The CEO Sisters' Road Trip

E. 21 - Ditch the Script - Leading with Authenticity

• Liz Szporn and Sarah Trueman • Season 1 • Episode 21

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0:00 | 40:53

Ep. 21 - Ditch the Script: Leading with Authenticity

Summary

In a world of polished LinkedIn profiles and AI-generated corporate speak, many female founders feel they have to "act" like a CEO to be one. In this episode, Liz and Sarah dismantle the "Performance of Leadership" and explore why your "you-ness" is actually your greatest competitive advantage. They discuss the exhaustion of wearing a "CEO costume," how unconditional support leads to business fearlessness, and why integrity is the ultimate ROI.

Key Topics

  • Fearless Foundations: How the unconditional love of their father, John Stark McCall Jr., fueled their entrepreneurial grit.
  • The "Pottery Apron" Breakthrough: Sarah’s journey from feeling like an imposter to owning her "loud" and colorful brand.
  • The ROI of Being Real: Why authenticity is the shortest path to team loyalty and high-aligned clients.
  • Leading Without a Manual: Navigating the "messy middle" of business with values-driven presence.

Takeaways

  • Ditch the Costume: Running a business in a "mask" leads to founder burnout; the seams will eventually rip.
  • Values as a Filter: Authenticity isn't a buzz word—it’s a decision-making matrix that helps you say "no" to the wrong clients and "yes" to your worth.
  • Vulnerability is a Bridge: Sharing your "why" and your struggles creates a deeper connection with your audience than a polished script ever could.
  • The Leadership Audit: Success happens when you stop trying to please everyone and start leading through your own unique voice.

Chapters

  • 00:00 - Introduction: Synergy, Blazers, and the CEO Costume
  • 01:25 - A Tribute to John Stark McCall Jr.: The Root of Fearlessness
  • 03:45 - The Whiskey Toast: Honoring the Past to Fuel the Future
  • 08:12 - Why the "Seams Rip": The Physical Toll of Performing Leadership
  • 13:45 - Earth Tones vs. Neon: Sarah’s Story of Owning Her Style
  • 20:30 - The ROI of Being Real: Attracting Aligned Clients
  • 28:15 - Values vs. Habits: How to Identify Your Core Decision Filter
  • 33:50 - Owning Your "Superpower": Transitioning from Hobbyist to Empire Builder
  • 38:35 - Action Item: Introducing the Leadership Style Audit

Resources

Connect with us!

Keywords

authentic leadership, female founders, CEO mindset, business values, personal branding, entrepreneurship, leadership audit, women in business, growth mindset


Want to learn more about what working with Liz looks like?  Head to Your Business Matters to schedule a Discovery call with her

SPEAKER_00

Well, it's coming up.

SPEAKER_01

Hey, sis. Hey, sis. So I have a thought. I used to think that being a CEO meant I had to trade in my pottery apron for a stuffy blazer and a popped collar. Um, and I would have to start using words like synergy to be taken seriously. Burf.

SPEAKER_00

Gross. Burf. And that's, you know, and I have to say, that's exactly where we lose our power. When we try to lead like somebody else, we're essentially running the business in a costume and not those cute blow up ones that you see all over the internet. Um it's exhausting and eventually like it starts to rip at the seams.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so then how do you lead a team and grow a brand without losing the very eunus that started the business in the first place?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's a good one. And that's exactly what we're gonna unpack today. We're going to talk about the ROI of being real and why integrity is our best marketing strategy and uh how we can find our unique leadership voice.

SPEAKER_01

Awesome. So buckle up, listeners. It's time for the CEO Sisters Road Trip. Let's go.

SPEAKER_00

And this episode is brought to you by fearless little kid, Sarah and Liz McCall. You know, we were the kids that didn't know or care that anybody was watching us and that they might not like what we were doing, didn't care. Uh, we were the kids who tried everything, or they were. They were the kids who tried everything and thought they were the smartest and the most clever kids out there. And we had each other, and we were able to be completely real and know that we were loved no matter what.

SPEAKER_01

Amen.

SPEAKER_00

Right? Yeah. Um and in fact, our parents, but primarily our dad, said, uh, there is nothing you can do ever in the world to make us not love you. And he said it so much that we, you know, we would be like, okay, dad, we get it. And then now thinking about the importance of that, it was a big deal. It was super really helpful. So I think that's part of why we were able to be a little bit fearless because we knew he had our back.

SPEAKER_01

It didn't matter what we did. There was nothing we could do. And I know he said it a thousand different ways. Yeah. That would make me stop loving you or love you less. And I I think in college I really tested that. I think there was a season, there was a year. What year was that? Freshman or sophomore year? You tested that.

SPEAKER_00

It was actually four years of really testing that theory, and uh, it was true. He was not a liar, he did love you. No matter what dumb dumb things I did over and over again.

SPEAKER_01

And I, on the other hand, listeners, never tested the boundaries. Not true. It is totally true. I was very good, kid. I think I got in trouble once.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, for a for a half a second. You got in trouble for a half a second.

SPEAKER_01

Speaking of getting in trouble for half a second.

SPEAKER_00

Hey, speaking of it, yeah. So, hey, listeners, tomorrow, we're recording this on in March 14th. Tomorrow is the sad occasion of the day that um our dad, John Stark McCall Jr. Esquire, passed away three years ago. So, in honor of that, we're gonna do a little shot of Jameson's today. So we brought we brought our Jameson's. This is gonna make him more proud than anything we've this is hilarious. So we're gonna pour a shot because we love the taste of burning.

SPEAKER_01

We actually hate the taste of burning, but we don't feel like we can have the maiden name McCall and not stand up and have a shot. Yeah, mine's gonna be mine's gonna be a wee one. I was gonna say it I okay, good. I did a half and I don't know. Oh, yours is clear. So you can't see because I have a stainless steel shot. So you don't know how much is in here, but it's enough, Dad, to honor you. Yep, but not enough to make me want to spit it out.

SPEAKER_00

Gosh. Okay. Hey, cheers to John. Love you, miss you. Thank you for everything. Miss you a lot, Pops. So good. Burns, burns so good.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, it really does burn so good.

SPEAKER_00

Let me just chase it with my morning coffee. Do I should I just pour the rest in my coffee and make a full Irish coffee out of it? Oh, for sure. That's what I'm gonna do. Oh my gosh. Great idea. Oh, actually, that does feel delightful. I don't know how people drink this. I, you know, the kids say that about wine. They're like, how do you drink that? And I'm like, because it's so good. This is really it really hurts.

SPEAKER_01

I think I would take this over wine. That that tasted good. Wine is wine hurts anymore. I don't like that.

SPEAKER_00

Um so let's just take a quick, let's take a minute. How are you this week? I know I've had a tough week. Um, my heart has been really heavy, and I got off pretty much every plane I've been on this week start and started sobbing. So how are you doing?

SPEAKER_01

I am right there with you. As Liz has coined the phrase, oh, for F's sake, in the month of March. Yeah. It really rings true. It's been one of those the start of March has been testing and trying for both of us. Yeah. In addition to the leading up of um the anniversary of dad's passing, which is just a hard period. I mean, there's no way to make it look pretty. Yeah.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And I'm sure many of you out there have had this experience and get it. So um we're just gonna face it, we're gonna acknowledge it, we're gonna just be real with it, we're gonna support each other and ask the question over and over and over every day. How are you? How are you today? Make sure you are heard and feel feel heard and valued and you're gonna get through it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. I mean, it's it's really hard. You I've I have so many amazing things that come out of my mouth. One being I'm totally dead inside because I actually hate that one. I that one makes my heart hurt. I don't sometimes I feel that way. And it's funny, like I think for the first two years I definitely felt that. I was angry and I was disappointed, and it was really hard, and there's just so much stuff that we have done. You have taken on a lot of the burden this past year, and thank you so much for all that you're doing to support mom and keep things moving because it wasn't pretty and it's not easy, and people don't like to talk about death before it happens, and then it happens, and we're like, oh my gosh, for F's sake, where is everything? What do we do? What do we need to do? How do we do this? What do we even call? Oh my gosh. So it's just it's been um like it was it's interesting to see how grief plays out, and I do think I'm much weepier than I was expecting this time around. Like I felt it as soon as March appeared, like immediately. I just everything shifted, and I was like, Oh, I'm really sad. I really miss him. I'm still mad and at him.

SPEAKER_01

But both can be true. We can be both of those things for sure. I agree. Um yeah, I do find that um well, I it's been interesting to watch you because I think you have taken a turn. Um like you said you were dead inside, and I really hated when you said that right after he passed because I knew you weren't. Um but we had never lost our dad before. Like you don't you just don't know how you're gonna handle it until the time comes. And there's no pretty way to do it. There's no right or wrong way. It's just I think my best advice has been to others is allow yourself to feel whatever you're feeling.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Like don't try to hide it, don't try to pretend that you're not feeling it. If it's sadness, let it be. If it's anger, let it be. If it's frustration, let it whatever it is, feel it and move through it. Uh if you if we don't allow ourselves to do that, I think that's where we really get in trouble. Sorry, listeners, this was not intended to be a therapy session.

SPEAKER_00

But I do, but I think it's true. I mean, there's so many like this. I I wanted this show to be a place where people who, you know, we're running businesses, but we have big lives. Everybody does. Everybody is going through some really hard thing, whether they speak it or don't. You know, it's, you know, if you are, if you out there have had a loss, we would love to talk to you about it. We would love to commiserate and honor whoever your loved one was. Like this is it, you know, taking a moment to honor our father in all his gloriousness and all of his flaws is something that I think is a cool thing that we get to do. And I I hope other people feel that they're able to talk about someone who passed away. I mean, I know I don't think I have a friend who hasn't lost a very close relative, if not a parent, at this point, right? Like I'm in my 50s, and so this is when it happens, and it's hard. And for some reason, they're really clustered in this month of March. So that's I think is interesting too.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, there is something there. So, so anyway, so cheers. We're just gonna maybe encourage you to be authentic in how you feel. Exactly. Excellent segue. We're just gonna be us.

SPEAKER_00

Thanks. Did you like that? It was really sweet, it was really nice. Good segue. Yeah, because that's all we can be at at this at this point. That's all I want to be. I have uh fewer cares than I've ever had in terms of how somebody sees me, a professional or not. This is what you get, people, like it or not. I like them loud. I'm I cuss a lot.

SPEAKER_01

She she is loud, she is very loud. If we haven't talked about it, she coughs loud, she sneezes loud, she walks loud. I'm the quietest walker in my house. You don't have carpets on your stairs. You walk loud. I know.

SPEAKER_00

Well, and we have a still. But it's um it's one of those, like, at this point, this is all I have get uh have have to be, and I I think that's really freeing and liberating. And so if you out there don't feel that, I hope this show can help you or this episode can help you feel a little bit more comfortable just being you because you are awesome, you're awesome. That's it, that's all I got. So let's go to the first question, sis.

SPEAKER_01

Speaking of awesome, no other reason than you being you. Yeah, exactly. Um let's get started, sis.

SPEAKER_00

So when you first stepped into the role of being like officially a business owner, Sarah, the entrepreneur of the owner and founder of Sarah Jane Pottery, did you feel like you had to put on it? Was any part of you felt like you had to put on a costume to be taken seriously? Or did you feel like, ha ha, nobody knows this, but I'm a fake? Like, how did you how how did you feel like that? And then when did you stop feeling like that?

SPEAKER_01

Um, I would say my first, well, maybe my second show. My first show was uh in a school. I was tucked in the auxiliary gym of actually my children's high school, which was such a lovely experience, and it got out all of my nerves and my wiggles and whatever. Um but it was my second show, which was felt like a little more competitive type of show. It was a juried show. I was there with real deal artists, real deal potters who have been doing this for 20 plus 30 years, whatever. Um so I feel like just it was a little bit of that imposter. Like, who am I? I mean, granted, I had the white tent, I had the shelves with filled with pottery, I had everything everybody else had, but it was my first time. So I think just being green, um it I felt like were people gonna take me seriously? Were they gonna look at my business card and say, oh, she's colorful? Oh, Sarah Jane, she must be 12. Yeah. Um, and then yeah, we talked about this a bit ago. It just my style has always been colorful. And as far back as I can remember, um and pottery traditionally is in muted tones of blues and browns and earth tones. I don't like it. She does not like it, nor do I. My pottery is vibrant and mixed match and loud, just like Liz is loud with her voice, I'm loud with my paintbrush. There you go. Um, yeah, so I would just say uh absolutely, I feel like um are people gonna take me seriously.

SPEAKER_00

When did you stop feeling like that?

SPEAKER_01

I'd say by the end of that second show where I do where I recognized, I mean, just the feedback, just the the words of um affirmation I got from complete and total strangers who were there to look at art and buy things and for them to come. I mean, what there's no better um compliment than somebody buying a piece. And after that show, I thought, I I have arrived, I can do this.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and I mean I I think the uh the angel in who was in the form of the Philadelphia Philadelphia Museum of Art, uh, that buyer, I think that helped too. That was that sort of oh, you would like to put my stuff in the museum? Okay, I guess I guess we're pretty good at this.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. The same museum that houses Picasso's and Rembrandt's that you were gonna put something that I created for my yes. That was I guess that's a huge. Amen. I you forget these little details, and that was not a little detail. That was that was a game changer.

SPEAKER_00

That was a major confirmation. That's fantastic. I love it. Well done. Um, can you think of another time when you maybe your gut told you one thing, your creative Sarah Jane creative gut told you one thing, but traditional business advice or sort of like do what everybody else does, like be a business lemming, told you another. And if so, did it impact, do you think it impacted your brand and how how you look at your business?

SPEAKER_01

I think because it's uh I guess maybe I I have struggled with feeling like a real businesswoman, an entrepreneur because I am in the creative creative field. Um, it's different than starting an ad agency, it's different than having an accounting firm. Um I'm doing something that I feel almost guilty for doing on a day-to-day basis because I enjoy it so much.

SPEAKER_00

Interesting.

SPEAKER_01

That's a good one. Sometimes, sometimes I do. I think I get to go out to my creative playhouse and experiment with mediums and materials. So I I I guess just in general, the thought would be that I don't know that as I started, I felt like a real business. It really, I think, took you coming in and coaching me and showing me, you know, how to do set up the standard business components to say PS, you're this isn't a hobby anymore. Yeah. This is a real deal business. You are you've got revenue coming in, you've got expenses, you've got people to pay, and and just seeing it in a different way. I love it. I knew I was starting a business, obviously, when I applied for my LLC and all of those things, but it didn't really feel real until I started to have to apply for or started to integrate the real business-y aspects of it.

SPEAKER_00

I wonder if that's something other creatives feel. And and I I would, if so, I wonder if there's a way to like earlier in this process flip that and like wear it as a full cape, like a superhero cape of like, look what I get to do. I get to make stuff every day. I get to be creative, I get to make beautiful things that people love. Um, because, you know, to your point, ad agencies feel more professional, but that's not nearly as fun. I mean, maybe it is because commercials are hilarious and fun and they have some fun too. But like you, you know, I wonder if there's a way that we could just help people flip that and really own it and say, lucky me, this is not a hobby. This in fact is my business. It's interesting.

SPEAKER_01

I it's interesting you said this. I just worked not worked. I chatted with a friend who works for a community college, and she was talking about providing like a business entrepreneur class or like an 18-hour credit hour um gig for anybody in an industry that doesn't isn't technically a professional industry or a business industry or major rather, not industry. And she said, specifically artists, um, you can do art, but it has to be your minor because you're not going to make money. And that I think is if there's anything that we need to flip the script on. I mean, I went to art school. How many of us in art school said we're gonna come out and we're gonna make money? Nobody. They tell you, every art teacher tells you that you're not gonna make money. So why would we even pursue this?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Yet there are millions of artists that are able to make money. Yeah. You just I think there is a real value in having a tandem um degree, portion of your degree for artists that help you understand the business component of it. Because otherwise, you're starting out with zero knowledge.

SPEAKER_00

Correct. There are so many cool programs out there, and the more I go on these college visits, the more I see them in business schools now that are full entrepreneurship classes. And it is if if I would have known this in the 90s, it would have been great. I but also like thinking of how different businesses, creative businesses now compared to when did you graduate? 99? Uh, from college? Nine. 99, right? There was no internet or barely. There was like a fledgling internet. And the company I worked for was building like online businesses, like the first ones, right? So it's like what you get to do 26 years later is so crazy. They couldn't have even taught it. And so it's so different now. And I hope that it is flipping that they say, here's how artists, here's how creatives, content creators, get to be business owners. This is how it works. This whole online marketplace, like, there's so many ways for people to find you that just didn't exist 20 years ago. It's so crazy. It's it is wild. It is wild. That's cool. Thinking of you, again, as a business owner who leads with um a lot of heart, a lot of creativity. Uh, your sort of the way that you decompress is to make stuff, which is really cool. And stuff could be food, gardening, like you're just creative in everything you do, moving a room around. People, this lady moves her furniture around in her house more than anyone ever. Mine has like worn holes in the ground because I don't move anything. Like it just that's good enough. I never think about it. She's like, every time I go to her house, it's new layout, and it's awesome every time. Like, that's so funny. So, as somebody who does this and leads with that, how do you handle some of the tougher parts of either leadership or entrepreneurship where you have to set some boundaries? So, where you have to, at this point, you don't have a big team, but how do you give feedback without feeling like you're losing yourself? And I'm gonna the reason I'm asking this is when I was working for that education company, I was leading a lot of people. And I created this academy. It was a 40-hour training for people that were basically on the bench and could next be a director of a learning center or something. And we talked a lot about you know playing boss and playing, you know, business owner or playing whatever, and I knew that people just didn't understand how many types of leadership there are, and we assumed that the one is the the real one, and the rest are sort of whatever. But it how do you feel like you are being authentic, but also being a boss, being the leader, being an entrepreneur? Um, have you had any difficulty with that?

SPEAKER_01

It makes me think about the lack of a script, the lack of a manual that I have. I have actually visualized that recently, there is no manual for what I'm doing, which means there's no real right or there's no real wrong for how I conduct my business, for how I lead my business. Um, as we've talked about earlier in some of the shows about pivoting, when things don't go well, I have had to pivot and change course and just be okay with that, because there's there's no right or wrong. Um so a little bit of just not taking myself too seriously and recognizing that while we are inundated with this comparison lifestyle because of show social media and things, especially as business owners, looking at other potters and saying, well, how are they doing it? How are they they're scaling really fast, they're growing really? I don't have to compare making seven figures a month. Oh my god. Gosh, what's wrong with me?

SPEAKER_00

You're like, no, you're not.

SPEAKER_01

I'm terrible at this. I should just quit. I should close up shop. I think there's I just have a little more security and settledness about the fact that I'm learning and evolving and growing and not feeling the pressure of it being perfect. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

It's cool. It's it's funny when you said there's no manual and there's no right and wrong. And you can I see that feeling in people go both ways. Some like you are owning it, and you're like, awesome. I can't really mess this up because there's no manual. It doesn't matter. I'm not doing it wrong. I'm doing it like I want to, which is, I think, fantastic and the fun way to do it and the best, not maybe not best way, but like a really great way to do it. And then the other people on the other side, that's really terrifying for people to not know where they're going, to not have a manual, to not know if it's right or wrong. And that's where it's, you know, the the power of community for both of those attitudes is so important. So there is no manual, right? You could go and get an MBA, you could have like all the coaches in the universe, but having other people to talk about, talk to in the gen in general is what I think is super important. So I love I love that thought of there's no right or wrong. And I'm gonna own the fact that that's there and just experiment and play.

SPEAKER_01

And not that I wouldn't appreciate a manual on some days. I mean, especially when it comes to finances and you know, we're still trying to figure things out. Some days I'm like, God, just could somebody else tell me exactly what to do because I'm struggling.

SPEAKER_00

And you're doing a great job. So well done.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so Liz, my turn. I have a couple questions for you. I think we all want to be authentic, obviously. Yeah, but it can feel scary in a professional setting for women listening who feel like they've lost their voice in their own businesses. How do you coach a woman to rediscover her unique leadership style?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. That's a good one. I I I love helping people to see themselves, is probably the best way for me to start. Is, you know, I don't think there's one way for people to do this, but it's really being honest with who you are and where you want to go, is where I typically start. Like, who are you right now? What do you, you know, I I the I wrote down some things earlier thinking about leadership, and it's you know, really defining what we value and not what we think we should value, but truly what is important to us. Is it family? Great. Is it money? Awesome. Is it community? Is it giving back? Is it being of service? Like really taking stock of who you want to be and who you feel you are right now. I, you know, if I were describing my styles, I would say, you know, I am, I hope that I am very honest, I am open, I am vulnerable, but I also I want everyone else to be. I don't, I'm not very judgy. I don't, I don't actually care what you do as long as you feel good about what you're doing. You know what I mean? So it's just taking stock of who you are with your values, and then truly saying, What do what is the vision that I have for this business? And then bringing those two things together. So when I think about that, you know, if if people are having a hard time with what they what their values are, just it doesn't have to be deep thoughts, just what's come what comes to mind, and then what the vision for the business is. Oftentimes people don't have as much clarity and they probably haven't given themselves space to think about it or whatever. So when they're saying I don't know, one of the things that I will say to do or you know, advise to do is to go ask clients. And the way that you can do this is you ask your clients why they like working with you. The answers you get is what you're putting out in the universe, but it's also what they want, right? Like why they've given you money. So for you, as a as a product business, you have created something that makes them feel a specific way. So we'll go to your Christmas stuff where you had those ornaments. You were selling the nostalgia of a beautiful sugar cookie in those really cool ornaments that look like cookies. And people love that. So if they would say, Oh, why did you buy that? You're like, Oh, because I used to make these. And I feel like we heard that probably a hundred times. Yeah. I used to make these when the kids were little, oh my gosh, these are so beautiful, whatever. Right? So it's like, what do your clients say about what you do, who you are? That's sort of what you're putting out there, I think, is one way to think about who you are as a business owner. As far as leadership goes, you can look back to reviews. Many of us in this space now, if they're you know, Gen X, Gen Y, we worked in a corporate setting of some sort, many of us for a while. Which means somebody else was your boss for a minute. Look back at some of the reviews that you got so you could remember how people see you as a leader, as a team player, as a something. But you could also, again, ask your clients, you know, how do you like our working relationship? What do you value in our conversations, things like that? Um, I think that's one of the first ways to to uh rediscover who you are as a leader, but also as a business owner.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, great. Um, you talked about the values and identifying values that really matter to you, not what you think they should, what values you think should matter. And I feel like that's a very therapy type um way of looking at it. Don't tell me tell the therapist what you think she or he wants to hear, but tell her what you really is on your mind. So going back to this, you're always talking about the value-driven leadership. How do we actually identify our core values if we struggle with that? So they're not just words on a wall, but a filter for every decision we make in our business. And we, it's our driving force. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Uh I I love this thought as well. And I I I want everyone to, once they know who they are and know who they want to be, and they're on that path and they're doing all the things that they say they want to do. Uh, one of the ways that we I want to help them bring it to life through the way they make decisions. And so there are a couple ways that you can think through using values as a decision-making matrix. We did this also, uh, actually, Disney does this, and they create these quality standards of how they make decisions. When something goes awry, we had um Disney has this sort of safety, courtesy, show, and efficiency. And the way that we make decisions is based on that. Is everyone safe? Is this courteous? Is this nice to everybody who's involved? Uh, is this the show for us at the at it was specifically education? We wanted it to feel really comfortable. Our space. You would do the same thing with your studio. If you're bringing people in there, you're making decisions to say, is it comfortable in here? Uber drivers do this all day long. They have water, they have mints, they have music, they want you to feel comfortable. Show matters. But in the last thing that we would think about is, is this easy for us? And I love that. So I that to me, that that is a really good example of values-based leadership. It's values-based decision making, values-based service making, things like that. Um, so when I'm working with clients about this specific topic, one of the things we talk a lot about is the words plus actions. So when you have these words that are meaningful to you, what are the actions that go along with that? How will someone see that in action? So if you say you're a kind, curious business owner, how does that look when you're working with people? Okay, well, I ask a bazillion and a half questions about not just their business, about their life, about their kids, about their dogs, about their parents, about their town. That's how I can show every day that curiosity is something I value. And I invite them to ask me a million questions too. Another one is I think of the idea of um a servant leadership type of style. And what that means is you're being very empathetic and you have you're you're looking for growth and you're looking for honesty in what you do every day as a servant leader. I want to serve my clients in a way that I would like to be served as well. So I know that if someone calls me or texts me and it's not outside of the bounds of our relationship, because I do want to hold boundaries and hold space for me, uh, I will call them right back and I will make sure that I'm here and you know of service for whatever they need at that time. And then the third way that I look at helping people with something like values-driven leadership is um just being real and it leads to our authenticity, which is what we're talking about today, is being, you know, honest. If I've made a mistake, I am so sorry. If something doesn't work the way you hoped it worked, I will say, How can I make this better? How can I fix this? I find the vulnerability of admitting an error goes such a farther way than denying and blaming and or pretending it didn't happen and trying to gloss over it. And so there's a lot in that, you know, we see a lot of this today. People don't like apologizing for whatever reason. I find it to be one of the most authentic things that we can do. It started as a parent. I apologize to my kids when it's necessary. If I'm having a bad day and I blow up at them, it's not their fault. I'm having a bad day. So I will apologize for chewing their head off for no reason. They didn't do it. My fault. Sorry. Yep, yep, yep. Right? So I, you know, I feel like there's a lot of those things when I'm looking at creating my values and having them live within my business, those are the types of things that I look at.

SPEAKER_01

Can I just say, like are you crying? You make me proud. It's the Jamisons, I think. It was the people, it's the Jamesons talking. But good lord, like if more leaders could lead with just these three things that you just said. I mean, how many sorry folks, but how many people in the administration are leading with any of these things right now? I mean, there's it's just it's not rocket science. It's being kind, it's being empathetic, it's being vulnerable and honest. And these are not character traits that are flaws. These are so beautiful and so um needed the integrity it takes for us one to what needed. We just need it. Needed. I mean, it's just it's just simple. It just blows my mind how simple it is. And I used to think this is just what we did with our families. And when you put it into a business context, good Lord, who knows where how how you can just blow up in a good way, in a positive way.

SPEAKER_00

And I I think about that a lot of like, this is how I can change the world. Yep. I, you know, leading with my values and being the person I want everyone else to be, or I would love to be treated. Truly, it's just the golden rule on the business side. I want I want to apologize if I've made a mistake, but I will fight like hell if I didn't. I will and be like, let me tell you, let's find a I'm gonna fight you on this, but we're gonna find a middle ground. Yeah, because I still I love you and I want to work with you or whatever it is, unless they're being total PETAs, and then we're like, you need to leave me alone now. You're we're done. We're gonna separatize. But I do think there are a lot of uh a lot of ways that if we all just lived our value, just one value, choose a value and just live that for a week and see how people react to you putting into action things that you value. Mm-hmm. It would be cool. It's beautiful. Yeah, it'd be cool. It'd be cool to see that on a uh global scale for sure. And I have to say, I get to see that a lot. Like I work with some of the coolest humans who are of service and who are so kind and so thoughtful in their leadership and their decision making in their service of being being in service of clients or their team. Like I do get to see it a lot, which is why I always have I think it's why I have so much hope in the world, is uh because I get to see it every day. I don't watch a lot of television, which I think also helps, or you know, stay off that box as much as I can. Um, but I do see it. So, but if you want us to follow you around for a day and watch you live a value, I'm game. It would be fun. I have a car.

SPEAKER_01

We'll go on a road trip with you.

SPEAKER_00

We are on a road trip.

SPEAKER_01

Um okay. Sis, I've got one final question here for you today. So when you're working with your clients through your business matters, your actual business, um, what's the biggest unlock you see when a woman finally stops trying to lead like everybody else and starts leading truly like her authentic self?

SPEAKER_00

So fun. This is such a fun one. I watch this is you've heard me say this before. I love watching people win. I just love it. It makes me so happy to watch someone have a like an aha or a click or a moment. They're like, oh my gosh, I see it. It gives me goosebumps every time. I usually get tears in my eyes, and I'm like, that was awesome. And because I record all everything, I get to see it again and we get to talk about it and all these things. But thinking of the power of authenticity or it, you know, understanding who we are that can lead us to being authentic on an outward scale. It's it's um, they're very tangible things. So the way that I look at these unlocks, it's things like letting go of clients who do not serve you, who do not value you. Being able to understand who you are allows you to see how many people don't want you to be who you are. And then you get to say, okay, you don't have to, I this is who I am. If you don't like it, that's great. I wish you all the best. And you can let go of these people who you're trying to please or trying to be different around. So watching people let go of non-ideal clients is one of the first things that I see. And it's this confidence that comes with that. So they're like, I know there'll be other people who will like me. That to me just always blows my mind when I watch it happen. Another one is money. They're able to increase the rates that they're charging to be much more consistent with who they are. When people understand the value that they're bringing to the table in a different way, they're able to say, I do deserve more money for this. I was shortchanging myself. I was, you know, and we can do the math. Like we spend time looking at numbers and saying, you gave this person 17 hours of your time and they paid you for three. That's not fair. You gave them so much. Their profit, their profitability increase, their whatever, you've fundamentally changed their business. You did that. Once they see it, then they get to you know raise their prices. Um, increase clarity in what they do want to do is another one. So the more people lead with their authenticity, they're able to say, This is actually what I like to do the most. I don't have to do everything. I don't, I don't owe anybody anything. I know I'm really good at this thing or these five things. These are the things that I want to provide to everybody. I know this process, I know what works, I know whatever. So the more they're running with who they really are, the more the clarity they have there. Which again, bottom line is increased confidence. Those are the unlocks. Increase pricing, increased client, uh, ideal client, increased clarity and confidence. Like it's super cool. So fun.

SPEAKER_01

Um, I think this has been one of my favorite conversations. And I think the conversation of authenticity is one thing, but I think our authenticity and talking about it is another.

SPEAKER_00

Thanks for listening today. I have I have an action item for you. I'm creating something called the leadership audit, a leadership style audit. And I I will be putting this in our show notes, um, putting it in places where you can find it. You can DM us on uh the socials if you would like to get it. But I would love for you to spend some time on yourself and describing or understanding or figuring out what your leadership style is, what you value, all of those things. So I will be putting that out there. And I have to say, you know, as a final thought, the more authentic all of us can be, truly I do believe the better this world can be, but I know for certain the better your business will be. So I hope this helped today. And if there's anything that we could do, if you want to reach out and connect with us, reach out, DM us, go to my website, create, you know, schedule a discovery call with me. I would love to talk to you. Um, but thank you, everybody. I appreciate you.

SPEAKER_01

Thanks for joining us.

SPEAKER_00

All right, have a great day, everybody. And remember, your business matters, but it really matters to us. So have a fantastic day. We'll see you next time.