Scaling With People
Tired of spinning your startup wheels but never gaining traction? Buckle up, founders and CEOs, because this podcast is your rocket fuel to profitability! Every week, we ignite explosive conversations with bold-faced founders, brainy experts, and even a few out-of-this-world vendors. Get ready to crack the code on growth, master employee engagement, and blast through your scaling goals. We’re talking real-world strategies, actionable tips, and perspectives that’ll make your business do a cosmic dance. So, strap in and prepare for lift-off!
Scaling With People
Unveiling Leadership Strength: Susanne Mueller on Effective Coaching, Female Entrepreneur Resilience, and Productivity Boost Strategies
Can active listening transform your leadership style? Discover the power of lifelong learning and the essence of effective leadership in today's episode of Scaling with People. Join us as Susanne Mueller, author of "50 Shades of Lipstick Leadership," reveals her insights on the pivotal role of leadership coaching and the inspiring stories of 50 women from diverse backgrounds. Susanne shares how surrounding yourself with supportive people and embracing self-care, drawn from her marathon and Ironman experiences, can be game-changers in achieving personal and business growth. We also discuss the resilience of female entrepreneurs during the pandemic and the key takeaways from their journeys.
Looking to enhance your entrepreneurial productivity? In the second half of our conversation, we dive into practical strategies for setting boundaries and boosting efficiency. Discover the mental clarity that mundane tasks can provide and the benefits of outsourcing to reduce stress and scale your business. We'll share actionable tips like designating a no-computer day and leveraging technology to manage off-hours communication. Plus, learn how simple pleasures like laughter, chocolate, and coffee can maintain a positive mindset while you patiently build something beautiful. Don't miss these valuable insights from Susanne Mueller to help you lead and grow your business effectively.
Welcome everyone to today's Scaling with People podcast. I'm Gwenda Curry, your host and founder and CEO of Guide to HR. Today, we're going to be talking about leadership and the importance of having a leadership coach to help support you and your business. I'm super excited to have Suzanne Mueller on the call with me today. Suzanne, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thank you for having me. So my name is Suzanne Mueller. I'm originally from Switzerland but have been living in the US for many years and leadership is kind of like the topic that I have all around me and I always talk about lifelong learning and people are like why is this Lifelong learning? We'll get deeper into this, but thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and for those that are watching on YouTube, you might notice a background that Suzanne has and it's a very intriguing book. It's called Lipstick Leadership. Tell us a little bit about this book that you just launched.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So actually, lipstick Leadership has a new sister and it's called 50 Shades of Lipstick Leadership. Lipstick Leadership has a new sister and it's called 50 Shades of Lipstick Leadership, and there we have 50 stories of empowering and inspiring women. And you always think like, yeah, yeah, 50 stories, cute. But if you think about lipstick or the beauty industry, the beauty industry is like a $400 billion industry and it just keeps growing.
Speaker 2:We need to talk about this and it's about women empowerment, because we all know the future is female and we have so many founders because actually being a solo entrepreneur or a one-woman show or then a bigger company is actually very good for women because you can, let's say, work two days or you have a family next to you. So we see so many entrepreneurs, especially in the US. I basically have numbers for the US, but especially after the pandemic or during the pandemic, I have many examples of people said, or women said, I just started my own company and they become successful. Why, you can start from your own kitchen table, from your own home, and you can become successful.
Speaker 1:Before, after school or during school, while the kids are in school situation.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you just have to be creative. I think Creative, think outside of the box and make it happen. So I always say dream big, but start now so how does this lifelong learning come into play?
Speaker 2:for me, lifelong learning is just a key to everything. I see a lot of people in their mid careers and they think, like I know everything, I'm on top of my career. I think this is very wrong. So that's why in the book 50 Shades of Lipstick Leadership, I have three chapters, which is learning, listening and leading, and we have basically 12 stories about learning. We all know we have to learn to read and at one point it switches from reading to learn. This is switch, probably in first grade or second grade. And then listening, listening carefully. This is really difficult these days. We're surrounded by so much chatter, so listening carefully is really not so easy. And then the leading I think some of the founders, some of your listeners. They just go to those stories.
Speaker 2:So each story has really a cold nugget people who overcame obstacles. There was a lady who lived in the bomb shelter during world war ii, or we have, and she's now in her 80s. But we also have stories of 10 year olds who started. Actually, during the pandemic they started their card business. These are the glitter glam girls. So we have stories from people, women, who are 10 years old to in their 80s. People can find a story for themselves. Whatever you want, we have it in there, and stories are from women from around the world, so we have from the US, from South America, from Europe and also Australia and Africa. So everybody's included and everybody should be included. So it's not about that we want to say it's only for women, it's for people, and people who need an inspiring and motivational story. That's how.
Speaker 1:I love that, I love that and so, and obviously that's a lot through your own leadership coaching that you do. So, speaking about that, what? What are some of the things, themes that you're seeing with your customers, that you're helping them work through, coaching them on that might be something we want to chat about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure. And since you're focusing on founders, you and I are founders and CEOs, so we all need to surround ourselves with good people, and sometimes family and friends they're like're like, wow, this is this, and they're pessimistic and negative. Surround yourself with great people, and I say great people, not good people. So, and where do you find those people? So it's about networking and, again, going back, it's about learning from others and exchanging ideas with others. So so that's one thing, how you can grow, but I think it's also what I see many times. It's about taking a break, and I say that very slowly, taking a break Because we always go 100 miles an hour.
Speaker 2:Now that the book is out, I'm like, I'm exhausted, I'm going 100 miles an hour. I don't dream anymore. I dream about the book, about the book launch, about who else. I need to take a break, and actually I'm a marathon runner, and that's the other book. Take it from the Iron Woman. I have completed the Iron man. This is something that I wanted to achieve, and when people say, what you do when you don't work, I'm a runner, I'm a swimmer, I'm a biker and actually the swimming has helped me so much, and you know why I don't have to talk to anybody. It sounds horrible, but this is my time.
Speaker 2:I go into the water. It's my time, and also the running. I I don't run with music, I'm listening to my own breathing, breathe in, breathe out, and people might say, yeah, yeah, it's about taking a breath. It's about taking even a coffee by yourself. So it's about leaving that chatter and that world that is so demanding. Take some time for yourself, and I ask all my guests on the podcast or my coaching clients what do you do when you don't work? And some founders say I'm always working. This is the wrong answer. Take a break. Take a break because if you're not a hundred percent, how can you give 120%? You cannot.
Speaker 2:And then you get sick, you have a burnout, and then you're like I should have, I could have. And before we recorded we said like outsourcing. If you are a company, I would say, if you're like five to seven people, you need to have a person to help you. And get a fractional person, get an HR person, get a finance person, get a person to help you.
Speaker 2:And what I also think is super important and some people disagree with me go to conferences or networking events outside of your industry. So I'm a coach, I'm a leadership coach, I'm an author. So if I go to a conference where there's other authors, then we're more of the same, but if I go to a, let's say, a women in tech conference, I'm one of the leadership coaches. I don't understand all the tech. I wish I would understand a little more. But go to a conference to learn, maybe to think like who can I connect with that I can learn from. That goes back to learning, listening, leading. I want to learn from others. I'm listening carefully and then I can take it into my business yeah, yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1:That is such a great advice for sure, and I'll just share for the audience, in case you're wondering for me if I were to answer what do I do when I'm not working.
Speaker 1:It's my husband and I are five-year-olds and we play with our Legos. We build Legos that's what we do and play with our cat who just walked in the door Traveling yeah, so it's and taking that moment it's. It is so important because there could be something going on in the back of your mind and an unconscious thought that just doesn't have a loud enough voice and a space to come forward for you to really hear it. That could have a very big meaningful impact and maybe something that also, too, you just need to kind of mull over a little bit, think about it, you know, toss it around, and if you don't give yourself that space, then it's never going to come to light, and that could literally be the key to changing your business, to be successful, or making that next step to add another service or product to the business step, to add another service or product to the business.
Speaker 2:And I also think and this sounds like very mundane cleaning, gardening and sports obviously takes off everything of your mind. So sometimes I'm like I don't mind cleaning, because then I can think what else do I need to do? So it's kind of like a easy task to ease into your day. But on the other hand, I also say outsource something like cleaning to somebody else, because you can also provide them with a job. So I think as founders, we need to think in different ways. So how can I create more jobs? How can I outsource what I? Maybe?
Speaker 2:I'm not the expert. So me as the finance, not a finance person, not an accounting person I need help there. Or even get a fractional, get somebody who's very good in marketing. Why do I have to kind of like pull my hair when I have somebody next to me who is an expert and pay them? Pay them with love, first of all. Right, that's another L, but it's about expanding and being also happy as a founder. I think if you're like, oh, my god, I'm tired, I can't take this anymore, you need to get out of this, you need to be positive and happy, and chocolate and coffee helps a lot and laughter.
Speaker 1:Laughter is another thing right for sure. Yeah, absolutely yeah. I, uh, I think about that a lot like when you're, when you're thinking about what you're working on. One of the things I did with my values is do what you love, and you know there are things that, as a business owner, you have to do, that you probably don't love. Well, maybe those are the first things that you should get off your plate, right? What are the things that are tactical?
Speaker 1:Not really moving the needle, like as the founder, and especially as you get to 10 employees, 15 employees, 100 employees this is the time where you really should be taking off any tactical items, whether it is the marketing operations, finance, hr, whatever it might be, even if that's what you love doing, even if that's like your go to place, like this is the time where you, as a CEO and founder, really need to be thinking about what is best, what you should be focusing on your time on that's going to help grow the business and move that needle, because, at the end of the day, no one can do it all.
Speaker 1:I think that's like a theme throughout all of my podcasts and there's limited time. I haven't found anyone that's learned how to, like you know, manipulate time and get like 100 hours out of one day. They would be. They would just be the you know, the most, uh, wealthiest person on the planet, right? I like to know that too. Yeah, right, yeah, so it's like really thinking about that and, um, do you have any like uh exercises, that uh that you give your uh that you coach your customers on, and how to like figure out what that looks like?
Speaker 2:I think for myself it's also Sunday is a no computer day. It's about setting boundaries. And yes, I have my phone, I check quickly is there anything that I need, but I do not open up the computer. 99. There are exceptions when I'm meeting my podcasting friends, because that's also a networking event, so that's the only exception. Or if somebody needs something but really have a non-computer day, and it doesn't have to be Sunday, why not take another day off? If you're in a, in a company, in an industry, let's say, event planning, you need to be working Saturday, sunday, so so take another day off, take a day off without the computer.
Speaker 1:I think I love that Almost to the point of like even the computer and your phone, because nowadays the phone is a computer for the most part, right? I remember growing up in my career going some one. One executive was like yeah, I never really get on the computer. I'm like, how do you do your job? Of course I was really young in my career and now I'm like I think 98% of what I do I think I can do on my phone. It's insane. My husband's like you should get one of those bigger screen phones. I'm like no, no, no, I don't, I don't want that Because then I'll be on it more.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's about discipline and yeah, have some. So if you do everything on the phone, have some time when the phone is away and also when you sleep, the phone has to be in another room. You have it on silent, you have it on focus or sleep or whatever. Do not disturb functionality.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's brilliant, because no one, except emergency contacts that you design, can come through. And in today's world world, a lot of our founders, including myself, are working internationally and you want people to feel good about coming to you but not like, oh, did I just wake them up right and so it's like, it's great, like you can. You can text and email me all you want when that do not disturb is on, it is not coming through. My favorite feature on the phone.
Speaker 2:I think so. I couldn't agree more with you. And the other thing that I have seen with somebody is they have it in their email address or signature. I prefer to work off hours, but it doesn't mean that you have to answer right away. I think this is so important because I sometimes I'm working on Saturday and I'm sending out emails and I make sure to program them that they arrive Monday morning nine o'clock your time, not that you think like, oh my God, she's sending a message on Saturday. I have to respond, please do not respond. Or sometimes, when I miss that, I say send another message and say please do not respond to this on Monday.
Speaker 2:And I have also said Rome was not built in one day, and sometimes people are like thank you so much. You said that because if you want to build something really beautiful, it takes time. So I think that time for yourself, time for others and also, when you think I don't have time for this network, I don't have time for coffee or lunch or dinner. We all have to eat, we all have to drink, and drinking is important. The hydration so that's me the marathon runner or the Ironman person is you need to eat healthy, have healthy habits. And one thing for me is like I do not negotiate my sleep. So if somebody, I would say I'm working with Singapore at the moment, so my cut of time is at 11 o'clock and then I cannot go to bed because I'm so wired. So then the next morning I do not start to work at 8 o'clock. Give yourself that time. So I think that time is really, really important.
Speaker 2:If you read stories in the book, everybody says I'm going into nature, I do crochet, I do reading, I meet my friends, we need to have fun. Laughter this is all what's coming out. So why don't we do it more often?
Speaker 1:yeah, 100%. I mean, that's one of the things I love about where I, um, a couple years ago, moved and, uh, I'm able to just step out into nature, and that's like. I don't drink. I'm allergic to alcohol, which most people that know me know that, and so my husband is always like, well, we got to find your new vice. I'm like, my vice is nature, like, just put me in nature, let me hear the birds chirping away, the wind going through the trees if I'm near water, you know lapping away or rushing over rocks, whatever it might. Yeah, that is like that's my happy place.
Speaker 1:So one of the things I'd love to share is is, recently I had this, I had this epiphany recently myself, because I was wondering like, gosh, why do I feel so like? I just feel like I can never catch up. And then I kind of paused and took a look at my calendar and I'm like well, that's why I've let my calendar get out of control with all these meetings, which they're all wonderful, but at the end of the day, are they the ones that are the right ones, that will be moving my business, my clients, along in the way it needs to be? And so I've gone back into my calendar tool, which is Calendly, but there's a lot of different calendar tools out there and I've set limitations. I will only take one of these types of calls during the day. I will only take one of these types of calls during the day. I will only allow this call to happen in this set of days and like maybe the afternoon hours only, and I and don't let me have more than two Like, and so there are ways to limit.
Speaker 1:And uh, I realized like uh, recently I just got a couple of meetings at my lunchtime hour and I'm like, why all of a sudden the night? And then I I realized, well, cause I'm so booked, that was why, all of a sudden the night. And then I realized, well, because I'm so booked, that was the only option. I'm like I got to fix that. I went in and I changed the hours and I took an hour and a half, even though I don't take an hour and a half lunch. I put an hour and a half lunch break because it lets me get lunch, it lets me maybe catch up on emails, connect to people on Slack, whatever it is I need to do, but it gives me that little bit of space and breathing room before another meeting gets put on my calendar. So there are ways to use technology to help you manage your calendar, manage your day, and I just wanted to share that because I felt like it really fit with what we're talking about here.
Speaker 1:It's all about managing. It's kind of managing yourself, and sometimes it can be a little hard because, as CEO founders, like we want to. We want to kind of it's not that we want to say yes to everything, but we don't want to ever be like oh, if I had just taken that meeting, it might have turned into some pay in my bank account, right. Like. You can't think that way. You have to. You have to recognize, like you said, rome is not built in one day and neither is your business, and if you go in that direction, then you'll be dead in three days.
Speaker 2:I think and I want to add you always make time for clients. What if you're your first client?
Speaker 2:And this is like the biggest aha moment that people like I'm a client, I'm my own client, so what you put in your calendar is meeting with the CEO or meeting with the founder. And somebody once said they put a T and a number two and a T. So it's time to think Make that a meeting every a number two and a t. So it's time to think, make that a meeting every friday. Two hours you can go to the gym, you can have a coffee, something for yourself, and you see things are coming your way when we think we need to always be glued on the computer. Innovation and change is not happening in front of the computer.
Speaker 2:Hate to say that, but yeah innovation and and creativity is happening when you talk to other people what about? This idea? Have you seen this? What is this link or what book are you reading? I think that's when the innovation and change and happiness and laughter is happening 100% uh, so I love this topic.
Speaker 1:I feel like we could talk for hours on a bit, but as we wrap up here, is there any last tips, tricks, tools or thoughts you want to share with the audience today?
Speaker 2:yeah, I just hope that everybody takes the time to have a coffee. They can have a coffee with me if they want to. We can have a virtual coffee, but please make the time for coffee or tea or hydrate, because the brain needs also hydration and if you don't have healthy mindset and healthy habits, you cannot be successful. So take good care of yourself. I think that's the first number one rule for any founder, and if they find another rule, let me know. But I think that's key to success.
Speaker 1:I would agree with that. Thank you, suzanne, and thank you everyone for listening with us today. I hope you found a nugget or two out of that and until next time, have a wonderful evening, afternoon day, and we will chat with you later. Thank you so much. Bye you.
