Design Yourself

Sharon is joined by two of her business besties this week on the podcast. Catherine Orr and Elena Rue are known for creating documentary videos that move people. They've been on the podcast before sharing about their craft, but this week they are dishing on what it's like to grow their business. They've been making bold moves recently (expanding their team, taking on bigger project) inspired their imminent maternity leaves. Yes, they are both pregnant! These co-founders will both be welcoming their second children into the world within a month of each other. They share openly about where they see a clear path forward and where they still struggle. And they also dish on how they are finally taking the very advice that they've been giving their clients for years. This is a great episode for anyone whose wondering how to take on a bigger role professionally while in the midst of a big personal transition. It's also great for anyone looking for role models in how to be committed to continuous growth - as a business owner and human being.

Have you ever felt stuck or overwhelmed from being in the middle of a transition? Sharon can relate. This week she shares why she chose "move" as her Design Myself theme this month and how that involves not just physically moving to upstate New York this month, but also getting off the couch and taking a lot of walks. She reflects on lessons learned from being 8 months in on setting monthly intentions/themes to design herself and in particular what additional lessons she's learned about last month's theme of "trust." In particular, she keeps returning to the question of what the unspoken costs are of NOT trusting. You will hear all about where Sharon is in the process of moving to the Catskills and three reflection questions for listeners to get moving through their own transitions. Oh yeah, and there's the story about the bear...

Hooray! The podcast hits triple digits with episode 100! Sharon is joined by her husband and Design Yourself audio engineer Colin to reflect on 100 episodes and 11 years of marriage. You'll hear about everything from why their 17 month old Iggy makes a guest appearance on today's show, to what Colin and Sharon have learned as individuals and a couple over the last 2+ years and 100 episodes, to what's next for the podcast. (Psst...at least 100 more episodes!) Plus Colin and Sharon record like they've never done before. (Literally while driving.) Please pop some bubbly and join us in indulging in this week's celebratory show!

An ability to manage each detail beautifully, a drive to get things finished on time, a desire to put forth your best effort are all great gifts - with a shadow side. Perfectionism, overdrive and an expectation that you can all try a little harder can leave us feeling like we are just never finished. It could be better or faster or simply more. If any of these sentiments sound familiar than this week's episode is for you. Hear as Sharon describes the tension between settling and settling down and how you can both hold a big vision and not be a slave to it. She describes 4 ways to tap into a sense of joy and calm, even when you are in the midst of unfolding what you really want - and not quite achieving it. For anyone whose ever felt frustrated or overwhelmed by a transition or the sheer volume of time is can take to realize a big dream, this episode was created for you.

Designing yourself is really about stepping into the life that you really want. But sometimes even though we have figured out what we really want and even how to make it make it happen, we are stuck. Worrying about what others will think, overwhelm about how we can make ends meet, the whirlwind of change and a whole lot of other things that boil down to Fear keep us in place. For anyone who has ever dreamed of leaping into something fantastic, wild and dreamy, this week's episode is for you. Sharon is fresh from her own cliff leap (selling her beautiful home to prepare to make a move from her lovely hometown in DC to the woods in the Catskill mountains of upstate New York) and she wants to empower you to do the same. She says 6 actions you can take to prepare for your own leap. Whether you are looking for a small baby step towards a change you really desire or are ready to dynamite your life, this week's episode will give the clear steps to answer, "But how?"

1. Create a Vision
2. See the Details
3. Be in Conversation with your Parter/s
4. Take Action Tied to Present Moment
5. Build a Community of Support
6. Jump When You Are Ready

• Photographer Juliette Fradin
• Sue McLeod Coaching
• Design Yourself Episode 5, A Vision Meditation
• Design Yourself Episode 21, Living in the Question

Goodbyes can be really hard. Sometimes because the situation is so emotionally fraught - a job you feel trapped in; a toxic relationship; a commitment that has you moving toward burn out. Sometimes because the situation is really wonderful - you are in love but have a plane to catch; your partner's fantastic new promotion means a cross country move; your dreams that once led you here are now leading you elsewhere. That last one is the position Sharon finds herself contemplating this week. After 4 years back in the neighborhood she called home for all her childhood, she is moving on. As she and her family prepare to finalize the sale of her home and move north, she shares 3 lessons about moving on regardless of what your starting point is. This episode is great for anyone contemplating or in the midst of a big life transition or curious to know what's keeping Sharon going as she wraps up life in DC and prepares for a family adventure in upstate New York.

1. Complement Your Natural Strengths
2. Be Clear on What Matters Most
3. Take Good Care

• Rocket Fuel
• Design Yourself 78 on Letting Go
• Design Yourself 94 on Choiceful

Drum roll please. The Design Myself theme for July is....Trust. We are officially over half way through 2018 (!) and in this week's episode Sharon reflects on what she has noticed and learned through her month-by-month commitment to a particular theme. Hear how April's theme of Magic catapulted her onto a new life path and how February's theme of Focus triggered some old habits that weren't really working for her. Sharon shares what's been really working and also places where she notices she is still getting stuck. All the while she invites you to reflect on your own 2018. Are you moving toward a year that delights you? On track to celebrate that big milestone that awaits you at year end? Sharon then goes deeper on July's theme of Trust. She shares the three "reminders" that help her move through transitions in a way that cultivates trust. She then shares the four actions that she takes to promote trust - with herself and others. This episode is great for anyone who is curious about how to make and move through big life/work leaps in a way that builds the kind of trust necessary to come through the transition whole. It's also awesome for anyone who has been tracking with Sharon's own personal journey who is curious to hear some honest reflection on how it's all coming together.

• Remember the mantra "I choose this"
• Focus on your energy
• Be vulnerable

• Reflect on the question "What's true now?"
• Be open and honest about how you feel
• Surround yourself with people who support you
• Be willing to adapt

• Praise by Robert Hass
• The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

It's officially summertime, which means sunshine, pool parties and no excuses on taking time for yourself! That's why this week, Sharon is giving you a lo-fi and high-impact way to create a space for yourself to bring inspiration, purpose and reflection together. Learn about why Sharon still loves the term retreat (when others worry it feels like they are hiding out with their heads in the sand), what questions to ask yourself to put a structure in place to design your own retreat, and Sharon's top tips for making your retreat experience just what you are wishing for - and then some. Plus learn about why Sharon might be needing her own retreat experience in the coming months (hint: packing for the Hudson Valley is in full effect!). Whether you are looking for a half-day of guided self-reflection or designing your own sabbatical, this week's episode is for you!

As you set out to design your own retreat, ask yourself these questions:

What do you want to get out of the retreat experience? If the experience is delightfully impactful, what will be different at the end of it?

Is this is a retreat you want to do solo? With friends? Guided?

In the city or country? Out of town or at home? In a hotel or an Airbnb?

What timing works best? What season matches the retreat purpose?

What content is meaningful? What structure serves you?

• Begin with the end in mind
• Trust that you have the perfect amount of time
• Set boundaries - a timer, ask for breaks, go somewhere without wifi or cell service
• Ask simple questions
• Give yourself time to reflect, move and explore
• Write things down
• Celebrate!

• Books you can use to guide your retreat: 1) Sharon Lipovsky's Go Beyond activity book; 2) Adam Kurtz's Pick Me Up; 3) Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way; 4) Co-active Coaching
• Here's the blog post I wrote after the last Entrepreneur's Getaway on how to design your own retreat
• A glimpse into the early Entrepreneur's Getaway retreats
• Elena Rue and Catherine Orr of StoryMine taking about telling stories on Design Yourself
• Aimee Rowe talking about a seizing adventure on Design Yourself

One of the things that can get in the way of leading from a place of power and intention is really feeling like we have a choice in the matter. To be choiceful is to lead from a place of power and personal accountability. It's about seeing that you are stuck - whether in a bad situation, mindset, habit - and then choosing a new path forward. This week Sharon uses a decision she's making as she prepares for her move to the Hudson Valley to describe the difference between leading choicefully and leading when you feel backed into a decision. She then contextualizes this example by sharing 3 common roadblocks to being choiceful as well as 6 tactics to help you on this path. Finally she offers up 5 reflection questions to bring this framing back to your own work and lives. For anyone feeling stuck or ready to amplify what's working, this week's episode is for you. It's also great for anyone curious to know more about what Sharon's up to personally as she prepares for moving upstate.

"We value what we choose. When we choose we feel strong and empowered. When we feel like we have no choice (including feeling that all the choices are bad), we feel out of control, like things are just happening to us, like the victim."

The Philovsky Family is following a dream and moving to the Hudson Valley (NY)! Hear from Sharon about what is inspiring this move to Ulster County, how this move ties into the vision she and her husband dreamed up years ago and what new work opportunities this opens up. (Psst - you can come stay on the property in a gorgeous cottage for your own personal Design Yourself retreat!) This personal update is shared within the context of this month's theme of Truth. Sharon shares a few simple questions to help you find your own truth and how sit quietly with the light and the dark of what you discover.

"Sometimes it's not about what you are moving away from. It's what you are moving towards."