Drink Like a Lady Podcast

We are ten days away. Members of my Samita Lab Mastermind head to Tuscany for the annual retreat. All 8 are giving a Tedx style talk on a NYC stage November 16th. The retreat is a time for deep reflection and writing time to flesh out the message each will leave the audience. 

Afterwards, I return to Florence to host a VIP Day.  I'm excited to take my one on one client to the Roman Baths.  I'm delighted to do yoga at sunset, overlooking the Duomo.  However, the most important place I wish to take her is to Michelangelo's David at the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze.  Audio here.

I'm fascinated by Michangelo's story. Since he was 17 years old, he was obsessed with the human form since he was 17.  How would he carve the human body in marble, stone or any other material if he didn't understand the dips and the connections of muscles. He would steal away to the morgue in the local hospital to study the cadavers in the morgue. However, his father was poor and had serious doubts about Michelangelo's ability to make a living as an artist. He wanted his son to go into business. Michelangelo would lie to his dad, saying he was commissioned to sculpt this statue or that in order to get the project. It wasn't that he wasn't getting commissions, but perhaps not for the florins his father had hoped. In 1501, Michelangelo lobbied to take a crack at sculpting something from an abandoned 17 foot piece of marble. It had been lying fallow in the Duomo's backyard, baking in the Mediterranean sun, doing a whole lot of nothing. Two artists had started and failed.  Michelangelo was convinced he was the man to create something magnificent from it. When finished, David was placed in the Palazzo Vecchio, with much fanfare and celebration. It was a symbol of Florentine independence and spirit. When asked, how Michelangelo created this magnificent piece of work, he replied, "I removed everything that wasn't David." 

This is the message I want to share with my client. Often, women leaders want to talk about EVERYTHING they are qualified to talk about. We are spending her VIP Day, going through a series of exercises to find out THE ONE thing people she will be known for. The thing I notice women forget is that your ONE THING, needs to be repeatable. If you are writing an essay or a laundry list every time someone asks "What's your one thing?" it's not repeatable. Its not repeatable nor clear for someone to put you up for an opportunity.  She and I will figure out this ONE THING and then forge a content plan and calendar to position herself as a thought leader around it.

Coming to Italy is a huge big step.

I can take one more client in Florence. Join the waitlist here

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in the core program that sits at the center of my business model. The Mastermind teaches you exactly how to build a powerful person brand and the mindset to support it. It culminates in a keynote in front of an audience at the end.
   
   I only enroll for this program once a year.
   
   The waitlist is open for the Class of 2026.
   
   
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a free download here with scripts (15,000 downloaded)
   
   
3. Help! I need confidence! ****Join 2500 people in taking my mini-public speaking Masterclass. Learn to organize a compelling talk and my framework for making it super easy.

This is an excerpt from a podcast, where executive recruiter Deepali Vyas interviewed me on "How to Get on TV?" It's a question I get alot.   I wrote an article explaining some simple steps you can take starting today.  Download by entering your email here: https://joyadass.lpages.co/how-to-get-on-tv/

 Executive recruiter Deepali Vyas hosts this podcast, "What would Deepali Do" to land that dream job, promotion or career pivot. She interviews industry leaders that have hit new levels of success, all while answering everyday questions on your career path, pivot or promotion.  

Deepali Vyas is a serial entrepreneur, advisory board member and executive search consultant with a recognized eye for spotting talent, rising trends and breakout business models. She has advised companies like JP Morgan, Uber, Fidelity, Citadel and Conair on how to spot tomorrow’s hottest trends in digital, artificial intelligence and data science.

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in the core program that sits at the center of my business model. The Mastermind teaches you exactly how to build a powerful person brand and the mindset to support it. It culminates in a keynote in front of an audience at the end.
   
   I only enroll for this program once a year.
   
   The waitlist is open for the Class of 2026.
   
   
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a free download here with scripts (15,000 downloaded)
   
   
3. Help! I need confidence! ****Join 2500 people in taking my mini-public speaking Masterclass. Learn to organize a compelling talk and my framework for making it super easy.

I built a business around my top values — — adventure and beauty. Early May, I host the next 8 Woman Mastermind Dinner in Montreal.

Villa Marie is my favorite town for a few reasons:

• It’s a quick one hour flight from New York City. Europe, without the jet lag
• Home to Luna Yoga. My workouts are a daily joy and I maintain my practice at this beautiful studio in Old Montreal when I land.
• Home to one of my favorite restaurants. Da Emma is located in a subterranean stone space on Commune Street, girding the waterfront. Roman dishes. Great wine list. I discovered it in the dead of winter in 2014. I love the story: It’s a former women’s prison.
• Home to the David, which allows me to live like a local when I visit. Not an Airbnb. Not a hotel.
• Home to one of my biggest chapters of members, outside of NYC

Why in a private space?

10 women — -some familiar, many new — — will be gathered round the table in a private home for this dinner. We have a private chef making 3 types of “bouchees” while we talk. I now insist on hosting in a private home or dining room because the evening is conversation-driven. If members can’t hear, the exercise is lost.

What’s the conversation design you host?

I created a very specific style of conversation design after years of attending women’s events that left me frustrated and unfulfilled.

• They weren’t properly curated. You have been to events, where he or she just can’t be bothered to talk to you? I invite women who uphold my values of thoughtfulness, kindness and a propensity to share resources. By the time, women get to the VP, Parter, Principal, 7-figure business owner level, they are seasoned in their leadership, so these are the profiles of women I invite with a view to have the same level of conversation. Each woman attending is either an existing member, or has come recommended.
• They weren’t properly moderated. I was at a dinner recently which turned into trauma therapy. The business conversation we had prepared for, never happened. I was disappointed because there were so many intelligent brains at the table and I was eager to hear from them. At my table, I want to hear the loudest person in the room. I also want to hear the quietest person in the room. As a recovering journalist who has moderated one too many CEO panels, I say, “Let’s pause there,” to shut a line of conversation down when the point has been made. Should the runaway train continue, the promise of the evening is lost.
• No idea who will be in the room. I’ve bailed on an event before. I didn’t know who would be in the room. In the 30 day lead up to the event, I publish a landing page private to the attendees only. It shares a profile and photo of each, with current focus, current goals, what she doesn’t want (nobody asks this) and her challenge. This way, there is less ‘discovery’ and more rolling up the sleeves and true masterminding at the table. Each woman attending is also encouraged to be thoughtful and make bullet points ahead of time in response to the challenges posed.
• Don’t start on time. Don’t end on time. To me, observing the time is the most respectful think I can do for my guests. I love guests who are thoughtful and arrive early.

How the evening will go?

Once everyone is seated, I start by introducing myself and why I do the work I do. I didn’t have an independent advisory board when I was building a career as a business news anchor. Where was the playbook on how to hold an audience with a CEO in the commercial break? Today, I formalized the playbook by creating the Women’s Leadership Lab. But the members and the idea exchanges are the information gold. Not me.

Just after the pandemic, I asked, “What did you learn about yourself in the last 18 months?” as the intro question. But we are pas

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in the core program that sits at the center of my business model. The Mastermind teaches you exactly how to build a powerful person brand and the mindset to support it. It culminates in a keynote in front of an audience at the end.
   
   I only enroll for this program once a year.
   
   The waitlist is open for the Class of 2026.
   
   
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a free download here with scripts (15,000 downloaded)
   
   
3. Help! I need confidence! ****Join 2500 people in taking my mini-public speaking Masterclass. Learn to organize a compelling talk and my framework for making it super easy.

I run the Samita Lab Mastermind for women leaders. All eight are working on building a powerful personal brand in 2023, culminating in them giving a Tedx style talk on a New York City stage on November 16th (I've applied for the official Tedx license.) I can't think of a quicker way to build a personal brand than having to get on a stage in front of 200 people I never met and give a talk from my zone of genius. It's like personal branding, put on steroids. 

The fear is real. When I first announced to the group they were doing this, two flat out said, 'no.' 

• There is the fear of being judged or not taken seriously
• There is pressure to perform, present or speak in a certain way
• The Imposter Syndrome is real. Women doubt their own qualifications or ability to speak on a topic, even if it is in their zone of genius.

I want to acknowledge and address these in order for all 8 to confidently and authentically deliver their TedxTalks November 16th.

One of the exercises they will be doing is called "Your Life is a Wealth of Knowledge" from a book by Lawrence Block's book.  Block hosts seminars for people suffering from writer's block. He designs weekend seminars to get folks  'get out of their own way.' One of his exercises is called:

YOUR LIFE IS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE

Women love to tell me, "Who would listen to me?" or "What do I have to say that hasn't already been said."  Aha. But there in lies the gold. A recent attendee of my April event spent 22 years as a corrections officer at Rikers Island. In her retirement, she decided to launch a business: A luxury perfume, made in France, and retailing for $200. 

Okay, there are literally thousands of perfume brands peddling their wares to the world. ChatGPT tells me so. 

However, there is only one person who can tell a story of functioning as a woman at one of the highest security prisons in America. And only one person that can connect the dots between a very 'masculine life' to her decidedly feminine offering now.

Most think that public speaking is about confidence. I think public speaking is about the other C word: Courage. It takes real courage to dig deep inside and tell those personal stories. 

A student in my Public Speaking Masterclass was interviewing for jobs and couldn't get past the first interview. For weeks, we had been working on digging deep for those personal stories. She just couldn't get there. In week 4, we had a breakthrough. She told a story about being homeless as a teenager.  She said, she didn't want pity, or handouts. More than anything in the world -- she wanted options. The secret: She suddenly started to showing up more authentically to her job interviews. Today, she not only has a new job she loves, but got a 15% pay bump from her pre

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in the core program that sits at the center of my business model. The Mastermind teaches you exactly how to build a powerful person brand and the mindset to support it. It culminates in a keynote in front of an audience at the end.
   
   I only enroll for this program once a year.
   
   The waitlist is open for the Class of 2026.
   
   
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a free download here with scripts (15,000 downloaded)
   
   
3. Help! I need confidence! ****Join 2500 people in taking my mini-public speaking Masterclass. Learn to organize a compelling talk and my framework for making it super easy.

Why Paris

I first went to Paris in high school. It was a chaperoned trip of London, Paris and Spain.

I remember arriving in Paris, with a pocket full of English pounds jingling in my pocket

Now I was fussing with francs. We were kids. A woman had an ice cream cart and we all bum rushed her, asking for the flavors. I picked vanilla. I was still fumbling with my change and I guess I gave her the wrong number of coins. My little high school brain was still trying to convert dollars to francs. She was channeling the Seinfeld soup nazi guy long before that character existed and said in brash French “NO ICE CREAM FOR YOU!” I knew that because promptly dumped my pint sized vanilla cone back into her bin. 

I didn’t get ice cream that day, but the experience didn’t dim my verve for the City of Lights. I’ve been back every year for the last few years. My partner works for a firm based in Paris, so the annual summit of managing directors brings us to the city. I also host events for my women’s leadership platform there a few years running.  

Paris gets the label ‘the most romantic’ city in the world. I think that’s the Disneyfied, American point of view. To me, what makes Paris romantic is the architecture. When I walk the streets, I marvel because Paris stands in spite of something. 

Not because. 

General Dietrich von Choltitz was in charge of the German forces in Paris during WWII. He had razed many a city before.  Hitler was a point where he was losing ground, and so he knew Choltitz was his man to issue this order: Raze the city of Paris. Destroy the Eiffel Tower. Destroy Notre Dame. Burn 65 bridges to rubble. 

 Choltitz chose to disobey. He was wracked with remorse, and chose intead to negotiate a ceasefire with the French Resistance. As a result, Paris was spared. The city we see today, stands because someone dared to defy.

It aligns with my own story. I grew up with traditional Indian parents who had very tight script for how I was going to live my life. And I wasn’t having any of it. I left home at 18. I have alot the life I”ve designed today. The business I’ve designed today, because I dared to defy them. 

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in the core program that sits at the center of my business model. The Mastermind teaches you exactly how to build a powerful person brand and the mindset to support it. It culminates in a keynote in front of an audience at the end.
   
   I only enroll for this program once a year.
   
   The waitlist is open for the Class of 2026.
   
   
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a free download here with scripts (15,000 downloaded)
   
   
3. Help! I need confidence! ****Join 2500 people in taking my mini-public speaking Masterclass. Learn to organize a compelling talk and my framework for making it super easy.

Why experiences

I’ve been bringing people together ever since I could remember.

My home, growing up, was between two little neighbor girls. I wasn’t allowed to go out to play until 6pm. My Indian mother worried about me getting too dark. So I watch them run back and forth across my yard until then. We would dream. We would create plays and perform them for our parents.  I would perform on my bike to a pretend audience of no one, doing tricks. I’d sing along to Madonna on a tape recorder. I remember the excitement I felt when I discovered the woods behind my own backyard. 

When I got to New York city, my group of friends and I would create themed wine tastings that would stretch from afternoon to night. We would photograph the progression of the day. My really good friend at the time would say,  40 bottles of sips later, 

“I don’t t know about this tv stuff, Joya but you should be an event planner.”

Then I became one. I built my business by hosting events. 

Creating experiences is one of my gifts and I truly believe that you can be of service when you start sharing them. When you come to Paris with me, first of all, you are changing contexts, which is powerful to begin with. There is no way, you have the same thoughts, the same left turn to your office, the same true and tried way of workflows when you are eating a pastry at Odette. Or gazing up at the Rodin sculptures in the Rodin Garden. You just can’t. Your perspective has to shift,. You have also created white space where there was none before. To think to strategize. So let’s write that e book. Let’s draft that TedTalk. Lets find that one thing you will be known for. 

Visit my favorite places in Paris.

Le Meurice

Louvre

Chanel

This moment will never replicate itself again

The people won’t come together in this denomination again

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in the core program that sits at the center of my business model. The Mastermind teaches you exactly how to build a powerful person brand and the mindset to support it. It culminates in a keynote in front of an audience at the end.
   
   I only enroll for this program once a year.
   
   The waitlist is open for the Class of 2026.
   
   
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a free download here with scripts (15,000 downloaded)
   
   
3. Help! I need confidence! ****Join 2500 people in taking my mini-public speaking Masterclass. Learn to organize a compelling talk and my framework for making it super easy.

In this audio you will get, 

• How I come up with event ideas
• How to get high quality attendees (and low drop out rates)
• How to add value on the spot

Over the last 10 years, I’ve built a business mastermind with an element of adventure. 

My mission is to help women build a powerful personal brand.

I help both corporate women and business owners tell better stories about themselves

I am the founder of the Women’s Leadership Lab.

My portfolio

• I am the founder and CEO of the Women’s Leadership Lab, a 12 month business mastermind with a goal to build a powerful personal brand, culminating in a keynote in front of an audience
• I work with women seeking a promotion to the C Suite
• I work with business owners who need to tell better stories to get clients
• I work with women to pitch to investors
• I work with former executives launching consultancies 
• I work with artists looking to command a higher price point in the market, by telling better stories
• I help women land their paid keynote

My results

• 1 Got the job with a 15% pay bump
• 1 got the promotion to the C Suite with a 10% pay bump
• 1 built a $50MM real estate fund
• 1 said ‘yes’ to live television interviews
• 1 got her first check for her startup from the community
• 1 went from commanding $500 to $5000 for her art
• 9K followers on LinkedIn
• 8K followers on Instagram
• 5K followers on Facebook

If you want to learn more about how I built this, you can download my 8 steps

Go here: https://joyadass.lpages.co/how-to-build-a-powerful-personal-brand-and-how-i-did-it/

If you want to explore 1:1 coaching or consulting, you can go to my website.

www.joyadass.com

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in the core program that sits at the center of my business model. The Mastermind teaches you exactly how to build a powerful person brand and the mindset to support it. It culminates in a keynote in front of an audience at the end.
   
   I only enroll for this program once a year.
   
   The waitlist is open for the Class of 2026.
   
   
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a free download here with scripts (15,000 downloaded)
   
   
3. Help! I need confidence! ****Join 2500 people in taking my mini-public speaking Masterclass. Learn to organize a compelling talk and my framework for making it super easy.

In this discussion, let's talk about why women lack confidence in leadership roles and how to change the narrative. 

Carol will discuss: 
- Why confidence continues to hinder women leaders
- How to remove the "We" and believe in "You" 
- The importance of advocacy and support
- Why "Bragging" matters to your success
- How to start your own rumors @ work and in business
- The impact of verbal cues
- Becoming the leader you are meant to be 

Carol Sankar is an international R&D advisor, investor & founder of the Confidence Factor for Women. Her research has been featured at The University of Miami, Harvard University, Columbia Business School, Facebook, and more.

In addition, Carol has been featured in numerous publications, media outlets, and conferences; including recent features in Forbes, SXSW, Essence, Entrepreneur, TEDx, The Steve Harvey Show, The TODAY Show, and Inc. Magazine.

Carol holds a Political Science & International History degree from Hofstra University in New York. Sankar also has earned several professional certifications; including but not limited to, NYS Notary Public, The American Bar Association Intellectual Property Executive certification from Long Island University, and an American Political Science Fellow.

Today, Carol is an active real estate investor, bestselling author & writer, advisor, and the founder of The Confidence Factor for Women in Leadership, which is an executive firm for women leaders and one of the leading global negotiation training platforms for women entitled Increase Your Ask. In addition, she is a leadership contributor for Inc., and Entrepreneur. 

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in the core program that sits at the center of my business model. The Mastermind teaches you exactly how to build a powerful person brand and the mindset to support it. It culminates in a keynote in front of an audience at the end.
   
   I only enroll for this program once a year.
   
   The waitlist is open for the Class of 2026.
   
   
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a free download here with scripts (15,000 downloaded)
   
   
3. Help! I need confidence! ****Join 2500 people in taking my mini-public speaking Masterclass. Learn to organize a compelling talk and my framework for making it super easy.

Join Joya in discussion with Ruth Bernstein of YARD to find out how you can build your brand in a manner that will result in engaged clients. They will discuss 6 key points to consider:
*Go to the heart of your brand and identify its purpose and core values
*Determine your brand’s aspirations and potential challenges
*Understand the difference between target audience and brand muse
*Focus on how your audience is feeling in this moment, and how they will be feeling when they will be purchasing your product or service
*Meet your audience where they are
*Utilize your real life experiences for inspiration

Ruth Bernstein is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at YARD NYC. As CEO, Ruth leads the strategy team and blends insight, intuition and intellect into an uncanny ability to see straight to the heart of each and every brand. Whether it’s problem-solving, uncovering brand equity and purpose, or foreseeing untapped potential, she is constantly connecting the dots, and using her keen awareness of the landscape to carve out the right road for every client. Prior to co-founding Yard NYC in 2002, Ruth worked with Robert Redford as his brand guardian for the Sundance brand (including the channel, film festival, catalog and resort & spa), and was a Senior Strategist at Tattoo in San Francisco. She has worked with such brands as Gillette, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Colgate, Discovery Channel and Cirque du Soleil.

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in the core program that sits at the center of my business model. The Mastermind teaches you exactly how to build a powerful person brand and the mindset to support it. It culminates in a keynote in front of an audience at the end.
   
   I only enroll for this program once a year.
   
   The waitlist is open for the Class of 2026.
   
   
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a free download here with scripts (15,000 downloaded)
   
   
3. Help! I need confidence! ****Join 2500 people in taking my mini-public speaking Masterclass. Learn to organize a compelling talk and my framework for making it super easy.

In times of volatile change, resilient leaders will be able to plan, adapt, and thrive.  Resilience is a key factor to the success of individuals and teams and helps to maintain a sense of mental well-being even in the midst of chaos.

Join us as we discuss the 5 Practices of Highly Resilient People. Find out which ones you may possess and which ones you and your team may need to cultivate:
1. Vulnerability
2. Productive Perseverance
3. Connection
4. Grati-osity (don't worry--join us and learn the meaning)
5. Possibility

Dr. Taryn Marie Stejskal (pronounced Stay-skull) is the Founder and Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) of Resilience Leadership Institute (RLI), she is recognized #1 international expert on resilience, mental health, and wellbeing in both leadership and life, whose mission is to positively impact the lives of 1 billion people, by enhancing hope, healing, and health as well as enhanced consciousness through the practices of resilience. Her work has been featured by Fox and NBC News, Bloomberg Business, Thrive Global, and Forbes. LA Progressive magazine calls her “the go-to person” and “a secret weapon” for people who want to find and maintain their edge as well as rise above the competition.

Her book entitled The Five Practices of Highly Resilient People: Why some flourish when others fold is set to release in March of 2023, and her online course, Flourish is available now!

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Join the Samita Lab Mastermind. Join 7 other women leaders in the core program that sits at the center of my business model. The Mastermind teaches you exactly how to build a powerful person brand and the mindset to support it. It culminates in a keynote in front of an audience at the end.
   
   I only enroll for this program once a year.
   
   The waitlist is open for the Class of 2026.
   
   
2. The Anatomy of a 'No' If you’re struggling to say ‘no’ gracefully at work, I created a free download here with scripts (15,000 downloaded)
   
   
3. Help! I need confidence! ****Join 2500 people in taking my mini-public speaking Masterclass. Learn to organize a compelling talk and my framework for making it super easy.