June 9, 2020 • 37 mins
Business owners don't always know how to react to the world around us, so Emily is diving into the steps that you can take to build a mindful and responsible business, touching on the themes of values, how to uncover your most impactful action, and more.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Emily Thompson (00:02):
I'm Emily Thompson.
Kathleen Shannon (00:04):
And I'm Kathleen Shannon.
Emily Thompson (00:05):
And this is being boss. In this episode of
being boss, I'm diving into thesteps you can take to build a
mindful and responsiblebusiness. touching on the themes
of values, how to uncover yourmost impactful action, and more.
As always, you can find all thetools, books and links we
(00:26):
referenced on the show notes atWWW dot being boss, dot club.
Hi, boss, friends, Emily here.
And I think that we can allagree that a new era is rolling
in. But the old one maybe isn'tgoing to leave without some
kicking and screaming. But I dothink that some things are
(00:51):
sliding and easily at least, Ihope around being lost. Even
without all the massive changesto the world at large. We've
been going through a bigtransition here for the past
year, a transition that I feelis about to wind down and with
the new form hopefully, of beingboss. And coming fully into
being even if it has been a longtime coming. I'll bring this
(01:14):
into focus on the micro scale.
I'm here today alone, and fiveand a half years of doing the
being boss podcast. There hasnever been a truly solo full
episode published on this feed.
Though, you'll see in a momentthat even that's going to be
done a little loosely. As I stepfurther into my role of owning
(01:37):
being boss, the business and theplatform. You'll find this
happening a little more often.
If you've been a listener for awhile, and you're not really
sure what I'm talking about.
Kathleen and I have been workingtogether on her exit for almost
a year. We share more about thisin an episode we released in
late 2019 called burnout andbuyout. And I'm sure I'll share
(01:59):
more as we make a more fulloutward facing transition in the
next couple of months. But don'tworry, Kathleen's not gone. And
I have big plans for bringingmore of my conversations with
business besties to you, butoccasionally, it's just going to
be me here having a conversationwith you. I hope that you remain
open to the chef's that willcontinue to be happening here
(02:20):
over the next couple of monthsas we start to bring to fruition
this next era of being boss,it's up my sleeves, and soon
it'll be out for everyone tosee. Now, today's episode was
planned to be one of those newconversations with one of my
business besties. But in lightof current events, I easily
realize the necessity ofstopping the process to put a
(02:41):
hold on our plans to addresscurrent events. For anyone who
may be listening to this episode235 years in the future. That's
always a fun thing to thinkabout when planning out these
episodes. I'm recording thisalmost three months into the
pandemic of 2020. And right atthe beginning of what I hope is
a massive reform that bringsequity into normalization
(03:05):
ignited by the death of GeorgeFloyd. Instead of posting what
may have ended up being a tonedeaf conversation about making
friends and talking business.
And I do understand that thatmay be what some of you want
right now, I thought it morepertinent to lend a bit of
support to any bosses out therewho may feel a little lost as to
what it is that you can do. Now,as a modern human who grew up in
(03:29):
the system, I'm not promising toget this right. But I think
that's always been the casehere, Kathleen, and I have never
shown up promising that we'regoing to teach you the exact
exact steps that will give yousuccess. But instead we've shown
up week after week, year afteryear as bosses who are figuring
it out right alongside you. Iwill share my experience as I've
(03:49):
navigated building a businessbased on values and touts the
imperativeness of action. Everytime we say do the work, I want
to share what I've discovered.
But it's up to you to figure outhow best to apply it to your
journey. Or you can also decideto leave it aside and follow
your own path. You're the boss.
So I'm going to dive into a fewquestions that I'm seeing coming
(04:12):
up often. As usual. I've beenhaving lots of conversations
than being boss community andwith my own business besties.
And I'm sharing them with youhere because there's a good
chance that most of you are notgoing around on at least one of
these for yourself. So we'llbegin with Where do I even
begin? And the answer simply isnow because it's a collective
(04:36):
universal effort that is longoverdue. And if you need to be
fueled by let's say selfpreservation, you certainly
don't want to wait until it'stoo late until you've defined
offended someone or until you'vedone something wrong. prejudices
are deeply ingrained into eachand every one of us and it's
past time to dismantle thatshit. So take control of
(04:59):
yourself and the position ofyour business. Now. Next up,
educate yourself, read books,watch documentaries, Google
stuff. But like deep Google,because serve as Google, those
first couple of pages that showup in your search results are
often highly curated to yourdemographic through search
algorithms. Whatever it is thatyou want to be more mindful
(05:22):
about right now fill your mind,from social justice, to
environmental issues to domesticabuse, you are responsible for
educating yourself on thematters that either surround
you, or that you're interestedin joining the fight against.
And I'm not going to give youany recommendations, the
internet is flooded with themright now. read some books,
(05:43):
watch some documentaries, Googlestuff.
Once you become educated, orreally, even as you are
educating yourself, begin toalign with your values, we all
have core values. And we'vetalked about them before, many,
many times, because values are ahuge part of being boss. It's an
exercise in our book, it's apart of CEO day kit, it's really
(06:06):
a key aspect of what it means tobe boss. When you know your
values, you know who you are,and they guide the work that you
do. I believe that the best wayto lay out values, because they
really are at the center of allof this is to offer up a
flashback from a minisode thatKathleen and I published back in
July of 2018.
(06:32):
So once you know your values,what it is that you hold is
super important to yourself.
Once you're able to identifythose, you can move through your
work in life with so much moreease, you can make better
decisions, all of these things.
So all of this to say, this isone of the most important
exercises that we do here atbeing boss. And it really leads
(06:54):
into everything else that we'redoing. So not to put any
pressure on anyone. But this isa core one.
Kathleen Shannon (07:01):
Yeah, totally.
So in our book, we interview,Tammy falls, who is a dear
friend of the show, and a lifecoach, life and death coach,
which is a whole other story.
But she's truly fascinating. Andone of the things that she says
is vision, poles, values, steerstrengths, fuel. So what I think
that this means is vision poleslike if you can see it, it's
(07:24):
yours. That's something that ourfriend Jay prior has said and
that I love so much the morespecific you can get about what
you want, the easier is going tobe to manifest those things and
to be able to identify them andclaim them as yours whenever you
see them. If you have thatvision, values steer. So this
one is incredibly important inhow you reach those goals. You
(07:47):
know, one of the things that wealways talk about is that if it
doesn't feel good along the way,what is the point and I think
that that's where values reallycomes in. And so just to
reiterate why this is afoundational practice at being
boss. And why this is thebackbone of so much of our
content is because it is whatkeeps you feeling good and
fueled along the way. So for me,whenever it comes to people
(08:10):
getting confused about how tofind their values, or not
knowing if they're doing itright, or if their values feel
too aspirational, I think one ofthe first things that you can do
is go all the way back, thinkabout whenever you were five
years old, whenever you were 10years old, whenever you were a
teenager, what was reallyimportant to you and what still
(08:31):
rings true, I think that thereare some values that we're just
inherently born with. So I knowI've spoken about my values, ad
nauseum, like I feel like I'vesaid the word authenticity a
million times on this podcast.
But for me really thinking abouthow whenever I was younger, it
was really valuable to me tostand out and to be different to
buy my clothes at the secondhandshop, and not look like anybody
(08:54):
else. And then to this day, howdoes that show up in my business
and in my vision for the workthat I'm creating is helping
people be who they are 100% ofthe time. So this is a value
that has resonated over time.
And then there are certainlyvalues that are a little bit
more aspirational, that don'tquite feel true, but feel true
(09:16):
to who I want to become. And sothat's another huge one, too.
What about, what about you all?
What about you, Emily? Whatvalues and how do you? How do
you weigh the murky waters ifyou're feeling unclear on what
your values are?
Emily Thompson (09:30):
Right, same i think i think there's a one or
two that will hold fastthroughout your entire life. And
I know that another place that alot of people get hung up with
this exercise on is especiallylooking at you know, personal
values versus business values.
And I want to say for people whofind themselves struggling with
that piece, it's reallyimportant to consider which ones
(09:53):
overlap and in some cases wheresome may be a business value.
And maybe not so much a personalor vice versa, I think those are
usually pretty few and farbetween I think if you are
building a personal brand or abusiness based on your own
creativity, that the overlapwill be larger than not. But I
do think I think that there aresome cases in which you can have
(10:17):
something as a very strong valuein your personal life that you
may not be bringing too terriblymuch into your business in terms
of a forward facing mission ofyour business. However, I do
think you are still bringingthat value into how it how it is
that you show up for yourbusiness and the people that
your business serves.
Kathleen Shannon (10:38):
I also think that really finding your values
and getting clear on them issomething that is a practice
that will evolve and solidifyover time. So there are some
values that have been with meforever, like authenticity, for
example. But then there issomething that I like to try on
for size. And this is where ourmonthly intention practice of
(10:59):
setting intentions, and thenexpressing what those intentions
are, you know, journaling aboutit talking about it to each
other is a place where I can tryon values and really try on
single word intentions and seehow those resonate. And
sometimes I adopt them for life.
And sometimes I adopt them for ayear or just for a season or for
a month. And so I think thatit's something that you can
(11:22):
really practice. And it shouldbe an ongoing practice, it's not
like, you're going to sit downand do the exercise on page 48.
and be done with it. It'ssomething that you might be
exploring for your entire life,
Emily Thompson (11:36):
for sure. And there have even been instances
where a value comes to theforefront for me. So you know,
I've done this exercise a dozentimes or more over the past, you
know, two or three years or so,every time we do an iteration of
the clubhouse, or I'm doing myown CEO day, every year, I do
this exercise. And so it'salways really funny to me
(11:58):
whenever a new one pops up. Soone that recently popped up for
me that I see as being very truefor me long term and even like
going back to whenever I was akid. But as I've gone through
this exercise over the years,it's never popped out to me
until recently, and that onebeing respect. So respect being
(12:18):
one of those values that I'vereally only been able to
recently notice as a value formyself. So just another
illustration of how this is anongoing understanding of who you
are, and what it is that youvalue. I also want to note
really quickly about how manyvalues that you should pick out
because I think this is probablyone of those places where a lot
of people get hung up. And whatwe want you to do with this list
(12:42):
of values, is go through it acouple of times, we always
recommend people go through andjust like put a little dot next
to everyone that stands out toyou. And then once you do that,
go back through that list overand over again, until you get
down to about three to fivevalues. If you have more than
(13:03):
that it can be really hard foryou to succinctly communicate to
yourself and others what it isthat you hold important. But the
more narrow you can get, themore easily you'll be able to
tap into those. That doesn'tmean they won't change, it
doesn't mean that you don'tvalue other things. But it does
help you succinctly identifywhat it is that you value most.
(13:26):
And, Kathleen, if you'd like totalk a second about all the
people who find values that aresimilar, like let's say joy and
happy.
Kathleen Shannon (13:37):
Right, so I think that if you are struggling
with finding a value, thatdoesn't quite resonate, it's
really looking at some of thoseother words that represent what
that value also means. So evenbusting out the thesaurus and
figuring out what words reallyresonate and saying them out
loud. So if you have a bunch ofvalues that seem the same, like
(13:59):
joy, and happiness, I wouldreally dig in and ask yourself,
okay, what is the differencebetween these two? What do they
have in common? Which word sayit out loud, say joy out loud,
say happiness out loud, whichone resonates more? Are there
other words for joy andhappiness, that ring more true
(14:19):
to you. So it really is a gameof semantics a little bit, but
that language matters. And thatlanguage will start to shape who
you become and who you are, themore that you say it in your
mind and out loud. And the moreyou find those values crossing
your path in real life. Likethat's one of my favorite things
(14:41):
about this practice of valuesand intentions is really seeing
where these things show up. Soeven for you Emily respects
coming to the top of the listrecently. It's like okay, where
is that being reflected? And howdoes that show up for you? This
is such a personal practice andit's going to be different for
everybody. So that's anotherthing Is that, you know, Emily,
(15:01):
you and I might have the exactsame value. And it's going to
mean that something a little bitmore different for each of us
there's going to be thosenuances and really exploring
those nuances is I think whatmakes this practice so special
and impactful.
Emily Thompson (15:23):
So values, figure out what yours are,
define them and practice themand everything that you do. If
you need some resources and wantthem from being boss, you can
snag a copy of the being bossbook, anywhere books are sold,
or CEO daycare, links to both ofthose are in the show notes.
Once you're good and solid inyour values, you're practicing
(15:45):
them. And by practicing them, Imean in your everyday life, and
how it is that you speak topeople and how it is that you
speak to yourself and even inthe systems of your business.
Once you have those values goinglayer on setting intentions,
setting and practicingintentions is a way for you to
try on those values as you heardin that episode. That may not
(16:09):
usually resonate with you. Forthose of you who would not say
that diversity or inclusion orequity or even activism are
concepts that you would usuallyidentify as core values for
yourself or your business. Thisis where you can adopt them as
intentions as we navigate thecurrent climate. or anytime that
you just want to be more mindfulof these things. Because even
(16:32):
though they may not be your corevalues, the practice of them as
intentions will send a ripplesthrough your life and work. And
I've personally found focusingon my intentions, Paramount as a
guide through the past couple ofweeks. For weeks, I found myself
feeling more and more rooted inmy intention practice even more
so than my personal values. Imean, there comes a time,
(16:55):
occasionally in your life oryour personal values, it's not
that they're less important.
It's just there are moreimportant things than your own
personal values. And, or thereis no, I don't want to say this,
it's not that they're moreimportant, it's just that maybe
they're on the back burner. Likeit's still a very important part
of the mill. But they're likethey're under control. They're
(17:15):
simmering back there on the backburner. And you need to put your
intentions on the front burners,and really give those that those
the juice that they need to helpyou through. You've heard
Kathleen and I talk aboutsetting intentions with the new
moon. But that's not currentlyworking for me right now.
Instead, I'm finding that everymorning, I'm feeling called to
(17:40):
set an intention for the day.
Sometimes it's that I wanteveryone to just feel supported.
I felt this a lot while I waspivoting the being boss
conference to being online. Or Iwant everyone to feel included,
which is the intention that Iwas setting as I was actually
hosting the beam bossconference. Or I want everyone
(18:02):
to feel accepted, which is anintention that I've said as I've
connected with members of ourcommunity and shared content
through this difficult time. Andit's not just about others.
Sometimes I want to feel rested,as I take care of myself through
an intensely stressful season,as both a business owner but
also a mom and a human on theplanet Earth. And intention, not
(18:25):
just platitudes. Feeling intoyour intentions will help you
align to the right path ofaction. They keep me aligned to
what I want to cultivate morefor myself and for others. So
you've aligned with your values,you're practicing your
intentions, then he do whatbosses do. You show up and you
(18:46):
do the work. Education informsthe values and intentions.
Values intentions show you thepath, but it's up to you to do
the work and you'll part ofbeing boss is taking action
period, it is actually making ithappen. not waiting on it to
just happen or hoping someoneelse will do it so that you
(19:07):
don't have to, it's actuallydoing it. And then finally, it's
following through with some sortof accountability, whether it's
an accountability partner thatyou are discussing your efforts
with, or you're holding yourselfaccountable with measurable
goals and milestone checkins.
Keep yourself in check to ensurethat your work is actually
creating the impact that youwant. Now, with that sort of
(19:28):
outline, I think it's clear thatthere's no single blueprint
blueprint for anyone. Everyonehas a different path. But basing
that path on your values andintentions is what will leave
you at the finish line feelinggreat about the work that you've
done.
(19:48):
Now, I'm hearing this often frombosses as well. But I'm not an
activist or I don't do politics,and I get it. Me neither but as
someone Who has claimed yourpower which you have done, if
you've detached yourself fromyour corporate job, or started
your own business or even on apath of making that decision for
(20:09):
yourself, you are responsiblefor helping break the system, or
otherwise building a responsiblestream of revenue for yourself,
that is not supported by asystem that takes advantage of
others, which makes a lot of themost important action of this
movement, the things that you'redoing inside of and within your
own business, a place whereyou're already spending much of
(20:31):
your time anyway, I do believethat we all have to take that
responsibility in this moment.
You don't have to change yourbrand to be an activist or share
everything through a politicallens. But I believe we should
all be conscious of whatsupports our businesses, and who
our businesses and dollarssupport. It's not about
pivoting. It's about becomingfully aligned with your values
(20:54):
and intentions and takingappropriate action. And I'll get
to that action piece in just asecond. But for a moment, I want
to get specific in a placethat's grated my nerves for a
very long time, from the multimillion dollar bosses, to those
of you who are just sidehustling as a solopreneur, I
believe a place that so many ofus can break a common, but
(21:17):
harming system is in dismantlinga long history of exclusion
marketing. In this next clip,I'm going to share you'll hear
Erica core de a diversity Equityand Inclusion coach and longtime
entrepreneur that I invited tobe one of the boss experts at
the being boss conference. he orshe's leading a breakout session
from the conference titledbuilding an inclusive business,
(21:39):
which is where I believe everysingle one of us has an
opportunity for growth, eitherand addressing it in our own
businesses or being aware of itand businesses that we support.
Unknown (21:57):
So essentially, the reason that I'm here is I want
to talk to you about what itlooks like to create an
inclusive business. And I wantto start with the fact that
inclusive inclusivity is aboutan action. Inclusion is just
something that's kind ofstagnant, this is not something
that I want you to work out,leave on a worksheet put in a
document somewhere extension,yeah, did it check the block,
(22:18):
I'm done. This is aboutsomething that actually is about
action, you are figuring outwhat this looks like in your
brand. you're figuring what thislooks like with the services
that you provide theconversations, you're having the
people that you support, andseeing what this actually looks
like inclusivity is not justabout black or white male or
female inclusivity is aboutthose that want to be included,
(22:40):
being able to feel as thoughthey are. So you want to think
about as you want to think aboutrace, you want to think about
religion, you want to thinkabout societal indicators, in
any way, shape, or form as faras how somebody shows up, and
they have no say in it. I'm ablack woman, this is how I was
born. But I have no say inwhether or not the world
processes me that way. Thinkabout hair texture, you want to
(23:03):
think about income levels, youwant to think about how evolved,
maybe someone is with theiremotional journey, their
spiritual journey. This is allabout what this means for your
business. So there is no onesize fits all type of thing.
This isn't going to be the samefor everyone. What works for
Kelly is not going to be thesame thing that works Latasha,
(23:23):
it's not going to be the samething that works for Laura, that
works for me. So this is aboutfiguring out what does the act
of inclusivity actually looklike within your business.
Essentially, it's built onfundamental practices. Again,
those that want to be included,can be included. And you want
this to be a theory of somethingthat you understand within your
actual back end things. So yourmission, your vision, things
(23:46):
that this is how you operate.
But you also want it to besomething that the people that
are interacting with you, thecustomers that you're serving
the people that you're actuallybuilding a community with that
they understand that this iswhat this looks like, and how
they interact with you and howyou're interacting with them.
Know business is built oneveryone being included. And I
want to say that again. And Iwant to make sure that you
(24:07):
understand this, everybody isnot going to be included,
because it's not for everybody.
If you have somebody that doesthings specifically for you to
be able to work through trauma,everybody's not at a place that
they can work through theirtrauma, let alone acknowledge
that they have it. So therefore,it does not mean that your
business is not inclusive, butit means that those that are not
there. Don't feel called to beincluded. And that's fine.
(24:31):
That's fine. If Tasha is talkingabout writers, but she's not
talking about somebody that doesscreenplays, well, that's not
her market. So they may not beincluded. But that's about
people that want to be includedas a romance writer, in her
audience being able to beincluded. So it's important to
be able to acknowledge what thatactually means based on what you
(24:54):
do and what you're offering andnot about inclusion by x
collusion or just oh, I have tospeak to everybody speaking to
everybody means you're speakingto nobody. So no different than
any other marketing efforts,this is the same thing. And
there's nothing wrong with beingable to acknowledge who those
people are. Now, if you arepointedly saying, My people do
(25:15):
not include women of color,that's exclusion, that's
different, that is a wholedifferent thing. And I'm going
to give you something to thinkabout. They came up for me a
couple months back, and itreally stood out. And it was
extremely purposeful. So at onepoint, um, my business partner,
Andy, and I were looking atgoing to the wing, to actually
(25:36):
just do some co working, andlong story short in looking at
this specific space, and howthey did things which had heard
the name very often, I ended upseeing that, oh, you actually
exclude men. And the more that Iread about it, that did not work
for me. And I said, I don't wantto be in this space. For the
simple fact that I think it isone thing to say that you're in
(25:58):
creating increating a space that is
inclusive and safe. For women,it is another to say that if you
have a penis, you can't be here,because there are men that stand
for the things that matter tosome women and some women don't.
I have met women that are notinclusive of other women, and
men that are more inclusive. Sothat is a poignant example of
(26:23):
what it looks like to haveinclusion by exclusion. That's
bullshit, do not do that.
Because if you are going to saythat you're not welcome here,
because of x, y, z, what is thedifference of that being someone
else that says, I can't bethere, because I'm a black
woman. You don't want to excludepeople, because of societal
(26:44):
indicators, you want to excludepeople because they're not a
good fit, they'll excludethemselves, you want to exclude
people, because the valuesaren't the same, the desire of
what you're there for is not thesame. And again, they will
usually exclude themselves. Butyou don't want to practice
inclusion by exclusion, becausethat can be extremely dangerous.
Emily Thompson (27:13):
Erica has perception and ability to speak
on these topics is one of thethings that drew me to her
initially months ago. And Eric,his work has been hugely
highlighted as we've all beennavigating through the past few
weeks. So if you're curiousabout her work, you can follow
her at Erica core de.com.
There's a link in the shownotes. And if you want to hear
(27:34):
the rest of that session fromthe being boss conference, we
now have all the sessions fromthe conference available in the
being boss clubhouse, alsolinked in the show notes. Okay,
let's get to this action piece,because so many people, so many
bosses are asking, What can Iactually do? And I know everyone
hates this answer, but I thinkit's the right one. The action
(27:57):
looks different for each andevery one of us. Maybe you use
your platform to share differentperspectives or to share
resources, maybe use your skillsto do something different, or
for someone different. Maybe youchange your vendors or otherwise
change your business's systems.
(28:17):
Maybe you have a hardconversation with that person
who needs to hear what you haveto say. Maybe you dedicate your
resources, your time, yourmoney, your energy to a person
or calls that need support.
Maybe you do everything theexact same as you're currently
doing it if you've been doingthe work already of being
mindful and responsible. Butyou're using this opportunity to
(28:37):
put your money where your mouthis supporting other
organizations, causes andbusinesses with your wealth, you
won't know what action will bemost impactful to you until you
align with your values andintentions. I often find that
once I settle into those theaction shapes itself and becomes
crystal clear. Now I do want totouch on a common action and one
(29:00):
that I feel is causing a lot ofdistress. But should I put
something on social media? Nowanyone who's been around for a
while will know that my opinionof social media has always been
less than favorable. So knowthat my answer to this question
is through that lens. And Iwon't go further into that. But
what I will say is that postingon social media is the least you
(29:23):
could do. And bosses are nothere to do the least. I
wholeheartedly do not believethat posting platitudes on
Instagram is the best actionthat most of you can take. So if
you're wasting time frettingabout that, if it's freezing you
up from doing anything, let itgo and find a place to put your
energy where you can actuallymake impact. Do not let the
(29:45):
pressures of social media keepyou from doing real work. And
sometimes I hear this questionwhich I do want to address in
case anyone is feeling it Whatabout the other causes that I
support? Am I supposed to leavethem behind? And my answer is,
(30:05):
and I feel good about this ismaybe, at least for this moment,
because I do believe that thisis a moment that needs us all to
jump in and finish the job thatshould have been finished
decades ago. Whether yourpassion is in the environment,
or animals or human rights inanother part of the world.
(30:28):
Occasionally, there's massivemoments in history where humans
focus in and in those moments,we all have the responsibility
to work together to solve thebig problem at hand. I have also
long believed as a nature loverwith an education in both
physical and cultural geography,that we cannot fix our policies
and help the planet until we canget along at home within our own
(30:50):
species. The two are tiedtogether, and this moment calls
for focus. I also feel that wemay be looking at a long haul of
political and cultural activism,as we've seen so much revealed
over the past several years withthe current administration, the
me to movement and more, we willcontinue getting called the call
(31:12):
support. So it's likely time toconsider building cultural and
environmental support into yourbusiness model, which is
something we've talked aboutseveral times on this podcast,
so that you're not caughtunaware and spread, then when
it's time to come together. Ialso request that you consider
building ongoing support for theorganizations and causes that
(31:33):
align with your values into yourbusiness model. And then
allowing yourself for specialefforts when and where needed.
An example of this is what we doat Almanac supply company. Our
lookout candle is ourChattanooga themed candle. And a
portion of all proceeds from thesale of that candle have and
will always go to a local landpreservation organization, that
support is constant. But lastweek, we did a crystal party
(31:57):
virtual shopping thing on zoom,that was a ton of fun. Where the
proceeds went to Black LivesMatter. With a little bit of
planning, your business can havea constant impact and focused
impact, too.
Now, I am not a diversity coach,I'm not the most woke person on
(32:18):
the planet. I'm just a creativeentrepreneur who has practiced
business mindfully for yearsbecause I've literally share it
with 10s of 1000s of people on apodcast, I think about it a lot,
because I want to share with youthe best information that you
can use to build responsible andmindful businesses of your own.
Everything I've shared here isfrom listening from learning and
(32:39):
from doing the work, or that hasnot yet done, but doing the work
nonetheless. So I want to sharewith you a few things that I
found hugely impactful formyself on this journey. First
and foremost, as I can be astrue to being boss as possible,
but also that's why I'm heredoing this. It's an having
(33:00):
mindful open conversations. I'vesaid this so much lately, but
it's because it's so true.
Talking business helps you dobetter business, you have to
talk things out, you have toshare what you've learned, you
have to work through yourfeelings and your biases and
your triggers. I think thatevery boss needs a business
bestie to work things out with.
(33:25):
You don't want to be workingthrough your biases and triggers
in public or in the wrongcompany. Kathleen and I have
been discussing diversity andinclusion in this business for
almost five years, we've hadsome hard chats, we've said
things wrong. And then we'veworked it out. And we found true
alignment where we all feltcomfortable. We've created the
(33:46):
safe space for each other andeven within our team. And we've
all worked through thingstogether. And I think it can be
very helpful to have a businessbestie who is like you so that
you can work through your sameissues together. And it's also
important to diversify yourfriend group to bring in
different professions, differentcultures, different viewpoints
(34:07):
to expand the perception of howit is that you view the world so
that you can gain a broaderperception of the world through
it. Something else that I deemvery important has been
committing to action early.
Though I know we're far fromperfect. I'm proud of the work
that we've done at being ballsto cultivate a space where so
many kinds of bosses feelwelcome. I've long discussed how
(34:30):
it's not race or creed or genderthat pulls us together. But a
common goal to take control ofour work and live lives on our
own terms. And that startingearly cannot be replaced which
is why I'm recommending that ifyou haven't started yet start
now. And I haven't just said it.
(34:50):
We've done work to make this allhappen. And most of this is not
even worth that we've sharedwe've recently shared a little
more openly the things that weDon here at being boss. But it's
not about doing the things andsharing the things we've been
doing the things for years, it'sabout doing it for the sake of
doing it, not doing it for thesake of sharing it. And why?
(35:15):
Because inclusivity aligns withour values, and is worth the
work sharing as part of ourvalues too, but significantly
less so. And we will alwaysrecognize that the work is not
done, we're continuing to do thework, because we all have a long
way to go. And as I keeplearning again, and again, to
(35:39):
run a company called being boss,and to have built a platform,
where people literally listen towhat I say, I accept that it's
my responsibility to live andwork by example, and to share
what I learned with you alongthe way. And what I continue to
intend is to be an example ofwhat it is to be an ally to all
(35:59):
humans who desire to be boss,and to encourage you to build a
business that breaks the mold ofthe corporations that you've
left behind, to create in a waythat's fulfilling and fueling
and to know that we are all inthis together. And just think
about the amazing impact thatwe're all going to be able to
(36:19):
make when we have mindfullybuilt responsible businesses.
Thanks for listening. And hey,if you want more resources,
we're talking worksheets, freetrainings in person meetups and
vacations and more. Go to ourwebsite at www dot bien boss dot
(36:41):
club.
Kathleen Shannon (36:42):
Do the work the boss
I'm Emily Thompson.
Kathleen Shannon (00:04):
And I'm Kathleen Shannon.
Emily Thompson (00:05):
And this is being boss. In this episode of
being boss, I'm diving into thesteps you can take to build a
mindful and responsiblebusiness. touching on the themes
of values, how to uncover yourmost impactful action, and more.
As always, you can find all thetools, books and links we
(00:26):
referenced on the show notes atWWW dot being boss, dot club.
Hi, boss, friends, Emily here.
And I think that we can allagree that a new era is rolling
in. But the old one maybe isn'tgoing to leave without some
kicking and screaming. But I dothink that some things are
(00:51):
sliding and easily at least, Ihope around being lost. Even
without all the massive changesto the world at large. We've
been going through a bigtransition here for the past
year, a transition that I feelis about to wind down and with
the new form hopefully, of beingboss. And coming fully into
being even if it has been a longtime coming. I'll bring this
(01:14):
into focus on the micro scale.
I'm here today alone, and fiveand a half years of doing the
being boss podcast. There hasnever been a truly solo full
episode published on this feed.
Though, you'll see in a momentthat even that's going to be
done a little loosely. As I stepfurther into my role of owning
(01:37):
being boss, the business and theplatform. You'll find this
happening a little more often.
If you've been a listener for awhile, and you're not really
sure what I'm talking about.
Kathleen and I have been workingtogether on her exit for almost
a year. We share more about thisin an episode we released in
late 2019 called burnout andbuyout. And I'm sure I'll share
(01:59):
more as we make a more fulloutward facing transition in the
next couple of months. But don'tworry, Kathleen's not gone. And
I have big plans for bringingmore of my conversations with
business besties to you, butoccasionally, it's just going to
be me here having a conversationwith you. I hope that you remain
open to the chef's that willcontinue to be happening here
(02:20):
over the next couple of monthsas we start to bring to fruition
this next era of being boss,it's up my sleeves, and soon
it'll be out for everyone tosee. Now, today's episode was
planned to be one of those newconversations with one of my
business besties. But in lightof current events, I easily
realize the necessity ofstopping the process to put a
(02:41):
hold on our plans to addresscurrent events. For anyone who
may be listening to this episode235 years in the future. That's
always a fun thing to thinkabout when planning out these
episodes. I'm recording thisalmost three months into the
pandemic of 2020. And right atthe beginning of what I hope is
a massive reform that bringsequity into normalization
(03:05):
ignited by the death of GeorgeFloyd. Instead of posting what
may have ended up being a tonedeaf conversation about making
friends and talking business.
And I do understand that thatmay be what some of you want
right now, I thought it morepertinent to lend a bit of
support to any bosses out therewho may feel a little lost as to
what it is that you can do. Now,as a modern human who grew up in
(03:29):
the system, I'm not promising toget this right. But I think
that's always been the casehere, Kathleen, and I have never
shown up promising that we'regoing to teach you the exact
exact steps that will give yousuccess. But instead we've shown
up week after week, year afteryear as bosses who are figuring
it out right alongside you. Iwill share my experience as I've
(03:49):
navigated building a businessbased on values and touts the
imperativeness of action. Everytime we say do the work, I want
to share what I've discovered.
But it's up to you to figure outhow best to apply it to your
journey. Or you can also decideto leave it aside and follow
your own path. You're the boss.
So I'm going to dive into a fewquestions that I'm seeing coming
(04:12):
up often. As usual. I've beenhaving lots of conversations
than being boss community andwith my own business besties.
And I'm sharing them with youhere because there's a good
chance that most of you are notgoing around on at least one of
these for yourself. So we'llbegin with Where do I even
begin? And the answer simply isnow because it's a collective
(04:36):
universal effort that is longoverdue. And if you need to be
fueled by let's say selfpreservation, you certainly
don't want to wait until it'stoo late until you've defined
offended someone or until you'vedone something wrong. prejudices
are deeply ingrained into eachand every one of us and it's
past time to dismantle thatshit. So take control of
(04:59):
yourself and the position ofyour business. Now. Next up,
educate yourself, read books,watch documentaries, Google
stuff. But like deep Google,because serve as Google, those
first couple of pages that showup in your search results are
often highly curated to yourdemographic through search
algorithms. Whatever it is thatyou want to be more mindful
(05:22):
about right now fill your mind,from social justice, to
environmental issues to domesticabuse, you are responsible for
educating yourself on thematters that either surround
you, or that you're interestedin joining the fight against.
And I'm not going to give youany recommendations, the
internet is flooded with themright now. read some books,
(05:43):
watch some documentaries, Googlestuff.
Once you become educated, orreally, even as you are
educating yourself, begin toalign with your values, we all
have core values. And we'vetalked about them before, many,
many times, because values are ahuge part of being boss. It's an
exercise in our book, it's apart of CEO day kit, it's really
(06:06):
a key aspect of what it means tobe boss. When you know your
values, you know who you are,and they guide the work that you
do. I believe that the best wayto lay out values, because they
really are at the center of allof this is to offer up a
flashback from a minisode thatKathleen and I published back in
July of 2018.
(06:32):
So once you know your values,what it is that you hold is
super important to yourself.
Once you're able to identifythose, you can move through your
work in life with so much moreease, you can make better
decisions, all of these things.
So all of this to say, this isone of the most important
exercises that we do here atbeing boss. And it really leads
(06:54):
into everything else that we'redoing. So not to put any
pressure on anyone. But this isa core one.
Kathleen Shannon (07:01):
Yeah, totally.
So in our book, we interview,Tammy falls, who is a dear
friend of the show, and a lifecoach, life and death coach,
which is a whole other story.
But she's truly fascinating. Andone of the things that she says
is vision, poles, values, steerstrengths, fuel. So what I think
that this means is vision poleslike if you can see it, it's
(07:24):
yours. That's something that ourfriend Jay prior has said and
that I love so much the morespecific you can get about what
you want, the easier is going tobe to manifest those things and
to be able to identify them andclaim them as yours whenever you
see them. If you have thatvision, values steer. So this
one is incredibly important inhow you reach those goals. You
(07:47):
know, one of the things that wealways talk about is that if it
doesn't feel good along the way,what is the point and I think
that that's where values reallycomes in. And so just to
reiterate why this is afoundational practice at being
boss. And why this is thebackbone of so much of our
content is because it is whatkeeps you feeling good and
fueled along the way. So for me,whenever it comes to people
(08:10):
getting confused about how tofind their values, or not
knowing if they're doing itright, or if their values feel
too aspirational, I think one ofthe first things that you can do
is go all the way back, thinkabout whenever you were five
years old, whenever you were 10years old, whenever you were a
teenager, what was reallyimportant to you and what still
(08:31):
rings true, I think that thereare some values that we're just
inherently born with. So I knowI've spoken about my values, ad
nauseum, like I feel like I'vesaid the word authenticity a
million times on this podcast.
But for me really thinking abouthow whenever I was younger, it
was really valuable to me tostand out and to be different to
buy my clothes at the secondhandshop, and not look like anybody
(08:54):
else. And then to this day, howdoes that show up in my business
and in my vision for the workthat I'm creating is helping
people be who they are 100% ofthe time. So this is a value
that has resonated over time.
And then there are certainlyvalues that are a little bit
more aspirational, that don'tquite feel true, but feel true
(09:16):
to who I want to become. And sothat's another huge one, too.
What about, what about you all?
What about you, Emily? Whatvalues and how do you? How do
you weigh the murky waters ifyou're feeling unclear on what
your values are?
Emily Thompson (09:30):
Right, same i think i think there's a one or
two that will hold fastthroughout your entire life. And
I know that another place that alot of people get hung up with
this exercise on is especiallylooking at you know, personal
values versus business values.
And I want to say for people whofind themselves struggling with
that piece, it's reallyimportant to consider which ones
(09:53):
overlap and in some cases wheresome may be a business value.
And maybe not so much a personalor vice versa, I think those are
usually pretty few and farbetween I think if you are
building a personal brand or abusiness based on your own
creativity, that the overlapwill be larger than not. But I
do think I think that there aresome cases in which you can have
(10:17):
something as a very strong valuein your personal life that you
may not be bringing too terriblymuch into your business in terms
of a forward facing mission ofyour business. However, I do
think you are still bringingthat value into how it how it is
that you show up for yourbusiness and the people that
your business serves.
Kathleen Shannon (10:38):
I also think that really finding your values
and getting clear on them issomething that is a practice
that will evolve and solidifyover time. So there are some
values that have been with meforever, like authenticity, for
example. But then there issomething that I like to try on
for size. And this is where ourmonthly intention practice of
(10:59):
setting intentions, and thenexpressing what those intentions
are, you know, journaling aboutit talking about it to each
other is a place where I can tryon values and really try on
single word intentions and seehow those resonate. And
sometimes I adopt them for life.
And sometimes I adopt them for ayear or just for a season or for
a month. And so I think thatit's something that you can
(11:22):
really practice. And it shouldbe an ongoing practice, it's not
like, you're going to sit downand do the exercise on page 48.
and be done with it. It'ssomething that you might be
exploring for your entire life,
Emily Thompson (11:36):
for sure. And there have even been instances
where a value comes to theforefront for me. So you know,
I've done this exercise a dozentimes or more over the past, you
know, two or three years or so,every time we do an iteration of
the clubhouse, or I'm doing myown CEO day, every year, I do
this exercise. And so it'salways really funny to me
(11:58):
whenever a new one pops up. Soone that recently popped up for
me that I see as being very truefor me long term and even like
going back to whenever I was akid. But as I've gone through
this exercise over the years,it's never popped out to me
until recently, and that onebeing respect. So respect being
(12:18):
one of those values that I'vereally only been able to
recently notice as a value formyself. So just another
illustration of how this is anongoing understanding of who you
are, and what it is that youvalue. I also want to note
really quickly about how manyvalues that you should pick out
because I think this is probablyone of those places where a lot
of people get hung up. And whatwe want you to do with this list
(12:42):
of values, is go through it acouple of times, we always
recommend people go through andjust like put a little dot next
to everyone that stands out toyou. And then once you do that,
go back through that list overand over again, until you get
down to about three to fivevalues. If you have more than
(13:03):
that it can be really hard foryou to succinctly communicate to
yourself and others what it isthat you hold important. But the
more narrow you can get, themore easily you'll be able to
tap into those. That doesn'tmean they won't change, it
doesn't mean that you don'tvalue other things. But it does
help you succinctly identifywhat it is that you value most.
(13:26):
And, Kathleen, if you'd like totalk a second about all the
people who find values that aresimilar, like let's say joy and
happy.
Kathleen Shannon (13:37):
Right, so I think that if you are struggling
with finding a value, thatdoesn't quite resonate, it's
really looking at some of thoseother words that represent what
that value also means. So evenbusting out the thesaurus and
figuring out what words reallyresonate and saying them out
loud. So if you have a bunch ofvalues that seem the same, like
(13:59):
joy, and happiness, I wouldreally dig in and ask yourself,
okay, what is the differencebetween these two? What do they
have in common? Which word sayit out loud, say joy out loud,
say happiness out loud, whichone resonates more? Are there
other words for joy andhappiness, that ring more true
(14:19):
to you. So it really is a gameof semantics a little bit, but
that language matters. And thatlanguage will start to shape who
you become and who you are, themore that you say it in your
mind and out loud. And the moreyou find those values crossing
your path in real life. Likethat's one of my favorite things
(14:41):
about this practice of valuesand intentions is really seeing
where these things show up. Soeven for you Emily respects
coming to the top of the listrecently. It's like okay, where
is that being reflected? And howdoes that show up for you? This
is such a personal practice andit's going to be different for
everybody. So that's anotherthing Is that, you know, Emily,
(15:01):
you and I might have the exactsame value. And it's going to
mean that something a little bitmore different for each of us
there's going to be thosenuances and really exploring
those nuances is I think whatmakes this practice so special
and impactful.
Emily Thompson (15:23):
So values, figure out what yours are,
define them and practice themand everything that you do. If
you need some resources and wantthem from being boss, you can
snag a copy of the being bossbook, anywhere books are sold,
or CEO daycare, links to both ofthose are in the show notes.
Once you're good and solid inyour values, you're practicing
(15:45):
them. And by practicing them, Imean in your everyday life, and
how it is that you speak topeople and how it is that you
speak to yourself and even inthe systems of your business.
Once you have those values goinglayer on setting intentions,
setting and practicingintentions is a way for you to
try on those values as you heardin that episode. That may not
(16:09):
usually resonate with you. Forthose of you who would not say
that diversity or inclusion orequity or even activism are
concepts that you would usuallyidentify as core values for
yourself or your business. Thisis where you can adopt them as
intentions as we navigate thecurrent climate. or anytime that
you just want to be more mindfulof these things. Because even
(16:32):
though they may not be your corevalues, the practice of them as
intentions will send a ripplesthrough your life and work. And
I've personally found focusingon my intentions, Paramount as a
guide through the past couple ofweeks. For weeks, I found myself
feeling more and more rooted inmy intention practice even more
so than my personal values. Imean, there comes a time,
(16:55):
occasionally in your life oryour personal values, it's not
that they're less important.
It's just there are moreimportant things than your own
personal values. And, or thereis no, I don't want to say this,
it's not that they're moreimportant, it's just that maybe
they're on the back burner. Likeit's still a very important part
of the mill. But they're likethey're under control. They're
(17:15):
simmering back there on the backburner. And you need to put your
intentions on the front burners,and really give those that those
the juice that they need to helpyou through. You've heard
Kathleen and I talk aboutsetting intentions with the new
moon. But that's not currentlyworking for me right now.
Instead, I'm finding that everymorning, I'm feeling called to
(17:40):
set an intention for the day.
Sometimes it's that I wanteveryone to just feel supported.
I felt this a lot while I waspivoting the being boss
conference to being online. Or Iwant everyone to feel included,
which is the intention that Iwas setting as I was actually
hosting the beam bossconference. Or I want everyone
(18:02):
to feel accepted, which is anintention that I've said as I've
connected with members of ourcommunity and shared content
through this difficult time. Andit's not just about others.
Sometimes I want to feel rested,as I take care of myself through
an intensely stressful season,as both a business owner but
also a mom and a human on theplanet Earth. And intention, not
(18:25):
just platitudes. Feeling intoyour intentions will help you
align to the right path ofaction. They keep me aligned to
what I want to cultivate morefor myself and for others. So
you've aligned with your values,you're practicing your
intentions, then he do whatbosses do. You show up and you
(18:46):
do the work. Education informsthe values and intentions.
Values intentions show you thepath, but it's up to you to do
the work and you'll part ofbeing boss is taking action
period, it is actually making ithappen. not waiting on it to
just happen or hoping someoneelse will do it so that you
(19:07):
don't have to, it's actuallydoing it. And then finally, it's
following through with some sortof accountability, whether it's
an accountability partner thatyou are discussing your efforts
with, or you're holding yourselfaccountable with measurable
goals and milestone checkins.
Keep yourself in check to ensurethat your work is actually
creating the impact that youwant. Now, with that sort of
(19:28):
outline, I think it's clear thatthere's no single blueprint
blueprint for anyone. Everyonehas a different path. But basing
that path on your values andintentions is what will leave
you at the finish line feelinggreat about the work that you've
done.
(19:48):
Now, I'm hearing this often frombosses as well. But I'm not an
activist or I don't do politics,and I get it. Me neither but as
someone Who has claimed yourpower which you have done, if
you've detached yourself fromyour corporate job, or started
your own business or even on apath of making that decision for
(20:09):
yourself, you are responsiblefor helping break the system, or
otherwise building a responsiblestream of revenue for yourself,
that is not supported by asystem that takes advantage of
others, which makes a lot of themost important action of this
movement, the things that you'redoing inside of and within your
own business, a place whereyou're already spending much of
(20:31):
your time anyway, I do believethat we all have to take that
responsibility in this moment.
You don't have to change yourbrand to be an activist or share
everything through a politicallens. But I believe we should
all be conscious of whatsupports our businesses, and who
our businesses and dollarssupport. It's not about
pivoting. It's about becomingfully aligned with your values
(20:54):
and intentions and takingappropriate action. And I'll get
to that action piece in just asecond. But for a moment, I want
to get specific in a placethat's grated my nerves for a
very long time, from the multimillion dollar bosses, to those
of you who are just sidehustling as a solopreneur, I
believe a place that so many ofus can break a common, but
(21:17):
harming system is in dismantlinga long history of exclusion
marketing. In this next clip,I'm going to share you'll hear
Erica core de a diversity Equityand Inclusion coach and longtime
entrepreneur that I invited tobe one of the boss experts at
the being boss conference. he orshe's leading a breakout session
from the conference titledbuilding an inclusive business,
(21:39):
which is where I believe everysingle one of us has an
opportunity for growth, eitherand addressing it in our own
businesses or being aware of itand businesses that we support.
Unknown (21:57):
So essentially, the reason that I'm here is I want
to talk to you about what itlooks like to create an
inclusive business. And I wantto start with the fact that
inclusive inclusivity is aboutan action. Inclusion is just
something that's kind ofstagnant, this is not something
that I want you to work out,leave on a worksheet put in a
document somewhere extension,yeah, did it check the block,
(22:18):
I'm done. This is aboutsomething that actually is about
action, you are figuring outwhat this looks like in your
brand. you're figuring what thislooks like with the services
that you provide theconversations, you're having the
people that you support, andseeing what this actually looks
like inclusivity is not justabout black or white male or
female inclusivity is aboutthose that want to be included,
(22:40):
being able to feel as thoughthey are. So you want to think
about as you want to think aboutrace, you want to think about
religion, you want to thinkabout societal indicators, in
any way, shape, or form as faras how somebody shows up, and
they have no say in it. I'm ablack woman, this is how I was
born. But I have no say inwhether or not the world
processes me that way. Thinkabout hair texture, you want to
(23:03):
think about income levels, youwant to think about how evolved,
maybe someone is with theiremotional journey, their
spiritual journey. This is allabout what this means for your
business. So there is no onesize fits all type of thing.
This isn't going to be the samefor everyone. What works for
Kelly is not going to be thesame thing that works Latasha,
(23:23):
it's not going to be the samething that works for Laura, that
works for me. So this is aboutfiguring out what does the act
of inclusivity actually looklike within your business.
Essentially, it's built onfundamental practices. Again,
those that want to be included,can be included. And you want
this to be a theory of somethingthat you understand within your
actual back end things. So yourmission, your vision, things
(23:46):
that this is how you operate.
But you also want it to besomething that the people that
are interacting with you, thecustomers that you're serving
the people that you're actuallybuilding a community with that
they understand that this iswhat this looks like, and how
they interact with you and howyou're interacting with them.
Know business is built oneveryone being included. And I
want to say that again. And Iwant to make sure that you
(24:07):
understand this, everybody isnot going to be included,
because it's not for everybody.
If you have somebody that doesthings specifically for you to
be able to work through trauma,everybody's not at a place that
they can work through theirtrauma, let alone acknowledge
that they have it. So therefore,it does not mean that your
business is not inclusive, butit means that those that are not
there. Don't feel called to beincluded. And that's fine.
(24:31):
That's fine. If Tasha is talkingabout writers, but she's not
talking about somebody that doesscreenplays, well, that's not
her market. So they may not beincluded. But that's about
people that want to be includedas a romance writer, in her
audience being able to beincluded. So it's important to
be able to acknowledge what thatactually means based on what you
(24:54):
do and what you're offering andnot about inclusion by x
collusion or just oh, I have tospeak to everybody speaking to
everybody means you're speakingto nobody. So no different than
any other marketing efforts,this is the same thing. And
there's nothing wrong with beingable to acknowledge who those
people are. Now, if you arepointedly saying, My people do
(25:15):
not include women of color,that's exclusion, that's
different, that is a wholedifferent thing. And I'm going
to give you something to thinkabout. They came up for me a
couple months back, and itreally stood out. And it was
extremely purposeful. So at onepoint, um, my business partner,
Andy, and I were looking atgoing to the wing, to actually
(25:36):
just do some co working, andlong story short in looking at
this specific space, and howthey did things which had heard
the name very often, I ended upseeing that, oh, you actually
exclude men. And the more that Iread about it, that did not work
for me. And I said, I don't wantto be in this space. For the
simple fact that I think it isone thing to say that you're in
(25:58):
creating increating a space that is
inclusive and safe. For women,it is another to say that if you
have a penis, you can't be here,because there are men that stand
for the things that matter tosome women and some women don't.
I have met women that are notinclusive of other women, and
men that are more inclusive. Sothat is a poignant example of
(26:23):
what it looks like to haveinclusion by exclusion. That's
bullshit, do not do that.
Because if you are going to saythat you're not welcome here,
because of x, y, z, what is thedifference of that being someone
else that says, I can't bethere, because I'm a black
woman. You don't want to excludepeople, because of societal
(26:44):
indicators, you want to excludepeople because they're not a
good fit, they'll excludethemselves, you want to exclude
people, because the valuesaren't the same, the desire of
what you're there for is not thesame. And again, they will
usually exclude themselves. Butyou don't want to practice
inclusion by exclusion, becausethat can be extremely dangerous.
Emily Thompson (27:13):
Erica has perception and ability to speak
on these topics is one of thethings that drew me to her
initially months ago. And Eric,his work has been hugely
highlighted as we've all beennavigating through the past few
weeks. So if you're curiousabout her work, you can follow
her at Erica core de.com.
There's a link in the shownotes. And if you want to hear
(27:34):
the rest of that session fromthe being boss conference, we
now have all the sessions fromthe conference available in the
being boss clubhouse, alsolinked in the show notes. Okay,
let's get to this action piece,because so many people, so many
bosses are asking, What can Iactually do? And I know everyone
hates this answer, but I thinkit's the right one. The action
(27:57):
looks different for each andevery one of us. Maybe you use
your platform to share differentperspectives or to share
resources, maybe use your skillsto do something different, or
for someone different. Maybe youchange your vendors or otherwise
change your business's systems.
(28:17):
Maybe you have a hardconversation with that person
who needs to hear what you haveto say. Maybe you dedicate your
resources, your time, yourmoney, your energy to a person
or calls that need support.
Maybe you do everything theexact same as you're currently
doing it if you've been doingthe work already of being
mindful and responsible. Butyou're using this opportunity to
(28:37):
put your money where your mouthis supporting other
organizations, causes andbusinesses with your wealth, you
won't know what action will bemost impactful to you until you
align with your values andintentions. I often find that
once I settle into those theaction shapes itself and becomes
crystal clear. Now I do want totouch on a common action and one
(29:00):
that I feel is causing a lot ofdistress. But should I put
something on social media? Nowanyone who's been around for a
while will know that my opinionof social media has always been
less than favorable. So knowthat my answer to this question
is through that lens. And Iwon't go further into that. But
what I will say is that postingon social media is the least you
(29:23):
could do. And bosses are nothere to do the least. I
wholeheartedly do not believethat posting platitudes on
Instagram is the best actionthat most of you can take. So if
you're wasting time frettingabout that, if it's freezing you
up from doing anything, let itgo and find a place to put your
energy where you can actuallymake impact. Do not let the
(29:45):
pressures of social media keepyou from doing real work. And
sometimes I hear this questionwhich I do want to address in
case anyone is feeling it Whatabout the other causes that I
support? Am I supposed to leavethem behind? And my answer is,
(30:05):
and I feel good about this ismaybe, at least for this moment,
because I do believe that thisis a moment that needs us all to
jump in and finish the job thatshould have been finished
decades ago. Whether yourpassion is in the environment,
or animals or human rights inanother part of the world.
(30:28):
Occasionally, there's massivemoments in history where humans
focus in and in those moments,we all have the responsibility
to work together to solve thebig problem at hand. I have also
long believed as a nature loverwith an education in both
physical and cultural geography,that we cannot fix our policies
and help the planet until we canget along at home within our own
(30:50):
species. The two are tiedtogether, and this moment calls
for focus. I also feel that wemay be looking at a long haul of
political and cultural activism,as we've seen so much revealed
over the past several years withthe current administration, the
me to movement and more, we willcontinue getting called the call
(31:12):
support. So it's likely time toconsider building cultural and
environmental support into yourbusiness model, which is
something we've talked aboutseveral times on this podcast,
so that you're not caughtunaware and spread, then when
it's time to come together. Ialso request that you consider
building ongoing support for theorganizations and causes that
(31:33):
align with your values into yourbusiness model. And then
allowing yourself for specialefforts when and where needed.
An example of this is what we doat Almanac supply company. Our
lookout candle is ourChattanooga themed candle. And a
portion of all proceeds from thesale of that candle have and
will always go to a local landpreservation organization, that
support is constant. But lastweek, we did a crystal party
(31:57):
virtual shopping thing on zoom,that was a ton of fun. Where the
proceeds went to Black LivesMatter. With a little bit of
planning, your business can havea constant impact and focused
impact, too.
Now, I am not a diversity coach,I'm not the most woke person on
(32:18):
the planet. I'm just a creativeentrepreneur who has practiced
business mindfully for yearsbecause I've literally share it
with 10s of 1000s of people on apodcast, I think about it a lot,
because I want to share with youthe best information that you
can use to build responsible andmindful businesses of your own.
Everything I've shared here isfrom listening from learning and
(32:39):
from doing the work, or that hasnot yet done, but doing the work
nonetheless. So I want to sharewith you a few things that I
found hugely impactful formyself on this journey. First
and foremost, as I can be astrue to being boss as possible,
but also that's why I'm heredoing this. It's an having
(33:00):
mindful open conversations. I'vesaid this so much lately, but
it's because it's so true.
Talking business helps you dobetter business, you have to
talk things out, you have toshare what you've learned, you
have to work through yourfeelings and your biases and
your triggers. I think thatevery boss needs a business
bestie to work things out with.
(33:25):
You don't want to be workingthrough your biases and triggers
in public or in the wrongcompany. Kathleen and I have
been discussing diversity andinclusion in this business for
almost five years, we've hadsome hard chats, we've said
things wrong. And then we'veworked it out. And we found true
alignment where we all feltcomfortable. We've created the
(33:46):
safe space for each other andeven within our team. And we've
all worked through thingstogether. And I think it can be
very helpful to have a businessbestie who is like you so that
you can work through your sameissues together. And it's also
important to diversify yourfriend group to bring in
different professions, differentcultures, different viewpoints
(34:07):
to expand the perception of howit is that you view the world so
that you can gain a broaderperception of the world through
it. Something else that I deemvery important has been
committing to action early.
Though I know we're far fromperfect. I'm proud of the work
that we've done at being ballsto cultivate a space where so
many kinds of bosses feelwelcome. I've long discussed how
(34:30):
it's not race or creed or genderthat pulls us together. But a
common goal to take control ofour work and live lives on our
own terms. And that startingearly cannot be replaced which
is why I'm recommending that ifyou haven't started yet start
now. And I haven't just said it.
(34:50):
We've done work to make this allhappen. And most of this is not
even worth that we've sharedwe've recently shared a little
more openly the things that weDon here at being boss. But it's
not about doing the things andsharing the things we've been
doing the things for years, it'sabout doing it for the sake of
doing it, not doing it for thesake of sharing it. And why?
(35:15):
Because inclusivity aligns withour values, and is worth the
work sharing as part of ourvalues too, but significantly
less so. And we will alwaysrecognize that the work is not
done, we're continuing to do thework, because we all have a long
way to go. And as I keeplearning again, and again, to
(35:39):
run a company called being boss,and to have built a platform,
where people literally listen towhat I say, I accept that it's
my responsibility to live andwork by example, and to share
what I learned with you alongthe way. And what I continue to
intend is to be an example ofwhat it is to be an ally to all
(35:59):
humans who desire to be boss,and to encourage you to build a
business that breaks the mold ofthe corporations that you've
left behind, to create in a waythat's fulfilling and fueling
and to know that we are all inthis together. And just think
about the amazing impact thatwe're all going to be able to
(36:19):
make when we have mindfullybuilt responsible businesses.
Thanks for listening. And hey,if you want more resources,
we're talking worksheets, freetrainings in person meetups and
vacations and more. Go to ourwebsite at www dot bien boss dot
(36:41):
club.
Kathleen Shannon (36:42):
Do the work the boss
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