Soul Searching

Soul Searching with Dee Brake: Finding yourself, a dream job and parenting success during a pandemic

Our guest this week offers insights for managers to create loyal employees who will follow them anywhere, ideas for interviewing with confidence and a framework to build inclusion and respect at work. She also shares her top tip for leading and parenting.

Don’t believe everything you think about interviews. She shares her mental shift that interviewing is a 2-way process. (6:25) “I’m a female in tech, I’m a great catch and I’m here to figure out if you’re good enough to catch me.” This made her realize her own worth and the value of a previous manager who had built connection by sharing his personal stories, built trust by asking questions and created loyalty that made her follow him to a new company.

Her inclusion certificate from Cornell taught her a framework for handling disrespect. First, assume their good intent. Then focus on impact. “When you interrupted me, I lost my key point. In the future can you please ask questions at the end?” This helps us feel empowered and helps others change bad behaviors they likely aren’t intending. (13)

What’s her favorite leadership technique? (18:50) “It’s the same for parenting. #DaleCarnnegie advises to ask questions so they think of consequences. It’s about influence, not power.”

Her practical wisdom: always be open to learning.

She shares the value of self-reflection, thinking of our past and our values, to understand our future. "It helps us communicate better knowing those personal stories."

Follow me for uplifting content http://eepurl.com/dELfT5 to access my free workshop.

Soul Searching with Guillermo Vazquez: How to Cultivate Belonging and Listen to Yourself

Our guest this week is a Senior PM in Xbox and the Communications Director for the Microsoft Hispanic and Latinx Employee Resource Group #HOLA.

In celebration of #HispanicHeritageMonth he shares why he loves volunteering: “Don’t be afraid of failing. People will see your positive intent and you’re trying to help. It’s so rewarding.” He shares strategies we can all use to cultivate belonging in our teams: (5:35) “We showcase what makes us human and unique, and what brings us all together, like art and music. We have fun, we use trivia, Cahoot, comedy, and bring in speakers to educate us. We also have hard discussions like the importance of voting.”

His soul searching during this season of Covid has led to (14:28) “learning to meditate, do yoga and learning to listen to my body. Don’t let the previous version of yourself bash you. Be compassionate to yourself. It’s ok some days to have a hard day, it’s ok to fail. It’s an opportunity to do better the next day.”

He’s inspired by Jay Shetty “Think Like a Monk” especially to let go and forgive. Guillermo's practical wisdom: “I am present for you.”

Follow me for uplifting content http://eepurl.com/dELfT5 to access my free workshop.

Overcome Fear of Public Speaking and What People Think About You

As a speaker coach, exec coach, and life coach, I've helped 10K people to feel more confident and feel free to be themselves. Here is our insight to help you too:

1) Do you worry what people are thinking about you? Good news: they aren’t even thinking about you! They are thinking about themselves just like you are! It’s human nature to assume others are judging us, but most people are too busy worrying what we’re thinking about them. This one paradigm shift can help you release your fears and feel more confident. (:53)

2) Do you dread presenting? Stop rehearsing failure and start remembering a success story and visualizing best case scenarios. Don't just prepare your content, prepare your mindset too. (2:12)

3) Is your fear of public speaking holding you back? Try this mantra: “My goal is to help.” When we remember our intention is to serve others, we can release self-criticism and better achieve our potential and speak up, mentor, and volunteer. (2:56)

4) Feeling alone? Don’t believe everything you think. You are worthy. You are amazing! No one's against you. People want you to succeed. We are connected. We are one. The cure to feeling separated is to feel part of something bigger. (3:52)

Follow me on linkedin and youtube Nikki Kloeppel and Facebook @PracticalWisdomStories for uplifting content and to access my free workshop: http://eepurl.com/dELfT5

Practical Wisdom Stories: Soul Searching with Miri Rodriguez: Storytelling to build your brand

Our guest this week Miri Rodriguez is the author of Brand Storytelling. She shares the practical 5 strategies to create a story concept: design, empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test (2:57). She also shares the wisdom she discovered in creating this process: “The first and last step of the cycle is to empathize. I had to learn empathy as a soft skill, which I didn’t know was a thing.”

She also shares how to create more understanding and human connection, “develop cognitive, emotional and compassionate empathy, which can be uncomfortable…all of my content that’s gone viral has been emotionally charged. That’s the power of storytelling. We’re all in it together. We often downplay our stories and think they are ordinary, but that's what makes them extraordinary.” (7:47)

She shares a connection she discovered between work and parenting, “understand their personality type and love language and tailor your approach to the individual.” (17:40)

Her practical wisdom advice: “Learn, like and brand yourself.”

Follow me for uplifting content and to access my free workshop: eepurl.com/dELfT5

Practical Wisdom Stories: Soul Searching with Sara Abdelmottaleb: Perceptions, Pandemic and Parenting

As we strive to become more empathetic individuals and build a more inclusive culture, our guest helps us to not believe everything we think. I first interviewed Sara 4 years ago (24:36) where she shared about being an Olympic athlete and the perceptions people have of her and why she wears a hijab (21:36).

We discuss the benefits of working remotely (20:25) and how seeing colleagues with their families helps us realize “you’re just like me” despite our differences in faith and color. She also shares stories on parenting during a pandemic. Her daughter recently said, “Mommy, you are so confident. I listen to your meetings and I’m learning from you.” She shares a framework for creating work life balance, “I’ve learned to prioritize. I block 2 hours to help my daughter with eschool and am open with management. I was afraid I’d be perceived as slacking.” What helps her be a great mentor and also be brave to ask for help (14:56)? “Be generous with your knowledge is a guiding principle of my faith.”

Her practical wisdom: “Be yourself.”

Click here eepurl.com/dELfT5 to receive free coaching and register for my free workshop.

Practical Wisdom Stories: Soul Searching with Ashleigh Williams: How to Have Difficult Conversations

Our guest this week Ashleigh Williams shares her insight on social justice and having difficult discussions at work (12:10). “I had to have that conversation in love and kindness.” She shares her experience as an African American woman with a police officer dad and her experience as a White House HBCU Ambassador (18:22).

“Covid (season) has given me the opportunity to do some soul searching and I’ve realized priorities that are extremely important to me” including strengthening faith and intuition, developing patience, what she learned from a social media fast and job search and interview process. She shares how she learned to be vulnerable at work (3:30) and the importance of showing emotion when telling stories and learning other people's perspectives.

Her practical wisdom, “You never know what people are going through, so be kind at all times…stay hopeful and stay rooted in your values and your worth.”

Click here eepurl.com/dELfT5 to receive free coaching on writing and sharing your story and register for my upcoming program.

Ashleigh is a Business Development Manager at Microsoft, driving virtual solutions in healthcare so people can have proper care during this pandemic. She is originally from Maryland and enjoys traveling, cooking and volunteering. She is passionate about creating financially literate communities and views it as her life mission to uplift others.

How to Deliver a Great Presentation, be Confident in Public Speaking and Improve Storytelling

Are you looking for practical ways to improve your presentations and overcome your fear of public speaking? Here are the 12 P’s I’ve learned from coaching 15,000 leaders:

1) Purpose: feel confident in your value, you were asked to present for a reason

2) Process: include when, where, who, what, how and why to add structure to your storytelling

3) Posture: sit and stand tall to look and feel confident

4) Project your voice: be louder than you think, our calibration is off when we’re in front of people

5) Pause: slow down to look poised and cover mistakes

6) Pace: align your speed to the emotion and content you’re conveying

7) Power: be yourself and use your platform well

8) Passion: care about your content and your audience can tell

9) Personalize: use names and give credit to your team, mentor, family

10) People: include your audience, compliment the panelist before you

11) Props: exhibits help your audience visualize concepts and make you memorable

12) Personality: tailor your talk to the audience and stakeholder. Use the type of evidence that aligns to their influence style

13:18 offers specific tips for presenting virtually and creating connection.

Click here eepurl.com/dELfT5 to receive free coaching on writing and sharing your story and register for my upcoming program.

Practical Wisdom Stories: Soul Searching with Ani Babaian: How to See the Good

Our guest this week shares a vivid story of growing up in Iran during war and revolution and how this helps her to find the good in challenging times. She has cultivated optimism and an ability to reframe problems into opportunities that has helped her go from “the immigrant kid who qualified for free lunch” to a CEO thriving even during a pandemic.

Ani gave me a defining moment as a speaker coach, as she was my first client with a speech impediment. At minute 5:15 she shares a vulnerable story of overcoming a stutter and the achievement of presenting to 2400 people that will inspire you to not worry what people think about you. She taught me not to make assumptions and to coach people to their full potential. She says, “it’s just a feature” not a flaw.

Her practical wisdom, “I really believe everyone internally is good. We’re all meant for great things. I love my brothers and sisters of all colors, races, religions, and genders.” She shares how to cultivate hope (14:30) and inspires us to feel unity and human connection.

Click here eepurl.com/dELfT5 to receive free coaching on writing and sharing your story and register for my upcoming workshop.

Practical Wisdom Stories: Soul Searching with Cabrelle Abel: Developing Confidence

Our guest this week shares about how to develop confidence to speak up and have difficult conversations. She says, “It doesn’t come naturally for most of us. It’s a skill you develop over time by educating yourself.” She suggests applying the same strategies for volunteering that are successful at work. For example, as an attorney, her first step on a project is to listen and learn. This helps become a trusted business advisor. She followed this same path to approach her company’s Diversity and Inclusion team in January to initiate a discussion group of the Seeing White podcast for her colleagues and write a letter to her organization encouraging social justice. “I made myself vulnerable at work” and it’s been very rewarding. She discovered that being a change agent is often just writing an email or making some calls.

“Home is another sphere we can influence.” Minute 7:45 she shares how to be a change agent as a parent. The confidence of making social change at work also led her to collaborate with her kids’ school to get Stamped as required reading.

Her practical wisdom, “There’s tons of opportunity for us to make small change in the communities we’re already a part of.”

Click here eepurl.com/dELfT5 to receive free coaching on writing and sharing your story.

Practical Wisdom Stories: Soul Searching with Jeffron Smalls: How to be authentic at work

Our guest this week shares about his experience at a Historically Black College and University and the powerful impact of being surrounded by Black excellence, including meeting President Obama (minute 11). This helped him become self-aware and develop the confidence to be wholehearted at work. He recently won a HBCU 30 under 30 award from thousands of nominees. He also shares a heartwarming story of how his mom inspired him in faith, and about how this helped him make a spiritual connection with a colleague. He inspires us on the value of truly being your wholehearted self even in a corporate environment (minute 8) and what leaders can do to cultivate inclusion.

Jeffron loves the quote “tough times never last, tough people do”. He believes 2020 is the year for all of us to refocus and shift our way of thinking to evolve through this pandemic personally and professionally. His practical wisdom advice: “you can do anything you put your mind to once you start generating energy to allow others to succeed, that’s how you change the world,”

Click here eepurl.com/dELfT5 to receive free coaching on writing and sharing your story.