Brave Yes CEO: Recent Episodes
Shawn Fink
The Brave Yes CEO Show is a podcast for entrepreneurs who want to cultivate confidence and self-worth in order to say YES to possibility and show up more bravely and authentically in the world.
Episode Summary:In this episode, Shawn talks about how Embracing a Brave YES Mindset has served her well for 10 years as a full-time entrepreneur and business owner and everything you need to know about what it is and how to tap into it -- and why.Insights from this Episode:--What is a Brave YES Mindset-- What is a NO Brain?-- What is a YES Brain?-- When do you need a Brave YES Mindset?-- 10 Perks of Embracing a Brave YES Mindset-- Checklist: How to Get Started with a Brave YES MindsetBook a FREE coaching exploratory call with Brave YES Business Coach Shawn Fink here: https://shawnfink.com/business-brave/Checkout the web page this episode with transcription here: https://shawnfink.com/10-perks-of-embracing-the-brave-yes-mindset-as-a-business-owner/
Upleveling is Messy.This was a popular post I put up on Instagram.It flopped on LinkedIN — like everything does.But this podcast episode is about upleveling.What does that even mean?It means to doing the hard work to get YOU or YOUR BUSINESS to the next level.It means you have hit your upper limit — or your business has -- and THAT's what this episode is all about.Sign up for the masterclass here: https://shawnfink.com/masterclass/
So this week I want to talk about I want to start actually a series on the visibility blockers that I had talked about previously and I'm going to go further and further into each of them in this 10-part series.The first one that I'm gonna talk about is feeding the algorithms.One of the biggest blockers that we actually have to wrestle with is the algorithms themselves.But that doesn’t mean we should quit social.Social is a powerful, powerful visibility tool.REGISTER NOW FOR THE FREE MASTERCLASS: https://shawnfink.com/masterclass/
Today I'm going to talk about what I'm calling the Shero’s Entrepreneurial Journey.So, the Shero’s Entrepreneurial Journey is a version of the Heroine's Journey, a storytelling archetype that I'm proposing here today that can help you transform your business, and very possibly your life.And I'm also going to touch on an aspect of the Hero's Journey as well.I know you've heard of the Hero's Journey, popularized by Joseph Campbell, which follows the path of a male hero who faces challenges undergoes transformation and returns home with all this great new wisdom and power and but there's another version of this that I really strongly love and prefer, and that's the Heroine’s Journey made famous by Maureen Murdoch, who wrote a book called The Heroine’s Journey. So the Heroine’s Journey is a storytelling archetype that focuses on a female protagonist, the Shero, and that's what I want to focus on here today. This is connected to the work that I have done -- to become a business strategist and courage coach. It's also very related to the work I do with my clients. I see this journey unfolding for my clients over and over, and it doesn't even matter where you are on the journey.Listen to this episode now.
Visibility is absolutely key in your business.If you want more success, more revenue and more sales, people need to know you exist. Period.The more visibility you have for attracting and meeting -- and connecting with -- new fans, new followers, new potential clients, new customers, the more money you're going to make, the more authority you're going to have, the more demand for your work. 10 Visibility Blockers that May Be Stunting Your Business Growth and SuccessJOIN THE BRAVE YES POWER SQUAD: https://shawnfink.com/brave-yes-power-squad-2023/
BRAVING THE BUSINESS ARENA -- FREE MASTERCLASS: https://shawnfink.com/masterclass/Fear is always the star.I'm in a situation right now where Fear wants to be the superhero of the story.I refuse to let it.I don't believe in feeling the fear and doing it anyway -- that doesn't work for me or people like me who are highly sensitive and aware of emotions.Instead, I try to point out to my clients that a lot of times, it's not really fear -- or imposter complex -- that is the actual issue.Fear is often the blanket problem we toss at things that scare us or that may spark change.But, I've never met a fear conversation that didn't have something more deeply rooted lying underneath that is the real obstacle.Let's dive into that a bit more this week ...
Let’s face it, being a biz owner is like 90 percent being scared shitless. I know because I’ve been doing this work as a solopreneur for 10 years full-time.Each new experience — or a FFT as Brene Brown calls them — is terrifying and then gets easier and easier and easier.And yet being brave and visible -- and taking up space in your industry -- is a powerful way to grow your business.In order to attract your most aligned clients and you need to let them see your B.R.A.V.E ...What does that mean?This is exactly what my latest podcast gets into this week ... Register --> Braving the Business Arena: A Masterclass for Female Entrepreneurs to learn how to Overcome Fear and Achieve Goalshttps://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0lduyvqTwtGtNbEWcguZ0J6KLc-9fBI13K
Growing a business is hard work. It takes effort.That effort should feel good — and move the needle for you so you can thrive and feel joy in the work you do. This is how we align with The Entrepreneur’s Freedom Trifecta that I talked about recently …The simple truth — the one thing I want you to know is … mindful progress and Brave YES impact are a lovely combo.I focus my work and coaching around Brave YES Power Moves because that’s what has helped me grow by leaps and bounds — my first business and now this one.Boring just doesn’t cut it in this market.Listen to this latest episode of The Brave YES Business Show!
Join me for the upcoming Design Your Bravest Business Year Yet! https://shawnfink.com/bravest-year-yet/Are you the bottleneck in your one-person business?When the Big Vision doesn't pan out. When to blame yourself, your circumstances or your strategy for not achieving your business goals?If life keeps knocking you down, blaming yourself for your life circumstances isn't fair to you. It's also letting a whole of others off the hook. Start where you are. Bloom where you are planted.If your life circumstances are not in the way, it's then either you or your strategy. My guess is before it's you, it's your strategy -- or, more common, your lack of one.Your goals and vision require a strategy. The more clear you are on what that strategy is the more clear it is on what actions to take. You must know where you want to go and how you want to get there. Actions then become no brainers.
Are you chasing the wrong business goals?I'm talking about designing a business and creating goals around The Entrepreneur's Freedom Trifecta, three types of freedom that will give you your power back! Read all about The Entrepreneur's Freedom Trifecta here: https://shawnfink.com/are-you-chasing-the-wrong-business-goals/
Welcome to The Brave YES Business Show! In today's first Brave YES Short -- a 10 minute episode -- I am talking about the following ... --- The rebranded NAME for this podcast -- The WHY and, most importantly, the HOW behind the change-- Why Body Wisdom is essential in business-- What it means to step into your power-- What the name change means for YOUInterested in working with me as a coach? https://shawnfink.com/business-brave
Today's episode is dedicated to the entrepreneur who is trapped in the Bootstrapping Fallout -- the one who is trying desperately to save money but coming up against so many obstacles to grow your business.My hope with this episode is that you will start to take yourself and your work more seriously by starting to see how vital it is to know where to put your time, money and energy. If you are truly ready to start taking yourself and your business more seriously, you’re going to have to change your bootstrapping mindset.Apply for a FREE coaching exploratory session with me here: https://shawnfink.com/business-brave/Listen to the episode on Scarcity Mindset here: https://shawnfink.com/scarcity-mindset/Download the FREE weekly financial wellbeing check-in resource here: https://shawnfink.com/financial-checkin/
Do you feel as if you are traveling through the dark valley of irrelevance some days as you try to build an audience for your work?
Several years ago, I quickly grew a Facebook page to 35K followers.
Those days of growing fast and reaching thousands of new fans in a single day are no longer a given.
If you want to stand out and make a bigger impact with your brand, you must do things differently.
Listen now to my 5 tips for you to start putting yourself out there and being known for your brilliance:
Apply for a Free Coaching Exploratory call with me here: https://forms.gle/P1Sd564rK5sY7AJeA
Today I'm sharing my own stories of risk-taking in my decade of entrepreneurship.
Each risk, some big and some small, was worth it -- and each one had their own level of scary attached to them.
Not only do I share what each of these 10 brave business moves were, but I also tell the story behind each one. Some of the stories are hilarious. Some are not so funny at all.
Either way, I hope by modeling my own #BusinessBrave moves you get inspired to start taking your own risks in business.
Here we go!
Get your FREE Weekly Financial Wellbeing Check-In Ritual download here: https://shawnfink.com/financial-checkin/
Joy is important and necessary for PEOPLE LIKE US.
People like us who are meaning makers, conscious, feminist, justice-oriented know that we don’t want a capitalist business model. We don’t want to run our business as usual.
We want more YESES.
Because fuck it.
Like is short.
In my last episode, I talked about things you can do to add joy into your business day.
But, the joy stuff doesn’t have to stop there.
Doing business as usual where boring reigns.
My people — and if you are listening I assume you are my people — my people don’t want to do biz as usual.
Why?
Because life is short and we went into business not just for flexibility and independence but for creative freedom. To do business our way. To make our own rules. And I’m all about helping my clients make their own rules.
The shoulds will zap your joy.
So the goals much change to the point where joy is operationalized. Joy is built in. Joy is a standard operating procedure in practice not just in mind or on paper.
GET THE FREE FINANCIAL WELLBEING CHECK-IN RITUAL HERE: https://shawnfink.com/financial-checkin/
Your self-worth isn’t found in your bank account.
Or anywhere else for that matter.
It’s time to unlearn some of the ways you feel enough as an entrepreneur.
Have you have ever felt like you’re not good enough because you’re not making enough money or because your business is not where you want it to be?
Perhaps, you often feel low because your bank account has been dwindling, or you want to make more but you keep plateauing. Or you just aren’t getting the sales you want.
Or, maybe you just are barely making enough to get by?
If you feel low while thinking about your money or sales it’s possible your self worth is tangled up in your bank account.
Or, it is tied up in the tactics you use to earn money.
That's what this episode is ALL about ... please leave a review if this speaks to you.
One of the key elements of being a stress proof entrepreneur is being resilient.
And to be resilient you have to take extremely good care of yourself in mind, body and spirit ...
but here’s the thing.
If your bank account is in a scary place, you’re not going to feel good no matter how much self-care you do.
Your wellbeing requires a healthy bank account.
Get my FREE Weekly Financial Wellbeing Check-In Ritual download here: https://shawnfink.com/financial-checkin/
Sign up for my weekly Brave Yes Museletter here: https://braveyes.substack.com/
My passion and purpose is working with entrepreneurs who believe greatly in making the world a better place, helping people thrive, helping the land thrive, helping systems thrive, whatever it is, but my people really want to see change and progress.
So let's do that. Let's focus on how we can make money, find meaning in our work and also do our small part to help the world in one tiny way.
And so when I say let’s get business brave, what I’m really saying is, let’s really build businesses that are wholehearted, that are human centered.
And, by human, I also very much mean you the founder, the leader of the business and those you serve, and those who are impacted by the work that you’re doing.
So money, meaning and the greater good ... let's dig into this this week.
You can get more messages and insights from me every week by signing up for my weekly email: The Brave Yes Museletter https://braveyes.substack.com/
The BRAVE YES CEO mindset is the backbone of what this podcast explores.
This is a big part of the work that I do with my clients. And I’m, of course super passionate about it. And it really stems from first my own experiences as a leader as somebody who really in all spaces and jobs and experiences that I’ve had in my life, I have always been someone who could step up as a leader.
Brené Brown says that leaders are “called to choose courage over comfort all day long.”
Let me repeat that … “leaders are called to choose courage over comfort all day long.”
That is exactly why I believe all entrepreneurs and founders need to be #BusinessBrave.
Are YOU ready to become more #BusinessBrave? Book a session with me to discuss your Brave Yes Business and Life mission and goals and let's get a soulful, courageous action plan started for you. I've been writing, creating and coaching online for 15 years. Let's chat and see how my expertise and experiences can help you put yourself out there and grow your business to the size you wish. Learn more and schedule here: https://shawnfink.com/business-brave
We don’t just feel the fear and take our chances and hope for the best.
That’s not humane — or even all that possible.
We must feel the fear …
AND
Feel the fear and pause.
Feel the fear and prepare.
Feel the fear and set ourselves up for success.
Sometimes we roar through a scary moment of uncertainty.
Sometimes we purr.
A Brave Yes Mindset is a part of what it means to be #businessbrave … but the thing is that the Brave Yes, when it’s not trivialized, is often a rare occurrence.
When you look back on your life you may remember handful, maybe two handfuls of Brave Yeses that you can't really draw back on as memorable events in your life.
But being a wholehearted entrepreneur requires everyday bravery.
I can’t think of a day that has passed in the past 10 years of being an entrepreneur when fear didn’t show up and knock on my door.
This is precisely why my work has always been super spiritual.
In order to put our ideas out into the world -- to put our services, our work, our words out into the world and ask for money in return -- we must be business brave.
What is required of us is far more than just showing up.
We must have a fire inside of us to be brave -- there has to be something bigger pulling us along.
Or else we’ll just retreat back into our nice quiet cave and hide a bit more.
Being Business Brave requires us to dig deeper into a more every day type of courage that rarely makes it to your social media feed.
LET'S BRING YOUR MISSION ALIVE: Brave Business Coaching may be for you if this episode speaks to what you need to bring some life back to your business. https://shawnfink.com/soul-shine
It’s easy to slip into “why bother” mode with something like this.
Why bother — no one will read it.
Why bother — people will unsubscribe.
Why bother — it will be just left unread.
Why bother — who am I to have a newsletter designed for writers? (museletter in my case)
We do this for a very clear reason: You know what reason is, don’t you?
Our fear of disappointment.
Sign up for The Brave Yes Museletter: https://braveyes.substack.com/ Work with me to transform your own self-doubt in private coaching: https://shawnfink.com/soul-shine
As a coach for entrepreneurs, I work with my clients on the Brave Yes Journey, which is almost always about playing bigger in their work, taking up space and making bold changes for greater life alignment.
I encourage my clients to set stretch-y goals — not for achievement purposes but because personal transformation happens just beyond our comfort zone.
When we do something that seems nearly impossible, our courage and confidence grow exponentially.
My story alone is proof.
Listen to this Brave Yes CEO episode here.
Looking for a Coach to help you do your list of impossible things? Let's chat. Learn about my Brave Yes Coaching here: https://shawnfink.com/soul-shine
What's Your Brave Yes Kryptonite?That big dream of yours ... it requires you to be what I call a courage maker.
Courage makers, though, are still just human beings, not superheroes.
Life circumstances will pop up out of nowhere.
Your life circumstances may be exactly what’s keeping you in place and feeling stagnant and there may be nothing you can do about that.
But here’s the thing.
There's always something else at play in our lives as we are building something and dreaming up something new for ourselves and our work.
When we can, we must remove the kryptonite and shove it out of our way.
What's Your Brave Yes Kryptonite? That's what this week's podcast episode is all about. Listen now.
Are you interested in my Brave Yes Action Hours? 90 minutes of coworking together on our YES projects. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkf-qtpjkoE9xJp6v-rFHDuY_UyFDirBCk
Think back to the times in your life when you said Yes — and by YES I am talking about the Brave Yeses, the kinda scary but liberating and exciting ones.
Not just any yes but the yeses that were meaningful, purposeful and expansive to your life and work.
As busy female founders and creatives, it’s easy to say no to ourselves.
We like our noes.
But I have learned that saying yes can change everything.
And by that I don’t mean to other people’s yeses.
I mean to the deep desires that live inside of us.
JOIN MY BRAVE YES ACTION HOUR CLUB: https://join.slack.com/t/braveyesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-14cf1h2g6-y4jitRVjhm51yXEnY3JSYQ
I don’t care how long you’ve been in business, you’re in the gap.
And sometimes that gap is huge like an ocean.
And sometimes that gap is more like a little creek.
Either way, you have to go through the mess to get to the other side.
What is the gap?
The gap is that learning space of where you are and where you want to be. You are standing on the cusp of a field of change and you have no idea how to get to the other side. That is the gap.
There’s a problem in your business, and you need to solve it.
This month, I’ve been focusing on the importance of investing in your capacity as a CEO and entrepreneur — because in order to be braver, be bolder and do braver work in this world, we must have the capacity for it all.
Without capacity we are left exhausted and floundering. We never set our best intentions forward when we are burned out an exhausted.
Capacity ebbs and flows but at the end of the day, the number ONE capacity stealer that I see over and over in my work is this → a lack of self-worth.
There is no bigger drain on our creativity, our energy, our wellbeing than not believing we are good enough.
It just so happens that I have been coaching, studying and building a body of work around enoughness for years and it’s a huge part of my coaching program.
Listen to this SOULCAST episode now.
I’m a believer in Radical Wellbeing for CEOs, Founders and Entrepreneurs who are doing Brave Work.
Brave Work is often your soul’s work. It’s what you were meant to do. And, it can also be doing the work you do — just very differently.
Whatever your Brave Work is— maybe it’s just being more visible and taking up more space — or putting yourself at the center of the work you’ve been hiding behind for so long … you have to have the clarity, the capacity and the courage to do it.
That’s the foundation of My Brave Yes Coaching philosophy and model.
But today I want to focus on the capacity piece of my coaching work because so many of you reached out to say YES, CAPACITY. THAT’S WHERE I NEED TO INVEST RIGHT NOW. :)
LINK -- > 22 Ways to Boost Your Capacity and do Braver Work in 2022 https://shawnfink.com/22-ways-to-boost-your-capacity-and-do-braver-work-in-2022/
I want to talk about an essential part of my coaching philosophy today — the Catapult Method, which is a fun way of looking at the 3 Cs of Brave Yes CEO coaching and methodology.
Two episodes ago, I talked about the goal of my work with women founders and entrepreneurs is all about the A-Factor — that focuses on alignment, audacious self-worth and authenticity. If you haven’t, check out that episode.
And in the last episode I went deep on my own personal word of the year — untamed — and how I see it playing out in my business this year.
Today I’m going to be a bit more practical and talk about the 3Cs of a Brave Yes CEO. Plus a bonus C for fun.
Clarity
Capacity
Courage
When I began my first business in 2012 — 10 years ago — I definitely didn’t have the 3cs. But over time I learned they were essential and where I eventually began to put 80 percent of my investment and resources.
So let’s dive in.
I’ve been paying close attention to what my body wants me to know about my word of the year — untamed.
In today's SOULCAST episode, part sermon, part podcast, I'm sharing my heart on what it means for me to run my business -- and coach others to do the same -- with an untamed mindset.
Learn what I'm noticing about the business world, what I'm calling in for myself and my clients, and an invitation and challenge for you to take this further.
Sign up for a coaching discovery call with me here: https://shawnfink.com/soul-shine
Bolder Boundaries go beyond the what’s OK and what’s not OK part of your business and are designed to protect your Brave Yes CEO role. As the CEO you know what you need to do today and what you need to grow your business.
And yet the “today stuff” will take over.
Your bolder business boundaries are meant to prevent that or lessen that.
Today's episode will walk you through what bolder boundaries for yourself as the CEO will look like.
Get the workbook for the Bolder Business Boundaries Boost here: https://shawnfink.com/bolder-boundaries/
Understanding what you want more time, energy and money for is the first piece to the puzzle of setting bolder business boundaries.
These kind of stronger, bolder boundaries will give you the capacity to go after that big dream, goal or vision you have for your CEO life or business.
Now, let’s talk about what’s not working related to those beautiful things you identified as wanting more time, money or energy for.
Get the Bolder Business Boundaries Workbook here:https://shawnfink.com/bolder-boundaries/
The life of an entrepreneur, business owner and CEO is not what the movies make of it. It’s a lot messier than that.
Add to that if you are a mom entrepreneur with a family with chaos and uncertainty popping up all over the place, it can be a strain to move beyond survival mode in your business into thriving mode.
Survival Mode often means a total devotion to the neverending todo list that you have that is often prioritized by urgency.
And yet, it’s all urgent.
What happens under these conditions, though, is that you’re not doing the important work that will take your business ot the next level.
My hope with this challenge is to help you set Bolder Business Boundaries -- so that you are tending to the bigger picture of your business.
This episode is part of a week-long series called The Bolder Business Boundaries Boost. Get on the email list and download the workbook to help you work through this Boundaries Boost. https://shawnfink.com/bolder-boundaries/
As the CEO of your business, you are the Queen Bee of Your Own Boundary Ecosystem.
IF you have any big goals for yourself or new habits you want to start or fun things you want to do that are going to require some energy and resources, you’re going to want to develop some Bolder Business Boundaries.
This is the first of a series of podcasts to help you define the boundaries you need in your business -- and for yourself. Get the FREE workbook and emails that take you a little bit deeper here: https://shawnfink.com/bolder-boundaries/
Running a business shouldn’t feel like you are trapped.
Never.
I help my coaching clients dig out from that feeling of being trapped in their business — or industry — by co-creating a Brave Yes Business Blueprint that gives you a clear vision of how your want to show up as a CEO who is totally aligned with your soul’s goals.
This is essential to bringing your most authentic self into your work — through your marketing sales and offers — and to cultivate audacious self-worth by activating your highest superpowers.
I call this your A-Factor as a Brave Yes CEO.
Sign up for the Bolder Business Boundaries Boost here: https://shawnfink.com/bolder-boundaries/
PLEASE NOTE -- There is an important announcement in this episode of The Brave Yes Show that I need you to listen to if you've been a longtime follower.
Hey YOU! Happy Holidays to you.
I’ve been enjoying a very slow final two weeks of 2021 and I can’t tell you how needed it is. It’s been a year.
So I thought I’d share my own Year in Review – and a glance at the year ahead. As I write this, it’s a Friday and I’m at my co-working space downtown and I’m looking out the big wide windows at the quiet world. And at the same time, my teenagers went off to school under some mysterious warning of a possible school shooting.
It was courageous to send them to school. But honestly they didn’t even ask to stay home so I didn’t want to project my fears onto them.
But to give it to you real ... I'm changing the name -- and the content slightly -- of The Brave Yes Show.
On Jan. 3, the show will be rebranded to The Brave Yes CEO, a podcast for women identified CEOs. We'll explore what it means to lead authentically and bravely into our new world as entrepreneurs, changemakers and leaders.
Listen to the evolution of this change in this episode!
So here we go — My 2021 Year in Review
What’s ONE Brave Yes Intention you have for yourself, your life or your business — for 2022?
I’m hosting a very small and FREE workshop for a select few called Your Bravest Business Year Yet for any creative entrepreneur who wants to ring in 2022 with an intention of playing bigger. If this is you, please fill out the application form in the show notes. I’ll also be sharing my word of the year during this workshop.
Apply now for the FREE "Your Bravest Business Year Yet" workshop with me: https://forms.gle/7H6St3BvtE9jQKoV7
Are you a Brave Yes Entrepreneur? Sign up for my NEW newsletter to get notes in between podcast episodes. https://braveyes.substack.com/?r=8g7kg&utm_campaign=pub&utm_medium=web&utm_source=copy
TODAY's episode is for the entrepreneurs in our community because it's a big Brave Yes for sure.
I talk about starting a business as a courageous act AND how it requires so many Brave Yeses to keep it going.
Then I share 9 lessons learned from my own experience of being a full-time entrepreneur for the past almost 9 years.
Read the episode transcript post here:
Need a coach? An accountability partner on your own Brave Yes? Let's chat: https://shawnfink.com/soul-shine/
Today's episode is exploring scarcity and scarcity mindset -- what it is, what it isn't and the spiritual bypassing that has been created to solve it. AND, I share three gratitude prompts to help you heal feelings of scarcity so you can cultivate more positive emotions and fuel your own capacity to do the hard things.
Read the show notes here:
Start Your Brave Yes Discovery Deep Dive now ...https://shawnfink.com/discovery/
Work with me 1:1 -- I have a few spaces for private coaching for creatives, creators and entrepreneurs: https://shawnfink.com/soul-shine
Head over to the blog to read the show notes:
The world is burning and what are YOU here to do about it?
If that feels overwhelming, you're not alone.
I dive into this idea of leading more courageously by walking you through one powerful question to consider.
Get on the Brave Yes Newsletter here: https://shawnfink.com/brave-yes-newsletter/
Get the full show notes here: https://shawnfink.com/lead-more-courageously/
Please leave a review or share with a friend.
Read this post and the notes here: https://shawnfink.com/are-you-limited-by-your-own-capacity-on-being-an-overfunctioner-or-underfunctioner-leader-or-changemaker/
Let's chat about your Brave Yes Goals: https://shawnfink.com/soul-shine/
Read the WHOLE list of 10 Types of Courage here: https://shawnfink.com/want-to-be-braver/
Learn about the Brave Yes Discovery Deep Dive here: https://shawnfink.com/discovery/
Find the show notes for this episode here:
In my private Brave Yes Coaching, my beautiful clients — who are creators or changemakers — often talk about being frustrated that they can’t seem to make time for what matter, including their own well-being needs.
But, almost always the issue is never not enough time because almost always the urgency of life has taken hold and what matters most is shoved to the sidelines.
And almost always, we end up talking about your inner taskmaster.
We all have one.
Mine is fierce and related to her sister part of me — my inner critic.
But these two are separate parts that must be addressed meaningfully.
I'M BACK! Whew, listen to this podcast to hear about why I took such a long break AND to get some inspiration for your week.
I talk about my latest blog post as well: https://shawnfink.com/15-time-wasters-to-stop-doing/
Learn more about coaching with me here: https://shawnfink.com/soul-shine
Sign up for the Brave Yes Newsletter here: https://shawnfink.com/brave-yes-newsletter/
Languishing is a no-joy land. It’s a no-pleasure space.
And it’s also where so many women find themselves.
This is why I have been taking you deeper into the Politics of Languishing — to explain all the reasons why women have been languishing for years. We’re languishing because we’re stuck in a power system of overworking, perfectionism, being Good Girls and putting on a strong mask even when we’re totally burned out and exhausted.
Well, today I am diving into another political system we are trapped under and that is the — or sucking it up — that so many amazing, talented, star-powered women like you get stuck in stagnation and languishing rather than taking the risks — or, what I call Brave Yes Leaps — needed to show up more authentically and aligned in this unique journey of being human.
Sign up for the Brave Yes Newsletter here: https://shawnfink.com/brave-yes-newsletter/
What is Good Girl Syndrome and How Do You Know if You Suffer From It?
There is no doubt that from the time we are born, being a Good Girl is instilled in us. It’s in every conversation and every parenting guideline.
We move through the world teaching girls to be good. (Boys as well, but under a different set of oppressive Good Child expectations.)
This is a fine line in parenting but as you grow up and become an adult it’s easy to feel the Good Child conflict within and it may be showing up for you more and more as you get older and start to see how being The Good Girl is exhausting and driving your perfectionism stress.
Read this episode here: Sign up for the newsletter here: https://shawnfink.com/brave-yes-newsletter/ Resources mentioned in this episode: Overworking https://shawnfink.com/the-exhausting-politics-of-overworking-and-overdoing/ Perfectionism: https://shawnfink.com/destruction-of-perfectionism/
Jon the Brave Yes Newsletter list here: https://shawnfink.com/
Last week, I talked about the politics of overworking and overdoing as part of my series called The Politics of Languishing, a multi-article look into the reason women have been languishing between survival mode and thriving for years.
Now, I want to talk about overworking’s very close cousin — perfectionism.
Nearly every woman I talk to says, proudly, she’s a perfectionist.
That’s not surprising. Calling ourselves perfectionists has become a bit of a self-indulgent way to describe one’s self.
However, being a perfectionist can be dangerous and unhealthy.
But first, let’s dive into how we became so obsessed with perfectionism.
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Women are utterly exhausted. And, if what I believe is true — that women have been languishing for years — it’s worth it to dive into the political — small p political — traps that have led to the feeling that women cannot seem to do anything to get ahead. This series will go under the hood of the everyday political structures that my clients — and myself — have experienced that keep women feeling trapped and stuck in exhaustion and in being unable to make as much progress as they wish they could. The goal is to highlight some of these power structures and start to lean in to change them for yourself and for others.
KEY SUMMARY POINTS Work is in this article is defined as anything that is not pleasure or joy. Breaking down the many layered baggage of work ethic is often a part of the coaching work I do with my high achiever clients who lean toward perfectionism and people pleasing. The tethered relationship we have with technology has played a role in our overwork that leads to extreme exhaustion. Capitalism is another part of the power structure to which we feel tied to this constant state of work. Overworking is actually causing deaths. Surprising new studies show that people who work more than 54 hours a week are at serious risk of dying from overwork. Are you trapped in Toxic Productivity mode? This is a constant state of needing to improve yourself or your life and not ever feeling satiated by those attempts. 3 ways to fight back against overworking and toxic productivity. A fun yet powerful action to take TODAY to help bring ease to all.
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Are you languishing or flourishing?’
In a New York Times article by writer Adam Grant that went viral in April, we all nodded our heads at the fact that, yes, indeed we are languishing right now in the messy middle of this long, drawn out global pandemic.
Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton and author of books such as Originals and Give and Take as well as host of the TedX podcast WorkLife, wrote in this article that we are all languishing, which he defines as the following:
“Languishing is the neglected middle child of mental health. It’s the void between depression and flourishing — the absence of well-being. You don’t have symptoms of mental illness, but you’re not the picture of mental health either. You’re not functioning at full capacity. Languishing dulls your motivation, disrupts your ability to focus, and triples the odds that you’ll cut back on work. It appears to be more common than major depression — and in some ways it may be a bigger risk factor for mental illness.”
Like most, I felt a big YES when I read this … that is how I am feeling. I am not used to languishing. In fact, 2020 was my best year ever for many personal and professional reasons.
But 2021 has been less than thrilling for many reasons. At times it has felt exhausting and depressing.
Grant wrote in his article: “Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It feels as if you’re muddling through your days, looking at your life through a foggy windshield. And it might be the dominant emotion of 2021.”
So I resonated with his belief that we are languishing.
Until I got to thinking more about my own research for an upcoming project and sat with the idea … and then it occured to me.
Let's work together to help you build your #BraveYes path! https://shawnfink.com/soul-shine
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Ep. 23 -- Finding Absolute Sovereignty After Motherhood With Amelia Butler by Shawn Fink
We all hit burnout at different points in our lives and when that happens we tend to just take some downtime, try to regroup and then get back to our regularly scheduled lives.
This is a normal way of handling burnout.
But for this week’s guest on The Brave Yes Show a little downtime wasn’t going to be enough. Nor could she even imagine what that would look like.
And so her first Brave Yes — which was to leave her job as a therapist — led to her other Brave Yeses, which ultimately led her to turn her burnout story into a brand new coaching business.
Nicole’s story is much like my own big Brave Yes – leaving my 9-5 job in public policy and government and going out on my own to build a coaching business.
When the signs of burnout start to show up, it’s up to us to decide how to move through it.
As Nicole shares so clearly and honestly life just isn’t so linear as we wish it would be.
But unless we listen to ourselves, we’ll never actually live into our true purpose and passion, which denies our ability to shine authentically.
Before I encourage you to click play and listen … I want to first invite you to sign up for The Brave Yes Newsletter — a FREE weekly email that will encourage you and motivate you on your own Brave Yes Journey. If joining our community and becoming more involved is your thing, please subscribe below and you’ll receive a free gift from me — my 10 Brave Yes LIving Tips to start putting into action today. https://shawnfink.com/
Ep. 19 Weighing The Costs And Choosing Authenticity Anyway With Suzette Mullen by Shawn Fink
I'm feeling the good energy one feels after spending a positive, uplifting afternoon with other women. The spring retreat was yesterday and we really focused on exceptional well-being practices that would not only feel good but leave us lifted up and in a more optimal state emotionally and mentally.
It's not the same as being in person but it's oh so good.
One of the themes that came up a lot by the end of the retreat is the work that these women need to do around releasing fears.
And in coaching work, this is a big part of the work we do. It's necessary to release fears in order to move forward in our lives.
When we are standing up for ourselves, our beliefs, our dreams ... we are also putting ourselves out there. We are giving ourselves space to do something incredible, something novel.
In this episode, I'm talking about how we need to lean toward hope -- not fear - when we are making a change in our lives.
In today’s Brave Yes episode, using the 3 Brave Yes Voices interviews I’ve published so far, I am taking a little time to talk about this messy middle process that happens when we say yes to a Brave Yes, what we need to do to move through it and what we find on the other side.
Ready to get real about your own Brave Yes Journey? Let's chat. https://calendly.com/shawn-6/breakthrough
Ep. 14 Finding Courage To Leave an Oppressive Church With Mara Irvin Clements by Shawn Fink
Sign up for the Rise Stronger Challenge now ... https://shawnfink.com/challenge/
My guest today is Victoria Kageni-Woodard, a fashion designer and multi-passionate entrepreneur, who immigrated to the United States and ended up working in the white male dominated construction industry where she spent her days downplaying her beauty and radiance.
Her Brave Yes was leaving that industry to start her own business.
But really it was returning home to herself.
Victoria grew up in Kenya and is a wife, mother of 4 and fashion designer. When she moved to the US she began working in the construction business where she was able to cultivate a spirit of unity and maintain her integrity in a white male dominated industry. She is now the creative force behind Gusa by Victoria, a women’s clothing line that infuses her African heritage into working women clothing. She is also the mother of a child on the autism spectrum which has propelled her in all that she does in her life.
It’s not easy to be yourself when it seems like everyone — even your mother — wants you to be someone else.
And, it’s not easy to communicate your needs. So … When we make the Brave Yes™ decision to do just that, we are stepping more fully into being our authentic selves — and living our truth — AND we are creating an energy of courage.
But that doesn’t mean that it’s not scary, or that it is easy to do — or that it’s done lightly without thought or effort. Not at all.
Today, my Brave Yes Show guest did just that — with her mother.
This episode is the first in a series called Brave Yes Voices. Over the next 10 weeks or so, I’ll be sharing different Brave Yes stories with you to highlight just SOME of the ways you can make a Brave Yes Leap yourself in order to be more fully you and to live in pure soul alignment.
My first guest is sharing her Brave Yes story about how she has learned to walk the brave middle path with her mother … both accepting herself (and not running away) and as a result being able to experience her mother differently so they can stay in relationship.
Karen C.L. Anderson is a master-certified life coach and author who has helped hundreds of smart, creative women use the difficult relationships they have with their mothers as a catalyst for growth.
Sign up for the Rise Stronger in 2021 Challenge here: https://shawnfink.com/challenge/
Your strengths are your superpowers.
Your strengths are what will carry you through these hard times.
Your strengths are what have already carried you through.
So why do you focus so much on your weaknesses?
In today's episode, I'm sharing a bit more of the first lesson in the Rise Stronger Challenge that many of you have gone through already this year.
Today, I'm focusing on the power of getting to know yourself — and the secret of being YOU.
Get on my email list and start the Rise Stronger in 2021 Challenge -- the free version closes on Feb. 1.
Sign up for the Rise Stronger in 2021 7-Day Challenge Now: https://shawnfink.com/challenge/
You get one life. You get this one precious life to do something amazing. To live in pure soul alignment. To lead with joy.
Or to make an impact.
And yet ... perhaps you are just dialing it all in right now and laying low. Hiding in your comfort zone. Hiding from all the hard things of the world.
If you're going to change this world you are going to have to be on the frontlines. You have to roll up your sleeves and get to it.
One of my favorite RAVES that I get from my clients is how I helped them get back to themselves again. This is often done through journaling.
But it can be through any medium, honestly.
How You Return to yourself isn't the point ... so long as you do.
So many women feel lost, as if they are just going through the motions of their life.
If this is you, this latest Brave Yes episode is for you.
Far too many women are walking around in this world not knowing themselves having spent too many years focused on tending to others and making sure other people shine and thrive. Like your kids. Like your co-workers and boss. Like your partner. Like your friends or family members.
Well, when is it your time to shine?
And that's what this show is about today. Giving you the permission to dive into your own "innerhood" to figure out what lights you up, what sets you on fire and what gives you purpose and meaning.
This is the BEST time to Connect with YOURSELF.
This is the time to learn how to become your own BFF.
This is your chance to focus on mothering yourself in the most rich, nourishing possible way.
As a coach who often helps women re-create their careers and find their bold, authentic life path, I find this inner work to be the most powerful work women can for for themselves.
And yet I do realize many are afraid to look under the surface of themselves too much.
But it can be fun! I promise.
So I thought it would be fun to share with you some 5 ways you can Unearth Your Passion in a Quiet Pandemic Winter.
I think this time of the year is always perfect for this kind of inner work.
But especially so right now during this crisis where thriving in place is the goal.
If you are interested in learning more about yourself and your strengths, I invite you to join my Rise Stronger in 2021 Challenge. It's designed to give you 6 science-backed tools to bring you greater well-being and resilience. Each day for 7 days, you will receive an email from me with a new element to explore and sink into in your real life. I hope each element will inspire you to do things a little differently so you can be stronger for whatever you choose to do in 2021 or whatever comes your way. Sign up now. https://shawnfink.com/challenge/
Are you ready for the New Year?
What is the New Year calling from you?
Resolutions. Intentions. Wishes. Promises. That all sounds good this time of the year when we are desperate for a fresh start, especially a fresh start after the most ridiculous, challenging year any of us can remember.
But here's the thing. Unless you address the underlying foundation of your own wellness, any goals you set are going to feel like just one more thing to do.
So, this episode is dedicated to the permission slip to focus on rising stronger so you have the energy and the stamina to handle anything.
Sign up for the Rise Stronger 7-Day Challenge here: https://shawnfink.com/challenge/
Sign up now for my Rise Stronger in 2021 Free 7-Day Challenge https://shawnfink.com/challenge
I spend a lot of time talking to my clients — and my teenage daughters — about how to avoid making mistakes. But the truth is that we learn so much better from our mistakes than we do from our successes.
In this imperfect year of 2020 I thought it would be fun to lead you through a few questions and my share my own stories of MY mistakes in 2020 and the celebrations behind each and every one of them.
Oh, and a, bonus ... I'll throw in a prompt at the end to help you celebrate your wins as well. Because we're all about honoring it ALL around here.
Sign up for my Rise Stronger in 2021 7-Day Challenge now. In this challenge, I will walk you through the 6 Well-Being Strategies for Being Stronger and Calmer in your life so you can handle all the hard things to come. Let's face it, the hard stuff doesn't go away. It just changes. Being human is hard. Period.
The Rise Stronger in 2021 is ideal if you're feeling a bit like you are spiraling into a negative, downward spiral of resentment and anger and frustration with those you love and work with. https://shawnfink.com/challenge
For the longest time I was operating compartmentalized. All the parts of me were scattered about. There was the me as a working mom. There was the me as a thriving business owner. There was the me as a dreamer. There was the me as a social justice activist and anti-racist. There then there is this: the highly open-minded spiritual me.
Then one day this year, I decided I needed to bring all the parts of me together into one whole.
The best place to start the journey to your own wholeness is to tend to ALL the parts of you. My whole wellness inventory toolkit is the perfect way to do this. You can text the word stronger to 55444 to sign up for that to be delivered to your inbox right now. Or, use this link: https://shawnfink.com/toolkit/
When we give ourselves permission to start the journey to wholeness an exciting new world opens up for us. We are given the gift of adventure into who we are and what brings us joy — so that we can make a bigger impact in the world. My well-being inventory is just one way to start this journey. You can find lots of self-discovery tools all over the Internet and in many books. But I prefer to just start taking action. Baby steps into finding your wholeness begins with you choosing to say a brave yes. Again, if you want to assess all the parts of your well-being, text the word stronger to 55444 and you'll get the well-being inventory sent to your inbox just like magic. Kind of. Have a beautiful week.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results.
So why then ... are we such creatures of habit?
In this episode, I'm exploring a struggle that many of my clients have around starting new habits and breaking old ones.
I'm also sharing my own story of shaking things up and why I felt I needed to do something pretty crazy in 2020 like changing my coaching business name.
This story is personal AND explains the concept behind The Brave Yes name as well.
In my upcoming Soulfully Aligned Virtual Retreat coming up this week you will have the opportunity to learn powerful new ways to shake things up in your life for the winter — and 2021.
Your retreat registration begins with a 20+ page workbook to use before, during and after our time together — encouraging you with the reminders you need to breathe and to push through your beautiful life.
During the retreat I will give you an excuse to put your life on pause to breathe and I will give you the inspiration and wisdom to dig deep for the push you need to keep going and keep showing up for yourself.
A link for the retreat is in the show notes or find it at ShawnFink.com/soul-aligned
There seem to be two schools of thought right now.
The camp that says that right now during this pandemic is when you should be PUSHING yourself to be amazing and doing amazing things.
Or, there's the camp that says this time is hard, give yourself a break and sit on the couch and forgive yourself for doing absolutely nothing with yourself.
Well, I am in the third camp ... Camp Middle Ground.
In this episode of The Brave Yes, I'm sharing a bit about finding balance between being an over-achiever and a total slacker.
This is about finding that place between over-performing and under-performing.
Contact me to set up a FREE Rise Stronger Workshop for your frontline or essential worker team. https://shawnfink.com/rise-strong/
Learn more about my upcoming Soulfully Aligned Virtual Retreat on Dec. 13 here: https://shawnfink.com/soul-aligned/
Read the blog post for this show here: https://shawnfink.com/thrive-in-place/
We simply aren't meant to run full steam 24/7. Not even 12 of the 24 hours. So why are women thinking they need to? Today we're going to explore one of my favorite coaching concepts ... honoring the time to push and the time to breathe.
Sign up for the upcoming Soulfully Aligned Retreat here: https://shawnfink.com/soul-aligned/
BOOK RECOMMENDATION: See No Stranger by Valarie Kaur (amazon link) https://amzn.to/336irdK
In my upcoming Soulfully Aligned Virtual Retreat on Dec. 13 we will be doing a lot of breathing AND pushing. I want to set you up to feel replenished and uplifted SO that you have the energy and motivation to keep going, to keep pushing.
The retreat begins with a 20+ page workbook to use before, during and after our time together — encouraging you with the reminders you need to breathe and to push through your beautiful life.
During the retreat I will give you an excuse to put your life on pause to breathe and I will give you the inspiration and wisdom to dig deep for the push you need to keep going and keep showing up for yourself.
A link for the retreat is in the show notes or find it at ShawnFink.com/soul-aligned
Hello! Welcome to the first episode of The Brave Yes. I am so thrilled you are here, listening.
The Brave Yes is going to be a journey through the many inner revolutions -- the many Brave Yeses -- you need to experience as you move into being more fully YOU.
Today, I'm sharing the first episode in my 2020 series -- called Permission.
Learn more about my Soulfully Aligned Winter Retreat here: https://shawnfink.com/soul-aligned/
Dear Ones -- It is with GREAT excitement that I get to tell you today about a new beginning that is unfolding for me and my work. I am so excited to bring you along with me on this new journey.
Today's episode goes right along with the work that I've been leaning toward over the past year -- helping YOU be YOU.
And with that ... sometimes it means choosing courage over comfort.
I'll be sharing so much more about this but know and trust that my goal has always been and will always remain the same here -- to help YOU shine in this world.
Read the blog post here as well.
Every year that our children get older, a little more mature and a whole lot more independent becomes an opportunity for us, as mothers, to go deeper into who we really are as women.
Motherhood changed me inside out. And, for the better for sure. I love who I am now.
But figuring it all out wasn’t easy.
I am hardly the same woman I used to be before children.
It’s so easy to get lost in the motherlode of raising children who need so much from us at any given moment.
But you can climb your way back out with time, space and attention to yourself.
The reality is that getting to know ourselves while raising children takes intentional work. It takes time and space. It takes creative action and progress.
And when we slow down and find connection to ourselves in the life we have, we open up an amazing amount of space in our life and minds for self-discovery, which helps us find our happy place in this life that all-too-often puts ourselves last.
When we finally make time for what understanding what makes us happy, we’re calmer and more patient mothers and our whole family benefits.
We all need to know how to stand out in the land of motherhood rather than get totally overwhelmed by it.
Listen to this episode for my 3 strategies you need to find yourself in the midst of the rubble of motherhood and 2020.
Does private coaching appeal to you? Learn more or book a FREE coaching discovery call here: https://shawnfink.com/soul-shine