Exploring Your "Aha" Moment with Lillian Rafson

Hi, listeners and happy holidays! In the mood for a holiday vacation? Today’s episode will be all about exploring your dreams, adventure and discovering your “aha” moment. Let’s talk travel. Picture this. The start-up Pack Up & Go wants to plan your 3-day weekend. The catch? Your destination is a surprise. This innovative idea and business was conceived by Lillian Rafson. Lillian, CEO and Founder of Pack Up & Go, wants you to embrace the unknown and as an entrepreneur, she’s quite spontaneous herself! Listen below to learn more about Lillian’s start-up story, her go-to advice and her own “aha” moment.

SHOW NOTES:

Lillian quit her job to discover what she wanted to do. She traveled and back packed and ran into to two women who were on a surprise vacation. She realized that the “surprise vacation” market wasn’t as prominent in the U.S. (1:10).

She launched Pack Up + Go within the 6-8 weeks left in her trip in 2015, researching and interviewing the locals and tourists along the way. On January 1st, she launched her Squarespace account and let her friends and family know. At that point she planned only a handful of practice trips. A friend featured her launch within Business Insider and the rest…is history (3:00).

How you find capital or fund for your big idea? Lillian’s biggest costs at the beginning were the domain name and Squarespace account. The best part of Pack Up + Go is that it’s a cash flow positive organization, full owned by their team without venture capital assistance (5:50).

Lillian was always inspired to study what made her happy in school. She went to NYU for gender studies, marketing and French. She values her hands-on experience that internships provided her while in school (7:00).

She believes that traveling forces you out of your comfort zone and gives you the ability to explore new things. She loves that her travelers are willing to let that control go and explore new things and push their own boundaries (9:19).

One of Lillian’s favorite customer stories highlights a woman that was celebrating her 70th birthday that was traveling alone. She came home from her trip and sent 50-75 pictures from her trip and that she had the best time on her trip (11:10).

Curious as to which cities are the most popular to travel to this year? Nashville and Charleston are both booming. Lillian’s favorite cities to travel to? Savannah, New Orleans and Chicago (13:16).

Let’s talk travel must-haves. Lillian’s top 3 are: a rolling suitcase, a pair of comfortable and cute sneakers, and an external battery pack for your phone (14:30).

Lillian’s go-to message and source for inspiration, an Israeli term…”YALLA” (16:30).

“Yalla! Let’s go! If not now, then when? Let’s just do this.”

— Lillian Rafson, CEO and Founder of Pack Up & Go

Next steps for Pack Up + Go is to expand domestic city trips and to continue to support small business in the U.S. while creating multi-city trips for customers (18:35).

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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! 

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! 

Innovation, Technology, & Start-Ups with Erica Amatori

For today’s discussion, we’re going to take a step into the start-up space. Whether you have your eyes set on an entrepreneurial venture in retail, finance or technology I hope that our conversation will ignite a spark within your own career path.

Let me introduce to you a powerful serial entrepreneur. Today’s guest is Erica Amatori. She’s the Director of Marketing at Burrow and Co-Founder of TheBit at the impressive age of just 23. Tune in below!

SHOW NOTES:

Erica is the VP of Marketing at Burrow, an e-commerce start-up that is changing up the furniture space. Their value lies in that their furniture is extremely comfortable and adaptable. She’s also the co-founder of thebitdaily.com a source from crypto-education and a crypto-community (1:26).

On knowing when to invest her time or money on a start-up, Erica first needs to believe in not just idea, but also the team (2:50).

“To know whether a start-up is right for me I act like my own venture capitalist firm.”

Start-ups are a roller coaster. The highs are high, the lows are low. When you don’t think there is a market for your service or product, you have to be real with yourself and move on (5:12).

“It’s not a failure, it’s a learning.”

— Erica Amatori

Book recommendation by Erica: The Dip by Seth Godin ß Click here to check it out.

With an idea, is it better to be authentic or original? Erica says neither. She thinks you truly need is product market fit. A demand and audience for the product (7:15).

To Erica, “innovation” means to find opportunity gaps and fill them. Finding a broken process and fixing it (9:00).

Innovative ideas come from innovative people. Character traits such as curiosity allow you to question the current processes and finding new solves. Practice this by always asking questions (10:20).

“Behind every successful person there are a lot of unsuccessful years.”

— Erica Amatori

Want to get start in your start-up now? Erica advises to go out there and start doing market research and find if your product or service is valuable (13:20).

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Finding Balance and Regaining Strength with Tara Laferrara

Today I am sitting down with personal trainer, yoga teacher, and entrepreneur Tara Laferrara. Tara is a businesswoman with a passion for fitness and wellness. She’s the founder of the TL Method, co-owner of Compass Fitness in Denver, Co-Founder of Beach Movement Balance and co-host of her own podcast, the A-Cup Podcast! She’s also been featured in or has worked with a number of brands from Shape and Women’s Health Magazine to RedBull and FinishLine.

We’ll be chatting about how to find balance and regain strength, two facets of life that we seek whether we’re in the gym or battling our day-to-day work routines. Tune in now below!

SHOW NOTES:

Fitness and wellness is first nature to Tara. Being a teammate has grown her passion for it along the way and her inspiration to help the fitness journey of the people around her to move their body (1:30.)

Tara shares how important it is to make time for yourself each day. Carving out an hour each day for you whether it be mediation, mindfulness or movement (2:25.)

When change gets thrown in your way how can you stay the course in your own health and wellness journey? Practicing self-care to set-up yourself for success. This is especially important during the holiday season. If you take care of yourself first everything else will flow (3:50).

Tara believes that fitness is movement, eating, nutrition and mindset. Tara’s TL Method embodies this with a focus in movement. With everything from upper body workouts to challenge days, the TL Method is a curated program to make you feel comfortable in your body. Most important, the TL Method community, a motivational team of sorts from all over the world (5:15.) 

Having trouble giving yourself time for fitness and wellness? Ask yourself, what’s your priority throughout the day? Tara recommends to literally add it to your busy calendar to help make time. That is YOUR time! (8:30.)

Want to get moving while sitting…right now? Okay, let’s get started. First, sit up tall and sit all the way back in your chair. Bring your shoulders up to your ears, exhale and then bring them back down. Next, use your breath and gently twist to the right and left in your chair (11:30.)  

Want to continue following Tara’s story? She has her own podcast as well! Be sure to check out the A-Cup Podcast, a conversation between her and her best friend about female entrepreneurship (14:20.)

Hitting a roadblock in your own entrepreneur venture? Ask yourself, why I am I doing this? Is it for myself or my community? (16:20.)

Creating Smart Content, Taking Risks and Being Bold with Alisha Johns

Have you ever dreamt about an ideal reality, maybe you see yourself running your own company, managing your own shop or working your way up at the office but in a different department.

What’s stopping you? Fear can be the number one reason that restrains you from achieving that ultimate reality. How do we overcome that paralyzing fear that seeps into our minds telling us you can’t do it?

I think it’s about about taking risks and being bold. Today on the podcast I am honored to have Alisha Johns, the Founder and Creative Director of LISH creative. She’s an innovator and creator who has a flare for color and a passion for entrepreneurship. Today’s episode will be a discussion around creating smart content, how to take those risks and what’s needed to be bold. Listen now!

Photo by Julie Kahlbaugh

SHOW NOTES:

Alisha started her career at a few agencies in Pittsburgh for a small team that worked on huge projects. There, she wore a lot of hats that prepared her for owning her own business (2:32).

She works with up to 14 different contractors at one time. Alisha believes that showing appreciation and gratitude for your team is important for management. That, and knowing when to let go of control (3:34).

Trying to show that gratitude in your workplace? It can be as simple as thanking them and telling them that you appreciate them (4:38).

On delegation, Alisha focuses in what she is best at and then delegating the things she knows other will be better at (5:25).

Right now in her industry it’s all about video. She’s seen an increase in videos requested by clients and she believes that challenge will be how can brands differentiate their videos from each other (6:04).

The latest Instagram video launch, IGTV doesn’t seem to be attracting many viewers as of recent; but, we both agree that it is a good platform to direct viewers to engage in longer form content (7:10).

Alisha defines “Smart Content” as a way to get across to people that Lish Creative isn’t just taking pretty pictures. They (Lish Creative) are going to break down the brand (their client) and tie in content to their greater marketing strategy through learning about their consumer and tell their story (8:23).

Alisha’s creative process? Learning as much about the brand and their brands’ consumer as much as they can. Sometimes the brands’ product can be the most inspiration to spur creativity (9:27).

So many brands end up looking the same. Alisha challenges, “Why not break the mold!” (10:55).

Alisha recommends to chip away at your passion. She did so for 3 years to start her business and eventually leave her full-time job (13:10).

Want to start a side-hustle? Take initiative and just start it! It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s about starting and building a portfolio of work. Don’t worry about what people think! (14:25).

Loved this episode? Share your voice and leave a review on iTunes now!