“My mindset has always been, we have a finite amount of time on this earth. And I don't want to get to the point where I look back and feel like I've wasted my entire career time, doing something that didn't make me happy, or didn't make me fulfilled, or for me, didn't make me feel like I was impacting my community in a positive way.” ~ Trina Clarke
This week's podcast is filled with inspiration and impact. Our guest, Trina Clarke, runs the Cumberland County YMCA in Nova Scotia, Canada. While most YMCA’s struggled because of the pandemic (with many of them closing), Trina and her team took a road less traveled and their YMCA actually got stronger by doubling down on their commitment to both their why and their community.
One of our listeners said it perfectly “Trina is so genuine and is able to articulate well, with vulnerability and clarity, how she leads.”
Trina’s story from her roots in childcare through her 27 years at the YMCA is thoroughly engaging. You may want to bookmark the episode to listen to again, and you definitely want to share it with a friend!
05:32 From childcare to community impact
09:35 Aligning values: this is what we stand for
12:09 Leading from the heart
15:45 When you put in the work, you do change
2016 People or profits, do you have to choose?
25:46 Advice for soulful leaders
31:21 All the parts, and in one place there is flow
Trina Clarke Trina Clarke is the CEO of the YMCA of Cumberland. During her 27 year career at the YMCA Trina has worked in various roles encompassing people of all ages. One of her greatest learnings to date is that whether you are trying to convince a three year old to put on their jacket or a government official to support a community initiative the strategies employed are very similar and patience truly is a virtue.
She was born in Amherst NS in 1972 and other than a brief period of residence in New Glasgow as a child and in Fredericton while attending UNB, has lived in Amherst her entire life. She has been married 29 years to husband Kenny and is the mother of 3 children; (Hannah) 27, (Landen)25, and (Jenna)21.
When not representing the YMCA, Trina is an avid reader, loves walking the marsh, photography and camping. She also loves traveling and her favourite place to be is at the beach. Trina truly believes that the YMCA plays a pivotal role in creating a strong and vibrant community and works every day with her team to accomplish that goal.
Please share your insights and questions in one of our Soulful Leaders groups:
“My mindset has always been, we have a finite amount of time on this earth. And I don't want to get to the point where I look back and feel like I've wasted my entire career time, doing something that didn't make me happy, or didn't make me fulfilled, or for me, didn't make me feel like I was impacting my community in a positive way.” ~ Trina Clarke
This week's podcast is filled with inspiration and impact. Our guest, Trina Clarke, runs the Cumberland County YMCA in Nova Scotia, Canada. While most YMCA’s struggled because of the pandemic (with many of them closing), Trina and her team took a road less traveled and their YMCA actually got stronger by doubling down on their commitment to both their why and their community.
One of our listeners said it perfectly “Trina is so genuine and is able to articulate well, with vulnerability and clarity, how she leads.”
Trina’s story from her roots in childcare through her 27 years at the YMCA is thoroughly engaging. You may want to bookmark the episode to listen to again, and you definitely want to share it with a friend!
05:32 From childcare to community impact
09:35 Aligning values: this is what we stand for
12:09 Leading from the heart
15:45 When you put in the work, you do change
2016 People or profits, do you have to choose?
25:46 Advice for soulful leaders
31:21 All the parts, and in one place there is flow
Trina Clarke Trina Clarke is the CEO of the YMCA of Cumberland. During her 27 year career at the YMCA Trina has worked in various roles encompassing people of all ages. One of her greatest learnings to date is that whether you are trying to convince a three year old to put on their jacket or a government official to support a community initiative the strategies employed are very similar and patience truly is a virtue.
She was born in Amherst NS in 1972 and other than a brief period of residence in New Glasgow as a child and in Fredericton while attending UNB, has lived in Amherst her entire life. She has been married 29 years to husband Kenny and is the mother of 3 children; (Hannah) 27, (Landen)25, and (Jenna)21.
When not representing the YMCA, Trina is an avid reader, loves walking the marsh, photography and camping. She also loves traveling and her favourite place to be is at the beach. Trina truly believes that the YMCA plays a pivotal role in creating a strong and vibrant community and works every day with her team to accomplish that goal.
Please share your insights and questions in one of our Soulful Leaders groups:
We're super excited today. This is the first guest podcast that we've had on our second season of the soulful leader podcast. And the woman that we interviewed, is just spectacular, SPECTACULAR! She runs a YMCA in Canada, which, just like every organization it really struggled, going into COVID. And I know, a lot of YMCAs didn't make it. And she not only made it, she and her "Why" not only made it through COVID, but they ended up thriving. And her commitment to her why when I say her WHY I'm not talking about the YMCA, I am actually, and to her own internal, like, why she was there, and what the YMCA meant to her and her alignment with the values and with the people. And I mean, the whole conversation was so powerful along those lines. And what, what came out of it for me was, how important it is for us, as leaders, soulful leaders, to really be aware of that, and making sure that we're aligned with the people in the places that are going, where we're going. And how we measure that.
Stephanie Allen:
Well, what struck me on her success was that she had to change her operating system. She couldn't operate on the same old paradigms, that she was governed by, in the way her own self. And that was all true of all of us. But some, so many leaders didn't know how to shift into a new operating system, where she focused on her, like you said her why, WHY, and the why, but she really focused on her people and and building her team. And becoming very transparent. And she had a whole new way of operating, that scaled her up more successful than anyone. I think even to herself. I think she even surprised herself, of how it shifted. And I just think it's such a great podcast and such a good exemplar of what a soulful leader is. That you could step outside of your comfort zone in a way that really stretches you, but also inspires you and it's not necessarily even in your gifts and strengths. You cannot do it alone, like you actually do need to involve other people. And how do we do that? How do we open our hearts and feel safe enough to actually empower others to join us with us? And that's what you're going to hear in this podcast is what she did and how she did it differently. And even how she, how she even led herself through it.
Maren Oslac:
Love that. Please let us know your thoughts. We would love to hear your opinions. Remember, you can find us on both LinkedIn and Facebook under the Soulful Leaders. Enjoy the podcast.
Stephanie Allen:
In a world where we have everything and it's still not enough, we're often left wondering, is this really it?
Maren Oslac:
Deep inside, you know, there's more to life. You're ready to leave behind the old push your way through and claim the deeper, more meaningful life that's calling you.
Stephanie Allen:
That's what we invite you to explore with us. We're your hosts, Stephanie Allen and
Maren Oslac:
Maren Oslac. And this is the soulful leader podcast.
Stephanie Allen:
Yay! Welcome to the soulful leader podcast. This is Stephanie and I'm here with Maren and we have a special guest today. Trina Clarke from the YMCA in Cumberland County that's in Nova Scotia, Canada for some of my listeners that are listening south of the border. And I'm super, super excited because I've known Trina for a long, long time. I myself am a volunteer with the YMCA, and I've seen so many ups and downs and 'sideway's and arounds' and, and the most consistent, leadership that I've seen has come from Trina and she's such a role model for me. And it's such an honor to be able to serve her vision and her mission. And I just really want to share that with you all who are listening. So welcome, Trina.
Trina Clarke:
Well thank you so much. It's not often I hear someone who I consider a role model call me a role model for them. So that's kind of fun. Thanks, Stephanie. Very much.
Stephanie Allen:
So one of the things that you and I were speaking with recently, and it was a question that really, really touched my heart is you would ask a group of us to say, you know, what kind of community do you want to be a part of? And to me that is so much of a soulful question, because it's not about trying to figure it out. And that's what we're leaving behind. But it's like, what do we Want to what do we want to step into? What what is calling from within us? And I would love to know more about even where you got that question because you have a really cool background of working with little ones, starting them right from preschool or all the way up. And I would just love for, you know, if you could share a little bit about your evolution from childcare teacher all the way through in the community, and where that question of what kind of community do you want to live in and why that's important to you? There's a lot of questions in there. Sorry!
Trina Clarke:
So going right back right to my bio. I've been with the YMCA for 27 years, and I started at the Y when my oldest was nine months old, I was just looking for a little part time gig, something just to get me out of the house to be in community and, and put my skills to work. That part time lasted, I don't know, like, a month, maybe a little more. But I very quickly I was full time. And I've, been at this Y ever since I've had so many roles. I've been you know, preschool teacher, after school program supervisor. I was childcare manager for several years and then 2008 the opportunity presented itself that the Y really needed, we really had to pivot and change who we were as an organization if we were going to be able to continue to serve community. So that opportunity in 2008 came to me to do the Interim CEO role, and I never left
Stephanie Allen:
Interm to here you are 27 years later! Yeah!
Maren Oslac:
I wonder, I think that that happens to more of us than we realize of we think is just going to be, oh, well, I'll do this in the meantime. And then we either realize that, that we really wanted to be there, or we fell in love with it, or it spoke to, it's kind of like, often times life and spirit kind of sneak into the back door. And we don't realize like we had, but I thought I was going to do this. I was talking to somebody the other day. And they were saying that, you know, they thought they're going to do XY and Z and they ended up being a parent instead, they never saw themselves as being a parent and, that ended up being their, that this woman's, life and she's like, I'm so grateful for that.
Trina Clarke:
I would have never expected to love this role, because I loved working with children and I loved the families. And I really thought this was a very short term thing for me. But in this role, it gave me the opportunity to kind of, this maybe this concept corny, but like to wrap my arms around all of communities, so like to build a you know, a better YMCA for seniors to build a better YMCA for families to, you know, that childcare still, of course, a very important part of what we do. But there are so many other elements that are important, including our community development, which led to that question, Stephanie, of what kind of a community do we want to live in, because I believe the Y is the center of that community, and we have a responsibility to to be more than just, you know, the swimming pool, and the fitness classes and the childcare, you know, we have a responsibility to to be an impact on our community as a whole so that everybody has that opportunity to feel like they belong and not just belong but thrive, which is our YMCA vision, but also happens to be my vision. You know, that's, that's what I want is everybody to feel like that YMCA experience within their community.
Stephanie Allen:
I just felt like totally touched my heart. And I'm like almost welling up going, Yes, this is why I I hang out with you, like it's just like you know, to me that's soulful, that's, it's more than just yourself, you have a vision that encompasses so much more, and calls from you from within you so much - to be more. And I would love to know a little bit more about that. Because I know, in the last few years, like all of us, we've gone through so many changes with, you know, going through a pandemic together and, you know, people coming and going and leaving and moving and arriving and there's been so much change, I would love to know, what was it that sustains you through that, like what was it? Because it was challenging.
Trina Clarke:
It was challenging, and I will say I've been here 27 years. And right now is probably the most fun I've ever had being at the Y because there's so many new and exciting things and we're growing in so many different ways. But I think what's kept me here is right from day one, this is a values driven organization and my values aligned with the YMCA values. And so you know that old adage, you know, if you love what you do you never work a day? Well, for me, that's, that wasn't my mindset, my mindset has always been, we have a finite amount of time on this earth. And I don't want to get to the point where I look back and feel like I've wasted my entire career time, doing something that didn't make me happy, or didn't make me fulfilled, or for me, didn't make me feel like I was impacting my community in a positive way. And I've never felt that way with the Y. I always felt every single day that I was coming to work with a purpose, not a paycheck.
Stephanie Allen:
Oh, that's great.
Maren Oslac:
They, the best leaders. And when I say the best leaders, what does best mean? What I mean by that is the ones who really inspire us that make us want to follow them that we feel like I can align with that person and get on board and what Stephanie said, you know, it's like, that's why I hang out with you. And I know, it's not just Stephanie, that's feeling like that. And what I'm hearing is, like, the things that those leaders do, or what you're talking about is your values align with the Y's value aligned with the people, it goes back to the community that you want to create, what is the community that I want to be a part of? And how do I find those people, the way I find them is, by creating a, for you, the way you found them was be, by creating a space, a place where they could come and they could find you and you, you raised your flag, and you said, this is what we stand for here. And starting from the top and all the way through. It aligns! The entire organization aligns and it's vertically aligned, instead of, well, maybe we're just a swimming place. Maybe we're just, you know, a Kids Care place. Maybe we're this maybe we're that, there's no maybes, it's we're all of this, we are community. I just love that is so beautiful.
Trina Clarke:
I've always felt like my greatest strength was to surround myself with really good people. The team here that I work with every day, we've gotten as far as we have, because of them, because they're also doing what they should be doing. They're living their purpose. And, you know, I've been here a long time, and I've been here through ups and downs, and a lot of different folks. And, you know, I kind of have this, you know, if we use, we use the term Y person, but you might use, you know, if someone is a Y person, right, you can tell pretty quickly like, if if they're here because you know, it's a job, and they need a job, or if they're here, because they want to make a tangible difference every single day. And quite often and Stephanie would know this, because she helped through this process with us a few years ago is that the folks that that that aren't Y folks that aren't here that that don't align, they they pretty quickly leave, they don't tend to stick around. And that's okay. And and but you know, we're grateful for the gift of them when we had them. Because every single person that has come through our Y has helped to make our Y better. So we learn. But it but it is interesting, and the people that I'm with now have been here quite a long time. And I've had many leave that have left for really good reasons. But it's been really tearful. And that's the other thing about me that Stephanie knows is that I'm, I am a very emotional person. And when I was first in this role, I had a really hard time with that. Because I thought that that was a show of weakness that I would get you know that my emotions would rise to the surface. But I've, I've come into my own now. And I understand that being a part of my authentic self is to not suppress that, and it's okay. It's actually a sign of strength to be vulnerable. So I've done that, and I've cried with my team, and my team has cried with me, as well, like we're each other's support system, like we're there for one another. And I think that's what makes us stronger and not afraid to take risk. Because that's a big part of our growth is we're taking risks right now. And, and it's a little bit scary, but we all have each other's back. So that we're taking that leap together. It makes a big difference.
Stephanie Allen:
I totally resonate with that. And that's what I love about you is that you're real. And you're not afraid to say, man, this is really touching my heart and I need help with this. And to me that humility and that willingness to not only ask for help, but also to get it is to me exemplifies why I see you as a role model to like you are, you are leading a ship, you're leading, you're leading a great possibility, but you're not, you're including everyone on the team with you. And so that there is not necessarily a hierarchy. And even though there is, it's like a BOTH and an AND. And to me, that's just it's such a, it's so refreshing, you know, you hold, you hold the vision, and you hold the values, and you work with that. And you and you allow space for others to also offer up their possibilities too. And I think that's why, you know, and I'd actually love to have you talk a little bit about that, because during the pandemic, it was challenging, and like you said, the team really came together. And the reason I'm saying that is that years ago, when we did work with the team, we did what we've just been speaking of on the Soulful Leader podcasts of the wealth dynamics square in the different attributes and the different flows and the different frequencies. And when originally, we did yours, you came out as what is known as a Lord. And that the Lord is a steel profile. So it's all about looking at details. It's you know, the controller and not in a way of controlling people, but But wanting to need to have control of the helm and knowing what's coming and what's going and being able to really steward that. And we just recently did it again, which is part of one of the things that we want to do with all of those that we are speaking with here on our podcast is to be able to offer that gift of, of hey, let's you know, let's let's drop into finding your gifts and strengths and helping you leverage them in the way because we do see you as a soulful leader, and we want to help make that even more kinder and possible for you to keep serving the community the way you do. Now, you came out as a different profile this time. So that can happen, THAT can happen! And I think I just love to have you share a little bit about who you were then. And maybe what shifted.
Trina Clarke:
Sure. So this time I came out as a creator. And I will say that when I did it a few years ago and came out as a lord, I was kind of I was disappointed, because I read it. And I certainly could see myself but I but it's not how I saw myself, if that makes sense. So and then when I did it this time, and I was very honest, filling it out. When I did it this time when it came in as a creator, and then you look at all of the things like that, what that means, you know, and I was like, Yes, that's me! Yeah! I brought it home, and I was reading it to my husband. He's like, Oh, whoa, that's you dead on, and especially the part about being impatient and stuff. But I think that, that when I did it a few years ago, it's I think we also, I mean, as people, we change, and we evolve, and I think we also adapt to the circumstances that we're in. And I think at that point in time, you know, I did need to be an analyst for our organization, and for myself even, and be detail oriented, and all of those things. So I don't think it was wrong at the time. But I didn't feel it was. It wasn't. It didn't resonate with me as being truly authentic of who I thought that I was. But I think it was who I needed to be in that moment. When I did it. And I think over the last few years. And Stephanie, you you know this as well that I've done, you know, I've done a lot of deep dive, my role here has changed a bit. I've had new opportunities. And I feel like I have finally come into my own and have recognized even before I filled that out I felt that's why I question....do you think it might be different? And it was because I'm not the same and I know I'm not the same. And I have a different level of confidence in my abilities, I don't question myself as much I I feel my worth and value that I bring to conversations where previously I would have held back I would have differed to others and assumed that they knew better than I did and you know, those kinds of things, but so I'm glad that it's different. And I'm glad that is resonating so much with me. When I think of the work that I'm doing in childcare expansions throughout the province, and and as CEO here with, you know, working on affordable housing with my team and, you know, integrated youth services that is just announced last week. There's really, really exciting things happening and the creator role is fits this to a "T" because we're building and we need, you know, we need to be optimistic we can achieve these things and get them done. And we need big picture thinking right now of what do we want the Y to look like, in a few years.
Stephanie Allen:
And I think that was the key shift. Because if I'm just remembering back during the pandemic, I think there were a fair amount of YMCA's that actually closed down, not just in our province, but across the country, right? There were a lot that really closed down, and were not able to not only sustain it, but even thrive, and I know, you sustained it, and then coming through the Y actually thrived. I think you're at the highest, you know, membership that has ever been in the history of the Y in our community, and you've really shifted a whole outer, like, what if somebody was to measure it, they'd say, yeah, you checked all the boxes in the outer. But what I want to allude to is the internal that changed, because that was really, when I worked with you four years ago, when we started to do these things, is that we started to work with the internal, and it was almost like, it happened just before you needed it to happen. And,that old way, and this is very common for many of us, we get projected onto who you should be in order to, you know, be a leader in that role. And when we went through the pandemic, that actually got kind of permission for you to actually let go of that. And then to recreate who you wanted to be and what where you were going in your vision, Exactly.
Trina Clarke:
I think it I think, you know, something good that came out of the pandemic, it really gave us a gift of insight, that the Y is not just bricks and mortar, the Y is people and we didn't have our building. We were closed, we were not allowed to be in here. But we found a way to continue to serve our community through, you know, food box programs, through online fitness classes, we had our educators, reading stories, you know, online to the children and and our cook, doing, you know, cooking with the families, it just, it's about the people. And it's almost, I think a part of the success we're having right now was that really cold, sober reminder, that it's not the building, you know, we work with international partners, and they many of them don't have buildings. In many countries, the YMCA is that tree over there. And that's where we meet at this time to do these things. And the pandemic forced us to do that. And to be that. And I think we've, I think it was a gift, I think it was a gift to remind us that why we're doing what we're doing. And that we can change and continue to serve our community in a different way. It's okay, if we don't have a building to do it in.
Stephanie Allen:
It's such a witness of like what you said, people. And yet so often many organizations do profits over people, you actually did the reverse, you did it about people, people first, which actually created the profit and the sustainability and the growth that you've had.
Maren Oslac:
Yeah, that's so, like you said, so many, so many places we are taught and it's not that people do it from a place of...... it's not malice. It's not that they're it just we're taught that profits are the most important thing. Like, if your bottom line doesn't work, then you're out. And as leaders, that's scary, you know, what happens if I get kicked out because, you know, my shareholders or my board or my whatever, even my husband what, you know what, whoever is judging me. And usually it's the person inside of me, that's judging me that I'm not good enough. You know, a lot of entrepreneurs, they don't have a board, but they do have that, oh, I'm not good enough. I need to close my business because it hasn't been profitable, for three years, or, you know, all of the self talk that were you know, the the itty bitty shitty committee as Stephanie likes to call it. So having that as a wake up call, like you said, a gift during the pandemic, as a reminder, that profit means nothing, if the people get stepped on in the process, and I think we've forgotten that as a culture. It's, become acceptable. You know, that people get stepped on or that the planet gets stepped on, you know, it's like that something there's a cost and it's okay, well, yep, that's just the cost of doing business, those people over there that community over - and coming from the perspective that you were talking about earlier of community, of people, of thinking about the holistic side thing, you know, it's like, and I love that because you came from that place, your bottom line was that much better. And you were finally just recently acknowledged for that role that you took. And, and, you know, like, really stepped into that and other people were finally saying, yes, thank you for that. And that excites that excites me that part of it of like, Yes! That's what we need more of. And that's what soulful leadership really is.
Stephanie Allen:
So curious, as a soulful leader, which I believe you are. And you have definitely shown us that you are, what are the things that you would tell other leaders in your situation like, that are maybe coming up the ranks from a place that they never ever thought they would actually be, like, do you have advice? Or do you have wisdom that you could impart to them of how they could take care of their souls, as they transition and evolve and move through difficult times? What would you what what would you impart to them?
Trina Clarke:
Whooo! Well, I think in terms of the work that I do, every day, I really like the word nurturing, I think that that nurturing myself, and looking after myself, and because the work is alot, and it can be, you know, overcome, but also nurturing your team. Because if they don't feel that, then it just makes up, I feel makes more work for you. Because if you're not nurturing them, and you're not seeing that they need a break, or they need time, or they need space, and they need to be heard, then then that builds up to the point that, you know,they're going to, they're going to take time, they're going to be gone. And then you know, what happens? So I think that nurturing is really important. And I think allowing, I mentioned earlier, that space to be vulnerable. Like if I often say to my team, I probably share more with you than I should. Because you know....(laughter) because they know, like they know everything, right?
Stephanie Allen:
So transparency, transparency, transparency.
Trina Clarke:
I'm very trans. I don't I don't hide that anything. You know, I'm very transparent.
Maren Oslac:
I will say that is what builds trust. It really does build trust. And as leaders we're taught to don't do that, don't tell them, you know, it's like, yeah, sorry. Go ahead.
Trina Clarke:
Thats ok! I think it I think it's hard for me to advise others, because everyone is different. So for me, like I'm an introvert, but I can't be an introvert and do this role. Well, so for so much of my day, I have to have a front facing extroverted personality. You know, I have to I have to speak in front of others, I have to, you know, host those meetings, I have to, there's so much of that, that I that I have to do, that when I tell people I'm not comfortable public speaking, they say, Oh, that oh, that can't be true, because you do it like, you know. But it's never changed. The YMCA has given me that gift of pushing me out of my comfort zone, and maybe making me a little bit more comfortable doing it, but I still uncomfortable every time I have to do it.
Stephanie Allen:
Well, and what I'm hearing to Trina is that you know your values, and they happen to also be the YMCA values you align. And so when you know your values and your living your values and your company that you're serving in the community you're serving are those values, it helps you to be able to step out of that comfort zone and that You've nurtured and built trust in the team you know that you're not alone, you know that you have other people that have got your back that can step up when you need them to I think I think you're really alluding to a lot of really great insight.
Trina Clarke:
Yeah, I I think that the single greatest thing I would want people to learn or to take maybe from me if I was giving someone one single part of the advice is find the find the thing that recharges your battery that gives you that energy. So for me because I'm an introvert, and I've been on the road the last couple of weeks. I've been away at conferences. I was on the road like most of last week traveling throughout the province, and I could feel it when I got home Friday night. Like I was just done. Like I didn't want to have to talk to another person for a while. I needed to step back I needed to breathe. I needed to do the things that give me back my energy which are solo activities. Like love walking on the marsh. My house I have marshland all around me It's been called the biggest hay field in the world, because it's just nothing but hay field all around me. So to go for a walk, to read, to practice yoga, I don't do yoga in a class with others, because that part of my personality in order for me to get what I need out of it, I need to do it alone. You know, and I love photography, again, pretty solo activity. But those are the things that recharge me and give me energy so that I can do that extrovert piece, when I need to, in order for, you know, in order to feel like I'm doing a service and doing my job well. I know there's a component of that, and that I have to be able to do so. So that's what I would say to people. And for some people, especially extroverted people, it's being around lots of people, it's being very, very social. And that's where they get their energy. So, you know, that's why I say it's hard for me to advise somebody, I know what works for me. But I think it's the piece, I would say is find what works for you. Make sure you're practicing it as often as possible, so that you're constantly recharging yourself.
Stephanie Allen:
I think that's great. Thank you.
Maren Oslac:
Yeah, I, I just want to share the one of the things that you're talking about earlier was, you know, feeling that evolution from the profile test, Steel energy, to the profile test, the you know, four years later of being what's Dynamo energy, which is the Creator that you're talking about. And there are a couple of things that I was thinking about when we're talking about that. And one of them was the fact that, first of all, we all have all the energies in us. And that's one of the things that often times we'll do with profile tests, as we'll define ourselves and be like, Oh, that's me, just this one piece. And we actually are all of them were just more in flow in one place. And then the second piece, the thing that really stood out to me was how conditioned we are to be a certain thing, especially in business, right? Well, you need to do this. And those are the things you're like, I need to do this, I need to do it this way. And so yes, that's who I am. So we claim it. And I love that because it actually does serve us until it doesn't, because we're not quite in flow in that place. And so you did the inner work over those years. I know you and Stephanie worked on that. And with your team, I know you did the profile test with the whole team, and found the correct support people and put all of that in place. And so it allowed you to get to your place of, your happy place of flow. And so and then you like you said you had asked to say how has that changed, because it felt different. And honoring ourselves in that place of ..... Yeah, it does feel different. When we're in flow, it feels different feels like wait a minute, that does feel more authentic, you use that word, it feels more authentic right now. So I love that you shared that whole progression, because so often, we tend to be like, Oh, no, that's who I am. And just define ourselves and know, what, we change, we evolve. And there's, there's reasons for it, and it will be different for everybody. Yeah.
Trina Clarke:
I think if, as all of us working together feel like the whole team is in flow. Because if things are, you know, we just seem to be really thinking amazing things are happening, really exciting things are happening. So it's just for me, it's about being in flow for myself, but then that translates into my role here. And sometimes it's hard to separate the two, you know, like, I think even after I retire, I probably will still introduce myself as I'm Trina from the Y, like from the Y is almost like my last name. And that's okay, it's okay that they've merged into one I've been doing it for so long. But I think that's an important component of it is as we're comfortable in ourselves, then we're bringing that into the work. And I think that the success that we're having, to me what that says is everybody is feeling that everybody is working the way that they they can thrive. Which means the YMCA is thriving because of it.
Stephanie Allen:
From the inside out from the inside out. Absolutely. I love that. Thank you so very much for being our guest, our first guest on our season two, I am so grateful. And we look forward to following up with you in the next little while to see how things are unfolding. And Maren is there anything to add?
Maren Oslac:
Just that when you said it flows from you into the work into the Y, I want to say it also is flowing into the world. So thank you for that. You are an inspiration and I know a lot of our guests will, and our listeners, will feel the same way. Is there any place if somebody you know, if somebody wants to find out more about the YMCA or about you? Is there any place where our listeners could contact you?
Trina Clarke:
www.ymcaofcumberland.com start at the website, and you can find all of the contact information of all of my team there. So thank you so much. This was a real pleasure. I was nervous going in. But this it was a real pleasure to to chat with both of you and thanks for this opportunity.
Stephanie Allen:
Thank you so much Trina.
Maren Oslac:
And you can find us at the soulful leader podcast and that and also at www.tslp.life We'll see you all next week on the soulful leader podcast.
Stephanie Allen:
And that wraps up another episode of the soulful leader podcast with your hosts, Stephanie Allen
Maren Oslac:
and Maren Oslac. Thank you for listening. If you'd like to dive deeper, head over to our website at the