Episode 65 | From the Classroom to Corporate Impact with Cheryl Mitchell

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Welcome to the Lead with Hope
podcast, where we explore

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habits, optimism, purpose, and
excellence that fuel

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extraordinary leadership.
I'm your host, Brandy Kelly, and

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each episode we dive into
inspiring stories, practical

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tools, and meaningful
conversations to help you rise,

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bleed, and live with hope.
Today I'm joined by the

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incredible Cheryl Mitchell, a
true example of purpose driven

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leadership.
Cheryl began her journey in

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education, earning a degree and
teaching for many years before

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transitioning into corporate
training, consulting and now a

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sought after speaker and author.
She brings her powerful mix of

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personal experience,
professional insight and heart

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to every audience she serves,
helping others create impact and

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live inspired lives.
Fun fact, Cheryl is a proud

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dairy farmer's daughter who once
made the bold decision to leave

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her first grade classroom mid
year, a move that surprised

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everyone but LED to her true
calling.

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Welcome to the show, Cheryl.
Well, thank you.

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I am so happy and honored to be
here.

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Thank you for asking me.
Well, I'm excited to delve more

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into your story, so why don't we
start there?

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Tell us a little bit more about
your story, your background,

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what makes you unique?
Sure, I so dairy farmer's

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daughter grew up on a small town
dairy farm and was ready to go

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to college and got there and so
excited.

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I was the first one and in my
dorm on the 8th floor my dad

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turned around from the window
and he was crying.

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Oh.
And I was homesick every single

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day.
So this ready to go girl was

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sort of going, this is real now.
And so I, it was small town,

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very close knit family and got a
degree and did the education

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thing.
And honestly just my mom kind of

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laughed and said, you can't keep
a job.

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And I'm like, no, I need
variety.

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And I just never found my.
I like so many different things.

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I was curious and I liked
education and, and I love

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teaching, but the institutional
part started to feel very

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constrictive and I ended up
being a single mom.

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And so, you know, there's just
this path, that very traditional

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dairy farmer, you go to school
to get an education degree,

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you're going to have children,
you're going to stay home with

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them, and then it doesn't go.
And so I just learned to adjust.

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And I found myself in a lot of
cool places teaching graduate

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courses to teachers, first
graders, corporate training and

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development.
And I've always loved to speak.

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And in fact, when I was about 5
or 6, we had somebody who helped

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us remodel our house.
And he was kind of eclectic sort

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of guy.
And he would, at the end of the

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day, sit me on his lap and
recite Little Orphan Annie.

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And.
Yeah, And I had the nickname

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Hollywood.
So he called me Hollywood.

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Well, you know what?
That's because now I speak and

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theatrical, I guess you would
say.

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So it's just been a really
interesting, fun, unexpected

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path.
And that's why I say when we say

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to 18 year olds, what do you
want to do?

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I'm like, I was 52 till 8:00 and
then I figured it out.

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So you're good.
Yeah, absolutely.

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It's unrealistic to think that
you are going to choose what

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you're going to do for the rest
of your life at 18 and stick

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with that.
Right, right.

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And some people and I, what I
call are lifers, like, I mean,

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they're gonna be in this and
that's fine.

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You know, if you were in higher
education or in education,

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that's your life path.
That is, we need those people.

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I am not a lifer.
And I felt guilty about that,

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honestly, for a really long time
because the script in the world

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says what's wrong with you if
you don't?

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And what I realized, honestly,
was that God made me different

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and I should embrace that, not
feel guilty about that.

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Yeah, God made you to be you,
uniquely you, and you need to

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shine your light brightly into
the world.

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Yes, I'm grappling that same
kind of.

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I don't know if it's shame, but
just that idea that, you know, I

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have 25 years in education and I
just left.

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That wasn't the plan.
That wasn't what I had in my

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mind for my future.
But I do believe that God has

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shut doors and open doors for a
reason, and He has a plan better

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for me in mind than I could ever
envision for myself.

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Yes, and, and many times Brandy
and specifically in a couple of

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situations in my life, I needed
the door slammed and I had to

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take the most courageous step to
get the beauty of where I am.

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And without that, without, you
know, removing the safety net, I

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wouldn't be here.
And so it is a big deal to leave

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education after 25 years because
that's the world, you know,

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that's the structure.
We know you, you start at this

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time and, you know, you go to
the bathroom at this time and

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you have lunch at this time and
you're, you know, August comes

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and there's a whole feeling
you're like, oh, wait, I don't

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have that this year.
And it it, it feels just off,

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like you have to rewire so many
things and some of it never

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leaves you.
I just had this conversation

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yesterday.
I'm like, why do I feel like I

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have to sit in my office for 8
hours a day?

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That is not how this works.
I have to redefine work.

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Absolutely, Yeah, you have the
freedom to do that.

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You talked about sometimes
education.

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We become institutionalized.
We have that structure, those

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systems, schedules.
Now you've built a career beyond

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the classroom.
So for you, what have you done

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to redefine purpose and and what
does living on purpose mean to

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you today?
I just had this conversation

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this morning with my coach.
I.

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The lens that I look through is
will I have impact in someone

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else's life because teaching has
never left me.

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I love the teaching and I love
education.

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The institutional part got in
the way of that purpose.

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So purpose for me is will I make
impact with the audiences that I

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speak to and the organizations
that I consult with and by

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impact, will they be different
by something I said or did with

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them?
And I personally, purpose for me

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has I've had to really redefine
that my identity is a not in

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what I do and the work, the
productivity that I put in for

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the day.
And for instance, part of the

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work that I need to do for my
own business is read books, do

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some research that doesn't feel
like work.

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It's not answering an e-mail,
it's not administrative tasks.

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It's sort of this creative space
where my brain isn't thinking

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about anything, but it's got
space to move.

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So that's purpose.
So some of it is just literally

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saying out loud, this has
purpose because it will lead to

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impact for people.
Right.

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And for me one of the things
that I know that I need to do on

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purpose to do intentionally for
my health and longevity and for

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my business is physical
movement.

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That is something that brings
those thoughts, that creativity

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out in me.
And for years I have kind of

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stifled that.
And now I have the freedom that

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I can jump on the bike or I can
go on a walk in the middle of

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the day or do those things.
And it it's, it's an odd

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feeling, but it's also a very
amazing opportunity.

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And it's almost Brandy giving
yourself permission that it's OK

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not to be in an office setting,
like to go out.

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I mean, Simon Sinek talks about
this like boredom, like, OK,

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think of how many times you come
up with an idea in the shower.

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Well, that's because your brain
isn't thinking about anything.

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It's on automatic and you're
like, it leaves space for all

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this.
I I have learned and I think

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this is growing up on the farm.
I have to be in nature or be be

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able to experience that.
So there's something about so I

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moved to Lexington, KY and I'm
not around the regular farm

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harvest.
There is something about seeing

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a combine in the field like that
that I don't know it like it

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like infuses oxygen into me.
A year or so a year ago, I was,

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I could feel that I've got to be
back in nature or I like I, I, I

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need something and it would just
felt itchy.

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And I had a trip to Colorado and
then to Washington and instead

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of coming home in between, I
purposely stayed in Colorado.

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And I remember walking and
hiking and I came across a like

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a Creek or river and I sat down
on a rock and I just bawled.

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And it wasn't because I was sad
or anything.

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It was like absolutely relief
and it reset me because I need

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to move.
I need space and I need it

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differently.
So I, I make a practice, I work

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out five days a week and it's in
the morning for me.

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It's so absolutely because that
again, that fuels my brain and

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our brains differently.
It's space.

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And I think in education, there
was never any space and we

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always wanted it.
I mean, teachers, I remember

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people being so upset, just want
time in my classroom.

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I just need space and we we kept
pressing in and I think that's

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one of the reasons one of the
messages that I give to people

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to help impact you need space.
Take it like yes, just here's a

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notepad, do nothing but just
write and sit.

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And we feel selfish doing that.
We feel like we are not being

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productive or we're not being
intentional.

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But if we don't give ourselves
the permission to invest in

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ourselves through those kinds of
habits, those consistent actions

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that we take every day, we can't
expect to realize our full

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potential or help others do do
that either.

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Correct.
Stephen Covey's book, you know,

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the seven habits, he talks about
sharpening the saw.

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And I mean, we don't do that.
And and if you look at us as a

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society, we are unhealthy.
We're not rested, we're sick.

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We're all of those things.
Now, I will tell you, I had to

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have some physical stuff to go.
You're not paying attention.

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And now that I do commit to
that, it is no longer selfish to

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me.
It is absolutely necessity and

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I'm Oh my gosh, I'm so much
better and can have more impact

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and give more when I can, when
I'm committed to myself first.

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It's definitely a mindset
change.

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It all starts in the mind,
right?

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All of it.
And you were at the Macoupin

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County CEO program just not too
long ago talking to our students

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about that thing about mindset.
So for you, what kind of mindset

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do you believe is required to
live a life of excellence or a

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life that you love?
First of all, knowing that it's

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your mind first, I mean it
literally OK, every time the

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alarm goes off, am I actually
going to get up or am I not?

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So to me, it's this, it's, it's
a practice, right?

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And, and some days it's hard
like this.

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Yesterday I did not feel like
working out and literally I said

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out loud, do it.
There is no try.

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It's do or don't.
So I think to recognize that I

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can't outsource that I have to
decide and some days I'm not,

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I'm going to decide not to.
OK, right.

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And so that mindset first is it
starts here and no one else is

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responsible for it.
It is really mind over matter

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winning the war in your mind
'cause we're wired for comfort.

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We're wired for no, you know,
conflict.

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We don't.
We just want it easy and that's

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what our brain wants.
And, and somewhat it will.

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OK, so the mindset also is then
while I'm denying myself if I

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don't have that bowl of ice
cream, Well, yes, I am, but I

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don't have to deny myself every
day.

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Maybe 1.
So, so it's, it's the other

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thing is having resources and
people around you who lift you

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up and push you in that
exercising of it because it's

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like any other muscle, honestly,
it's like any other muscle.

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And if you have people around
you that are challenging you to

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do that, that helps you build
that muscle.

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And I also, in order to overcome
some of the things that I didn't

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even know were a struggle for
me, I went through some

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counseling.
I had some different resources

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that I used for a period of time
to sort of make myself aware to

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go, oh, that's why I keep doing
that.

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I don't want to do that anymore.
So how do I reroute it?

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And I think the other thing is
physical health for me, when I

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eat right, when I sleep, that
makes a big difference.

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Yeah, and investing in yourself,
cultivating those habits, it

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boils down to getting really
clear on the life you want to

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live.
I think we can all agree we want

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to be healthy, mind, body and
spirit.

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We want to live a life of
purpose and excellence.

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And casting that vision means
getting intentional and taking

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the consistent actions.
And they are going to compound.

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And you know, I love that Brandy
because it is.

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Let's get clear on the life
where I want to live.

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I literally just, that was part
of my conversation with my coach

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today.
OK, what do I want?

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If these are the numbers and
these are the goals, why do I

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want that?
Right.

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Oh.
Well, because I don't want to

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work 12 hours a day anymore.
I want some freedom to do some

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other things.
I want to say yes to if my kids

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want me to come and do, I want
to say yes to something

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unexpected with the gentleman
that I date, like if he goes

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and, and I and I think part of
it is an education.

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Even in growing up on a farm, I
don't think we ever gave

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ourselves permission to dream or
say that we could craft and

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create the life that we want.
That might be different than

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somebody else's expectations.
Yeah, yeah.

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And I think you and I both were
raised in probably a small rural

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area, farming communities.
And I remember my mom saying to

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me one, one time I told her I
wanted to be a counselor.

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That's that was kind of I was a
school social worker.

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So I was talking to her about my
career aspirations of being a

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school social worker and
counseling kids.

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And she said, oh, I don't think
that's I don't, I don't think

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that's what you should do.
I think you should really just

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focus on getting married and
having children and building a

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home.
And I wanted more for myself.

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But we get in our own way
because our mind, we put

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ourselves in this little box and
we don't dare to dream that

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something bigger is possible.
Possible for us outside of

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whatever our parents expect for
us or whatever society expects

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for us.
But anything is possible.

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And that power of belief is a
lot of what I talk about in my

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book, Lead with Hope, Believe in
Yourself and Building a system

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of hope to support dreaming for
the life you want.

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And and I'm not, you know, what
your mom wanted for you is based

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on her experience and her frame
of reference.

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And what you want isn't wrong.
It's different.

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And and that's a little bit of a
rub because it they don't

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understand it.
I mean my mom doesn't.

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My mom still is like what is why
I don't get you.

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I'm like, I know, I'm sorry.
It's OK and I want to.

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And I want to say, but you and
dad are the reason that I did

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that because you said to us, go
away, you're going away to

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school.
And if you want to come back to

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this small town and bring ideas
and you know, great, but go

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experience and do.
And so we're not doing something

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wrong.
We're doing something different.

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So again, that goes back to the
mindset and what we tell

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ourselves.
So what we say in there?

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If we say I'm all anxious, guess
what you are.

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Absolutely.
How about if I'm just normal

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nervous or kind of scared that I
put some goals out there that

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are pretty big and I don't know
how to do that?

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Yeah, OK.
You know, I do, I do some

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counseling and I have a
licensure and clinical social

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work, and I enjoy that.
But that that work is more about

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dealing with the anxieties and
the trauma and the grief.

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That is more of a healing
journey.

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Whereas coaching is helping
somebody realize their full

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potential.
And as you so beautifully said,

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it's pulling out what's already
in there and helping them act on

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that, helping them to really put
into action what already exists

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within.
And how to do that, which

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sometimes is honestly reframing
OK, again, the conversations

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today so timely.
Sometimes I feel selfish if I

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say no to someone who wants to
have coffee or get together.

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Well, OK, if they need me, I I
don't, I feel selfish.

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And the the word was what if you
reframed that to say no?

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It's responsible of me not to go
because I have work on my

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business that I have to do.
Oh, so again, it's reframing.

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That's how we help the action
change as we go forward based on

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the healing that we're doing and
the coaching leads us into the

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next level up to the next step.
And I've been talking to people

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about boundaries and even
looking at the Scripture for

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biblical reference on
boundaries.

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And there is a a Scripture in
the Bible that I just recently

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read.
And it talks about how we're

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supposed to help carry each
other's burdens.

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But then in that same passage,
it says that every man is to

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carry.
And I would say every man or

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woman, if you carry their own
load, right?

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So to me, that gives us a
license to say, OK, I'm going to

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come alongside you.
I'm going to support you.

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I'm going to help you to develop
yourself, but I'm not going to

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carry your load for you.
The Bible tells us every man or

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woman has a load that they have
to carry on their own.

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And that to me was very freeing.
That's.

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Very freeing.
Gave me that permission to in

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cultivating the life I love and
cultivating that life of

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excellence.
It gave me permission to let go

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00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,400
of the guilt and the shame when
I couldn't do everything that

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other people wanted me to do.
Yeah.

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Oh, I love that.
I love that because we do think

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about how heavy that is.
You go through life, it's like,

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my gosh, at some point you can't
hardly keep your shoulders up

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and hold on.
That's not mine to carry.

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I'm going to support you, but
don't, don't put it in my

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bucket.
Don't put it over here 'cause

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I'm going to put it over there.
Yeah, yeah, it it's, it was an

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amazing and timely scripture for
me to read.

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Now that kind of leads me into
the next question about

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resilience and adversity.
You know, I know you have had

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00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:38,040
challenges, you've had tests in
your life.

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Can you share a defining moment
when things maybe didn't go as

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00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:46,680
planned or or something tested
your resilience?

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How did you find hope and
strength to move forward?

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Well, I'll give you 2 examples.
One is personal, one is

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professional.
I got married at 23 and at 24 I

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went wait a second, what?
Oh my.

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And stayed, you know, counsel
all the things.

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And then I ended up with two
kids and I thought, OK, I I

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didn't want to be divorced.
All of the things divorced and

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I'm raising two children and I
was a stay at home mom.

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So you've got fear of income.
You have all of the things.

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And I had first of all, great
support around me.

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I remember the day that I had
just peace about this decision

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that I didn't make it lightly.
And again, it was mindset.

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I made a decision that I would
not sacrifice my children for a

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job or career or a man, Meaning
I saw too many people have

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people in and out of their
lives.

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So I chose not to date.
I chose to just and not have my

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children be my identity but
focus on motherhood so that they

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were going to be OK.
And I was 30 and it was hard and

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I was tired and they were boys.
And I remember calling my mom

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one night and I'm like, mom, I
don't think I can give them a

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00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:05,600
bath anymore.
Like this is so hard.

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They were like 2 and four.
She goes, oh, Cheryl, this ain't

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nothing.
It gets harder.

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I'm like, that is not the answer
I want.

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00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:14,600
But it was what she.
But in reality, it was like, OK,

357
00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:16,600
really Buck up.
They're playing with bubbles.

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They're gonna be fine.
Put them to bed.

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So personally that really set me
on a journey that at the end of

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the day, it was only me.
And even though you have a

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00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:31,000
support around you, so I had to
learn how sometimes I was lonely

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or I was tired or whatever.
You just get up and do it the

363
00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:35,560
next day.
Like don't make a big deal of

364
00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:37,840
it.
Just one step, the next step,

365
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the next step.
So that personal and I will tell

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00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:47,400
you my boys are I, I am very
proud of the men they are

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because I purposely put other
people in their life because

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they weren't going to see a
regular marriage and how that

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relationship worked.
And so I had to get outside of

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00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:03,400
myself and be uncomfortable with
some things in order to, you

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00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,840
know, put put the right people
in their life.

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The second one in looking back,
I think might have been harder

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than the divorce.
I worked for the CEO program and

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00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:20,320
Craig Lenvall, the founder, he
and I had a relationship and and

375
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,440
he asked me to be the executive
director when he was diagnosed

376
00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,880
with cancer.
And anyway, the Long story short

377
00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:31,120
of that is they put someone in
place and he fired me.

378
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And it was my dream job.
It was why I left education in

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00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:40,520
the middle of the year.
And I mean, it absolutely rocked

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00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:48,800
my world because I had never
experienced such evil treatment

381
00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,520
harassment as a woman.
I mean, there were lots of

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00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:57,800
things that I was very naive to.
And in looking back, and I will

383
00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:00,160
tell you, Brandy, it took me
over a year to gain my

384
00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:05,120
confidence back.
It really, really, really

385
00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:08,520
destroyed lots in me and
shattered me.

386
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And I was scared.
And So what did I do?

387
00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:17,560
I, I allowed myself to sit in
it.

388
00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:22,640
I allowed myself to be angry, to
see the injustice to all of

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00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:27,120
that.
And then I used my network and

390
00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:31,040
then I got logical and, and as
my dad said, get the emotion out

391
00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:32,880
of it.
You've got a job to do and your

392
00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:38,120
job is finding a job and this
and, and so then that showed me

393
00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:42,200
the network piece of that and
how important it was that I

394
00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:46,040
authentically and genuinely kept
in touch with people and

395
00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:50,400
impacted people's lives.
And they, I mean, it was almost

396
00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,040
overwhelming that I had to shut
my phone off at one point and

397
00:24:53,040 --> 00:25:01,280
go, OK, so but that, that
professionally it, it, it showed

398
00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,720
me some things about people that
I didn't want to believe.

399
00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:10,840
And it also changed me.
And when I got my confidence

400
00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:14,160
back, it was back in spades
because I was like, you know

401
00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:16,200
what, You fired me because you
were afraid of me.

402
00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,840
And I'm damn good at what I do.
I know my value.

403
00:25:20,120 --> 00:25:24,880
I can sell my value.
And it helped me articulate what

404
00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:29,120
I do and why I do it and what
and where I do it.

405
00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:33,080
And I'm super proud of that.
And the other piece of both of

406
00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:36,240
those is I did not hold on to
resentment.

407
00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:40,400
I did not hold on to poor me.
It was like, let's learn from

408
00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:41,840
it.
And people are who they are.

409
00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:44,880
Absolutely.
I mean, that forgiveness piece

410
00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,760
is huge there.
Hold on to that bitterness and

411
00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,640
resentment and expect good
things to happen in your life.

412
00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:59,320
Craig is somebody that I kind of
knew through a mutual friend,

413
00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:01,800
Joe Fathery.
Have you ever met?

414
00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:06,520
Oh, yeah, Mr. Father E yeah.
Teacher during my time at

415
00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:09,800
Effingham School District,
that's where I started as a

416
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,640
school social worker.
So I was able to kind of see the

417
00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,680
work they were doing through
that multimedia program.

418
00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:21,920
And it's probably there around
the time CEO got started.

419
00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:23,960
Yeah, Yeah.
It's kind of.

420
00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:28,600
Cool, yes, and Joe was part of
that sort of like how all that

421
00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:32,520
came to be.
And Craig and my first cousin,

422
00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:37,720
my first cousin was in the T
town band and they were I mean,

423
00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:39,560
Craig and his wife did not have
children.

424
00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,800
So they had these kids who were
kind of like their kids and and

425
00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,440
my cousin's a drummer was a
drummer is a drummer in

426
00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:50,560
Nashville for big names and they
so that's sort of how this came

427
00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:52,600
about.
And then Craig and I sat down

428
00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:56,680
and I, I here's the the other
thing that was really cool.

429
00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:01,840
I said to him, Greg, I'm like,
what happens if you get hit by a

430
00:27:01,840 --> 00:27:05,080
bus tomorrow?
And he looked at me and he, I

431
00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:08,760
mean, almost with tears in his
eyes and he said, I don't know,

432
00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:10,280
Cheryl.
He said, this worries me every

433
00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:14,120
night because this program and
what we do is so important, but

434
00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:19,840
I've not found anyone who gets
it and won't institutionalized

435
00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:23,200
it and we'll keep it going
authentically.

436
00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:26,080
And it wasn't but a month later
and he called me and he said,

437
00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:31,640
Cheryl, we need to talk again.
And so we had chatted and, and,

438
00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:36,000
and so it just came to be.
And that's when he called me the

439
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:39,000
day he found out he had
pancreatic cancer and said,

440
00:27:39,360 --> 00:27:44,080
would you step in as interim
executive director until, you

441
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,720
know, we'll see.
And then when he asked me to be

442
00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:50,800
the director and then the other
people stepped in and stopped at

443
00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:55,840
like politics, ego, all the
things of the evils of the

444
00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:58,000
world.
And that's an and and in the

445
00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:02,120
end, I will tell you to this day
when I drive through the country

446
00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:06,760
or like early morning going
someplace like on my way to CEO,

447
00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:12,400
in my heart, I mean, I miss
Craig and I always think he had

448
00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:14,760
this.
He has had an effect on me

449
00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:22,680
forever and and he trusted me.
And it's not my fault that it

450
00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:27,280
went the way it did and I knew
him and I will stay true to that

451
00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:31,960
program the way Craig wanted,
but he changed me forever.

452
00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:36,800
I so, so out of absolute the
worst professional situation

453
00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:38,960
ever in my life.
I mean, it was, I could have

454
00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:40,800
probably filed harassment
charges.

455
00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:45,640
I mean, it was that bad beauty.
And I'm like, isn't that what?

456
00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:48,200
And and I think that's the
mindset, right, Brandy?

457
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:52,360
I go back and go, yeah, crappy
stuff happened, but I wouldn't

458
00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:55,560
be here without it.
And.

459
00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,960
Yeah.
All work together for good.

460
00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:02,840
I use that verse.
I love that verse and it is

461
00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:06,440
truly my life's mantra.
But you know, I love that you

462
00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:11,520
brought up Craig because he is
the epitome of a man with a

463
00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:14,920
vision.
He had a vision bigger than

464
00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:18,640
himself.
And today with the CEO program,

465
00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:21,560
we are seeing the fruits of his
labor.

466
00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:25,960
Yes, yes.
And, and the other thing is he

467
00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:34,720
didn't have the corporate to
fight what came at him.

468
00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:40,360
And, and so, so you know, like
vision, like it's just, I've

469
00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:49,200
learned so much in all of that,
that, that I, if you ask me, oh,

470
00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:53,160
that's if you ask me if I would
say, would I want that to happen

471
00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:57,560
to me again?
But I had to give up everything

472
00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:01,360
I learned and all of it.
I would say I I would do it

473
00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:04,240
again like it had to happen.
Yeah, everything happens for a

474
00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:06,480
reason.
That's a true statement.

475
00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:11,240
And I know that you are a big
believer in the CEO program, but

476
00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:15,320
kind of unpack that, tell us why
you believe the CEO program is

477
00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:18,840
important for our students.
You know what, What do you see

478
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:22,360
that they get out of this?
What do they gain?

479
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:25,400
That may be traditional educated
misses.

480
00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:29,960
Great question.
And it's very easy to me in my

481
00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:33,120
work with young people, I'm
recognizing that in they have

482
00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:36,640
education and from, you know,
let's call it three years old

483
00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,200
until they're 22.
If they go to college, there's a

484
00:30:39,200 --> 00:30:43,040
script, there's an orientation.
We they have all the things and

485
00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:46,000
then they go to life and they're
like, there's no orientation.

486
00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:49,360
Like, OK, now we want you to
work 40 hours and do all the

487
00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:53,560
things.
CEO to me, particularly post

488
00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:57,480
COVID, now things have changed.
Kids are different and we have

489
00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:00,560
to think about that differently.
But this is how I see it.

490
00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:05,560
This is a, this is a kind of
walking across the bridge and

491
00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:10,440
sort of helping them to
transition to adulthood to see

492
00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:15,040
the difference in oh, wait a
minute, business and life is

493
00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,120
different than the education
system.

494
00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:24,200
And it allows them an
opportunity to be in a place for

495
00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:28,600
things to be translated.
OK, because old people say one

496
00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:32,760
thing because we have this frame
of reference and and they don't

497
00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:36,200
have the frame of reference.
So in CEO, there's some

498
00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:41,200
translation happening.
So they're like, oh, now I can

499
00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:45,880
put what I know to this.
So it's, it's this sort of

500
00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:50,160
exposure without dropping them
in.

501
00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:54,640
So yes, it's about business, but
to me it's about relationships

502
00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:59,120
and, and this freedom to ask
questions and not know.

503
00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,560
And, and schools can't do that.
And, and I would just want to

504
00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:06,200
say something about education.
It's doing what it needs to do.

505
00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:12,480
Like it's never go.
It's created to create a certain

506
00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:15,000
product that everybody basically
looks the same.

507
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:18,360
Yeah, it just does.
It's just we're producing

508
00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:20,960
widgets.
It's not right or wrong.

509
00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,960
We just are, OK.
So it has its place.

510
00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:29,480
It's so different than the real
world that there's especially

511
00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:34,280
post COVID, there's this gap and
these kids are floundering and

512
00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:37,040
then they're they go, oh, I'm
all anxious and oh, I don't know

513
00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:39,680
what to do.
And I'm like, OK, it shouldn't

514
00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:44,200
be like that.
So I think CE OS purpose is to

515
00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:49,240
and Craig was adamant about this
personal connection.

516
00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:54,160
Yes, business is the is that
conduit or whatever, but I think

517
00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:58,600
it helps CEO helps these kids
not fall down into this where

518
00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:00,520
some kids have a struggle
getting back up.

519
00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:04,520
It helps them walk across it
slowly to recognize there's

520
00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:09,320
options that they didn't know
and people genuinely want to

521
00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:11,080
help them.
Absolutely.

522
00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:16,240
That personal connection,
networking, learning how to use

523
00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:18,720
your network.
Well, first to develop a

524
00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:21,520
network.
It gives the kids a network and

525
00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:24,120
then they're taught how to use
this network.

526
00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:28,240
And the other thing that I think
is so beautiful about this, and

527
00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:31,280
I think I think Craig probably
did this by design.

528
00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:35,520
It fosters that growth mindset.
It's OK to fail.

529
00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:39,960
That's how you learn.
So make mistakes, make them

530
00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:43,440
often, but then keep trying.
Keep.

531
00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:47,200
Tailing forward and I love that
about the program.

532
00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,720
Yes, and, and in fact, he
wanted, I mean, he said that I

533
00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:55,400
hope you fail, like I hope you
mess this up because and to sit

534
00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:59,800
with him and to I mean, he was
so witty and sarcastic and quick

535
00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:02,320
witted and like he didn't couch
anything.

536
00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:05,680
And sometimes and and you know,
I don't know, he was just a

537
00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:08,920
different kind of adult, which
automatically connected.

538
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,440
But then he said things like,
OK, what would you do

539
00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:13,000
differently?
OK, look at that.

540
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:17,199
And so yes.
And though it it, it, it

541
00:34:17,199 --> 00:34:22,960
actually is live action, hands
on, in the moment, present

542
00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:25,159
messing up.
How do you network?

543
00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:27,239
What does that mean?
Rather than watching it on a

544
00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:31,000
screen or the teacher telling
them that this is how it works.

545
00:34:31,199 --> 00:34:33,440
Yeah, if they're experiencing it
real life.

546
00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:37,120
Lily and that topic of
education, you know, going

547
00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:41,000
through all of the formal
education that I've gone through

548
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:43,480
and I'm sure you've gone through
learning the history of

549
00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:49,719
education, the system that we
have right now was not created

550
00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:52,239
for the world that we live in
today.

551
00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:55,520
And I don't know how we're going
to change that.

552
00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:58,360
I think we are going to have to
disrupt the status quo.

553
00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:02,560
I hope education doesn't have to
collapse for that to happen, but

554
00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:06,360
there needs to be some radical
change in public education to

555
00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:09,320
equip our students.
But in the meantime, I'm

556
00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:12,960
thankful that we have programs
like CEO that are coming

557
00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:16,560
alongside the system we do have
in place to provide the

558
00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:19,400
education we are providing to
give the kids what they need.

559
00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,520
Yes.
And and honestly, my skeptical

560
00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:24,560
side is education can't change
itself.

561
00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:27,680
It's too big, it's too massive,
it's too institutionalized.

562
00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:30,800
So in my mind, let's stop
putting the effort there

563
00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:34,320
because, and this is a whole
different topic, but it, it goes

564
00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:36,880
back to the family situation and
there's lots of things that you

565
00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:40,400
can't fix there.
It, it, it needs to be fixed

566
00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:42,680
before they get there.
And it, and, and I do think

567
00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:45,600
we're seeing the pendulum swing.
I think you see the young

568
00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:49,920
generation, you know, Charlie,
Curt, get married, have kids.

569
00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:58,600
The the so and I think CEO also
allows these kids permission to

570
00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:03,200
go wait a second I think
differently or I so.

571
00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:06,760
So that's the other piece of
this that I think is beautiful

572
00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,480
and needed, very needed.
Very needed.

573
00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:13,720
Yeah, absolutely.
Now with the CEO program, I know

574
00:36:13,720 --> 00:36:16,640
that's one of the things that's
giving you hope right now, but

575
00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:19,680
this is one of my favorite
questions to ask guests.

576
00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:22,520
What is giving you hope in the
world right now?

577
00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:27,720
The young generation, like every
time I'm with them, I tell them

578
00:36:27,720 --> 00:36:31,800
they annoy me and I don't
necessarily understand them, but

579
00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:37,600
I so love being around them.
They challenge me and help me

580
00:36:37,600 --> 00:36:45,560
redefine my work And and and
when I I've got my goals for

581
00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:49,480
2026.
I want 12 keynote speaking

582
00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:53,440
events, big stages, but
specifically around this

583
00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:56,040
communication to help these
young people because they're

584
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:59,720
eager, they're hungry, they want
to, they just don't know how.

585
00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:04,120
So they give me hope.
Hands down, hands down.

586
00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:07,520
Yeah, I love that.
That gave me chills when you

587
00:37:07,520 --> 00:37:09,120
said that because I feel the
same way.

588
00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:12,720
Now before we wrap up this
episode, Cheryl, how can our

589
00:37:12,720 --> 00:37:16,080
listeners connect with you and
learn more about your work, your

590
00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:20,320
book, and the inspired Life
Mastermind?

591
00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:24,760
So the Inspired Life Mastermind,
I don't know if they still do

592
00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:27,560
it, but I did.
It was, I would encourage people

593
00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:30,600
mass look up mastermind and they
can reach out to me to ask those

594
00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:34,000
questions.
I've held masterminds before,

595
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:38,200
but it was life changing for me.
And masterminds are a wonderful

596
00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:41,240
tool in addition to coaching
because it brings you a support

597
00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:43,920
network around you.
But they can find me at

598
00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:47,760
cherylbmitchell.com.
That's my speaking website that

599
00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:51,600
will link to the book that will
link to the farm stuff I do, but

600
00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:55,400
specifically the keynotes.
That's, that's the best place.

601
00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:59,200
And I, I do, I have, and you
know, the other way that they

602
00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:04,040
can help me is if you have a, a
conference or a convention or

603
00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:08,320
something and you need a speaker
who's different, who's bold,

604
00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:11,320
who's going to say those things,
but is the translator for the

605
00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:13,360
communication problem that we've
got.

606
00:38:13,720 --> 00:38:15,320
I'm your DAO.
So, yeah.

607
00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:18,160
Cheryl B mitchell.com.
Yeah, and I can vouch for her.

608
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:21,960
She has confidence.
She's bold, and she is engaging.

609
00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:24,960
I've seen her in action.
Thank you, Cheryl.

610
00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:26,560
Thank you for coming on the
show.

611
00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:29,960
The world needs your leadership,
and it starts with one choice,

612
00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:33,080
to lead with hope.
Fuel your habits, nurture

613
00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:37,960
optimism, live with purpose, and
pursue excellence every day.

614
00:38:38,240 --> 00:38:41,800
Remember, when you lead with
hope, you help others find

615
00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:51,880
theirs too.
Thank you so much for tuning

616
00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:55,480
into today's episode of Lead
with Hope, where we believe that

617
00:38:55,480 --> 00:39:00,240
leadership rooted in habits,
optimistic mindset, purpose, and

618
00:39:00,240 --> 00:39:02,480
excellence can truly change the
world.

619
00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:06,760
I'd love to ask you for a small
favor that makes a big impact.

620
00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:10,720
Help me spread hope.
Share this episode with a friend

621
00:39:10,720 --> 00:39:13,640
or a colleague who could use a
little encouragement today.

622
00:39:14,200 --> 00:39:17,560
And if this conversation
inspired you, please take a

623
00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:20,920
moment to head over and give the
show a five star rating.

624
00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:24,320
It helps others find us and
keeps the message of hope

625
00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:27,960
growing strong.
I'm also excited to share

626
00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:31,400
something new with you, the Hope
Fueled Kickstart.

627
00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:36,160
This is a powerful short term,
one-on-one coaching experience

628
00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:40,800
designed to help leaders like
you reclaim your vision, reset

629
00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:44,760
your mindset, and reignite your
purpose so you can lead with

630
00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:47,160
hope again.
To learn more about the

631
00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:50,360
Kickstart program, just click
the link in the show notes.

632
00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:54,800
Until next time, remember the
world needs your leadership and

633
00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:58,280
change starts with you.
Fuel your life with hope,

634
00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:02,000
embrace your purpose, and shine
your light for others.