Turn FOMO into JOMO: The Executive Discipline for Operational Freedom | Amberly Lago

How do executive leaders maintain vision, drive high performance, and eliminate operational friction when facing immense challenges?

In this episode of The Uncommon Leader Podcast, host John Gallagher welcomes Amberly Lago—2x best-selling author, top-rated keynote speaker, and founder of the Unstoppable Life movement. Amberly shares her extraordinary journey from surviving a life-altering motorcycle accident and enduring 34 surgeries to building an elite coaching and speaking brand. 

John and Amberly unpack the parallels between personal resilience and operational leadership. They discuss why CEOs must stop working IN the day-to-day chaos and start building connected, autonomous teams that own outcomes. Amberly introduces her actionable S.P.A.R.K. framework, explaining how executive clarity, strategic alignment, and healthy boundaries allow leaders to convert operational drag into sustainable freedom. 

🚀In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How to move from passive hope to systematic execution ("Stop leaning on the shovel and start digging"). 

• The critical difference between isolated grit (resistance) and connected grit (resilience). 

• The S.P.A.R.K. methodology for executive focus and soul care. 

• How to protect enterprise vision by learning to turn FOMO into JOMO. 

• Methods for scaling leadership development and fostering self-running teams. 

📌 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 Amberly Lago👇
➡️ LinkedIn (primary):  linkedin.com/in/amberlylago
➡️ Website: https://amberlylago.com/ 
➡️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmberlyLagoMotivation
➡️ Book: https://amberlylago.com/books

Thanks for listening in to the Uncommon Leader Podcast.  Please take just a minute to share this podcast with that someone you know that you thought of when you heard this episode.  One of the most valuable things you can do is to rate the podcast and leave a review.  You can do that on  Apple podcasts, or rate the podcast on Spotify or any other platform you listen.  

Did you know that many of the things that I discuss on the Uncommon Leader Podcast are subjects that I coach other leaders and organizations ?  If you would be interested in having me discuss  1:1 or group coaching with you, or know someone who is looking to move from Underperforming to Uncommon in their business or life, I would love to chat with you.  Click this link  to set up a FREE CALL to discuss how coaching might benefit you and your team)

Until next time, Go and Grow Champions!!

Connect with me 

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

Grit, Connection, And Resilience

SPEAKER_01 0:00

And I also learned that, you know, grit without connection to your dreams, to your goals, to your heart, to God, and to others is just resistance, but grit with connection is where we truly find resilience.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Hey Uncle Leaders, welcome back. This is the Uncommon Leader Podcast. I'm your host, John Gallagher. So if you look up my guest set, you'll quickly see her world-class credentials. You'll see a two-time best-selling author, the host of a top 1% podcast, and a powerhouse who's been featured on the Ed Milet show, among other large media platforms across the globe. You'll understand the legendary story of her grit, a survivor of an awful motorcycle accident that nearly took her life and her leg, but 34 surgeries, relentless determination, and a lot of prayer later, she emerged stronger than ever. Everybody knows that story about her. But what you might not know is who she is at her core. Beyond the stages and the spotlights, she's an extraordinary giver, a relentless connector of people, a servant leader, and a true sister in faith. Her greatest strength isn't that she survived the fire, but it's that she reaches back into every single day to pull others through as well. Please welcome to the show, Amberly Lago. Amberly Lago, welcome to the Uncommon Leader Podcast. It's great to have you on the show today. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_01 1:26

Thank you so much for having me here. It's great to see you again.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

No, it's it's really good to have you on the show. I mean, I have a little bit of this, uh you get kind of the star struck sometimes, and it's really cool. And for me to sit down and try to make the notes to put this into a 30-minute conversation, I know is going to be fun for the listeners, but also gonna be fun for me, and I hope fun for you as well. But I'm not giving

Childhood Mentors And Digging In

SPEAKER_00 1:46

you any break as I would any other first-time guest, even though you have two-time bestselling next to your name and all those things. I want you to tell the listeners a story from your childhood that still impacts who you are today as a person or as a leader.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Oh goodness. Well, I had some great mentors growing up. I grew up a dancer and an athlete. And I just I was just I actually was asked to speak at my school uh last month, which was really cool. And I was talking to some of the teachers that I grew up with, but one that really stands out is my coach. I ran track and she was a drill sergeant. And I mean, she was tough, but she and I had to ride on the bus. She went to the track meets, she would sit me beside her in the front seat and talk to me the whole time. And she would pull me out of class and say things like, We are relying on you to get us to district. You have to win first. So no pressure. I would get so nervous before meets that I would throw up, and she would always tell me off the track to throw up, and then you just keep running. And my dance teacher growing up, yeah, I thought that she was just extra hard on me. And then as I got older, I realized she was extra hard on me because she actually believed in me and knew that I was capable of more and just wanted to push me. And so I had, you know, this coach, this dance teacher, but I also had my grandfather, and he's the best man I know. I mean, I'm married to a really good man, but my grandfather was always there to encourage me. And I think one of the things that I shared from stage where I met you was he had told me, you've got a shovel in your hand, you can lean on it and pray for a hole, or you can start digging. And prayer is powerful, and I believe in that, but I also believe in hard work really allows you, you know, hard work is what brings you the blessings in your life. And so, yes, we have to pray and manifest, but man, we got to work hard and start digging.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Love that so much. When you I mean it reminded me of kind of just going through, and I know Tommy Newberry wrote that book, The Four Eight Principle. And from a scriptural standpoint, we're told in Philippians 4 8 to think on positive things, whatever's excellent, praiseworthy, think on those things. Too many times people stop, they're just leaning on the shovel, they're leaning on their prayer. But it's that next step is taking action. Philippians 4 9 says, put it into practice. And I love that in terms of both your story that you said on the stage when we're there, the impact and legacy of a grandfather, and then, you know, you know, I think about this like the legacy. When we can get the two generations of a grandfather really powerful, now you're going to be passing that down to your daughters as well, some of those things, and you're passing it on to others. You're talking about three, four, multiple generations that he's going to impact as a part of your life. So that's very powerful in sharing that story. And he probably inside of that was preparing you for big things that you know you were going to face. I mean, you have coaches that say you're you're capable of so much more than you're giving right now, make it happen. But you ultimately you wrote the book that there's behind your shoulder there, Joy Through the Journey, really talking about an event that you've gone through in your life that represents, it says joy and pain can both coexist. And in fact, sometimes you can't have one without the

Joy And Pain Can Coexist

SPEAKER_00 5:01

other. So when when you say that joy and pain can coexist, tell me what's behind that and where that story came from for you.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

Well, it's interesting. So I just got back in town late last night. I was speaking at an event, and there happened to be a doctor that was in the audience, and he came up to me afterwards and he said, Wow, when you shared that you were diagnosed with CRPS or complex regional pain syndrome, he said, There's just no way. Like you look so healthy, you're smiling. And, you know, after my motorcycle accident and 34 surgeries, I thought that the pain would go away eventually, that I would just heal and get stronger. And then I got the news that I was diagnosed with this supposedly incurable nerve disease that's ranked highest on the pain scale. I was told I'd be wheelchair bound forever. I wouldn't walk, you know, not walk again, not work again. And at first I was devastated. I thought this just cannot be the life for me. And it took me down a really dark path, and everything started to transform when I got in acceptance for, okay, well, these are the cards I've been dealt. It's up to me to play the heck out of them. And it wasn't until that that I accepted, okay, well, this pain is a way of life, but what is it teaching me? And how can I still spark joy through the journey, even though I live with this sometimes unbearable pain. And so I, you know, I could easily be a victim of this, but I chose to be a victor. And I think that once we realize we have a choice, we take our power back. And so I have come up with something I called it, I call it the spark methodology, and it reminds me that I can still do things and think in a way where I'm going to build upon the joy instead of just focusing on the pain.

SPEAKER_00 6:57

I love that. We're going to talk through that spark methodology as well. I you you talked about that when we were together a couple months back at the Book Thinkers Conference, and I have some smiles that come right out of that. But folks, I want the listeners to understand if you if you were to look that up, complex regional pain syndrome, you kind of brushed over that. You talked about it being pain, not brushed over, not intentionally, but you also said in a recent post that I've seen that you don't want to say that just so that people will give sympathy, but it's bringing really your story because these are thumbs you say. You say half the time you're pretending you're not in pain or wishing you weren't, uh, that it feels like a vice grip squeezing your foot and red ants are stinging you all the time. Not like sometimes, but all the time inside of that space. Uh, that you know you tried many things and nothing's worked. You talked about the story in your post about all the different procedures and potential surgeries and investments that you've made, and it even says right at the end, and nothing's worked yet. I believe that your faith is there, I believe prayer is still there, and that you'll continue to search, and God willing, there will be a cure for that. But you absolutely have got that smile on your face uh that exudes if the people who don't know you wouldn't know that pain existed in your life the way it is. So you've done really, really well

CRPS Reality And Serving Through Pain

SPEAKER_00 8:10

with that. That's not a sympathetic statement, that's an encouraging statement to make. You've found your purpose through pain. I mean, you were a trainer before you had your accident. What is it that you do today now as a result of your pain that helps others?

SPEAKER_01 8:24

Well, thank you so much, John, for taking the time to read my post. And yeah, you know, it it was funny. Well, not funny. Yesterday they asked, I was on a panel and they said, what are some, you know, unglamorous things that go on behind the scenes? Because, you know, social media can make things look pretty glamorous, and it's that we're posting our highlight reel. And I said, Well, for me, it's it's really my husband says, I have two looks. I'm either look like I'm homeless or ready for stage. And I love you know, and my husband says, you know, you're doing you don't have to do so much. And I really feel like when you have a purpose that you can focus on that instead of the pain. And I've told him, I said, look, I can sit here at home and stare down at my leg and how and focus on the pain that it gives me, or I can go out there and serve and help others and share what is what helps me get through the day-to-day. But I will tell you, I don't know what happened. It's this uh crazy CRPS, it's baffling. I was on the plane yesterday and all of a sudden I just started getting a flare-up. My leg was hurting, it was almost unbearable. I took my sock and shoe off and I was breaking out into a sweat. And I was just like, I talk about prayer. I started praying, please, God, just let me be able to walk off this plane. And then when I got home, I was wiped out. So I went from the extreme of dancing on stage yesterday, meeting people. I got to go on a yacht for the first time for the VIP dinner to laying on the couch looking homeless, you know. And so, but I know that as bad as it gets, that I have gotten through and I get up again. And so I know that it's possible. And so I've learned to give myself grace. I've learned to actually listen to my body instead of just trying to grit it out. And I've learned to take contrary action. For me, I wanted to isolate when I was in pain. I didn't want people to know. I started, my world started getting smaller and smaller. And when I say taking contrary action, I've learned to reach out because I feel like, yeah, we can be strong alone, but together is where we're really unstoppable. And I also learned that you know, grit without connection to your dreams, to your goals, to your heart, to God and to others is just resistance, but grit with connection is where we truly find resilience.

SPEAKER_00 10:55

Resistance. I love that. So say it again. Grit with with resistance.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

Grit,

Faith, Addiction, Sobriety, And God Winks

SPEAKER_01 11:01

yeah, grit without connection is resistance, and grit with connection is where you truly find resilience.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Love that. You know, I've I've had conversations with individuals as as recently as this week in a men's Bible study where um, and this uh I'll own this uh as a male, we have a tendency to say, I got this, I'll take care of this. When a problem pops up, I got this. And there's things that I hear in that and even reading in your book, but here in your statement that uh we first of all, we don't got this. And the second piece is we don't have to got this on our own. We bring other people to connect with into our life, and we also have God that's there as well. You mentioned in your book through this accident, again, so you're given a 1% chance of keeping your leg when you have this action, some accident some 15 years ago, you're put into a coma. 34 surgeries later, uh, you see this, and yet in the book, you say that this brought you closer to God in your relationship with God. How did that happen? Because many people would say, Why me? Why do I have to go through this? And and I would fall away.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

Well, well, and if I catch myself saying why me, I switch it to what's next and what can I do and focus. You know, that I always go, I try I've trained my mind to go there. But you know, I grew up going to church and we did not miss going to church every Sunday. I mean, you I remember I had I was in a really bad car accident when I was 16 and broke my leg and woke up and I had a concussion. And when you've got a really bad concussion, I don't know if you've ever had one, but it makes you very, very nauseated, like throwing up nauseated. So the next morning I woke up, my legs purple and swollen. I'm sick, laying on the couch, I can't walk. And my mom says, Get up, we got to go to church. And I said, Mom, I can't even put pantyhose over my leg. I can't walk. And she's like, Well, I guess you can skip this Sunday, you know. So we we always went to church, but I will say after my accident, I could not get out of pain. And like you mentioned before, uh, you know, I tried every kind of treatment, two spinal stimulators, ketamine infusions, radio frequency, which a side effect of that can actually make you paralyzed, Eastern Western medicine. I was on 73 homeopathic pills along with 11 different prescriptions, and nothing was working. And then I discovered alcohol. And I thought to myself, Well, my goodness, why didn't the doctors just tell me to knock back a glass of wine to kind of ease the pain and stuff down the shame? And that worked until it didn't, and I became a full-blown alcoholic. And I think that when you're drinking, it doesn't just numb out some pain and feelings and help you stuff down the feelings. I really feel like it disconnects your connection to God. And so I felt truly alone. And it was it probably the harder than any surgery that I ever went through was being in this place where how did a good girl like me end up here? I thought I was so different from all the addicts and alcoholics in my family. And look at what I've done. I am fully dependent upon alcohol. And in that moment, I didn't I don't I didn't want to live anymore, but I was too afraid to die. And that is when I got on my knees and I prayed. And I just felt like that gave me the courage to actually reach out to somebody and say, I need help. And 2016, by the grace of God, I got sober and I started to, you know, the if the obsession of alcohol started to lift, and my connection to God grew stronger. And I feel like when you are open and you are present in the moment and you take time to intentionally connect with God, then you're gonna see so many little God winks along the way. I mean, I I don't know if you know this. I I I know a few people found out at the event, but I was very, very close with my grandmother. And right when I got off stage with this keynote, I got off stage, said hi to a few people, went into the green room, and I got the call that my grandmother had just passed away. And I was trying to hold it together, and she was who I went to for advice. She was my everything, she was my true hero, my biggest inspiration. And I thought I just I had to leave early, and I just went to my hotel room and prayed and cried and closed my eyes for a little bit. And then I thought, I thought, I talk about joy and pain coexisting. I thought, I need to be able to stop crying and I need to go and spark some joy. So I knew I needed some sunshine on my face, and I walked out of the hotel intentionally looking for something that would remind me to spark some joy. And the first thing I see, they were having this like street fairer market outside. The first thing that I see, the very first thing that I see, is a ceramic, huge ceramic frog. And I was like, God, you have a funny sense of humor because when I see a frog, it reminds me to fully rely on God. And now I have frogs all in my office. I see a frog hop out at me at the strangest moment. I have people that are sending me frogs. I have my daughter who made this little ceramic frog that I keep on my desk that reminds me to fully rely on God. And then after that flight home and the extreme pain that I was in, I get off the plane, I go down to baggage, and I find a little baby Jesus sitting right there on the edge is the first thing that I see. And so I think that, you know, there are God winks, there, you know, and now when I see a dragonfly, it makes me think, okay, my grandmother's watching over me. But I think that the the daily connection, getting on my knees and praying, asking God to walk with me, to speak through me. And man, if I ever feel like I've got this, I that's when I know I do not have it, and God's got this.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

Are you tired of being tired? I know I was. That's when I was glad to find own it coaching. Now my resting heart rate's down 20%, sleep quality up 300%. You know, I just ran my first Spartan rage at age 56. I feel better than I ever have. So if you're ready to stop settling and start owning your own health, go to CoachJongGallagher.com forward slash own it and set up a free call with the own it coaching team. That's CoachjohnGallagher.com forward slash own it. Now, let's get back to

The SPARK Method For Joy

SPEAKER_00 17:59

the episode. Love this. I love those little links. They exist and they are so real, I believe, as well. Whether it's uh uh the frog statue or the little baby Jesus on the the the uh turnstile for the suitcases going around at at the airport, which I saw that post as well, which is really cute. He has a way of reminding us that he's there with us all the time, which I think is is really cool. And so you've written your books, your two-time best-selling author. The most recent one, Joy Through the Journey. True Grit and Grace is your is your first book as you come out. Most recently within that, you have this methodology that you've put together, the Spark. I want to go through that just a little bit. Tell me what is Spark and how did you come up with that?

SPEAKER_01 18:39

Well, because I think that I really came up with this actually when my my little dog, she was only two and a half pounds, she had passed away, and it was right it was before right before Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. And my goodness, I d who knew that this little two and a half pound bundle of fur could love so much and how it could hurt so much when I lost her. She was with me through every surgery, and I remember again, I just couldn't stop crying. And so I immediately thought, okay, well, what brings me joy? And I thought, well, I putting up the Christmas tree brings me joy, having, you know, the Christmas stuff all over the house. So I think I put our Christmas tree up be f earlier than I ever had. And then I still was like, wow, I still I need to find joy. And so I went out and I called a friend. I walked outside in the sunshine, I moved my body because movement really moves your mood. And I connected instead of isolating, and then I went to Home Goods because I was like, I need to go out and talk to people and see them and ask them how they're doing and really do some what I call joy spotting. The first thing I see when I walk into Home Goods is a sign that says joy. And I thought, okay, God, you're so good. Like you're you're showing me all these signs. Well, I thought, what is it that I do to be able to spark joy despite living with extreme pain without loss? And for you, it might be, you know, you're going through a hard time in your business or a relationship or maybe experiencing loss yourself. And so I came up with Spark to remind me that joy is possible even through life's ups and downs. And the S stands for shift your perspective. And this is something I do from the moment I wake up. And the easiest way to shift your perspective is with gratitude and focusing on the good, hunting for the good. But I say gratitude is alchemy. It really allows you to focus on what you can do instead of what you can't do. And what it focus it gets you focused on what you do have instead of what you don't have. And so I also have a gratitude practice with a few of my sober sisters, and we use an app, we type 10 things we're grateful for, and we share it. So it's one thing to feel it, another thing to express it, but when you share it with someone, your joy multiplies. That's really gratitude in practice. It's and it really does shift your perspective. The P in Spark is prioritize not just self-care, but prioritize your soul care. I think, you know, really focusing on what are your non-negotiables, what allows you to be rooted in your faith, to take care of your body, mind, and spirit. And I really had to get down to basics at a time where I was feeling like I was burnt out and think about well, what are the things that spark joy in my life? What are the things that make me feel grounded and feel good? And so, you know, I start movement is a non negotiable. Like I move my body even if it's a walk in between Zoom calls. But prayer, eating healthy, even when I'm on the road. I take food with me. I take my own protein powder and snacks and nuts and fuel my body. So it's really prioritizing yourself and your rest and whatever is going to allow you to fill your cup so you can show up and pour into others. The A and Spark is aligned with your God-given vision. So anything that's not in alignment, whether that's somebody you're hiring to be on your team, whether it's making a decision on your whether you're going to work with a client or maybe a friend in your life. Like if it's not aligning with your vision and your values, then it's a no. Or it's really putting some very healthy boundaries around that situation. The R is really in the Spark method is release what no longer serves you. Now that could be limiting beliefs, it could be things you're telling yourself. It could be the junk feed food you're eating. It could be a bad habit that you need to replace. But releasing what no longer serves you, and maybe that's a relationship, maybe that's a business venture, maybe it's not working. So release it. And then the K is probably the most important part of Spark is kindle connection. Again, that's connection to God. It's connection to your family, to yourself, and to others. On being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. And I don't want it. I think success is built on relationships. And so really do what you can to kindle that connection and you're going to be able to spark more joy.

SPEAKER_00 23:38

That's that's great too. And I found that I was as I went to a page in your book

Boundaries, Saying No, And JOMO

SPEAKER_00 23:42

that really a section in your book, don't be a pimp. Okay, that's that's a section of the book. But it's really good. But what you said, and then this Kindle connection was really good because you you're a giver as much as you are here. Like you've got to be on stage and you have to rely on others to bring opportunities to you. You've got to dig those opportunities up yourself as well. You've got to work hard to get there. We could talk about that. But you say help someone else for the joy and success it will bring them. Where did that come from for you to also be this connector for others and finding joy in that?

SPEAKER_01 24:12

Well, you know, I think one of the ways you can be the most valuable person in the room is by making connections for people. And, you know, I've worked with clients and just had friends that are like, wow, you don't hold back. You just share all your connections. And and so, yeah, I'm gonna share. If somebody has built my website and I love them, I and I know that they're a good person, you better believe I'm gonna connect them because it's gonna help both people. So I have always loved connecting people and love, have always loved people. I've been, you know, I started teaching dance when I was 13 years old. After teaching dance and and starting my own dance company, I worked with clients and had a fit, I was in the fitness industry for 26 years, and I went straight from that into working with female entrepreneurs. I have a few male clients that I've worked with, but I think when we can connect people and we can really focus on how can we serve them and help them achieve their success, it's not only fulfilling, but it I think you do it just from your heart, but in the long run, it always comes back to you as a gift somehow, somehow.

SPEAKER_00 25:30

Absolutely. I agree with that so much. I think that if we want to get certain things, we have to we have to give a scriptural statement. And I love inside of the R as well. And you touched on this at the event, and it made me smile because it reminded me of both my wife and my mother-in-law, and basically their side of the family had to be you had to be from the south when you were talking about releasing what no longer serves you, and two things you said. You said there are there are puppy uppers and there are doggy downers, and you gotta get rid of the doggy downers inside of your life. But the other was to to block them and to bless them. I loved that statement that you said at the event, to block them out and then bless them, pray for them and let them go. Um but it just reminded me of kind of something that uh a good Southern woman would say to say, you know, get them. It's you love them to death, but they gotta be out of your life. Especially as you connect, especially if you have more things, you're gonna have to learn to say no to some things, including relationships that are very both challenging. They may be good, but you have to prune that scripture as well. We gotta prune the good so that the the or sometimes the good so that we can get something great, which is really cool. I could go on and on and talking about Spark and and the stories that you shared. I am curious. I'll I'll look for one specific thing that I want to have some uh fun with a couple of questions as well, Amberly. What's one daily discipline that has made the biggest impact for you over the last one or two years in your development journey where you know you you've not reached a point where you think you've arrived, you're continuing to grow. What's a habit or discipline you have now that's really powerful for you?

SPEAKER_01 26:58

I think it's really doing all I can to put my sobriety first. And so, you know, it's not always easy to sit and write a gratitude list. It's not always convenient to go to a recovery meeting, but I do because it allows me to stay sober. Without my sobriety, I don't get to be here with you. It's the most important thing, and I don't take it for granted. So it's not always convenient, but putting your health uh first is what is gonna allow you to be able to pour into others. And you know, I've had so many struggles with my health. I mean, last year I was in the hospital six times, and so when you don't have your health, you only want one thing, it's to be healthy. You know, and so I think that everything I can do to put my health first and looking at opportunities is, you know, in a more discerning way. And I think to myself, well, how much energy is that gonna take? And so there have been opportunities where I thought, wow, this sounds like a great opportunity. In fact, I was just offered uh they were doing a reality show, and they wanted me to be the host of this reality show. And then I looked at the contract and it was flying to Columbia, and it was, I would be facilitating for three days straight for 12 to 14 hours at a time, teaching people and coaching people. It would be all me teaching them. And I thought all that was required of me, I thought, wow, this is I I got tired just reading the contract. I was like, you know, this is and they wanted all the rights. So I was gonna give them my specific way of how I teach people on how to put together keynotes and show up on stage. And I was gonna give it all away. So I was like, you know, I think this is a no. I know it's a no.

SPEAKER_00 28:49

Absolutely. Well, those that learning to say no, I mean, it's it's not an easy one. I mean, there's opportunities that are out there. We know that our time here is limited, and we never want to miss an opportunity. The old FOMO, fear of missing out on something. I would imagine you you talk about this again in your journey and videos and things, is that you know there was a time where you know you couldn't get anybody to pay you to speak on your story and things like that, and now you're getting these requests in from all over, and you've got to learn to say no. So you went from saying yes to everything and learning to get paid for those things, even and getting better and better and better, now having to learn to say no. It's one of those you know infamous good problems to have, but it's not an easy one to solve it.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

It is hard. And after I told them no for this opportunity, then they were offering more and even offering to change the location. And I was like, No. So it is hard, but I think that when you know your values and you're really rooted in your value and aligned with your vision, then it makes it a little easier to turn the FOMO into JOMO or you you know, joy of missing out.

SPEAKER_00 29:57

I love that. The joy of missing out. So good. I love that. JOMO. Come on now, instead of Mojo, Jomo, that's really good. Gosh, I love when we get these little things in there that are good at the end. All right, let's have

Community Building, Books, Boots, And Billboard

SPEAKER_00 30:08

a little fun. Like I want to honor your time as we go through this. You get to speak on many stages now. And you know, to see you speak at BookThers, it's like usually very exciting times. You come up dancing and things like that. Okay, great. What's your what's the walk-up song that you choose for Amberly Lado when you come up?

SPEAKER_01 30:23

Well, I love Uptown Funk, but I had no idea at this event that I spoke at. I was on a panel in Tampa and they started playing the song Unstoppable. And I founded a community called Unstoppable Life Women, and they played this song. And I was on a panel with four other women, and they were all so serious, and I could not contain it. And I just got up and I started dancing, and then people in the audience got up and started dancing. So maybe my new walkout song will be unstoppable, but I love Uptown Funk, I love Unstoppable, and I love Thunderstruck.

SPEAKER_00 31:00

Thunderstruck, okay. Now that was a tough one to sing. Do you have a karaoke song that you like to sing?

SPEAKER_01 31:06

You do not want to hear me sing karaoke. I was in a cappella, and I think she only allowed me to be in a cappella because she knew I would choreograph for the big, you know, the big event that they did every year. They did a musical and we did Oklahoma. And so I lip I was lip syncing in a cappella, but I did choreograph Oklahoma.

SPEAKER_00 31:26

All right, no karaoke, but walk-up songs are good, unstoppable. I remember that. That's interesting. You mentioned that about the the group that you found. Tell me about that group or and uh what that means to you.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

Well, I, you know, I think when you really listen to and people say, Oh, you comment on people's res, you know, when somebody comments on your post, you comment back, and is that really you with your T DMs? And I'm like, Yeah, it really is me. That's why sometimes it takes me a little while to get back because it's actually me answering them. But I was getting a lot of women saying, How did you write your book? How did you get it published? How did you start your podcast? How did you learn how to put a keynote together? How are you getting booked on stages? And so I was answering people individually and I thought, wow, I need to just put together a group where I can teach these women how I've done it because I sure made a lot of mistakes. I I lost a lot of money. I invested in a lot of coaches that took the money and ran and really either ran or just really underdelivered. And so I want to see more women speaking on stages. There are so many events where I'm the only female speaker, and I love the fellas. I've, you know, worked with guys my whole life, but I thought I want to see more women. And so what I do is I founded a community where I teach women how to get on more stages and on more pages, so stages and pages, and start their podcast. And it just brings me so much joy. I think my favorite part about it is the retreats. So we meet online, but then I just, gosh, last week got back from our retreat in Jacksonville, and it's amazing to see these leaders who they are leaders and they can't really sometimes open up or be vulnerable and just have them be have a safe space to share what's really going on and what they need help with, and to see these transformations right before your eyes. It is beautiful. And there was um a lady in the group at the retreat, she's a pastor, and there was another lady who had been saved when she was younger. She was baptized, but she wanted to get baptized again. So we ended the retreat with the pastor, and the pastor allowed me to be on one side of the other attendee, and we baptized her in the ocean. It was beautiful. So it was raining, and as soon as we went in the water to baptize her. Yeah, it it the sky opened up, the sun. It was just it was beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 33:51

So good. If it if it was for just that moment, starting that starting that movement is so really good. So so cool to hear that you've got that going. All not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. Do you have a book that's impacted you the most on your journey? Outside of yours that you've written. You can't say yours.

SPEAKER_01 34:08

No, no, no, no. I mean, no, no. I have I love books. I mean, we're selling our house, and the the uh realtor said, Well, you need to declutter a little bit. You've got a lot of books. And I'm like, but I love books, and so I've got them stacked up over here in a bookshelf over here in our living room. But I think that some of my favorite books are by John Gordon. He's written, I think it's 36 books now.

SPEAKER_00 34:35

A bunch of them, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:36

The The Energy Bus. I love John Maxwell, but I would say one that is a go-to that I love gifting to people is the four agreements. It just helps you really be a good person. And one of my favorite parts of the four agreements is don't take things personally.

SPEAKER_00 34:54

Ooh, four agreements. I'm gonna look that one up.

SPEAKER_01 34:57

Have you have you not read the four agreements?

SPEAKER_00 35:00

I have not read that one, no.

SPEAKER_01 35:01

It's such an easy read and it's just so good. I have a short attention span. So for me, a quick, easy book is always good.

SPEAKER_00 35:10

Excellent. I'm gonna send you my book then too. Because that's all you need is a short attention span.

SPEAKER_01 35:15

I have not, you know what? I will buy it. I'll buy it on Amazon because I believe in supporting authors and buying their book, just like I believe supporting people and buying tickets to their events. You know, one of my best friends is she's having an event and she asked me to be the MC, and I still bought a VIP ticket. People are like, You still bought a ticket? I'm like, Well, I know how much it costs to put an event on, so yes, I want to be supportive. So I am happy to buy your book and I'll leave you a review because those matters too. Those matter too.

SPEAKER_00 35:46

No, those matter as well. Absolutely. So good. Hamble, you've been such such a gift to the listeners as I as I watch the time. I know we get going, but I want I want to um I want to kind of bring this to closure and I hope that that our uh connection today isn't the last time we're connected, but ultimately, um let's talk about the logistics side of it first. Where should folks go to connect with you the the best in terms of what you have going on right now?

SPEAKER_01 36:09

Well, you can find everything at amberlylago.com and I'm super excited. I just redid my website, and it's so cool. If you go to my podcast page, there's a a part on the page you can type in any question, and it will go through over close to 400 interviews. And everybody I've interviewed on the Amberly Lago show, and there may be something that Ed Milette said. If you ask about, you know, leadership, you know, John Gordon, something he said might come up, or Mae Musk or Trent Shelton. So it's really cool. Go in there and play around, as well as I have some free gifts that you can grab off my website. And then if you want to see some behind-the-scenes shenanigans, everybody knows my dog Nugget. Everybody I it loves Nugget because and she's the favorite of my Instagram post or Nugget. So that's Amberly Lago Motivation on Instagram.

SPEAKER_00 37:06

Okay. All right, I'm gonna watch that one for to Nugget as well. I want to see that one. I said I had actually one I skipped over and I went in the in the speed round because you said this you s with a with a smile as well. And you know, you're dancing on stage again, back through your surgery, almost losing your leg. Um it it it's clear the the pain that you still have with that, but you have the nickname Boots. So tell them what's how did you get how did you get this nickname Boots?

SPEAKER_01 37:29

I know it because I my ankle is fused and my leg is made of metal from the knee all the way down into my toes. And because it's fused, I I have tried every kind of tennis shoe, orthopedic shoe, and I have found, I mean, I've spent thousands on shoes on going to an orthopedic doctor to try to get custom insoles. And I found this one brand of boot that I can wear, and so all I can wear are these boots. So I work out in boots, I wear my nice, beautiful sequin dresses with boots, and people just started calling me boots because I wear boots all the time. Even yesterday at this event, all these ladies have on these gorgeous high heels, and I've got on boots. So whatever works.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

Whatever works. I love that. I love the the persistence, the resilience, the the your faith and the courage to keep going in terms of where you are. I so appreciate uh you know where you have come and where uh ultimately I can't wait to see where you're going as well. Amberly, thank you so much for being a guest. I'm gonna give you the last word, uh, which is my last famous question that we just have to sum all this up into one statement. I'm gonna give you a billboard and you put it anywhere you want to. Uh, what's the message that you're gonna put on that billboard for the listeners here to learn from and why do you put that message on there?

SPEAKER_01 38:50

Uh maybe it'll be a little bit longer message. I would say I love you, I see you, I believe in you, don't give up, and you're never alone. And I would probably add on there grit without connection is resistance. Grit with connection is resilience. So reach out and see how you can serve.

SPEAKER_00 39:10

So good, be resilient. Amberly Lago, thank you so much for adding so much to the listeners of the Unkind Leader Podcast. I wish you the best in the future. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 39:19

Thank you so much. Thanks for having me on.

SPEAKER_00 39:22

Well, that conversation did not disappoint. I hope you enjoyed it, and I'm sure there's something in that story that inspired you or encouraged you. If you know someone else who needs to hear that story, please do the best you can to share this episode with them on whatever platform it is so that they can hear it and we can get it into the hands of more and more uncommon leaders, just like you. Until next time, go and grow champions. Until next time, go and grow champions.