Hey Uncommon Leaders! Welcome Back!!
Ever wondered about the significance of your life beyond the success you've achieved? Tracy Schubert Barrett, founding member of the launch team for HGTV and author of What If There's More? Finding Significance Beyond Success, is here to help you answer that question. Tracy's incredible journey from starting a business at the tender age of 11 to becoming part of a billion-dollar enterprise is just the beginning of her story. The true essence lies in her quest to find real meaning in life, beyond her professional accomplishments.
Tracy's transformation is a testament to the power of purpose and personal change. Using her academic background in Psychology and her entrepreneurial spirit, she provides valuable insights into the concept of 'strategic life mapping'. This technique, which she uses with her clients, assists them in identifying self-limiting beliefs and embracing a new, purposeful future. This conversation is about more than just success - it's about the capacity we all have to transform our lives and redefine what success means to us.
Join us for a captivating interview session with Tracy. She shares her strategies for motivating herself and others, and how she assists individuals in making meaningful and lasting lifestyle changes. This episode is not only for entrepreneurs but for anyone seeking to find their purpose in life and effect a positive transformation. So, whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or someone wanting to redefine your life's purpose, this conversation with Tracy Schubert Barrett will surely inspire you to rethink your definition of success.
Connect with Tracy:
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LinkedIn
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Buy her book
Thanks for listening in to the Uncommon Leader Podcast. Please take just a minute to share this podcast with that someone you know that you thought of when you heard this episode. One of the most valuable things you can do is to rate the podcast and leave a review. You can do that on Apple podcasts, or rate the podcast on Spotify or any other platform you listen.
Did you know that many of the things that I discuss on the Uncommon Leader Podcast are subjects that I coach other leaders and organizations ? If you would be interested in having me discuss 1:1 or group coaching with you, or know someone who is looking to move from Underperforming to Uncommon in their business or life, I would love to chat with you. Click this link to set up a FREE CALL to discuss how coaching might benefit you and your team)
Until next time, Go and Grow Champions!!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, uncommon Leaders , welcome back.
This is the Uncommon LeaderPodcast and I'm your host, john
Gallagher.
So what happens when you wakeup and realize the good fortune,
status and accolades for whichyou've worked so hard for have
left you overburdened and burntout?
My guest today is TracySchubert Barrett.
She experienced thisoverburdened firsthand and wrote
about it in her new book whatIf there's More?
(00:20):
Finding Significance BeyondSuccess.
As a founding member of thelaunch team for HGTV, tracy
enjoyed the exciting ride oftaking a promising idea and
turning it into a billion-dollarenterprise.
But nearly two decades later,she wondered what if there's
more?
Today, tracy is the presidentand founder of the consulting
firm Navigate the Journey.
She's a sought-after speaker,coaching and leadership expert.
(00:44):
You're going to love thisepisode and conversation.
Let's get started, tracySchubert Barrett.
Welcome to the Uncommon LeaderPodcast.
It's an honor to have you onthe show today.
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Great, great, happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Good Well, I'm looking forward to our
conversation today and I'm goingto jump right in, just like I
do all the other first-timeguests on the Uncommon Leader
Podcast, with a question more,so they can learn about you and
tell the listeners a story fromyour childhood that still
impacts who you are today, as aperson or as a leader.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah.
So the story that comes to mindis, you know, when I was in
middle school I must have beenabout 11, maybe 12, and I really
wanted to make some extra money, and obviously that's a too
young of an age to go and get areal job and I was talking to my
dad about it and I said, youknow, I really just want to
start a company.
(01:39):
I just want to, you know, comeup with an idea to make money.
And he said, well, start acompany, go for it, do it.
And my neighbor and I we came upwith a like a cleaning company.
We made little business cardsand we went to church the next
Sunday and we handed out all thebusiness cards and some lovely,
you know, ladies hired us tocome and, you know, clean their
(02:01):
silver and sweep their backporch.
And I just remember that momentso clearly.
My father, who passed away waytoo young, was such a great
influence on my life but hebasically endorsed and almost
ignited that entrepreneurialspark in me and that was the
first company I started and Iwent on to help build other
(02:25):
companies.
But I really, you know, amdrawn to that creative process
of bringing a business to lifeand that was the first
experience and he believed me,didn't even skip a beat or doubt
or, you know, send me inanother direction or encourage
me to go off and play in thebackyard.
He said start the company.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
That's pretty awesome .
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I had an impact on my life, for sure 11 years old in
first business.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
That's pretty awesome there.
I can't go back in that story,but it absolutely makes sense.
Then as we go and we start todive into your journey in terms
of what you've been through froma career standpoint, from a
vocation standpoint and Trace, Iappreciate you sharing our
story.
But I'm going to jump right in.
I've got I've got a copy ofyour new book that came out.
It's called what If there'sMore?
Finding Significance BeyondSuccess, which chronicles your
(03:14):
rise as a, as a founder of HGTV.
Now we might talk about that ona site because HGTV I'm glad
you found it, but it cost me alot of money and DIY projects as
I've gone throughout the years.
So we can talk about that lateron.
But ultimately, for you as youwalk through that as a founder,
the big part about the book wasyour decision to walk away at
the top of your game and reallywhen you identified that there
(03:36):
there had to be more, that therewas something different than
just success and the idea ofsignificance was more important
to you, look, go as far back asyou want to with that journey,
tell the listeners about yourjourney and what led you to that
perspective of significancebeyond success.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Yeah, I mean it was an amazing ride.
I found out in college and kindof knew all along that I really
wanted to go into television.
I just really liked the medium.
I just really wanted to be apart of something that just
seemed so energetic and exciting.
And early on in my career I wasturned on by cable television.
(04:16):
It was the new frontier andvery much like if you're in a
younger generation you would seeit as how we view the internet
today.
That's how cable television wasin the 90s.
That was the place to be andthat was where all the startups
were and I wanted to be part ofit and I moved from traditional
television broadcast network togetting a job or looking for a
(04:38):
job in cable television.
And then one place where I wasinterviewing, just doing
informational interview, and shejust casually said we don't
have any openings, but I knowthey're of somebody who's
starting a network.
I don't know what it's going tobe called or anything.
It's like home shows andbuilding shows and long story
short.
I was contacted by them,connected to them and
(05:01):
interviewed in somebody'skitchen and was hired basically
to be part of this small startupteam and I was the 25th hire.
There was a small group of us,and we took an idea and said, ok
, let's see if we can make thisstick.
Let's build a televisionnetwork, and it was much like
(05:22):
building any other company.
It was the greatestentrepreneurial training ground
I could have ever asked for, andit wasn't a sure thing just
like any business.
We launched with 25 other cablenetworks at the same time at
the end of 1994.
And only two of those networkssurvived.
All the rest went under.
So, yeah, it was exciting andfun and a lot of hard work,
(05:47):
because in the beginning nobodyknew who we were.
It was really hard to get ondistribution across the United
States and I loved it therethough.
I loved the people I workedwith, I loved my bosses, I loved
my staff.
I was able to rise up to theranks very quickly and be an
executive and was there foralmost 20 years.
(06:10):
And what's interesting this iswhat I journey in our journal in
my book is we had taken this tothis billion-dollar media
empire that we had built, and Iwas content to a certain extent,
but restless as well, and justfelt like there's got to be
(06:32):
something more out there for me,and it was in my 40s, that
typical midlife crossroads andwhere you start to wake up and
wonder who am I, what do Ireally want?
And I just wrestled with allthose big questions and had a
hard time coming up with theanswers to them, but was also
(06:52):
eager to figure out what is myidentity outside my job, my job?
It just kind of morphed who Iwas and who am I outside of HGTV
, and what do I really want formy life?
And so I started wrestling withthose questions and that was
the big crossroads that I writeabout in the book.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
So that's fascinating .
And you again you touched on itas leading, leaving at the top.
So there's something that'sjust burning inside of you.
That's not quite right.
You're successful.
You talk about it in the book.
The events that you get to goto the people, that you get to
rub shoulders with the money,I'm sure was good, and you
decide that there's just got tobe something more.
(07:36):
Now my assumption is you don'tjust kind of walk away, you've
got to have conversations withindividuals.
I'm curious what was thetoughest conversation you had to
have in terms of saying, okay,I'm going to walk away from this
.
What was the toughest one?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
It was talking to my bosses, people that I'd worked
with for years.
My husband was very supportive.
We were both scared because Iwas leaving a big job and a big
income and a big identity and astaff that I loved.
I had a lot of people thatworked for me and I adored them.
On the surface, it didn't makeany sense.
(08:15):
There were several people in mylife who thought I was crazy.
Making the biggest mistakeweren't shy about telling me
that when I finally went in, itwas a two-year process of
getting up the nerve.
If I'm going to be honest, itwasn't like.
I just, all of a sudden, wasfilled with all this bravery and
jumped in.
I had to go through all thatprocess of working, through the
(08:39):
fear.
I went in and I remembercalling the Chief Revenue
Officer and having to tell himhe was just a dear, amazing man
who had taken me under his wingand was such a great mentor to
me, to my career, and such anadvocate for me.
He was wildly disappointed.
(09:00):
He thought I was just having abad day.
He said that's exactly what hesaid to me You're having a bad
day, it's just stressful.
You need to take a breather orvacation.
He hung up.
I remember going home to myhusband and he was like how to
go?
I was like I don't think itreally went.
I'm not sure I quit.
(09:20):
He told me I needed to sleep onit and call him back the next
day.
I called him back the next dayand I told him yeah, I hadn't
changed my mind.
It wasn't a bad day that I'dbeen wrestling with it for a
while.
I just needed to take the sleepof faith and see what was going
to happen on the other side.
There were a lot of tears andit was a difficult decision to
(09:43):
make.
I could have stayed onautopilot and rode that out for
another 10 years very easily.
But life's short.
I felt that with my father'searly.
He died of cancer at 58.
It just woke me up to this.
Life is short and I have oneshot at this and I believe I'm
(10:07):
uniquely designed and I havegifts and talents and I gave
them with all my heart to HGTV.
But what if there's somethingelse out there, another path for
me to discover and where I canbe more in control and have more
intention and focus on my life?
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Did you know that many of the things that I
discuss on the Uncommon Leaderpodcast are subjects that I
coach other leaders andorganizations on?
If you would be interested inhaving me discuss one-on-one or
group coaching with you or knowsomeone who is looking to move
from underperforming to uncommonin their business or life, I
would love to chat with you.
Click the link in the shownotes to set up a free call to
discuss how coaching mightbenefit you and your team.
(10:50):
Now back to the show.
I love that last piece right atthe end having more control and
more intention when you get thatentrepreneurial spirit.
All the way back to when you're11 years old, you've got
mentors in your life who havebeen positive influences with
you, with your father, with thischief revenue officer, I'm
(11:10):
going to assume even with yourhusband walking through that
journey with you as well, interms of that very tough
decision, having somebody thereto walk through that with you
and support you all the waythrough that can help.
When there's the negative sideof those conversations people
saying you're crazy, and thingslike that Sure, you're always
going to look back and seewhat's happening.
Here we are 13 years later.
(11:31):
You decide to write this bookabout significance and where
you've been.
Let's go from that day reallyto the decision to write the
book.
What's been going on for youthe last 11 years and what have
you found since you left?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah, when I left I just really needed to take a
break.
I took a breather.
I had young kids at home, veryexcited to spend more time with
them.
I have been traveling so muchfor HGTV my feet were barely on
the ground, you know, just goingto all sorts of events and
executive meetings in New Yorkand back and forth, and back and
(12:05):
forth.
It was nice to just be in oneplace.
I enjoyed that very much.
People were reaching out to me.
I have my masters inprofessional psychology.
I feel that I'm good atcoaching and leading people and
leadership development.
So people from the industry andfrom my job at Scripps Networks
(12:27):
, people were reaching out andasking me can you help me
through this situation?
Can you coach me through this?
Can you help me figure out mynext steps?
And it just kind of organicallymorphed into this side business
of me doing some coaching.
I was on Zoom before a lot ofpeople knew Zoom existed with
(12:48):
the pandemic and just startedcoaching people.
And then my husband was doingstrategic planning and we joined
forces and created Navigate theJourney, which will be turning
10 next year, and it wasn't thisplanned out thing, it just
happened organically.
I started doing more publicspeaking and really, really
(13:14):
enjoyed it and found that Icould use my gifts and talents
in a new way.
And all along the way I keptsaying to my husband I really
want to write a book, I reallywanted to write a book.
I wanted to write a book beforeI even left HGTV.
But I wanted to capture thisfeeling of what it's like to hit
(13:35):
these crossroads and to wrestlewith these big questions of why
do I exist, who am I, what ismy purpose, how do I live that
out, how can I live an engagedlife through who I am and how
can I place my identity and whoI am rather than in what I do?
And I wanted to write the bookI wish I had at HGTV.
(14:00):
When I hit these crossroads andI couldn't figure it out and I
felt like my only option was tojust quit and go off and figure
this out in my own wilderness.
And I just felt reallycompelled and I started writing
things down over a number ofyears and finally, when I
crossed my 50th birthday, myhusband was like please stop
talking about the book.
(14:21):
Can you please just write thebook?
You have file folderseverywhere filled with research
and writings.
He said you need to put it alltogether, and I'm so glad he did
, because I was very.
You know, writing a book is avery vulnerable thing and I had
to sit in a room for two yearsand basically piece it all
(14:42):
together and I knew the booksthat I liked the most were the
ones where people were real andthey told their story, even the
hard parts and the messy partsof it, and so I knew I was going
to have to be vulnerable andtell those stories and admit you
know my struggles in order forit to actually connect with
(15:02):
somebody.
So that's where we sit today.
You know, I have a great companythat I co-owned with my husband
and you know we're businessconsultants and we come
alongside entrepreneurialbusinesses and help them scale
and be healthy, and I do thatcoming alongside leaders.
The book also.
(15:23):
It also outlines the processthat I do with clients, called
strategic life map, and it is aprocess that's much like
strategic planning for a company, and I use these tools.
You know some of them verycommon.
You know out in the.
You know like creating purposestatements or legacy statements,
(15:45):
or you know core values and allof those things which we do
with companies, but also othertools that we've uniquely
designed to help peopleunderstand more deeply and more
fully who they are today, whichis so different than who they
were when they were 21 or 22,right, and then also to help
them reimagine their future.
(16:05):
You know what's the next bestthing for you, and sometimes
that's just falling back in lovewith what you're doing,
reigniting a flame that has beenextinguished for some reason,
and for many people it's lettinggo of the pressures of the past
.
You know those pressures thatmaybe were put on us as kids
that we felt like we had tofulfill, and for other people in
(16:28):
the big process I work withthem on as redefining success
for themselves, on their terms.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
So much there.
Thank you, tracy.
Now I'm going to put a pin inthe strategic life map for a
second.
I'm going to come back to thatbecause I want to ask you a
little bit more about the bookFirst of all there's something
profound, you said.
You said you wanted to writethe book that I needed when.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I was at.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
HGTV and all of that, and we have obviously the
connection through a brandbuilders group and Rory Vaden
once said and it's I gotattributed to him whether it was
his or not he said your mostpowerfully position to help the
person that you used to be, andthat's what I sense is in the
book.
And you mentioned beingvulnerable, very important,
absolutely no doubt about it.
But you also have to like beable to share those experiences.
(17:13):
That gives you credibility.
It's like no, it's not justsomebody who's writing this from
a theoretical standpoint, whohas a master's degree.
You're writing this fromsomebody who's lived some of
these challenges.
So I wanted to touch on acouple of what I would call
tweetable moments that I readeven in the introduction of the
book and kind of just get yourperspective where your mind was.
You said in the intro that HGTVmay have been the pinnacle of
(17:36):
my success, but it wasn't thepinnacle of my significance.
What does what does that quotemean to you when you hear, since
you wrote it?
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Yeah, I think for me, success was always positioned
as the amount of wealth youcould obtain or fame you could
obtain, or title up thecorporate ladder that you could
obtain, and so I was always onthat trajectory.
And it's not that any of thosethings are bad.
(18:08):
We all want to have money tosurvive and thrive.
We all having a title andachieving something and being
recognized for it is a goodthing, Maybe even fame to a
certain extent, or being known,is okay.
But when it becomes a problemis when you're driven by it,
(18:29):
when that is the thing you haveto do or have to obtain or have
to get to, and the problem withthat is there's no end to it.
There's always going to besomebody that has more money
than you, there's always goingto be somebody who has more
likes or follows or has a biggerplatform, or there's always
going to be somebody who's aboveyou on the corporate ladder.
(18:49):
And so for me I realized, wow,this is kind of a winless game
if you're driven by these things.
And so, by society standards,what I had achieved through HGTV
being at the top of thecorporate ladder, having a big
staff running offices, workingfor a very glamorous
(19:15):
organization and being able tohang out with well-known people
seemed like the pinnacle ofsuccess and everybody's eyes,
and I do think it was insociety's eyes, and I hadn't
quite figured out that mydefinition of success needed to
(19:35):
be based more on who I was andleaning into those things how I
can positively impact somebodyelse's life, how, in small and
big ways, I can affect the worldaround me.
I know I was doing that at HGTV,but I didn't have that lens on
(19:55):
fully.
I feel like had I answeredthese big questions and gone
through this process before Ihad left HGTV, I mean maybe I
would have stayed because Iwould have had a different
perspective, I would haveunderstood my purpose more.
But oftentimes and what I findwith clients that I talk to, is
we can sit in jobs and start toget very confused and think what
(20:19):
is this all for?
Like I don't.
Is television really like theend all be?
You know, is this a good thingI'm doing?
And we start to compareourselves to like a doctor who's
saving lives, or a ministerwho's, you know, walking
alongside people, you know intheir lives, or you know all
these, you know, nonprofitorganizations.
(20:41):
You know I started to getmessed up in my head like I
can't do good where I am or Ican't live out who I am, and so
that's what I mean by I hadn'tquite figured out my pinnacle of
significance.
I didn't have the tools or theresources to really articulate.
I had gotten lost in thiscorporate success jungle and I
(21:04):
needed to get back in touch withthat.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Love that and again, I think it's something.
I don't know if it's an agething or not.
As we get to a certain point inour lives, we start to think
about that just a little bitmore, as I am doing that a
little bit more myself as well.
So, thank you for sharing that,Because that's the
vulnerability side of when.
I wrote this quote down.
Maybe I would have stayed Rightif we would have had that level
(21:28):
of understanding of whatsignificance was in the position
that we were in, and that wecould live that out in.
The role that we were in couldhave been different.
So I appreciate and I thank youfor writing this book, then,
because you're going to touchpeople with it the other thing
you said in the intro thebiggest reward of a life of
significance is becoming abetter version of yourself,
which in turn leads toexperiencing better health,
(21:51):
wealth and relationships.
Tell me a little bit about whatyou've experienced, then, as
you've moved towardssignificance.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Yeah.
So I feel like one of thediscoveries I made was that we
kind of live in this age ofeverybody saying be your best
self, be your best self.
And that sounds great I mean,who doesn't want to be their
best self?
But it's a little ambiguouswhat is my best self?
And so I think I wanted to dothat homework of really being
(22:25):
heightening my self-awareness.
I think as humans we do havethese basic needs that we're
trying to fulfill and reallyonce we get past sort of the
food, the shelter, therelationships in our life, we
are looking to self-actualizeand self-discover.
Hopefully, and I feel, likemany of us in the hustle culture
(22:48):
mentality, we've overfilled ourplates, we have strain
schedules where we can feeldirectionless or we're on
autopilot in this endless kindof hustle of life, and so for me
I really feel like the antidoteis a mindset shift to kind of
quiet that one drive for successand ignite another drive
(23:11):
instead.
And so for me that reallygetting in touch with my
significant impact was embracingkind of pure ambitions that
challenged me to turn my talentinto purpose and turn my career,
my career journey, more into acalling.
(23:33):
And really when we do thathomework, when we understand
we're fully, how we are uniquelydesigned.
All of a sudden, our mindsetshifts and we wanna give back to
others.
So I'm not in the pursuit ofhelping people become more
narcissistic or become more fullof themselves.
(23:54):
What I want them to do is andwhat I did for myself is just to
understand more fully who I am,in a very holistic level, so
that then I know how I can pourinto other people's lives and
how I can make my business abusiness that helps people and
comes alongside them.
And so that's what I mean aboutbetter health, better wealth,
(24:16):
because when I care about who Iam, I'm gonna take better care
of myself.
When I know that I can be avehicle for positive impact, I'm
going to make sure that I'mfeeding into self care, but then
I'm going to also take thatenergy I get from that self care
and I'm going to have apositive impact through my
(24:40):
business or through myfriendships or through being a
mother or through being a wife,and really have that positive
impact, so that the wealth thatI have is a different kind of
wealth.
So I feel like if you're inthat sweet spot of really doing
what you're passionate about andalso what you're talented at.
(25:00):
The wealth is just gonna come,the money will come, it will be
there, but then you're gonnajust have this broader wealth of
deeper relationships and a morefulfilling career experience,
which is gonna lead to betterrest and better enjoyment.
So it's like a domino effect,but you have to knock over that
(25:22):
first domino, and what peopleunderestimate is how incredibly
hard it is to do that.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
We get stuck.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
And to use that term stuck and you talked about many
different things.
You talked about fear, youtalked about lack of
self-awareness.
I mean there's so manydifferent things inside of that
space.
I'll take care of myself when Iget through this phase of my
career.
I'll spend more time buildingrelationships with others when I
get through this part ofbusiness in my career.
I will, in essence, spend moretime with my family when I get
(25:51):
through this phase of my career.
But problem is that phase justgoes on and on and on because of
the fear of losing what we havefrom a security standpoint.
And you touch on it Like thoseare that barrier.
Knocking that first domino overis the hardest part.
So how do you encourage someoneto get started?
I mean, they've come to you andsaid I got a problem, I need
help.
How do you get them started?
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Yeah, I get them started by going through this
process, you know, of strategiclife map, of really kind of
digging in, and there's a methodto the madness and there's a
process we go through and one ofthe most powerful parts of it
is really unearthing thoseself-limiting beliefs, those
patterns that we all no matterhow great your childhood was or
(26:35):
how not great your childhood waswe all have these self-limiting
beliefs and we all have thesepatterns or labels that have
been placed on us or things thathave been said to us, good and
bad that affect how we make ordon't make decisions.
And you know we can be veryscared to make change because of
(27:01):
these fears that are tied tothese patterns.
And so, you know, one of the Iwould have never guessed that my
masters in psychology wouldhave led me to where I am today.
I got it back pre-kids when Iwas promoted at HGTV to oversee
a staff.
We didn't really have an HRdepartment or a development
(27:22):
department where we weretraining up leaders, you know.
And so I was like, geez, whatam I going to do?
I already have a businessdegree.
I don't really want to get anMBA.
So I went and got a master's inpsychology to become a better
leader and to be a bettermanager, and I'm so thankful I
did.
But what's so interesting in myjourney is how I'm able to use
it today, where I can be anexecutive coach who also has a
(27:44):
who's basically a trainedpsychotherapist, and kind of
merge those together so I canpull out of people things you
know that are really trippingthem up and the fears that are
really holding them back.
And many people name their fearsincorrectly.
You know they think they have,you know, a fear of, you know,
making a change for X, y or youknow Z reason, but they don't
(28:08):
realize.
Well, oh, that fear is rootedin, maybe a fear of failure or a
fear of not having enough, or afear you know, something that
ties back.
And so when we can unearth that, see it for what it is and
develop you know tools to movethrough that, then we can really
move into discovering what weshould do next, and I think you
(28:31):
have to.
You have to do it in that order.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
We have to.
You have to get that purpose upfront right.
That absolutely that problem.
To find that problem on thefront end before you try and fix
it and realize you're in thewrong jungle.
You're exactly right.
I can't imagine.
I think that'd be a fascinatingprocess and I want we'll share
with folks how they can learnmore about the strategic life
mapping process at the end andstay in touch with you.
I'm curious do you have youknow in your 10 years that you
(28:58):
are coming up on 10 years withthe company?
Do you have a specific storythat's really been something
that you've been proud of andsomeone that you coach?
Obviously, you don't have toshare their names, but with a
story that's been reallypowerful for you and validated
what you're trying to do.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Yeah, I feel like one of the reasons I get so excited
about this and love doing it isbecause I get to see the
transformation happening asthey're going through this
process.
So I've had all sorts ofleaders that have gone through
this process.
I've had business owners whosold their company for millions
(29:35):
and millions of dollars and justdon't know what to do next.
It's fun to work with them tounearth how they can, instead of
just hitting the golf coursefor the next five years how all
of a sudden, you can see thelight bulbs going off of this
new venture that they can leaninto and create something good.
(30:00):
And I'm thinking of two ownersand business owners in
particular who both went throughthe process and have basically
almost reinvented their nextchapter.
And it's been such a beautifulthing to see them really get
back in touch with who they areand then reimagine this new
future for themselves.
(30:22):
Because I know it sounds sofabulous to sell your company
and have the money, but it'salso behind the scenes is very
scary for people because they'relosing a piece of themselves,
they're walking away fromsomething that they built and
they don't know who they areoutside of that.
So when they can come to me andgo through this process.
(30:43):
It's so fun to see them let goof that fear and embrace
something new.
And I've had clients who havebeen leaders and companies who
have gone through the processand they think that they've lost
their mojo or they don't haveanything left to give the
company.
And they go through the processand they're completely
(31:04):
reignited and so eager to getback, so eager to get back to
the job and lean in a new way.
So I've seen both sides.
I've seen completely differenttrajectories created and I've
seen people fall back in lovewith who they are and the impact
that they can have where theyare.
And I find that both equally asexciting, because I'm sending
(31:26):
people back with just moreconfidence and clarity and a
deeper calling when they walkaway from it.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Love that Uncommon impact A little bit different
than finding the next show forHGTV, the next DIY show you have
to put in place, but having apositive impact on somebody's
life and again going back to oneof the quotes you used in the
start of your book is beingextraordinarily significant in
the most ordinary ways.
You used that quote from the.
Teresa, that really talked aboutit and it sounds like, Tracy,
(31:59):
that's a lot of what you'redoing.
Tracy, I appreciate the time.
I just have a couple morequestions and we'll be going
through them.
I'm going to shift a little bitmaybe away from the mapping,
away from the consulting and alittle bit more go back to you
again.
You mentioned, certainly, thatbooks have had an influence on
you.
Is there a specific book thathas had more influence on you
(32:20):
that you have gone back to on aregular basis?
Speaker 2 (32:25):
I have so many I love reading.
I love it.
I will say one that I have readmore than once in the last
couple of years is Adam Grant'sThink Again.
I think that in the culturethat we're in today and the
division and everybody havingmore opinions than information,
(32:48):
I think that book really helpedme to learn how to engage with
questions and to learn to.
I have a saying I say in everysingle speech that I give, which
is be more curious than certain.
That has become very, verydifficult for all of us to ask
(33:11):
more questions than to give anopinion.
That's one that has reminded meand I have the quote hanging in
my office where I just want tobe curious.
Every day.
I want to ask a question beforeI give an answer and really
lean into life in that regard,knowing I don't know it all,
(33:35):
I'll never know it all.
I don't want to know it all, Iwant to die still learning.
That's a book that really givesyou great skills and trying to
engage with people and havedeeper, richer conversations
that maybe don't lead to so muchdivision.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
All right, you answered two questions and one
because I think you alsoanswered your billboard question
for me, but here's what I think.
I think your book what Ifthere's More?
Is going to have that impact onsomebody as well, in terms of
them reading it again and havingit help.
I think you've done a great jobwith it.
I look forward to finishing itup and sharing it myself.
Tracy, I do appreciate yourtime today investing with the
(34:15):
listeners of the Uncommon LeaderPodcast.
How can people stay in touchwith you?
What's the best way to connectwith you?
Speaker 2 (34:23):
Thank you so much.
First of all, this has beensuch an honor and it's been so
fun talking to you.
Yeah, if anybody wants to findme, they can go to
tracyshobertbarrettcom, and allthe information is there.
You can follow me on socials aswell.
Yeah, my book is everywhere.
You can buy books and you canfind out more information at my
website as well.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Great Tracy Schuber Barrett.
Again, it's been a pleasure tohave you on the Uncommon Leader
Podcast.
I wish you the best in thefuture.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Well, that's all for today's episode of the Uncommon
Leader Podcast.
Thanks for listening in.
Please take just a minute toshare this podcast with that
someone you know that youthought of when you heard this
episode.
One of the most valuable thingsyou can do is to rate the
podcast and leave a review.
You can do that on ApplePodcasts or you can rate the
podcast on Spotify or any otherplatform you listen.
Until next time, go and growchampions.
Hey, uncommon Leaders , welcome back.
This is the Uncommon LeaderPodcast and I'm your host, john
Gallagher.
So what happens when you wakeup and realize the good fortune,
status and accolades for whichyou've worked so hard for have
left you overburdened and burntout?
My guest today is TracySchubert Barrett.
She experienced thisoverburdened firsthand and wrote
about it in her new book whatIf there's More?
(00:20):
Finding Significance BeyondSuccess.
As a founding member of thelaunch team for HGTV, tracy
enjoyed the exciting ride oftaking a promising idea and
turning it into a billion-dollarenterprise.
But nearly two decades later,she wondered what if there's
more?
Today, tracy is the presidentand founder of the consulting
firm Navigate the Journey.
She's a sought-after speaker,coaching and leadership expert.
(00:44):
You're going to love thisepisode and conversation.
Let's get started, tracySchubert Barrett.
Welcome to the Uncommon LeaderPodcast.
It's an honor to have you onthe show today.
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Great, great, happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Good Well, I'm looking forward to our
conversation today and I'm goingto jump right in, just like I
do all the other first-timeguests on the Uncommon Leader
Podcast, with a question more,so they can learn about you and
tell the listeners a story fromyour childhood that still
impacts who you are today, as aperson or as a leader.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah.
So the story that comes to mindis, you know, when I was in
middle school I must have beenabout 11, maybe 12, and I really
wanted to make some extra money, and obviously that's a too
young of an age to go and get areal job and I was talking to my
dad about it and I said, youknow, I really just want to
start a company.
(01:39):
I just want to, you know, comeup with an idea to make money.
And he said, well, start acompany, go for it, do it.
And my neighbor and I we came upwith a like a cleaning company.
We made little business cardsand we went to church the next
Sunday and we handed out all thebusiness cards and some lovely,
you know, ladies hired us tocome and, you know, clean their
(02:01):
silver and sweep their backporch.
And I just remember that momentso clearly.
My father, who passed away waytoo young, was such a great
influence on my life but hebasically endorsed and almost
ignited that entrepreneurialspark in me and that was the
first company I started and Iwent on to help build other
(02:25):
companies.
But I really, you know, amdrawn to that creative process
of bringing a business to lifeand that was the first
experience and he believed me,didn't even skip a beat or doubt
or, you know, send me inanother direction or encourage
me to go off and play in thebackyard.
He said start the company.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
That's pretty awesome .
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I had an impact on my life, for sure 11 years old in
first business.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
That's pretty awesome there.
I can't go back in that story,but it absolutely makes sense.
Then as we go and we start todive into your journey in terms
of what you've been through froma career standpoint, from a
vocation standpoint and Trace, Iappreciate you sharing our
story.
But I'm going to jump right in.
I've got I've got a copy ofyour new book that came out.
It's called what If there'sMore?
Finding Significance BeyondSuccess, which chronicles your
(03:14):
rise as a, as a founder of HGTV.
Now we might talk about that ona site because HGTV I'm glad
you found it, but it cost me alot of money and DIY projects as
I've gone throughout the years.
So we can talk about that lateron.
But ultimately, for you as youwalk through that as a founder,
the big part about the book wasyour decision to walk away at
the top of your game and reallywhen you identified that there
(03:36):
there had to be more, that therewas something different than
just success and the idea ofsignificance was more important
to you, look, go as far back asyou want to with that journey,
tell the listeners about yourjourney and what led you to that
perspective of significancebeyond success.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Yeah, I mean it was an amazing ride.
I found out in college and kindof knew all along that I really
wanted to go into television.
I just really liked the medium.
I just really wanted to be apart of something that just
seemed so energetic and exciting.
And early on in my career I wasturned on by cable television.
(04:16):
It was the new frontier andvery much like if you're in a
younger generation you would seeit as how we view the internet
today.
That's how cable television wasin the 90s.
That was the place to be andthat was where all the startups
were and I wanted to be part ofit and I moved from traditional
television broadcast network togetting a job or looking for a
(04:38):
job in cable television.
And then one place where I wasinterviewing, just doing
informational interview, and shejust casually said we don't
have any openings, but I knowthey're of somebody who's
starting a network.
I don't know what it's going tobe called or anything.
It's like home shows andbuilding shows and long story
short.
I was contacted by them,connected to them and
(05:01):
interviewed in somebody'skitchen and was hired basically
to be part of this small startupteam and I was the 25th hire.
There was a small group of us,and we took an idea and said, ok
, let's see if we can make thisstick.
Let's build a televisionnetwork, and it was much like
(05:22):
building any other company.
It was the greatestentrepreneurial training ground
I could have ever asked for, andit wasn't a sure thing just
like any business.
We launched with 25 other cablenetworks at the same time at
the end of 1994.
And only two of those networkssurvived.
All the rest went under.
So, yeah, it was exciting andfun and a lot of hard work,
(05:47):
because in the beginning nobodyknew who we were.
It was really hard to get ondistribution across the United
States and I loved it therethough.
I loved the people I workedwith, I loved my bosses, I loved
my staff.
I was able to rise up to theranks very quickly and be an
executive and was there foralmost 20 years.
(06:10):
And what's interesting this iswhat I journey in our journal in
my book is we had taken this tothis billion-dollar media
empire that we had built, and Iwas content to a certain extent,
but restless as well, and justfelt like there's got to be
(06:32):
something more out there for me,and it was in my 40s, that
typical midlife crossroads andwhere you start to wake up and
wonder who am I, what do Ireally want?
And I just wrestled with allthose big questions and had a
hard time coming up with theanswers to them, but was also
(06:52):
eager to figure out what is myidentity outside my job, my job?
It just kind of morphed who Iwas and who am I outside of HGTV
, and what do I really want formy life?
And so I started wrestling withthose questions and that was
the big crossroads that I writeabout in the book.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
So that's fascinating .
And you again you touched on itas leading, leaving at the top.
So there's something that'sjust burning inside of you.
That's not quite right.
You're successful.
You talk about it in the book.
The events that you get to goto the people, that you get to
rub shoulders with the money,I'm sure was good, and you
decide that there's just got tobe something more.
(07:36):
Now my assumption is you don'tjust kind of walk away, you've
got to have conversations withindividuals.
I'm curious what was thetoughest conversation you had to
have in terms of saying, okay,I'm going to walk away from this
.
What was the toughest one?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
It was talking to my bosses, people that I'd worked
with for years.
My husband was very supportive.
We were both scared because Iwas leaving a big job and a big
income and a big identity and astaff that I loved.
I had a lot of people thatworked for me and I adored them.
On the surface, it didn't makeany sense.
(08:15):
There were several people in mylife who thought I was crazy.
Making the biggest mistakeweren't shy about telling me
that when I finally went in, itwas a two-year process of
getting up the nerve.
If I'm going to be honest, itwasn't like.
I just, all of a sudden, wasfilled with all this bravery and
jumped in.
I had to go through all thatprocess of working, through the
(08:39):
fear.
I went in and I remembercalling the Chief Revenue
Officer and having to tell himhe was just a dear, amazing man
who had taken me under his wingand was such a great mentor to
me, to my career, and such anadvocate for me.
He was wildly disappointed.
(09:00):
He thought I was just having abad day.
He said that's exactly what hesaid to me You're having a bad
day, it's just stressful.
You need to take a breather orvacation.
He hung up.
I remember going home to myhusband and he was like how to
go?
I was like I don't think itreally went.
I'm not sure I quit.
(09:20):
He told me I needed to sleep onit and call him back the next
day.
I called him back the next dayand I told him yeah, I hadn't
changed my mind.
It wasn't a bad day that I'dbeen wrestling with it for a
while.
I just needed to take the sleepof faith and see what was going
to happen on the other side.
There were a lot of tears andit was a difficult decision to
(09:43):
make.
I could have stayed onautopilot and rode that out for
another 10 years very easily.
But life's short.
I felt that with my father'searly.
He died of cancer at 58.
It just woke me up to this.
Life is short and I have oneshot at this and I believe I'm
(10:07):
uniquely designed and I havegifts and talents and I gave
them with all my heart to HGTV.
But what if there's somethingelse out there, another path for
me to discover and where I canbe more in control and have more
intention and focus on my life?
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Did you know that many of the things that I
discuss on the Uncommon Leaderpodcast are subjects that I
coach other leaders andorganizations on?
If you would be interested inhaving me discuss one-on-one or
group coaching with you or knowsomeone who is looking to move
from underperforming to uncommonin their business or life, I
would love to chat with you.
Click the link in the shownotes to set up a free call to
discuss how coaching mightbenefit you and your team.
(10:50):
Now back to the show.
I love that last piece right atthe end having more control and
more intention when you get thatentrepreneurial spirit.
All the way back to when you're11 years old, you've got
mentors in your life who havebeen positive influences with
you, with your father, with thischief revenue officer, I'm
(11:10):
going to assume even with yourhusband walking through that
journey with you as well, interms of that very tough
decision, having somebody thereto walk through that with you
and support you all the waythrough that can help.
When there's the negative sideof those conversations people
saying you're crazy, and thingslike that Sure, you're always
going to look back and seewhat's happening.
Here we are 13 years later.
(11:31):
You decide to write this bookabout significance and where
you've been.
Let's go from that day reallyto the decision to write the
book.
What's been going on for youthe last 11 years and what have
you found since you left?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah, when I left I just really needed to take a
break.
I took a breather.
I had young kids at home, veryexcited to spend more time with
them.
I have been traveling so muchfor HGTV my feet were barely on
the ground, you know, just goingto all sorts of events and
executive meetings in New Yorkand back and forth, and back and
(12:05):
forth.
It was nice to just be in oneplace.
I enjoyed that very much.
People were reaching out to me.
I have my masters inprofessional psychology.
I feel that I'm good atcoaching and leading people and
leadership development.
So people from the industry andfrom my job at Scripps Networks
(12:27):
, people were reaching out andasking me can you help me
through this situation?
Can you coach me through this?
Can you help me figure out mynext steps?
And it just kind of organicallymorphed into this side business
of me doing some coaching.
I was on Zoom before a lot ofpeople knew Zoom existed with
(12:48):
the pandemic and just startedcoaching people.
And then my husband was doingstrategic planning and we joined
forces and created Navigate theJourney, which will be turning
10 next year, and it wasn't thisplanned out thing, it just
happened organically.
I started doing more publicspeaking and really, really
(13:14):
enjoyed it and found that Icould use my gifts and talents
in a new way.
And all along the way I keptsaying to my husband I really
want to write a book, I reallywanted to write a book.
I wanted to write a book beforeI even left HGTV.
But I wanted to capture thisfeeling of what it's like to hit
(13:35):
these crossroads and to wrestlewith these big questions of why
do I exist, who am I, what ismy purpose, how do I live that
out, how can I live an engagedlife through who I am and how
can I place my identity and whoI am rather than in what I do?
And I wanted to write the bookI wish I had at HGTV.
(14:00):
When I hit these crossroads andI couldn't figure it out and I
felt like my only option was tojust quit and go off and figure
this out in my own wilderness.
And I just felt reallycompelled and I started writing
things down over a number ofyears and finally, when I
crossed my 50th birthday, myhusband was like please stop
talking about the book.
(14:21):
Can you please just write thebook?
You have file folderseverywhere filled with research
and writings.
He said you need to put it alltogether, and I'm so glad he did
, because I was very.
You know, writing a book is avery vulnerable thing and I had
to sit in a room for two yearsand basically piece it all
(14:42):
together and I knew the booksthat I liked the most were the
ones where people were real andthey told their story, even the
hard parts and the messy partsof it, and so I knew I was going
to have to be vulnerable andtell those stories and admit you
know my struggles in order forit to actually connect with
(15:02):
somebody.
So that's where we sit today.
You know, I have a great companythat I co-owned with my husband
and you know we're businessconsultants and we come
alongside entrepreneurialbusinesses and help them scale
and be healthy, and I do thatcoming alongside leaders.
The book also.
(15:23):
It also outlines the processthat I do with clients, called
strategic life map, and it is aprocess that's much like
strategic planning for a company, and I use these tools.
You know some of them verycommon.
You know out in the.
You know like creating purposestatements or legacy statements,
(15:45):
or you know core values and allof those things which we do
with companies, but also othertools that we've uniquely
designed to help peopleunderstand more deeply and more
fully who they are today, whichis so different than who they
were when they were 21 or 22,right, and then also to help
them reimagine their future.
(16:05):
You know what's the next bestthing for you, and sometimes
that's just falling back in lovewith what you're doing,
reigniting a flame that has beenextinguished for some reason,
and for many people it's lettinggo of the pressures of the past
.
You know those pressures thatmaybe were put on us as kids
that we felt like we had tofulfill, and for other people in
(16:28):
the big process I work withthem on as redefining success
for themselves, on their terms.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
So much there.
Thank you, tracy.
Now I'm going to put a pin inthe strategic life map for a
second.
I'm going to come back to thatbecause I want to ask you a
little bit more about the bookFirst of all there's something
profound, you said.
You said you wanted to writethe book that I needed when.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I was at.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
HGTV and all of that, and we have obviously the
connection through a brandbuilders group and Rory Vaden
once said and it's I gotattributed to him whether it was
his or not he said your mostpowerfully position to help the
person that you used to be, andthat's what I sense is in the
book.
And you mentioned beingvulnerable, very important,
absolutely no doubt about it.
But you also have to like beable to share those experiences.
(17:13):
That gives you credibility.
It's like no, it's not justsomebody who's writing this from
a theoretical standpoint, whohas a master's degree.
You're writing this fromsomebody who's lived some of
these challenges.
So I wanted to touch on acouple of what I would call
tweetable moments that I readeven in the introduction of the
book and kind of just get yourperspective where your mind was.
You said in the intro that HGTVmay have been the pinnacle of
(17:36):
my success, but it wasn't thepinnacle of my significance.
What does what does that quotemean to you when you hear, since
you wrote it?
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Yeah, I think for me, success was always positioned
as the amount of wealth youcould obtain or fame you could
obtain, or title up thecorporate ladder that you could
obtain, and so I was always onthat trajectory.
And it's not that any of thosethings are bad.
(18:08):
We all want to have money tosurvive and thrive.
We all having a title andachieving something and being
recognized for it is a goodthing, Maybe even fame to a
certain extent, or being known,is okay.
But when it becomes a problemis when you're driven by it,
(18:29):
when that is the thing you haveto do or have to obtain or have
to get to, and the problem withthat is there's no end to it.
There's always going to besomebody that has more money
than you, there's always goingto be somebody who has more
likes or follows or has a biggerplatform, or there's always
going to be somebody who's aboveyou on the corporate ladder.
(18:49):
And so for me I realized, wow,this is kind of a winless game
if you're driven by these things.
And so, by society standards,what I had achieved through HGTV
being at the top of thecorporate ladder, having a big
staff running offices, workingfor a very glamorous
(19:15):
organization and being able tohang out with well-known people
seemed like the pinnacle ofsuccess and everybody's eyes,
and I do think it was insociety's eyes, and I hadn't
quite figured out that mydefinition of success needed to
(19:35):
be based more on who I was andleaning into those things how I
can positively impact somebodyelse's life, how, in small and
big ways, I can affect the worldaround me.
I know I was doing that at HGTV,but I didn't have that lens on
(19:55):
fully.
I feel like had I answeredthese big questions and gone
through this process before Ihad left HGTV, I mean maybe I
would have stayed because Iwould have had a different
perspective, I would haveunderstood my purpose more.
But oftentimes and what I findwith clients that I talk to, is
we can sit in jobs and start toget very confused and think what
(20:19):
is this all for?
Like I don't.
Is television really like theend all be?
You know, is this a good thingI'm doing?
And we start to compareourselves to like a doctor who's
saving lives, or a ministerwho's, you know, walking
alongside people, you know intheir lives, or you know all
these, you know, nonprofitorganizations.
(20:41):
You know I started to getmessed up in my head like I
can't do good where I am or Ican't live out who I am, and so
that's what I mean by I hadn'tquite figured out my pinnacle of
significance.
I didn't have the tools or theresources to really articulate.
I had gotten lost in thiscorporate success jungle and I
(21:04):
needed to get back in touch withthat.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
Love that and again, I think it's something.
I don't know if it's an agething or not.
As we get to a certain point inour lives, we start to think
about that just a little bitmore, as I am doing that a
little bit more myself as well.
So, thank you for sharing that,Because that's the
vulnerability side of when.
I wrote this quote down.
Maybe I would have stayed Rightif we would have had that level
(21:28):
of understanding of whatsignificance was in the position
that we were in, and that wecould live that out in.
The role that we were in couldhave been different.
So I appreciate and I thank youfor writing this book, then,
because you're going to touchpeople with it the other thing
you said in the intro thebiggest reward of a life of
significance is becoming abetter version of yourself,
which in turn leads toexperiencing better health,
(21:51):
wealth and relationships.
Tell me a little bit about whatyou've experienced, then, as
you've moved towardssignificance.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Yeah.
So I feel like one of thediscoveries I made was that we
kind of live in this age ofeverybody saying be your best
self, be your best self.
And that sounds great I mean,who doesn't want to be their
best self?
But it's a little ambiguouswhat is my best self?
And so I think I wanted to dothat homework of really being
(22:25):
heightening my self-awareness.
I think as humans we do havethese basic needs that we're
trying to fulfill and reallyonce we get past sort of the
food, the shelter, therelationships in our life, we
are looking to self-actualizeand self-discover.
Hopefully, and I feel, likemany of us in the hustle culture
(22:48):
mentality, we've overfilled ourplates, we have strain
schedules where we can feeldirectionless or we're on
autopilot in this endless kindof hustle of life, and so for me
I really feel like the antidoteis a mindset shift to kind of
quiet that one drive for successand ignite another drive
(23:11):
instead.
And so for me that reallygetting in touch with my
significant impact was embracingkind of pure ambitions that
challenged me to turn my talentinto purpose and turn my career,
my career journey, more into acalling.
(23:33):
And really when we do thathomework, when we understand
we're fully, how we are uniquelydesigned.
All of a sudden, our mindsetshifts and we wanna give back to
others.
So I'm not in the pursuit ofhelping people become more
narcissistic or become more fullof themselves.
(23:54):
What I want them to do is andwhat I did for myself is just to
understand more fully who I am,in a very holistic level, so
that then I know how I can pourinto other people's lives and
how I can make my business abusiness that helps people and
comes alongside them.
And so that's what I mean aboutbetter health, better wealth,
(24:16):
because when I care about who Iam, I'm gonna take better care
of myself.
When I know that I can be avehicle for positive impact, I'm
going to make sure that I'mfeeding into self care, but then
I'm going to also take thatenergy I get from that self care
and I'm going to have apositive impact through my
(24:40):
business or through myfriendships or through being a
mother or through being a wife,and really have that positive
impact, so that the wealth thatI have is a different kind of
wealth.
So I feel like if you're inthat sweet spot of really doing
what you're passionate about andalso what you're talented at.
(25:00):
The wealth is just gonna come,the money will come, it will be
there, but then you're gonnajust have this broader wealth of
deeper relationships and a morefulfilling career experience,
which is gonna lead to betterrest and better enjoyment.
So it's like a domino effect,but you have to knock over that
(25:22):
first domino, and what peopleunderestimate is how incredibly
hard it is to do that.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
We get stuck.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
And to use that term stuck and you talked about many
different things.
You talked about fear, youtalked about lack of
self-awareness.
I mean there's so manydifferent things inside of that
space.
I'll take care of myself when Iget through this phase of my
career.
I'll spend more time buildingrelationships with others when I
get through this part ofbusiness in my career.
I will, in essence, spend moretime with my family when I get
(25:51):
through this phase of my career.
But problem is that phase justgoes on and on and on because of
the fear of losing what we havefrom a security standpoint.
And you touch on it Like thoseare that barrier.
Knocking that first domino overis the hardest part.
So how do you encourage someoneto get started?
I mean, they've come to you andsaid I got a problem, I need
help.
How do you get them started?
Speaker 2 (26:13):
Yeah, I get them started by going through this
process, you know, of strategiclife map, of really kind of
digging in, and there's a methodto the madness and there's a
process we go through and one ofthe most powerful parts of it
is really unearthing thoseself-limiting beliefs, those
patterns that we all no matterhow great your childhood was or
(26:35):
how not great your childhood waswe all have these self-limiting
beliefs and we all have thesepatterns or labels that have
been placed on us or things thathave been said to us, good and
bad that affect how we make ordon't make decisions.
And you know we can be veryscared to make change because of
(27:01):
these fears that are tied tothese patterns.
And so, you know, one of the Iwould have never guessed that my
masters in psychology wouldhave led me to where I am today.
I got it back pre-kids when Iwas promoted at HGTV to oversee
a staff.
We didn't really have an HRdepartment or a development
(27:22):
department where we weretraining up leaders, you know.
And so I was like, geez, whatam I going to do?
I already have a businessdegree.
I don't really want to get anMBA.
So I went and got a master's inpsychology to become a better
leader and to be a bettermanager, and I'm so thankful I
did.
But what's so interesting in myjourney is how I'm able to use
it today, where I can be anexecutive coach who also has a
(27:44):
who's basically a trainedpsychotherapist, and kind of
merge those together so I canpull out of people things you
know that are really trippingthem up and the fears that are
really holding them back.
And many people name their fearsincorrectly.
You know they think they have,you know, a fear of, you know,
making a change for X, y or youknow Z reason, but they don't
(28:08):
realize.
Well, oh, that fear is rootedin, maybe a fear of failure or a
fear of not having enough, or afear you know, something that
ties back.
And so when we can unearth that, see it for what it is and
develop you know tools to movethrough that, then we can really
move into discovering what weshould do next, and I think you
(28:31):
have to.
You have to do it in that order.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
We have to.
You have to get that purpose upfront right.
That absolutely that problem.
To find that problem on thefront end before you try and fix
it and realize you're in thewrong jungle.
You're exactly right.
I can't imagine.
I think that'd be a fascinatingprocess and I want we'll share
with folks how they can learnmore about the strategic life
mapping process at the end andstay in touch with you.
I'm curious do you have youknow in your 10 years that you
(28:58):
are coming up on 10 years withthe company?
Do you have a specific storythat's really been something
that you've been proud of andsomeone that you coach?
Obviously, you don't have toshare their names, but with a
story that's been reallypowerful for you and validated
what you're trying to do.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Yeah, I feel like one of the reasons I get so excited
about this and love doing it isbecause I get to see the
transformation happening asthey're going through this
process.
So I've had all sorts ofleaders that have gone through
this process.
I've had business owners whosold their company for millions
(29:35):
and millions of dollars and justdon't know what to do next.
It's fun to work with them tounearth how they can, instead of
just hitting the golf coursefor the next five years how all
of a sudden, you can see thelight bulbs going off of this
new venture that they can leaninto and create something good.
(30:00):
And I'm thinking of two ownersand business owners in
particular who both went throughthe process and have basically
almost reinvented their nextchapter.
And it's been such a beautifulthing to see them really get
back in touch with who they areand then reimagine this new
future for themselves.
(30:22):
Because I know it sounds sofabulous to sell your company
and have the money, but it'salso behind the scenes is very
scary for people because they'relosing a piece of themselves,
they're walking away fromsomething that they built and
they don't know who they areoutside of that.
So when they can come to me andgo through this process.
(30:43):
It's so fun to see them let goof that fear and embrace
something new.
And I've had clients who havebeen leaders and companies who
have gone through the processand they think that they've lost
their mojo or they don't haveanything left to give the
company.
And they go through the processand they're completely
(31:04):
reignited and so eager to getback, so eager to get back to
the job and lean in a new way.
So I've seen both sides.
I've seen completely differenttrajectories created and I've
seen people fall back in lovewith who they are and the impact
that they can have where theyare.
And I find that both equally asexciting, because I'm sending
(31:26):
people back with just moreconfidence and clarity and a
deeper calling when they walkaway from it.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Love that Uncommon impact A little bit different
than finding the next show forHGTV, the next DIY show you have
to put in place, but having apositive impact on somebody's
life and again going back to oneof the quotes you used in the
start of your book is beingextraordinarily significant in
the most ordinary ways.
You used that quote from the.
Teresa, that really talked aboutit and it sounds like, Tracy,
(31:59):
that's a lot of what you'redoing.
Tracy, I appreciate the time.
I just have a couple morequestions and we'll be going
through them.
I'm going to shift a little bitmaybe away from the mapping,
away from the consulting and alittle bit more go back to you
again.
You mentioned, certainly, thatbooks have had an influence on
you.
Is there a specific book thathas had more influence on you
(32:20):
that you have gone back to on aregular basis?
Speaker 2 (32:25):
I have so many I love reading.
I love it.
I will say one that I have readmore than once in the last
couple of years is Adam Grant'sThink Again.
I think that in the culturethat we're in today and the
division and everybody havingmore opinions than information,
(32:48):
I think that book really helpedme to learn how to engage with
questions and to learn to.
I have a saying I say in everysingle speech that I give, which
is be more curious than certain.
That has become very, verydifficult for all of us to ask
(33:11):
more questions than to give anopinion.
That's one that has reminded meand I have the quote hanging in
my office where I just want tobe curious.
Every day.
I want to ask a question beforeI give an answer and really
lean into life in that regard,knowing I don't know it all,
(33:35):
I'll never know it all.
I don't want to know it all, Iwant to die still learning.
That's a book that really givesyou great skills and trying to
engage with people and havedeeper, richer conversations
that maybe don't lead to so muchdivision.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
All right, you answered two questions and one
because I think you alsoanswered your billboard question
for me, but here's what I think.
I think your book what Ifthere's More?
Is going to have that impact onsomebody as well, in terms of
them reading it again and havingit help.
I think you've done a great jobwith it.
I look forward to finishing itup and sharing it myself.
Tracy, I do appreciate yourtime today investing with the
(34:15):
listeners of the Uncommon LeaderPodcast.
How can people stay in touchwith you?
What's the best way to connectwith you?
Speaker 2 (34:23):
Thank you so much.
First of all, this has beensuch an honor and it's been so
fun talking to you.
Yeah, if anybody wants to findme, they can go to
tracyshobertbarrettcom, and allthe information is there.
You can follow me on socials aswell.
Yeah, my book is everywhere.
You can buy books and you canfind out more information at my
website as well.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Great Tracy Schuber Barrett.
Again, it's been a pleasure tohave you on the Uncommon Leader
Podcast.
I wish you the best in thefuture.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Well, that's all for today's episode of the Uncommon
Leader Podcast.
Thanks for listening in.
Please take just a minute toshare this podcast with that
someone you know that youthought of when you heard this
episode.
One of the most valuable thingsyou can do is to rate the
podcast and leave a review.
You can do that on ApplePodcasts or you can rate the
podcast on Spotify or any otherplatform you listen.
Until next time, go and growchampions.
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