Making Space for Conversations That Matter with Laura Prisc

Every day, we are faced with numerous choices… who we're going to be, how we're going to show up, what we'll do or not do, what to wear, what to eat, where to go… some days it literally feels endless, and perhaps even overwhelming.

But it's important, sometimes crucial, even, for you to recognize that the choice truly is yours.

In this week's episode, Laura shares some personal stories, insights, and ideas on how many choices we are faced with daily and how even indecision is a choice. The consequences may be minimal or monumental, but it's hard to choose correctly when operating on autopilot.

Truly, the choice is yours… and I hope you'll make it, purposely, thoughtfully, intentionally… with consideration for the potential outcomes, choosing that which is most desirable and aligned with what you are hoping to create in the world.

Laura's Bio

If you're not already familiar with her and are curious about who Laura is, what she believes, and what she feels called to create in the world, take a few minutes to peruse her website, read her blog, and listen to the other podcast episodes posted there. www.lauraprisc.com

You can also find her here: Schedule a complimentary consultation

Laura by email

Request a copy of her book – Are Your Leaders Wide Awake?

LinkedIn

On Facebook

Wise advice: Learn from those who have actually experienced what you're experiencing and have successfully found a path forward. When it comes to loving yourself and your body – exactly as you are, and it is, today – Teddey has been there and done that!

As she shares her story with Host, Laura Prisc, Teddey says, "I used to think: There's something wrong with me and my body." She didn't fit the cultural expectations for who she was supposed to be. "I felt like I couldn't get my life started… I was dancing around opportunities and doing all the things I 'should' do to change my body, but it wasn't working."

Teddey was on a destructive 'binge-restrict' cycle, filled with shame and guilt, when she heard someone speaking about what she had been experiencing, realized it was something 'real' that others were struggling with, as well, and she began her path to healing through an intensive therapy program.

She learned to be kind to herself; to develop and follow more nourishing eating habits and other ways of taking real care of herself. In the process, she worked through and healed a lot of old trauma.

Today, she works with women experiencing similar challenges. She uses Reiki, Tapping, and other energetic work along with coaching to help her clients heal themselves.

Laura and Teddey discuss how our culture has normalized a lot of insane beliefs and practices that are so damaging. It's a deep and rich conversation and hopefully will inspire you to want to come back into yourself and live a more purposeful life.

Teddey's Bio: Teddey Hicks is the Food & Body Love Coach. She runs a membership for ambitious women who want an easy and affordable way to stop battling food and develop the confidence to live their best lives and make the money they deserve in the bodies they have right now. Teddey is an intuitive eating coach trained in Reiki, EFT, and hypnosis, and uses all these tools to help her members achieve peace with food and self-confidence.

Connect with Teddey: Teddey Online Teddey's Group on Facebook

Begin with the end in mind. This is sage advice: Discern what it is you are trying to create. Cast a vision and articulate it clearly. Once you've done that, you can craft a plan that culminates in the achievement of that goal and one that allows you to "start well."

This is the jumping off point for today's episode, a meaningful conversation with Consultant, Don Davis. Davis worked for many years in GE, helping start-ups come to life. As he was contemplating what he wanted to do with his life and work long-term, he recognized he is energized by the entrepreneurial geniuses – people with high energy, curiosity, and a strong growth focus – and wanted to continue working with them. Hence, his consulting firm.

He notes that 90% of businesses die within their first 10 years and goes on to share some of the wisdom he's accumulated over the course of his career. He and host, Laura Prisc, dive deep into some of those areas, including casting vision, knowing your own strengths, how to build a thriving team, knowing how and from where to receive sound advice, and more.

This is the kind of expertise and insight he offers his consulting clients… and you can benefit from it simply by listening to today's episode, then follow the links below to get connected with Don.

Don's Bio:

Don Davis, president and principal of 5280 Life Sciences Consulting, is an expert operations leader with a 30-year career in healthcare and life sciences. After decades of working for companies like GE, BD, and Roche, Don now helps others improve their operational excellence, program and project management, analytics and KPIs, and IT systems and infrastructure, resulting in increased profitability and improved ability to scale their organizations.

Connect with Don: Don on LinkedIn Don Online

Don's Podcast

For Laura McRae Hitchcock, art is a shared experience. The artist begins with a blank canvas (whatever that material or medium might be) and pulls in his or her creativity to create something from nothing. "It's all energy," she explains. "I use my whole body when I paint, and my paintings are infused with my energy."

And if you had a sneak peek into her studio as she's preparing canvases, you'd see she's also infusing them with prayers for the viewers – and eventual owners – of her paintings. On the blank canvases, she writes prayers for safety, blessing, joy, love, and more… and then she preps for paint. You may not know it's there, but you'll feel it when you see it!

For her, making art is a deeply spiritual act and it's her way of getting out of herself. She grew up feeling shy and sensitive; recognizing it was getting in the way of her being more fully in the world – to experience it and to impact it – and art has been her way of breaking through those barriers.

Through this conversation, Laura and Laura also dive into the idea and experience of "thin spaces" – the places where it feels as if heaven and earth are both right there and you have this heightened awareness of there being so much more than what you see. Laura shares the inspiration of her Nest Series of paintings as being her recognition she could no longer directly control how safe her children are in the world, as they've grown and moved out.

If you've ever had a heartfelt or truly visceral reaction to a piece of art, you'll appreciate this conversation and a view into the heart and thoughts of the artist.

Laura's Bio

Laura McRae Hitchcock is an award winning, internationally collected visual artist living and working in the low country of South Carolina. She is also a partner and founder of Wild Hair Adventures, a travel company specializing in art workshops and retreats and "traveling like girls."

Her paintings move between realism and the abstract, in much the same way she moves between the physical experience of being human and remembering who she is as spirit. She believes that artwork creates a portal in which the artist holds space for the viewer to experience the energy of the intention of the art. Through those shared experiences, art heals the heart and soul...whether one does the creating or the looking and appreciating.

Laura lives on a barrier island near Charleston, SC, with her husband of 35 years, and a sweet cocker spaniel named Gunner. She enjoys painting (of course!), spending time with her grown children and 1st grandchild, travel, exploring new places and ideas, collecting lovely sticks, rocks and shells, and gathering with other people for collaboration and celebration.

Connect with Laura:

Laura's Art Online

Laura on Instagram

Laura on Facebook

Wild Hair Adventures ("travel like girls"!)

While Jeff poses that very question at a later point in today's Conversation, first Jeff and Laura explore one of the more common threads of discussion around leadership, which starts with the fundamental question: What's the difference between management and leadership? Today's conversation dives in with this and an insightful discussion about the activities, tasks, nuances, and expectations for leaders unfolds as Jeff and Laura explore and share their ideas and experiences.

As Jeff has depth of expertise and experience working with CEOs in Healthcare start-ups, the two also dig into the struggles many entrepreneurs face, and both work through with their respective clients – the truth that sometimes the creative genius that conceives and idea for a product, service, or enterprise is not the person who is actually best equipped to carry that idea forward and build a solid, thriving business around.

It's important to recognize one's unique gifts, strengths, and contributions… to do the work only you can do in whatever enterprise you're engaged in, and know that sometimes the best next thing you can do is hand it off to someone else to manage the day to day, or do the marketing and promotion that will allow your creation to shine in the marketplace. This is a tough realization for many, and others understand it intuitively.

Jeff shares some of the questions he asks his clients to allow them to work through their own thinking with greater clarity about what roles they play, how they want to show up in those roles, what others need or want from them. Truly, this is the fundamental work for all of us, and crucial to effective, powerful leadership.

Laura and Jeff discuss life, work, authenticity, Lego, stress-relieving practices, and much more on today's episode.

Jeff's Bio

Before becoming a full-time coach and consultant, Jeff spent over 25 years working for some of the most innovative organizations in health care, financial services and employee benefits as both a lawyer and executive. He started out as a hard-charging law firm lawyer and chronic overachiever who had to be the smartest and most accomplished person in the room.

Jeff recognized he needed to change when a series of panic attacks threatened to derail him. In the mid-90s, he began to practice meditation, and later yoga, as a way to cope more effectively with his high stress career. As his practices began to take root, he began a path of deep psychospiritual study that continues to this day.

Jeff discovered to his great surprise that his stress nearly vanished as he got more present. He also saw that as he let go of his need to be the smartest person in the room, the people he led somehow became more responsive and capable! As he continued to work on his own development, he dedicated himself to learning to teach others the leadership skills that he had considered innate (and at one point, beyond him). His Creating Extraordinary Futures process is the culmination of his learning thus far.

Jeff has worked personally with internationally known spiritual teachers and coaches such as Peter Fenner, Jack Pransky, Rich Litvin, and Doug Silsbee. He is a Certified Presence-BasedTM Coach and has been awarded ACC certification with the International Coach Federation.

After 13 years in Chicago and almost two decades in Washington, DC, Jeff now lives near Aspen, CO, with his wife and family.

Connect with Jeff and Other Resources:

Jeff Munn Online

Jeff on LinkedIn

Understand Your Builder Profile

Connect with Laura to Understand Your Builder Profile!

The Art of the Brick – Nathan Sawaya

Shannon Pickering is a warrior, a bright light in the world, a wise woman, and gifted coach in numerous areas. Laura and Shannon met when they were both in DC for a week, earning their Gallup Strengths Coaching Certifications several years ago. Since then, Shannon's life has been a bit of a roller coaster ride, and the two women dive deeply into what happened, how it happened, and how we all might learn something from Shannon's story and not have to experience the same things. Shannon began her professional life as a Psychologist, which was great in some ways and destructive in others. Feeling lost and longing for something she couldn't quite define, she shifted into corporate life, ending up in sales. Each of these roles and experiences fed some things, filled some needs, and cut off others. "My mind, body, and spirit just got sicker and sicker, and yet I continued to ignore the signs," she explains. "Even after I was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases, I ignored it and denied it." Until one day, Shannon was leading a full-day workshop and some of the participants expressed concern as they thought she looked unwell. She denied it, eventually collapsed, and was transported to the Emergency Department in an ambulance! "I wish I'd listened sooner," she said. "I very nearly died before I was willing to listen…" Laura explains the idea that our bodies, minds, and spirits are always whispering to us, guiding us, expressing needs and concerns… and if we don't tune in, don't listen, don't heed what we are hearing, we will eventually get walloped with the proverbial 2x4 upside the head! What Shannon experienced is not uncommon. Our inner talents and unique gifts long to be expressed in the world, allowing us to add value and be of service. When we don't find healthy outlets in which to contribute, we shut ourselves down and a destructive cycle begins… which eventually plays out in very real mental, physical, and spiritual illness. Gallup training was the catalytic experience for Shannon; she finally found a place where her passion and talent collided: She could step into her giftedness, serve at a high level, and move forward with greater clarity about her life and work. And then she experienced some very real and significant resistance: Systemic Lupus – attacking her entire body, including her DNA! At 43 years old, she received what is commonly a death sentence, but she was determined to fight. Learning everything she could about how to heal and nurture her body, her being… she re-emerged and began building a thriving coaching practice. Only to be walloped again with a cancer diagnosis – Stage 3! Laura notes that it's consistent with doing powerful work in the world; the closer we get to expressing that thing we are called to bring forward, the more resistance we experience. Its explained in Steven Pressfield's The War of Art. The conversation shifts somewhat to more depth into the natural hard-wired strengths both women work to uncover, define, and bring to life in their clients. Shannon expresses the idea that the thing we are criticized the most for, is likely the thing we are meant to share with the world. To hear their deeper insights and encouragement for how you can show up more fully and authentically in your life, listen in and then check out these links: Shannon on Facebook and Instagram @AutoimmuneFoodie Shannon's Website Online health and wellbeing classes for women The War of Art The Freak Factor Laura's Strengths Coaching Shannon's Bio My life has truly been a journey. I am hard-wired for achievement and for many years I worshiped at that alter. I reached every goal I set my sights on attaining, achieving great success in both the clinical and corporate worlds. On the clinical side, I have been a practicing psychologist and career counselor, and I taught psychology at a university. While this was a fulfilling career in many ways, it wasn't satisfying enough in terms of achievement. So, I jumped into corporate life and for the next 15 years, I held roles in sales, national training, and management for a Global Fortune 500 company. While my inner Achiever was being fed, my inner Empath was suffering. And what no one knew was that I had been suffering with very serious illness for 30 years. You see, by the time I was 44, I had been diagnosed with 7 autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus. I had endured many surgeries, hospitalizations, and procedures, and I had too many doctors and prescriptions to count. My defining characteristic is perseverance: My motto has always been "obstacles fear me." I prided myself on pushing through any adversity. So, I just kept pushing my way through illness after illness, living in fear of anyone finding out that I had a weakness in the form of health issues. What I discovered the hard way is that if you don't take care of your mind and body and soul, your body will shut you down for maintenance. And by 2014, my body was trying to shut me down permanently. Lupus was attacking my GI tract, my heart and lungs, even my DNA (which is terrifying because you can't get a DNA transplant). I was completely disabled, I had to retire from corporate life, and I was convinced I would die soon. I was told I needed to start taking chemo and steroids for the rest of life and I needed to accept the relentless progression that lupus was going to make through my body. And do you know what happened next? I said, "To heck with that!" If there was a way out of the inevitable, I was going to find it. So started the next chapter of my life: I spent the next 5 years studying mind-body-spirit wellness and I successfully clawed my life back from the abyss. After 4 years of healing, I was ready to begin a new career. Which is when I was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer. And the rug was once again yanked out from under me. But I accepted the challenge and I am happy to say that as of the end of 2019, I am free of both cancer and autoimmune disease. I don't even have autoimmune antibodies, which is truly a miracle. And what I treasure today is very different than what I treasured in the past. I am truly grateful for my journey. Facing death has allowed me to truly blossom and release my gifts to the world. During my illness, I obtained several life and health coaching certifications and I am now in my third and final career as a Performance & Wellbeing Coach, the magical career where my strengths and passion collide. My mission is to help people reach greater levels of performance and wellness in their critical work and life roles through improved self-regulation, interdependent communication, and radical heath restoration. My passions include helping people unleash their authenticity, transform suffering into purpose, and achieve true mind-body-spirit wellness so they can release their unique God-given genius into the world. My journey has taught me that having mental, physical, or spiritual illness will prevent you from becoming who you were created to be. I have learned there is something of a blindness in our society to the rich variety of human talents. I meet people every day who believe they have no special abilities or genius talents. Well, I am here to tell you, definitively, that you are unique among all people who have ever lived or ever will live. You have genius talents that are both easy to use and obvious to see if you only know where to look. You are, indeed, a very special snowflake. My passion and purpose is to help people achieve holistic wellness so they are free to pursue their passion and their purpose - because the world craves each of our unique contributions.

"You can't do that." "You have to do it this way!" "You can't be good at all of that, you have to choose just one…" While he doesn't come out and say it that explicitly, these are all messages Christian Del Rosario likely heard – and, thankfully, ignored – on the way to developing the artistry he creates with his cameras. You see, Christian is one of those rare photographers who is able to apply his unique vision and ability to capture the true essence of his subject – be that a person, animal, object, landscape, or structure – and share it with others in the resultant photo. Truly, he is an artist. And his joy and gratitude for being able to combine his three major passions into his life's work is evident in his smile, his voice, and the energy he exudes, whether in person or on a podcast recording line. Today, Laura invites Christian to tell the story of how he showed up, said "yes" to opportunity, and created his dream life – traveling the world, working with interesting and fun people, taking breathtaking photographs, and spending time with and supporting animals along the way. Like many other entrepreneurs – and especially in the artist's arena – Christian didn't fully grasp the value of what he creates, early on in his work. He often shared his expertise for free, because it came so easily to him and he simply loved to get to do it. He also was wise to continue upgrading his skills, expertise, and tools, so he was able to continually upgrade his offer to those who saw the value he created through his lens. "I try to interpret the view… to see the shot and understand the experience someone else will have when they see the photos I produce," explained Christian, when Laura asked him to share what he sees and feels as he frames a shot. And if you've ever seen his photos, you know he's truly gifted at it; his intent is evident in his results. While he's been working as a professional photographer for 11 years, it was only a few years ago when he really gathered his thoughts, got strategic, and focused more clearly on how to continue building the life he desires and that allows him to feed and support his three passions. To-date, he's experienced 75 countries around the world doing work for a variety of individuals and organizations, including the national travel bureaus in several countries, the United Nations World Tourism Assembly, and other organizations near and far. In fact, just after finishing recording this episode, he was headed for the airport and jetting off to Dallas, Madrid, and London for work (play?!). Listen in on today's conversation, and you'll be intrigued to take a look at life through Christian's lens: Instagram at thechristiandelrosario.com Facebook at Christian Del Rosario and Christian Del Rosario Photography Websites Christian Del Rosario / Attreo Studio Galleries and African Safari 2020 Christian's Bio Christian combines his passion for photography with his love for travel, animals, and inspiring people. In 2008, Christian decided to follow his passion and make a career shift from the corporate world into professional photography as a full-time career. What started as a pastime has progressed into a very successful business serving clients of industry sectors. Christian has had the distinct honor to work with the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Tourism Boards of several countries, well known restaurants, coffee companies, magazines, top self-development companies, charitable organizations, and of course -- all his friends who have pets. When he's not writing about himself in the third person or not carrying a camera, Christian likes to go walking with his three dogs, growing Japanese maples in his backyard, and advocating for animals. He's most proud of his experience in learning many different cultures and loves to encourage people to travel through his photographs. He lives in California and wants to have an animal rescue farm one day.

Leading others isn't easy, nor is it always a comfortable experience, hence not for the faint of heart. In today's episode, podcast host, Laura Prisc, shares some insights about and one example of when a leader actively – but most likely unintentionally – undermines his or her position, perhaps because their insecurities have gotten the better of them.

Laura's Bio

If you're not already familiar with her and are curious about who Laura is, what she believes, and what she feels called to create in the world, take a few minutes to peruse her website, read her blog, and listen to the other podcast episodes posted there. www.lauraprisc.com

You can also find her here: Schedule a complimentary consultation

Laura by email

Request a copy of her book – Are Your Leaders Wide Awake?

LinkedIn

On Facebook

Over the course of his adulthood, Dave Dean has owned, built, been involved with, bought, sold, or closed 37 businesses; ~11 of them are still in his care today. It all started when as a young man, Dave bought the company his dad started but lost through receivership when it failed. He 'arrogantly' (by his own measure!) thought he could do it better. The experience was the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of learning, exploring, discovering, building, and releasing numerous businesses. Fueled by his strengths (Laura is certain he has Input, Learner, Futuristic, Strategic, Connectedness, and Relator in his top 10!), he thinks of himself as a "business butterfly," preferring the idea of being a 'business explorer – builder' to the term 'entrepreneur.' When he becomes intrigued by an idea, he dives in and becomes immersed until his curiosity is satisfied. Often, what that means is his giftedness is in seeing opportunity, crafting a vision, designing the big picture concept of how something can be, and then handing off the daily operations and detail work to someone more interested and gifted in handling those aspects of the process. He says he was blessed when he met the man who would become an invaluable business partner while dropping off and picking up his young twin sons at school 20+ years ago! Darren's skills and interests complement Dave's nicely and together they are supremely more productive and effective. It's a perspective and process they share with clients in the Mastermind groups they facilitate, teaching other business owners how to think bigger, explore new ideas, expand their reach, and build satisfying work. Having experienced mentors has been another key to Dave's success over the years; one has to be aware of those who are achieving the success you desire and be willing to learn from their experience, adapting it to your own needs and situations along the way. Today's conversation covers a broad range of ideas and topics associated with business including using style and strengths assessments (DiSC, StrengthsFinder, Gallup Builder Profile) within your team, the difference between having a business idea and actually being able to bring it to life (understanding the strengths of the team you need to bring along with you), and how to create real freedom in your life. Nearing the end, Dave shares a story of a current endeavor – working closely with an artisanal chocolatier who is brilliant within his craft, but not as aware of or skilled with the numerous daily tasks and responsibilities of running a growing business. When I asked Dave for his Bio, here's what he shared with me… "What the hell have you done?" my wife was a little suspicious as I handed her the bunch of flowers... As it turns out her suspicions were correct, I'd just quit my job as a systems analyst and borrowed £13,000 to buy my father's failed print finishing business from the liquidators. If I'm honest, that may well have been the first nail in the coffin of my first marriage. That was the start of my entrepreneurial journey, now fast forward to today... As a visionary and strategist, I enjoy starting and working with others to start new ventures from the ground up and then handing them over to my management teams to run day-to-day because they're usually better than me at doing that! I've started, developed and grown over 30 small businesses in many different sectors! Fact is, I love doing what I do and was once described as a "serial entrepreneur"... though I'm not sure whether that was a compliment or not? One of my mentors, John Maxwell, says "Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn!" Well, that's certainly been the case for me. I've had several failures in business - some of them catastrophic, but every one of them provided valuable lessons and helped me grow and develop. This development led me to realize I had experiences valuable to others in similar situations, but I didn't know how I could help them. The solution presented itself in 2011, when I joined LEAD Wales and experienced coaching for the first time. My coaching journey progressed and led to my earning ICF accreditation then Certification by the US-based, John Maxwell Team. The result: My team and I have launched an exclusive co-working space and business club for entrepreneurs who want to develop themselves so they can, in turn, develop their staff and their businesses. Come visit us in Llantrisant (UK) and see what all the fuss is about - contact me to arrange a visit. Resources discussed and connect with Dave here: Dave on Facebook Dave on LinkedIn 729 Renegades Mastermind Groups Priority VA Culture Wins

We don't always know whom we are meant to be when we are young, but if we are observant, there are clues everywhere. For Libby Scheele, they were obvious in her fascination with color and texture and a variety of materials that could be used in artistic endeavors. When she didn't have 'real' art supplies, she expressed her creativity by arranging rocks and sticks. Today, her work is much more sophisticated, as are her tools… even though they are the basics of an artist: high quality pigmented paints, good paper, sharp pencils, brushes, and permission to take the time required to allow the vision in her mind to emerge. Libby studied art at university, but then was married and had three small children at home; there wasn't time or space for art. But then she was introduced to the concept of an 'artist's date' by a friend who further encouraged her to carve out some space in her home that was just for her. She did; it was in the furnace room! Not ideal, but it worked… and today she has a more spacious studio room in the home she shares with husband, Paul. In today's episode, Laura and Libby have an animated and sometimes emotional conversation about how their inner artists called to them, spoke to them, and finally drew them out into the act of creation, even though in the beginning you sometimes have to 'do it afraid.' It was also one of the things that drew them to each other at their first meeting. Libby describes it as a "spark when you're in space with another artist." Libby shares the story of wanting to create art so badly that she called an artist and asked for a job as her assistant even though she had no experience, no portfolio… just an undeniable desire to learn and a willingness to do whatever it took to move forward. You'll want to listen in as she shares stories of pivotal moments in her growth and awakening as an artist, of the investments she continues to make in working with artists further along the path who are doing work she admires and longs to do herself, and of how important it's been to find her own creative style, rhythm, and arena. While Libby would feel compelled to sketch and paint regardless, she is currently driven by an altruistic impulse to create a body of work for her collectors that will, in turn, help to pay off the medical bills of a family member. If you're interested in learning more about Libby and the things she and Laura discussed today, check out these links: [email protected] The Artist's Way Jeffrey Hurinenko – Old Master Techniques Joe Paquet – Plein Air Landscape Painter Libby's Bio By age 5, it was obvious that Libby was fascinated with color and the world around her. Her parents would often find her sitting outside, patiently watching the sunset, exclaiming that "indigo was the next color." A retired art teacher, Neola Johnson, became her first mentor at age 8. Neola would ask her questions such as "what is beauty?" and "what is art?" These questions became the start of a passionate search for answers, which of course always led to more questions. Libby attended the University of Minnesota, majoring in Art Education. She spent many years sharing her love of art with children in schools and summer camps. In 1995, she began a career as a mural painter having been trained by muralist Tricia Farrell. It was a joy to bring her client's artistic dreams and wishes to life. In 2007, she continued her fine art studies at the Hurinenko & Paquet Studio, learning Old Master portrait painting and plein air painting. Libby is a member of the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota and the Minnesota Figure Study Collaborative.