Shed The Formality

The more I've tried to fit in and the less I've tried to be myself, the less successful I've been. - Julie Beckham

Meet Julie Beckham

Not everyone thinks personal finance is a topic to sing and dance about but today's guest, Julie Beckham, has made a career out of it! 

Julie is the Financial Education Officer at Rockland Trust Bank where she creates and implements engaging and entertaining financial education programming for the whole family; from students to seniors. 

Her flagship program, Ms. Money & the Coins, is a musical about saving, sharing and spending money and has been performed more than 450 times to over 70,000 elementary school students since 2011. 

Her latest project, the No Shame in this Money Game podcast, breaks down personal finance topics in an easy to listen to and learn format for adults.

Don't back down from who you are. Every unique person brings their value through their passion. - Julie Beckham

On this episode, Stacey & Julie talk about...

• What Julie wanted to be when she grew up and how it plays out today (3:40)
• From acting to banking and how acting plays a big part in her work today (6:44)
• How acting helped Julie stand up straight and speak up for herself (11:45)
• How stifling your creativity doesn't serve anyone & dealing with rejection when "you are the product" (22:16)
• On overcoming feeling like a fish out of water in corporate setting (27:10)
• Biggest formality Julie had to shed - concept of fitting in (37:10)
• Being OK saying, "I'm lucky and love my work (40:10)

Get in touch with Julie

No Shame in the Money Game Podcast

LinkedIn

 

In a leadership role, you need to get people to open up to you. Dig in. - Jen Paxton

Meet Jen Paxton

With a master's degree in Opera, Jen Paxton didn't think she would have a career in Talent Acquisition, however, she fell in love with helping candidates find the right role.

She started her career at a recruiting firm placing technical professionals, then after a few years moved in-house. She has grown teams at later stage startups like Fiksu and LevelUp and built Recruiting and PeopleOps strategies from scratch at small startups like Logentries and TrueMotion.

Jen is currently at Privy, an eCommerce Marketing platform that helps small and growing brands get from $0 to $1 million in online sales, as their VP of People+Talent. She focuses on building a company that employees and candidates love.

On this episode Stacey & Jen talk about...

• What Jen wanted to be when she grew up (2:30)
• Jen's move from opera singer to people & talent (6:30)
• Formalities Jen had to shed when making her career change (11:34)
• Perfection as a disservice to self (14:34)
• Making the shift from leading self to leading others and maintaining good company culture (19:13)
• The clash of data and people ( 22:30)
• Psychological safety, emotional well-being and building trust in a "get down to business" workplace (24:30)
• How do you measure trust and maintain it in a pandemic/virtual world? (31:37)
• Dealing with employee loneliness, burnout, boundaries, Zoom exhaustion and other struggles in a pandemic world. (35:30)
• How Jen is managing her own well-being (40:50)
• The biggest formality Jen had to shed to get to where she is now (43:10)

Connect with Jen Paxton

On LinkedIn

It's scary to step out of the status quo. Choose your hard. - Kiana Estevez

Meet Kiana Estevez

Kiana is an Afro-Latina entrepreneur who is determined to create inclusive and empathetic solutions through food experiences. She created Aisle Mine, a social food movement, empowering people to step outside of their comfort zones, and equalizing cultural differences through community experience.

It's more than a cooking class, it's a life skills class which offers the kind of education a human being needs. We help guests reclaim mindfulness into their day, so they can lean towards culture in an accessible way with even more people and perspective at the table.

Kiana is building a new standard as an equitable profit sharing ecosystem for foodie and eaters.

 

 

On this episode Stacey & Kiana talk about...

• What she wanted to be when she grew up (3:00)
• Making a career shift due to the pandemic (5:48)
• Stepping away from the status quo and the beliefs holding her back (8:28)
• Dropping old beliefs, learning new ones and calling yourself out on your own stuff (18:10)
• You can only lead as far as you've gone (24:00)
• What lead her to start aisle nine/business in a pandemic (27:39)
• Vision & offerings for Aisle Mine (33:00)
• Will she continue to offer programs online when it's safe to gather again? (35:02)
• The shift from working on the inside promoting someone else's brand to promoting her own brand (36:45)
• The biggest formality Kiana had to shed in order to get to where she is today (39:30)
• How she takes care of herself and avoids burnout (41:30)

Connect with Kiana Estevez & Aisle Mine

Aisle Mine Website

Aisle Mine on Instagram

Surrounding yourself with the right people as a business owner and how to stand out. That's what this week's guest, Kate Stallings, talks about on this episode of Shed The Formality.

Meet Kate Stallings, Kate Creative Media

Kate started behind the scenes on small web hosting projects for local businesses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and quickly became a go-to professional for website solutions. Her company specializes in tailored web design and marketing solutions for businesses across the country, specifically in the trades and manufacturing industries.

In 2019, Kate was named among the "Most Influential Entrepreneurs of 2019 as Compared to Amazon's Jeff Bezos" on Yahoo Finance and Nasdaq and she appeared as a featured guest on Radio Entrepreneurs in Natick, MA.

Connect with Kate

Kate's Web Design Website

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

Follow Kate on Instagram

On this episode Stacey and Kate talk about...

• What Kate wanted to be when she grew up and how it plays out in her work today (2:00)
• Biggest struggles as a business owner (not sharing ideas with clients) and how she moved through it (11:40)
• Standing out in a highly competitive web design industry - focus matters (17:56)
• On niching yourself and saying no to business that doesn't fit (22:00)
• Let's talk about self care for the entrepreneur (27:14)
• The importance of relationships & collaboration (30:00)
• Biggest formality she had to shed to step into who she is now (32:00)

Self leadership and leading a kick ass life are the theme's of today's podcast with guest Elaine Blais.

Meet Elaine Blais, Life Coach & Author

Elaine believes you have the power to change your life. 

After 25 years in corporate, years of co-dependency, people pleasing, and perfectionism Elaine found her way back to herself. It wasn't easy and a lot of the 'picture perfect' life she had fell apart. It was dark, painful, and the most extraordinary gift.

Elaine's life is unrecognizable today…from graduating college, to traveling abroad, leaving her corporate career to following her passion, and starting a new relationship with a man that is truly a partner in life. You too can change your life. One, small step at a time.

In addition to coaching women, Elaine is the author of 3 Secrets to a Kick Ass Life.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Rhode Island where she also minored in gender and women's studies. Elaine completed her life coach training through Martha Beck Institute, is a Certified Meditation Facilitator with Centers for Spiritual Living and a spiritual leader and practitioner, and lives in Rhode Island with her Labradoodle, Gracie.

Connect with Elaine

Elaine's Coaching Website

Or email her Elaine (at) elaineblais (dot) com

On this episode Stacey and Elaine talk about...

A leader is someone willing to let others shine.  - Elaine Blais

• What she wanted to be (2:35)
• How Elaine defines "leader" (4:30)
• How Elaine got to where she is today & outgrowing a corporate settings & rules (6:20)
• Going back to school in her 50s (11:50)
• Self leadership(15:30)
• Feeling her emotions and seeing her real value (19:30)
• How Elaine found coaching and formalities she shed to do that (26:20)
• Expertise and imposter syndrome (28:30)
• Continuous Evolution and self-care (34:30)
• Self worth & how much we do (Be willing to suck and fail) (37:18)

Climbing the right [career] mountain and finding your inspired purpose are the themes of this episode of Shed The Formality with guest Tony Martignetti.

Meet Tony Martignetti, Leadership Coach

Tony Martignetti is a leadership coach, entrepreneur, idea generator, and a people connector. He brings together practical experience, formal training, and extreme curiosity, to elevate leaders and equip them with the tools to navigate through change and unlock their true potential.

He loves guiding people to find clarity in their lives, so they are energized, fully present, and unstoppable. When leaders unlock their potential and lead from a place of inspired purpose, they impact and inspire everyone around them. He has dedicated himself to helping people live an inspired life.

Before he became a coach, He was a finance and strategy professional with experience working with some of the world's leading life sciences companies. Along his journey, he also managed small businesses and ran a financial consulting company.

Tony is the host of The Virtual Campfire podcast and is currently writing his first book, "Climbing the Right Mountain: Navigating the Journey to An Inspired Life."

Connect with Tony

Tony's Coaching Website

https://linktr.ee/inspiredcoach

Connect with Tony on LinkedIn

Say hi on Facebook

Follow Tony on Instagram

On this episode Stacey and Tony talk about...

It's selfish for you not to sell. - Tony Martignetti

• Tony's big dreams and how they play out in his work today (3:53)
• Money, fulfillment and a corporate career (6:10)
• Marrying his love of science with the discipline of business (12:42)
• Beliefs and behaviors that held Tony back and how he dropped them (16:30)
• Losing himself, finding himself, using the past to become a powerful coach (21:16)
• Can you be a badass if you feel a range of emotions? (30:00)
• Getting comfortable with sales (33:30)
• The biggest formality Tony had to shed and how (40:10)

Applying small town leadership principles to big companies and reclaiming who you've always been are the themes of this episode with guest, Natalie Siston.

Meet Natalie Siston, Founder Small Town Leadership

Natalie's career has taken her from Silicon Valley to the Fortune 100 and into entrepreneurship, but being raised in Republic, OH (population 600) is where she learned her greatest leadership lessons. She uses these lessons learned from small town living to help leaders and organizations create big success in the world.

In addition to being a 10-year 4H member and repeat State Fair champion in public speaking, Natalie is a two-time graduate of The Ohio State University and Professional Coach accredited through the International Coach Federation. She has 20+ years of experience coaching, developing leaders, and strengthening teams in the non-profit, higher education, and corporate sectors. She works with both 1:1 and small group coaching clients to help them be more connected – to themselves, their work, families and communities. Natalie is a frequent speaker at leadership, university and corporate events.

Let Her Out: Reclaim Who You Have Always Been is Natalie's first book. It's where life story meets life coaching.

Natalie resides in Dublin, Ohio with her husband, Rob, and two young daughters.

Get in touch with Natalie

Book website: https://letherout.com

Coaching website: https://smalltownleadership.com

Connect on LinkedIn

Say hi on Facebook

Follow her on Instagram

On this episode, Stacey and Natalie talk about...

You have to do your own [inner] work before you can show up and help other people do their work. - Natalie Siston

• Natalie's big dreams as a young girl and how they play out in her work today (3:00)
• Developing Small Town Leadership (7:30)
• Making the shift from employee to business owner (11:50)
• Biting your tongue and stifling yourself (16:17)
• Guilt of resting, being still and formalities Natalie had to shed (20:00)
• First time author and "reclaiming who you've always been" (25:00)
• Lessons learned from writing the book (31:00)
• Putting herself out there and fear of promoting the book (38:39)
• Final thoughts - the most important beliefs/behaviors Natalie had to drop to get to where she is today (44:00)

Breaking the mold and doing what no one else is willing to do. That's what Philip Toussaint, founder of Ecopreneur Media talks about on this episode of Shed The Formality.

Meet Philip Toussaint

Combining the power, reach, and influence of the media industry, meet Philip Toussaint, the founder of Ecopreneur Media. He is an experienced brand strategist and marketer that has generated over $500K+ combined for his clients by the age of 23. He runs Ecopreneur, an environmental media platform that utilizes the power of video content to cause mobilization. With 4+ years in the digital marketing and environmental space, he brings a variety of experience and knowledge ready to effectively lead his team.

Reach out to Philip

https://ecopreneurmedia.com/

https://linktr.ee/ecopreneurphil

https://linktr.ee/ecopreneurmedia

On this episode, Stacey and Philip talk about...

• Philip's big dreams as a young boy and how that plays out today (3:55)
• Becoming an entrepreneur, creating a "brand" and self-funding your business (5:55)
• Brand vs Business and promoting a non-traditional business model (10:30)
• Imposter Syndrome (22:00)
• Putting yourself out there, finding mentors and community (29:00)
• How Philip keeps himself healthy and energized for his work (37:00)
• Biggest formality Philip had to shed to get to where he is today (43:00)

 

2020 brought change to lots of businesses and this week's guest is no exception. In this episode host Stacey Shipman talks to Steve Lichtman owner of two Fitness Together personal training studios in Massachusetts about adapting to change and using joint partnerships to promote your business.

Meet Steve Lichtman

Steve Lichtman is a seasoned business professional and strategist, with over 35 years of sales, marketing and management experience in company start-ups. He enjoys using his personal communication skills to develop mutually beneficial business and partner relationships.

While working in corporate America, Steve traveled extensively and was challenged to maintain a consistent exercise program. He found the support he needed and dramatically improved his health through the help of Fitness Together. After 2 years as a client, fitness became a lifestyle for Steve. He left corporate training for personal training, to help people become fit, active and lead a more healthy lifestyle.

Steve has over 15 years experience operating Fitness Together personal training studios. His certified team of fitness professionals takes a holistic approach, combining strength training and cardiovascular exercise with proper nutrition, to help people achieve measurable results.

Steve's newest joint venture is a partnership with Helios Health products. After experiencing and falling in love with Helios' all natural hand-crafted products, Steve contacted the founder with his idea to add CBD (cannabidiol) to their topicals. R&S Ventures is a natural extension of Steve's holistic approach to wellness. They are seeking holistic health and wellness professionals to help take their products to market.

Reach out to Steve

Fitness Together Norwell (Massachusetts) www.ftnorwell.com

CBD Wellness Shop - www.norwellness.com

Steve on LinkedIn

On this episode Stacey and Steve talk about...

• Steve's big dreams as a young boy and how they play out in his work today (3:54)
• Sales and bartering as a business strategy (11:00)
• How stress lead him to owning a personal training studio (16:00)
• How the pandemic brought him back to a role he loves - sales & networking (21:15)
• Using joint partnerships to cut through the noise when marketing (25:00)
• The difference between promoting a service (personal training) vs product (CBD oils) (35:30)
• Knowing your best skills to run a business & Steve's biggest insight to date (39:30)

This week's guest, Aaron K. Wilson, uses his gifts to uplift others. He talks about the importance of planning, moving across the country to pursue a singing/acting career, accessing new emotions and getting a full-time job in order to stop worrying about money and pursue his dream. Learn more about Aaron: https://aaronkwilson.com Learn more about Shed the Formality: www.shedtheformality.com