Koffee ChitChat
Koffee ChitChat
LaMisa Guy Shaw's Guide to Leadership and Advocacy
Join us as we kick off season 11 with the remarkable LaMisa Guy Shaw, whose journey from a small town in Louisiana to becoming a senior military officer will inspire you to embrace leadership and community service. Discover how her family history and a unique military buddy system influenced her career choices, and hear her insights on leadership, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness. LaMisa’s early roles, from cheerleader to FBLA and 4-H participant, highlight the power of inspiring others and nurturing success. Her story is a testament to the impact of early leadership experiences and the importance of advocacy, especially focusing on children's education.
We discuss the significance of persistence and dedication in both leadership and personal roles. You'll also gain valuable insights into enhancing your social media presence, setting a positive example, and learning from failures. Motivational quotes from Michelle Obama and LaMisa’s husband serve as reminders that setbacks are lessons that enrich our journeys. Tune in for an episode brimming with wisdom, inspiration, and practical advice for leaders and advocates alike.
Hey y’all hey, don’t miss the next episode of Koffee Chitchat!!
Hey, y'all, hey, and we are back for season 11. Buckle up for the fun topics this season. We will introduce our guests in a minute, but you know how we do it. Let's shout out our coffee of the week, which is the oatmeal cookie butter latte. Make sure you try one. So y'all, season 11 has started and I know that when this episode air, super Bowl will be over. So who do you have out there? Who do you have? Do you want the Chiefs or the Eagles? We will see, we shall see.
Speaker 1:Well, our first guest is Lamisa Guy Shaw. She is a senior military officer, business owner, certified executive coach and podcast contributor from St Joseph, louisiana, with over 30 years of experience in diverse leadership roles across all levels, she now serves as director of leadership. Lemisa holds an MBA and an MHA from Webster University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology Pre-Medicine from the University of Louisiana Monroe. As a wife, mom and advocate for her children's education, lamisa has gained profound insights in resilience, empathy and balance, and I say she's my sorrow. So let's welcome Ms Lamisa to Coffee, chit, chat, welcome, welcome.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Thank you, paula. I appreciate you and appreciate the invite and just thank you for everything that you continue to do for everyone else and this is a great forum, so thank you.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you, and thank you as well because I love, I really do, because we need them all the time. So let me, so let's talk a little bit about coffee. Do you have a favorite coffee? Iced Brown.
Speaker 2:Sugar, oat Milk, shaken Espresso. Okay, so you might wonder why, and so I have a theory. So it is iced brown sugar, I am brown, I am sweet, and then it's shaken. I like to shake it up just a little bit, so I have a theory on that and why I like that coffee.
Speaker 1:That I love.
Speaker 2:That is so awesome.
Speaker 1:I love it. Love it Okay. So let's share about your military career. Did you always know that you wanted to join the military?
Speaker 2:No, I did not. I did not know that I wanted to join I only had two family members that were in the military. Of course I'm from a small town that you shouted out St Joseph, louisiana, so I didn't see a whole lot of folks around me that were military, that my great-grandfather actually fought in World War II, so I knew that we had a history of serving our nation. So I did not know that I wanted to join the military, but I know that I wanted to serve in some capacity to help my community.
Speaker 1:I love it Because you're speaking of World War II. My great-uncle served in World War II and that's basically when we were kind of introduced to it and then, after the years or whatever, we had more cousins to join and I think it was my first cousin that joined before me and then myself, and then we had like three or four more to join. So I love that.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:When you hear about that, the history you know, and then their experiences, because I remember he was probably late 80s when I actually joined the Army Reserves and he was just you know the look on his face. He was just so proud that I was serving and he had a lot of questions and then he had a lot of information to give to me and then when he realized I was going to become an officer, that just like, made his day to give to me. And then when he realized I was going to become an officer that just like made his day, so okay.
Speaker 1:So I guess that was your defining moment, maybe when you learned about your great, great grandfather.
Speaker 2:It was my defining moment. You know I have a little bit more. So I actually joined with a friend with the buddy system I don't know if you remember that, paula so you could join with a friend and they would come in and they would achieve a higher rank because they brought you in. So I actually came in under that program. A friend referred me and so I came in and, yeah, and she decided not to go to basic, but I'll save that for later.
Speaker 1:So I was kind of out there by myself. Oh, my goodness, so you still ended up going to basic training back yourself, yes, okay. So let's talk about your job. What is it that you do? What's your role?
Speaker 2:Sure. So, paula, my role is my final role is a director of leadership, and in that role, I focus on inspiring others and developing leaders. I'm very passionate about leadership. I've always been a leader my entire life and so this is a defining role. We focus a lot on human dimensions. You know those self skills as well.
Speaker 2:How to talk to people also how to learn. You know about yourself, self-awareness, you know. Do you know what your temperament is? Do you know what your family member's temperament is? Emotionally, are you emotionally intelligent? So all of that stuff.
Speaker 1:OK, that is, that's awesome. I guess you just kind of knew that I was going to ask where were you a leader in school, like middle school, high school, where you're like FBLA or what is it? Could you run for student president?
Speaker 2:Yes, so that is a great question. So yes, I was. I guess, if I go back even before that, from an early age my brother said that I was kind of bossy, my older brother, so I think I was attempting to lead him early. And then, through high school, I was a cheerleader, so I was always wanting to inspire others and motivate others to achieve success. And then also as part of, I think, fla, as well as 4-H and all those other you know.
Speaker 1:So yeah, that's funny. Did you say the 4-H, Because my kids are like 4-H. I said, see, they need some of those programs back in school. Yes, they do. And I don't think it's just a Louisiana thing, because I know you attended school in Louisiana, right, right it could be because a lot of people look at me real strange when I ask about 4-H and they're like you guys think of 4-H.
Speaker 2:I know you're like it's agriculture, right, right it could be a Louisiana thing yes um so like a valuable lesson.
Speaker 1:What is one valuable lesson throughout your time in the military that you could share with the listeners?
Speaker 2:Hmm, that is a great question. I'm kind of pausing on that one. Wow, a valuable lesson there are so many. Yeah, I would say believe in yourself. Ok, it's the first thing, just for me as well, as I did learn a deeper sense of purpose, of service and purpose with being in the military, and I also learned to to trust my team and the folks around me that trust factor is so important and I know that every military person that's listening probably said that's one of the most valuable to trust, because you know how sometimes we have been burnt or whatever in power situations and it's kind of hard.
Speaker 1:But once you get that trust factor in the military, that is excellent. I love that. So we're going to switch gears just a little bit and we're going to talk about you becoming an executive coach. What inspired this career?
Speaker 2:Yes, so I have. So I'm going to talk a little bit about what an executive coach is, just for the audience. So an example of an executive coach is a personal trainer. So an example of an executive coach is a personal trainer. So you have a personal trainer that's kind of what executive coach is, but a personal trainer for your career, so that's kind of what it is. Leadership coach. So what inspired me is I think I've always done being a leader to just formalize the process with being an executive coach, and so I was inspired because I have a passion for people and wanted to help people, and so it just all came together.
Speaker 1:And so now as a senior leader, because you're a Lieutenant Colonel, so now as a senior leader, because you're a lieutenant colonel, I know that kind of comes into play in your career because now you have the lieutenants and the captains and the majors that are looking up to you, so that kind of fit right in. When you retire, you think you're going to kind of like do this, this is like I'm going to be executive coach, this is what I'm going to do Absolutely yes, that is one of the things that I will be doing is executive coaching.
Speaker 2:I will be mentor coaching, as well as consulting and working business and some other things. So, yes, so that is one of the things that I will continue to do.
Speaker 1:So that is one of the things that I will continue to do. Ok, and I mean, just from reading your bio and looking at your CV, I'm like, oh wow, she's such a dynamic leader and I'm so excited, I'm proud of you, honey. How do you think your early leadership experiences kind of shaped the leader that you became today?
Speaker 2:So that's a thing. And thank you also for saying dynamic leader. You're the one that's a dynamic leader. So I just want to say that.
Speaker 1:First of all.
Speaker 2:I follow you quite often, actually for about two decades now, and so to get back to your question so, as a leader, you said, can you say that question one more time? I'm sorry. How did your early leadership experiences started as a child? You know I have a really strong mother, so I learned early from her. Her leadership and being an impact to others in the communities as well, as you know, started with my dad. He had so much patience, and so you know, to be being a leader you have to have patience as well.
Speaker 1:So, that.
Speaker 2:So that was early on. And then for my brother I learned to be tough. You know he was an older brother and you know I played with him and his friends and so that made me tough and so all of these things, you know I see, go into leadership and go into who I am now, to leadership and go into who I am now. You know, leaders aren't just leaders by authority. Leaders are leaders because they want the best for other people around them and themselves. Amen, exactly, I love how you said.
Speaker 1:It's not just because I have this authority, but it's because I want to make other people better. I love that. It's very deep. Yes, now I'd love to discuss your passion for advocacy, because I love advocacy myself and especially for children and others. What inspired that drive? Because I know, you know especially we talked earlier you told me about you know being the advocacy for their education and I know that it's so important and it's important to a lot of people who are listening. So what inspired you to do this?
Speaker 2:So you know, when I trace things I trace it back to early childhood and then bring it to where I am now. So it's always been important to be an advocate and early years I was an advocate for other kids in the community as well as the elderly. You know, for me being an advocate is that everyone is included and that is important to me and that's not always the case. And so being an advocate really fast forwarding until now is that I have three children and one of my kids had testing one day, the speech therapy consultation.
Speaker 2:I was actually pulled aside by the evaluator and they said, hey, have you had your son tested for a neurodivergent disorder? And I was very apprehensive and said, nope, he's just fine, no issues at all. So when I found out and he was tested, just being honest with you, you have to go through those phases, I won't say of grieving, but more of those phases that, okay, this is my kid. And now what's the next step? What do I do now? I was very thankful and I'm thankful my husband is a mental health provider and so he helped me kind of understand, helped me through it, and said, hey, this is a medical diagnosis, this is not the end, and so so my advocacy started then, once we received the diagnosis from my son more recently within the last couple of years.
Speaker 1:To be able to at least kind of understand what was going on with him and then to stand firm, to say, okay, the medical doctors say this, but this is what we're going to do, because this is my child.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly, and that is, and you totally understand.
Speaker 1:Yes, oh, I totally get it. And so what challenges have you faced as an advocate? Would you say you've run into some brick walls.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Almost daily. You know I can't call the school system's name right now, but I did communicate with the teacher earlier about another concern. But the issues that I encountered are more with the resistance, I think on the administrative side as well as the staff, and I feel that the reason all goes back to funding or lack thereof, resources, whether it's personnel, lack of teachers, training, et cetera. As part of the group that I have that advocate for my child we have I have a lawyer, actually, as well as an educational advocate and then a private therapist that assists with it with ensuring that the plans are correct and accommodations are in place for my child.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, that's a lot.
Speaker 2:It is. It is a lot. Yeah, I have a meeting in a couple of weeks, a follow up meeting with the school, ok, but you know what that's a good mom.
Speaker 1:I mean that I wish everybody would get into. You know that much of that understanding of what was going on with their child in school, because you know people always love to mark your kid or, you know, say this is what they're going to be. But you as a parent or parents because I know your husband is right there with you you guys know what's best and I'm glad that you have went into that much depth advocating for your child. I know that child is going to be saying thank you, mom and dad.
Speaker 2:I hope so, and he and you know. Looking at his eyes and just seeing him progress, that's the most important thing for me, and knowing that he is going to be successful, just like the rest of my children.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. That's awesome. So is there a memorable story or moment when your advocacy made a tangible difference in someone's life?
Speaker 2:So I actually yes, yes, absolutely. So I'm also a member of a nonprofit organization where I'm the, I guess, chair for inclusion for children and as part of that volunteer role, my charge was for myself to ensure all kids are included. And so as part of that, one of the mothers sent me a text message I would say it was about November and she said for the first time her child was included and he's a, you know, older kid, a senior, but the first time that he was actually included and he did not require one-on-one support. So she was able to kind of take a break and step away and come back and know that her kid was okay. So for me that was tangible, but that meant a lot to me. You know, as I say, job well done in that we had to kind of I needed to continue the efforts for all children.
Speaker 1:And especially when a parent can come and say you know what? This is the first time I ever really felt that they really cared and included my child. That is why DEI is so important.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness. And you know this comment. Yes, I know I'm going to say can you say that again? We got to keep fighting Very yes, Absolutely.
Speaker 1:I actually was an adjunct professor. I'm going to say can you say that again? We got to keep fighting? Yes, and that's the dream came from Webster. I actually was an adjunct professor.
Speaker 2:Diversity and inclusion professor adjunct at Webster. I love to get with you online whenever you have time. If you don't mind, okay, that will work, but yeah.
Speaker 1:So that is awesome. I'm an advocacy and we know it is so important and I am're constantly. When we find something that needs to be put out, one of us is going to put it on our page.
Speaker 2:We're going to mention it on the podcast.
Speaker 1:We're always doing it because that is just so important so yes, yes, it is young officers that's coming behind. Yeah, that is so exciting to know.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is, it absolutely is, and I think it's important in our community too, in our community, to not make it a stigma to really get whatever the kid our kids need to be successful. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:We definitely fight for that.
Speaker 2:You are so correct and as a leader and advocate what advice would you give to someone who may be looking to make a meaningful impact, like you're doing, in your community? Yes, yes, so, yeah, so I have I kind of put them into, I guess five different things that I would would say to to would say, to make them more meaningful in their community or field. I would say start with why. Identify your, why Know why you are doing something, why you are passionate about it, because sometimes it may really get tough, and so you're going to have to go back to why you're doing it to kind of stay the course, and so you're going to have to go back to why you're doing it to kind of stay the course. You know.
Speaker 1:I would say number two is to just be you be authentic who you are, because people know when you're faking they really do. You're so right, yes yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, and then number three is to take small steps. You know small steps do matter, you know to just kind of stay the course again. And then step four is to take. You know it takes a village. There's no one that can do it alone and it's all about relationships. And, paula, you mentioned earlier your group of Lieutenant Colonels and.
Speaker 2:Colonels having those relationships and those bonds. So I think that is very important. That's very important for me. And the last one is to you know to be patient. You know take your time and then get smart, educate yourself, research, ask questions, talk to other people, to advocates. You know I've had to get smart on what the law says. You know the idea law, what it says for special education and the rights. So I would say, educate yourself. So those five are identify. Why be you? Take small steps. It takes a village. So develop relationships and continue to be patient and educate yourself.
Speaker 1:I love it. See guys, listen. If you need an executive coach, ms Lamisa can help you. Did you guys see how she listed five, five great points? Research and education is very important.
Speaker 2:Yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am, Absolutely.
Speaker 1:If you are advocating for your child, you need some support. Make sure you listen to Lamisa, because my next question to her is how can the listeners follow you?
Speaker 2:Yes, so I am on social media. I do have a presence. I'm sure I could have a bitter presence, but on Facebook I am listed as Misa Shaw M-I-S-A. On Instagram I'm Shaw, misa, so last name and then nickname Misa, and then on LinkedIn I'm just my name, lamisa Shaw.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:I'm playing on that one.
Speaker 1:We'll make sure we put it in the Facebook chat. Yes absolutely, because you have such great points. I love everything you're doing and keep up the great work. Keep being that great leader and that example you know for the ones that are going to come up behind you.
Speaker 2:so yeah, thank you. I appreciate you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for all you do you for taking time out your busy schedule to chat with us, and is there like a quote that you want to leave with us before?
Speaker 2:we me Wow, that's a good one. I have quite a few in my head. I was like can I turn my phone, cause I have quite a few things in my phone. Let's see. Let me think so. This is from Michelle Obama. Failure is an important part of your growth and developing resilience, and so, using those five steps that I talked about, you may not succeed the first time, but failure is a part of growth. I'll also add in a quote that's from my husband Whenever you fail in something he said, he's told me and I think about this is to count it as not as a loss but as a lesson.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's awesome. That loss is just a lesson. I love it and listeners stay tuned for another exciting episode of Coffee Choo-Choo.
