304 Women’s Relationships
Whether it be in the workplace, in daily life, or anywhere we go in the world, we meet exceptional individuals that make life both enjoyable and enlightening. It is vital to not only appreciate these people, but to seek out more kindred spirits to lift up and to be lifted up by.
In this episode Sarah Elkins and her friends Kimberly Davis and Heather Younger discuss the importance of support and relationships in both our careers and in our down time.
Highlights
Surprise someone with support. Be a champion for another.
Don’t judge or treat another poorly because of your own preconceived notions.
Being intentional when lifting others up.
Do not contribute to the hatefulness and meanness in the world, look for the good and the hope that is inspired by those you hold dear.
Make the work worth it, but don’t let yourself get overworked and overwhelmed. Everything you do, begins with you, so try to be at your best.
Quotes
“The folks I hire, I’m not hiring them because they’re women. There’s a strength about them, there’s an independence about them, I can tell they’re just going to get stuff done.”
“I think the reason I like it is because I know they’re intelligent, I can trust them, they know things I don’t know.”
“Sometimes I do feel so sad, and so fatigued. Like Sisyphus pushing the boulder uphill all the time, that I have to stop and refuel because I am unable to keep an even level of fight or flight because the fight or flight just feels fruitless.”
“If there’s one person, who changes one behavior, in an audience of hundreds of people, in my mind the impact there is worth it.”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
When was the last time you lifted someone up, or stood beside them during a trying time? How often do you actively turn to another person on your team and as their help because they have more knowledge on a subject? If you could say one thing to the people in your life that make the work worth it what would you say? Remember Dear Listener everything you do starts with you, so make it come from a place of kindness and understanding.
And, as always, thank you for listening.
About Heather from her LinkedIn
"A DYNAMIC APPROACH THAT EASILY ENGAGES THE AUDIENCE."
*Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more content: https://www.youtube.com/@heatherryounger*
Heather R. Younger, J.D., CDP, is an experienced keynote speaker, two-time author, and the CEO and Founder of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement, leadership development, and DEI consulting firm, where she is on a mission to help leaders understand the power they possess to ensure people feel valued at work.
Known as The Employee Whisperer, Heather harnesses humor, warmth, and an instant relatability to engage and uplift audiences and inspire them into action.
Rooted in her belief that employees aren’t just numbers on the payroll but human beings with ideas that matter, Heather’s talks and workshops are dedicated to helping teams, leaders, and organizations shine by improving how they listen to, communicate with, and empower employees.
"My why is to give a voice to the voiceless at work; those employees who feel powerless or hopeless or helpless."
Heather’s personal Why emerged as she sought to find meaning from her difficult experience growing up in the 1970s. As the only child of an interfaith and interracial marriage, both Heather and her Black father were shunned and excluded by extended family because of the color of their skin. While the sting of exclusion left Heather with a lot of questions growing up, it also led her to develop a high level of resilience and a deeply inspired commitment to advocate for anyone who has ever felt devalued.
Today, she credits her capacity to navigate complex social dynamics and discuss identity in the workplace to those early experiences, and is dedicated to creating opportunities for organizational leaders, teams, and individuals to learn strategies for reframing adversity while empowering leaders to change their workplaces for the better.
As a champion for positive change in workplaces, communities, and our world at large, Heather delivers clear and purposeful strategies that drive real business results – such as increased employee engagement, loyalty, collaboration, and connectivity.
The results?
- Team members feel heard, seen, and valued
- Companies create safe environments and a culture of trust
- Diversity and creativity are celebrated
- Resilience rises
- Stress falls
- Productivity goes through the roof
- Customer retention and referrals soar
- Everyone wins – sometimes in ways they didn’t even realize were possible.
Learn more at heatheryounger.com and employeefanatix.com.
Email me at heather@employeefanatix.com
About Kimberly from her LinkedIn
Kimberly Davis is the founder of the Brave Leadership University and has more than 20 years experience in front of groups and audiences of all sizes. Since 2001, Kimberly has been leading development programs world-wide, around authentic leadership, purpose, presence, influence, presentation skills, communication skills, engagement, and customer experience. In March of 2008, Kimberly launched “OnStage Leadership,” which has received rave reviews and has made an impact on leaders across the country.
Kimberly also teaches Authentic Influence and Executive Presence for SMU's Cox School of Business' Executive Education Program and their Latino Leadership Initiative, and for the Bush Institute's WE Lead program (empowering female leaders from the middle east).
Kimberly is a TEDx speaker and her book, Brave Leadership: Unleash Your Most Confident, Authentic, and Powerful Self to Get the Results You Need, was the 2019 winner of the Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for Business and Career; an Amazon Bestseller in Business Leadership, Business Motivation and Self-Improvement, and Motivational Business Management; and was named as the number one book to read in Inc. Magazine’s “The 12 Most Impactful Books to Read in 2018,” with a cover-endorsement by best-selling author Daniel Pink.
Specialties: Authentic Leadership, Leadership Development, Career Development, Personal Development, Engagement, Communication Skills, Public Speaking, Presentation Skills, Facilitation, Theatre, Experiential Learning, Customer Experience, Organizational Development, Training & Development, Talent Management
About Sarah
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!