In this episode, Kristi Broom shares her deep expertise in helping businesses navigate the tricky transition from startup to scale-up. With over 25 years of experience in strategic innovation and operational excellence, Kristi reveals the systems and strategies that drive sustainable growth. From building the right team to understanding the evolving nature of business phases, Kristi’s insights will help you unlock the next level of success in your business journey.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 The 4 Stages of Business Growth – How to identify if you're in ideation, startup, scale-up, or expansion (and why it matters)
🧠 Why Systems Thinking is a Game-Changer – How to look at your business as a living, breathing system to make better decisions
👥 When to Hire (and When to Hold Back) – How Kristi helps businesses avoid costly hiring mistakes by finding the right talent at the right time
🔄 The Value of Generalists – Why being a multi-skilled operator is a superpower in business growth
⚖️ Managing Highs and Lows – How to emotionally detach from business outcomes to stay grounded and focused
🧘 Integrating Wellness Into Business Success – How yoga and mindfulness can improve decision-making and business performance
📝 About Kristi Broom
Kristi Broom is a dynamic executive leader with over 25 years of experience driving strategic innovation and operational excellence across diverse industries in both for-profit and non-profit sectors. She has a proven track record of designing and executing transformative strategies and innovative product and skills solutions, resulting in significant quality improvements, cost reductions, and enhanced productivity. She is known for building client trust, fostering stakeholder relationships, and spearheading initiatives that drive and scale organizational growth and success. A proud generalist, her career spans Product, Client Experience, Operations, Technology, Innovation, and all facets of Leadership, Learning and Development.
About 10 years ago she was overstressed, overworked, overweight, and frankly burned out. She discovered dance and yoga as a way to correct all of that. Five years ago she started teaching yoga in both public and corporate settings, and has added dance fitness to her offerings. She believe that we need to integrate our full selves in order to be our very best selves.
🎯 Kristi’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"Manage the highs. Manage the lows." – Kristi emphasizes the importance of emotional regulation in business. Don’t get too attached to successes or failures—stay balanced and focused on the bigger picture.
📢 Memorable Quotes
"Businesses are living, breathing systems. You need to adapt to keep them healthy and growing." – Kristi Broom
"Generalists are uniquely positioned to drive business success because they know how to solve different problems at different times." – Kristi Broom
"Detach from the outcome—focus on what you can control." – Kristi Broom
💡 Actionable Takeaways
✅ Evaluate which phase your business is in (startup vs. scale-up) and adapt your strategy accordingly
✅ Build systems that allow you to grow without chaos
✅ Consider hiring fractional executives or generalists to solve specific business challenges
✅ Create a personal wellness routine to stay mentally sharp and emotionally balanced
✅ Detach from business outcomes—stay focused on the process
🔗 Links
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, what is up?
Welcome to this episode of theentrepreneur to entrepreneur
podcast.
As always, I'm your host, brianLofermento, and I'll tell you
what.
Having been an entrepreneur formore than 17 years now, I've
seen that there's this onelittle precarious phase of
business, that a lot ofbusinesses fall into this trap
and they don't know where toturn, who to turn to or how to
(00:21):
get out.
And what I love about today'sguest is that from the second we
landed on her website, she hasthis really cool chart that
shows the startup journey andthe four phases, from ideation
to expansion.
And those four phases areideation, when you have that
idea.
The second is startup, thethird is scale up and the fourth
is expansion.
And today's guest really honesin on those middle two phases of
(00:43):
getting you through the startupand the scale-up phases.
And she does it in such anincredible way because she has
got a wealth of experience inand out of business.
I'm so excited to introduce youto her.
Her name is Christy Broom.
Christy is a dynamic executiveleader with over 25 years of
experience driving strategicinnovation and operational
excellence across diverseindustries, in both the
(01:05):
for-profit world and thenonprofit sectors.
She has a proven track recordof designing and executing
transformative strategies ininnovative product and skill
solutions, resulting insignificant quality improvements
, cost reductions and enhancedproductivity.
She is known for buildingclient trust, fostering
stakeholder relationships andspearheading initiatives that
drive and scale organizationalgrowth and success.
(01:29):
She's a proud generalist, sowe're definitely going to talk
about that in today'sconversation, because her career
spans product, clientexperience, operations,
technology innovation and allfacets of leadership, learning
and development.
About 10 years ago, she wasoverstressed, overworked,
overweight and, frankly, burnedout, something that probably too
many of us can relate to in ourown entrepreneurial and
(01:50):
professional journeys.
That's when she discovereddance and yoga as a way to
correct all of that.
So five years ago, she startedteaching yoga in both public and
corporate settings and hasadded dance fitness to her
offerings.
She believes that we need tointegrate our full selves in
order to be our very best selves, and that's going to give us so
many incredible things to talkabout today, so I'm not going to
say anything else.
(02:11):
Let's dive straight into myinterview with Christy Broom.
All right, christy, I am sovery excited that you're here
with us today.
First things first, welcome tothe show.
Thanks, brian, I'm excited tobe here as well.
Heck, yes, I'm excited for allthe different ways that our
conversation is probably goingto take us today.
But before we go there, take usbeyond the bio.
(02:32):
Who's Christy?
How'd you start doing all thesecool things?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Oh, my goodness, I started doing these things
because I went to school forhistory and when I graduated I
knew I didn't want to be ateacher.
I didn't want to go to gradschool and I had to figure out
what was next, and so I openedup the newspaper.
I am that old.
I opened up the newspaper,found a job as an administrative
assistant and it wasn't the jobas much as it was.
(02:56):
I found an amazing mentor, boss,and she really she's still one
of my friends today, but shehelped me understand what I was
good at and she pushed me togrow.
And when she left thatorganization I followed her and
that really started my career.
And again I have built mycareer around what does the
(03:20):
organization need from me andwhere can I best both
demonstrate and build my skillsto contribute most effectively
for the organization?
And so all of the things thatyou read which is amazing all
are a result of that.
I didn't know what to do.
I found a great boss, a greatmentor, and from there I have
had an amazing career journeyand I can't wait for what is
(03:42):
next.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Yes, I love that overview, christy, because I'll
be honest with you.
What really stands out?
Obviously, I talk toentrepreneurs and business
leaders for a living.
What really stands out to meabout the way that you
articulate that is the way youtalk about an organization as
most people talk about oh well,I took a job, I had this
position.
You're talking about figuringout where you can plug into an
organization.
It almost sounds like you viewit as a living, breathing thing.
(04:06):
Talk to me about that view ofit, because it just seems like
with your perspective, is thatyou can analyze it from a much
more strategic standpoint.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Absolutely so.
I am a systems thinker, I lookat the whole, I look at what
needs to be done and how do wefix the problem, get to the end
stage, get to where we want tobe.
And so, yes, organizations area living breathing organism, as
(04:35):
our startups, right?
So I think one of the thingsthat intrigued me about becoming
an entrepreneur is the abilityto shape that journey all on my
own, to move and, you know, andgroove with that, with my own
organization driving what needsto be done.
So, yeah, I think I think youknow, rather than considering
(04:58):
myself a job title, I haveconsidered where are my
strengths and how do I put thosestrengths to work while I
continue to build others.
And so, yes, the organizationis living, breathing.
I am living breathing, and theresults that we achieve are as
well.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Yes, Christy, I'll tell you what.
Speaking of moving and grooving, obviously what I love I teased
it at the very top of today'sepisode is the startup journey.
Journey, because all businessesare constantly moving and
grooving, they're constantlychanging and a lot of times we
probably don't realize veryintentionally the phases of our
journeys.
Talk to us about that.
(05:35):
I know that for so many of us,when we start our first
businesses, we are just we'redoers, we are idea factories, we
are all of the above.
We just want to do everythingand try everything.
But I think it's so smart tolook at and understand here are
your different needs atdifferent times.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Yeah, yeah.
So I'm not an ideator, I'm nota visionary.
I can be, I can demonstratethose skills, but that's not
where I sit best.
And so I sit best with otherswho have those ideas because,
again, I'm a systems thinker.
I can look at those ideas andsay, okay, so how are we going
to get there?
So ideation is not my sweetspot.
(06:12):
That is where all startupsstart and as an entrepreneur,
again, I'm demonstrating thoseskills.
It's not my sweet spot, but I'mdemonstrating those skills in
having ideas.
But then, once you get past thatidea, idea validation stage and
you're in a startup, right,you've got a product, you've got
(06:33):
a service, you've got a company, you're getting customers,
you're making money out of it.
Right, that's the startup phase.
And typically at that phasecompanies are pretty small.
Right, it might be a singleindividual, it might be some
co-founders, maybe there's anemployee or two, and it's the
pivot from that to scale up,where I really excel, because my
(06:54):
skills, my whole career hasbeen about people in growth,
even the yoga, even the dance,people in growth.
Those are the themes.
And so when companies are readyto move from kind of that
founder team or that earlyreally small team, really small
company into becoming a scaledup organization.
There's a lot of differentthings that they need, right, so
(07:16):
they need to be able tointeract with people in
different ways, whether thosepeople are customers or,
eventually, employees orthemselves as leaders.
Right, because when we'restarting our own company and
we're doers, we're doingeverything ourselves, we're
executing, we're exhibitingdifferent skills than when we
are leading people and we needto do things like delegate and
(07:39):
coach and manage and share thatvision, all those great things
that we have in our heads asfounders.
We have to inspire other peopleto come along with us on that
journey, and so there's a lot ofdifferent skills and growth
that needs to happen betweenthat startup and scale up space.
And then, finally, oncecompanies are growing and you
(07:59):
know they're, they're boomingand they're excelling, that is
an amazing space to be, butthat's not my sweet spot either.
I really enjoy helpingcompanies when they're making
that pivot from I'm a smallcompany with an idea that's
taking off to I want to growthis company.
I want to scale it so that itcan become that mega
(08:21):
money-making machine that we allwant to achieve.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah, christy, hearing you talk about these
things, a lot of listeners areprobably in their own heads
thinking about their ownbusinesses.
Of course, I always say thatpeople listen to podcast
episodes, not for you or I,christy, but of course they're
listening through their own lensand for their own business and
they're probably thinking how doyou define and identify which
phase of business?
And, christy, I'lltransparently share here on the
air is obviously, I've seenbehind the scenes of a lot of
(08:45):
businesses my guests, my friends, my own personal businesses and
I've seen multiple seven figurebusinesses that still act like
startups.
They still have those symptoms.
They don't really have thoseoperations and those processes.
They're making revenue becausethey've got a really great
product.
But basically, what I'm leadingto is this isn't necessarily
defined by dollar amount, is it?
(09:06):
If not, how do you define thesephases?
Speaker 2 (09:09):
No, for me it's really about that stage of the
business, right, so it is theorganization, it's the structure
of the organization and it'stheir needs.
And you're right, there are alot of big companies that have a
lot of startup practices withinthem, right, so, a lot of big
companies that have a lot ofstartup practices within them,
right?
So a lot of organizations talkabout we're agile, right, we're
flexible, we're nimble whateverword they use for that and
(09:38):
that's amazing.
But if you have 5,000 people inyour organization, you're no
longer a startup, right, becauseyou have to have structures in
place.
You have to have systems inplace to be able to organize and
manage and lead those people tobe able to drive your company.
So for me, it's really aboutthose structures and those
systems and those needs.
And employee size is probablythe best indicator of moving
(10:00):
through the stages, at least asI define them, for the services
that I can offer toorganizations.
So, again, startup is founding,team, maybe, maybe a few more,
but once you get into managingpeople and especially multiple
layers right, so, executivelevel, middle management layer
(10:21):
and employees, that's definitelynot a startup in the way that I
define it anymore, because theneeds, the needs are different.
We have to hire, we have tofire, we have to coach, we have
to manage performance, we haveto build skills, we have to, you
know, do things like quarterlybusiness reviews.
We have to do more formalplanning.
We have to be more diligentwith our spending right and we
have to inspire and motivatepeople to do their best work.
(10:43):
That's where that's helpingorganizations get to that stage
is my sweet spot and my passion,as I'm working with startups.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Yeah, one of the things we've seen in the news,
christy, is that historicallywe've seen a lot of companies
try to hire their way intogrowth, and obviously we've seen
mass layoffs over the pastcouple decades in different
industries at various times, andso I would imagine that a lot
of your work is helpingcompanies to identify when is
the right time to hire.
What are those hires?
(11:15):
How do we ensure that thosehires actually have tangible
growth in value to theorganization?
How the heck do you even beginto navigate those questions?
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Oh, brian, I'm so glad we're going here.
So, hiring, identifying skillsthat you need, identifying the
right people that you need right, because people and skills are
different than people and theirpersonalities and their
characteristics and theirbehaviors right.
And so identifying all of thosethings is the first step.
The reason I'm glad you'regoing here is because I think
(11:46):
the world of work and I thinkthe employment equation is
changing.
And so you know, when I builtmy company and I promote my
services, I'm promoting myselfas a fractional.
What does that mean?
That mean?
So a fractional is an embeddedexecutive, embedded leader
(12:07):
within the team that is not afull-time employee but can make
decisions and do work as if weare, and so has the authority,
has the motivation, theinspiration, all of the
accountability that a full-timehire would, without the cost for
the organization.
(12:27):
And because it doesn't comewith a cost, it also means that
I can be super efficient in howI execute across those
objectives.
And the reason is we all knowthat when we are full-time
employees within theorganization, there's a lot of
time spent on things that aren'tnecessarily driving the
objectives, things like teamcheck-in meetings, things like
(12:52):
group conversations that shouldhave been an email, right.
So those things when you arenot a full-time employee, those
things are not obligatory, right, and so that leaves a lot of
time to really drive thebusiness forward.
And so what I think ishappening is, I think employment
will look different five to 10years from now.
(13:14):
Some experts are predicting by2030, some are predicting a
little bit longer than that, atleast from a leadership rank.
I think we're going to also seea lot more gig work at the
individual contributor level, socontract employees, you know,
and short-term assignments, andso we start to think about all
(13:35):
of those systems and structuresthat will need to look different
, because we don't have, youknow, we don't have performance
cycles that we need to manage,and that's a time saver, but it
also means we have to be able toassess and manage performance
differently.
(13:56):
And so finding the right peopleis part of what we'll need to
think about, but also findingthe right employment situation
whether that be full-timecontract, fractional gig,
whatever that looks like I thinkis going to be another
component that startups, inparticular, are going to have to
think about.
I think you know well, runlegacy companies that have
(14:20):
always actually, they've alwayshad this mix, to be honest, but
they will probably keep that mixright and they will probably
need to keep more full-timeroles than startups, who I think
have this opportunity to lookat talent and talent management
differently as they think aboutthe needs of their business, and
(14:40):
when we do that, we can reducethe need for things like mass
layoffs.
So I think there's a reframingthat will take place over the
next half decade to decade and Ithink that's going to be an
overall net positive as we thinkabout employment and
employability.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, christy, hearing you talk about the
future of work, it's naturallyleading me to somewhere that
I've been so excited to go withyou in today's conversation, and
that is the position of thegeneralist, because I am very
much in this boat with you whereI feel like, because I are more
on the side of being ageneralist, it makes me a better
marketer because I also loveoperations, and it makes me a
(15:21):
better operationalist because Ilove marketing, and so I don't
fit into any one of these boxes.
And when I think about some ofthe greatest tech CEOs and
founders that I've had thechance to meet and to interview,
it seems to me like they're notthe traditional tech founders
of yesterday, that they actuallydo like people, they actually
do have personalities and theyhave personable skills and they
can communicate in addition totheir tech skills.
(15:43):
And so I feel like we're atthis really weird juxtaposition
in history where people aretelling you know, we've got that
phrase the riches are in theniches, but then we also see so
many generalists like you,christy, that bring such a value
because of the fact that you'rea generalist and you have such
a broad array of perspectivesand experiences and skills and
talents.
What's your take on that,because a lot of people are told
(16:06):
conflicting things, so I'm socurious to hear it from you.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, I think the world isn't quite ready for
generalists and I want to changethat as well.
I hope shorter than five years.
There's a great movement led bya woman named Millie Tamati.
She started Generalist World,which is a community of people
like you and me, brian, whoidentify as generalists, who
really have this rich backgroundthat don't fit into a box, this
(16:31):
rich background that don't fitinto a box.
The reason I say the world isnot ready for it, I think it's a
system change, right.
And so, if you think about therise of technology and HR
technology and specificallyapplicant tracking systems ATSs
right.
So those systems thatautomatically screen resumes and
applications to make matches,to make it easier on hiring
(16:54):
managers to find the rightcandidate.
I've hired people many, manytimes.
I've hired people in the lastyear, year and a half.
Applicant tracking systems aregood, but they're not great.
I think you know I like to findthe person who will fit within
my team, who brings the rightskill sets, and applicant
tracking systems don't do agreat job of recognizing that.
To find the person who will fitwithin my team, who brings the
right skill sets, and applicanttracking systems don't do a
(17:14):
great job of recognizing that.
When we think about generalists, applicant tracking systems
have a hard time right.
So if I am hiring for aspecific job role, let's call it
product manager.
An applicant tracking systemwill look for those words and
it'll look for a history withinthe resume that says product
(17:36):
manager, and it's really hardfor an applicant tracking system
to screen through and say, well, you know what?
They weren't a product manager,but they were a project manager
, or they were a volunteer at anorganization and they did
fundraising for a year, or theywere a leader of a team, and
(18:00):
that's an important skill as wethink about being able to lead a
full scrum team and develop aproduct and bring it to market.
And so I think it's the systemsthat are going to need to
evolve a little bit, in additionto us getting really really
good and really really preciseat what we're looking for from a
skill set perspective as well.
(18:21):
I think one of the things and,brian, I anticipate this is true
for you as well One of thethings that I think is a
strength in my career is that Ihave shifted where the need has
been.
I think is a strength in mycareer is that I have shifted
where the need has been, and soif you look at my LinkedIn
profile or my resume, thereisn't a consistent job title
(18:42):
among that.
There are some common threads,but they aren't in the job
titles, and so a system that isscreening that won't see that.
The strength is that I ammoving where the organization
needs me and that adaptabilitythat I have demonstrated
throughout my career, and sothat's a long way of saying I'm
(19:02):
hopeful for the future ofgeneralists.
I think more organizations arestarting to realize, and will
continue to realize, the valuethat we bring and, as it relates
to the Startup to Scale Upjourney, that generalist is
really valuable because youdon't necessarily need a single
person in a single function witha single title.
(19:23):
You need someone to fix aproblem and then fix the next
problem, and then fix the nextproblem and then fix the next
problem, and generalists reallyare ideally suited for that
situation.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Yeah, christy, I'll tell you what most listeners
can't see you and I right now.
But my favorite part of thatanswer that you just shared with
us is when you're talking aboutthose shifts and those turns,
that adaptability.
You're using your hand andyou're showing those turns and I
think about.
I've actually never attributedadaptability as one of my core
traits.
That's like, for sure, one ofthe strengths that I've amassed
over 17 plus years of being anentrepreneur, and I guess I've
(19:58):
missed out on the attribution ofthat adaptability to being a
generalist, because it's kind ofthe opposite of that point that
when you're a hammer,everything looks like a nail, is
that?
as generalists, we can assessthings and say, oh, this is
calling for my operational hatright now, this is calling for
my marketer hat right now, andit is so easy for us to switch
those gears.
It makes me want to ask youthis question.
(20:19):
I kind of let it slide by alittle earlier in our
conversation, but when we talkabout business phases, obviously
so much of what we ideate is inone direction, it's with one
strategy, but of course, when wereach that startup phase, it's
very different from how it was.
In our direction, it's with onestrategy, but of course, when
we reach that startup phase,it's very different from how it
was in our heads.
(20:40):
And even further, when we go tothe scale up phase, things look
even more different.
And so, christy, I guess I wantto talk to your strategic mind
a little bit.
And from an operational andorganizational standpoint, how
do we navigate those changes?
Because I'll tell you, as thehost of this show, when
listeners email me and they'reconvinced you know this is the
business I want to do for thenext five to 10 years I think to
myself transparently, christy,is that there's a very small
(21:00):
chance you're going to be doingthat business five years from
now, probably six months fromnow, it's going to change
drastically.
How do you navigate thosechanges, especially when you
start tacking on employees, whenyou start tacking on
operational foundations andstructures?
How do you navigate thosechanges and stay just as
adaptable as we generalists are?
Speaker 2 (21:23):
So there's a there's probably a quick answer and then
there's a longer answer as well.
I think team dynamics is thequick answer, right.
So hire for the people who arewilling to make those changes
with you and able to make thosechanges with you.
How do you do that?
You know?
Again, looking at a generalistresume is one way right.
(21:43):
So probing into how are peopleshifting through those career
changes.
But I think a lot ofconversation around tell me
about something that did notwork well.
How did you handle it Right?
And being attached to an idea isprobably a signal that that
person is not going to be ableto navigate those changes well,
(22:04):
especially in the earlierchanges or the earlier stages.
Rather, when, brian, you saidit right, like the idea I
started with is not going to bethe idea I end with, and we all
know that from experience.
But when you're said it right,like the idea I started with is
not going to be the idea I endwith, and we all know that from
experience.
But when you're in it andyou're very attached to that
idea and you want it to succeed,if you can't make that change,
you're going to struggle.
(22:25):
If the people on your teamcan't make that change, you're
going to struggle.
So, I think, a lot of probinginto what does failure look like
and how did you handle that?
What was your next step afterit?
Those are the types ofquestions to ask people that
you're bringing into your team,because at that stage, until
you're at scale up, the companymay look different two, three,
(22:47):
four times over and you may makemassive swings.
They may not be massive, butyou may make massive swings.
So that's probably the easieranswer.
I think in the moment it isabout detaching from the idea
and that's that again is a lotof kind of wisdom and experience
.
But you can probe it out inemployees who maybe don't have
(23:13):
as many years under their careerbelt as I have and maybe you
have Brian as well.
So, understanding what did itlook like when their athletic
team did not achieve the results?
What did it look like in theireducation when they had a
particular interest in thatshift?
I've been speaking to a lot ofcollege students lately and I
(23:38):
love speaking to early collegestudents.
I have three adult kids of myown.
My youngest is still in collegeand he's still with his
original major in his secondyear, which I'm not convinced
he's going to graduate with thatone, but maybe he will.
The other two did not.
The other two went in with anidea.
I myself went in with workplace.
That's an opportunity to proberight.
(24:14):
What did you start youreducation career with?
If you went to college, whatwas your first major?
Did you graduate with that?
And if they did, that's great.
There's nothing wrong with that.
I think a lot of people don't.
And so how did they handle thatshift from an area of study to
another one as well?
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Yes, christy, I love that answer.
That's such a cool insightbecause you're right, the older
I get I'm in my mid-30s now, but, like I said in entrepreneurial
years, I've got 17 years undermy belt and the biggest use the
word wisdom.
To me, there's a lot of smartpeople, but I think that wisdom
really is about that detachmentthat you talked to us about.
The older I get, the more Ihonestly convince myself less
(24:54):
and less, christy, that I knowanything at all.
Where I'm just like, I'm opento being wrong.
Let's try things, let's seewhat the actual results come
back, as that, to me, is truewisdom.
So I love the fact that youcalled that out.
I want to switch gears a littlebit, because I knew that time
would be flying by with you heretoday, because we could both
geek out about all thingsbusiness, operations, technology
, growth scale, all of those.
(25:14):
But I also know that, as ageneralist, yoga is such an
important part of the way thatyou see the world and the way
that you have transformed, andpart of your value add and the
way that you think as well.
That's what I always love aboutany of these passions is that
they're all just a microcosm forlife.
They're all a microcosm forlife.
They're all a microcosm forbusiness.
(25:35):
We can learn so much throughthem.
So, christy, with thatentrepreneurial hat on, how has
yoga changed the way that yousee the world and how has it
played into the way that youthink?
Speaker 2 (25:41):
It's such a great segue actually, from detachment,
right.
So here in the Western world,yoga is a fit, yes, it's fitness
, right.
So whether it is true fitnessand I teach a class that is very
much fitness yoga we sweat alot, we move a lot, but
(26:01):
typically we think of yoga asslower and gentler and more
stretchy.
You know, relaxation, focused,and I teach that type of yoga as
well.
Focused, and I teach that typeof yoga as well In the East,
where yoga originated, yoga is away of life and so when you
study, kind of those foundationsof yoga, it's about detachment.
(26:23):
If you've ever taken a yogaclass, whether it's in the West
or not, typically we start, wedefinitely end, with Shavasana,
with letting go, and you mighthear some yoga instructors talk
about that being the mostdifficult part of the class, and
it's because it's very hard tosit or lie in stillness and let
(26:44):
go of the wiggles that we wantto do in our bodies.
More importantly, let go of thethoughts that are in our heads
right.
Importantly, let go of thethoughts that are in our heads
right.
And so that moment in yogawhere you're detaching, you're
detaching from all of that.
You're saying I can't controlit all.
I may still have thoughts, butI'm not going to let them attach
(27:06):
in my mind, right.
So I may be thinking about thegrocery list, I may be thinking
about what I need to do today, Imay be thinking about you know
how my leg hurts, but I'm notgoing to let those thoughts take
hold, I'm going to let themmove on by and try to detach
from them.
That practice of detachment inyoga, I think, is so valuable
and it has such strongconnections to what we're doing
(27:28):
in life, but in business as well, and it's why I have this
belief that yoga, wellness,mental fitness they have such an
important role to play in theworkplace and I love that
organizations are starting torealize the value of wellness in
their organizations.
Because those skills, thosecapabilities to detach to, you
(27:52):
know, to take control of mythoughts and decide how I'm
going to acknowledge them or not, how much space they're going
to get in my brain, in my energy, in my being, that is a
valuable skill that can beapplied in all areas of business
, definitely in entrepreneurship, right?
Definitely, as we think aboutthe need to detach from an idea,
(28:16):
to detach from the outcomes, todetach from all of the no's
that we're going to hear and nottake those personally and keep
moving on, keep persevering.
That is such an importantcomponent of it.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Yes, I love that, Christy.
What I really appreciate aboutthat answer is you openly
acknowledge, you say, yeah, youare thinking about your grocery
shopping list, you are thinkingabout the 5 million things that
we all are responsible for asentrepreneurs, but we don't let
them attach in our mind.
And I love that concept, andit's the way that meditation was
(28:49):
explained to me as well.
I remember once upon a time Itold a meditation teacher I said
there's no way I can meditate,I'm always thinking.
And they said, yeah, meditationis about acknowledging those
thoughts, recognizing thosethoughts and let them pass right
on by.
And it's so similar to the waythat you introduced us to that
concept here today, christy, andI so deeply appreciate that
because I know how much itstruck me the first time that I
(29:11):
heard it, and again here today.
So, listeners, I hope thatyou're heeding this stuff, this
wisdom from Christy here today,although I will say, christy,
all of that wisdom from you, Idon't know how you're going to
top it for this final question,because I always ask at the end
of every episode what's that?
One piece of advice, knowingthat we're being listened to by
both entrepreneurs andentrepreneurs at all different
stages of their own growthjourneys.
(29:33):
What's that one piece of advicethat you want to leave them
with today?
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Two things, two things into one statement.
So believe in yourself, believethat you can do it and don't
get hung up on on the downsides.
Also, don't get hung up on thesuccesses, celebrate them.
But here's my phrase Manage thehighs, manage the lows right.
So if you don't get tooattached to the successes, then
(30:03):
emotionally you're also going tobe able to regulate when things
don't go so well.
So keep an even keel, keep thatdetachment, believe in yourself
, keep going forward.
Celebrate the wins.
Wins, of course, learn from thethings that don't go so well,
so well, but keep moving forward.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
You've got this yes, I love that advice, christy.
It is so relevant to the entireconversation that we had here
today, and I think it's sobeautiful that this conversation
really started with businessphases.
We went from that to all ofthis stuff because it's all
intertwined.
There's no way to ignore anysingle facet or component of it.
(30:41):
So, christy, I love yourgeneralist superpowers and how
you can bring all of thosethings into one conversation
here today.
I'm also excited for listenersto check out your work and how
it shows up in the way that youshow up in the world, the way
that your marketing copy speaks,the way that you've laid your
offerings out, the way that youshowcase the value that you
bring to companies.
So, with all of that in mind,drop those links on us, christy.
(31:04):
For listeners who want to godeeper into all the great things
you're doing with your business, where should they go from here
?
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Absolutely so.
On LinkedIn, I'm Christy Broom,k-r-i-s-t-i-b-r-o-o-m.
Connect with me there.
My website islotustransformationgroupcom, and
I would love for you to visitthere as well.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Yes, and listeners, you already know the drill.
We're making it as easy aspossible for you to find those
links down below in the shownotes, no matter where it is
that you're tuning into today'sepisode.
We're also linking to Christy'spersonal LinkedIn.
So if you want to reach out andcontinue the conversation
knowing full well that mostpodcast listeners are shy and
they're not brave enough toreach out to incredible guests
that they hear on shows you havean easy chance to stand out to
(31:45):
someone like Christy and reachout.
So when she says it, she meansit.
You saw how much in real timehere today.
She loves talking about all thedifferent aspects of business
of life because she has lived itand she has so much value to
bring to the table.
So, christy, on behalf ofmyself and all the listeners
worldwide, thanks so much forcoming on the show today.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
It's been my pleasure .
Thank you, Brian.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Hey, it's Brian here, and thanks for tuning in to yet
another episode of theWantrepreneur to Entrepreneur
podcast.
If you haven't checked us outonline, there's so much good
stuff there.
Check out the show's websiteand all the show notes that we
talked about in today's episodeat thewantrepreneurshowcom, and
I just want to give a shout outto our amazing guests.
There's a reason why we are adfree and have produced so many
(32:28):
incredible episodes five days aweek for you, and it's because
our guests step up to the plate.
These are not sponsored episodes.
These are not infomercials.
Our guests help us cover thecosts of our productions.
They so deeply believe in thepower of getting their message
out in front of you, awesomeentrepreneurs and entrepreneurs,
that they contribute to help usmake these productions possible
(32:51):
.
So thank you to not onlytoday's guests, but all of our
guests in general, and I justwant to invite you check out our
website because you can send usa voicemail there.
We also have live chat.
If you want to interactdirectly with me, go to
thewantrepreneurshowcom.
Initiate a live chat.
It's for real me, and I'mexcited because I'll see you, as
always every Monday, wednesday.
Hey, what is up?
Welcome to this episode of theentrepreneur to entrepreneur
podcast.
As always, I'm your host, brianLofermento, and I'll tell you
what.
Having been an entrepreneur formore than 17 years now, I've
seen that there's this onelittle precarious phase of
business, that a lot ofbusinesses fall into this trap
and they don't know where toturn, who to turn to or how to
(00:21):
get out.
And what I love about today'sguest is that from the second we
landed on her website, she hasthis really cool chart that
shows the startup journey andthe four phases, from ideation
to expansion.
And those four phases areideation, when you have that
idea.
The second is startup, thethird is scale up and the fourth
is expansion.
And today's guest really honesin on those middle two phases of
(00:43):
getting you through the startupand the scale-up phases.
And she does it in such anincredible way because she has
got a wealth of experience inand out of business.
I'm so excited to introduce youto her.
Her name is Christy Broom.
Christy is a dynamic executiveleader with over 25 years of
experience driving strategicinnovation and operational
excellence across diverseindustries, in both the
(01:05):
for-profit world and thenonprofit sectors.
She has a proven track recordof designing and executing
transformative strategies ininnovative product and skill
solutions, resulting insignificant quality improvements
, cost reductions and enhancedproductivity.
She is known for buildingclient trust, fostering
stakeholder relationships andspearheading initiatives that
drive and scale organizationalgrowth and success.
(01:29):
She's a proud generalist, sowe're definitely going to talk
about that in today'sconversation, because her career
spans product, clientexperience, operations,
technology innovation and allfacets of leadership, learning
and development.
About 10 years ago, she wasoverstressed, overworked,
overweight and, frankly, burnedout, something that probably too
many of us can relate to in ourown entrepreneurial and
(01:50):
professional journeys.
That's when she discovereddance and yoga as a way to
correct all of that.
So five years ago, she startedteaching yoga in both public and
corporate settings and hasadded dance fitness to her
offerings.
She believes that we need tointegrate our full selves in
order to be our very best selves, and that's going to give us so
many incredible things to talkabout today, so I'm not going to
say anything else.
(02:11):
Let's dive straight into myinterview with Christy Broom.
All right, christy, I am sovery excited that you're here
with us today.
First things first, welcome tothe show.
Thanks, brian, I'm excited tobe here as well.
Heck, yes, I'm excited for allthe different ways that our
conversation is probably goingto take us today.
But before we go there, take usbeyond the bio.
(02:32):
Who's Christy?
How'd you start doing all thesecool things?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Oh, my goodness, I started doing these things
because I went to school forhistory and when I graduated I
knew I didn't want to be ateacher.
I didn't want to go to gradschool and I had to figure out
what was next, and so I openedup the newspaper.
I am that old.
I opened up the newspaper,found a job as an administrative
assistant and it wasn't the jobas much as it was.
(02:56):
I found an amazing mentor, boss,and she really she's still one
of my friends today, but shehelped me understand what I was
good at and she pushed me togrow.
And when she left thatorganization I followed her and
that really started my career.
And again I have built mycareer around what does the
(03:20):
organization need from me andwhere can I best both
demonstrate and build my skillsto contribute most effectively
for the organization?
And so all of the things thatyou read which is amazing all
are a result of that.
I didn't know what to do.
I found a great boss, a greatmentor, and from there I have
had an amazing career journeyand I can't wait for what is
(03:42):
next.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Yes, I love that overview, christy, because I'll
be honest with you.
What really stands out?
Obviously, I talk toentrepreneurs and business
leaders for a living.
What really stands out to meabout the way that you
articulate that is the way youtalk about an organization as
most people talk about oh well,I took a job, I had this
position.
You're talking about figuringout where you can plug into an
organization.
It almost sounds like you viewit as a living, breathing thing.
(04:06):
Talk to me about that view ofit, because it just seems like
with your perspective, is thatyou can analyze it from a much
more strategic standpoint.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Absolutely so.
I am a systems thinker, I lookat the whole, I look at what
needs to be done and how do wefix the problem, get to the end
stage, get to where we want tobe.
And so, yes, organizations area living breathing organism, as
(04:35):
our startups, right?
So I think one of the thingsthat intrigued me about becoming
an entrepreneur is the abilityto shape that journey all on my
own, to move and, you know, andgroove with that, with my own
organization driving what needsto be done.
So, yeah, I think I think youknow, rather than considering
(04:58):
myself a job title, I haveconsidered where are my
strengths and how do I put thosestrengths to work while I
continue to build others.
And so, yes, the organizationis living, breathing.
I am living breathing, and theresults that we achieve are as
well.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Yes, Christy, I'll tell you what.
Speaking of moving and grooving, obviously what I love I teased
it at the very top of today'sepisode is the startup journey.
Journey, because all businessesare constantly moving and
grooving, they're constantlychanging and a lot of times we
probably don't realize veryintentionally the phases of our
journeys.
Talk to us about that.
(05:35):
I know that for so many of us,when we start our first
businesses, we are just we'redoers, we are idea factories, we
are all of the above.
We just want to do everythingand try everything.
But I think it's so smart tolook at and understand here are
your different needs atdifferent times.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Yeah, yeah.
So I'm not an ideator, I'm nota visionary.
I can be, I can demonstratethose skills, but that's not
where I sit best.
And so I sit best with otherswho have those ideas because,
again, I'm a systems thinker.
I can look at those ideas andsay, okay, so how are we going
to get there?
So ideation is not my sweetspot.
(06:12):
That is where all startupsstart and as an entrepreneur,
again, I'm demonstrating thoseskills.
It's not my sweet spot, but I'mdemonstrating those skills in
having ideas.
But then, once you get past thatidea, idea validation stage and
you're in a startup, right,you've got a product, you've got
(06:33):
a service, you've got a company, you're getting customers,
you're making money out of it.
Right, that's the startup phase.
And typically at that phasecompanies are pretty small.
Right, it might be a singleindividual, it might be some
co-founders, maybe there's anemployee or two, and it's the
pivot from that to scale up,where I really excel, because my
(06:54):
skills, my whole career hasbeen about people in growth,
even the yoga, even the dance,people in growth.
Those are the themes.
And so when companies are readyto move from kind of that
founder team or that earlyreally small team, really small
company into becoming a scaledup organization.
There's a lot of differentthings that they need, right, so
(07:16):
they need to be able tointeract with people in
different ways, whether thosepeople are customers or,
eventually, employees orthemselves as leaders.
Right, because when we'restarting our own company and
we're doers, we're doingeverything ourselves, we're
executing, we're exhibitingdifferent skills than when we
are leading people and we needto do things like delegate and
(07:39):
coach and manage and share thatvision, all those great things
that we have in our heads asfounders.
We have to inspire other peopleto come along with us on that
journey, and so there's a lot ofdifferent skills and growth
that needs to happen betweenthat startup and scale up space.
And then, finally, oncecompanies are growing and you
(07:59):
know they're, they're boomingand they're excelling, that is
an amazing space to be, butthat's not my sweet spot either.
I really enjoy helpingcompanies when they're making
that pivot from I'm a smallcompany with an idea that's
taking off to I want to growthis company.
I want to scale it so that itcan become that mega
(08:21):
money-making machine that we allwant to achieve.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Yeah, christy, hearing you talk about these
things, a lot of listeners areprobably in their own heads
thinking about their ownbusinesses.
Of course, I always say thatpeople listen to podcast
episodes, not for you or I,christy, but of course they're
listening through their own lensand for their own business and
they're probably thinking how doyou define and identify which
phase of business?
And, christy, I'lltransparently share here on the
air is obviously, I've seenbehind the scenes of a lot of
(08:45):
businesses my guests, my friends, my own personal businesses and
I've seen multiple seven figurebusinesses that still act like
startups.
They still have those symptoms.
They don't really have thoseoperations and those processes.
They're making revenue becausethey've got a really great
product.
But basically, what I'm leadingto is this isn't necessarily
defined by dollar amount, is it?
(09:06):
If not, how do you define thesephases?
Speaker 2 (09:09):
No, for me it's really about that stage of the
business, right, so it is theorganization, it's the structure
of the organization and it'stheir needs.
And you're right, there are alot of big companies that have a
lot of startup practices withinthem, right, so, a lot of big
companies that have a lot ofstartup practices within them,
right?
So a lot of organizations talkabout we're agile, right, we're
flexible, we're nimble whateverword they use for that and
(09:38):
that's amazing.
But if you have 5,000 people inyour organization, you're no
longer a startup, right, becauseyou have to have structures in
place.
You have to have systems inplace to be able to organize and
manage and lead those people tobe able to drive your company.
So for me, it's really aboutthose structures and those
systems and those needs.
And employee size is probablythe best indicator of moving
(10:00):
through the stages, at least asI define them, for the services
that I can offer toorganizations.
So, again, startup is founding,team, maybe, maybe a few more,
but once you get into managingpeople and especially multiple
layers right, so, executivelevel, middle management layer
(10:21):
and employees, that's definitelynot a startup in the way that I
define it anymore, because theneeds, the needs are different.
We have to hire, we have tofire, we have to coach, we have
to manage performance, we haveto build skills, we have to, you
know, do things like quarterlybusiness reviews.
We have to do more formalplanning.
We have to be more diligentwith our spending right and we
have to inspire and motivatepeople to do their best work.
(10:43):
That's where that's helpingorganizations get to that stage
is my sweet spot and my passion,as I'm working with startups.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Yeah, one of the things we've seen in the news,
christy, is that historicallywe've seen a lot of companies
try to hire their way intogrowth, and obviously we've seen
mass layoffs over the pastcouple decades in different
industries at various times, andso I would imagine that a lot
of your work is helpingcompanies to identify when is
the right time to hire.
What are those hires?
(11:15):
How do we ensure that thosehires actually have tangible
growth in value to theorganization?
How the heck do you even beginto navigate those questions?
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Oh, brian, I'm so glad we're going here.
So, hiring, identifying skillsthat you need, identifying the
right people that you need right, because people and skills are
different than people and theirpersonalities and their
characteristics and theirbehaviors right.
And so identifying all of thosethings is the first step.
The reason I'm glad you'regoing here is because I think
(11:46):
the world of work and I thinkthe employment equation is
changing.
And so you know, when I builtmy company and I promote my
services, I'm promoting myselfas a fractional.
What does that mean?
That mean?
So a fractional is an embeddedexecutive, embedded leader
(12:07):
within the team that is not afull-time employee but can make
decisions and do work as if weare, and so has the authority,
has the motivation, theinspiration, all of the
accountability that a full-timehire would, without the cost for
the organization.
(12:27):
And because it doesn't comewith a cost, it also means that
I can be super efficient in howI execute across those
objectives.
And the reason is we all knowthat when we are full-time
employees within theorganization, there's a lot of
time spent on things that aren'tnecessarily driving the
objectives, things like teamcheck-in meetings, things like
(12:52):
group conversations that shouldhave been an email, right.
So those things when you arenot a full-time employee, those
things are not obligatory, right, and so that leaves a lot of
time to really drive thebusiness forward.
And so what I think ishappening is, I think employment
will look different five to 10years from now.
(13:14):
Some experts are predicting by2030, some are predicting a
little bit longer than that, atleast from a leadership rank.
I think we're going to also seea lot more gig work at the
individual contributor level, socontract employees, you know,
and short-term assignments, andso we start to think about all
(13:35):
of those systems and structuresthat will need to look different
, because we don't have, youknow, we don't have performance
cycles that we need to manage,and that's a time saver, but it
also means we have to be able toassess and manage performance
differently.
(13:56):
And so finding the right peopleis part of what we'll need to
think about, but also findingthe right employment situation
whether that be full-timecontract, fractional gig,
whatever that looks like I thinkis going to be another
component that startups, inparticular, are going to have to
think about.
I think you know well, runlegacy companies that have
(14:20):
always actually, they've alwayshad this mix, to be honest, but
they will probably keep that mixright and they will probably
need to keep more full-timeroles than startups, who I think
have this opportunity to lookat talent and talent management
differently as they think aboutthe needs of their business, and
(14:40):
when we do that, we can reducethe need for things like mass
layoffs.
So I think there's a reframingthat will take place over the
next half decade to decade and Ithink that's going to be an
overall net positive as we thinkabout employment and
employability.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, christy, hearing you talk about the
future of work, it's naturallyleading me to somewhere that
I've been so excited to go withyou in today's conversation, and
that is the position of thegeneralist, because I am very
much in this boat with you whereI feel like, because I are more
on the side of being ageneralist, it makes me a better
marketer because I also loveoperations, and it makes me a
(15:21):
better operationalist because Ilove marketing, and so I don't
fit into any one of these boxes.
And when I think about some ofthe greatest tech CEOs and
founders that I've had thechance to meet and to interview,
it seems to me like they're notthe traditional tech founders
of yesterday, that they actuallydo like people, they actually
do have personalities and theyhave personable skills and they
can communicate in addition totheir tech skills.
(15:43):
And so I feel like we're atthis really weird juxtaposition
in history where people aretelling you know, we've got that
phrase the riches are in theniches, but then we also see so
many generalists like you,christy, that bring such a value
because of the fact that you'rea generalist and you have such
a broad array of perspectivesand experiences and skills and
talents.
What's your take on that,because a lot of people are told
(16:06):
conflicting things, so I'm socurious to hear it from you.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Yeah, I think the world isn't quite ready for
generalists and I want to changethat as well.
I hope shorter than five years.
There's a great movement led bya woman named Millie Tamati.
She started Generalist World,which is a community of people
like you and me, brian, whoidentify as generalists, who
really have this rich backgroundthat don't fit into a box, this
(16:31):
rich background that don't fitinto a box.
The reason I say the world isnot ready for it, I think it's a
system change, right.
And so, if you think about therise of technology and HR
technology and specificallyapplicant tracking systems ATSs
right.
So those systems thatautomatically screen resumes and
applications to make matches,to make it easier on hiring
(16:54):
managers to find the rightcandidate.
I've hired people many, manytimes.
I've hired people in the lastyear, year and a half.
Applicant tracking systems aregood, but they're not great.
I think you know I like to findthe person who will fit within
my team, who brings the rightskill sets, and applicant
tracking systems don't do agreat job of recognizing that.
To find the person who will fitwithin my team, who brings the
right skill sets, and applicanttracking systems don't do a
(17:14):
great job of recognizing that.
When we think about generalists, applicant tracking systems
have a hard time right.
So if I am hiring for aspecific job role, let's call it
product manager.
An applicant tracking systemwill look for those words and
it'll look for a history withinthe resume that says product
(17:36):
manager, and it's really hardfor an applicant tracking system
to screen through and say, well, you know what?
They weren't a product manager,but they were a project manager
, or they were a volunteer at anorganization and they did
fundraising for a year, or theywere a leader of a team, and
(18:00):
that's an important skill as wethink about being able to lead a
full scrum team and develop aproduct and bring it to market.
And so I think it's the systemsthat are going to need to
evolve a little bit, in additionto us getting really really
good and really really preciseat what we're looking for from a
skill set perspective as well.
(18:21):
I think one of the things and,brian, I anticipate this is true
for you as well One of thethings that I think is a
strength in my career is that Ihave shifted where the need has
been.
I think is a strength in mycareer is that I have shifted
where the need has been, and soif you look at my LinkedIn
profile or my resume, thereisn't a consistent job title
(18:42):
among that.
There are some common threads,but they aren't in the job
titles, and so a system that isscreening that won't see that.
The strength is that I ammoving where the organization
needs me and that adaptabilitythat I have demonstrated
throughout my career, and sothat's a long way of saying I'm
(19:02):
hopeful for the future ofgeneralists.
I think more organizations arestarting to realize, and will
continue to realize, the valuethat we bring and, as it relates
to the Startup to Scale Upjourney, that generalist is
really valuable because youdon't necessarily need a single
person in a single function witha single title.
(19:23):
You need someone to fix aproblem and then fix the next
problem, and then fix the nextproblem and then fix the next
problem, and generalists reallyare ideally suited for that
situation.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Yeah, christy, I'll tell you what most listeners
can't see you and I right now.
But my favorite part of thatanswer that you just shared with
us is when you're talking aboutthose shifts and those turns,
that adaptability.
You're using your hand andyou're showing those turns and I
think about.
I've actually never attributedadaptability as one of my core
traits.
That's like, for sure, one ofthe strengths that I've amassed
over 17 plus years of being anentrepreneur, and I guess I've
(19:58):
missed out on the attribution ofthat adaptability to being a
generalist, because it's kind ofthe opposite of that point that
when you're a hammer,everything looks like a nail, is
that?
as generalists, we can assessthings and say, oh, this is
calling for my operational hatright now, this is calling for
my marketer hat right now, andit is so easy for us to switch
those gears.
It makes me want to ask youthis question.
(20:19):
I kind of let it slide by alittle earlier in our
conversation, but when we talkabout business phases, obviously
so much of what we ideate is inone direction, it's with one
strategy, but of course, when wereach that startup phase, it's
very different from how it was.
In our direction, it's with onestrategy, but of course, when
we reach that startup phase,it's very different from how it
was in our heads.
(20:40):
And even further, when we go tothe scale up phase, things look
even more different.
And so, christy, I guess I wantto talk to your strategic mind
a little bit.
And from an operational andorganizational standpoint, how
do we navigate those changes?
Because I'll tell you, as thehost of this show, when
listeners email me and they'reconvinced you know this is the
business I want to do for thenext five to 10 years I think to
myself transparently, christy,is that there's a very small
(21:00):
chance you're going to be doingthat business five years from
now, probably six months fromnow, it's going to change
drastically.
How do you navigate thosechanges, especially when you
start tacking on employees, whenyou start tacking on
operational foundations andstructures?
How do you navigate thosechanges and stay just as
adaptable as we generalists are?
Speaker 2 (21:23):
So there's a there's probably a quick answer and then
there's a longer answer as well.
I think team dynamics is thequick answer, right.
So hire for the people who arewilling to make those changes
with you and able to make thosechanges with you.
How do you do that?
You know?
Again, looking at a generalistresume is one way right.
(21:43):
So probing into how are peopleshifting through those career
changes.
But I think a lot ofconversation around tell me
about something that did notwork well.
How did you handle it Right?
And being attached to an idea isprobably a signal that that
person is not going to be ableto navigate those changes well,
(22:04):
especially in the earlierchanges or the earlier stages.
Rather, when, brian, you saidit right, like the idea I
started with is not going to bethe idea I end with, and we all
know that from experience.
But when you're said it right,like the idea I started with is
not going to be the idea I endwith, and we all know that from
experience.
But when you're in it andyou're very attached to that
idea and you want it to succeed,if you can't make that change,
you're going to struggle.
(22:25):
If the people on your teamcan't make that change, you're
going to struggle.
So, I think, a lot of probinginto what does failure look like
and how did you handle that?
What was your next step afterit?
Those are the types ofquestions to ask people that
you're bringing into your team,because at that stage, until
you're at scale up, the companymay look different two, three,
(22:47):
four times over and you may makemassive swings.
They may not be massive, butyou may make massive swings.
So that's probably the easieranswer.
I think in the moment it isabout detaching from the idea
and that's that again is a lotof kind of wisdom and experience
.
But you can probe it out inemployees who maybe don't have
(23:13):
as many years under their careerbelt as I have and maybe you
have Brian as well.
So, understanding what did itlook like when their athletic
team did not achieve the results?
What did it look like in theireducation when they had a
particular interest in thatshift?
I've been speaking to a lot ofcollege students lately and I
(23:38):
love speaking to early collegestudents.
I have three adult kids of myown.
My youngest is still in collegeand he's still with his
original major in his secondyear, which I'm not convinced
he's going to graduate with thatone, but maybe he will.
The other two did not.
The other two went in with anidea.
I myself went in with workplace.
That's an opportunity to proberight.
(24:14):
What did you start youreducation career with?
If you went to college, whatwas your first major?
Did you graduate with that?
And if they did, that's great.
There's nothing wrong with that.
I think a lot of people don't.
And so how did they handle thatshift from an area of study to
another one as well?
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Yes, christy, I love that answer.
That's such a cool insightbecause you're right, the older
I get I'm in my mid-30s now, but, like I said in entrepreneurial
years, I've got 17 years undermy belt and the biggest use the
word wisdom.
To me, there's a lot of smartpeople, but I think that wisdom
really is about that detachmentthat you talked to us about.
The older I get, the more Ihonestly convince myself less
(24:54):
and less, christy, that I knowanything at all.
Where I'm just like, I'm opento being wrong.
Let's try things, let's seewhat the actual results come
back, as that, to me, is truewisdom.
So I love the fact that youcalled that out.
I want to switch gears a littlebit, because I knew that time
would be flying by with you heretoday, because we could both
geek out about all thingsbusiness, operations, technology
, growth scale, all of those.
(25:14):
But I also know that, as ageneralist, yoga is such an
important part of the way thatyou see the world and the way
that you have transformed, andpart of your value add and the
way that you think as well.
That's what I always love aboutany of these passions is that
they're all just a microcosm forlife.
They're all a microcosm forlife.
They're all a microcosm forbusiness.
(25:35):
We can learn so much throughthem.
So, christy, with thatentrepreneurial hat on, how has
yoga changed the way that yousee the world and how has it
played into the way that youthink?
Speaker 2 (25:41):
It's such a great segue actually, from detachment,
right.
So here in the Western world,yoga is a fit, yes, it's fitness
, right.
So whether it is true fitnessand I teach a class that is very
much fitness yoga we sweat alot, we move a lot, but
(26:01):
typically we think of yoga asslower and gentler and more
stretchy.
You know, relaxation, focused,and I teach that type of yoga as
well.
Focused, and I teach that typeof yoga as well In the East,
where yoga originated, yoga is away of life and so when you
study, kind of those foundationsof yoga, it's about detachment.
(26:23):
If you've ever taken a yogaclass, whether it's in the West
or not, typically we start, wedefinitely end, with Shavasana,
with letting go, and you mighthear some yoga instructors talk
about that being the mostdifficult part of the class, and
it's because it's very hard tosit or lie in stillness and let
(26:44):
go of the wiggles that we wantto do in our bodies.
More importantly, let go of thethoughts that are in our heads
right.
Importantly, let go of thethoughts that are in our heads
right.
And so that moment in yogawhere you're detaching, you're
detaching from all of that.
You're saying I can't controlit all.
I may still have thoughts, butI'm not going to let them attach
(27:06):
in my mind, right.
So I may be thinking about thegrocery list, I may be thinking
about what I need to do today, Imay be thinking about you know
how my leg hurts, but I'm notgoing to let those thoughts take
hold, I'm going to let themmove on by and try to detach
from them.
That practice of detachment inyoga, I think, is so valuable
and it has such strongconnections to what we're doing
(27:28):
in life, but in business as well, and it's why I have this
belief that yoga, wellness,mental fitness they have such an
important role to play in theworkplace and I love that
organizations are starting torealize the value of wellness in
their organizations.
Because those skills, thosecapabilities to detach to, you
(27:52):
know, to take control of mythoughts and decide how I'm
going to acknowledge them or not, how much space they're going
to get in my brain, in my energy, in my being, that is a
valuable skill that can beapplied in all areas of business
, definitely in entrepreneurship, right?
Definitely, as we think aboutthe need to detach from an idea,
(28:16):
to detach from the outcomes, todetach from all of the no's
that we're going to hear and nottake those personally and keep
moving on, keep persevering.
That is such an importantcomponent of it.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
Yes, I love that, Christy.
What I really appreciate aboutthat answer is you openly
acknowledge, you say, yeah, youare thinking about your grocery
shopping list, you are thinkingabout the 5 million things that
we all are responsible for asentrepreneurs, but we don't let
them attach in our mind.
And I love that concept, andit's the way that meditation was
(28:49):
explained to me as well.
I remember once upon a time Itold a meditation teacher I said
there's no way I can meditate,I'm always thinking.
And they said, yeah, meditationis about acknowledging those
thoughts, recognizing thosethoughts and let them pass right
on by.
And it's so similar to the waythat you introduced us to that
concept here today, christy, andI so deeply appreciate that
because I know how much itstruck me the first time that I
(29:11):
heard it, and again here today.
So, listeners, I hope thatyou're heeding this stuff, this
wisdom from Christy here today,although I will say, christy,
all of that wisdom from you, Idon't know how you're going to
top it for this final question,because I always ask at the end
of every episode what's that?
One piece of advice, knowingthat we're being listened to by
both entrepreneurs andentrepreneurs at all different
stages of their own growthjourneys.
(29:33):
What's that one piece of advicethat you want to leave them
with today?
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Two things, two things into one statement.
So believe in yourself, believethat you can do it and don't
get hung up on on the downsides.
Also, don't get hung up on thesuccesses, celebrate them.
But here's my phrase Manage thehighs, manage the lows right.
So if you don't get tooattached to the successes, then
(30:03):
emotionally you're also going tobe able to regulate when things
don't go so well.
So keep an even keel, keep thatdetachment, believe in yourself
, keep going forward.
Celebrate the wins.
Wins, of course, learn from thethings that don't go so well,
so well, but keep moving forward.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
You've got this yes, I love that advice, christy.
It is so relevant to the entireconversation that we had here
today, and I think it's sobeautiful that this conversation
really started with businessphases.
We went from that to all ofthis stuff because it's all
intertwined.
There's no way to ignore anysingle facet or component of it.
(30:41):
So, christy, I love yourgeneralist superpowers and how
you can bring all of thosethings into one conversation
here today.
I'm also excited for listenersto check out your work and how
it shows up in the way that youshow up in the world, the way
that your marketing copy speaks,the way that you've laid your
offerings out, the way that youshowcase the value that you
bring to companies.
So, with all of that in mind,drop those links on us, christy.
(31:04):
For listeners who want to godeeper into all the great things
you're doing with your business, where should they go from here
?
Speaker 2 (31:09):
Absolutely so.
On LinkedIn, I'm Christy Broom,k-r-i-s-t-i-b-r-o-o-m.
Connect with me there.
My website islotustransformationgroupcom, and
I would love for you to visitthere as well.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Yes, and listeners, you already know the drill.
We're making it as easy aspossible for you to find those
links down below in the shownotes, no matter where it is
that you're tuning into today'sepisode.
We're also linking to Christy'spersonal LinkedIn.
So if you want to reach out andcontinue the conversation
knowing full well that mostpodcast listeners are shy and
they're not brave enough toreach out to incredible guests
that they hear on shows you havean easy chance to stand out to
(31:45):
someone like Christy and reachout.
So when she says it, she meansit.
You saw how much in real timehere today.
She loves talking about all thedifferent aspects of business
of life because she has lived itand she has so much value to
bring to the table.
So, christy, on behalf ofmyself and all the listeners
worldwide, thanks so much forcoming on the show today.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
It's been my pleasure .
Thank you, Brian.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Hey, it's Brian here, and thanks for tuning in to yet
another episode of theWantrepreneur to Entrepreneur
podcast.
If you haven't checked us outonline, there's so much good
stuff there.
Check out the show's websiteand all the show notes that we
talked about in today's episodeat thewantrepreneurshowcom, and
I just want to give a shout outto our amazing guests.
There's a reason why we are adfree and have produced so many
(32:28):
incredible episodes five days aweek for you, and it's because
our guests step up to the plate.
These are not sponsored episodes.
These are not infomercials.
Our guests help us cover thecosts of our productions.
They so deeply believe in thepower of getting their message
out in front of you, awesomeentrepreneurs and entrepreneurs,
that they contribute to help usmake these productions possible
(32:51):
.
So thank you to not onlytoday's guests, but all of our
guests in general, and I justwant to invite you check out our
website because you can send usa voicemail there.
We also have live chat.
If you want to interactdirectly with me, go to
thewantrepreneurshowcom.
Initiate a live chat.
It's for real me, and I'mexcited because I'll see you, as
always every Monday, wednesday.
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