The Sisters of Industry: Recent Episodes
Laura Brown and Jenn Williams
What happens when two sisters grow up in the same home and then one becomes a global business leader and the other a church planter? The answer: a torrent of hard-earned wisdom and insight on life, business, leadership, and faith shared with the kind of gut-level honesty and humor that only comes with a shared bloodline.
It's the 100th episode of The Sisters of Industry! It's time for some podcasting real talk!
The Sisters review Jack Stack's classic, "The Great Game of Business," while waxing nostalgic on the smell of paper.
The corporate world often gets frowned upon, but in this episode the Sisters, along with Christie McElfresh, talk about the opportunity to be an entrepreneur, even in a corporate reality.
How do you know if you're ready to start your own thing? Do we ever really know what we're saying "yes" to?
It's a Special Edition with a special guest on how to deal with things when even the professional gets personal!
Assessing dreams relies on a different set of criteria. In this episode, the Sisters talk about raising the commitment level without giving up too soon.
You need a plan if you're going to move your dream from the clouds to execution - the Sisters want to help you build your plan and your team.
Taking your dreams from the clouds to execution requires making room, and the Sisters have some design ideas to share.
In the first book review of 2022, the Sisters talk about "At Your Best" by Carey Nieuwhof and how to make the most of your energy and time.
The Sisters cover the best and the worst of 2021 with a quick look ahead to the new year
Finishing well can set you up for the start of whatever is next, but there are some things to think about if you want to Finish Forward.
With just a few weeks left in 2021, it's time to talk about finishing well - any why not do it with a festive flourish?!
It's the 2021 edition of the ridiculous to the serious things the Sisters are thankful for!
In this special edition, the Sisters address questions from listeners on recent series, and crucial topics like...bacon.
The Sisters wrap-up the series on generations in the workforce with a discussion of Chip Conley's "Wisdom at Work: The Making of a Modern Elder."
The Boomers want to stick around for a bit longer, and we need them. The Sisters talk about why in this continuation of episodes on the five generations in today's workforce.
Every generation has its strengths and Gen Z is coming into the workplace ready to use theirs...sort of.
We have five generations actively in today's workplace, and it's time for a better conversation on how we all work together to maximize the benefits of each generations strengths.
The Sisters wrap-up the conversation on confidence with a review of Brene Brown's book, "Daring Greatly."
We know what confidence looks like, and how it masquerades - now it's time to build confidence in our teams and in ourselves.
Our confidence often takes a hit in unpredictable circumstances, and the last 18 months have been predictably unpredictable. We want to talk about confidence - how we get it and how we keep it, even in crazy times.
The Revolution is underway, we've identified the soul suckers, and now it's time to lead the charge!
We've kicked off the Work Revolution, but we need to name the potential stumbling blocks and soul-suckers trying to get in the way so we can sustain momentum and stay in sync.
We don't want to "return to work" or talk about "the new normal." Instead, the Sisters kick-off Season Three with a work REVOLUTION.
Biggest takeaways, summer reads, and things we're thinking about right now - all of that and more in the Sisters Season Two Wrap-Up!
In seasons of transition, it's easy to hold on for the wrong reasons - sometimes even the difficult transitions can be the very best thing. In this episode, the Sisters talk about how to let go and transition well.
A lot of people are making career decisions about staying or going - which is the right call? how do you decide? Join the Sisters and special guest, Amelia Galloway, for today's conversation on making the decision to stay or go.
Join the Sisters AND one of their better halves for this book discussion on Matthew McConaughey's memoir, "Greenlights."
It doesn't get much funnier than Jon Acuff until you listen to Laura and her friend Melissa Klug discuss his new book, "Soundtracks."
There's a difference between everyday stress and extreme stress - what do you do when it feels like you're under attack?
We all know it's important to say "no" sometimes, but what filters are you using to decide how you will use and give away your time? This episode comes complete with some helpful tips on how to say no when necessary.
The messages we take in and the messages we send out need a filter. In this episode, the Sisters offer their best tips on what filters to use and how to engage them to maximum efficacy.
It's monthly book review time and the Sisters are talking about "The Infinite Game" by Simon Sinek.
We like the idea of winning in all aspects of life, but short of playing cards, winning is a highly subjective notion. If we want to figure out which rules to employ (or not), we need to gain clarity on the desired outcome.
It's been a year and the Sisters bring in some friends to take a look at what we've learned about ourselves and how we're changing as the pandemic moves to a close.
It's easy to break a rule, especially when you didn't have any idea it existed - welcome to the world of unwritten rules: where do they come from? how do we uncover them? and how do we use them or lose them?
Call them what you want - rules, policy, red tape - they exist and we need to know how they help and how they hurt to use them effectively.
In this special edition episode, Laura talks with John Johnson, a highly experienced HR professional, about Donald Miller's new book, "Business Made Simple."
Decisions top the list of things we tend to overcomplicate. In this episode, the Sisters apply the "simple is smart" principle to making decisions.
We falsely equate productivity with getting more done. On today's episode, the Sisters talk about doing less, managing energy more than time, and simple ways to boost productivity that will work for everyone.
It's time to keep things simple, but simple is neither stupid nor easy. In this episode, the sister's give the red flags for wandering into complexity and provide a pathway to focus and finish.
In this episode, the Sisters wrap-up the conversation on messes with a review of Scott Jeffrey Miller's book, "Management Mess to Leadership Success." It's time to own our management strengths and weaknesses, and start working the checklist!
You're working through the mess, dealing with the walls, and now you really just want to be done dealing with it! In this episode, the Sisters talk about knowing when it's time to throw the grenade that gets you from the height of tension to the breakthrough, and how to recover from the clean-up process.
In the midst of every mess clean-up process, there will be some walls - some of our own making, some easier to get over than others. In this episode, the Sisters talk about handling the walls without losing your sense of humor, and also dealing with the ego trap that often appears at this stage of clean-up.
Messes come in all shapes and sizes - organizationally and personally. We have to deal with them, which means starting somewhere! You have a mess, and the Sisters are here to help.
The Sisters kick-off the new year with a book report and some habitual homework you don't want to miss - we've done the work, now let us help you make progress!
Sometimes even our good habits can start to run astray - today we're identifying the habits we need to pause and evaluate, and the ones we need to stop altogether.
Good intentions do not a habit make or break, but even our bad habits are positive proof that building habits (the good ones) is possible.
It's been a crazy year, but we still have plenty for which we are thankful. This episode is full of some of the lessons we're thankful to have learned in 2020 and some highlights from our gratitude lists.
It's time for some really REAL TALK on this episode as the Sisters take on the fatigue that comes with change...and really with life.
Communication is tough - communication in the midst of change is tougher than tough and littered with landmines. The Sisters continue the series on change management with some important reality checks on communication.
We're still talking change, and this week The Sisters focus on the activating ingredients and the honest acknowledgments of what's driving the change.
Change comes in all shapes and sizes, and we're all about the changes we make and choose, but dealing (and managing) change organizationally is a BIG DEAL. In this episode, the Sisters kick-off a series on change management with new insights and some great guests.
Once you've found and hired your all-stars, now you have to help them work as a team. In this episode, The Sisters talk about overcoming Lone Ranger syndrome and assembling a powerful team of all-stars determined to work together for the best results.
We all want to find and hire all-stars, but doing so means knowing what you're looking for. It also means building the best team environment so everyone can thrive. In this episode, the Sisters offer thoughts on what to look for in the hiring process, and some potential red flags to identify the posers.
The COVID pandemic is not exactly behind us, however we're returning to more and more elements of life, including school and some limited travel. In this episode, the Sisters catch up on where we are right now - the tension points and the opportunities to learn...even in this mess!
As difficult as it can be to make decisions, it can be even more difficult to not be the one making the decision. In this episode, the Sisters talk about how to delegate decisions and how to deal with the decisions you don't like.
Life requires decisions. We make a lot of them, and under stress, they become more difficult. In today's episode, the Sisters give you some thoughts on how to organize and make better decisions...even in a season of decision fatigue.
Highlights, lowlights, and lessons learned from Season One, plus a few teasers on what's coming next season with The Sisters of Industry!
Sometimes all "that guy" or "that gal" needs is a good coach or a mentor, but which is it? On this episode, the Sisters break down the difference between a coach and a mentor and how to do both roles well.
We've all worked for "that guy," worked with "that guy," or had to supervise "that guy." So, how do you handle it, especially when coaching and mentoring simply aren't going to be enough?
In January, we shared some of our goals and could never have predicted everything that has happened since. In this episode, we're checking in and regrouping - we still have six months to grow and thrive in 2020.
We're continuing the conversation on how to be heard no matter where you are in your organization or life circumstance. You can lead and have influence from entry level to the very top. We want YOU to be heard! And also, we have a COMEBACK LEADER segment on this episode you do not want to miss!
Sometimes it feels like we're not being heard. In this first part of this series, the Sisters are talking about how to be heard from wherever you sit in the organization. Plus, we are thrilled to be joined in this episode by Clay Scroggins, the Lead Pastor of Buckhead Church, and author of the book, "How To Lead When You're Not in Charge."
No one wants to lead alone - enter the always awkward process of networking. It doesn't have to be painful and the Sisters want to help you find, or CREATE, the perfect network for you to thrive.
Leadership and loneliness often go hand-in-hand, but loneliness is also a choice and not often the best one to make. In this episode, the Sisters are talking about where loneliness comes from and how to stop leading alone.
Now that you named it, framed it, and solved it, it's time to make sure you can sustain it. Here are the Sisters best thoughts on making sure you walked away with a win and not the set-up for more problems.
Now that you know what the problem is, it's time to start figuring out the solution...preferably without adding more problems in the process. In this episode, the Sisters offer the plan AND the caution flags
With proper credit to Vanilla Ice, it's time to "Stop, collaborate, and listen!" because we all have problems and the Sisters want to help solve them! In this episode, we start at the very beginning with all of the colored markers.
You guessed it - we're celebrating Mother's Day this week with our VIP guest, Jane Brown...aka OUR MOM! Hear her wisdom, and also some corrections and insight into Memory Lane moments we've shared - this is the good stuff!
You can gain trust and you can give trust, but if you can't keep it, you've done a lot of work in vain. In this episode, the Sisters talk about consistency, investment, and character.
As the world continues to shift and challenges increase, one of the things we need most is resilience. Some of it comes with experience, but there are ways to grow it. We want to help you lead and thrive in these life-altering times!
Giving away trust is never easy, but the Sisters have a few thoughts on how to get there, and how to recover when trust has been broken.
We all want to be trusted and seen as trustworthy. Mostly it takes being those things, but what does that look like in our industry settings?
We all make mistakes and we all deal with the mistakes of others. How we handle them makes or breaks the situations. Here are some thoughts from the Sisters.
The coronavirus has many of us on the steep side of the remote leadership growth curve. In this episode, the Sisters offer some tips and also outline the tools we need for Rapid Innovation, Measured Execution, and Marathon Mindset.
In this special edition of The Sisters of Industry, Laura and Jenn spend some time talking through best practices of leading in times of uncertainty.
Competition can bring out our uglier sides. In this episode, the Sisters share some thoughts on the warning signs and recognizing unhealthy competition when it creeps into our lives and organizations.
How do you know if you're running the right race? Is it possible you're using a ton of extra energy to do the wrong things? On this episode, the Sisters dig into strengths alongside an all-star industrious sister - reader, leader, business owner, mom, and all things organizational Melissa Klug.
Who doesn't want to win? We all do, but we have to play to our strengths and we have to know what fuels our team. Let's go!
Special episode alert: The Sisters favorite historian, aka Laura's husband, is on with us to share some well-timed insight into real life conflict from history.
Part of healthy conflict is having an open, and even eager, pathway to both giving and receiving feedback. That said, feedback is never easy so the Sisters are bringing you their best advice on getting it right.
Conflict happens - and it isn't all bad. In this episode, the Sisters talk about the positive side of conflict and how to disagree well.
Are you afraid of scary movies and snakes like the Sisters? Fear not, we have some ideas for facing your fears.
Disappointment is so real and the Sisters go deep in this week's episode as they talk about dealing with it instead of using it as a reason to quit.
Have you ever let anger get the better of you at work? There's a cost to losing it, but there's also an opportunity to channel our anger into something helpful.
How do we balance being transparent and not letting our emotions get in the way? And when it comes to passion - how do we harness it to protect from the bad and dangerous while also using it to its max potential?
As we say goodbye to 2019, we're talking through our mountaintops and valleys, and also looking ahead to some goals and dreams for 2020.
Merry Christmas from the Sisters! In a world of constant change, what are the technological equivalents of socks and underwear in your Christmas stocking?
The trials of traveling for business, and the technology that saves us from it. Plus, an interview with George Spanos, IT expert!
Technology is necessary, but it quickly becomes more than we can handle. We want to use it well, but not be controlled by it. On this episode, the Sisters tackle some guidelines on making sure technology is for us and not against us.
Like it or not, we all have limits. On this episode, the Sisters talk understanding and setting limits, and also when it's okay to ignore limits and do whatever it takes.
Sometimes it's a waltz, and sometimes it's a tango, but there is a dance we do in the workplace and life between GRACE and ACCOUNTABILITY. It takes both in an environment where everyone wants to do work that matters.
In the ultimate act of balancing, leaders have to balance their WHO (being for people) and their WHAT (making a profit) — and those things conflict more often than we would like to think.
What does it mean to be industrious? How do we do work that matters and live in ways that matter beyond ourselves? Introducing the Sisters of Industry, Laura Brown and Jenn Williams, curating content that will help you lead and live in your industrious life!