Leading Yourself Well With Marissa Nash

Today on the Brava Podcast I am so pleased to introduce you to Marissa Nash. Marissa is a Certified Professional Life Coach and Team Coach that specializes in helping YOU to make an impact whether it be within your own organization, your community, with your family or the world.

In today’s episode we discuss everything from how to avoid burnout, how to incorporate self-care into your routine, and even how to perform your own life audit! So use this next 20 minutes with Marissa as your own personal time with your new life coach. She’s got your back because she knows you have big plans for your future. Let’s get started!

SHOW NOTES:

Marissa’s company, The Vine Collective, is a great resource for leaders, teams, and women everywhere! Her background stems from being a yoga instructor. She now coaches women in the corporate and entrepreneurial space (1:15.)

A lot of her work that she integrates into her practice is by John Maxwell and how to lead well (3:34.)

Looking to create a real impact on others? Marissa believes you can do this by having a positive influence on the people, the environment, and the cause you are most passionate about. It’s creating change that is sustainable. It means to leading with wellness and wholeness and working to inspire others to be the best they can be (5:12.)

Marissa’s Leadership Growth Plan is a roadmap for women to plan their growth for their life and leadership. Check it out here! (6:00.)

On Sunday nights, Marissa plans out her workouts for the week because that is her priority. It creates self-accountability as she plans to succeed in the week for what matters most to her. What’s your priorities? Share in the comments below! (8:00.)

Curious on how you can perform a life audit? You have to know where you are before you know how to make change in your life. She walks women through a 7-step process beginning with your why and your purpose on what you want to do. Continue tuning in to hear all of the 7 step process in her interview (9:34.)

Looking to create change? Marissa would suggest getting clear on what matters to you. Then, identify what gaps there may be in your community. Lastly, take action and remember, it’s ok to start small (11:37.)

Marissa is very inspired by Brené Brown because she is focused not only on strategy but also the heart (13:11.)

Need help with focus? She recommends writing 3 things each morning of different tasks you want to accomplish (14:45.)

Let’s talk books that inspire! Marissa loves the “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth” by John C. Maxwell and “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown, but via Audio! (16:55.)

Want to learn more from Marissa? She is starting her next Mastermind in the fall! Be sure to check it out here.

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Thank you readers, to tuning into the Brava Podcast. If you like the show please leave a review on iTunes! 

What from our conversation inspired you today? What do you hope to hear next? Tweet or message us on Instagram @BravaPodcast to tell us what you want to hear, even if it’s your own story! 

Celebrating Life’s Moments with Entrepreneur Kristen Ley

Today on the Brava Podcast we’re going to hear from a powerful, creative entrepreneur and CEO who turned her passions into a thriving business by simply celebrating life’s moments. I’m SO excited to introduce you to Kristen Ley, CEO, er, actually I should say, “Chief Confetti Maker and Founder” of Thimblepress. Tune in below to get real with Kristen and her start-up story, learn more about differentiating products in a competitive space and advice on how to make your dream a reality.

SHOW NOTES:

Interview Kristen Ley is a party in a podcast! Can’t wait to get started with our interview (1:40)

Kristen has been creating art as early as she can remember. Her parents have always been very encouraging with everything Kristen has gone for despite her family coming from a medical background. She went to school for art and design. She graduated with a BFA in business and graphic design and a minor in marketing (2:40)

She started her career with an internship at Matchbox Studios in Dallas and loved it (4:30.)

She remembers going to the library in Charleston, SC to learn the ins and outs of how to start her business…from scratch! Her and her colleague hustled to launch and sustain their own marketing and branding business (5:00.)

Then she was offered a full-time offer to be a full graphic design artist that was closer back to home and she took the job. After about a year she quickly realized she was not wired for a 8 to 5 job (7:15.)

She used her letterpress as a creative release for years before making it part of her future career. During Christmas of 2012 she was convinced by her friend to start an Etsy and have a craft show (8:00.)

In 2013, she decided to make it official and launch Thimblepress, LLC inspired by her grandmothers and mother who influenced Kristen’s crafting (11:15.)

Thimblepress comes from the deep desire to want to encourage, lift up others, and show others how they can be present and celebrate friends and family (13:00.)

Kristen used to have 20 employees. Over the years she learned a lot about herself and her personality and realized a larger team is not for her. She’s very interested in the enneagram and it also helped her learn more details about her personality and how she can lead in the best way possible. Now she has a very lean team and she loves it both for her business and her wellness (17:45.)

When it comes to competitors, she keeps herself in her lane and focuses on her customer’s happiness and loving them like they are family and friends (20:00.)

“My strategy? Do what’s best for me!”

— Kristen Ley, CEO and Founder of Thimblepress

Looking to launch your own product? Kristen wants you to know that you are already amazing and a success no matter what. Allow opportunities to flow into your life and jump, even if you are afraid. Believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, how do you expect others to believe in your business? (21:56)

Stay in touch with Kristen’s next steps and business ventures! She recently launched KristenLey.com to be open and honest with her own business. Check it out! Be sure to check out Thimblepress too and celebrate others along the way!

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Thank you readers, to tuning into the Brava Podcast. If you like the show please leave a review on iTunes! 

What from our conversation inspired you today? What do you hope to hear next? Tweet or message us on Instagram @BravaPodcast to tell us what you want to hear, even if it’s your own story! 

Differentiating Your Product with CEO and Beauty Guru Lauren Napier

Today on Brava we’re uncovering the success of the entrepreneur and expert behind Lauren Napier Beauty with the founder herself. In today’s episode, Lauren highlights key takeaways of how you can differentiate your brand, gives details about how she launched her beauty line and products, and talks about how she pays it forward along the way. Tune in below or on iTunes to hear more about how this make-up artist turned CEO is changing and challenging the beauty space.

SHOW NOTES:

Lauren loved her career as a make-up artist but one of the things that propelled her to start her own brand was learning from her surroundings and wanting to create her own working environment (2:20.)

She believes that you have to have resilience as a leader (3:30.)

There is a transformation that people take when they put on make-up but also a transformation when they take it off. Lauren saw first-hand how her clients were hesitant to take off the “veil” of sorts they put on which upset her because they were beautiful just the way they were with or without make-up (4:20.)

The quality of Lauren’s beauty products is key to differentiating her product (7:50.)

“The beauty industry is really focused…on playing up and preying on our insecurities. The philosophy of itself [Lauren Napier Beauty] is that there is beauty in taking it off.”

— Lauren Napier

My goal is to make people feel good about their authentic self (10:30.)

Shoutout to Squarespace (not sponsored) for being an amazing partner for entrepreneurs (and podcasters alike!) That was Lauren’s first step in finding a space for her idea to flourish (12:15.)

Lauren thinks it is key to be “everywhere” - different search engines, website support, social media and more! (15:00.)

How did Lauren start her beauty brand? She was traveling and was using a face wipe that was completely dried out that just would not do! Her first step? Putting her idea into action (18:00.)

“Ask question, research, fact find, you will find the answers! ”

— Lauren Napier

She cutout all of the extras and the frills for a year to help save her money and utilize it to launch her company (21:00.)

“Be patient with yourself. It’s very important to know you don’t have all of the answers.”

— Lauren Napier

There is powering in sharing! Some people want to hoard information but Lauren believes what you give is what you get and shares her manufacturing lists, her contact lists, etc. with your colleagues. You can be generous without wanting something back (23:00.)

Lauren believes it’s important to be able to stand proudly behind her product and that is why she manufactures her product with solar energy and has created completely recyclable packaging (26:15.)

She’ll be celebrating five years for her business in May! Check out LaurenNapier.com now to support her next steps! #YouGoGirl

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Thank you readers, to tuning into the Brava Podcast. If you like the show please leave a review on iTunes! 

What from our conversation inspired you today? What do you hope to hear next? Tweet or message us on Instagram @BravaPodcast to tell us what you want to hear, even if it’s your own story! 

Invest in Yourself with Purpose and Potential Coach Becca White

“Showing up for yourself has a return on investment that never stops.” Today’s guest on the Brava Podcast believes in this statement through and through. Here on Brava, we discuss a lot about “the leap” to get to that next step, to achieve that goal and to enact change for the better whether it’s in your life or at work.

 Meet today’s guest: Becca White. Becca is a purpose and potential coach specializing in helping women battling postpartum, balancing business and leaping in life. Tune in below or on iTunes to learn how you can invest in yourself and in your dream with purpose and without fear.

SHOW NOTES:

Becca’s business is to help others find their purpose.  She loves problem-solving and the power of a silver-lining to help others. When she became pregnant with her first child she began looking at things completely differently. Her business was born because she started asking for guidance after battling postpartum after having her children (2:30.)

Everybody goes through the fear/ love cycle of taking the leap into a new idea or phase of life. Becca wants to help her clients identify what their gifts are so that they are so aligned with their purpose that it creates momentum that won’t stop (4:23.)

Becca believes that mentors are vital for your growth:

“You need someone who will hold space for you as a sounding board and is 100% in your court. ”

— Becca White

Becca’s advice on balancing your 9-5, family, friends, side-hustle and more? “Quit making it hard for yourself.” She believes its essential to identify what your gift and goal is and clear out all of your other distractions (7:45.)

This year Becca is devoting her time and her research to postpartum and is writing a book about her findings. She finds a lot of people don’t report postpartum and that there is a shame surrounding it. She wants to shake-up the diagnosis theory. She believes it’s important to hold space for a new family similarly to how we treat the loss of a loved one and show up for the new mother in a similar way (17:30.)

Becca on the importance of reaching out to mother’s too in the postpartum period:

“We don’t do a good job on mothering the mother. ”

— Becca White

Becca’s favorite advice? Eventually you’re going to have to jump. You got this Brava listeners!

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Thank you readers, to tuning into the Brava Podcast. If you like the show please leave a review on iTunes! 

What from our conversation inspired you today? What do you hope to hear next? Tweet or message us on Instagram @BravaPodcast to tell us what you want to hear, even if it’s your own story! 

Ethical Leadership and Stopping the Spiral of Incivility with Audrey Murrell

Today’s episode is focused on highlighting ethical leadership and putting a proactive end on the spiral of incivility. In the work place, whether we’re leaders, managers or part of any team structure, we can face this at any time. 

I’d like to introduce and highlight the expert on this matter, Associate Dean at the University of the Pittsburgh Business School and Director of the Berg Center for Leadership and Ethics, Audrey Murrell. She is a woman of influence who conducts research, teaches, consults and helps organizations better utilize and engage their most important assets - their human and social capital. 

SHOW NOTES:

Audrey shares that rudeness, bickering, work place behavior, demeaning personalities, taunting…all are examples of incivility. They are not the cost of doing business, they are costly to business. They may start off as something small or manageable, but they are creating a downward spiral for businesses (1:10).  

When incivility is not corrected it has a whole host of consequences for the organization. It erodes culture and affects turnover (2:13).

There are many reasons that incivility is on the rise: we have a tendency to ignore incivility hoping that it will go away itself. Another reason why it may be on the rise is that leadership and higher-ups may be the instigators of bad behavior without ramification or are not providing proper discipline in their own workplace (4:13).

“Leaders must establish norms of zero tolerance for incivility.”

— Audrey Murrell

Audrey always starts off meetings in her unit acknowledging the positive behavior of her employees but also create a model for the norm in the workplace (7:25).

The best way to counter negative behavior is to reinforce positive behavior (8:45).

Audrey will look for people who can be partners with her in this practice. She and a colleague made a pact to model positive vs. negative behavior in their workplace. Overtime they continued to add people to their pact to change their negative workspace into a positive one (10:00).

Careers in reality are not steps, but much more like a labyrinth with adjusting to change and tackling obstacles. Audrey believes that education is transformational both to our thinking and our opportunities. She’s also very passionate about mentoring, specifically peer-to-peer mentoring (11:15).

“I really hate the word networking, it sounds very transactional. I talk about relationships because there is a mutual benefit.”

— Audrey Murrell

Effective leadership is not only about what you do and your skill-set, but it’s also about finding the right context and the environment that is right fit for you as a leader (16:00).

Want to lead and you don’t think you are getting that support from your organization? Look outside your organization to develop your leadership skills, negotiation, organization…at volunteer opportunities, church, community events, etc. It may not be at your job, but it is definitely in your community (19:00).

Ethical leadership is so powerful because you can’t be an effective leader without being ethical and being ethical and particularly shaping the ethical climate and culture in an organization requires leadership (21:30).

Want to star putting Audrey’s insight into action? She recommends seeking ethical role models in your organization that you can talk to and learn from. She also advises to seek training for leadership and ethics within your organization. Lastly, she suggests to connect within your community and push yourself outside your comfort zone. Do something different because that’s where you need your growth (23:20).

“Leaders push themselves even if it’s outside their comfort zone.”

— Audrey Murrell

Audrey works to stop and acknowledge the amazing things their students are doing and to celebrate with them and for them. It’s what keeps her going! (28:18).

If you would like to learn more on leadership and ethics or incivility, please go to audreymurell.com for more information. 

Thank you readers, to tuning into the Brava Podcast. If you like the show please leave us a review on iTunes! 

What from our conversation inspired you today? What do you hope to hear next? Tweet or message us on Instagram @BravaPodcast to tell us what you want to hear, even if it’s your own story!