A Journey of Faith and Leadership w/ Vonna Laue

What happens when you leave a successful 20-year career as a managing partner at a national CPA firm with no clear plan? Vonna Laue, author of "Glad I Didn't Know: Lessons Learned Through Life's Challenges And Unexpected Blessings" shares her remarkable journey from small-town South Dakota to partner at a national CPA firm to board chair at World Vision USA. Tune in as she reflects on lessons of trust, leadership, and obedience, offering wisdom on navigating transitions, building trust in organizations, and mentoring the next generation of leaders.  Whether you're a leader, mentor, or someone facing uncertainty, this conversation will leave you encouraged to trust the process and embrace life’s unexpected blessings.

Guest Links:

• Vonna’s LinkedIn
• Glad I Didn't Know: Lessons Learned Through Life's Challenges and Unexpected Blessings 

Credits: 
Host: Lisa Nichols
Executive Producer: Jenny Heal
Marketing Support: Landon Burke and Joe Szynkowski
Podcast Engineer: Portside Media

Transcript

Lisa Nichols  00:02
Chromosomes, little strands of nucleic acids and proteins are the fundamental genetic instructions that tell us who we are. At birth, most people are born with 46 chromosomes, but each year in the United States, about 6000 people are born with an extra chromosome, making them a person with Down syndrome. If you've ever encountered someone with Down syndrome, you know that they are some of the kindest, most joyful people you will ever meet. They truly have something extra. 

My name is Lisa Nichols, and for 30 years, I have been both the CEO of Technology Partners and the mother to Ally. Ally has something extra in every sense of the word. I have been blessed to be by her side as she impacts everyone she meets. Through these two important roles as CEO and mother to Ally, I have witnessed countless life lessons that have fundamentally changed the way I look at the world. While you may not have an extra chromosome, every leader has something extra that defines who you are. 

Join me as I explore the something extra in leaders from all walks of life and discover how that difference in each of them has made a difference in their companies, their families, their communities and in themselves. If you like this episode today, please go to Apple Podcast or wherever you listen and leave us a five-star rating. 

I'm delighted to have Vonna Laue on the show today. Vonna is the author of "Glad I Didn't Know: Lessons Learned Through Life's Challenges And Unexpected Blessings". Well, welcome to the Something Extra Podcast, Vonna, I'm so delighted that you were able to join me today. Thank you so much for making the time.

Vonna Laue  01:37
I appreciate you asking. This is fun. 

Lisa Nichols  01:40
It's going to be fun. We're going to have a lot to talk about. I told you I've got pages and pages of notes, so we'll try to cram as much good stuff as we can in. You know, we have to give a shout out, don't we? To our mutual friend.

Vonna Laue  01:54
We do. Good old Jim, connecting the world to people at a time.

Lisa Nichols  01:58
Exactly. Jim Bechtold, I know you feel the same way. He is just the most amazing, encouraging person on the planet, I think.

Vonna Laue  02:08
I would agree. I appreciate his spirit. He's a model for many of us of Christ, like love.

Lisa Nichols  02:15
For sure. Well, you know what's really kind of fun for me as I was preparing, you and I have a lot of things in common. Okay? 

Vonna Laue  02:25
Well, I can't find out. 

Lisa Nichols  02:28
So, we both love Jesus, right? We both love being moms. We like being business leaders, we're also and I know that there was a time where you were no longer an only child, but for a big part of your life, you're an only child. So, was I? I was a I'm an only child. So that's another and then your happy place is the beach. My happy place is the beach. So, I'm like, Wow, we have, we have a lot of things in common. But you know, before we dig into your career and what you're doing today. You've done so much amazing stuff. I'd really love for you to take me back to your childhood. I think you grew up in South Dakota, and I laughed where you said the town had two stoplights. I think, Vonna, I may have you beat by one or two stop lights. So, I grew up in a small town in western Kentucky, and I think there's four stoplights. 

Vonna Laue  03:22
So, see, you were twice as big as we were. 

Lisa Nichols  03:25
I know twice as big. But you know what? I know you feel the same way. I would not take that experience of growing up in a small town, I wouldn't take that back for anything. I love that. It was a great childhood. 

Vonna Laue  03:40
It's definitely part of what makes us who we are. And there were times where it wasn't that fun. Times when, you know, I'd get in a fight with my then boyfriend, and now husband of 32 years, and before I could get home, someone would have already called my mom and said, Hey, did you know...I'm like, Come on, small town life, right? But it's definitely part of what has led to where I am today. 

Lisa Nichols  04:07
You know, that's funny that you said that, because I say now we it was our town was maybe 35,000. But it felt like to me as a little girl, it felt like my mom and dad knew everybody, and so I couldn't get away with anything. I mean, if I said I was going to be at Sarah's house, I better be there, because my mom would be on the phone with Jane. I mean, you know, but it kind of kept me, kind of gave me guardrails, I guess, because I just knew, you know, my mom and dad were going to find out about it if I did something. 

Vonna Laue  04:40
I'm pretty sure it was the original Life 360.

Lisa Nichols  04:44
Yes, for sure. So, tell me, you know, you, it's funny because, you know, I think you started, didn't you start working at a really young age?

Vonna Laue  05:00
So, I was 13, and started at Dairy Queen. You know, you don't have a lot to do and you want to make money to do something. And Dairy Queen is, I think, the small-town employer of choice probably still to this day, because so many small towns have one. And in South Dakota, you could start driving at 14, so you had to save up to buy a car.

Lisa Nichols  05:26
That is crazy, because I was the first question that came to my mind were child labor laws not in place.

Vonna Laue  05:35
I will say years later, I asked my mom, I was like, I wasn't even making minimum wage, like, should you not have maybe stepped in at some point? But at the same time, it was a great opportunity. And there are a lot of aspects of life where I just grew up really fast, and so I think that was, that was part of it. I didn't think of it being unusual.

Lisa Nichols  06:00
Well, you know, in growing up really fast, the other thing that kind of caused me some pause, I think after just a few months of being there, Vonna, you were put in charge. You were leading a team. And I'm thinking, you're 13 years old. I mean, what did you know about leadership when you were 13?

Vonna Laue  06:19
The job needed to get done, and we were going to do better if we worked together than if we worked individually. So, I think that was just inherent in the role that, yes, some, some kind of funny stories that come out of, you know, leading teams at Dairy Queen when you're a teenager, for sure.

Lisa Nichols  06:36
Well, I think you'd done some 4-H right in school, and you said, really, kind of looking back on that, you did learn a lot of business principles and things about leadership, even in 4-H.

Vonna Laue  06:48
Absolutely. And I'll say, you know, at the time, I certainly didn't appreciate it. I don't think any kid does anything that they encounter during their lifetime at that point. But years later, fast forward, and when we moved to Virginia and wanted to get our teenage daughter involved in 4-H in Virginia. We went to the first meeting, and I remember just sitting there thinking, oh my goodness, like this is where I learned a lot of leadership. You know, they elect officers, and the kids run the meetings, and they run the meetings by Robert's Rule of Order. And, I mean, there are a lot of leadership opportunities and just, you know, the projects and the trips and so many things that they instill in you. So, I had done that already at that point in time, for a number of years, and didn't realize what an investment that was in me.

Lisa Nichols  07:40
I'm just laughing to myself. I don't think I learned Robert's Rules of Order until I was about 40, so that's amazing. But, you know, I hope, I don't know if schools are still doing that or not, but I hope they are, if they're not.

Vonna Laue  07:57
4-H is still going strong, typically in more of the rural communities across the country. But as people have opportunity, doesn't mean that you have to be a farm kid to be in 4-H there were speech and debate opportunities. There were all kinds of arts and a number of drama, different things that involved people that weren't agricultural families, and certainly you got the leadership principles instilled.

Lisa Nichols  08:25
Well, I'm just saying, if there's listeners out there that are listening, that are parents, you know, check out 4-H for your, your children. You know, I always say, JA. I was a big JA person, Junior Achievement person. I just believe those experiences are so good, and getting those early on, I think, too, Vauna, showing you that you can lead and that you can do these things, I think, is really good, too. The other thing I read was that you, I think you were the youngest EMT in the nation.

Vonna Laue  08:57
I told you I had a lot of things to get done at a young age.

Lisa Nichols  09:00
You did. Oh my. How did that come about? And I would love to know how that experience, you know, even informed your approach to leadership later. I mean, were there things that you pulled out from, that that you kind of carried forward?

Vonna Laue  09:18
Well, I was 13 when I got certified as an EMT, and part of that was that my parents were EMTs, and my mom taught EMT class. And so, for years, I went to every class because I was an only child. And so, you know, if they're going to do something in the evenings, you get drug along to it, right? And so there came a point in time where I was like, Well, why don't I just actually take the class, do the test and get the certification, if I'm going to be there anyway. So, that was kind of my thinking behind it. One of the things that I would say is I would love if health classes were replaced, or at least included just basic first aid or some of the EMT training that exists. Because in life, you will encounter times where it's very beneficial to just understand and have some basic skills related to that. 

Vonna Laue  10:12
So, that's one of the things that I've always thought would, would be really helpful that you know, going through the class, it was kind of funny. Because one of the things that you have to do towards the end is you have to do a ride along in the ambulance, and you have to do a session in an emergency room. And so, I did my ride along with the ambulance service, and when I got done. I asked them to sign my paperwork, and something came up about my age just as they were signing the paperwork. And they had no idea that I was 13, and as they signed it, they were like, Oh, my goodness, I don't think our insurance would have even let you do this if we had known your age. And I was like, oh, paper signed too late, too late.

Lisa Nichols  10:52
Right. Well, you were probably an old soul, you know, you like you said. I mean, you were probably much more mature for your, for your age, than most other 13-year-olds were.

Vonna Laue  11:05
I do think that's part of being an only child. I don't know what you think about that, Lisa, but you're just exposed to so many adults you don't have you know, kids that you're hanging out with. If mom and dad got together with two other couples, you quite all quite often, tagged along, and you knew how to interact with them, and the it was almost the group of people that you were surrounded by. And so, you did become an old soul in some ways.

Lisa Nichols  11:30
I could not agree more. I think I was always a little bit more, you know, mature for my age. And, you know, but, but then, there were a few downsides of being an only child too, Vonna. And one of them was, when I got when we got married. I'm like, What do you mean you've got to use the bathroom? Listen, I'm doing my hair in my own bathroom. And I'm like, get out of the mirror, you know? But, but I was not a spoiled only child. I'm sure you weren't either.

Vonna Laue  12:00
Well, no comment. I don't think I was, but that's probably not taking into account other people's perceptions.

Lisa Nichols  12:06
Exactly. Yes, that's according to us. Life According to us, right? You know, I know, Vonna, that you went to a Christian school, and you said that having that Christian education was just pivotal to your faith and your leadership journey. What do you think that you know were some of the lessons that you learned from going to this Christian School? I know it was really important to you.

Vonna Laue  12:35
Well, I actually came to Christ because of Christian education and so, huge proponent of Christian schools. And the reason that I say that is because we were, when we were in the small town. That was the education that my parents chose for me kindergarten through second grade. And then my parents divorced, and there were a bunch of moves involved, and kind of the instability that goes with that, and also the economic instability. And so was not able to be in Christian school for a few years, and I kept just begging to go back, and my seventh-grade year was allowed to go back to another small Christian School. And two things happened there. One, there, there was a teacher that he and his wife and their family really took me in and modeled a godly home and a godly marriage, which I hadn't had the privilege of being around, and so I'm forever grateful for that opportunity. But while my family was Religious and Church going. It wasn't a relationship, and the gospel wasn't taught at the church that my parents had been part of. And so, it was the first time that the gospel was ever really explained to me and on a daily basis, right? Like when you're in a good, solid Christian school, you can't you're not going to escape it. And so, over a period of a couple of years, the Lord just used all of that, and that's what brought me to Christ. And so, I'm forever grateful for that. And ultimately, you know, my family has come to the Lord as well, so it was the first of many stepping stones

Lisa Nichols  14:11
And I know you feel like I feel that central to everything, right? I'd say that's the central piece of the wheel, and then there's spokes that come off of that, but that's the center. So, I know you feel exactly the same way. Well, I know like career wise, you were thinking, probably from your EMT days? You were thinking at first that you were maybe going to be a nurse, but then you became a CPA, and you spent 20 years in a national CPA firm, and when you left there, you were the managing partner, right? But, I don't know if there's anything you want to talk about that experience, but here's where I was going with that. You made a critical decision. You were there for 20 years. You were the managing partner, and you made a decision to step away with really no idea of where you were going.

Vonna Laue  14:59
I think that's a great place to park for just a couple of minutes, because I started at that firm 20 years prior to that. Brian and I took the opportunity to move to Colorado Springs for me to go to that firm. But my idea is still at that time, as you know, a young married was okay, I'll get my CPA license, get a little bit of experience, and then be at a point in life where I can stay home, raise kids, but have my CPA license that I can do work on the side. And as I got into that firm, and that firm served churches and Christian ministries, I realized it was just my ministry, that that's where God had called me personally and us as a family, to minister. And so, I used to laugh that I went there and never left. And so, I spent time, went up through the ranks, you know, became a senior, became a manager, became a partner, and ultimately, like you said, the managing partner for the firm. Which was national firm, 14 offices in, you know, states from Massachusetts to California and everywhere in between. 

Vonna Laue  16:10
And in the summer of 2016 just felt like God was saying, your time here is done. And I don't know if your listeners have ever argued with the Lord, but let me just save you a little, little bit of time. It's not very effective. And so, I had a few arguments for him, and one of them was, I said, I'm a lifer. You know, I've told everyone, I love what I do, I love who we serve, and I'm here for my career. And the Lord said, No. And then I said, this is economically stupid. My husband was a stay-at-home dad. Actually, we were very blessed that that was what he felt his calling was, and that's how we served together as a couple and as a family. And so, my stepping away from that was not just, Oh, I think I'll take a little sabbatical. That was our income. And so, I when I said to him, this is economically stupid. And he said, So. I was like, all right, you own the cattle on 1000 hills, but I'm going to need you to sell a few of them. And then the third argument I had was that our oldest daughter was headed off to college, but our youngest daughter was headed into high school. And I just felt like it was such a critical time, and so I said to the Lord, you can disrupt our lives, but don't mess up our daughter's life. And it was like the Lord said, You know, I've got this. 

Vonna Laue  17:35
So, I was out of arguments, and he just made it abundantly clear. And what I realized was that it was a matter of obedience. And so, when I went to the partners, I was supposed to give 12 months’ notice, and I went to our partners on September 1. And I said, because this is a matter of obedience, I think it's going to be detrimental to the firm and detrimental to our family if I don't obey, and so, they graciously allowed me to leave at the end of the year. And that meant that I had four months to wrap up a 20 year career, and I had 150 meetings scheduled with clients and network connections and all of that to make sure that that I ended well. And my commitment in that time was that, to myself, was that I wouldn't entertain any offers, I wouldn't do any searching, I wouldn't prepare a resume that I just needed to finish well. And you know, you have conversations like that, and you explain, hey, the firm's doing great. I just believe this is a matter of obedience, and people were fully supportive, but you can imagine what the next question is.

Lisa Nichols  18:46
Right. Where are you going?

Vonna Laue  18:48
Exactly. And so, for this left brained type A analytical person, to look them in the eye and say, I have no idea, was extremely difficult. But that's exactly where God wanted me in that season, and it was a time of immense growth. 

Lisa Nichols  19:09
I mean, Vonna, I'm just sitting here thinking that's so hard really, because we do want to know what's next, right? We want to see the plan. But I'm awesome. I'm reminded truly, of Abraham, and when God said, go into a land that I will show you, and it was on the way, right? But it's his obedience, and he ended up in the Hall of Fame because of his faithfulness and his obedience, and even, you know, so I just, I think that that is it took a lot of courage, but you know, at the end of the day, like you said, it's obedience and trust. 

Vonna Laue  19:44
Well, you know, it's interesting that you say that, because and God is so gracious to us to give us little things once in a while that are such an encouragement. And as I was wrapping up and clearing out the last of the emails the last Sunday in December of 2016, so I'm ready to hand my computer back in. We were at, we were visiting a church in San Diego, and the pastor spoke that Sunday about when the Israelites went to the Jordan River and he told them they had to put their feet in. He didn't stop the flow of the river. He told him step in. And I was like, All right, like tomorrow, I'm stepping in. And he didn't stop it until we stepped in, right? But that's what he called that's the obedience factor.

Lisa Nichols  20:36
Yes, absolutely. Well, I think you started consulting and leading in a faith-based organization. You were the EVP for evangelical counsel for financial accountability, which sounds like that was probably a pretty good match with your skill set, right? What do you think, you talk a lot, I mean, you obviously yourself had to trust in a way, but you talk a lot about building trust in organizations. What do you think, Vonna, what do you think are those key characteristics of a leader to make sure that they're building that trust factor through the culture of the organization. And as you said before you, you guys had 14 different offices. I mean, you know, that's hard. You had a lot of people to touch. So, what do you think some of those key characteristics are? 

Vonna Laue  21:36
I think there's a need for transparency. That's one of them. I fully believe that we all make better decisions when we're transparent with each other, like, let's put it on the table. We lead people better, and they follow better if we're transparent with them, if they know that we're not holding back. And so related to that also, also is vulnerability, and I think that there's a level of vulnerability. Now, you know, please understand that you can't be too vulnerable with people. There's an appropriate level of that. But when you're vulnerable with people, they understand the heart and spirit with which you're trying to lead them, and those two things will create a level of trust that I think is hard to gain any other way.

Lisa Nichols  22:31
I'm so glad that you mentioned that, you know, because there are many articles circulating right now saying that that is the key you know, to what people are feeling that they need from their leaders now, is vulnerability. Do you have, Vonna, and you may not be able to pull this out of your memory bank, but do you have any stories surrounding that, where you came and you were vulnerable with your people and how that you know how that affected them? Do you have a story that you can pull from your memory bank on that?

Vonna Laue  23:03
Sure, let me maybe I'll come at it a little bit different way. I try to be pretty open, transparent and somewhat vulnerable with people just on a day-to-day basis, like they know they know me. They know who I am. They know how I tick. I used to laugh that I would take the train from Orange County to San Diego, and they just knew I was a better person if I took the train and I didn't sit in traffic like that's just who I am, and my staff know. But related to that, maybe not specific to my vulnerability, but really related to how we relate to people. I have had on a couple of occasions, staff that have come to me that have said, I'm thinking about leaving. They weren't leaving. They weren't taking another position. They weren't going somewhere, but they felt like God was moving them potentially in a different direction, or there was something in their life that was causing them to do that. 

Vonna Laue  24:01
And Lisa to me, that is the biggest indication that we have built a trust relationship. When they're willing to come to me and know that I'm not going to hold that against them. I'm not going to fire them for it. I'm not going to take away future opportunities from them, but they know that together, I'm going to pray with them about what God wants them to do. I'm going to help them land where they're supposed to be, if that's not with us, and if it, if they are going to stay with us, that it hasn't done anything to damage the relationship. It's actually just enhanced the relationship, because we could walk through that together. And I think to me, that's been one of my, you know, favorite times in leadership over the years. 

Lisa Nichols  24:48
That's a great point. I love that too. And we've had that. We've had people when they're thinking about leaving coming, and then we've had people that don't, you know, and, and it's like, you want them to do that. You want to talk through it with them and, and if it's not with your organization, you'll help them network and find something else, right? So, you know, let me ask you this. You've made a lot of big transitions, you know, what do you think are some of your biggest challenges in navigating the shifts.

Vonna Laue  25:24
Well, I'm a planner, and so obviously, one of the things, and I've got to believe that, you know, a lot of people would share that trait with me. So, one of the things is like, I want a good plan, and I want to work the plan, but I also know that I need to leave room for God to move in there, and that's really vital, because there how many times our plans are not nearly as good as God's plans, right? And so, we're headed in a direction, and that's actually one of the analogies that I love, and it applies in the transition discussion. I had a person tell me years and years ago, it's a lot easier to steer a moving vehicle than one that's sitting still. And that's so true. Like sit in a parking lot and try and steer you're not going anywhere, but if you're going down the road at 60 miles an hour and you move the steering wheel very little over the course, it's going to take you in a completely different direction. And that's just how God works in our lives. So, we can plan for these transitions. We need to be moving in a way forward, but we also need to allow God to change that direction exactly, right? And so, I think, to me, it's, it's having a plan, having the right people around you. You know, those transitions have always impacted family, and so my relationship with my husband is critical for those transitions to work well. And it's got to start with the right prioritization, but then being willing to allow those plans to be altered for the right end result.

Lisa Nichols  27:04
You know that just reminds me, the Blackaby family are good friends of ours. I don't know if you know Richard and Henry that passed away last year, Henry Blackaby. And I remember, and I'm hoping I get this right, but he said one of his prayers is, God, if I have prayed for something and you want something better, cancel my request.

Vonna Laue  27:30
I really like that, because one of the things that I've actually even incorporated into my speaking in the last year is this idea of, what if you only had what you prayed for? Where would you be professionally? Where would you be relationally, you know? Where would you be, even, from the standpoint of where you live and all of those things, and I look at it from the standpoint of glad I didn't know and realize, Wow, I'm so thankful Lord that you didn't just give me what I prayed for, but what you have done is immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine. 

Lisa Nichols  28:11
We're going to talk about your book here in a minute. But you know, let me ask you this. You've served on both national and international boards, and you're currently the chair for World Vision, which I absolutely love, near and dear to our hearts. We've been involved with World Vision for a long time. But for our listeners who may not know about World Vision, can you just give them a little bit of snippet, Vonna. And I would, I just remember, and I can't remember, was it Bob Pierce, I think that said when he started World Vision. God, break my heart with what breaks yours. And I've never forgotten that, but tell our listeners a little bit about World Vision, because somebody might want to get involved.

Vonna Laue  28:56
I would love to. World Vision serves in about 100 countries around the world. And they're known for their child sponsorship, but that's one model that they have to actually just deliver and make impact in communities around the world. They deal with water, sanitation and hygiene. They do economic empowerment programs, which are amazing. They are in education and child protection. And so, two of the things that I really appreciate is that they take a holistic approach, and so they don't just come in and dig a well and move to the next place and dig a well, which there is value in that, and there are organizations that do that are great. But they do a holistic approach so that they can come in and impact the community as a whole, and they do it with the idea of empowering the community to eventually be self-sufficient and not rely on them. 

Vonna Laue  29:52
So, we don't want to come in as World Vision and be there for 50 years just supplying finances to help something. We want to make them self-sufficient. And one of my favorite things was I was able to visit in Kenya a water project that had been turned back to the community seven years earlier. And not only were they caring for it and maintaining it, but they had added 20 kilometers to it and had then impacted all of the households along those 20 kilometers. And for those numbers, people that are listening today, one of my favorite things to do when I go into a community like that and I'm visiting with the workers, is they're always excited to tell you who they are and what they do. And the accountants are always the one that, you know, there's sheepish about when I do accounting. Well, I have to call them out, right? I'm a CFO. You got to give them some, some due respect. And so, then they beam. 

Vonna Laue  30:47
But this water project, same thing, everyone introduces themselves, and the treasurer for it, I just praised him. And he got so excited. The whole community was standing around, and he stopped the meeting and went and got his green bar ledger paper and brought it out and showed it to me. But that community was so proud of what they had done and what they were able to do. And that they were taking care of themselves and their children and their grandchildren, and so whether it's medical or education or child protection, the whole gamut World Vision is there to have a holistic approach. And so, I couldn't be more proud to serve them.

Lisa Nichols  31:25
I love that. I love that. Well, I think you're the chair of the board, aren't you? Are you the chair?

Vonna Laue  31:31
I'm the chair of the World Vision US Board, and I also serve them on the World Vision International Board.

Lisa Nichols  31:36
My goodness. Well, I tell you, Vonna, I'm looking at the time here. We do need to take a quick break, and then we will be right back on the Something Extra Podcast.

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Lisa Nichols  32:17
Welcome back, everyone to the Something Extra Podcast. So, I love that talking about World Vision, Vonna and you know, I just want to ask you, though, what has been some of your most eye-opening lessons from serving on boards? Because, you know, there may be listeners that have been thinking, possibly, I want to serve on a board. What have you learned? What has been kind of has surprised you, maybe?

Vonna Laue  32:42
Well, I would say that, especially as I came onto the world vision board, I remember looking around the room initially and thinking, Lord, what in the world am I doing here? I'm looking at former governors and CEOs of Fortune 50 companies and PhDs, and I've served Christian ministries my whole life, and kind of tried to fly under the radar maybe a little bit, and what am I here for? And then I realized over time that when God calls you to something, there's certainly a reason for it. And even around that table, there was a reason that I was there, and there was a perspective and a viewpoint that was helpful to the organization, and that, to me, was eye opening like, okay, there's a reason for me to be here, and God ordained this. And so, I would encourage people in that respect. 

Vonna Laue  33:35
You know, one of the things that's important to me is getting involved. And obviously I didn't just join the World Vision US board, having not done any other boards previously, there was other board service that had happened. And so, I'm really trying to instill in our young leaders, both the awareness for them of the need to be involved and start with a community board. You know, I served on the governance relation, relation committee for a hospital in Colorado. It was probably the first thing I did, and I served on a nonprofit association board with a local chapter. Kind of worked my way up and so helping young leaders understand the importance of what they'll learn through that. But then, for those of us are who are on boards, I think many of us talk about bringing in young leaders to our board, but we expect that when they come in, they're going to function like a 55-year-old board member, and that's not fair, and so we need to reset. This is, you know, Vonna's personal opinion. I think we need to reset that a little bit and be willing to invest in those young leaders, appreciate them for what they bring, give them a little bit of grace and bring them along, but not wait until they've had 25 years of experience.

Lisa Nichols  34:58
Oh, those that's so good. I know, for me, I've served on a lot of boards, and it's just, I mean, you feel like, okay, I'm going to be giving something, you know, time, talent, treasure, what, whatever the case may be, to this board, but then you end up getting so much back. I mean, you grow in areas too, right? And different perspectives from the other board members, and it's just a great time to really meet other people in other organizations and give back at the same time. So, I it's a very rewarding thing. So, I hope, if you're a listener and you're thinking about it, just jump in, just like Vonna said, jump in with both feet and serve where you can give what you can, and you'll grow in that. 

Well, I want to talk about your book. So, your book is glad, I didn't know, I love. It really about the lessons learned through life's challenges. And you talk a lot about your own challenges, Vonna, and then you got other people's challenges that are kind of sprinkled throughout the book. But here's a challenge that you guys went through, you and Brian, your youngest daughter, was born three months early. That had been scary. She weighed under three pounds. How did that experience challenge, deepen your faith?

Vonna Laue  36:19
Well, it definitely does that. And so, a couple of thoughts related to that. When we were in the neonatal intensive care unit, there are very few intact families in there. A lot of teen moms, some babies that are born with addictions, just a lot of different factors. But there was, there were 16 beds in that NICU, and there were two of us that were couples. And so we had the opportunity, on a daily basis, to just be a testimony to people that were around us, as well as the medical staff that kind of became our mission field for three months. And I don't say that to say that, Oh, it was great. And God gave us this mission field, and we got to go there every day. And I'm so glad we got to serve that way. I'd have happily not served in that way, but at the same time, that's where he had us, and he surrounded us with exactly what we needed. 

Vonna Laue  37:21
So, there were people around the world that were praying for us. And there were times, Lisa, where that absolutely was what I was relying on. You know, when you're looking at your child and your child has stopped breathing and their heart has stopped and they're working on your baby. I was too close to the situation, I couldn't pray. But I didn't have to, because I knew that there were people around the world that were praying for her, and that God didn't expect me to pray, that he just was there wrapping his arms around me, and that was okay. There were times where I was reading a book that somebody had given me, and they someone said, you know that the that hospital was where the neonatal surgeon came from that did your daughter's surgery? And I was like, No. So, the surgeon comes around to do rounds, and I asked him, and ends up that he's a believer that had moved to our community to work with a missions’ organization as their medical director. And just happened to work at the hospital too, and so we strike up this conversation, and he prays for his patients before. 

Vonna Laue  38:31
And the last story that I'll give you that's just so fun about how God ordains things is that there should be so many issues that Kimberly has to this day. They wanted, wanted her off of a ventilator twice as quickly as she was. I mean, just she was a mess. The medical staff used to say, we have early babies and we have sick babies, and your baby is both. And so, we had a lot of challenges. But you fast forward five years when we were moving to California, and it ended up being that her kindergarten teacher was best friends with the neonatal surgeon that saved her life. 

Lisa Nichols  39:11
Oh, my word. 

Vonna Laue  39:12
And God knew that. He knew we had no idea we'd move to California. Of all of the kindergarten teachers in Southern California. She gets the one who's best friends with a neonatal surgeon in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Like all of those things, they don't happen, that's God. And so, just so many things that, as I look back on, wow, I'm, you know, I'm so glad I didn't know. And yet, the lessons that came out of that are just life changing.

Lisa Nichols  39:45
Goodness, gracious. Absolutely no coincidence. There's a, how can you have hear stories like that and think you know that there is not a master orchestrator creator. Are there any other moments, Vonna, where you initially wish you had known something in advance, but later realize the blessing and not knowing? Is there maybe one or one other story that you can tell us real quick?

Vonna Laue  40:17
Sure, well, and I, I think that entire book is, is written on those stories. And so, one of the chapters that was written by our oldest daughter is about her incurring an injury her senior season of volleyball. That to me as a prime example. You know, she was being recruited as a college athlete, and the first game of her senior season. She suffered a season ending, significant injury, and everything in you says, if we'd have known that she wouldn't have played that game, right? Like, okay, we'd have avoided that. But that's exactly what God used to help her determine what college she was supposed to go to. 

Lisa Nichols  41:07
She went to college in Kentucky, right? 

Vonna Laue  41:10
She did go to college in Kentucky, and that's where she met her husband. They are fundraising right now to head to the mission field as long-term missionaries, and in July, the course of her life was altered. And it stems back to that significant injury that if we'd had our way, all of us would have avoided it.

Lisa Nichols  41:34
Wow, that's remarkable. She would not most likely have met her husband. They wouldn't be going on the mission field together, wow. But I know at the time that was hard, because that's, that was her dream, right? And I think she had a meniscus and a torn ACL. I mean, it was bad.

Vonna Laue  41:54
She did it all. She did the ACL, the meniscus and the MCL. Like, if we do things in our family, we do them well, you know, that's why it was important to me. Initially, I wrote all the chapters for that book, and then as I was preparing to see how that would advance. I was visiting with a mentor, and we realized that would be too easy for a reader to say, oh, that's how God worked in that person's life. And so, I set aside half the chapters and invited 16 other people in. And so, you will see that there are 17 different people that give perspectives and stories in there. Because what I want people to see is that's how God works, period. Not in one person's life, but that's how God works. And so many of those stories are challenges, but a few of them are unexpected blessings that I'd have also tried to orchestrate, and I'd have messed it up, because God just wanted me to be obedient with the next step. And I'm so thankful for everyone that contributed stories to that. It's been a joy to see how it impacts people. 

Lisa Nichols  43:05
I agree. Get the book, listeners. "Glad I Didn't Know" it's really, really good, and I really enjoyed reading the different stories. Vonna, let me ask you this. I know you have a passion for mentoring young women, especially, where did this come from? And what are you doing? Because I know you kind of have kind of started something with a cohort. Some cohorts tell us a little bit more about that. 

Vonna Laue  43:32
Sure, would love to. So, I've been involved with a number of associations and alliances: churches, Christian ministries, missions organizations, etc. for years. And for a decade, they've all said, We want younger leaders at our conference, and they've tried to program it. And I finally, frankly, got kind of tired of trying to program it, and said, we just need to invest in young leaders and bring them along, and I can only mentor one or two people at a time and do it well. So, the idea was, let's create some peer mentoring groups. Each group is three peers, so similar age and stage of life, but from different organizations and different roles. I don't want two HR people that are like, Oh, you just need this software, this consultant. So, I want one of them in different roles so they can't fix each other's problems. They just help each other problem solve and understand life and what that looks like. And how do we balance the challenges that we're, we're facing, and how do we learn new things together? 

Vonna Laue  44:38
And then each group has one seasoned leader in it, and that person is not to program it. They're not the ones that are coming up with content and all of that. I say they're there to keep things from going off the rails. You could approach your boss that way, but maybe we should think through how that could come across. That's their role. So, two years ago, we started with two groups, and I just, I started those two groups, and was the season leader in each. And it was a one-year commitment. Meet once a month. And at the end of that, we started a new year, and we had five groups, and this year we have 10 groups. And so, I'm seeing that maybe there was a need. Maybe it wasn't just the need, maybe it wasn't a crazy idea. And we started one for guys as well. So, there is a gentleman who has taken that on that's doing the same thing for gentlemen.

Lisa Nichols  45:28
So, do you have 30 or 40 young women in you know, in totality, if you're looking at three, Cohort three?

Vonna Laue  45:36
Currently have 30 that are in there. And so, the New Year will start in July for them, and I'm interested to see what God does. And the numbers are not the driving factor there, but the impact on lives has been amazing, and to see the amount of change that these leaders go through in one year, whether it's, you know, family and adding babies to homes, or job changes or moves. There's just a lot that happens at this stage of life in leaders. And it's also a place where I really want us to be able to grow and develop board members, just like you were talking about earlier, helping them identify opportunities, and then giving people a place where they can come that we, we would have potential board members for them.

Lisa Nichols  46:23
I love that. I love that this is kind of a fun question. Hopefully I'm not going to throw you off. I don't think I will, but if you can have a conversation with one leader, a conversation, and it's interesting, Vonna, because I just got back from a conference last week, and I'm sure you're familiar with John Maxwell. He was one of the keynote speakers. And I love this because he said that he's made a practice of quarterly doing what he says is a learning lunch. And in the learning lunch, he said, I invite somebody bigger and better than me, and I just asked him all kinds of questions. But this could be a past or present. Who would it be, and what questions would you ask?

Vonna Laue  47:11
Actually, you didn't throw me off. I would be thrilled to have that conversation with Condoleezza Rice.

Lisa Nichols  47:18
Good. Okay, that was quick. 

Vonna Laue  47:21
I have always appreciated her and her leadership. She is seemingly unflappable. You know, having read her biography, she certainly has had her share of challenges, and she has encountered things over the years and been a pioneer in a number of areas. But she's always been principled about her approach and so would appreciate just being able to listen to how she has handled the different situations that she's been in. And what the lessons are that she's learned that would be applicable.

Lisa Nichols  47:57
Right. No, that's good. I'm so glad. I'm so glad that you, that you were quick on your feet with that one. All right, I want to talk about this real quick before we talk about something extra. And I'm not gonna call it work, life balance. I really don't like that term.

Vonna Laue  48:17
Oh, I'm so excited we're gonna talk about this, thought.

Lisa Nichols  48:19
It's about harmony, right? Because it's not ever, in my opinion, anyway, and in my experience, Vonna, it's never perfectly balanced. But you've had a really big career. You've done a lot, two girls, husband, grandchildren. Now, what would you say to young women who are trying to balance leadership, ambitions, aspirations, with motherhood, being a spouse, I mean, all the other things. I mean, it's spinning a lot of plates. I'll tell you, it's something really funny. I had said long time ago to a really good friend, another CEO friend of mine. We were talking, and I said, I'm just spinning so many plates right now, and I said, I'm just, I'm afraid something's just gonna crash to the ground. And she goes, dear, might I suggest that you change to paper plates? And I'm like, that needs to go on a t-shirt. That needs to go on a t-shirt. But what would you say to young women? Because it is, it's a lot Vana, sometimes, you know all the different roles and things that we're trying to balance.

Vonna Laue  49:29
So, one of the things that I start with is we have this idea that there are three aspects of life. We've got our faith, we've got our family, we've got work. And with those then we have this perfect triangle and everything ought to be just fine. One of the exercises that I work people through is roles exercise, and I ask people to write down every role they have in their life. So, you know, in your example, you're a wife, but you're a mom, but you're not that's not one role, because you're a mom to Paige and you're a mom to Ally, those are two different roles, and you're a daughter. You may be a daughter to your mom, and you may have your dad. 

Vonna Laue  50:14
So, spell out every one of those roles in your life, and when you do that, you'll understand why it doesn't seem like life is balanced, because you're not this perfect triangle. When I did that this year as part of my 25-planning process. I did that so that I could look at each role and determine what I needed to focus on in that role for this year, and I had 52 roles. Well, hopefully that helps people understand when they've got 25 or 30, it's not a competition, right? Whether they've got 25, 30, 50, 70, roles, each one of those requires something of us. And when we understand that, then we can focus on what that needs, and we can balance it a little bit better than if we just think, man, it seems like life's a little out of whack. Yep, it is. You're right. That's my first thing. 

Lisa Nichols  51:09
That's so good, Vonna, I love that. And you may not focus on what that role needs the most from you, right? It's not. You may not be able to boil the ocean. But what is it? That's really good. So, what's the second thing? 

Vonna Laue  51:27
The second is working on prioritizing those and different things require your attention at different times. I did this exercise, actually, December 31 it's usually the first business day after the first and this year, I had a commitment. I was so disappointed, so I moved it up December 31 I did this. Two days later, my mom called me, and there was a change in her life that I realized was going to shift some of my focus, and what I thought was just going to cruise was going to require a little bit more time and attention for me to give my mom this year. 

Vonna Laue  52:05
And so, two days into my beautifully planned process, it was already starting to change, and but if we prioritize those and then look at that and reassess, then we can spend the time where we need to, and that's helpful. And the third thing I would say is give yourself grace. It's okay. You know what? Those plates are going to fall and if you're trying to spin a paper plate, it's not going to spin very, very well, give yourself some grace, and make sure that you're taking care of those around you, because they're taking care of you. And that's the best advice that I can give, but it's brought me a lot of joy for a number of years now. 

Lisa Nichols  52:47
That's so good. Well, I'm just reminded again, what we started with is just we hold our plans loosely, right? But type A people, you know, what is it? An object in motion stays in motion, right? It's a law.

Vonna Laue  53:03
Until acted upon by an outside force. And we all know that's going to happen.

Lisa Nichols  53:07
Yes, exactly. So, that's what happened with you, right? Is there was an outside force, something new came in to interrupt that. That's really good. I love it. Okay, so I going to ask you one more question, then we're gonna talk about something extra. You know, is there a scripture or a principle that you have held on to, Vonna, that you would be willing to share with our listeners that have really helped you, you know throughout your life, not just your career?

Vonna Laue  53:37
James 4:13-15, and that talks about, who are you to say that today or tomorrow we're going to go into this or that city and do this or that. You don't even know what's going to happen. And for that planner that I am to understand that God's in control and it's not up to me. That's just so important. When I sign a book for somebody, that's the scripture I put under my name so that I remember that. And so, do they.

Lisa Nichols  54:14
I love that. Well, tell me, what do you believe is this something extra that every leader needs, Vonna?

Vonna Laue  54:20
To me, it's a gracious spirit and an obedient heart, and we've talked about that throughout our conversation today. You know, being gracious to those that are around us makes us a better leader and someone that people will want to follow. And the obedient heart is how the Lord guides us and directs us to things that we can't even imagine. He's not calling us to do amazing things. He's calling us to do the next thing that he's asked us to do, and that couldn't be more valuable or more important.

Lisa Nichols  54:58
That's so good. Vonna, thank you so much. This has been so much fun. I just I know that our listeners are going to benefit from hearing from you and your wisdom. I love that you've started this mentoring program. Godspeed on that. I mean, I think young women, not to get off topic here, but I was fortunate, I was invited to the White House in 2017 and it was 10 women business owners around the table. And it was interesting, because they said, it was President Trump at the time, and VP Pence, Mike Pence. Ivanka was there, and President Trump said, I don't want to talk about capital, the need for capital, because we all know that that has been traditionally one of the big challenges, right? Because I want to know what the next thing is. And basically, they were trying to understand how the administration could help, and things that they could do. And you know what it was women said the lack of mentors. The lack of seeing women a little bit further ahead than them, you know, that was it. That was the next challenge that women were like longing for they just didn't have mentors. They didn't have other women that would invest in them. So, I just I love that you're doing that, and I think there's a big gap there.

Vonna Laue  56:30 
It was so critical for me, and what I found in my career was that I could find someone that would be a professional mentor, but their attitude was often, it's all in, set aside everything else in life, go for your goals, or you'll never get there. Or I could have a Christian mentor who wondered why I wasn't staying home with my family and taking care of them, even though they could really address some of the godly discipleship things that I needed. And so, for a long time, I had two different mentors so that I could kind of pour both of those things in. And what I want us to be able to do for people is to give them a godly example of women leaders.

Lisa Nichols  57:09
Oh, that's so good. Well, I'm going to be anxious to find out how that continues to grow. Well, thank you so much, my friend. I appreciate you being on the show today and I hope we get to see one another face to face here soon.

Vonna Laue  57:25
That would be great. This has been a joy. Thank you, Lisa. 

Announcer  57:28
Thank you for listening to today's show. Something Extra with Lisa Nichols as a Technology Partners Production Copyright Technology Partners Inc. 2019. For show notes, or to reach Lisa, visit tpi.co/podcast. Don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you listen.


*Please note, the preceding transcription has been automatically generated and should be used for informational purposes only.