Taryn Nenow

After spending 30 years in HR, leadership development, and coaching, Taryn shares the leadership qualities she believes matter most, why frontline leaders are often set up to fail, and how simple human-centered skills can transform workplace culture. She also shares her personal journey of being laid off, reinventing herself, launching a business, and finding purpose through meaningful travel experiences.

If you're a supervisor, manager, entrepreneur, or anyone looking to become a better people leader, this conversation is packed with practical insights and real-world experience.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I've traveled quite a bit, but it just was one of those I saw how other people live and and animals and just being present. I want that experience for people because I love it.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Welcome to Analog Leader. Our guest today is Taryn Nino. Taryn, welcome. Hi Fritz. How are you? Good. How are you? Great. Good to have you here. We've known each other for a while. So I wanted to talk to you about some of the things that have inspired you throughout your career, why you're at where you're at right now. I'd love to get to know a little bit more about the eWomen Network and anything else that's that's going on with you. So to begin with, just introduce yourself to our audience.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

Okay. So hi, I'm Taryn Nino. I'm the eWomen Network Managing Director of the Utah Chapter in Utah, uh Salt Lake City. And I have found myself here because I got laid off from corporate uh last May, May of 2025. Um applied for about 160 jobs over several months and had only a few interviews. Um I'm kind of at the point of my life where I decided to go off on my own, and I'm now the managing director for eWomen Network, and I've opened my own business, uh travel advisor business called Elevated Journeys. So I've decided to take the rest of my days into something that is really gonna fill me with joy.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

Fantastic. We're gonna talk a little bit about your elevated journeys. I I think it's fascinating how you got into that and why you got into that. So we we definitely want to cover that. Good. If we could just back up a touch in your career, tell us a little bit about your experience in corporate America and what it was like to all of a sudden not be in corporate America.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

It's been interesting. Um, a lot bigger of a transition than I thought it would be. Um, so my career started in HR and ended in learning and development, so all within the HR realm um 30 years. So my last role entailed, or you know, I was doing my dream job, what I thought was my dream job. It was a great run for, you know, five or six years. And then I just found myself toward the end just really not thriving. Um prior to that, I was uh I did some recruiting for this company for a little while that I was hired onto full-time. Uh before that, it's been mostly HR generalist, HR business manager, uh business partnering, and leadership development and coaching and training. So all of that under that umbrella. My passion ended in, like I said, I was in my dream job in the learning and development space because I saw such a gap in leadership development from the frontline all the way up, um, even the C-suite. You know, like they sometimes you're like, how did you get to this role? How do how are you leading this organization? Um, so yeah, that's uh that's where I found my passion was to really, you know, develop leaders so that they were set up for success.

SPEAKER_00 3:00

You know, that's interesting because we're we're in the same space right now. We believe that the frontline leaders, especially, they get thrown to the wolves, so to speak. They're they may be the best worker on the team, they may have the most knowledge, but they've never led people before, and they're all of a sudden promoted. And so then they're in this situation where a company has lost their best worker and gained a manager who really doesn't know how to lead people. So those skills that are associated with leading people are not the skills of knowing the job extremely well. It's really, I had a manager one time tell me that uh you are no longer in the warehouse business. I was r running a warehouse at the time. He said you're no longer in the warehouse business, you're now in the people business. And I think that's where people miss out is what are the people skills, we call them analog skills, that help you build better relationships and listen more carefully and be more genuine with your people. So tell me some of the things that some of the gaps that you saw.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

So I did have a little stint where I I created a leadership development company, and from my past experience and and good and bad, I kind of came up with a list of 10 leadership qualities and those are those analog skills. So uh just I'll just rattle them, rattle them off real quick. So there's self-awareness, which I think is the pivotal skill of anybody in the world, but especially um as a leader, you know, just really being aware and being open to being aware of who you are and always seeking growth.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

Um and isn't it surprising sometimes how unaware we are of ourselves?

SPEAKER_01 4:34

Oh yeah. I we're all work in progress, right? With that, especially. But but being open to it, like, you know, and and being open to change and open, willing to see that um authenticity. I think that's a big gap, and and a lot of leaders are um claim to be authentic and then you know, leave the workplace and they're just I'm just myself all the time. I think you know that about me. Um, and I just don't know how else to be. And so I think that's a really good quality in a leader. Um, humility, I think being able to admit when you're wrong or admit when you don't know something, I think that is such a good example for your team, especially. Um, but also, you know, like it especially as a frontline leader or first-time leader, you don't have to know it all. And I think that they set you up to feel like you have to know it all. And being able to be humble about that and approach your team that way, I think is so important. Um, grace, giving yourself grace, giving yourself other or giving others grace, I think is huge. Um, that's a work in progress for me every single day, you know. Like I didn't get up this morning to work out, I'm a, you know, a loser. And no, you know, I was up late last, you know, whatever. So yeah, being giving yourself grace, I think is so important. Um empathy, it doesn't mean that I have to have been in your shoes, but being able to empathize with you and and be down in the trenches with you is is so important as a leader. Um, responsibility, taking responsibility when you do something that isn't the best or when you do something that's great, taking responsibility for it as a leader. Um, being inspiring, being able to inspire your team. And this is where I feel like when you have a first-time or a frontline leader that doesn't have that, you know, hasn't had those people skills, they're not that natural leader, they how do how can they inspire others? They get burned out, they get disgruntled, they they don't know what they're doing, they're not, they're afraid to say they're you know, they to be humble. Um, and so then you know, they can't inspire their team. I just feel like it's a downward spiral. And then vulnerability, um, you know, a lot of the huge, you know, leaders in this world are vulnerable. And that's that's a skill, again, a work in progress for me as well. Um, it's just not easy, especially in the workplace, you know. Sure. Um, and then courage. I think there's you know lots of facets to courage, and being being a courageous leader means, you know, telling your team that you are a humble leader and you know, having that courage to just step up and and also to trust your your team. So there's you know, trust courage. Like, you know, I always feel so bad when a leader goes on like leave or you know, goes on vacation or something and they don't trust their team enough to cover their their work, you know, and it sends such a negative message. Like when I my my favorite leader, and kind of where I got this um part of this list in the positive, was you know, she would go and she wouldn't even take her laptop. And she was, you know, a top leader of the company. And and I just was so impressed by that. It was the first time that I'd seen that because usually, you know, your boss is like, oh yeah, but I'll be on email. And I just don't think that that's a good example. Um yeah, so anyway, long story long, that's those are the those are the 10 qualities of a leader that I feel like um, you know, kind of fit under that analog leader that I that are just so important that you need to learn. Um, and and if a company allows you to give you that space, I think that that's that's so important.

SPEAKER_00 8:23

You know, Taryn, there's so much meat in those 10 points. I mean, we could talk about, we could probably have a single episode on every single one of those ten points. Uh I want to focus on one because I believe that it's something that we that we don't do well, and I thought you explained it really well, but I'd like you to expand on it, and that's the grace portion of it. I think that self-talk is one of the things that we are horrible at. And I know I come from an upbringing where you didn't talk to people about your problems when you did something wrong, you just chastised yourself for it and and moved on. I think that self-talk piece, though, can also set us up to a situation where if that's the way we talk to ourselves and we're unforgiving and we don't give grace, we have a tendency to be the same way with other people when the chips are down. Yeah. So tell me what your thoughts are about that grace and how it associates with self-talk.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

Yeah, I think um, you know, on a personal level, uh like I said, you know, when I when I have a plan and I don't execute it, man, I drag myself through the mud for days, you know. But then if you hear somebody else do that, like, you know, I my older sisters, you know, I'm talking to them all the time, and and my one sister actually just finished cancer treatment and she's now back to the gym. She was an avid gym goer, you know, and she couldn't do it while she was in in chemo for three or four months. And she's now back and is just beating herself up because she's not where she was. I'm like, you just did, you know, three months of chemo, stripped your whole body of its immunity, and you just expect to bounce right back, you know. But when it's when it's you know, when it's in me in my shoes, oh yeah, I'm I'm a piece of crap, you know, just get out of bed. You've got your gym downstairs, like come on, you know? And so, yeah, I I preach it, and it's so hard to do when it's when I'm when I'm in my shoes. So I'm I'm constantly trying to improve that self-talk and and be aware. So the self-awareness around that, um, you know, that you're still picking up your your feet every single day, as long as, as long as you're not quitting, right? Right. Um, but then also, you know, there's there's no there's no such thing as perfection and giving yourself the grace to to do that. And so then from a leadership aspect, I think that that, I mean, no matter what kind of leader you are, you're in the spotlight and your team is watching you. And if they like you, they're watching you and cheering you on. If they don't like you, they're watching you and chastising every single thing that you're doing wrong. And so if you're not giving yourself grace and you're not giving them grace, that's that's not a great example for them to display to the team, to their team members, to their coworkers, and then even in their own personal life, which I also think is a gap in um, which I think is, you know, probably improving, hopefully, um, with the new workforce coming in. But but, you know, being the same person, being authentic professionally and personally, because it does cross over so much. I mean, you're at work more than you're with your family. So, you know, just giving yourself grace in all the ways, I think, is is super important.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

I agree. You know, I I always tell people, I can coach anything except the lack of trying, the lack of effort. You can you can work with people as well as long as they're willing to put in the effort and to try. You don't develop good uh decision makers by not letting them make decisions. Yeah. Develop good decision makers by letting them make decisions and letting them fail.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Make mistakes, yep.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

And those mistakes, if they if they have a mistake and they're and they're just beaten over the brow for that mistake, then they're never gonna they're gonna never want to make that mistake again. So I think it's a really it's a really wise point. So if you could put one secret to ha what you're doing to try and have better self-talk, what is what is the secret? Give our guests something to bring their hat on.

SPEAKER_01 12:14

Um gosh, i I just go back to the self-awareness and just always listening, you know? And and it's it's it's a good practice to hear others, you know, because you wouldn't treat you wouldn't treat your and everybody, you know, a lot of people say this, you wouldn't treat your you wouldn't treat I wouldn't treat my sister the way that I'm treating myself, basically. I wouldn't talk to my sister the way I talk to myself when I don't get up for a workout or when I eat something that I shouldn't or whatever, you know, when I talk poorly to a a you know, a team member or whatever. Um I think it's it's listening for that and and catching yourself, you know, catching them. And then when I find myself doing that, I'm like, oh, you know, yeah, I I just told, you know, so and so the same thing, and then I just did the same thing. So it's just catching it, you know, and then practicing it because you you can't expect to just change your self-talk. I mean, I've you know, you've talked to yourself this way for however many years, it developed as a child, you know, all the the childhood issues or whatever that's caused you to to treat yourself that way. Um, and then being able to just catch it and then also get better at that and practice that. And um, and then you get better and better at it. And then pretty soon, I mean, I still don't say the nicest things, but I'm easier, uh, you know, I'm quicker to to notice and be like, oh yeah, okay. You know, I just need to do better, you know, I just need to, you know, don't kick myself like I wouldn't kick my sister or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Yep. I was consulting with a production manager at a uh organization that has twelve hundred employees in one location, and she's the she's the director for all of those production people. And she was talking about a mistake that she'd made and she was being pretty hard on herself. And I said, if you spoke to the people who report to you like you speak to yourself, how much time would you spend in HR? Having been in HR, you know what I'm talking about, right?

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Big time. Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah. Oh, that's such a great point. I mean, really, and again, it goes back to that example, right? Like, she she probably isn't talking like to herself like that in front of her team, but maybe to a couple. And it's just all about, you know, you are, you're under the spotlight. Yeah. And so just being that good example is is half the battle. So, yes, you're really good at your job and you can teach your team how to do your job, but being that example of a leader is is lifelong lessons for your people. And that's where the inspiration comes from, in my opinion. Um, you know, that leader I was telling you about that that modeled good habits on taking time off. Um, it was so inspiring to me. And I was like, okay, you know, maybe I've had bad leaders in the past, but this is what I want to be. And I use her as an example like all the time. And I love that. I it inspires me, and I hopefully she appreciates it too.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

Sure. I I think it's fantastic. I I really appreciate you sharing those 10 points with us. I think that they're really important, and like I say, something that we'll definitely talk again, and we can we can go through uh every one of those points and do a show on it.

SPEAKER_01 15:24

Yeah, I had a whole course um created for that before the pandemic hit, and so it kind of fizzled that course out, but that was the whole point is I had the you know the 10 qualities of a leader and it was over the you know the course of like a 12-week um course. So yeah, they're all you can just dig in like crazy on them.

SPEAKER_00 15:42

Aaron Powell So Taryn, you found those you you saw the need for those kind of skills when you were uh in at the corporate level. Uh I want to dial it back to when you were in HR. What were the common problems that you saw? What were the biggest, I should say, most common problems that you saw in HR coming from the connection of frontline leaders to hourly associates?

SPEAKER_01 16:04

I think it's kind of the story that you told, you know. So I think typically a a first, you know, a first-timer a frontline leader wants to be in that role for the money, right? Even if it's like a dollar or two more an hour. I mean, it's still money in their pocket that they need to everybody's struggling, right? Um so yeah, they're looking at the money and then they they're like, oh, they don't even think about the people part. It's just crazy to me. And then their leaders don't either. They they just they have somebody to answer to and they've got these numbers to hit, and it just gets totally glossed over. Um so I I feel like that was that's where the passion came for me to to really work with that population. And and that's where the problems came from was the the first-time leaders that I saw that glimmer in their eye that they really wanted to do it well, but then they weren't given the tools. And so I was hoping, you know, to kind of make an impact in every place that I went to help that population because the money isn't really invested in them. You know, they use a lot of the leadership development budget on the C-suite because, you know, then they, you know, they get to go on these cool retreats and then they're supposed to come back and like trickle it down to the organization or to their teens, and and that, you know, doesn't typically happen. Now, this is my experience, right? My 30 years of experience, so that's not nothing, but uh, of course, some companies do that well, and some um, in my experience, not so well. So um, yeah, I I I think the the biggest problems that I dealt with were lack of leadership.

SPEAKER_00 17:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:41

And especially at that, at that frontline level, you know, the the people who are doing the things to make the money are not led and they're they're left astray. And so, you know, it's attendance, you know, like I mean, just the simple stuff, you know. I have a leader coming or a you know, a manager. So to me, a manager and a leader is way different, right? Right. Um, a manager would come in and say, you know, so-and-so's been late 15 times in the past month. I want to fire him. Uh, you probably should have come to me when he was late on the seventh time or the third time, or you know, not wait till he's and no, we're not firing him, you know. Like does he have issues at home? And you know, I mean, just just the unawareness of of even how to approach it. I I think that that was probably the most common and the most like uh fixable too, you know. So it's like, you know, there are tools. And where is where is your leader, you know, are you having one-on-ones with your leaders? And yeah, I think it just it just always boiled down to to lack of leadership.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

So why do you think that especially newer frontline leaders or ones that lack these kind of skills that we're talking about, why do you think they're reluctant to have conversations with their people when someone's late? Why are they reluctant to go on and approach that person and ask them about being late or or whatever the the shortcoming might be? Aaron Powell Because it's hard.

SPEAKER_01 19:09

I don't want to make anybody mad. I don't wanna, you know, and especially if it's like a promotion where, you know, they've they were buddies and now they're their leader. Huge.

SPEAKER_00 19:18

That's common.

SPEAKER_01 19:20

Very common and a really hard thing to get through, and they're not given the chill the tools to do that. Like that conversation is hardly ever had. Like, you know, this is gonna be a hard transition for you. How can I support you, you know, in making the transition from friend to now I'm your leader? Um, and yeah, I mean it's it's confrontation, it's conflict. Yeah, you know, there's good conflict and there's you know, not so good conflict. That doesn't have to be a bad conflict or you know, a poor or hard conflict. It it just needs to be a conversation. And they're just not taught those skills, you know, it's communication, it's relationship. Um, you know, I've worked a little bit less with the Gen Z population just because I've just kind of exited that realm. But I feel like that, you know, and I hate to harp on the the pandemic, but I do I just think that those people skills were not built during that time. And it's gonna really affect the the working population. And I believe that it is. Um, you know, a big gap in in just approaching a conversation and just how to have that conversation. It doesn't always have to be, you know, a conversation with HR every time, you know, if you build that skill and if you have a leader that models that skill, you know, in a perfect world, that would be, you know, an easy conversation to be like, hey, I've noticed you've been late, you know, seven times in the last two weeks. Is there something going on at home? Is there something I can do to support you? Are you just hitting snooze? Like, what's going on? We just it's not that hard. Yeah, you know, and that's a super easy example, right?

SPEAKER_00 20:59

Um but a common one.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

Yeah, yeah. Common um, you know, conflicts between between other people, you know, it's and that's the other thing too, is I think there's fear behind, you know, what can you even do anymore? What can you say? What can you, you know? Yeah, I mean, am I gonna get in trouble? Is it against the law? Is it, you know, I mean, it's hard. It's hard. It's a hard thing to do, but it's so necessary. I mean, people are people. You gotta have your, you gotta, you gotta know how to do that stuff as a leader.

SPEAKER_00 21:30

So from my perspective, it seems that the leaders are being taught what they can and can't say. They're being taught about how this could get us into a lawsuit, they're taught about policies and procedures and and the nuts and bolts of leadership. But then when someone's late, all of a sudden they don't have the skills, the knowledge, or the plan to go out and have that that conversation with somebody. And I think that's one of the things that it defaults to is this is going to be a confrontation. Yeah. Whereas if they had those skills, they'd know this doesn't have to be a confrontation. You can simply walk Up to someone and say, uh, you were late today, is everything okay?

SPEAKER_01 22:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

It doesn't need to be a conversation.

SPEAKER_01 22:05

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 22:06

The other thing that I've seen, and uh I'd love your opinion on this, I don't believe that people meet your expectations unless they truly see those expectations in action. In other words, uh people will meet what you inspect or what you accept. Whatever behavior you accept, that they become that becomes a standard. Your expectations are I'm a supervisor, I expect everybody will be here at 8 o'clock. We start at 8 o'clock. Somebody comes in at 8.15. If I don't say anything to that person, then why would they not show up at 8.15 tomorrow? And the next day, and the next day. What you accept becomes the expectation. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 22:43

And then the other team members see that and they're like, well, why do I have to be here at 8 when he's here at 815 and he's never even spoken to morale? You know, I mean, just yeah, it's one one bad apple poisons the bunch. Is that what the saying is?

SPEAKER_00 23:00

Something like that. That's so true. And it's fascinating because you've got one person who they're late once and nothing is said. And so then they're late again and nothing is said, and everybody takes notice. And just from that fear of confrontation, because I don't, I'm afraid that if I confront them, they're gonna be upset with me.

SPEAKER_01 23:17

They're gonna leave or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

Yeah, that fear of confrontation keeps them from saying that one thing, and the entire culture of the staff diminishes because of it.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

Yep. It's so true. It's so true. So, yeah, that that lack of leadership, the lack of people skills, the lack of relationship building is the stuff that is not taught, you know, unless they're in a really great company that recognizes that.

SPEAKER_00 23:40

Right. So we we formed Analog Leader and started our our uh uh podcast and and training program and that around around the uh tagline of Analog Leader. I believe we're kind of in this perfect storm right now, Taryn, where text messaging and emails and electronic communication is probably the number one way that we communicate with each other. And during COVID, as you said, there were everything changed and we started remote work. And so now remote work even accentuated that text messaging and the electronic communications, and people started to, you know, they'd come to work in their pajamas and they they didn't have to worry too much about being ready to meet another human being. And I think that from the from the convergence of all of the technology that we have right now and the remote work and the fact that the pandemic did happen and did affect our society, we're at this point where there's a whole bunch of people who just don't know how to deal with one another. Do you see that in the work that you do?

SPEAKER_01 24:41

Yeah, yeah, for sure. So making the transition from corporate to entrepreneurship has been an interesting transition that I thought, you know, I've got 30 years of work experience, I have business acumen, you know, the whole thing. Um it's definitely a different ballgame. I don't have a roadmap like I did when I was an employee, you know, you've got your goals, you've got your strategic goals of the company that trickle down to the teams, and you know, now I'm building those for my own and and it's and it's tough. So um just really having to practice my own skills in humility and asking for help and you know finding the the people that can support me in that. And it's they're they're it's not always available because there aren't very many people with people skills or people that want to like talk. They do, they want to, they want a text message or they want to, you know. I'm like, do you want to meet for coffee? And they're like, Well, I'm kind of busy, and you know, I mean, sure they probably are, but I'm always like, is it because you really don't want to have a face-to-face conversation? I you know, it's like a lost art. Yeah. Um, and I just think that, yeah, I I I that's my experience with that in in what I'm doing now. And it's I just force it, you know. And if and if they don't do it, or you know, if if people aren't willing to kind of exercise that that skill with me, then they're not my people. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_00 26:11

So now let's fast forward. EWomen Network, tell me about that. What is it that you do, and give me a little explanation of of what that group's all about, how you all meet. Tell me about the group.

SPEAKER_01 26:22

Okay. So yeah, eWomen Network has been around for 26 years. Uh CEO is Sandra Yancey. She um created the company in her uh garage, and it's now grown to uh over 500,000 women across the world.

SPEAKER_00 26:36

They don't fit in her garage anymore.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

No. Okay. It's beyond the garage now. Um, but yeah, so over 500,000 women uh across North America and uh well, United States, Canada, and UK, actually, and Mexico. Um, so we basically teach entrepreneurial skills and and uh women how to be CEOs in their own lives and in their own businesses. Um men are also allowed. Actually, you know, the men that are involved big we're big fans because you know, any any man that is gonna step into that realm and support us, we're gonna support right back. Yeah. Just so you know. Um, hint, hint. No, just got it. So yeah. So I just started the managing director position in about, what was it, November of 2025. Um we are now growing, reviving the chapter in Utah, which is um so we have a couple of events every month. We have an online event that's a small, uh, we call it a wisdom circle where we can bounce ideas off of each other. And every person on the call, it's limited to 12 people, um, have a chance to share a challenge or an idea or something that's going on in their life or their business. And all the other women just, you know, they they get the stage and they get to just get receive receive feedback and and input and ideas, and it's a really powerful experience. And then um, so far I do those online. Some some chapters do those in person as well. So back to the screen time, right? I I think in in the entrepreneurial space, it's you know, we're we're very busy, and so we've got a full schedule. So then to take out time to go to an in-face meeting for or face-to-face meeting for a couple of hours sometimes isn't possible. So I like the option of doing the online, um, which has worked really well for me too, personally, selfishly. And then we also have in-person events. So we just are our first um in-person event since the chapter has been revived in Utah. Uh, we had 30 women show up, which was amazing for a first-time revival. And I have a mentor in one of the women that are involved that actually spoke at the first event. So there's a keynote speaker, a dinner, really nice uh accelerated networking process that we do. And um, my mentor was a previous managing director a few years ago, and she's the one that inspired me to do this as I grow my travel business to also expand my network. Um, you know, because when you're kind of in a corporate situation, you network, but you don't network like an entrepreneur. Like that's one of the biggest eye-openers for me is like, wow, you know, like I'm really here to connect instead of just, you know, talk corporate. So it's it's a cool space to be in. I'm loving it. No shame to corporate. I mean, it got me to where I am right now, and I've built a really good life with that, and I've loved it. Like I said, I ended in my dream job had I not been laid off. Um, and so anyway, so that's a little bit about eWomen Network. It's all about um empowering women, helping them grow, helping their businesses grow. What can I do for you? What can you do for me? You know, who do I know that you need to know? That's the philosophy. Um, it's not necessarily walking into a networking event with, you know, dollar signs in your eyes, you know, looking for your client. It's, you know, who can I introduce myself to that is gonna help me thrive and vice versa.

SPEAKER_00 29:59

So if I wanted to get involved with the e-women network, how would I do that?

SPEAKER_01 30:03

Give me a call. No. Um you can go to eWomen network.com slash salt lake city for for Salt Lake City specifically. Um, that's the best way. Um I have my Facebook page, is uh the chapter page is uh eWomen network Salt Lake City, which is a great public page that I'm starting to get a little bit more active on. That's where all the events are gonna be posted. Um and then there's a members only page once you become a member. Um you can be, you know, put into that group. Um and yeah, just I I would just love to have conversations, actual conversations, and tell anybody about it. And you know, there it's it I'm also finding there's a lot of networking going on and a lot of women's networking, especially, you know, near where I live in South Jordan. And it's it's all about how can we all help each other? You know, it's not like I don't walk into you know a women's networking event like who can I steal from here? You know, there's enough for everyone. It's you know, it's just a really cool community and and um a great space to be in. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:09

So you you had your last your first event, uh current event.

SPEAKER_01 31:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

Just this week.

SPEAKER_01 31:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:16

Uh what kind of what kind of things did the did the people take home from?

SPEAKER_01 31:21

So the speaker, Lori Walker, she spoke about the mental load myth and the capability to get past the overwhelm. And she left us with three points of um, you know, what to do in that position, like structure or like actual action items to take in your life, you know, start your Monday with going through your to-do list. I mean, you know, super simple things that in a CEO capacity, you just, you know, first thing I do is open my email. Well, that's you know, that that derails the whole thing, right? So just being really um intentional about what you're spending your time doing as a CEO and also, you know, working as the CEO of your business, I think that's um another eye-opener for me is is, you know, I'm doing all the things and I'm so busy. And then that was one of Lori's big points was you get to Friday and you're like, I was so busy all week. What did I accomplish? You know, did I did did my cash register ring this week? Did I get, did what moves did I make toward my business? That type of thing. Um, so that's what what we really walked away with, was were some really great action items to start your week off or you know, be intentional in working in your business and making making progress.

SPEAKER_00 32:33

That's fantastic. I think I think that that's really there's really a need for that. Entrepreneurs don't get a lot of support, and I think quite often they fall into this trap where they feel like it's them against the world, and if I reach out, I'm weak.

SPEAKER_01 32:45

Yeah. And similar to a first-time leader, you know?

SPEAKER_00 32:49

It's very similar, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 32:50

Yeah, being he being humble about it. I'm I'm finding myself having to be super humble and be like, you know, yes, I was in corporate America for 30 years, but that doesn't mean that I'm an expert in this space, like I thought I was, or that I thought I was gonna be. Who can help me? And so I've really started to surround myself with power partners that are gonna move me forward in the e-women network space and also in my travel business. I've got an expert in in safari. I'm I'm um, because I went on safari in August is what really kind of um turned my my world around as far as not going back to into a corporate, you know, job. I um was inspired and and so my life was changed and I knew this woman beforehand and and I contacted her when I got back from Kenya and and just was like, I need to talk to somebody that's been through this before. It's it's so moving and and life-changing. And so now I've surrounded myself with you know her. She's been to Kenya 30 times and has a you know humanitarian organization that does, you know, trips over there. So she is going to help me curate trips and you know, so point being, you know, I'm reaching out, I'm using resources and trying to not take it personal that I don't know everything because I don't, I don't know a whole lot, is what I'm finding. But there's a lot of resources out there for me to help me.

SPEAKER_00 34:15

Sometimes that's a hard pill to swallow when we don't know everything, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 34:18

Totally, totally. Going into the space, especially in the position that I'm in, in the you know, the managing director position. I feel like I should know it all. I feel like I should be able to tell all these women how to run their businesses, you know, and some of them are, you know, veterans in the space, and and you know, here I am, but it's it's not. It's not about that. I'm about building community, helping, supporting each other, and you know, lifting as we climb, and I'm included in that.

SPEAKER_00 34:44

So you you hit on a key point for me. Uh you said that people go into the event, and if they go in just looking for who is my client, how can I make some money, how can this serve me, that they don't have that great of an experience. I've been in three or four different networking groups before, and I found that that's an overarching theme is that people come in, they're looking for how can I save my business, how can I pull something out of this, how can this group serve me. And when it really turned for me is when I went to those networking groups uh and said, How can I help someone else? How can I mentor someone else? How can I be of of use to this group? Yeah. That's the attitude that people really need to bring to this, correct?

SPEAKER_01 35:26

Yeah. Okay, well, I will say you're one of those examples for me, Fritz, that showed me that. Because every single time never fails, anytime we talk, that's the last thing you you always end, you start with that or you end on that. How can I help you? And that it's very impactful, I just have to say. Because half the time I'm like, how can I help you? And then I think, what would I do to help him? He doesn't need, you know, and so anyway, so just a little I you didn't tell me to say that. I'm I'm telling you that. But um but yeah, that has been a big mindset shift for me because back in the day when I used to go to the networking, you know, from whether it's an HR organization, you know, when I was in the corporate world, um, that's what it was about. It was like, why am I here? Who's gonna help me? What can I learn? What can I get? You know, that kind of thing. And and eWomen network actually has really been the example for me there because their philosophy is completely different. It's how can I help you? I mean, that's that's their tagline is is how can I help you? And it's and it's true. And again, it's a learning experience for me because I didn't I didn't know how to network that way, you know, and and it is so the events that that you're you described, I those aren't my place. If I feel that way, there's plenty of other places to be. And there's a time and a place for those. And if they like that, great. But but that's not our space. I mean, our space is to watch women climb, and you know, the mission of eWomen Network is to help a million women reach a million dollars in revenue every year.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 36:54

And so, and that's happening. I mean, that happens. You know, I think that this year is is on record for like the biggest population of of women millionaires um that the e-women network has seen, and and we get to celebrate them at an annual conference in August. So, yeah, super inspiring to me.

SPEAKER_00 37:13

That's fantastic, and I commend you for the work that you're doing with the e Women Network. I think that's uh something that's definitely needed in our community, and I'm I'm glad that you're doing that. Thank you. So now let's shift gears a little bit. Your your life was turned on its ear at a point when you didn't know. I mean, you had the trip to Kenya planned as you were you were an employee at the time. Yeah. And your plan was to go on this safari and come back to your job, right? Yeah. That didn't happen. Right. And in fact, life changed completely for you for you. So s if you wouldn't mind, share with the audience what happened.

SPEAKER_01 37:48

Don't mind me if I cry. I I got back from Kenya and couldn't couldn't not cry for the first five days when I talked about it because it was it was so life-changing. So yeah, I so just to back up a little bit, I had just bought a house in October of 2024. I'm single, don't have, you know, dual income. And so yeah, I got off, I got, you know, laid off in May, um, just you know, eight months after. Is that did I do the math right? Um, yeah. So I had had the the safari planned because you know I had a really good income that I was making and and no no problem whatsoever. Um when I found myself laid off, I of course was like, I have no business going on this trip. And it was already half paid for. I just I just did it, right? So I just made the decision to go and it was the best decision I've ever made. Um if I could put it I mean, it it just I mean, I've I've traveled quite a bit, but it just was one of those I saw how other people live and and animals and just being present in in another um of course now I'm not gonna be able to articulate it like I like I want to. Just the feeling that you get from being present in a in a a national, you know, in a a field of elephants. I mean, you know, and watching them and observing them and and their habitat. Yeah, and their habitat, and they're so, I mean, they're so the conservation in in Africa is is unbelievable and just you just feel the love from the safari leaders, you know, the tour operators and and ever it's just top of mind. And then to interact with um, you know, Kenyans and and uh the Masaymara um uh warriors and just seeing how they live on a day-to-day basis was so humbling for me. Like I came home feeling guilty for running my faucet for more than 30 seconds, you know, because it's just and felt guilty that I had this big house that I, you know, to myself. And, you know, I mean, they're living in shacks, literally, and sleeping on the floor, you know, and it just was really, really humbling and eye-opening for me. And I just I wanted um, I want that experience for people, and not just for African safaris, but that that is what I'm gonna be specially specializing in because I love it. Um, but I really want people so kind of back to the you know, vacation conversation. Americans aren't great at taking comp uh vacations like other parts of the world, but being able to really unplug and immerse yourself and have that transformational experience, I think everybody needs that. And so that's my goal. Um, you know, I am a travel advisor, travel agent, uh, upscaled travel agent, um, meaning that I I want to learn what your vision is and I want to create that for you. Whether, you know, it's a family of four and they're taking their kids on, you know, graduation ceremony, like what is the what does the dad want to experience? What does the mom want to experience? And what do those kids want to experience and how do they want to feel? Whether it's a trip to New York or a trip to Kenya, you know. Um, I just think that that's so important. And and when I look back, um, you know, my other travels that I've done, Europe and things like that, those moments that I remember are so special to me when I when I look out and go, wow, I did this. Like I created this for myself. And, you know, yeah, I I could just get chills thinking about it. I could cry right now. So I I do have a lot of passion for it.

SPEAKER_00 41:39

That's awesome, you know, and I think it really relates to what we're talking about. You know, you can you can watch a documentary on a safari, and you can see a lot of the things that you talked about that you saw out there. You can see that from the comfort of your couch, but you can't feel it. You can't really experience it unless you're there firsthand. Yeah. That leads right back to, you know, the analog skills that require our presence are the ones that really truly make lasting memories and build relationships in ways that are that can't be done through through a television screen or through some kind of electronic communication.

SPEAKER_01 42:14

So good. So such a good crossover there. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 42:17

I've never been to Kenya. Uh the only part of Africa I've been in is the far north part of Africa.

SPEAKER_01 42:23

Well, I just happen to have a deal for you. I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_00 42:27

Here we go. This is the spiel. If if uh anyone wants to talk to you about what the possibilities are for uh an African safari or whatever it might be, how do they how do they contact you and what's the process?

SPEAKER_01 42:40

Yeah, so I'm actually in the process of of working with that travel expert or Kenya expert I told you about and curating some packages that will be customized curated safaris, whether they want to do a humanitarian um combination, you know, with safari or you know, whatever they want to do, I'm gonna put together two or three trips that um that I'll be you know kind of specializing in with the option of like curating other other things. Um my website is elevatedjourneys.travel. There's a book with me or you know, buttons all over the place to get onto my calendar. And you know, I love talking about it, so whether it's safaris or or anything else, I love talking about the the conversations. So even if it's you know, just you just want to talk about a travel vision that you have, no pressure to to book today. But um I I'm I'm here to really provide that experience that is gonna make a trans a transformation in your life and build trips that really matter.

SPEAKER_00 43:41

Well, Taron, congratulations on several things. The eWomen network, what you're doing there uh with your travel agency. Making the transition from working as an employee to being an entrepreneur is not easy. Right. And most people fail at it. It's great to see you thriving in this space and doing some things that are Really important for our community and the people that you have a chance to influence. So, congratulations on that. Thank you. Now, if I could, I'd like to ask you to leave our uh leave the our customers with something, our our clients, the people who are tuning into us now. If you were to give any piece of advice to a brand new supervisor who just been promoted to a supervisor or just hired into a company and they're going to run a team of 12 people, what would your advice be to that to that new supervisor?

SPEAKER_01 44:30

Humility. Look in the mirror, recognize that you don't know it all, and be okay with that. And ask for help. Ask for help. If your first, you know, if your next if your first level isn't isn't there to help you, go to the next level, go to HR. I mean, there's there's got to be somebody there that is gonna help you succeed instead of sending you into the wolves to make you or you know, to watch you fail. Um there is some ownership in that, right? Like you you can't expect to just be given it to be given to you because they've promoted you thinking that you're just gonna figure it out a lot of the time. You need to, you need to take ownership of that and create your own plan. That's what I would say is create your own development plan and seek your resources. You don't have to literally make your own plan, seek the resources that you have to help you make that plan.

SPEAKER_00 45:30

Excellent. Excellent. Thank you for your time today. I've got to ask you, can we do this again sometime? I'd love it. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 45:37

Anytime.

SPEAKER_00 45:37

Fantastic. We'll go we'll go through all of those 10 points and we'll spend a little bit more time dialing into what is the what is the world of a supervisor according to Taryn. Cool.

SPEAKER_01 45:46

So that lights me up. I love it. Thank you, Fritz.

SPEAKER_00 45:48

Well, I appreciate your time.

SPEAKER_01 45:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 45:50

This has been Analog Leader with our guest Terran Nino. Thank you.