August 12, 2025 • 31 mins
What does it look like to bring your whole self to work?
Can self-awareness and even astrology help bridge communication gaps?
Business coach and author Stephany Poe shares how to create healthier, more human workplaces in 2025.
đź’ˇ What you may learn:
- How outdated workplace structures clash with modern employee needs
- Ways astrology can reveal communication styles and improve collaboration
- Why generational shifts are redefining what healthy work looks like
🔑 Key takeaways:
- Self-acceptance is the foundation for strong professional relationships
- Boundaries and personal growth drive long-term success
- Valuing people as “human beings” over “human doings” changes workplace culture
Listen now to gain practical strategies for building more authentic and effective workplace connections.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Yoga Nation, the Spirit of Gratitude
podcast on the One Integrationplatform.
Hello friends, my name isYogesh Patel and this podcast
explores the themes of bullying,self-awareness and the power of
our inner spirit, including thesilent battles we all face.
Join me every week as I invitehigh-profile guests, as we
explore how adversity shapes us,how gratitude lifts us and how
(00:24):
we can all uncover the innerstrength that we all have within
ourselves.
Join the conversation.
I appreciate you listening in.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And today my next guest is Stephanie Poe, a
business coach, author and aproud mom who worked in
everything from construction tolaw.
She guides teams and leaders towork better together by
improving how they communicate,care for themselves and lead
with heart.
With five degrees under herbelt, including a master's in
law from Arizona StateUniversity, Stephanie blends
(00:58):
real-world wisdom with littleastrology, calling out things
like toxic workplaces, lazystereotypes and why AI will
never replace the sexiness ofhuman connection.
Today, she gives us insightsinto these topics, and with
gratitude.
Welcome to the podcast,stephanie.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's truly an honor to be here,oh.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I'm grateful that you were able to come on the
podcast.
Thank you, tell us a little bitabout yourself.
You grew up in Mississippi andhow'd you end up in Arizona?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Oh man, I was born and raised in Mississippi.
I spent a good portion of myyears as a kid right in
Mississippi, in a small town,not on the coast, not Biloxoxi,
basically in the sticks,northern mississippi, and a
family here.
My mom wanted to move out westand so naturally we moved out
(01:51):
west, but we went to cali first.
Okay, we went to blythe,california, first there's
nothing there oh, my goodness,but I had no idea because it was
a complete culture shock.
The trees it was somethingabout the trees it still kind of
gives me to this day, believeit or not, that are so different
.
Um, as it compares tomississippi, and so I moved out
here, basically, uh, because offamily, my mom wanted to be here
(02:12):
and it's an adjustment, bigadjustment.
Going from super, super country, where it's about 25 minutes to
the nearest grocery store,maybe 45 minutes to a, um, a
hospital, all the way to gettingover here takes you a few
minutes to get to the nearestgrocery store, maybe 45 minutes
to a hospital.
All the way to getting overhere takes you a few minutes to
get to the nearest store, right,or the nearest grocery store.
So you're fine.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
So it was a big adjustment, but was that when
you were little or in yourteenage years, even in my
teenage years.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Okay, and then I spent some teenage years here in
Arizona and California as wellso primarily your roots are from
Mississippi.
Yes, and I go home quite a bit.
I make sure I am alwaysconnected back home with my
family because I have a largefamily in the South.
Okay, so I make sure I stayconnected and I love going home
and visiting family.
(02:59):
It's nothing like soul food,but that's just me.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Well, I'm sure that's part of your makeup.
When it comes to self-awarenessand the inner spirit, yes, my
foundational roots.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
we are very much grounded in integrity, At least
how my family raised me, how Igrew up.
You take responsibility forwhatever it is you put out there
.
If you do something, you own it.
You don't run away from it.
That's yours basically.
It's yours to own.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
You think that's common sense.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
You think that, but in today's world common sense
isn't all that common.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Right.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
And I think that's the challenge we are struggling
with trying to figure out whatis common sense and what isn't,
and what should be is not andwhat is not should be.
I know that's a little tonguetwister, right, but common sense
isn't all that common and we'rein a different world, in a
different time, where people arereally more in tuned with their
(03:54):
feelings, who they are, yes,and maybe that's a good thing.
It is a great thing.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
But we still have to live in reality, and the reality
is that, you know, people hurtour feelings and the reality is,
things do happen that are notappropriate, or that's crossing
an ethical line, or that'sbreaking a policy, or that's
breaking something.
It's something that's impactingpeople and if we don't stop to
realize what that impact is,we're going to repeat it, and
(04:23):
that's.
Those aren't my words, right?
I?
Speaker 1 (04:24):
think.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Winston Churchill said something about and I'm
going to paraphrase here becauseI can't do him justice but the
past is bound to repeat itself,right.
If we do not learn from it,we're doomed.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Is that something that you find in workplace
cultures?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Oh, absolutely.
I find that people aredefinitely repeating the 1925
era, and I say that because thatwas the- 100 years ago.
Uh-huh, the industrial era.
I was having a conversation withanother person and that person
is in the HR field and he'dasked me my opinion on HR and I
(05:02):
said, well, hr is a function,not a person, and there are
people who work within thatfunction.
And that phrase HR is not yourfriend.
I asked him, have you heard ofthat?
And he said yeah, I've heard ofit.
And I said, well, consideringyou know what that phrase is or
what it means, what has yourindustry or your particular
(05:25):
organization done to sort of putup some form of a defense
against that particular phrasewith action?
And he couldn't answer the.
He couldn't answer the question.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
I'm sorry, I didn't follow.
What could you rephrase that?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yes, so if HR isn't your friend?
and we're hearing thatterminology, we're hearing that
phrase.
What is it that HR companiesare doing today, hr personnel
are doing today, to make otheremployees believe and feel as
though HR is their friend, theycan go to HR for whatever issues
(05:59):
they are facing in theworkplace without fear of
retaliation, without fear ofintimidation or fear of
termination and anything else inbetween.
What is it that HR personnelsare doing today?
And he couldn't really answerthe question directly and I had
to let him know that HR is afunction.
(06:20):
They're not friends and I thinkpeople, as we are climbing the
ladder in whatever industry wechoose to work in, we're
forgetting that hr is just that,it's a function, and hr was
really designed back in 1925,the industrial era okay, that's
how you're bringing it back tothere you go, the industrial
(06:42):
area and it was really designedso they can stop with the labor
strikes, right.
But here we are in 2025 andwe're still trying to pull 1925
era into a 2025 world.
It wasn't until over time, withpsychologists and strategic
individuals and I'm alsostrategic myself, and strategic
individuals, and I'm alsostrategic myself other
(07:04):
individuals decided that youknow what People are, not just
factory parts.
They're actually people.
They have a heart, they have abrain, they have feelings, they
have opinions, they havethoughts and you know what.
We can use these thoughts inour workplace in a better way.
That's not going to impact themso great to where they don't
want to show back up to work.
(07:25):
We can do it a different way,but I'm not sure they've gotten
to that particular part,especially with COVID.
Covid showed a lot.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
And I guess what you just described kind of makes me
think about just the evolutionof in our thoughts and, yes,
maybe it's not the evolution ofour thoughts but the person that
is there at the top leading, orsupposedly leading, that that
function that and then alsowe're in a different time.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Yeah in a different world right.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Morals are changed.
Moral compasses per person haschanged right individuals,
ideologies on what the worldshould be, could be, would be,
it's different.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
So how do you get a sense?
I mean, you know.
One of the questions I want toask you was you know you help
organizations find their chi,their energy.
How does that work in relationto what you just mentioned?
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Well one.
I need to be able to develop arelationship.
We have to find commonality,and that's not hard for me to do
.
But I know a lot oforganizational leaders are proud
people.
They're experts in their field,they're experts in what it is
that they do, and I respect thatand I love to learn from that.
But also, at the same time, areyou also respectful enough to
(08:40):
put your ego to the side andreally get down to the root
cause of why your people areleaving or why your surveys are
coming back inconclusive orhalf-truths?
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Kind of goes back to common sense, right, sort of.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Sort of Because common sense at that level can
also be distorted If you'resitting so high on your stool or
you're sitting so high in yourposition, and not that it's a
bad thing yeah but sometimeswhat happens is that when we
become so successful and what itis that we're doing, we forget
the struggles of otherindividuals and what they're
(09:15):
dealing with.
And it doesn't necessarily haveto be a financial struggle, of
course.
It could be a mental struggle,right, it could be an emotional
struggle.
So, once mom just away, are yougiving them more than three
days to grieve?
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
What if they have to travel?
Are you going to give them morethan three days to grieve, or
are you going to do the standardper policy booklet?
Which player are you going touse?
And so, in that particularmoment, depending on the
individual which I'm pretty goodat figuring out how I need to
approach a person or what kindof question I need to ask a
(09:49):
person in order to strike up aconversation Sometimes I don't
even have to.
I can just sit there and I canhave a mouthful of food and
somebody will walk up to me andsay something and I look like a
crazy person because I don'twant to talk with my mouth full
of food.
It's like a personal pet peeveof mine, believe it or not.
So I'll cover my mouth and I'mlike, oh, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Give me a second Cause.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
you know your mouth's full of food and so um, I'll
just have that ability to readpeople.
I do very well, very well, andsomehow we end up in a
conversation around astrologyand that's usually where I'm
reading.
I don't do palm reading.
(10:32):
I'm I'm not that good.
Uh, I do know some, some peoplewho do palm reading actually.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Um, I had someone actually I'm sorry, I'm curious,
uh, the astrology yes I'm yescontinue.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
That's a fun one, and so I'll just.
We can just have a conversationand just talk about anything
under the sun and someone cansay, oh well, you know, this is
what I do.
I'm a CEO of this company, orI'm a vice president of
operations for this company.
And I said, oh well, I've beencalled a multi-generational
strategic advisor and I bridgegaps between generations and
(11:05):
workspaces.
That's what I do.
And it's like oh okay, well,how do you do it?
And it's like well, it depends.
What is your pain point?
What are you?
Speaker 2 (11:12):
looking for?
What is your what?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
What are your pain points?
Pain points okay, what keepsyou up at night?
Yeah, simple as that.
Oh Right, there's some smartpeople out there, so a lot of
things keep you up at night.
So well, if a lot of thingskeep you up at night, you
shouldn't be here.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
How does astrology play into this?
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Well, depends on the level of smartness, because,
again that's, there's a lot ofsmart people out there, right,
and so I can also be sarcasticand pretty smart.
So I just meet them wherethey're at and usually I'll say
oh well, it's because you knowMercury's in retrograde and
usually they know somethingabout that.
And for those that don't knowMercury being in retrograde,
mercury is the planet ofcommunication.
That means communication isjust wonky.
People are not going tounderstand you.
(11:55):
They're going to take thingsmore aggressive or more personal
than a normal person would.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
So this is beyond just the horoscope.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Oh yeah, it's a whole thing yeah um, so I'll just
strike up a conversation likethat.
Oh well, you know, pluto's inretrograde, or pluto's moved
into aquarius for the next 20years, so things are going to be
different.
And it's like well, tell memore, what do you mean?
I was like well, pluto is aplanet of transformation and
aquarius people they're not they.
I call them the mad scientistsof the zodiac signs.
(12:24):
Aquarius people they're notthey.
I call them the mad scientistsof the zodiac signs because they
don't think outside the box.
They hand you a star and sayfigure out the puzzle.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
But is that an excuse ?
Speaker 3 (12:31):
No, that's a genius, that's a thing because they're a
great friends.
Oh, they're wonderful people tobe friends with.
Loyalty is just great with them.
So, we'll get into somethinglike that and before you know it
, someone says, well, I have anatal chart, and I'm like, oh,
let me take a look just out ofyou know.
Curiosity, because I justsomething that's curious and
(12:54):
takes me about a few minutes togo through it.
Pretty quickly, I'm like ohokay, so this is how you
communicate.
Oh okay, well, this is so.
This is the issue you're havingat work.
Oh okay, so this is why you'recommunicating like this.
Oh, that's why you took that sopersonal.
Well, try not to do that.
And it just comes off the topof my head because I've just
been studying it forever.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
So how does astrology factor into today's workplace,
where you have more of aninteraction with AI?
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Yes, so I actually wrote an article back in June
titled why Empathy Still Runsthe Room.
And in that article.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Runs or rules.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Runs the room and in that article I actually asked a
question.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
You see the difference right, uh-huh.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
In that article I actually asked a question, which
was when was the last timesomeone's been a physical
altercation?
Yep, and how did AI help youwin?
Did AI jump Well, did you win?
You know, because if AI couldnAI help you win, did AI jump
Well, did you win?
You know, because if AIcouldn't help you win that?
And you ask I don't know, I'dprobably look for a different
subscription somewhere.
(13:51):
I don't know.
But empathy still runs the roomand, yes, ai is a tool.
It is an additional tool towhat we are already doing in the
workplace.
It's not a replacement ofpeople.
We still have to have theseconversations.
We still have to do the job.
There are some positions thatdon't require AI.
There's cashiers out therestill and they have those
(14:15):
cashless or self-checkouts.
There's so many studies outthere about how these
organizations are losing moneydue to theft because it's so
easy to steal right and even inplaces, um, such as the targets
or the grocery stores and thingsof that nature, that has those
self-checkouts.
They can't stop people at thedoor from taking things for a
(14:38):
safety reason unless elon muskand optimus come into play oh,
there's that.
I've heard of those people.
I'm not sure how well that'sgoing to fare, but we'll see.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Well, you mentioned Walmart, which is my next
question and that is can youtalk a lot about this
generational, not gap, butgenerational workforces, and
it's interesting, as much as weolder folks like to bag on
younger folks about they're lazy, they're this, and that you
have an interesting perspectivethat it's actually the opposite
in some, in some cases, explainwell.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
the reason why I think it's opposite in some
cases is because I think it's amix of both.
Okay, um, the newer generationof the younger ones that's in
the workplace now.
They've watched us for yearswork and save and go through all
sorts of emotional, mental,even physical turmoil as it
relates to the workplace.
(15:32):
They've watched us, they'vegrown up with us doing that.
They don't want to repeat that,they don't want to go and deal
with that, but we're also in ahot pocket society.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
We want a hot pocket right now they're more aware, it
looks like A little bit yeah,they are more aware.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
I say a lot that this younger generation is very good
at saying ouch, this hurts,this hurts, that's deep, please
stop.
Yeah, this hurts.
But I'm not so sure they are asgood at accepting the part that
they play in the situationsthat may take place, and I think
(16:08):
that's in part because of theother generations.
So responsibility right.
When we talk aboutaccountability and we're holding
everybody else accountable wehave to hold ourselves
accountable as well.
Of course, that means takingresponsibility for the part that
we play in every situation,good, bad and ugly, no matter
the outcome.
We have to take responsibilityfor the part that we play in
every situation, good, bad andugly, no matter the outcome.
We have to take responsibilityfor that.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
But that comes from direction.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
It can.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
And if the directions are screwed up, then that is
true.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
That is true In the workplace.
It definitely comes fromdirection and it can also come
from a job description, but italso can come from taking the
initiative.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
If we take the initiative to speak up and speak
out and we hurt someone else'sfeelings because how we
delivered the message wasn'tclear or how we said the words
we said to get our point acrosswas combative or it was
offensive, we still have to takeresponsibility for that.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
There's that fear, though.
I will speak up and I will getmy A handed to me.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Basically, take the chance.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Take the chance, okay .
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Because if not, it's going to eat you alive.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Agreed, but again I'm thinking about the perspective
of perhaps this person could beyoung or young at heart,
overcoming some challenge oradversity in life.
Perhaps it's their internalfear to speak up because of what
happened to them in the pastcould be young or young at heart
, overcoming some challenge oradversity in life.
Perhaps that's their internalfear to speak up because of what
happened to them in the past.
So it's that.
I'll just call it aself-limiting belief.
So how do you help, coachothers to say it's okay, take
(17:39):
that little step outside yourboundaries well, I show them
what they've already been doing.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
They've already been doing it, they've just been
doing it in a different way.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
We always speak out on the things that we want.
Maybe those moments that wewant them are comforting.
Maybe we're speaking out atStarbucks because they forgot to
put the cold foam on top ofthat oatmeal shaking espresso
coffee that I love to get.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Never had that drink before.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Oh, my goodness, Don't do it, but do it.
So maybe they forgot to put thesweet cream foam on top.
I spoke out on that.
Now, of course that's a morecomforting element, that's a
more comfortable environment,but I didn't want to hurt their
feelings.
They just forgot.
And it's a rush.
It's early in the morning.
Everybody wants coffee.
I get it.
(18:24):
Some people are tea drinkers.
Get that too.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
No, shade to the tea drinkers.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
I drink my tea too?
Yeah, why not?
But what about the food, thethings that we forget, that
people forget?
If we can speak out there, whycan't we speak out to others in
the workspace?
We have to take the chance andI just show people that they've
been doing it all their lives.
And the one thing I always tellpeople if you don't remember
(18:49):
anything else for me, justremember.
It's illegal to eat people, soit's the worst that can happen
okay, that came out of nowhereyeah, that's what I always have
a comment after a follow-upcomment to that
Speaker 2 (19:02):
that's what I always tell people, but I think a lot
of your theme boils down toself-acceptance, though, right
it?
Speaker 3 (19:07):
does.
If you don't accept who you areand where you are in this
current moment in time, you'regoing to have a hard time with
others accepting who you areover time.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
And that's difficult for some people because of their
background, because of theirexperience.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
And also taking responsibility for the parts
they play in many experiencesgood, bad and ugly.
That's the harder part, becausewe can take responsibility for
the things that we do bad.
Sure, we can takeresponsibility for the things
that we do good, but the thingsthat we do ugly, those are the
things that we have to look atourselves in the mirror.
(19:40):
We have to be able to faceourselves in the mirror.
Can you look at yourself in themirror?
That's the ugly part, yeah, andwe all have an ugly story out
there.
I'm sure every one of us ofcourse it leads to.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
I mean what you describe as part of emotional
intelligence.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
No, it does yeah it does.
Um, because that's important.
We still have to be empatheticwith others, but empathetic with
ourselves.
Right, we're only human, weonly have one life and we have
to live it to the fullest, or wedon't, and we suffer in silence
.
But if we suffer in silence,it's going to eventually bubble
(20:12):
up like a bottle and, yeah,spill out and spill everywhere
that's true.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
I mean, you know, everyone has their own
individual paths and journey interms of their level of
intelligent quotients.
Right there they are who theyare in my opinion.
I hate to say that, but I thinkit's the eq, that emotional
intelligence quotient part, thatI think can serve everyone well
.
You just have to be open to it.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
That's self-acceptance in itself.
Yeah, I mean accepting a personfor who they are is okay, and
in order to do that, you have toaccept that this is how they
are 24-7.
They've shown you.
The situation may be different,the players may be different,
but the energy is the same.
Their behavior patterns are thesame.
(21:00):
They're going to revert back towhat they know how to do best.
It's their behavior patterns.
Those things you cannot.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
But I think the environment has to change for
them to self-reveal itself.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
It does.
When the environment and ithappens all the time Right when
the environment does change,people are left with two options
Either they're going to facethat challenge or they're going
to go back to what they know isa comfort, and that's where they
will not grow, because it'salso where value is placed.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
True but growth happens outside the comfort zone
true, yeah, hate to say it, yes, that's where it's hate to say
it.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Yes, that's where it's.
Sometimes they can be thosedark places it is, but there's a
lot of blessings that happensin those dark places but you
have to be open to that you do,and accepting.
And more than that, more thanjust open.
It's hard to internalize it,though, when you're beating
yourself up oh, you do have tocheer yourself on too, like I'm
my biggest fan.
I really am, I am my biggestfan.
(22:06):
What I used to do, andsometimes I'll probably still do
it from time to time, I wouldwrite on my mirror in the
bathroom with a Sharpie or anerasable, a marker.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Better erasable than Sharpie Right right, Because a
marker better erasable thansharpie right, right, right,
right.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
That's a nice little charge, but I would write on the
mirror.
I am enough today.
Today I did this.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Today I did that and I think that's a message that I
think could be internalized bythe listening audience I am yeah
, I am enough yeah, I am enoughthat's it.
Sometimes is that part of thecentral theme of your book and I
guess what do readers come awaywith?
The book titled PerfectProgression.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
They are not alone, their story is not unique.
I cannot tell you how manypeople that I come across, that
I don't know, and I'll just havea random conversation at a
grocery store, at a Circle K,anywhere, and I explain the
contents, the pieces of thecontents, without giving the
book away of perfect progressionand my characters, Mandy
(23:12):
Candace, Susan Amory, and I havesome male supporting figures in
there as well, but I tell themabout little contents of the
book and I always have oh my God, that's my story, oh my God,
that's me.
And it can be a guy as well.
Yeah, it could be a man, it canbe a woman.
It's.
Oh my God, that's my story.
(23:32):
That happened to me.
So you've hit on something veryuniversal and I was so surprised
because I pulled those storiesfrom experiences that I've seen,
I've experienced myself andI've heard but never with
individuals, I don't knowwalking into a circle k to get
(23:53):
gas right or going into thegrocery store because I forgot
my grapes or I forgot eggs, andI'm just striking up a
conversation with someone.
Or I'm in a self-checkout lineand there's a VP of another
transportation company, who Ididn't know at the time, sure,
um, and they're telling me theirsister went through that, or
they've gone through thatthemselves and they wish
(24:14):
somebody could say something.
But they hadn't.
And I was like, well, perfectprogression won't be released
this year sometime, so staytuned so where does the spirit
of gratitude come in?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
the spirit of right with what you just shared it
comes in, knowing that you arestill here.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
I am still here, I'm here.
I'm here to tell the story.
I don't have to go through thepast.
We all don't have to relive thepast.
We don't have to tell our pastlives.
We all don't have to relive thepast.
We don't have to tell our pastlives because we've lived it.
Now, I didn't say that the lategreat wayne dyer did, who I
love, um, but he has a point.
We don't have to retell ourpast.
We've lived it.
We don't have anything to prove.
(24:52):
We're here and there's so manystephanies out there, there's so
many yogis don't, don't haveanything to prove.
No, Okay, no, all you have to dois be.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Because that's where the expectations come in.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Yes, but you have to be first Human beings, not human
doings.
Right, that's Wayne Dyer.
Again, that's not mine, butit's a point.
I just be, I am and I am enough, I am enough.
And I think if peopleunderstand that and know that
and accept that about themselves, because it goes back to
self-acceptance, then they aregoing to continue to overdo and
(25:26):
overwork.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
Incredible.
I wonder why those five degreescome into play here.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Oh man, and I hadn't even scratched the surface with
those yet.
Those are going to be fun, yeah, but everything's all in
business.
But people are still a focalpoint in business.
It's still a huge thing andpeople are going to be around, I
mean right we still have tohave emotional intelligence and
we're laying the pathway forfuture generations.
(25:55):
I actually wrote in my article,the last article I asked
questions per the generations,the boomers, the Gen X, the
millennials, the Gen Alphas, andthen for the betas, which are
the babies now.
I gave them.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I know Too many Greek symbols.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
I know the betas.
I gave them a message to saylearn from our mistakes, learn
from what you're seeing.
This is evergreen content.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Learn.
So is that the tie-in betweenthe professional versus the home
?
Again, I'm trying to understand.
Again, this is amazing contentthat you shared from a workplace
standpoint, but how does itrelate to home life?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Because home and work , those lines bleed.
Whatever we do at work, we'regoing to take it home and
whatever we do at home, we'regoing to bring it to work.
And I know there's a time whereyou leave your personal stuff
at home, you don't take it intothe workplace.
But the reality is someone gotsome bad news in a meeting and
they need to excuse themselves.
(26:57):
But they are the chieffinancial financial officer and
they can't necessarily leave.
But they have to excusethemselves.
But they are the chieffinancial officer and they can't
necessarily leave, but theyhave to leave.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
It becomes harder when you work from home.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
A little bit.
I love working from home.
Oh, I agree.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Love it.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
But I also understand , but it's harder to divorce
yourself, though, between worklife and then.
Okay, now I'm back to playingthe role of a dad, or a husband
or a son very true.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Um, that can be a challenge, but that's where you
have to physically leave theroom, step outside, go walk in
nature, use that 15 minutebreaks to step out and go watch
or watch mindless tv, watch likelove and hip-hop, but that's
why scrolling is such anaddiction true, it can be.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
It can be an escape at the end of the day?
Well, maybe not.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
I mean, it can be an escape I mean there's a lot of
good information out there youknow I play like this mindless
game on my phone because I don'thave to think, I don't want I
think, all the time.
I'm always strategic in some way, shape or form, whether it's
taking the kids to school andfiguring out how to get one to
work and pick up the other onein time.
I'm always strategic aboutsomething and some somewhere in
(28:08):
the workplace.
Think too much, you know, but Ieven have, before I even get to
that, but part.
I even have 14 different posterboards taped on my wall for my
thoughts.
So I call my room the commandcenter whenever I have thoughts
and I have to be on the visionboard, correct yes, before I
fully develop it, I put it onthe poster board so I can
(28:29):
remember that thought, because Iknow I'm going to go back to it
and create something else forit later, and so I know that's a
lot of the thinking.
I have to get those thoughtsout, whether I journal it,
whether I write it down on aposter board, now that I use a
sharpie for one of these thingslike a whiteboard.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
I have two of those at home wall I have those at
home too.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
Really, I do.
I do because I'm not the onlyone command center yeah, I'm not
the only lady in the house, soI can't remember everything.
I am human too.
I forget things, and I have abunch of different calendars
that I utilize to the fullest ofmy abilities.
But I do step away.
When I turn my phone off, it'soff.
(29:08):
Yeah, if I say do not disturb,I mean that that's how you keep
it simple.
I do my no means knows.
My nose me no, let me say that.
My nose, me no, my yeses, meyeses.
And if I have to think about itand get back to you, then I
gotta think about it and getback to you.
But when I say no, I mean no,right, I can't do it.
And not because, aside from notwanting to do it because
(29:31):
there's that too, let's behonest about that right there's
things we don't want to do andaside, aside from that, I don't
have the capacity and I knowthat if I do something, I'm
going to give it my all.
I show up a hundred percent.
I don't show up half, I don'tshow up.
Sometimes I don't show up.
Maybe if I put my foot intosomething, you get the whole
(29:53):
thing.
I'm going to do it all the wayand I don't stop until it's
completed.
I'll slow down, I'll pause,I'll wait, I'll see what's going
on, I will ask for your opinion, I'll ask for your input.
But you gave me a task and youentrusted me with your business,
with your organization, withyour people, your culture.
I take that serious, so I'mgoing to give it my best.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
I think we can conclude on that note Again,
giving it your all, giving ityour best, in spite of the
difficulties that our thoughtsmake us do or not do, yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Some self-discipline.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
There you go, there you go.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Self-discipline.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Well, stephanie it was an absolute pleasure to have
you on the podcast and for thelisteners out there, the
citizens of your nation I liketo call, I think for me, the
biggest takeaway was what youmentioned earlier Common sense
can be, to a certain degree,misconstrued.
That, to me, was reallypowerful.
That's something I haven'theard before.
(30:55):
So, again, just be aware ofyour surroundings, trust those
people that love and support youand move on.
It's definitely it was apleasure having you on.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Thank you so much, I appreciate it.
Welcome to the Yoga Nation, the Spirit of Gratitude
podcast on the One Integrationplatform.
Hello friends, my name isYogesh Patel and this podcast
explores the themes of bullying,self-awareness and the power of
our inner spirit, including thesilent battles we all face.
Join me every week as I invitehigh-profile guests, as we
explore how adversity shapes us,how gratitude lifts us and how
(00:24):
we can all uncover the innerstrength that we all have within
ourselves.
Join the conversation.
I appreciate you listening in.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
And today my next guest is Stephanie Poe, a
business coach, author and aproud mom who worked in
everything from construction tolaw.
She guides teams and leaders towork better together by
improving how they communicate,care for themselves and lead
with heart.
With five degrees under herbelt, including a master's in
law from Arizona StateUniversity, Stephanie blends
(00:58):
real-world wisdom with littleastrology, calling out things
like toxic workplaces, lazystereotypes and why AI will
never replace the sexiness ofhuman connection.
Today, she gives us insightsinto these topics, and with
gratitude.
Welcome to the podcast,stephanie.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Thank you so much for having me.
It's truly an honor to be here,oh.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I'm grateful that you were able to come on the
podcast.
Thank you, tell us a little bitabout yourself.
You grew up in Mississippi andhow'd you end up in Arizona?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Oh man, I was born and raised in Mississippi.
I spent a good portion of myyears as a kid right in
Mississippi, in a small town,not on the coast, not Biloxoxi,
basically in the sticks,northern mississippi, and a
family here.
My mom wanted to move out westand so naturally we moved out
(01:51):
west, but we went to cali first.
Okay, we went to blythe,california, first there's
nothing there oh, my goodness,but I had no idea because it was
a complete culture shock.
The trees it was somethingabout the trees it still kind of
gives me to this day, believeit or not, that are so different
.
Um, as it compares tomississippi, and so I moved out
here, basically, uh, because offamily, my mom wanted to be here
(02:12):
and it's an adjustment, bigadjustment.
Going from super, super country, where it's about 25 minutes to
the nearest grocery store,maybe 45 minutes to a, um, a
hospital, all the way to gettingover here takes you a few
minutes to get to the nearestgrocery store, maybe 45 minutes
to a hospital.
All the way to getting overhere takes you a few minutes to
get to the nearest store, right,or the nearest grocery store.
So you're fine.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
So it was a big adjustment, but was that when
you were little or in yourteenage years, even in my
teenage years.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
Okay, and then I spent some teenage years here in
Arizona and California as wellso primarily your roots are from
Mississippi.
Yes, and I go home quite a bit.
I make sure I am alwaysconnected back home with my
family because I have a largefamily in the South.
Okay, so I make sure I stayconnected and I love going home
and visiting family.
(02:59):
It's nothing like soul food,but that's just me.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Well, I'm sure that's part of your makeup.
When it comes to self-awarenessand the inner spirit, yes, my
foundational roots.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
we are very much grounded in integrity, At least
how my family raised me, how Igrew up.
You take responsibility forwhatever it is you put out there
.
If you do something, you own it.
You don't run away from it.
That's yours basically.
It's yours to own.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
You think that's common sense.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
You think that, but in today's world common sense
isn't all that common.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Right.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
And I think that's the challenge we are struggling
with trying to figure out whatis common sense and what isn't,
and what should be is not andwhat is not should be.
I know that's a little tonguetwister, right, but common sense
isn't all that common and we'rein a different world, in a
different time, where people arereally more in tuned with their
(03:54):
feelings, who they are, yes,and maybe that's a good thing.
It is a great thing.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
But we still have to live in reality, and the reality
is that, you know, people hurtour feelings and the reality is,
things do happen that are notappropriate, or that's crossing
an ethical line, or that'sbreaking a policy, or that's
breaking something.
It's something that's impactingpeople and if we don't stop to
realize what that impact is,we're going to repeat it, and
(04:23):
that's.
Those aren't my words, right?
I?
Speaker 1 (04:24):
think.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Winston Churchill said something about and I'm
going to paraphrase here becauseI can't do him justice but the
past is bound to repeat itself,right.
If we do not learn from it,we're doomed.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Is that something that you find in workplace
cultures?
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Oh, absolutely.
I find that people aredefinitely repeating the 1925
era, and I say that because thatwas the- 100 years ago.
Uh-huh, the industrial era.
I was having a conversation withanother person and that person
is in the HR field and he'dasked me my opinion on HR and I
(05:02):
said, well, hr is a function,not a person, and there are
people who work within thatfunction.
And that phrase HR is not yourfriend.
I asked him, have you heard ofthat?
And he said yeah, I've heard ofit.
And I said, well, consideringyou know what that phrase is or
what it means, what has yourindustry or your particular
(05:25):
organization done to sort of putup some form of a defense
against that particular phrasewith action?
And he couldn't answer the.
He couldn't answer the question.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
I'm sorry, I didn't follow.
What could you rephrase that?
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Yes, so if HR isn't your friend?
and we're hearing thatterminology, we're hearing that
phrase.
What is it that HR companiesare doing today, hr personnel
are doing today, to make otheremployees believe and feel as
though HR is their friend, theycan go to HR for whatever issues
(05:59):
they are facing in theworkplace without fear of
retaliation, without fear ofintimidation or fear of
termination and anything else inbetween.
What is it that HR personnelsare doing today?
And he couldn't really answerthe question directly and I had
to let him know that HR is afunction.
(06:20):
They're not friends and I thinkpeople, as we are climbing the
ladder in whatever industry wechoose to work in, we're
forgetting that hr is just that,it's a function, and hr was
really designed back in 1925,the industrial era okay, that's
how you're bringing it back tothere you go, the industrial
(06:42):
area and it was really designedso they can stop with the labor
strikes, right.
But here we are in 2025 andwe're still trying to pull 1925
era into a 2025 world.
It wasn't until over time, withpsychologists and strategic
individuals and I'm alsostrategic myself, and strategic
individuals, and I'm alsostrategic myself other
(07:04):
individuals decided that youknow what People are, not just
factory parts.
They're actually people.
They have a heart, they have abrain, they have feelings, they
have opinions, they havethoughts and you know what.
We can use these thoughts inour workplace in a better way.
That's not going to impact themso great to where they don't
want to show back up to work.
(07:25):
We can do it a different way,but I'm not sure they've gotten
to that particular part,especially with COVID.
Covid showed a lot.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
And I guess what you just described kind of makes me
think about just the evolutionof in our thoughts and, yes,
maybe it's not the evolution ofour thoughts but the person that
is there at the top leading, orsupposedly leading, that that
function that and then alsowe're in a different time.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Yeah in a different world right.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Morals are changed.
Moral compasses per person haschanged right individuals,
ideologies on what the worldshould be, could be, would be,
it's different.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
So how do you get a sense?
I mean, you know.
One of the questions I want toask you was you know you help
organizations find their chi,their energy.
How does that work in relationto what you just mentioned?
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Well one.
I need to be able to develop arelationship.
We have to find commonality,and that's not hard for me to do
.
But I know a lot oforganizational leaders are proud
people.
They're experts in their field,they're experts in what it is
that they do, and I respect thatand I love to learn from that.
But also, at the same time, areyou also respectful enough to
(08:40):
put your ego to the side andreally get down to the root
cause of why your people areleaving or why your surveys are
coming back inconclusive orhalf-truths?
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Kind of goes back to common sense, right, sort of.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Sort of Because common sense at that level can
also be distorted If you'resitting so high on your stool or
you're sitting so high in yourposition, and not that it's a
bad thing yeah but sometimeswhat happens is that when we
become so successful and what itis that we're doing, we forget
the struggles of otherindividuals and what they're
(09:15):
dealing with.
And it doesn't necessarily haveto be a financial struggle, of
course.
It could be a mental struggle,right, it could be an emotional
struggle.
So, once mom just away, are yougiving them more than three
days to grieve?
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
What if they have to travel?
Are you going to give them morethan three days to grieve, or
are you going to do the standardper policy booklet?
Which player are you going touse?
And so, in that particularmoment, depending on the
individual which I'm pretty goodat figuring out how I need to
approach a person or what kindof question I need to ask a
(09:49):
person in order to strike up aconversation Sometimes I don't
even have to.
I can just sit there and I canhave a mouthful of food and
somebody will walk up to me andsay something and I look like a
crazy person because I don'twant to talk with my mouth full
of food.
It's like a personal pet peeveof mine, believe it or not.
So I'll cover my mouth and I'mlike, oh, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Give me a second Cause.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
you know your mouth's full of food and so um, I'll
just have that ability to readpeople.
I do very well, very well, andsomehow we end up in a
conversation around astrologyand that's usually where I'm
reading.
I don't do palm reading.
(10:32):
I'm I'm not that good.
Uh, I do know some, some peoplewho do palm reading actually.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Um, I had someone actually I'm sorry, I'm curious,
uh, the astrology yes I'm yescontinue.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
That's a fun one, and so I'll just.
We can just have a conversationand just talk about anything
under the sun and someone cansay, oh well, you know, this is
what I do.
I'm a CEO of this company, orI'm a vice president of
operations for this company.
And I said, oh well, I've beencalled a multi-generational
strategic advisor and I bridgegaps between generations and
(11:05):
workspaces.
That's what I do.
And it's like oh okay, well,how do you do it?
And it's like well, it depends.
What is your pain point?
What are you?
Speaker 2 (11:12):
looking for?
What is your what?
Speaker 3 (11:13):
What are your pain points?
Pain points okay, what keepsyou up at night?
Yeah, simple as that.
Oh Right, there's some smartpeople out there, so a lot of
things keep you up at night.
So well, if a lot of thingskeep you up at night, you
shouldn't be here.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
How does astrology play into this?
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Well, depends on the level of smartness, because,
again that's, there's a lot ofsmart people out there, right,
and so I can also be sarcasticand pretty smart.
So I just meet them wherethey're at and usually I'll say
oh well, it's because you knowMercury's in retrograde and
usually they know somethingabout that.
And for those that don't knowMercury being in retrograde,
mercury is the planet ofcommunication.
That means communication isjust wonky.
People are not going tounderstand you.
(11:55):
They're going to take thingsmore aggressive or more personal
than a normal person would.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
So this is beyond just the horoscope.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Oh yeah, it's a whole thing yeah um, so I'll just
strike up a conversation likethat.
Oh well, you know, pluto's inretrograde, or pluto's moved
into aquarius for the next 20years, so things are going to be
different.
And it's like well, tell memore, what do you mean?
I was like well, pluto is aplanet of transformation and
aquarius people they're not they.
I call them the mad scientistsof the zodiac signs.
(12:24):
Aquarius people they're notthey.
I call them the mad scientistsof the zodiac signs because they
don't think outside the box.
They hand you a star and sayfigure out the puzzle.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
But is that an excuse ?
Speaker 3 (12:31):
No, that's a genius, that's a thing because they're a
great friends.
Oh, they're wonderful people tobe friends with.
Loyalty is just great with them.
So, we'll get into somethinglike that and before you know it
, someone says, well, I have anatal chart, and I'm like, oh,
let me take a look just out ofyou know.
Curiosity, because I justsomething that's curious and
(12:54):
takes me about a few minutes togo through it.
Pretty quickly, I'm like ohokay, so this is how you
communicate.
Oh okay, well, this is so.
This is the issue you're havingat work.
Oh okay, so this is why you'recommunicating like this.
Oh, that's why you took that sopersonal.
Well, try not to do that.
And it just comes off the topof my head because I've just
been studying it forever.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
So how does astrology factor into today's workplace,
where you have more of aninteraction with AI?
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Yes, so I actually wrote an article back in June
titled why Empathy Still Runsthe Room.
And in that article.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Runs or rules.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Runs the room and in that article I actually asked a
question.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
You see the difference right, uh-huh.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
In that article I actually asked a question, which
was when was the last timesomeone's been a physical
altercation?
Yep, and how did AI help youwin?
Did AI jump Well, did you win?
You know, because if AI couldnAI help you win, did AI jump
Well, did you win?
You know, because if AIcouldn't help you win that?
And you ask I don't know, I'dprobably look for a different
subscription somewhere.
(13:51):
I don't know.
But empathy still runs the roomand, yes, ai is a tool.
It is an additional tool towhat we are already doing in the
workplace.
It's not a replacement ofpeople.
We still have to have theseconversations.
We still have to do the job.
There are some positions thatdon't require AI.
There's cashiers out therestill and they have those
(14:15):
cashless or self-checkouts.
There's so many studies outthere about how these
organizations are losing moneydue to theft because it's so
easy to steal right and even inplaces, um, such as the targets
or the grocery stores and thingsof that nature, that has those
self-checkouts.
They can't stop people at thedoor from taking things for a
(14:38):
safety reason unless elon muskand optimus come into play oh,
there's that.
I've heard of those people.
I'm not sure how well that'sgoing to fare, but we'll see.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Well, you mentioned Walmart, which is my next
question and that is can youtalk a lot about this
generational, not gap, butgenerational workforces, and
it's interesting, as much as weolder folks like to bag on
younger folks about they're lazy, they're this, and that you
have an interesting perspectivethat it's actually the opposite
in some, in some cases, explainwell.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
the reason why I think it's opposite in some
cases is because I think it's amix of both.
Okay, um, the newer generationof the younger ones that's in
the workplace now.
They've watched us for yearswork and save and go through all
sorts of emotional, mental,even physical turmoil as it
relates to the workplace.
(15:32):
They've watched us, they'vegrown up with us doing that.
They don't want to repeat that,they don't want to go and deal
with that, but we're also in ahot pocket society.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
We want a hot pocket right now they're more aware, it
looks like A little bit yeah,they are more aware.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
I say a lot that this younger generation is very good
at saying ouch, this hurts,this hurts, that's deep, please
stop.
Yeah, this hurts.
But I'm not so sure they are asgood at accepting the part that
they play in the situationsthat may take place, and I think
(16:08):
that's in part because of theother generations.
So responsibility right.
When we talk aboutaccountability and we're holding
everybody else accountable wehave to hold ourselves
accountable as well.
Of course, that means takingresponsibility for the part that
we play in every situation,good, bad and ugly, no matter
the outcome.
We have to take responsibilityfor the part that we play in
every situation, good, bad andugly, no matter the outcome.
We have to take responsibilityfor that.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
But that comes from direction.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
It can.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
And if the directions are screwed up, then that is
true.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
That is true In the workplace.
It definitely comes fromdirection and it can also come
from a job description, but italso can come from taking the
initiative.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
If we take the initiative to speak up and speak
out and we hurt someone else'sfeelings because how we
delivered the message wasn'tclear or how we said the words
we said to get our point acrosswas combative or it was
offensive, we still have to takeresponsibility for that.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
There's that fear, though.
I will speak up and I will getmy A handed to me.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Basically, take the chance.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Take the chance, okay .
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Because if not, it's going to eat you alive.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Agreed, but again I'm thinking about the perspective
of perhaps this person could beyoung or young at heart,
overcoming some challenge oradversity in life.
Perhaps it's their internalfear to speak up because of what
happened to them in the pastcould be young or young at heart
, overcoming some challenge oradversity in life.
Perhaps that's their internalfear to speak up because of what
happened to them in the past.
So it's that.
I'll just call it aself-limiting belief.
So how do you help, coachothers to say it's okay, take
(17:39):
that little step outside yourboundaries well, I show them
what they've already been doing.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
They've already been doing it, they've just been
doing it in a different way.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
We always speak out on the things that we want.
Maybe those moments that wewant them are comforting.
Maybe we're speaking out atStarbucks because they forgot to
put the cold foam on top ofthat oatmeal shaking espresso
coffee that I love to get.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Never had that drink before.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Oh, my goodness, Don't do it, but do it.
So maybe they forgot to put thesweet cream foam on top.
I spoke out on that.
Now, of course that's a morecomforting element, that's a
more comfortable environment,but I didn't want to hurt their
feelings.
They just forgot.
And it's a rush.
It's early in the morning.
Everybody wants coffee.
I get it.
(18:24):
Some people are tea drinkers.
Get that too.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
No, shade to the tea drinkers.
Speaker 3 (18:28):
I drink my tea too?
Yeah, why not?
But what about the food, thethings that we forget, that
people forget?
If we can speak out there, whycan't we speak out to others in
the workspace?
We have to take the chance andI just show people that they've
been doing it all their lives.
And the one thing I always tellpeople if you don't remember
(18:49):
anything else for me, justremember.
It's illegal to eat people, soit's the worst that can happen
okay, that came out of nowhereyeah, that's what I always have
a comment after a follow-upcomment to that
Speaker 2 (19:02):
that's what I always tell people, but I think a lot
of your theme boils down toself-acceptance, though, right
it?
Speaker 3 (19:07):
does.
If you don't accept who you areand where you are in this
current moment in time, you'regoing to have a hard time with
others accepting who you areover time.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
And that's difficult for some people because of their
background, because of theirexperience.
Speaker 3 (19:19):
And also taking responsibility for the parts
they play in many experiencesgood, bad and ugly.
That's the harder part, becausewe can take responsibility for
the things that we do bad.
Sure, we can takeresponsibility for the things
that we do good, but the thingsthat we do ugly, those are the
things that we have to look atourselves in the mirror.
(19:40):
We have to be able to faceourselves in the mirror.
Can you look at yourself in themirror?
That's the ugly part, yeah, andwe all have an ugly story out
there.
I'm sure every one of us ofcourse it leads to.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
I mean what you describe as part of emotional
intelligence.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
No, it does yeah it does.
Um, because that's important.
We still have to be empatheticwith others, but empathetic with
ourselves.
Right, we're only human, weonly have one life and we have
to live it to the fullest, or wedon't, and we suffer in silence
.
But if we suffer in silence,it's going to eventually bubble
(20:12):
up like a bottle and, yeah,spill out and spill everywhere
that's true.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
I mean, you know, everyone has their own
individual paths and journey interms of their level of
intelligent quotients.
Right there they are who theyare in my opinion.
I hate to say that, but I thinkit's the eq, that emotional
intelligence quotient part, thatI think can serve everyone well
.
You just have to be open to it.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
That's self-acceptance in itself.
Yeah, I mean accepting a personfor who they are is okay, and
in order to do that, you have toaccept that this is how they
are 24-7.
They've shown you.
The situation may be different,the players may be different,
but the energy is the same.
Their behavior patterns are thesame.
(21:00):
They're going to revert back towhat they know how to do best.
It's their behavior patterns.
Those things you cannot.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
But I think the environment has to change for
them to self-reveal itself.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
It does.
When the environment and ithappens all the time Right when
the environment does change,people are left with two options
Either they're going to facethat challenge or they're going
to go back to what they know isa comfort, and that's where they
will not grow, because it'salso where value is placed.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
True but growth happens outside the comfort zone
true, yeah, hate to say it, yes, that's where it's hate to say
it.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Yes, that's where it's.
Sometimes they can be thosedark places it is, but there's a
lot of blessings that happensin those dark places but you
have to be open to that you do,and accepting.
And more than that, more thanjust open.
It's hard to internalize it,though, when you're beating
yourself up oh, you do have tocheer yourself on too, like I'm
my biggest fan.
I really am, I am my biggestfan.
(22:06):
What I used to do, andsometimes I'll probably still do
it from time to time, I wouldwrite on my mirror in the
bathroom with a Sharpie or anerasable, a marker.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Better erasable than Sharpie Right right, Because a
marker better erasable thansharpie right, right, right,
right.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
That's a nice little charge, but I would write on the
mirror.
I am enough today.
Today I did this.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Today I did that and I think that's a message that I
think could be internalized bythe listening audience I am yeah
, I am enough yeah, I am enoughthat's it.
Sometimes is that part of thecentral theme of your book and I
guess what do readers come awaywith?
The book titled PerfectProgression.
Speaker 3 (22:48):
They are not alone, their story is not unique.
I cannot tell you how manypeople that I come across, that
I don't know, and I'll just havea random conversation at a
grocery store, at a Circle K,anywhere, and I explain the
contents, the pieces of thecontents, without giving the
book away of perfect progressionand my characters, Mandy
(23:12):
Candace, Susan Amory, and I havesome male supporting figures in
there as well, but I tell themabout little contents of the
book and I always have oh my God, that's my story, oh my God,
that's me.
And it can be a guy as well.
Yeah, it could be a man, it canbe a woman.
It's.
Oh my God, that's my story.
(23:32):
That happened to me.
So you've hit on something veryuniversal and I was so surprised
because I pulled those storiesfrom experiences that I've seen,
I've experienced myself andI've heard but never with
individuals, I don't knowwalking into a circle k to get
(23:53):
gas right or going into thegrocery store because I forgot
my grapes or I forgot eggs, andI'm just striking up a
conversation with someone.
Or I'm in a self-checkout lineand there's a VP of another
transportation company, who Ididn't know at the time, sure,
um, and they're telling me theirsister went through that, or
they've gone through thatthemselves and they wish
(24:14):
somebody could say something.
But they hadn't.
And I was like, well, perfectprogression won't be released
this year sometime, so staytuned so where does the spirit
of gratitude come in?
Speaker 2 (24:25):
the spirit of right with what you just shared it
comes in, knowing that you arestill here.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
I am still here, I'm here.
I'm here to tell the story.
I don't have to go through thepast.
We all don't have to relive thepast.
We don't have to tell our pastlives.
We all don't have to relive thepast.
We don't have to tell our pastlives because we've lived it.
Now, I didn't say that the lategreat wayne dyer did, who I
love, um, but he has a point.
We don't have to retell ourpast.
We've lived it.
We don't have anything to prove.
(24:52):
We're here and there's so manystephanies out there, there's so
many yogis don't, don't haveanything to prove.
No, Okay, no, all you have to dois be.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Because that's where the expectations come in.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Yes, but you have to be first Human beings, not human
doings.
Right, that's Wayne Dyer.
Again, that's not mine, butit's a point.
I just be, I am and I am enough, I am enough.
And I think if peopleunderstand that and know that
and accept that about themselves, because it goes back to
self-acceptance, then they aregoing to continue to overdo and
(25:26):
overwork.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
Incredible.
I wonder why those five degreescome into play here.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Oh man, and I hadn't even scratched the surface with
those yet.
Those are going to be fun, yeah, but everything's all in
business.
But people are still a focalpoint in business.
It's still a huge thing andpeople are going to be around, I
mean right we still have tohave emotional intelligence and
we're laying the pathway forfuture generations.
(25:55):
I actually wrote in my article,the last article I asked
questions per the generations,the boomers, the Gen X, the
millennials, the Gen Alphas, andthen for the betas, which are
the babies now.
I gave them.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
I know Too many Greek symbols.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
I know the betas.
I gave them a message to saylearn from our mistakes, learn
from what you're seeing.
This is evergreen content.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Learn.
So is that the tie-in betweenthe professional versus the home
?
Again, I'm trying to understand.
Again, this is amazing contentthat you shared from a workplace
standpoint, but how does itrelate to home life?
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Because home and work , those lines bleed.
Whatever we do at work, we'regoing to take it home and
whatever we do at home, we'regoing to bring it to work.
And I know there's a time whereyou leave your personal stuff
at home, you don't take it intothe workplace.
But the reality is someone gotsome bad news in a meeting and
they need to excuse themselves.
(26:57):
But they are the chieffinancial financial officer and
they can't necessarily leave.
But they have to excusethemselves.
But they are the chieffinancial officer and they can't
necessarily leave, but theyhave to leave.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
It becomes harder when you work from home.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
A little bit.
I love working from home.
Oh, I agree.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Love it.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
But I also understand , but it's harder to divorce
yourself, though, between worklife and then.
Okay, now I'm back to playingthe role of a dad, or a husband
or a son very true.
Speaker 3 (27:22):
Um, that can be a challenge, but that's where you
have to physically leave theroom, step outside, go walk in
nature, use that 15 minutebreaks to step out and go watch
or watch mindless tv, watch likelove and hip-hop, but that's
why scrolling is such anaddiction true, it can be.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
It can be an escape at the end of the day?
Well, maybe not.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
I mean, it can be an escape I mean there's a lot of
good information out there youknow I play like this mindless
game on my phone because I don'thave to think, I don't want I
think, all the time.
I'm always strategic in some way, shape or form, whether it's
taking the kids to school andfiguring out how to get one to
work and pick up the other onein time.
I'm always strategic aboutsomething and some somewhere in
(28:08):
the workplace.
Think too much, you know, but Ieven have, before I even get to
that, but part.
I even have 14 different posterboards taped on my wall for my
thoughts.
So I call my room the commandcenter whenever I have thoughts
and I have to be on the visionboard, correct yes, before I
fully develop it, I put it onthe poster board so I can
(28:29):
remember that thought, because Iknow I'm going to go back to it
and create something else forit later, and so I know that's a
lot of the thinking.
I have to get those thoughtsout, whether I journal it,
whether I write it down on aposter board, now that I use a
sharpie for one of these thingslike a whiteboard.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
I have two of those at home wall I have those at
home too.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
Really, I do.
I do because I'm not the onlyone command center yeah, I'm not
the only lady in the house, soI can't remember everything.
I am human too.
I forget things, and I have abunch of different calendars
that I utilize to the fullest ofmy abilities.
But I do step away.
When I turn my phone off, it'soff.
(29:08):
Yeah, if I say do not disturb,I mean that that's how you keep
it simple.
I do my no means knows.
My nose me no, let me say that.
My nose, me no, my yeses, meyeses.
And if I have to think about itand get back to you, then I
gotta think about it and getback to you.
But when I say no, I mean no,right, I can't do it.
And not because, aside from notwanting to do it because
(29:31):
there's that too, let's behonest about that right there's
things we don't want to do andaside, aside from that, I don't
have the capacity and I knowthat if I do something, I'm
going to give it my all.
I show up a hundred percent.
I don't show up half, I don'tshow up.
Sometimes I don't show up.
Maybe if I put my foot intosomething, you get the whole
(29:53):
thing.
I'm going to do it all the wayand I don't stop until it's
completed.
I'll slow down, I'll pause,I'll wait, I'll see what's going
on, I will ask for your opinion, I'll ask for your input.
But you gave me a task and youentrusted me with your business,
with your organization, withyour people, your culture.
I take that serious, so I'mgoing to give it my best.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
I think we can conclude on that note Again,
giving it your all, giving ityour best, in spite of the
difficulties that our thoughtsmake us do or not do, yes, yes.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Some self-discipline.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
There you go, there you go.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Self-discipline.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Well, stephanie it was an absolute pleasure to have
you on the podcast and for thelisteners out there, the
citizens of your nation I liketo call, I think for me, the
biggest takeaway was what youmentioned earlier Common sense
can be, to a certain degree,misconstrued.
That, to me, was reallypowerful.
That's something I haven'theard before.
(30:55):
So, again, just be aware ofyour surroundings, trust those
people that love and support youand move on.
It's definitely it was apleasure having you on.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Thank you so much, I appreciate it.
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