The Impact Ripple - Hiring and Leadership for Visionary Female Business Owners

In this episode of the Impact Ripple Podcast, I’m thrilled to bring you our very first guest expert!

I invited my dear friend, certified psychological health and safety advisor and expert in hope, Lindsay Recknell, to join me for a powerful conversation around the science of positive psychology and how it can be used to empower leaders and strengthen teams.

Lindsay shares her journey of discovering the science of positive psychology, which helped her regain her hope, and do the work she does today.

Together, we explore the differences between hope and optimism, whether hope is something we’re born with or not, and how to develop greater hope as a leader.

She offers up suggestions for taking action and implementing strategies to build hope, rather than passively waiting for things to happen.

But you don’t have to be an expert in hope to get started!

Lindsays recommends that focusing on your progress towards goals, rather than big, overwhelming goals, can be more motivating. She recommends starting small to build confidence and increase your hopefulness.

Hope isn’t just for leaders, though! It’s also important to foster a sense of hope in the workplace and with our teams, especially when it comes to mental health.

Since mental health can be a complicated topic that many leaders haven’t been taught about, it's important to give yourself grace and recognize that there is a learning curve to understanding it all.

So we dove into a conversation around the differences between mental health, mental wellness, and mental illness (which you absolutely don’t want to miss if you’re a leader!).

As leaders, we may not always get it perfect (or even right), but it’s critical that we model the behaviors we want to encourage for others and have a common language to understand and integrate hope into our lives. 

By building self-awareness, we can recognize our own lens and align our behavior with our values to create a hopeful workplace.

I can’t wait for you to tune into this powerful and jam-packed conversation with the incredible Lindsay Recknell!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why hope and optimism aren’t the same thing
• Strategies to develop greater hope as a leader and with your team
• The difference between mental health, mental wellness, and mental illness 
• Aligning our behavior with our values to create a hopeful workplace

Mentioned in This Episode: 

• Lindsay Recknell - Expert in Hope
• Paradigm Corporate Wellness 
• Lindsay’s Self-Awareness Superhero Program 
• Lindsay’s Skills Training Program for Leaders 

On this episode of The Impact Ripple podcast, I’m talking about something a lot of new leaders struggle with – the fear of delegating! I share what delegating means, as well as why it can feel SO scary when delegating for the first time in your small business.

If you've had a bad experience in the past with delegation, you might be hesitant to do it again. We dive into how this fear, and the act of delegating or letting go, can be made worse by something called confirmation bias.

If you think it's impossible to find good help, that no one wants to work these days, or that you’re going to have to do a superhuman amount of oversight with your employees, this is the episode for you!

I share some helpful insights and great advice on how to overcome this fear and build trust in yourself and the process of hiring new team members, so you can get the help you truly need and deserve in your business.


In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why delegation feels SO damn scary
• The role confirmation bias plays in your hiring troubles 
• Insights and advice on overcoming the fear of delegating

Mentioned in This Episode: 

• Connect with Ashley on LinkedIn
•  Ready to hire with more confidence and ease? Our Hiring VIP Day is the perfect way to get the support you need and deserve! Visit:  www.sprouthr.co/hiring

Growing your team is, without a doubt, one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in your business.

It can also be one of the most overwhelming, stressful, and expensive experiences…if you don’t get it right.

But how do you actually, you know, get it right?

It all starts with getting super intentional!

Something I tell our clients at SproutHR all the time (which I forgot to mention in this episode ) is to, “Keep your eyes on your own paper!” when it comes to hiring.

While it’s tempting to look around at what others are doing – like whether they’re hiring contractors or employees, have a small team or a large one, etc. – I don’t recommend it.

That’s because what they’re doing suits their business plan and model.

And you need to do what suits your business plan and model, which may be something entirely different!

In this episode of The Impact Ripple, I talk about growing your business and team with intention and purpose, so you can hire right!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Growing your team by design rather than default
• Aligning your people plan with your business plan 
• Questions to help you hire with more intention

Mentioned in This Episode: 

• Hiring Roadmap (free download)
• Episode 5: Building a Strong Foundation for Your Team with Core Values
• Episode 10: How To Align Your People Plan with Your Business Plan for Sustainable Growth
• Connect with me on LinkedIn

If I had a dime for every time someone said they were afraid of hiring because they don’t want to mess up, I could have already retired!

All kidding aside, this is one of the most common concerns I hear from folks who are just getting started growing their team.

Some of the worry stems from not wanting to destroy something you’ve built from scratch and poured your heart and soul into (which is 1000% relatable).

And some of it comes from being really good at a lot of things in your business, because you’ve had to figure a lot of stuff out along the way. And it’s hard to be new again.

But that’s exactly what you’re experiencing – being new.

New to the idea of hiring and growing your team. 

New to the skill of finding and hiring the right people. 

New to being a leader and having people look to you for guidance and inspiration. 

New to handling the challenges and obstacles that come with leading others. 

New at it all.

Being new can be scary and overwhelming. 

We have the desire to master new things quickly in order to get through the discomfort that comes with not knowing what we’re doing.

But being new isn’t a bad thing. In fact, being new and making mistakes is exactly how adults learn best. So it’s best to dive right in!

In today’s episode, we’re talking all about being new and it’s absolutely the pep talk you need if hiring and leading a team is on your future plans! 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• A simple mantra to inspire you on your hiring and leadership journey
• Four principles of adult learning and how they relate to growing your team
• Stories and examples of being new – and what you can learn from them

Mentioned in This Episode: 

•  Transform Your Stories (book)

Have you ever felt like you needed to become someone completely different in order to be an effective leader?

If so, I recorded this episode just for you. <3

While more and more women are finally stepping into leadership roles, one thing continues to plague us on this journey – our self-concept.

How we think about and see ourselves as leaders.

Unfortunately, most leadership development programs in companies and those available to a wider audience don’t even address this topic.

Well, I’m tackling it head on today on The Impact Ripple.

Because until we address this part of our leadership development, the rest of it doesn’t matter.

You can have the best leadership skills in the world, but if you don’t think about or see yourself as a leader, they may never get a chance to shine.

Join me as we discuss our self-concept as leaders and leading like yourself on this episode!


In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The most overlooked key of becoming a leader
• Identifying your core leadership qualities and skills
• An activity to help you develop a stronger self-concept 

Mentioned in This Episode: 

•  Episode 1: Who is a Leader?
•  Transform Your Stories (book)

Do you have any unfulfilled ideas or projects in your business?

Something that you dreamed up months or even years ago during an exciting year-end planning session that you were never able to bring to life?

If you’re like most business owners, the answer to this question is a big ol’ YES.

But it’s not a happy yes, right? Because the dreams and ideas we have are potentially life-changing.

If you want to learn how to get those dusty ideas off the shelf, so you can create the kind of impact you want to have in this world, then you’re going to want to tune into this exciting episode of The Impact Ripple podcast!

I dive into a common reason why we don’t bring our big ideas and dreams to life (hint: it has to do with your business planning process!) and how to solve it, so that no more dreams have to die sad, slow deaths in the corners of our minds and hearts.

Join me for an insightful and educational conversation on business planning, why people plans are an essential part of the process, and exactly what you should be thinking about and planning for to ensure sustainable long-term growth in your business and with your team.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What sustainable growth actually means
• Why dreams and ideas don’t come to life
• The importance of aligning your people plan with your business, and
• 5 key focus areas to create a people plan for sustainable growth

Mentioned in This Episode: 

• Forbes Article: What Does Sustainable Growth Really Mean?
• Episode 5: Building a Strong Foundation for Your Team with Core Values
• Episode 7: Can You REALLY Afford to Hire? Take The Payroll Challenge to Find Out!

You’re probably familiar with the terms “Employee” and “Independent Contractor.” But what do they actually mean? And does it really matter who you hire for your small business?

The short answer to that second question is YES! 

It absolutely does matter. Even for small businesses. 

As an HR pro who’s been doing this for over 16 years, I can tell you, I see hiring employees and contractors being done wrong more often than I see it being done the right way. 

In this episode of The Impact Ripple, I’m breaking down the differences between hiring employees and contractors to help you better understand the different types of workers that are available and when to hire each type in your business. 

We’ll talk through the legal side of hiring and some practical steps you can take to keep you and your business out of hot water as you hire.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What’s the difference between Employees and Contractors 
• Why worker classification is such a big deal
• The one common factor to help make determining worker classification as simple as possible
• Some practical steps you can take to keep you and your business out of hot water as you hire

Mentioned in This Episode: 

• Hiring VIP Day
• The Ripple Collective
• Should I Hire an Employee or Independent Contractor? (blog post)
• The Hiring Roadmap (free download)

You’ve poured your blood, sweat, and tears into building your business from the ground up. Now, it’s time to hire some help, but you’re a little nervous about the financial side of things.

How can you make sure that hiring a team is going to add value to your business, rather than drain all of your time, money, and resources?

I’m so glad you asked! This is an incredibly important part of growing a successful team.  

The reason so many teams create financial strain on businesses is because there was little to no thought put into the strategy of hiring and growing a profitable team.

In this episode of The Impact Ripple, we’re talking all about the financial aspect of growing your team, including what to do before, during, and after hiring to ensure profitability and long-term sustainable growth and impact.

This can’t-miss episode is sure to give you some simple, new strategies to implement as you build your team with intention and purpose – and ensure you have fun doing it!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why profitability is the critical, but often overlooked, part of growing a team
• What happens when profitability isn’t part of your hiring strategy
• 4 easy ways to grow a profitable team (and have fun doing it!)  

Mentioned in This Episode: 

• 4 Tips for Creating a Successful New Hire Onboarding Experience (blog post)
• Hiring Quiz with personalized ‘Get Started’ plan

Have you been wondering whether or not you can actually AFFORD to hire an employee?

This common concern can lead to sweaty palms, a racing heart, and sleepless nights. And it often holds business owners back from hiring the help they need and deserve.

When we don’t hire the help we need at the right time, we leave revenue on the table, overwork ourselves, and we may even grow resentful toward our own business.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Because when you know how to financially prepare for hiring, everything else gets easier!

In this episode of The Impact Ripple, I share 3 key actions that will help you feel more comfortable and confident hiring your first employee – even if you don’t feel that way right now.

You’ll walk away with actionable steps that you can implement today. Because what good is it to just talk about the costs of hiring? You need real strategies that you can do something with!

By the end of our time together, you’ll have a better understanding of your current financial situation, how to know when you’re ready to hire financially, and what you can afford.


In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to know when you’re financially ready to hire
• Actionable steps you can take today to prepare for hiring
• The Payroll Challenge – to give you an extra boost of confidence + security!

Mentioned in This Episode: 

• Episode 4: Overcoming the Overwhelm of Hiring
• Christine Walsh (my incredible financial coach)
• Keina Newell (my dear friend and amazing financial coach)
• The Payroll Challenge

I don’t speak in absolutes very often, because they typically don’t exist. What I mean by this is that I try to avoid using words like “never,” “always,” and “must.”

But I’m making an exception for today’s podcast topic because sometimes exceptions exist! ;)

I believe that leaders can and should come with a variety of skills and traits. It’s what makes each of us unique and able to create an impact in the world in different and powerful ways.

But there is ONE quality that I believe ALL leaders absolutely must have and that’s self-awareness.

Without this one quality, we can easily sabotage ourselves, our businesses, and our teams. Which means we might not be able to bring the big dreams and goals we have to life.

A lack of self-awareness can make growing and leading our teams incredibly difficult.

Since leadership is all about humans working with other humans to accomplish big goals together, it’s important to develop our self-awareness as leaders, otherwise we may find ourselves doing business all alone.

Join me for a powerful conversation in this episode all about self-awareness, the leadership journey, and how to cultivate greater awareness today!


In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The ONE quality ALL leaders need,
• A short activity to help you ID your degree of awareness, and 
• How to cultivate greater self-awareness with 5 simple strategies

Mentioned in This Episode: 

• Episode 2 
• Episode 5
• Transform Your Stories