Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: This is where smart business conversations meet real world experience. Where strategies are shared, lessons are learned and ideas come to life. I'm Emily Galindo and you're watching Biz Talk, your destination for real insight from the mind shaping tomorrow's business world only on NOW Media Television.
[00:00:22] Speaker B: Hello everyone and welcome to Biz Talk. I am your host, Emily Galindo and today we are exploring one of the most powerful forces behind long term success and probably the most uncomfortable resilience.
Every business owner, business leader, professional faces setbacks, but the question we're answering today is what separates those who recover and rise from those setbacks and what and how they respond versus what keeps people stuck and knocks them after they've been knocked down? So the person to help us answer that question is my guest today, Julie Duncan. She knows this better than anyone. She is a high performance executive coach with crystal clear business strategies where she helps business owners align their inner growth with strategies for purpose driven leadership. Julie is also an Amazon best selling author and an in demand speaker at national leadership conferences and summits. Julie, welcome to Biz Talk.
[00:01:18] Speaker C: Thank you so much for having me. I'm delighted to be here, Emily.
[00:01:22] Speaker B: Yes, thank you. This is definitely one of those things that we would love to avoid but can't when it comes to leadership and business ownership. So we're happy to have your expertise here.
Let's start off with trying to tackle that question, which is why do some people bounce back quickly and why do others get stuck for much longer and it becomes a cycle?
[00:01:43] Speaker C: Well, I think you said it best, Emily. We cannot escape adversity. It comes in all aspects of our life, whether it's our own life or business. And it's been my experience that resiliency is really built through the experiences that we have navigating it. It's sort of like the mental framework that we frame setbacks as temporary or falling forward, failing forward where we can learn and grow through it.
And the difference isn't innate, it's learned skill that comes from intentionally building that emotional agility and self awareness over time.
So it's that mental framework that helps position us. It's past experiences and it's failing for forward and understanding that that is a big growth opportunity.
[00:02:34] Speaker B: Okay, so I heard you say two, two things there that caught my attention.
One is that the framework, the mental framework of that understanding that a setback is temporary. Right. A lot of us get stuck in that mindset that this is how it's going to be forever and everything is going to drastically change. The other Thing that I heard that I would love for you to talk about is, um, it's a skill that we develop over time, which tells me that I then have to be put in positions of setback and failure on a consistent basis to hone that skill. Is that true?
[00:03:08] Speaker C: Oftentimes, yes. Because if we all lived a perfect life and never had any adversity, how would we learn to grow through it?
[00:03:17] Speaker B: Okay, that's right.
So how. And, and that's what you do, right? Specifically, you help with the executive coaching of coaching through it. Would you say that that's one of the most important keys to having to building that skill of resilience is having a coach there to help you through it versus doing it yourself all the time?
[00:03:37] Speaker C: Absolutely.
And I have also benefited in my life from working with a coach to help me understand and move forward. We get stuck in our own mindset, we get stuck in our own perspectives. And oftentimes that can keep us very stuck, if you will.
So having somebody to guide us and give us those new perspectives, a setback is a setup for a comeback. And a coach can be in your corner, helping you to understand that, set small goals, to be able to move forward and understand that it's not the end all, be all.
So, yes, it can be extremely valuable.
[00:04:12] Speaker B: How would you help some of our audience viewers kind of understand? I know that. I mean, I also work with my own personal coach as well.
How. How do you help your client segue or close the gap of I'm having to hire a coach because I failed because I'm a failure. Right. I know those are two different things, but I've seen that with lots of people that I've consulted that hiring the coach is the.
It means that I failed. Right. And I can't do it on my own. So how do you help those, how do you help your clients kind of bridge that gap?
[00:04:45] Speaker C: So I think it's understanding why is this happening to me versus what is this teaching me now and being open minded. You know, there's a big difference between a fixed mindset, this is it, I can't go through it, and a growth mindset. And by hiring a coach, you have a growth mindset and you're really focusing, excuse me, and understanding how can I grow through this, what is this teaching me? And that can make or break us in the business world and it can make or break us in life. If we are staying fixed and set in our mindset and aren't open to moving forward versus a growth mindset imperative as business Owners that we're open to what's next for us, and that can be oftentimes a coach to move us forward.
[00:05:29] Speaker B: Okay, and so when you're working with those clients, how do you help them build that resilience? And instead of just surviving the challenge, because we can typically get through it. But how do we. How do we learn? How do we create that? How do you help your clients get that growth mindset to go? What is this teaching me? Like you just mentioned, that's such a great question.
[00:05:48] Speaker C: And it's one of my passions, so. Helping business owners to identify their core strengths, their values, and create small, actionable steps to be able to move through those tough times. Sometimes we get very overwhelmed, and we just see the big picture. We don't realize that we can set small, actionable steps, and that once we tackle that one small step, we can take another, another, another. And that's failing forward to be able to grow and move forward. It's very important that we set small steps rather than getting so overwhelmed that I can't move forward. And this is failure to me.
[00:06:26] Speaker B: Okay, so what are. Could you give the audience just a few tips or practices to help them recover from failure or disruptive. Like, what is one thing that you would recommend to a client or to our audience to help them go through an experience? Maybe if they're going through an experience now, what is something that they could do to help them get out of it and learn from that?
[00:06:46] Speaker C: Yes. So really conducting an honest assessment of what happened.
What can I gain from it? What can I learn from it?
There's no shame in failing. There's no shame in our mistakes. And once we understand that, it can really equip us to be able to set small step to be able to move forward. You know, there's a saying. If we can name it, we can tame it.
So let's name what happened. Let's find the lessons and identify what we can control to be able to move forward. And those control pieces are the things that we need to be able to set those steps and be able to move on.
[00:07:25] Speaker A: Okay, could you add a little color for us?
[00:07:27] Speaker B: Tell me about a client maybe, that you've worked with that had needed to build some resilience and tell us how you helped them and how it all ended up at the end.
[00:07:41] Speaker C: Thank you, Emily. Okay, so actually, I'm gonna divert from your question a little bit, and I'm gonna share a personal story, because I was born, I swear, into resiliency. Like, it's become the cornerstone of my life.
So I have a story of resiliency that I would like to share that many people in the audience may relate to. And that is I was sitting in front of my high school guidance counselor as a senior and I did not have a plan B. I was going to follow my grandmother's footprints who went to Penn State Teachers College back during the great I know I'm aging myself known as Penn State University now. And she was my model. I did not have a plan B. And that was it for me. And he said you would be much better suited being a Burger King manager. Because I already worked at Burger King, he gave me no other options.
So resilience it was either I find some resiliency in me or I was going to go to Burger King. And I refused to accept that narrative. I enter college on a probationary basis. I had to be in good academic standing by the end of the first semester. And I went on to earn my match, Bachelor's, excuse me. And my master's. And really for me it was proving that other people's limitations cannot define my potential.
[00:08:58] Speaker B: And then and absolutely we love those stories because I think most entrepreneurs have had that moment right where somebody told them they couldn't do it or they, they think that, think that they can do better. That's who we are. I think that we are Brett, like you said, born into it to just you got to be able to take a few punches if you're a business owner.
[00:09:20] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:09:20] Speaker B: 100 But I, I think the thing for our audience is really we can take a punch. But then how do we learn from that opportunity to stop to as you grow in scale, we're taking less and less punches. Right?
[00:09:32] Speaker C: Yes, yes. Or, and, and in addition, we handle them a lot better because we have past experiences. We can say, oh, I know how this, what this is. I know how it feels. I can fail forward and I, it's not going to stop me.
So it becomes a rocket fuel to be able to move you forward and it can be your greatest strength.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: Absolutely it can. So we if you will hang out with us because I would love to take that rocket fuel into our next segment where we will be talking about not burning out with that rocket fuel and learning how to balance and, and maybe fine tune how much we we do. So if you'll stick around, we'll be right back. Up next with Julie shares how ambitious leaders can protect their energy, health and happiness while saf still achieving big results. So stay tuned after this commercial break.
[00:10:21] Speaker A: We are just getting started. Stick around and we'll be right back with more lessons, insights and behind the scenes stories from the people driving real business forward. You're watching Biz Talk only on NOW Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Emily Galindo and this is Biz Talk on NOW Media Television. Let's dive back into the conversations that move business forward.
[00:10:46] Speaker B: Welcome back to Biz Talk. If you're just now joining us, I'm your host, Emily Galindo. But if you want more of what you're watching, stay connected to Biz Talk and any of your NOW Media TV favorites, live or on demand, anytime you like. Download the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and unlock non stop bilingual programming in both English and in Spanish. If you want more of a podcast version, head to our website at www.nowmedia.tv. for business and news to Lifestyle Culture on Now. Media TV is streaming around the clock. Ready whenever you are.
I am here with Julie Duncan and we are shifting from failure into ambitious success. And when we shift those gears, sometimes our. Our audience, viewers and business owners, they can reach what we call burnout. And they are high achievers. Wrestle with how to chase success without losing yourself in the process.
So, Julie, the question is, is ambition a gift or is it a danger without boundaries?
[00:11:51] Speaker C: Great question.
So here's the truth, Emily. High performers, including myself, maybe you are often wired through discomfort and often mistake burnout for dedication. Until what? Till their bodies force them to stop? Right? But the irony is that sacrificing our sleep, our health, our relationships, they actually diminish our ability to move forward. They diminish our cognitive function, our decision making, our creativity. So the thing that we think is our badge of honor is actually hindering our success.
[00:12:26] Speaker B: That hit, I mean, that first line just hit me so hard that it is a. It's an example of dedication, not. Yes. And I think that we all feel that the sleepless nights, the stress, that this is just who we are, I guess. And that's the price that we have to pay.
Is it the price we have to pay?
[00:12:46] Speaker C: No. No. And I want to give you an example that's very near and dear to my heart. I once worked with a C suite executive through an insurance company and everyone joked. Funny, not funny, right. That he had a cut in his office because he worked over 60 hours a week. And he was the first one in the office, you know, seven, eight at night, he was still in the office. But after his heart attack, he talked about the sacrifices he made and he vow to find balance in his well being. It was heartbreaking to watch it and he contributed at 99.9% to his work ethic and he knew he had to do better.
[00:13:25] Speaker B: And does it require something that drastic to pull a high achiever out of that mentality?
[00:13:31] Speaker C: No, it should not. Ever.
[00:13:33] Speaker B: It should not. So then the question then becomes, can we hold high ambition and self care in the same hand?
[00:13:41] Speaker C: Yes. And we must.
[00:13:43] Speaker B: Okay, so help us. Provide us, if you will in our audience with a little coaching and myself because I'm all, yes, I am. And so this has been a hot topic for a lot of people over, you know, as you, as you achieve, you learn more of these types of things. So lend us some, some practical advice of how do we balance the two and prioritize.
Especially if you're in business, is it making money, feeding the baby or is it feeding me? Which one's more important? And most of us have to say taking care of the financials is the thing. So how do we balance the two?
[00:14:16] Speaker C: Yes. And I really think it's a matter of reframing. We can have it both and we can have it all, but we must reframe it. So what does that mean, reframing? Understanding that rest, how important rest is and that boundaries are actually an investment in yourself, it's an investment in your business.
And I work with clients to show the direct correlation between their well being and their business results.
So what does that mean? The leaders who win long term treat their energy as the most valuable resource they have.
We don't have an unlimited expenditure of energy.
We must set boundaries. We must understand how we have to pour into our self as well as pour into our business. And that means limitations and we must strategically plan for that.
[00:15:08] Speaker B: So no is a complete sentence.
[00:15:10] Speaker C: Yes, yes, yes.
[00:15:11] Speaker B: Okay, I've heard, I'm adopting that one.
What are some other boundaries that can help me or any of our viewers, you know, protect their energy? Like what are some of those low hanging fruit energy things that I'm doing that are depleting me?
[00:15:29] Speaker C: Yes. So to me it's a non negotiables like blocking off time for sleep. Sleep matters. Our body rests and digested sleep. Right. We cannot function at our peak performance without sleep. It's moving our body, it's putting energy into our relationships that then, you know, we get back from giving right through our relationships and understanding that this is foundational.
Learning to say no. You just said no is a complete sentence. Yes, it is.
And ambitious people will always find reasons to break their own rules. But understanding that there's consequences to not pouring into yourself. There's consequences to 70, 80 hour work weeks and we must set boundaries and we must take care of ourselves. We get one body, we get one brain and that's what shows up every single day to work in our business. If we don't support our body and our brain, then what's going to happen to our business?
It's just like pouring into our team members. It's a must, but it begins with us.
[00:16:33] Speaker B: I love that. I did have a question for some of our.
Some people in certain industries, right, Depending on their seasonality. I think of a cpa. I just interviewed one a few days ago. And what, what about those guys who end up in a seasonality where they are, they have to work 80 hours because there's a deadline and things like that. Do they just give up self care during those times or what would you be your recommendation?
[00:17:05] Speaker C: It's so funny you say that because I actually did work for an accounting firm a few years ago.
It was kind of a side thing. My husband got hurt at work and they needed a job to thrive in our life and I worked for an accounting firm and I so appreciated one of the leaders saying to me, julie, the work is super important. We have deadlines. It was tax season, right? We know about that, but we're not saving babies here.
It is okay to go home at 7 o', clock, check out later than usual, but check out, go home, do your self care and do everything you need to do to take care of yourself.
Take time on Saturday, take time on Sunday, pour into yourself because the work will be here Monday morning, 8am when you show up. And that was so appreciated. And that fact that she said, we are not saving babies here. I respected the work ethic, I respected the workload, everybody did. But we also knew that it wasn't the end all be all and that we also had to pour into ourselves to be able to show up, to be able to take care of things and work those 12 hours if that's what it demanded.
[00:18:19] Speaker B: That is a wonderful. I mean we've been seeing a lot of people coming out saying the balance life, you know, the life balance and workers and big companies offering that sort of work life balance but being able to also respect the work.
So what was. Yes, go ahead.
[00:18:38] Speaker C: The other thing is we were highly encouraged to take breaks during the day. If you need to go for a half hour walk outside of your lunch because you're putting 12 hours in and it's a beautiful day out, please go do that. If you need to make a phone call and step away from your desk to talk to your family, please go do that. And they also had Friday stress busters where they would encourage everyone to come into the office, some people worked remote and have lunch together. Take that hour. There was no clocking in out of that half hour. Take that hour, have camaraderie with your peers because we need that time. And then like I said, it was nourishing your soul, nourishing with good food. And then you would go back to your desk after that hour and every single Friday for busy season, that was a given. That's what they did. That's how they poured into their staff and everybody looked forward to that.
[00:19:32] Speaker B: That is, I mean, a wonderful idea that I hope that everybody takes into account because it also with lots of other experts that we've had in different areas, you know, talking about culture and creating that culture that you want, it does that as well. To create a family type environment, what would you say is one boundary or ritual that someone could put in place today to start feeding back into themselves so that they don't get to that burnout place?
[00:20:01] Speaker C: Well, everybody's different and what relates to somebody is going to relate differently to somebody else. And I love the saying, like what's the best exercise? It's the one that you will do. So everybody's ritual will mean different things to them.
One of the things that I recommend is having a hard stop.
A hard stop at whatever time of the day and you don't go back to it. You shut your computer down, you walk out of the office or you walk out of your office if you work at home and that is your hard stop. And you give yourself permission to be done.
Breathe. Go do things that you love, that are your passion, your purpose, your family, have dinner with your family and then come back. If you need to get up at 5am, get up at 5am but find a ritual that works for you where you can detach, have some self care, knowing that that work will be there again when you wake up on Monday morning, Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning, etc. It'll still be there.
It.
[00:21:03] Speaker B: I think one of the most impactful things you've said, I mean you've said quite a few this in this segment, but is that there's no such thing. We're not saving babies. We have a saying in my organization, there's no such thing as a networking emergency. Right? Like there's. And I think that while we high achievers want to feel like what we're doing is very important, and we want to provide really great customer service, and we want to be very responsive.
That there has to be a balance of.
I will respond to that tomorrow. And being able to shut off and walk away.
[00:21:37] Speaker C: Because the thing is, Emily, we don't see our cortisol. We don't see our stress hormones.
We may feel them to some extent or we may not. And we might just be used to operating at that 110% all the time. But the fact of the matter is, stress is a very real thing. Stress hormones are a very real thing. And cortisol is. Can be very detrimental to our body.
Hence the CEO and what happened to him. And he said, the doctor said my cortisol was off the charts. He spoke with us about it. He was a leader, and he didn't hold back, and he wanted to teach us what not to do. Right.
But he told him, your cortisol is off the charts.
Now, I'm not saying everybody's gonna have a heart attack, obviously, if their cortisol is high, but cortisol can create so, so so many health issues that sometimes we can't come back from or it takes us a long time to come back from. So we need to be very cognizant about what we're doing to our bodies when we don't have that self care and when we're really feeling burned out. That can be cognitively, mentally, spiritually, or physically.
[00:22:43] Speaker B: Absolutely. I mean, it's so important. And I know that self care is a. I don't want to say a buzzword right now because I think that I would like. Can you dispel the myth that self care does not mean bubble baths and bonbons?
[00:22:56] Speaker C: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. It's going for a walk on a beautiful day. It's having a nice conversation with your spouse. It's sitting down with your family, having dinner. It's eating with your children, it's playing with your children. Whatever your life looks like. It's reading, it's meditating, it's journaling, whatever. It's listening to music.
Whatever speaks to you, it's doing those things again. What's the best tactic? It's what speaks to you and what you will do.
[00:23:23] Speaker B: I love that. And so if. If some of our viewers wanted to reach out and work with you and learn more about this, because I know that lots of people who watch this struggle with this particular topic. How could people get a hold of you?
[00:23:34] Speaker C: So I hang my hat on Facebook a lot, and I do it through my own account. If you go on Julie Duncan and Facebook, you will see crystal clear business strategies. You'll see all my things so that's an easy place to connect with me. And then I also have a website with crystal crystal clear business strategies right there and backslash. Julie Duncan and I do no cost complimentary strategy sessions with business owners and I love to pour into anybody to strategize about these things. It's very near and dear to my heart.
[00:24:10] Speaker B: Thank you so much. Julie. This segment, you have given them so much to think about. So stick around with me. I appreciate that. We'll be right back. Coming up next, Julie shares how mid career professionals can unlock new leadership potential after 40.
So and we will be right back after this. Coming up next, Julie shares how mid career professionals can unlock new leadership potential after 40 and why your best years might still be right ahead.
[00:24:35] Speaker A: We're just getting started. Stick around and we'll be right back with more lessons, insights and behind the scenes stories from the people driving real business forward. You're watching Biz Talk only on NOW Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Emily Galindo and this is Biz Talk on NOW Media Television. Let's dive back into the conversations that move business forward.
[00:25:01] Speaker B: Welcome back to Biz Talk and I'm here with Julie Duncan and this segment. We are diving into leadership after 40, this pivotal season where experience meets purpose for many professionals. The 40s and 50s can feel like that moment of opportunities are starting to slow down and but Julie doesn't believe that that's true. Julie believes that that is when leadership can truly take flight. So Julie, tell me a little bit about that. What do you mean we are our lived experience is that there's nothing and this is how life's just going to be and this is how we have to accept it. How do you feel like this is our opportunity?
[00:25:39] Speaker C: I love everything about that and you kind of answered the question and as you asked the question there were snippets of the answer. So thank you. And this is very near and dear to my heart because I defin reinvented myself into my 40s, I'm a date myself into my 50s.
And yes, we are just getting started because the truth of the matter is think about the, oh my gosh, the wisdom, the emotional intelligence, the pattern recognition that we come to the table with after decades of real life experiences.
Oh my goodness. And I have to share. I have a almost 25 year old daughter who has a business and of course, so she's in that Young, young arena. And I'm so grateful that she looks up to me because of my life experiences and will often ask for my wisdom. And I really appreciate that and respect that because that's not always the case.
Oftentimes people in their 40s or 50s are looked at well, opportunities slowed down. But really what we need to be doing is helping them shift from proving yourself to leveraging their unique authority and the unique opportunity that they bring to the table.
[00:26:51] Speaker B: So yeah, can we elaborate a little bit about that? Because I'm with you. And we had another expert on the hiring side talking about that.
You know, we've got over 50 re entering the workforce. 50, 65 and how what a great opportunity that is as a from an HR growth strategy perspective, you know. And so when you say leverage, what does that look like in the practical world? Like if somebody's working in an office setting right now, they think this is what all they life has to offer them. What does leveraging their experience look like in the practical form?
[00:27:24] Speaker C: Well, it's leveraging your competitive advantage. You bring all these things to the table. Identifying them, naming them, bringing them and being proud of them and bringing them with self confidence and owning them is super important because you bring so much to the table differently. We need the young, we need the middle aged, you know, in the workforce and in the business world and we all bring unique things to the table. But when we as kind of 40s and into the middle age can bring forth our all the things that I just talked about, our intellect, our emotional regulation, our intelligence, pattern recognition, all the things that we've done in our life uniquely bring those then that sets the table for what we offer. And it's super important that we own it and we come to the table with much self confidence and reframe it as we are not. It's not a one and done. We have so much more to give. And I spoke with a CEO recently, he said I have so much gas in my tank. And he was 63 years old. He said I am far from done.
And if I when I listen to him I realized all the things I'm talking about. He brings so much, he's in the insurance world. He brings so much to his 43 agents that he's bringing on now that are much younger. He's their leader.
So there we go.
[00:28:48] Speaker B: Yes. I mean you've got to be able. So you said name it. So like actually take stock. I think I've heard of this with stay at home moms. Re entering the workforce. If you could actually write out all of the skills that you've developed over the years of staying home, organization, calendar management, all of the things. Right, that. So, so naming how all of this actual applicable skills. Does that look like a possible career change or walking out the door and starting your own new business? Or I mean, how can, how do we get. Okay, so now we've taken stock of all the things that we're great at. What does that do to our mindset? How can we apply that to shifting into not feeling like we're stuck in, in this life?
[00:29:32] Speaker C: So mindset is very important to me. And you know, I hold to mindset isn't something that's everything.
So I'm so glad that you asked that question because it's so paramount. So replace, Reframe. We need to reframe our mindset, right? To from my best years are behind me to oh my gosh, my most impactful years require everything that I've learned how to do. Look at what I bring to the table. I've learned how to organize. I've learned how to, you know, oh my gosh, raising children, that's a setup for success right there. Right. So recognizing the influence, the legacy, how you can fulfill a position based upon all your prior experiences, it's critical that we own it and we show up with confidence of our prior skills, whatever those may look like.
[00:30:21] Speaker B: Have you worked with a client, perhaps that started later in life or that got with you in this 40, 50 section and you coached them through success? Can you share that with us?
[00:30:31] Speaker C: I did. She was 48 and she was a former school principal who had left education feeling burned out, feeling like she just wanted something new. And because she had been a principal, you know, a really high level achiever, she thought about going into the corporate world.
And so she was obviously concerned as we're talking about their skills weren't transferred from corporate to education.
So we spent time translating together, work together.
Think about it. Translated. Her talents, her skills in conflict resolution or organizational leadership. Oh my goodness. Right. Organizational leadership in a school 101 and how that could transfer to the corporate world and leadership development.
So once she could lay that out, see it, put it into a resume, within two years, she was designing learning programs for Fortune 500 companies. It was a beautiful match and she was able to get compensated for that and market her leadership skills. It was beautiful.
[00:31:29] Speaker B: When you were with clients, does that include like resume writing and finding the right job that might work for them and like getting them? Is that part of what you do? I'm just curious.
[00:31:37] Speaker C: I can, I haven't done it so much beyond because I have also like empowering life coaching and consulting. I have my llc. So I was doing a lot of the work with females back at that day, but I've since transitioned but I certainly can now.
Resume is very important for people that want to re enter the workforce understanding how their prior skills transfer. So yes, I can still do that, but that was when I had the empowering life coaching and my niche was primarily women that were lack self confidence, maybe some past trauma were re entering the workforce, finding their purpose in life. So that translated back then. But can I do that now? Of course. It's very important for executives that want to re enter the workforce and reinvent themselves.
Okay.
[00:32:23] Speaker B: And so now the type of client that you are targeting toward working with is typically in the corporate executive suite. Middle management. What does that look like for you?
[00:32:32] Speaker C: Yes, yes, yes. Business owners C suite. In fact, we're starting a C suite program that I'm super excited about where business owners come together and rise together.
[00:32:43] Speaker B: Okay. And in a, in a weekly or a cycle or monthly sort of environment. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
[00:32:51] Speaker C: Yes, monthly. And you know, I just have been reading a book by Ed Milet and he talks about our associations and C suite executive business owners, my goodness, we rise together. We're known by the company we keep. So being in a room with people that have done it, have been there, done that and have reached a level of success that you're seeking, It's a beautiful marriage. So C suite executives coming together once a month for several hours, be able to brainstorm, troubleshoot, have a topic, strategically plan, it's all designed around that philosophy.
And I'm super excited about it.
[00:33:27] Speaker B: Absolutely. And given your previous LLC that you mentioned earlier and in my organization we talk about this, that those individuals, while they may own businesses and are in executives and things like that, we do not operate our business in silos. Right. We are people. Humans have other things going on and need a space for that. So I'm so glad that you're working with that.
Can you, while we're on the topic, would you share with our audience if they wanted to get involved in that, how they could get a hold of.
[00:33:53] Speaker C: You crystal clear business strategies.
Julie Duncan it's all laid out there. There's a specific section on the website that says C Suite and there's a button to click to apply.
[00:34:06] Speaker B: Wonderful.
[00:34:07] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:34:07] Speaker B: All right, so then before we go to our last segment, I would love for you what's one practical thing that someone in their 40s or in 50s that they can do this week to position themselves to maybe reframe that mindset or do for themselves that's going to impact their. Their legacy, if you will.
[00:34:27] Speaker C: I'd love to share a story. Stories are at the heart of what we do, Right? So I'd love to share a story. I coach a woman who was seeking the next chapter in her life and she was in her mid-40s so she didn't, she didn't have a big network so she really wanted to redefine her purpose in life. So we talked about who are three people that you admire that are doing something out in the world and it may or may not be what you want to do but connect with them.
So she started there and she sat down, she talked to them about what they were doing in their life with their business or where their work aspirations were. And then we build her network from there. Who do they know that they could connect her to? Then she also went to some network. She didn't have a business at the time, but she was very open and she went through some network meetings so that she could learn our network is our net worth. Right.
And so what happened is these connections helped her to be able to make other connections and reminded her that opportunity is abundant and she was stuck in her own little place of what was in her mind of what her opportunities were once she started to grow and see what other things were out there in the world.
Then her life started to open up and she found something that she was extremely passionate about and she started her own business and she really I Networking.
[00:35:47] Speaker B: Yes. That is just a story straight to my heart as a shameless plug of next level NIA and network in action. What I just what I do as a business advocate. But yes, you I never.
I wish people knew more about that, about the power of your network and how to take a meeting and see where it goes and ask for who do you might know that might help me with this and it really does open up the entire world. I couldn't agree with you more. Yeah, very good. Well, if you hang out with me for one more segment, we're going to go to commercial and when we when we'll be right back. And up next, Julie helps us understand how to keep growing through uncertainty and why a growth mindset is the ultimate business advantage. So be right. Hang in there. We'll be right back after this commercial break.
[00:36:33] Speaker A: We are just getting started. Stick around and we'll be right back with more lessons, insights and behind the scenes stories from the the people driving real business forward. You're watching Biz Talk only on NOW Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Emily Galindo and this is Biz Talk on NOW Media Television. Let's dive back into the conversations that move business forward.
[00:36:59] Speaker B: Welcome back to Biz Talk. Don't miss a second of this show or any of our NOW Media TV favorites, streaming live and on demand whenever and wherever you are.
Grab the free Now Media TV app on Roku or iOS and enjoy instant access to our lineup of bilingual programming in both English and in Spanish. Prefer podcasts? Listen to us on the go at our website, www.nowmedia.tv covering business, breaking news, lifestyle, culture and more. Now Media TV is available 24 7, so the stories you care about are always within reach.
Welcome back to Biz talk. If you're just now joining us, I'm your host, Emily Galindo and I'm being joined by Julie Duncan, an amazing executive, executive coach and strategist helping us with our mindset today. So we're wrapping up this inspiring conversation with Julie diving into the most important skill of today in today's business world, which is developing a growth mindset in uncertain times.
So, Julie, the the economy is rapidly changing. AI is rapidly changing. There's lots of things happening in the world that are impacting our business. And if we don't adapt, we may not survive, right?
[00:38:15] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:38:16] Speaker B: And so what?
Why is the growth mindset more vital now than ever for professionals and business leaders?
[00:38:25] Speaker C: Well, it's exactly what you just said, Emily.
The world is changing every single day, Right? And what worked last year, what worked last month may be obsolete in today's world. So we must be adaptable and we must understand that adaptability is key to us moving forward and functioning.
And so leaders with a fixed mindset, they're going to protect what they know, while those with a growth mindset, they're going to see disruption as what, an evolution to evolve. It's all about evolving.
So in uncertain times, your willingness to learn, unlearn certain things, Lord knows I've had to unlearn certain things and become your become your greatest competitive advantage. So being open, being honest about what you don't know, being willing to learn those things, whether it's through a C suite program or that's through a coach, a team member, it's imperative that we're open. We ask curious questions to help us to be able to grow our business and scale in these very uncertain times. Things Are changing every day.
[00:39:32] Speaker B: They are. And so are there things that you do specifically with your clients that help them transition from a fixed mindset? I mean, obviously that they're working with you. They're at least open to the conversation. Right. So how do you. How do you get them from a fixed thinking mindset to a growth? Somebody who at least welcomes the change or I don't know about welcomes. Least open to the change?
[00:39:53] Speaker C: Yeah, Again, it's all about that. Reframing, you know, helping them understand the mindset, what it is, name it, you can tame it. Being able to reframe it, to be able to move forward. So identifying things that are holding them back. What does that fixed mindset look like? How is that playing out in your life? Is it perfectionism? Is it fear of judgment? Is that keeping you from playing small?
And are you. Is it stopping you from creating the actionable steps so that you can move forward? And then we work together to create low risk steps, build confidence, and navigate this uncertainty. Somebody's really scared, and they don't want to take the risk. Okay. So let's build small, actionable steps where the risk is low so that you can build the confidence to be able to see that work. That worked. That worked. Now this is what's going to work next and then be able to build and scale from there.
So the shift happens when you realize that growth doesn't require all the answers. Right. It requires being willing to ask better questions and be curious and show up.
[00:40:56] Speaker B: I love that. I really hope that our audience heard that.
And I think that when somebody thinks of change, they think of the big change. Word. Right. We're gonna have to overhaul everything and we're gonna switch it. Like. But the ability to show low risk, this reward and to reframe and build that confidence is that we can do it with just small, little bite sizes versus big overhauls. And I think, like, in the gym world, right, you just add more vegetables. That's all we're doing. We're not going to change anything else. Right.
[00:41:29] Speaker C: It's not.
[00:41:29] Speaker B: We're going to come in and throw everything out.
But that I think helps people take a small step in the right direction with you. Right.
[00:41:37] Speaker C: I'm a big fan of one degree. If you can move the needle one degree every single day, what's going to happen at the end of the month? What's going to happen at the end of six months, a year? If you're taking these small actionable steps and you move the needle one degree, I love that. Because it's not overwhelming. It's eating that elephant one bite at a time.
[00:41:59] Speaker B: Thank you for that. I think just hearing you say that makes us go, oh, okay. It's not as scary as it once was.
[00:42:05] Speaker C: Right.
[00:42:08] Speaker B: I love also that you use the word curious.
So what practices help someone stay curious and adaptable and forward looking? What are some things that you recommend?
[00:42:19] Speaker C: I'm sorry, you were breaking up. Emily, can you repeat that question, please?
[00:42:22] Speaker B: I sure can.
Here we go. I said I love the word that you use, which is curious. Being curious. And how. What practices do you help your clients with? With helping them stay curious and adaptable and forward looking.
[00:42:37] Speaker C: So building a daily practice of asking, what can I learn from this? Instead of why is this happening to me? When faced with challenges, is this happening for me, That's a better way to reframe it. Right. What can I learn from it? And I love this one. Surround yourself with people who challenge your thinking and expose you to perspectives outside of your industry or your comfort zone. A rising tide lifts all boats. That's from jfk, right? A rising tide lifts all boats. So when you surround ourselves with people that might think a little bit differently and. Or our support systems, we learn to rise together and we can help each other to be able to reframe those challenges so that we can push forward and make the next hard call and make the next customer sale and, you know, whatever it is next in your business and also continuously learning, whether it's books, podcasts, courses, conversations, we have to stay curious because curiosity is the antidote to fear and stagnation.
[00:43:39] Speaker B: I couldn't agree with you more. And I love your recommendation of surrounding yourself with people who. With different perspectives and life experience and that you're not in a. Yes, silo.
[00:43:50] Speaker C: Yes, I'm in.
[00:43:51] Speaker B: Right. So a group coaching opportunity, like what you're hosting, is one of those opportunities to be surrounded with people with completely different perspectives from you, right?
[00:44:01] Speaker C: Yep. And. And each other. Each other.
[00:44:04] Speaker B: Absolutely. Absolutely.
Could you give us. I would love to know your story of your. Maybe your toughest cookie that you've cracked, if you will. Like that. That was so fixed. And so this is how we cut the ham. You've heard the ham story, I think, like, and we're able to get them over into the curiosity realm. Do you have one?
[00:44:24] Speaker C: Well, I'm going to tell them myself because I was one of the toughest nuts to crack. And it's so crazy, Emily, because I was in the counseling space. My background's counseling psychology.
You know, I have A master's degree in this arena. But sometimes we are the hardest people to crack. Right.
So I'm going to tell on myself. And that was absolutely true. So when I was new to the business space. You're going to love this on Biz Talk.
I was very green and I was a social worker at heart. And I got asked to come to a local school district and share a bottle of tower gardens, this medium to grow produce and teach kids where produce comes from and all your vegetables. Right. And so I showed up and did my thing with the school board. School superintendent was there. It was a little bit nerve wracking, but I had education background, so it was fine. And they purchased nine. They purchased 50 Tower Gardens and my check was $9,000. And I had never made that kind of money like, you know, in one month ever.
And the problem was after celebrating, I became paralyzed.
And I told myself it was a fluke and I could never replicate that success.
And I never sold another tower garden in bulk to a school again.
I stopped right there because my brain, we were talking about this earlier. My brain saw my amygdala was hijacked, my prefrontal cortex shut down and said, oh, I just got lucky. I can't ever repeat that. So I stopped.
And then what I had to realize because I am the power of one more person. That's the name of my NOW media show.
And I have a little bit of fomo. I needed to get back in the game. What I realized is that I had to address my own limiting beliefs and tell myself how much I worked for that check. And so that helped me to be able to press forward. And so now my life's mission as an executive coach is to help business owners recognize their setbacks acts. So it's not a dead end. I hit a dead end so that they see that information as being a reset to be able to break through and move to the next level.
[00:46:34] Speaker B: Thank you for sharing that. I think it is really incredible. That is a great example. Right. Of how powerful your brain is and the things that it says to you. And what's most of what's holding us, keeping us stuck in all the topics we've talked about is right in between our two ears.
[00:46:50] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:46:52] Speaker B: Yes. So to get to maybe leave us on on a good note so that we have something to take on with us. Aside from all of the incredible information you've given us today, what's one mindset or habit someone can adopt this week to move from surviving in uncertainty to thriving instead?
[00:47:09] Speaker C: So it's really a tool.
It's a little bit unique because I'm a strength in numbers girl and I believe that leaders supporting each other helps us rise together. So a unique approach is this. What if every leader build a peer advisory network. Doesn't have to be real formal. Can be or not where they surround themselves with three to five people who think differently than them and they schedule monthly conversations to challenge their thinking. They bring a topic to the table and they're open to how people solve it. They're open to how they think about it. And it's a peer advisory network. How would that change someone's leadership?
[00:47:48] Speaker B: I'm going to use that as a snippet to coach bar members on for our members. I mean that, that just makes complete and that's, that's what we do and I'm glad that that's your piece of recommendation because I'm, I'm with you. You can't do it alone and you really need somebody. What I would prefer a coach. Right. Who's non biased and is paid to have with your best interest at heart. Right.
But at least having a community of people to support you and help you look at it from all angles.
All right, so before I leave you, this has been incredible. Where can people follow one more time. Where can people follow you and your work and connect with you so that they can look at all of your upcoming coaching programs.
[00:48:30] Speaker C: Thank you, Emily. I hang out on Facebook. If you go on my Facebook page, you'll see me. You'll see crystal clear business strategies and then also the website. I do no cost complimentary strategy with people and I love what I do. I'd love to connect and I'm also on LinkedIn but I hang out more on Facebook and than anything but I'm on LinkedIn too.
[00:48:51] Speaker B: Perfect.
Everybody make sure you connect with Julie. She's been incredible today. Thank you so much for being here and for reminding us that success is not built by avoiding change, but by growing through it.
[00:49:04] Speaker C: Thank you, Emily for having me. I'm honored to be here.
[00:49:07] Speaker B: Thanks to our viewers. Remember, business is more than profit margins and productivity. It's about resilience. It's wellness and mindset that shapes everything you lead. So I'm Emily Glindo and this has been Biz talk where we bridge insight with action to help you lead with clarity, courage and purpose. See you next time.
