Outlier's Edge Podcast with Niiamah Ashong

What allows us to continue to be profitable and sustainable in the work that we do as trailblazers?

DD7 - Future greater than your Past

DD6 - Powerless vs Empowered vs Powerful

What is that something that brings you joy? Or a memory that stands out? Next, what are one or two takeaways from it that you can start applying to your leadership to make it more uniquely you with far less effort?

A brief summary of this episode

Are you as a leader doing the things that keep you in your comfort zone, or are you willing to be courageous to go beyond to the next step?

What if it was easy? What if the massive vision in your mind or your great life calling could be easy?

When faced with a challenge, are you running towards possibility creating or are you running away from problems.

A brief summary of this episode

The world is opening up again and the reality now is, there is no going back to what it was, so, what does moving forward look like for you?

During this change period, how are you as a leader choosing to show up?

When faced with a challenge, how do you choose to tackle it?

A brief summary of this episode

Are you doing your clients, teams, or even yourself a disservice by choosing the low hanging fruit of pleasing them instead of choosing the difficult but rewarding work of serving them?

Have you ever questioned whether your story is important, impactful or influential enough to share with the world? Perhaps you've asked yourself, who am I to share my story? Or maybe you've simply compared your story with others and thought it was not powerful enough. But what if your story was meant to change the life of one person in our world? Today we get a chance to spend time with Theran Washington, a Trailblazer who has had multiple chapters in his life, time and time again. He has embodied the unconventional success of an underdog. As Your Journey Continues Listen to Theran’s inspiring story. As you're listening, see how his story mirrors your own and imagine the impact of getting your story out for everyone out there who doesn’t feel like their story has room to exist in the world or someone who feels alone because they have never told their story.

In this conversation with Trailblazer Susana Denia, we explore what it is like to create a new path even when you feel good about the level of success that you're currently creating for yourself. We explore how to translate your experiences into a brand new arena. How to take your message and have it be received and understood by a different group of people whom you'd like to share it with and serve. Throughout the conversation, listen to how Susana lays out her own approach of translating her message to a brand new audience even when she doesn't realize that she's saying it. This conversation will help you grow more aware of your unique approach to doing something similar. As Your Journey Continues: You may be enjoying success in your current field but something still feels amiss. What is that message or skill that you would like to transform for the sake of a different demographic?

Today, we get to share in Trailblazer Robin Eaton's journey. Robin is a former law enforcement officer whose journey has helped her develop gifts and skills through a number of different dimensions. This powerful person finds herself in a place where she is looking to leverage her skills through the lens of a powerful message. We explore that message and go to a place far deeper and far more central and personalized to Robin's unique message. I once told my coach, Richard Litvin, that I was working with him in order to learn how to really lead my movement and he said to me “If you want to move others, you first have to move yourself.” As Your Journey Continues Are you willing to go deep enough and be vulnerable enough to allow yourself to be moved?

How would life be different for you if you were able to understand, identify and apply your most effective approach to creating change and impact? Today we spend time coaching trailblazer, Gilad Karni, who has spent his life as a professional basketball player. He is now bringing his skills and gifts off the court to coach people in life and business. Throughout our discussion, Gilad gets to see part of his special formula, his unique approach and how to navigate in times of uncertainty and arriving victorious even when he's an underdog. See if you can spot Gilad’s special approach to success as he shares his stories. As Your Journey Continues What makes you and your team most effective with the least amount of effort?

Outlier Gina Smith is a successful and busy sales executive who is in the process of translating and transitioning her experience through the lens of helping individuals. The problem is, Gina really doesn’t have a lot of time between the demands of her job and the pursuits of her personal life. At least that’s what she believes to be the problem. Join us today as we explore how Gina can leverage her biggest problem and transform it into one of her gifts. As Your Journey Continues Consider for yourself how you can transform an area that’s currently bringing you stress and turn it into something that can bring you joy and excitement.

I’m oh so glad to share this conversation with April Cunningham. She is a trailblazer who left a coveted software engineering job at a very notable company in order to start two businesses and make impact her way. She has done extensive work in personal and professional development with a high degree of self-awareness and a track record of taking on things successfully, things that once scared her. In this conversation, she finds that the approaches which used to guide her are no longer working for her. She is ready for something new but doesn’t know how to approach it given where she is now and what has worked for her in the recent past. As Your Journey Continues Watch this conversation for it is all about ending a chapter in your life and recalibrating your engine for success and growth towards what will take you to the next level of impact. 🔥🧭👣RSVP to Blaze Your Own Trail Now at the next Outlier to Trailblazer Community experience: https://niiamahashong.com/tribe Ready to play at your next level? Here are 3 ways we can help you increase your income, influence, and impact: Play at your next level with our curated small-group coaching program: If you’re ready to be the least interesting person in the room, and to reap the rewards of visibly showing up in your life and business as yourself, we should talk. Learn More Immerse yourself in a community of safety and bravery: Join 12 leaders in NYC or Singapore for 2 days of intensive deep-dive coaching exploration to create more impact, influence, and income in your life and business. Learn More Be coached by me 1:1: Take your life and business to your next level with me as your personal coach. My clients invest $30K–$100K to transform their life, leadership, and culture in their business. If you're ready to lead your tribe and move your movement, we should talk. Learn More

I’m oh so glad to share this conversation with April Cunningham. She is a trailblazer who left a coveted software engineering job at a very notable company in order to start two businesses and make impact her way. She has done extensive work in personal and professional development with a high degree of self-awareness and a track record of taking on things successfully, things that once scared her. In this conversation, she finds that the approaches which used to guide her are no longer working for her. She is ready for something new but doesn’t know how to approach it given where she is now and what has worked for her in the recent past. As Your Journey Continues Watch this conversation for it is all about ending a chapter in your life and recalibrating your engine for success and growth towards what will take you to the next level of impact.

Today, you get to meet corporate rebel and Chief Soul Officer, Shelley Paxton. Author of Soulbbatical: A Corporate Rebel's Guide to Finding Your Best Life. Shelley is the former Chief Marketing Officer of Harley Davidson Motorcycles, a brand so iconic and meaningful that people literally tattoo it on their bodies. If you have a story, a message, or a movement that you need to bring to life and are unsure of how to navigate sharing your message unapologetically, you’ll want to listen to this entire conversation. Shelley shares how she navigated telling her story given that other people were involved and honestly her response surprised me, she is just as real in this conversation as she is on every single page throughout her book. I also coach her around what’s next for her given that she has now brought her book to life, and it’s out in the world. Specifically, around how she can remain true to her nature, as her message builds its own momentum. Where we get to through this conversation, it is far deeper than what’s presented. As Your Journey Continues: Will you choose courage over comfort in order to have the desired impact?

Today we talk to Kristen Kosinski, a trailblazer with a massive vision. She has had a track record of creating and executing projects across multiple industries and businesses. For the game that she is playing now, she knows that it is not enough for her to create the results. Because to her, how she creates these results is just as important. Join us as Kristen navigates how she can bring her next iterations of her vision to life in a way that’s aligned with her values. As Your Journey Continues How do you build a successful business and still completely honor your highest values?

Today we spend time with Trailblazer Tam Nguyen who is embarking on a journey to be a true thought leader, an ecosystem builder for businesses looking to do work in Vietnam. Listen to our conversation and see how you can navigate any fear of criticism, and make different choices that will empower you along your journey. As Your Journey Continues Could you be letting the fear of criticism hold you back when in fact it could be a gift?

Today, you get a chance to be on a journey with Hayden Lee. He is a master coach certified with the highest credentials in the international coaching federation. His mission drives him to help coaches be able to sustain and remain in the game of empowering their clients to be their best selves and do what matters to them so that the world can be a much better place. As Your Journey Continues: What’s in this for me? Are you someone who has either achieved mastery in your work or strive for mastery in the standards you hold for yourself and others? Are you questioning whether you’re setting your sights too small? Do you consider the path you are choosing as too easy? If so, then you’ll want to watch every minute of this conversation.

Today, Trailblazer Zach Kleyn and I navigate the various seasons of change and the phase and actions of bringing something to a close in order for the next iteration to exist. As Your Journey Continues: What can you let go and release in order to emerge into a new space? 🔥🧭👣RSVP to Blaze Your Own Trail Now at the next Outlier to Trailblazer Tribe experience: https://niiamahashong.com/tribe Ready to play at your next level? Here are 3 ways we can help you increase your income, influence, and impact: Play at your next level with our curated small-group coaching program: If you’re ready to be the least interesting person in the room, and to reap the rewards of visibly showing up in your life and business as yourself, we should talk. Learn More Immerse yourself in a community of safety and bravery: Join 12 leaders in NYC or Singapore for 2 days of intensive deep-dive coaching exploration to create more impact, influence, and income in your life and business. Learn More Be coached by me 1:1: Take your life and business to your next level with me as your personal coach. My clients invest $30K–$100K to transform their life, leadership, and culture in their business. If you're ready to lead your tribe and move your movement, we should talk. Learn More

Are You Practicing Being Unapologetically Yourself? Or are you expecting to have a major change happen overnight? Today we're joined by Outlier Laurens who shares how practicing being more of who he is has allowed him to show up more powerfully in his work engagement with the clients that he serves and for himself. As Your Journey Continues: What is one uncomfortable behavior, mindset, thought or action that you can practice this week to be more you than you’ve ever been in your life? 🔥🧭👣RSVP to Blaze Your Own Trail Now at the next Outlier to Trailblazer Community experience: https://niiamahashong.com/tribe Ready to play at your next level? Here are 3 ways we can help you increase your income, influence, and impact: Play at your next level with our curated small-group coaching program: If you’re ready to be the least interesting person in the room, and to reap the rewards of visibly showing up in your life and business as yourself, we should talk. Learn More Immerse yourself in a community of safety and bravery: Join 12 leaders in NYC or Singapore for 2 days of intensive deep-dive coaching exploration to create more impact, influence, and income in your life and business. Learn More Be coached by me 1:1: Take your life and business to your next level with me as your personal coach. My clients invest $30K–$100K to transform their life, leadership, and culture in their business. If you're ready to lead your tribe and move your movement, we should talk. Learn More

"We often compare how WE FEEL on the INSIDE with how OTHERS LOOK on the OUTSIDE." - Rich Litvin Are you holding yourself back because: you feel doubt while others look confident? you feel unsure while others look like they have clarity? you feel afraid of failing while others look always succeed? I know these specific comparisons because they are persistent inner thoughts of mine. But I know I'm not alone with these thoughts . And you're not alone either. That's why we've revamped Outlier to Trailblazer coaching conversations to explore the "inner journey" of becoming a more impactful and influencial entrepreneur, thought-leader, coach, change-maker, author, business leader, and trailblazer. Today, Trailblazer Erin Baker shares her inner journey to blazing her own unique trail while navigating failure, career changes, committment, and the journey to becoming a leader and coach to social impact entrepreneurs. 🔥🧭👣RSVP to Blaze Your Own Trail Now at the next Outlier to Trailblazer Community experience: https://niiamahashong.com/tribe Ready to play at your next level? Here are 3 ways we can help you increase your income, influence, and impact: Play at your next level with our curated small-group coaching program: If you’re ready to be the least interesting person in the room, and to reap the rewards of visibly showing up in your life and business as yourself, we should talk. Learn More Immerse yourself in a community of safety and bravery: Join 12 leaders in NYC or Singapore for 2 days of intensive deep-dive coaching exploration to create more impact, influence, and income in your life and business. Learn More Be coached by me 1:1: Take your life and business to your next level with me as your personal coach. My clients invest $30K–$100K to transform their life, leadership, and culture in their business. If you're ready to lead your tribe and move your movement, we should talk. Learn More

At your current level growth, how are you choosing to play the game? What would it look like if you chose to live in your gifts by taking responsibility instead of becoming a victim of circumstance? I am joined by two game-changers who are not afraid to speak their truth no matter how unsettling it may be for others. Through this conversation, we dig deep at the meaning of “Next Level Game” and the lukewarm decisions they have made that have instead caused them not to show up more visibly. YOUR JOURNEY CONTINUES As you look into how to attain your next level success, take time to look at decisions that are a definite yes, a definite no and those which fall into the category I call “sure!”

Inclusion is a term that has come up on many occasions recently and with good reason. To many, inclusion means tolerance. What if, however, we elevated the conversation in a meaningful way? Lionel Koh joins me in this conversation that illuminates the problem with inclusion as we have it now. He brings the duty of inclusion to you and I and our responsibility in taking the time to understand one another. YOUR JOURNEY CONTINUES What if we viewed inclusion as a way of getting to know other people's journeys? This would certainly change out would-be biased opinions to appreciation and respect.

In our bid to make an impact on our creative paths, we can sometimes find ourselves questioning if whatever we are doing is working. It is normal to question yourself as you continue to trudge on the road less traveled. This is why you should purpose to receive any appreciation sent your way. Stacy points to put the strengths she sees in me during this conversation. It is a humbling experience that shows me how much of an impact the path I have chosen, is having on her and others. YOUR JOURNEY CONTINUES I have learned that surrounding yourself with the right people is priceless. They have a way of pointing out the strengths they see in you and at times this is all you have to hold on to.

Having an idea and actually stepping out to implement it is no easy feat. The idea sounds great while still in your mind but to move to your next level, you will need to actualize it and then sell it. A step that has many entrepreneurs a little shaken. Christine Volden and I dive deep into a conversation that covers all you need to get to that next level. She reveals truths that have brought her success time and time again. YOUR JOURNEY CONTINUES Trust yourself! That's it because you have everything you need to get you to where you need to be.

In order to make an impact in the world, you need to bring more vulnerability by showing up more authentically. You need to venture into places that others wouldn't want to go and by doing this, you are making connections that truly matter. Dr. Chris Joseph joins me in this impactful conversation that dives deeper into the power that comes when we show up authentically. He isn't afraid to appear vulnerable as long as his message serves others. YOUR JOURNEY CONTINUES What would happen in your life if you chose to make non-action a non-option?

There is this perception out in the world that hustle is a hard grind, and maybe that’s what it is. As Pioneers, Outliers and Mavericks, we have to deal with fulfilling this expectation but also with carving out paths less travelled. This can get exhausting and the zeal you started your journey with can slowly fade. In this discussion with a fellow Pioneer, Dr. Sarah Coxin, an experienced ex-archaeologist, who left that highly acclaimed profession to follow her desires gives her definition of the word hustle and brings insight to the pressure that comes with the term. Society has made it seem like if you aren’t getting results, you aren’t focused enough, and yet she wants to feel to achieve a flow which makes everything happen in a seamless motion.

Trust conundrum: Knowing too much and simultaneously not knowing enough.

https://empjoyment.com "I feel like this is the first time I have been truly seen..." I spent the last week in London at the Youpreneur Summit. What will stay with me always are the 5 people who shared with me that they felt fully seen as a result of a conversation with me. These were 5 people who in a lot of visible ways have achieved more success than me and more impact than me. AND through it all, felt more like my peers than most other people I encountered. They were each a more powerful leader than others tend to see. They had created success in unconventional ways and were at the precipice of something beyond that. They didn’t know it yet, but it was shining out of them as brightly as a candle in a dark room. Their work was not done - it is time from them to take their success and start creating unconventional impact. But it’s not something most of us choose see - in ourselves and in others. We often focus on the outer journey of being visible (likes, views, hearts, mentions, audience size, downloads, books sold, etc.) As movement leaders, we are required to go beyond the surface of what looks good to make our inner journey visible as well. You can shift the entire trajectory of someone’s life by giving them the gift of being seen, heard, and understood. This used to be a "fru-fru" kind of statement to me until the people I worked with consistently started their own movements, leveled up their impact, and started to change their world during the time we worked together. I’ll say it so you don’t have to: "You are here to change the world in a way that only you can. " If you are ready to fully step into being a powerful and authentic leader who ushers us into a new and brighter future, we should talk. I am curating a special group experience for 10 Trailblazers who, like you, know they can take their impact to the next level and want a guide and companions as they navigate the uncharted territories of this next frontier. You cannot simply buy your way into this group and program. I’m not here to convince you to join it either. You’ll already know it’s for you if you have felt the calling to something greater. I acknowledge you for stepping into this level of leadership and impact. You are here to change the world. We’re here to help you become the leader who does. If now is the time for you or someone you know to answer or figure out your purpose and your soul’s calling to elevate the future of your world, leave a comment/send a message and I will invite you to explore whether we will be the tribe that helps you as you fulfill your purpose.

You are here to change the world. Let’s help you become a leader who does! #outlier2trailblazer

Focus on continual success: The story of the two-finger handhold... #notanimposter #storytime #mytrailblazerjourney #worldjoy

Hi! My name is Niiamah Ashong and I’m an imposter... https://niiamahashong.com/tribe

How to give the worst presentation of your life! (it’s easier than you think!!) --- I’m currently enrolling for 2 programs that start in January 2020 for which I’m incredibly proud and excited. I want to give you an opportunity to join us and immerse yourself in the unique communities of practice we create so you can experience and bring all of you to your life, work, and impact. 1) Trailblazer Oasis This program is for people who know that they are unique and different from other people AND want to leverage more of who they are to lead themselves and others to the next level of impact. A Trailblazer is someone who is willing to go through the risky, uncertain, and uncharted wilderness in order to make the path easier for others in future. The Oasis is your haven from it all to rejuvenate and recalibrate amongst a group of peers who challenge, champion, and change with you along your journey. You have a purpose, a mission, a message, and a vision of a future that is distrinct from the past. You aren’t interested in simply improving the status quo - you’re looking to transform the status quo towards a possibility few even realize. You have already been playing a "big game" in the eyes of other people in terms of impact, influence, and income, but you know that there is the next league you want to play at (and are having trouble consistently showing up that way). The Trailblazer Oasis is a Community of Practice specifically designed to help you authentically and powerfully lead others to a higher level of impact by up-leveling yourself in ways that are in integrity with you, your values, and your unique talents. We address the three most common challenges we find holding Trailblazers back - being misunderstood, being misaligned, and being mistaken that they are alone and need to do it a certain way to be successful. By the end of this 9 month Community of Practice, you’ll have transformed in several areas including: + Your Vision + Your Strategy + Your Mindset + Your Unique Talents + Your Energy + Your Tribe + Your Leadership + Your Next Level + Your Impact + Your Visibility + Your Support + Your Story + Your Platform + Your Message + Your Profit Individual clients who have gone through their personal Trailblazer Oasis program have seen results including: + Sharing their message to a 500-person audience within 1 mknth + Being featured on a TV show (and now...) + Hosting their own TV show + Launching their first group program/course + Posting their first Live videos + Enrolled high-level corporate clients + Organizing their first online communities + Speaking on panels and podcasts + and much more While these results are great, what makes this program unique is that each person is ACTIVELY CREATING THEIR VERSION OF THE FUTURE TODAY! They aren’t waiting to get their message out. They aren’t held back by the sheer size of their vision. And they aren’t wasting energy creating things that aren’t aligned with their vision because of someone else’s system. Instead They are creating the impact they want to see in larger waves in the future with the world they are in and are getting opportunities to take it to higher levels and more people at an Exponential rate. WARNING: If you choose to join us, please be aware that some goals might come faster than you had expected. And others may not come at all, in service of something more aligned with what you truly want to create. I am an expert at supporting people in creating community, impact, and transformation through their unique personality. The Trailblazer Oasis is limited to 10 Trailblazers and is starting in January 2020. This is designed as a group of peers, so you can join by invitation, referral, or application only If you are ready to take your unique impact to the next level, then we should talk. Send me a message and we can explore from there. 2) Unapologetically You This program is all about practicing how you can Be More You for you. At

Listen to the full episode here https://empjoyment.com One week into reclaiming and owning exactly who I am (and have always been)

Welcome to "Too much" May! Yesterday at a dinner with my wife and two of my best friends in Singapore, I got triggered and triggered hard. I found myself feeling misunderstood, angry, and confused in the moment right in the middle of an otherwise amazing dinner. I am grateful to have done enough work to recognize being in the triggered state, but I was completely in its grasp as I fought to be understood and shut down conversations in order to try and protect myself from further pain. What caused this? Someone at the table said something along the lines of “BUT Nemo that’s YOUR style. You’re A LOT!”. The capitalization is how I heard it in my head. And how that translated to me was that I was being dismissed, shunned, and my accomplishments minimized because of my ability to do and be different. It turns out after talking through the incident further, it wasn’t at all the intention (no capital letters involved). Rather than trying to diminish me, the comment was meant to raise me up and shine a light on some of the awesomeness that was needed to show up in my own style. I just couldn’t hear it. It simply didn’t compute. There was just one way for that statement to be interpreted in my mind at the time. And it was to my own detriment. When I woke up this morning, I no longer felt misunderstood, angry, or confused. Instead, I felt embarrassed. Embarrassed for my behavior. Embarrassed for my wife for having been a witness and at times a target on it. Embarrassed as a leader of Outliers, Pioneers, and Mavericks for not having the presence of mind and emotional capacity to not get triggered. I have an amazing wife though and through an early morning reflection with her, I felt a new emotion: happiness. Happiness because yesterday had exposed a blind spot that I was unaware of: I have a low capacity for receiving and seeing myself as “a lot” or “too much” in a positive way. Happiness because with that awareness I could actively begin the work that I lead my clients through to Discover-> Embrace -> Leverage -> Appreciate new elements of my uniqueness to capture the value in it. So, I’m not trying to *accept* that I am too much. Nay, I am taking it further. I want to be celebrated and valued for being too much. I’m often afraid that I am playing too small. I can see how I’m trapping myself under a “too much” ceiling. It’s time to break down and break through. I know it’s possible and it’s my next level of growth. So I hereby declare this “Too Much May”. I am actively coming from a place of being, doing, and having too much and finding the positive gifts in all of it. “Too much” is my filter this month. Demi Langford-McConkie said it best: “It’s either Too Much or not at all”. — How you can help: If you want to participate or help with this, you can do so by sharing your own experiences with feeling too much along the way AND the gifts that come from it. You can also call out times when I am coming off as being too much for you. Be as specific as possible. Heads up, I won’t be apologizing for it or express gratitude . Instead I will simply say “You’re Welcome”. And leave it at that. This is my practice. I choose to be visible in service of myself and others. Game on! https://nemoashong.com

What Support do you Need to Acheive your Next Level (Live Coaching Nemo Ashong)

5 hidden traps that have kept me from playing at my next level Outsights from session 2 of the Next Level Masterclass. ---an invitation --- I have decided to open up the doors to the Masterclass beyond my list to create an opportunity for people who are serious and craving to play a bigger game. Https://niiamahashong.com/nlm I can offer this easily because each session is a live experience where we work on your fears, desires, challenges, and possibilities to get you playing into your next level now. This is not for everyone by design. Come if you are ready to play at your next level or you are tired of settling for your current level. Don’t come if you aren’t interested in doing the work - I’ll find another way to serve you later.

Lonliness. It’s the hidden cost to being a leader, being unique, playing at my next level, and honestly just plain old being myself. It’s the payment to enter higher realms of impact, growth, and contribution that I have been hesitant to pay. It’s a fact of choosing to belong to yourself first. If you play it all out, the best way to stand out is to be yourself because there’s only one of you out there. There’s only 1 in 7+ BILLION PEOPLE who is you. Of course it’s going to be lonely! I honestly didn’t get that until 5 mins before sharing this here. The path to being yourself, to experience true and wholesome freedom and security, to make your highest impact, and to influence and lead change in your world is inherently lonely. And the story I tell myself is that "being lonely means being unloved." The cold hard truth of it is that at the level of allowing myself to be me in the world, I’m actually finding that: a) I love myself more (and I think I’m legit awesome) b) I love and have the capacity to love others more and c) I am loved by others more. I’m going to unpack c) more because that’s the external result I internally craved and the external ceiling I keep bumping into. I am loved by others "more". 1) "More" through the lens of "Scale": There absolute value of people who love me continues to grow daily. And it directly ties/ feeds back into my capacity for love. The greater my capacity for love, the more love comes my way. 2) "More" through the lens of "Depth": This is one of the thing I’ve been fighting for in my life recently. Where Scaled Love speaks to being "well-known", Deep Love speaks to being "know - well". The people who choose to love me, choose to do so for the true and unapologetic me as I currently am and as I am becoming. There’s no more "code-switching". I’m not burdened by having to diminish myself in order to make others feel safe. I am not drained by having to be multiple things to multiple people - and then keeping each part of my life compartmentalized for sake of being exposed (this one came fastest for me to be). I don’t have to be a "chameleon" and change who I am to match your world. Instead, I welcome you to my world. I welcome you as you are and as you are becoming. I welcome you to be courageous and thrive beyond safety. I welcome you to be in integrity with yourself. Whole, complete, and unapologetic. Everyday I create a world where we can be unique together. Where we can be authentic together. Where we can be lonely together. Where we can simply BE together. My name is Nemo Ashong. Most people see me as personable, friendly, joyous, and so much more. And what they don’t see is that on the inside I’m lonely. What I now know is that feeling alone, being alone, and feeling lonely isn’t a good or a bad thing. It comes down to the stories I tell myself. And I’m choosing to listen to stories that bring us all together - as seperate, unique, and legit awesome people who can be as one, not in spite of but because of what makes us different. Here’s to being more you everyday because you are the difference. Game on! (Special thanks to Hayden Lee, Luisa Molano, and Chris Joseph for helping me embrace something that I thought was holding me back rather than helping me forward)

“You don’t have to fight for the best when you are willing to be the only.” Reclaiming my power with Being Lonely. Lesson from Sapa, Vietnam

Meta time: a live about going live There’s a reason why I choose to go live and to create videos. It’s not because of Facebook reach. Most people aren’t even awake when I go live. It’s because it’s one of the most effortless ways for me to get my thought leadership out in the world. No one gave me permission and even if the “reach” went down, I would still choose to leverage this medium because it’s a natural vehicle for me. And I get 100X relative value from it: 10X the results of most people for 10% of the energy. (Now it’s math time: 10/0.1=100) Some of my clients leverage in-person dinners, others podcasts, others speaking, some blogging, others recorded live workshops, and some choose word of mouth /referrals. Discover it. Embrace it. Leverage it. And Appreciate it’s value by getting better at it. What’s your 100X thought leadership vehicle?

What’s the container of transformation that best supports the change you lead yourself and your people through? — I’m going to watch Trevor Noah live in Singapore in 3 hours. I’ve been following him regularly for months now, watching the MULTIPLE videos he posts in the same day as my day progresses. On one level, he’s shown a real example of there’s no such thing as too much content - he’s part of the reason I feel comfortable doing to back to back live videos. On another level, this is the first time I’ve given money directly to Trevor’s world. And when I take out my wallet, I like to explore why. Today it’s gotten me to think about my distinctions between audience, tribe, and community and the capacity of transformation within each.

You are already a leader (even if you haven’t yet realized it). You are already changing the world everyday ( even when you aren’t trying). You are already ready (even if the task seems impossible or scary). You are already enough ( even if it feels like you can’t be what others want - you are exactly what we need) -- Step up and own who you already are. You are a gift to your world - don’t hold it back.

This episode was really edgy for me to make live... and remains edgy for me to post it on the podcast. Which is why I'm doing it. #speakingmytruth