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The World is Your Stage to Speak Loudly!

When I was 5 years old, I was selected to be the lead of Rosina Dainty-Mouth in an adaptation of Hansel and Gretel. I was chosen because of my great communications skills and singing. I remember how much I loved the stage. In summer school, I would join theatre classes and make puppets and write scripts for plays. In middle school and through high school, I sung in choir and played clarinet and saxophone for various stage performances. The opportunity to perform in multiple media has always been apart of who I am and often not shared with others.

As you look at the image of a stage, on and off I’ve been behind and in front of the curtain depending on the season of my life. I’m currently peaking out through the curtain, because I realize I’ve not been my truest self; yielding to societal norms and situational needs. While I have one foot in the corporate and entrepreneurial world, I have another foot on the stage to share my insights and with the world. I’ve often wondered if both can co-exist for which I’m grateful to have found another guide in my life that said the two personas can exist.

Putting it all out there for everyone to know, I’m in pursuit of that stage with bright lights. I want to be able to share insights to large groups and hopefully inspire them to reach their potential.

As with all my articles, I turn my conversation to you. Do you have a stage for which you can speak and share your insights? While you may / may not be one for bright lights and a stage, metaphorically, I’m asking you how are you leaving your legacy? Do you share your insights with others? Do you mentor people? Have you set up sustainable systems so others can continue in your footsteps? Have you spent time with others to share your wisdom or give back? Do you write down your thoughts and write a blog, publish an article, give a talk, deliver a lunch & learn? This is the stage of life for which everyone should aspire to leave a lasting impact.

Think about your existence and have you walked out onto a “stage” to speak loudly and connect with humanity? Can you recall if you connected with others and lived your fullest day? We’re here for a finite time and when our time is done, it is done… or perhaps not? Our lives live on through the impact we have on others and I ask you to take inventory of how you connect with others? The world is your stage and it’s ours to speak loudly and leave your legacy!

Many wise people have told me that when we put our aspirations out into the world, we manifest them to happen in the future. I do believe in that now for which I’m speaking loudly now to anyone who wishes to partner with me on this journey. I’d love to be on a stage and reach more people can I imagine. Waiting patiently for that opportunity to help me pull back the curtain and claim my stage.

If my story was inspiring, I’d love to hear your stage story!

Be well-Deb

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Leadership Through Crisis Can Cause More Chaos

When sales are down or complaints are up and leaders are given an urgent mandate to turn things around, often they make things worse in the process of trying to do good. Sound familiar?

Yes, there are power points that describe Why there is a sense of urgency, but behaviors such as rapid firing emails and assigning owners in such a short amount of time to show something is being done shows a lack of discipline.

In the process, you have disrupted the organization without consideration of current workload of the tapped resources and you’ve elevated the emotions of those you need to focus on the issue at hand.

What should have been taken care of all along because the issue is most like not a surprise. The waiting to pull the trigger and realize that things are going bad fast should elevate a different set of behaviors in an organization.

So I suggest leaders take a stern look at themselves and ask could the crisis could have been avoided. Also, could you have approached the crisis that you caused a bit differently?

Navigating with calm is the key to chaos management

Now, I could have called this crisis management, but there’s a distinction that I need to make. The drop in sales or the increase in complaints is the crisis that was caused due to lack of earlier action. The effect is amplified because you’ve imparted chaos on top of crisis, making what you are doing less effective.

Is there a better way?

As a leader, you are paid well and have the responsibility to instill confidence in the direction and in the people you lead. Bring them along in conversation so the engagement is two way vs. top down. When people are part of the conversation, their level of understanding is much deeper, you lessen the emotional whiplash and you share the action plan collectively.

Top down directives are the worse way to wear your team out in the process. You may prevail through the crisis and the chaos you created, but your team will think twice if they want to stay in such an environment.

Is this a real scenario that I’ve lived through? Yup! Too many times, so the issue needed to be raised.

While I wrote this in a tone directed to you, it was intentional to get your attention.

If you are one of those leaders, let me partner with you on a calm approach to mitigate crisis and instill confidence without the chaos.

If you know someone who is behaving this way, you have some tools to provide kind feedback to change their approach.

If you are someone who has experienced such an event, you are wiser now because when you are faced with a crisis, you can navigate with confidence and be the leader others will follow.

If you want to vent because of a bad experience, let’s talk. I’m a great listening partner and in the process, you learn the secrets of the C-Suite and become the next “CEO”.

Until we speak, be well

-Deb

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How Networking is an Investment in Elevating Humanity

I took a chance and reached out to a CEO of a company with an invitation to get to know who they were as a person and what did they do to leave a legacy. What unfolded was 45 minutes of realizing what an amazing human I found and someone who was so aligned with my values and leadership style. I can’t wait to get them onto my podcast for you to meet them, but until then here are a few things we can learn:

Take a chance and just say “Hi and I want to learn more about you!”.

I reach out to 100-200 people per week just to connect with humanity. Unfortunately, there is so much transactional outreach, people are numb to entertaining a real conversation. I persevere for the few that are willing to say yes! For those who have met me, I think you will agree that I’m sincerely interested in learning about you and also imparting some kind of value during that time. No transaction, but real human connection. I take a chance on humanity and it has rewarded me in people I can help and even those who come onto the podcast.

Be present and seek the outcome of building a relationship.

I’m sorry, but networking groups who advocate for “closing the deal” and get 2-3 referrals or push “how can you help” makes the encounter transactional and puts too much pressure on people. What we are truly after is building relationships that if you’re patient can turn into trust and possible collaboration. I made this mistake early on in my networking days and since being more intentional about relationships, the transactions come in the form of a collaboration or commitment of support. Play the long game and don’t be fooled by the guru’s that promise 10x inbound calls or 10x your Linkedin or YouTube following.

Treat those as you want to be treated.

If you are lucky to arrange a networking call, lead by seeking to learn about the other person. This is no time to download your CV/Resume because you revert to the transaction vs. the outcome of building a relationship. When people see you are sincerely curious about them and asking follow up questions, you build trust. Naturally the person will reciprocate and ask about you; ensuring you lead with who you are as a person and then what do you do to be in service to others. When you treat others with respect, it will come back and further deepening the relationship that is part of humanity.

I leave you with one last thought that while Humanity has evolved to be fast paced, divisive at times and we lose sight of what really matters, we need to depend on each other to survive as a race. Connect with others, seek to build deep bonds and help the collective survive what can feel like impossible times. Networking if we do it right can be the key to survival in business, careers and even family and community.

Focus on what really matters. The Human race depends on it.

If you like this article, please share with others so we can inspire others to reach their fullest potential.

Be well-Deb

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How Mirrorless Leaders Never Realize Their True Value…

I might sound like a broken record, but time and time again when I meet someone new or perhaps an old colleague who has reconnected, I see them in ways that they cannot see themselves. This is what I call Mirrorless Leadership; when they think they know their value, but can’t really see their true self.

It’s like being the picture of someone else’s narrative. They sound like they’re a leader and their doing leader-like things, but it sounds like an empty recording of what others are saying about themselves. It contains nothing unique and can quickly fade until people don’t really know you.

I will also say that if you’ve been fortunate to have a 360 review of your performance or received actionable feedback, sure you can change your mindset and behaviors, but it’s only a partial mirror. The problem with this is people are measuring you against their expectations for which the bar may be too high or it’s the wrong bar.

Infrequently do people listen to you and find the nuggets of value that you bring to people and your environment. When we can see our unique gifts, it opens up our eyes to greater possibilities and builds confidence in yourself. If we don’t have a mirror, we accept the judgement of others who are not seeing us, but simply telling us what they expect.

So how do we solve this?

Find a trusted partner and do the following:

  • Start sharing with them what gets you excited; tell a few stories.
  • What are the the things that you’re most proud of?
  • How have you helped people either at work, in your family or community?
  • Where have you made an impact and people have thanked you?
  • What environments stifle your creativity?
  • What have you done differently that has changed the lives of others?
  • What frustrates you about your current situation and what would you like to do to change it?

That trusted partner becomes your mirror and if they have the gift of deep listening and can reframe what it is that makes you unique, you start to see yourself differently and regain your confidence to move in the direction you decide.

Sure, I’m offering you a bit of coaching right now and I hope you can go away and do this yourself or find a partner who can work with you. But if you don’t have a support system, let me be your mirror and help see yourself for who you really are.

Until we meet, I wish you well and much success!-Deb

Can I be of further support to you? Could my interview skills help to elevate your impact by providing you an opportunity to share your insights to realize your true value?  Message me for some potential offers that can elevate your impact. Remember my first 30 minutes with you is complimentary because I want to provide you immediate value. If you would like more, I’d be pleased to extend to you these offers:

  • Reinvent Yourself offer: So many of you have asked how did I reinvent myself. Give me an hour with you and I’ll help you to find your value proposition and evolve your 30 second elevator pitch.
  • Promote Yourself: Recorded interview to obtain valuable content to share on social media or use for applying for a new position.
  • Guest on the Drop In CEO Podcast: with numerous assets to promote your brand
  • Message yourself: Help you to find what you stand for and key messaging for when you show up for a presentation or other communications. Two (2) sessions to elevate your impact offered at
  • Sponsor the Drop In CEO Podcast: and gain valuable reach for 4 months.

10% of all proceeds from these offers go into the Drop In CEO Scholarship Fund for Reinventing individuals who cannot afford to Reinvent their Career and a Resume Makeover.  Thank you in advance for your support

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The Networking Conundrum: Warding off unwanted connections and those that will pay dividends.

We’re bombarded on Linkedin and Email with people offering services for pain points we don’t have; we become numb to all people knocking on our door.

The result of all this noise is most people ignore or close the door on everything when in fact you might be hurting your career by not building a network.

The other thing I see wrong is we’re so isolated by our career and other activities, we don’t invest in a network. So many of the people I’ve met soon realize that is their demise when they need a network to further their career opportunities.

My advice to you is to find a way to triage the unwanted messages you get and delete those. The rest of the ones that seem like real humans, be open to vetting them if they’re open to just getting to know each other and schedule those conversations. More importantly, if it’s an old colleague who you were on good terms on, most definitely open the door and let them in.

Just yesterday, I had a conversation from someone I worked with over 15 years ago and it was like we never stopped talking. The conversation flowed and the experience was rewarding. Whether we connect again or not, it was memorable and that is enough.

Another person was brave enough to accept my invitation to connect; someone in my field and I was curious about them. The conversation was amazing and I am pleased to have found my next inspirational leader to drop in on my podcast. I never would have found such talent unless a) I was curious and sent the invite and b) the individual being open to networking and unknown possibilities.

Oh, and one other piece of advice… never burn a bridge.

Sometimes we leave bad cultures or bosses and leave behind people. Nurture those relationships too. I have found career and business opportunities from people that reconnect with me after 5-10 years. These have been some of the best opportunities I’ve experienced.

Be open to receiving new invites, be proactive in seeking new connections and always nurture the ones from the past. This is your networking capitol at work and your best in vestment in your future.

If you haven’t figured it out, I’m a huge proponent of networking. After being in business over 5 years, this has been one of the pillars of staying viable.

If we have not met, this is an open invitation to connect and form real human connection.

If you enjoy my content, please consider signing up for my weekly newsletter for more insights and resources to support your career.

Until we meet, I wish you well and much success! – Deb

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How to Lean Into Your Leadership Legacy

Marketing Strategies are broken because they lean into your pain points and tell you how they can fix you.

How many people out there are saying you are great and how can I help you to be greater?

Not many I bet you!

Marketing guru’s create a narrative that you’re broken and when people adopt that, it’s a tool to get you to buy services you don’t need.

What would it look like to lean into your leadership greatness to leave a legacy?

How many people are out there to help you on this journey to greatness?

Sure, there are publicists and media relations people that say you can promote yourself to get into the spotlight, but that’s not for everyone.

I propose you can do all of this yourself to leave a lasting impact and here’s how:

Get your thought leadership out to a broader audience!

You have what it already takes to be a thought leader and impact more people you can image. Consider taking your purpose, your talking points and leadership insights to more speaking events. Consider a podcast or even writing a book. It builds your credibility and your reach can be so much greater. You already have leadership figured out. Why waste it by not sharing it with others.

Mentorship is a gift!

If you prefer more intimate conversations to inspire people, consider mentorship or even better yet, start a program where you work. It doesn’t take much to set it up and with a simple structure, you can impact people on a deeper level. By the way, if you’ve had a mentor in the past, make sure you reach back out to them to let them know their impact. Giving the gift of mentorship one person at a time can leave a lasting impact for this and future generations of leaders.

Build a powerful network!

Connection is what humanity is about and we survive as a civilization because of our connection with other humans. By investing time in building not just vanity metrics, but deep connections, we build a set of advocates for what we stand for. They have your back when you need support, but they can also amplify your brand and personal to others who have not met you yet. Take advantage of building a powerful network as part of leaving your legacy. The worse time to build a network is when you’re out of work and need it. Build it during good times and they’ll have your back when the time is right.

In about 2 minutes, I’ve suggested ways to lean into your leadership legacy because you’re already great. I hope you can use some of these tips as you think about your future and the impact you want to make. If this was helpful, let me know. If you know of another great leader who might benefit from this, please share this article with them.

If I can be in service to you and you want to add me to your network, let’s talk and see how we can make you even greater!

If you want to learn more, I recently was on a Linkedin Live on 16 April where you can hear the full conversation on this topic. It will also be a future Podcast & YouTube episode for you to share with others.

Until we meet, I wish you well and much success!

-Deb

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How to Manage the Mental Mayhem of Delayed Responses

The recruiter is not calling you back.

The job opportunity is put on hold.

The manager is out of office.

The client is not responding to your proposal.

The list goes on and on for which there is a growing trend of Mental Mayhem plaguing professionals today trying to navigate their next opportunity. We don’t prepare professionals for these challenges and instead they fester over what “is not” happening vs. what “is” happening.

I call this Mental Mayhem because as professionals we are results driven with heroic skills to “get things done”. When it’s out of our control, nothing we do can force something to happen. And there lies the Mental Mayhem when nothing we do seems to work.

I’m going through the same challenge right now for which my coach inspired an A HA moment in me that may help you as well.

When we think about what we cannot effect, think about everything you did up until this point to reach a point where the world is saying “No”. You took control of your situation, researched the opportunity, composed an email or set up a call and engaged in healthy dialog or interaction that appeared to be going in the right direction. When you hit a wall and nothing has happen, I propose to you that actually something did happen and it’s up to you to decide what to do next.

Given the world is saying “No”, you have a choice. You can continue to bang on that door and waste energy or quickly pivot, leverage what you learned and pursue another direction. Gone are the days that you should feel victim to circumstances, but quickly take these events and move on… quickly.

Had you not done all that work to get to this point you may not have tested your value, updated your resume or made 2-3 connections in the meantime. You have moved the needle and like my coach said; celebrate the wins that got you to this point in time. It’s not the actual result, but it’s about the journey.

As we speak, I’ve had no-shows to meetings, I’ve re-opened doors that I thought I should shut and, I’ve shut doors that looked promising, but my gut said they were not. Each day we have a choice to move forward or sideways, but never feel stuck or retract.

That is my thought for you to Manage Mental Mayhem. If there is a delayed response to something you are pursuing, pursue those things in your control. It’s a healthy state of being and will serve you well while navigating the obstacles of delayed responses.

What Mental Mayhem have you had to Manage? I’d love to know. When you share, you inspire others.

Be well-Deb

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How Consuming Too Much Content Kills Creativity

Inspired by my recent podcast interview with Michael P. Bourque who guest hosted for me, he posed the question about how do I disconnect from my work. I shared with him moments in time where I had to stop consuming so much information such as the Media, Books and Podcasts in order to enable my own thoughts to flow out and be the Creative I once was. Stay with me as I share a story of being lost and discovered my true self…

I left my corporate job November 2018 and entered into the holiday season with my family for which we enjoyed time together and also theater. While waiting for our show to start, we went to a museum across the street where I then stood in front of a wall with bright lights and had this picture taken of me. My body was in the shadows; looking dark and a bit sad. The other side of my image was lit up by bright lights; a common theme I experienced many times over during my transition period. Bright lights showed up everywhere for me and each time I would tear up because of the beauty and inspiration for creativity. Then it came to me, the name of my business would be Illumination Partners, LLC.

I was still lost, but new I wanted to take my craft from corporate to small and medium size businesses as a consultant. I pounded the pavement like any new entrepreneur seeking that silver bullet to land clients. I consumed books, podcasts and all types of resources to learn what the guru’s advise in order to realize exponential success. I was overwhelmed by the information and went into a flurry of activity of “doing” and was not thinking for myself. Thankfully through some strategic networking, I landed three gigs in my first 6 months and through I had this consulting gig nailed.

I soon ran out of work because I learned the hard way you need to be constantly doing business development in order to keep a pipeline. I was left with minimal savings and had to dig into other was of financing my business. It was a rough time, but instead of consuming more “how to” resources, I immersed myself in creating content. It was therapeutic for me to create and it gave me great joy letting my ideas flow out of me.

I started to create my own content on #linkedin in both video and written format. I found my voice and soon I had followers. I started to reach out for speaking events for which I created my 7P framework for leaders and presented at the ASQ world conference. While it was not a Ted Talk, I was finding I had something to say on a greater stage. I thought long and hard what was it I was creating. After many hours of thinking and doodling, The CEO’s Compass was born and my book released in August of 2021.

I am now in a similar place with a “Big Dream” and I’m working very hard to figure out how to achieve it. I’m not reading books or podcasts, but leveraging my vast network to figure out how I’m going to get there; letting my ideas flow out and hoping one of them will take shape to achieve “Big Dream”. This is only possible if I stop consuming too much information. I’m smart, resourceful and able to figure things out. I’ve done it before and will do it again.

So I turn to you and ask how much information do you consume? Do you pride yourself in combining a workout and listening to your favorite podcast. Are you inspired by the sense of accomplishment and consuming the content? Possibly, you’ll get entertainment value or a few actionable tips. Are you regurgitating other peoples ideas instead of your own? When was the last time you simply existed in silence and your own thoughts? Did some new idea… a crazy idea come through that you quickly dismissed?

You’re doing yourself a disservice when you don’t allow your own ideas to flow out. You need to be in service to your mind and soul and let the ideas come out. Only then can you assess them and potentially take action. Having never experienced your creativity, you may never realize your full potential.

I share my story with you because so many of you exist to complete tasks with a few short term goals you achieve. Think bigger! Consume less content and allow your own ideas become a reality. Succumbing to the barrage of content consumption will kill creativity and you will simply exist and never leave a legacy. The choice is yours….

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How Career Transitions Become The Best Time of Your Life

Recently, I’ve me with three people in my network who are at a cross roads in their career. The themes are very similar for which I think there is great value in sharing them with you. While for most, it feels like the end of a chapter, I’d like to propose that this is perhaps the best time of your life. Don’t let these moments get away from you by throwing yourself into the game again to find your next gig. You may miss the bigger opportunity.

When I left my corporate job, I took the time to reflect on what I was good at and where I could provide value. Had I not done that, I would have been another Director of Quality in a large corporation. Instead, I have had the opportunity to interview hundreds of people on The Drop In CEO™ Podcast , written a book, The CEO’s Compass, created a business and brand, The Drop In CEO, a Newsletter and now a YouTube Channel to share my insights with C-Suite Leaders of Today and Tomorrow. I’m far from conceited and bragging about my accomplishments. I’m trying to share with you that given time and space, the future for you can be vastly different than what was in your past! And by the way, I’m having so much fun!

Crossroads and Clarity for Dan…

… and yes, I’ve changed the names to protect their privacy!

Dan is a highly accomplished C-Suite leader, but the future of the company and leadership styles is no longer aligned with his values. He goes to work because of the people he cares about and of course providing financial security for his family. Dan has so much energy and value to provide, but as you listen to their voice, there is so much dissatisfaction. They reached out to me and they’ve asked me to keep my eyes open for an opportunity & introductions. Sound familiar?

The problem with the situation is they’re seeking the same type of role. As I listen to them, I know they are ready for a CEO role and while he believes it as well, he is not ready to take that leap unless presented to him. I get it, it’s a matter of time, place and opportunity. However, they do have clarity that they want to work for a small or medium size company so they can have a great impact. Through self reflection, he knows what he wants and what he doesn’t want. While I know he’s eager for his next role he does have clarity (mostly) in what the future might look like.

Robert broke away from a culture not aligned with his values, but now what…

Robert is an old colleague of mine for which I’m grateful for our professional relationship and benefits I’ve realized from it. Now he’s at a crossroads for which he has great clarity in what he wants. He too wants to work for a small or medium size business where he can make an impact using his many years of C-suite leadership expertise. However, he’s taking his time.

He left without his next opportunity lined up. For someone who I thought was not a risk taker, he had the courage to walk away with full support from his family. He’s also taking the time to rekindle his network and consider all opportunities in pursuit of where he wants to work next both industries and geographical location. I admire him for taking a risk, but it was calculated. Some never take the leap into the abyss. However, what makes him different is the confidence that with time and networking, the right opportunity will come his way. How many people simply stay and remain miserable? For Robert, when we spoke, he sounded liberated and at peace. How often do you achieve Peace of Mind amid a career transition? Robert is one of a few that is willing to navigate uncertainty with calm.

Sarah has been making the best of a bad situation, but is ready to move on…

I’m grateful to guide Sarah during a very challenging time at work. It’s really, really bad, but amid the chaos, she’s realized the opportunity to learn, grow and expand her leadership impact. She has the awareness that while some leaders are leaders in title only, she has gained confidence to be the leader that others are not. During the chaos, she’s developed skills needed for the next step; a career accelerator that not many have had the opportunity.

However, there comes a day that she will need to move on. While it is noble to be the leader to change the culture and be what others need her to be. Sometimes you have to say it is enough. It is time to recognize her value and assess where to use it for greater impact. So often, people hope to stay under the radar during while in an organization in chaos. It’s safe to be there, but they’re losing valuable minutes and hours of their life in service to an organization that cannot realize their value. Is this you? Do you know someone who is stuck? Could you take a moment to realize your value and make the decision to be courageous and move to a place that gives you joy. Sarah is about to take that leap and so can you, if you have faith in yourself.

For Dan, Robert and Sarah, they are all at a crossroads for which I’m grateful they reached out to me. The insights from their stories that I want you to realize are:

  • See the value in who you are meant to be, not what you’ve done in the past.
  • Have the courage to walk away and take the time to gain clarity in what the future looks like.
  • If you have to endure a challenging career, leverage the best to your benefit to set you up for the next role.

I’m not advising you to jump off a cliff without a plan. I’m sharing insights that you can gracefully exit a bad situation and use the time for self discovery, self improvement and realize what gifts you have to give to others. You have one life to live to make a lasting impact. If you need a guide that can help you, just like I’ve supported Dan, Robert and Sarah, reach out to me. I’d love to be your compass to get you back on track!

-Deb

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