Women Taking The Lead With Jodi Flynn

Cara Macklin, a multi award-winning entrepreneur and business success coach has been recognized for her achievements including Women in Business Outstanding Innovation, IoD finalist Director of the Year for Innovation, Women in Business Young Business Woman of the Year and Northern Ireland’s Top 40 under 40 and has been featured on BBC, Thrive Global, TedX, and in 2021 on FOX TV Both an entrepreneur and coach, Cara’s journey began at 5 years old, growing up in her family business where her education began around the kitchen table… Starting her first business at 15 and spent over 15 years as a Director in the family business an award-winning healthcare & hospitality group which grew from 3 businesses with 250 employees to 7 businesses and 600 employees. She disrupted the elderly healthcare industry in Ireland creating the first ‘Lifestyle Care Home’ cited by IoD chairman as a ‘world class concept.’ Cara left her family business and founded Caram as a Visionnaire Success Coach to elevate dynamic leaders amb

Linda Fisk is a multi-award-winning leader, keynote speaker, author and university professor dedicated to amplifying and extending the success of other high-caliber business leaders. Linda serves as the CEO of Collective 54, the only national peer advisory network for owners of professional services firms, focused exclusively on growing, scaling, and maximizing firm valuation. As CEO, she accelerates the success of Collective 54’s members, enabling them to live their most meaningful lives. Prior to leading Collective 54, Linda was the global head of brand marketing, public relations and communications at Susan G. Komen following a 5-year executive leadership role at YPO, where she developed her passion for bringing leaders together to solve problems. Linda forged a career as an entrepreneurial and forward-thinking marketing leader on the cutting edge of customer acquisition, retention and loyalty. Linda has a Ph.D. and M.A. in Clinical Psychology and has written extensively on the subjects of social compariso

Hello there! Before we dive in, I wanted to let you know that Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing is coming soon in Audible!!  I’m crossing my fingers that it will be available by September 18 because that is my 10-year anniversary of being in business. It would be something special to be able to talk about both of these events simultaneously. Stay tuned on more information about the book. This episode is dropping on the US holiday of Labor Day so if you are listening to this episode, I hope you have had a chance to take some significant downtime this weekend. And downtime is the topic of this episode of Women Taking the Lead. I recently shared an article I found on The Daily Muse titled, "Yes, You Should Still Take Time Off Work During COVID-19—Here’s How to Make the Most of It" by Regina Borsellino. The post was liked and commented on across platforms it so I knew it was hitting home. I got the feeling we needed to talk more about this. The article made a case for why you should take time off dur

Malinda Gagnon specializes in launching and growing products and companies, and has 20 years of experience in business strategy and digital communications. She is the CEO and Founder of Uprise Partners, a consulting and investment firm specializing in engineering, IT and marketing. At Google, she was a founding team member of the advertising technology organization in Cambridge, MA. At WPP/GroupM, the world’s largest media investment organization, she founded and led a digital consulting practice, as well as the Product Management and Technology group. She has advised clients such as Procter & Gamble, General Electric, Volkswagen, Unilever, Land Rover Jaguar, Allergan, Walmart and many others. She is also a mentor for MassChallenge and Techstars.  In this episode Malinda and I discuss... Her journey working in male-dominated fields and what made her successful. How we are multifaceted and can draw on feminine and masculine energies/approaches to respond to what's needed in the moment. What instigated the

Meredith Bell has been an entrepreneur since 1982, and she’s an expert in helping companies develop the people side of their business. Meredith is co-founder and President of Performance Support Systems, a global software company based in Virginia. Meredith heads up marketing and sales for the company. Over the years, she’s served as an informal mentor and coach to the coaches, consultants, business owners and human resource professionals who use their products. One of her strengths is creating strong, long-term relationships. Meredith and her business partners have worked together for 25 years, and many of their clients and resellers have done business with them for 20 years. She understands what’s required to build the loyalty and commitment that lead to repeat business and referrals. Playing Small Moment Meredith’s playing small moment happened when she was bullied by a possible client to lower her price, and because she wanted the client’s business she gave in and lowered her price. She says she would not

Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up and immediately you dread having to get out of bed? Before your feet touch the floor a list of things you really don’t want to tackle start floating through your mind. Or, you recall a recent interaction that didn't sit well with you and you feel those feelings all over again. Your mood is heavy, but you’re determined to make it a good day. So, you start the coffee, turn on the shower and focus on positive things. You pick up some steam and before you know it, you’re on with your day until… …it's mid-morning and you’re already excited for your lunch break. Even though you’re trying to remain positive, your nerves are on edge and you could use the time away. You have lunch and are able to breathe a little easier while plotting how you’ll make it through the rest of the afternoon. But your energy never fully returns and you pull yourself through each meeting or task as if you are hiking up a mountain. Before the end of the workday, you’ve given up on being pr

Carolyn Delaney is the heart and soul behind Journey, an inspiring magazine devoted entirely to the Recovery Community in Maine.  As founder and publisher, she leads a diverse team of 30 volunteers who are called to take positive actions to combat the current climate surrounding addiction – keeping the content hyper-local by sharing local stories, resources & services. As a woman in recovery, Carolyn knows firsthand how large the ripple effect one can have on their family and community, and the importance of support throughout the process. With decades of experience in technology leadership which started with Desktop Publishing in the early 90s, Carolyn is able to combine her skills, expertise, and personal experiences to offer a magazine that supports the message that Recovery is possible. With a grateful heart for how life has blessed her Journey to Recovery, she wants to give hope to those who struggle, and hope to those who love people who struggle. Carolyn and her team’s mission is to shine a light o

Nicole Burgess helps introverted, high achieving, and/or highly sensitive women be exactly who they are meant to be. She is an empowerment and leadership coach for introverted and sensitive women and the host of the soul-filled sisterhood podcast. Her dream is to create a sisterhood, one sister at a time, with women around the world supporting each other in achieving their heartfelt desires and creating more inclusion, so that together we take the lead in our own lives. In this episode Nicole and I discuss... The highly sensitive and high achieving woman. The traits of a highly sensitive person (HSP). The #1 issue Nicole hears from her HSP clients and why they seek coaching. What creates stress for an HSP and what you can do to mitigate that stress. Some ways to be more empowered in a chaotic world. Managing the expectations of those who do not understand if you are an HSP. Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicoleBurgessCoaching/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleburgesscoach/ Website: www.

This episode shares my quick reflections on the racist and political events of May/June of 2020.  I am reaching out to my community in the hopes that I can ease overwhelm, validate the swirling emotions many of us are feeling and offer some resources to begin actively being antiracist everyday. The First Steps You Can Take Sign petitions and donate: Black Lives Matter: https://blacklivesmatter.com/ Change.org: https://www.change.org/ Color of Change: https://colorofchange.org/   Next, Educate yourself Films: Just Mercy: https://www.justmercyfilm.com/ (currently free on many platforms) Neflix Original, 13th: https://www.netflix.com/title/80091741   Books: How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad Please consider buying your books from black-owned businesses: https://afrotech.com/10-black-owned-online-bookstores-to-support-while-at-home   Other podcast episode for white women:

Kate Erickson is the engine at Entrepreneurs On Fire, an award winning podcast where John Lee Dumas interviews inspiring Entrepreneurs who are truly ON FIRE. She is also the host of the podcast Ditch Busy and co-author of The Podcast Journal: Idea to Launch in 50 Days. You can learn more about the free training Kate & John have created for entrepreneurs who are ready to achieve financial and lifestyle freedom over at EOFire.com! In this episode Kate and I discuss... What it means to “ditch’ busy”. Not just the strategy behind time management but the lifestyle change that occurs and what becomes possible when you are feeling great about how your time is spent. How to break down overwhelm so you can overcome it and prevent it from cropping up over and over again in the future. An approach to your to-do list that will make you feel amazing rather than feeling defeated. A mindset that you can take on that will focus your time and energy, even in the midst of chaos. Links Website: https://www.eofire.

In the last episode I continued our exploration of the Cycle of Change using the analogy of a card game which was first introduced to me by iPEC Coaching. If you have not listened to the first two episodes covering the Cycle of Change, I recommend you go back to the episodes. They are titled How to Process These Unexpected Changes and Contemplating Your New Normal, respectively. These are quick episodes and will catch you up on The Cycle of Change as it looks during the COVID-19 pandemic, or really any time of crisis. I mentioned in Contemplating Your New Normal that when you move into the Shuffle Phase you require more time to reflect and begin researching different options for the future. You start doing some research and reaching out to others who know more about whatever it is you are exploring. In the Shuffle phase you don’t have a lot of information yet, so you are thinking and gathering, exploring ideas, imagining different possibilities that could play out in the future. The Cycle of Change Phase 2:

I hope this post finds you healthy and well, maybe not everything going perfectly but seeing some sort of a light at the end of this tunnel. I truly believe we are all going to get through this and be okay and I believe this because we always do. We always get through our worst days, we always come out the other side of things. The question always is, really, “what do we want to experience while we’re going through it? Who do we want to be, how do we want to show up as? So, I have been using these episodes as a way to support you and let you know you are not alone and what you are going through is very normal. The Cycle of Change   Last week, I introduced The Cycle of Change using the analogy of a card game as I learned it through iPEC Coaching. I gave an overview of the four phases you can find yourself, in any area of your life. I’m going to dive into each phase and I started with the phase that we are all probably finding ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Toss In phase. We don’t go through Th

In September of 2017 I did a few episodes on the Cycle of Change. Given what we are going through currently I think this is a good time for a review. I was first introduced to the concept of the cycle of change when I was getting certified as a coach through iPEC Coaching. They had a nice analogy of the cycle of change as a card game. The Cycle of Change Change occurs in a cycle and we’re always in some part of the cycle of change in every area of our lives. Each part of your life is likely in different parts of the cycle. Because we tend to interpret different stage of the change cycle as good or bad, we commonly have the experience of feeling like there are always some areas of our life in which we are winning and other areas that feel like we are struggling. In this episode I’m going to give a brief overview of The Cycle of Change and discuss the overarching phase we are currently going through during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the card game analogy for The Cycle of Change there are several phases. Befo

If any of you have ever met Amy, you know she is passionate about three things.  Family, Finances, and WINE!  This comes through in all that she does and all that she is.  When asked to describe herself she first and foremost states, “I am a wife, a daughter, and hopefully a good friend, who happens to also be a financial planner.”  Amy holds a Master’s Degree in financial planning and is a Certified Financial PlannerTM, Enrolled Agent, Certified College Financial Consultant, and a Financial Wellness Coach with over 25 years of financial planning and industry experience.  She is the Founder and owner of Rooted Planning Group, Amy is definitely “doing it her way” and has been recognized by her financial planning colleagues as being a “disrupter,” a title she holds close to her heart and is proud of. On her website it states, “I love what I do, but I also very much enjoy warmth, good conversation, wine tastings, and volunteering. In this episode Amy and I discuss... The measures she is taking in the financial

March started off a celebration of Women’s History Month and ended with episodes on how to identify and support leaders who are struggling, especially now that we are in the midst of a pandemic. Ironically, the focus in March changed the week of the 5-year anniversary episode where I offered some perspectives that will help you to look at things differently so you could release some of the stress that you are likely experiencing. Changing your perspective, depending on the perspective you choose, can be like releasing a pressure valve. The next episode, which was the episode before this one, talked about the effects stress has on your system and why you may be finding it hard to function at your very best. I listed out some symptoms of a leader who is struggling and the mindset of a leader who, while being challenged in a crisis, can continue to function and grow in the face of those challenges. I know it has not been easy to talk about hard things but the way to the other side is through. We need to acknowle

The last episode of Women Taking the Lead was a celebration of 5 years of the Women Taking the Lead podcast and, in that episode, I also covered some ways to begin to relieve the stress you are likely experiencing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. You are dealing with the work and lifestyle changes, as well as the uncertainty around your future health and finances. It’s a lot. It’s a lot, and for some of you, you need to face that fact that you’re not going to have the same level of focus and productivity. Not without making some changes. Stress weighs on you and, from what I’ve seen and talked about with my clients, most of the stress you experience goes unacknowledged. Try this stress test Time yourself walking or running a half a mile. Once you are finished, note your time and take your pulse. Notice the pace of your breath and how much you are sweating. On a scale of 1-10, how do you feel after doing that half mile? Note how long it takes for your heart rate and breathing to return to normal. Now pick up

This episode is a celebration albeit a somber celebration. At the time of the release of this episode on March 25, 2020 we are 14 days into the Coronavirus or COVID-19 being declared a pandemic. The information we are getting from the news is startling, especially as we are all coming to grips with the fact that this isn’t going to pass in just 2-4 weeks, like we may have originally hoped. Things are very uncertain but we cannot stop doing the very things that continue to develop us and remind us of our humanity and our connection to one another. Let’s do some celebrating, then I’ve got some information that may help you get through the coming months. The Celebration The Women Taking the Lead podcast is 5 years old! The official launch date of Women Taking the Lead was March, 25 2015. Here are some numbers for you. Most podcast don’t go beyond 10 episodes and it’s uncommon to make it to 100 episodes. This episode is the 385th episode of Women Taking the Lead. There have been over 687,000 downloads in 176 diff

Roze Merditaj is the Founder and CEO of Real Women Collective Action (RWCA). She has over 10 years banking experience and over 8 years running small businesses. Her career in banking has involved many roles and responsibilities that she used every day to help and develop those around her. While in these roles she completed a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business all the while raising her children as a single mom. Roze was born and raised in Kosovo, Yugoslavia. There, she felt the deprivation of limited life choices for women and being considered a second-class citizen. Years later, having overcome many struggles, being a resource and creating a path for women is one her main passions in life. She mentors and coaches youth groups on financial management in Suffolk, Newport News, and Hampton, Virginia; and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, the Food Bank, Goodwill, and various shelters throughout the year. She believes anyone can achieve great success, with hard work, dedication, and focus. In this episod

Megan Jo Wilson is the Founder and Ringleader of Rockstar Camp for Women based in Portland, Maine. In the last year and a half, she has graduated over 50 women (and 10 brave men) through her experiential Feminist Leadership Camp which gives Women the tools they need to sing on stage in a spotlight with a live band and a live audience for one night.  As they take these empowering tools off the stage and into their businesses, they expand their impact AND their income, and have a damn good time doing it.  She has been a Certified Co-Active Coach and Business Mentor for 16 years, she is a Certified Sound Healer, and the author of two Bestselling Business-Books: “Who The Fuck Am I to Be a Coach?!” and “Who the Fuck Am I to Be a Rockstar?!”  Her BIG-SUPER-NOVA-MISSION is to redirect Financial Wealth, Power, and Influence into the hands of modern-day Healers and Magic-Makers.    In this episode Megan Jo and I discuss... Rockstar Camp for Women teaches Women Leaders to be more Visible… Why do you think that’s challe

Allyson Scammell is a master certified coach, EFT practitioner, and intuitive consultant. Her mission is to help soul-guided women entrepreneurs who are fed up with their efforts exceeding their income, to grow in life and business, using their own unique genius and soul's internal guidance system. Allyson was born and raised on a cattle ranch in South Dakota and spent her days dreaming of traveling the world. Immediately upon graduating college, she joined the Peace Corps and served for two years in a village in the Danube Delta. After earning a Master in International Affairs from Columbia University, she went on to work for 17 years in international development and humanitarian affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). At some point in those 17 years, she received a higher calling to leave that work and do something entrepreneurial in greater alignment to her soul’s purpose. Not sure what that was, she went on a journey to discover h