth is a self described “culture changer”. Ludo, based in the UK, provides tech for inclusion with a specific focus on women. Elizabeth started Ludo after many years of working in HR.

She realized there was a massive need for companies to change their policies around maternity leave and acceptance of women during pregnancy, and postpartum. Her next module is focused on menopause. 

Show Notes: reidnco.com/podcast

Time Stamps:

[00:11:37] “But in terms of how we support, so just to kind of make it. Um, any employee has access to our expert content at any stage. So you could be thinking about being pregnant, you could be in an early stage pregnancy. Um, important to note here. We talk about maternity, but you could be a same sex couple who's adopting or have a surrogate or, so. This is inclusive. Anybody growing their family. And it's really moving into parenthood.”

[00:17:47] “I mean, it's incredibly hard and every person is different, you know, and I think, just to sort of take a step back for a second, we know that diverse boards are better for profits and companies.”

[00:19:43] “Yeah, and actually there's no reason why we can't just make some accommodations for a month period to make these adjustments. And I think this is where the mindset and companies really needs to shift to allow us to retain that brilliant talent and support her in that return back into the work.”

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Our brains love what is familiar. We have a desire to stay with what we know. The discomfort of a new situation can provoke anxiety because you now have to make sense of something in a different way. You have to decide if the benefit of the new opportunity is worth the discomfort. 

There is also discomfort from stretching and realizing that you don’t love what you found. It is really important to pay attention to that inner-voice, is it discomfort because you're stretching yourself in a way that has greater purpose for you, or is it discomfort because you realize that you don’t like what you have found with a change. 

Paula encourages us to consider that sometimes your discomfort is actually a warning sign and sometimes being comfortable is also a warning sign.

Show Notes: reidnco.com/podcast

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From G.I. Joe Action Figure “Blast Off” to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam expat Jeff Thompson, helps us to see the benefit of taking risks in our careers. Paula has gotten to know Jeff over his many years in the shoe industry. In this conversation, Paula asks Jeff how he has benefited from having a varied career and what has gotten him through the challenging times. 

Jeff’s advice is to get comfortable being uncomfortable, because it is how you grow. This is a critical skill in our rapidly changing world and Jeff tells us how he has managed to do that by staying humble, and not being afraid to ask questions.  

Listen to this conversation to be inspired to learn new things and put your ego aside so that you can grow as a person in life and business. 

Show Notes: reidnco.com/podcast

Time Stamps:

[00:09:11] Any new job is gonna be tough and even if it's, even if you're quote unquote, uh, subject matter expert. It, you still have to understand who are the key relationships to build that. You have to build. Who does, you know, who's doing what, how the process works.

[00:10:16] You have to be able to ask questions and, and, and I think the biggest thing is, is understanding is like you, you, you, you, you don't have to know all the answers. Um, and, um, it is, you know, asking questions and knowing that, you know, the, the only dumb question is the one you don't ask. And so being comfortable with like saying, I don't know. Mm-hmm. , you know, a lot of people, like, they feel like they have to have the answers for everything. I mean, maybe that's the experts you're talking about. It's like, and, but you don't, and you shouldn't. 

[00:31:38] So your advice to yourself, your advice to yourself would be, what would be to, to, to pursue something, not because you think that's, Like I said, a real industrial designer supposed to what you're supposed to be enjoy. Do what you, you enjoy and, and if you are, if your interests are X, y, Z and there's opportunity in that industry, do that. Go do that. 

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This episode explores the topics covered in episode 01 (interview with Carrie Shigetomi, SVP Product Development at Coach). Carrie’s advice to her younger self was to “Just Be Yourself”. Paula looks deeper into what it might mean to “Be Yourself” in business. Paula uses an example from her coaching practice to show us what reframing a negative label might do for your confidence and career. 

This episode discusses: 

• Reframing communication labels (such as introvert or extrovert) 

• Why there is power in being different 

• There is room for all personalities in business 

Show Notes: https://www.reidnco.com/podcast

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In this insightful interview with Carrie Shigetomi, SVP Product Development at Coach, we learn how her career started with a love for art and psychology. Carrie speaks candidly about her desire to be creative, and her path to product development. She also has a love for the field of psychology and this has greatly shaped her leadership style. 

Carrie’s down to earth and authentic personality is reassuring and motivates us to all just be ourselves, because in her words “who wants to work with all the same people”. She attributes her success to the teams she has built, and reflects on the significance of focusing on teamwork versus the “I” in business. 

This episode will remind you of the importance of being yourself in business and valuing your team.

Show Notes: reidnco.com/podcast

[00:19:36] "I wonder if it's to start using we Yeah. Just simply start referring to my team, we, us, and, and kind of get your head out of that individual mindset in order to kind of facilitate that transition into how do you get to an egoless leadership."

[00:22:43] "Oh, that's fabulous, Carrie, and here's how you can, and here's how you can use all of those gifts in a more effective way. If you lead with your strengths and what makes you unique people will remember you. People will are, we're gonna, they're gonna, um, go to you because of that, you know?"

[00:23:09] "And to be comfortable because it's you. Absolutely. Yeah. Right. And I, I think, yeah, a lot of people get into that, that, um, that place where they're trying to be something they're not. Right. And not only does it n not suit them, but they're not comfortable with themselves. "

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Get excited to listen to some incredibly inspiring people. Paula Reid’s new podcast, beyond neutral is about getting unstuck and making moves. In this trailer episode Paula introduces herself and lets us know what we can expect from beyond neutral. 

Paula Reid is an executive recruiter and coach, she has spent her career as a trusted partner to leaders at the world’s top brands. She brings a unique perspective on the role of work in our lives, as we navigate career, relationships, and life phases. In Life we regularly need to move from one phase to another – in fact, that is what the road of life is really all about. Sometimes between where we were, and where we want to be, there is this neutral space that we can get stuck in.  

This podcast is all about what it takes to get beyond neutral – out of that space so you can drive forward to where you want to be. Moving forward in our careers, in our leadership, relationships, or life phases can require new ways of thinking or being, to realize what you want to achieve. 

Show Notes: reidnco.com/podcast

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