What does it take to transform a life marked by adversity into one of remarkable success?
In this episode, our guest Lisa Zeeveld, shares her awe-inspiring journey; from growing up in an environment of limited resources to becoming a dynamic business leader, as COO and CFO of Belay Solutions ,USA.
In her early childhood and growing up days, she lacked many of the resources that others might take for granted. A chance encounter with luxury during her visit to her mom's workplace ignited her ambition. This vision became a memorable goal that fueled her determination to achieve more.
Lisa delves deep into the significance of a growth mindset and the essential elements required to achieve true success. She introduces the concept of self-efficacy, reflects on her journey, sharing the importance of surrounding oneself with positive influences and being mindful of the narrative one tells oneself. Lisa reiterates propelling forward in her journey using principles outlined by Albert Bandura, the author of Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control.
The episode emphasizes to listeners to focus on what is within their control and also highlights the importance of intentionality and hard work. It is a compelling story for anyone aspiring to overcome their circumstances and aim higher.
Throughout the episode, Lisa underscores perseverance, not losing sight of our vision, and for us to determine the path we want to carve - against all odds. Her insights are not just relevant for aspiring business leaders but for anyone looking to achieve greatness in their own lives.
Tune in to hear this phenomenal transformation, so you can step up gears and chase your own dreams !!
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Episode Transcript
Welcome to Freshly Forever, a podcast that gives
you fascinating insights weekafter week.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Here's your host, Vaikumar.
We are here today with ourguest, Lisa Zeeval, popularly
known as LZ, on this podcastFreshly Forever.
She is the COO and CFO of oneof the largest remote staffing
companies in the US.
Lisa adorns many feathers, andthe next one being she's the
(00:40):
co-host of a thriving podcastOne.
Next Step she's a TEDx speaker.
She's married to her wonderfulhusband for 25 years now and is
mother of two young adults, ason and a daughter.
Lisa loves gardening, travelingand, in general, believes in
sprinkling goodness all aroundher.
(01:00):
Welcome, Lisa, to the show, andI am so excited to have you
here with me today.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Well, thank you so much for the invitation.
I'm super excited.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Awesome.
We all know you're a verysuccessful business executive.
Now, however, something thattranspired when you were very
young kind of set the stage forwhat you are today.
Why don't we start there?
I know you have a story toshare.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Yeah, absolutely Really for me.
You know, I grew up in anenvironment with a lot of
adversity, so I did not grow upwith that quintessential kind of
silver spoon.
I grew up very poor, did nothave the luxury of an education.
My parents did the very bestthey're awesome parents, I love
them greatly but they also didnot have the most resources for
(01:52):
their upbringing as well, and sowhen you look at the statistics
, everything was kind of stackedagainst me that I really
wouldn't accomplish much in life.
I'd have a good mediocre lifebut probably not ever reach the
pinnacle of success.
But my mom happened to work fora luxury men's clothing store.
She was a part-time bookkeeperfor them and I would get to go.
(02:16):
I'm an only child and so there'ssome luxuries that come with
being only a child.
You kind of tag along with yourparents wherever they go and I
learned early off how to havegood manners and be quiet and
all those things, and so I wouldget to go to work with her and
really started to see this wholeother environment in this whole
other world where people didn'tlive like we did.
(02:36):
They talked about second homesand luxury vacations.
You know my vacations weregoing to visit family members,
you know, who lived a couplehours away.
My vacations were going tovisit family members who lived a
couple hours away, and so itreally gave me a perspective
that there was a possibility formore and started to execute
something in me that I knew thatI was going to drive towards.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Wonderful.
I know you also dreamt ofsomething at that age when you
were eight.
Can you tell the listeners whatthat is?
I think that's going to make itvery interesting for people to
hear.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
It's so silly.
But along with those cashmeresuits and silk and fancy shoes,
the owner of this luxury storehad an emerald green Jaguar XJ6.
And the luxury store wasactually in a local mall and so,
as you can imagine, you know we, when my mom would park and we
(03:31):
would walk in and his car wasalways right there at the front
and I just remembered beingenamored by this car and I
thought this is not the kind ofcar we were driving.
We were driving a used car andthere was times that would break
down down on the side of theroad and we'd have to figure out
what to do and I just like, wow, not only these people dress
really nice and have thisincredible life, but they have
(03:53):
this beautiful car and for somereason that just resonated with
me and that became really mymotivation, One of my
motivations to really look forsuccess and push towards that.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Oh, who wouldn't want a Jaguar?
I don't blame you there at all.
So for someone to be successfulin whatever they do or envision
is a growth mindset enough.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
I don't think so.
I've spent a lot of time, youknow, reflecting on how I got
here, because you know peoplefind it fascinating and is it
enough to have a growth mindset?
But I think sometimes wheregrowth mindset stops is where
people think differently.
I want this right, I want thatJaguar, I want to have a new job
(04:41):
, I want to have a new home.
I'm going to push forward tothe next thing, but something
deep down inside of them theyactually don't believe it's
possible, and I think that'swhere growth mindset ends and
really where what I talk aboutis self-efficacy begins.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
So how significant is self-efficacy?
When do you think you realizedyou needed to have that to
succeed?
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Yeah, of course, at eight I did not have
self-efficacy as a word, but Ithink I was surrounded by people
who told me anything waspossible, and I think that's the
key.
You know, if you look back atmy trajectory, no, I didn't have
a lot, but I was surrounded bypeople who loved me and who
believed in me and gave me thecourage to go for more.
(05:32):
So there was never a pointwhere I stopped and thought, hmm
, that car is never going to bemine.
Nobody who lives in a trailerpark and whose mom works part
time and the car breaks down onthe side of the road will ever
have a Jaguar.
So I'm not going to go for it.
And so I think it was one ofthose things that I just always
had that belief.
And, as with any skill set,whether it's a growth mindset or
(05:56):
self-efficacy, it's somethingyou have to work on over time.
So during a setback, I had tostop and think wait a second.
I was actually created for more.
I deserve more, and I'm notgoing to let anybody stand in my
way, because I actually think Ican have that car and I think I
can have the life that I wanted.
So really, it started out froman early age, but as I matured I
(06:18):
really learned how to refine mybelief in myself and the
self-efficacy, with a lot of theprinciples that Professor
Bandura talks about in histheory and studies.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Yeah.
So I guess it's very importantfor someone to not just envision
but again kind of have thatconstantly in the back of their
mind, right?
Like almost like thatperseverance, you know, even if
you are faced with hardships,you know, just to kind of keep
(06:49):
at it and keep working towardsthat.
Is that right, yeah?
Speaker 1 (06:54):
absolutely and be careful of what you tell
yourself, the narrative that youtell yourself.
We can't control the familiesthat we were born into, but we
can control who we allow tospeak into our lives and the
friends that we surroundourselves with.
And so, as you mature and youhave the opportunity to let
people speak into your life, Ithink that you really have to
change who you allow in.
(07:15):
And so, if you are not from afamily where you've had a lot of
support and encouragementperhaps you've been a part of a
family that talks down to you ortries to minimize your ability
you really have to stay thecourse and so really learn and
focus on what you believe yourtalents are we all have them and
focus on making those larger,really enhance those talents and
(07:40):
really keep that positivemindset, along with the
perseverance you know, alongwith the dedication and the
passion that goes with it,because what we tell ourselves
plays a huge part in actuallywhat we end up accomplishing.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Oh, I can totally relate to that.
My own personal health journey,you know.
I've certainly told myself howto stay positive and I know that
matters a lot.
And just to touch upon whateveryou said right here yeah, it's
certainly important that onefocuses on what is under one's
(08:16):
control and not just dwell onthe negatives.
But again, what you said thereto surround oneself with the
best possible company that onecan and just focus on the good
things is very important.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely yeah.
I think we allow ourselves.
I've talked to.
I mentor a lot, I lovementoring individuals and
they'll tell me about theirbackground.
Well, my dad said you know, mydad used to tell me I was stupid
.
Or my dad used to tell me, oh,you're just a girl, you'll never
do much, you know.
And then that carries with themall throughout their life.
(08:53):
You know they'll say oh well,whenever I get together with my
family, I'm always the one thatthey kind of, you know, tease
and pick on and I'm like, butyou know, you don't have to be a
part of that, those familygatherings if that's the way
that you're talked to.
And so I think that you knoweven you know kind of flipping
that if our listeners here havea family themselves really being
(09:18):
mindful of the words that theyspeak into their own children or
their own family members,realizing the impact that words
have on each other.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Oh, absolutely.
And two things that haveabsolutely stood out for me,
based on your success story, iswhatever you said intentionality
, and then making yourselfindispensable and putting that
extra effort and working hard.
That's tremendous, and I thinkthose are like very useful
(09:47):
insights for the youngergeneration.
And, as a culminating funaspect of this podcast, why
don't you tell the listeners,lisa, as to what happened in
2015,?
You know, with that Jaguar?
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Yes, yes, I love to share that.
So that first Jaguar that I saw, that XJ6, you know, um, and
that kind of stayed with me allthrough this.
As soon as I had theopportunity in 2015, I went to
the Jaguar dealer Now they don'tmake the XJ six anymore, um,
but they do make anotherbeautiful version and so, um, I
(10:24):
was able to get a dark blue,beautiful Jaguar, and it was
really quite an emotionaljourney for me.
I actually remember sitting inthe car on the way, driving at
home.
I was by myself.
My husband, you know, drove methere to pick it up and I cried
on the way home because this iswhat, you know, the world would
say that someone like mewouldn't be able to accomplish,
(10:45):
and so it was a beautiful story.
My story continues and it's anincredible car.
So, if you ever have theopportunity to take a ride in
one, it's got more power thanyou can imagine and the luxuries
inside of it.
A ride with you in that car andyeah, I mean a phenomenal story
(11:12):
.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
I think that that definitely is something very
inspiring and for everyyoungster, or for anyone
listening for that matter,that's a huge thing.
You know to just dream aboutsomething but then work hard to
achieve it.
That was a great honor andimmense pleasure to have Elsie
on the show today.
(11:32):
Look forward to many moreinteresting conversations in the
future with you, lisa, andhappy holidays, wishing you and
your family the very best always.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
So much, this was a pleasure and please invite me
back anytime, oh definitely,thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Thank you anytime.
Oh, definitely Thank you, thankyou.
Before I sign off, folks, letme remind you to keep that
feedback coming.
Be sure to follow and subscribe.
I'll be back again with anotherinteresting guest and an
interesting topic next week.
See you then.
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