Becoming Your Best | The Principles of Highly Successful Leaders

The cultural changes we've seen in recent years might make us think that 21st-century etiquette is utterly different than the 20th century’s. Yet the only difference is that when Gen Xers and Baby Boomers were growing up, it was okay to ignore or even ridicule certain groups of people. Etiquette remains the same; what has changed is the acknowledgment and recognition of those whom society used to push to the margins.And at the center of this revolution, just like every human revolution, is language.In this episode, Dr. Suzanne Wertheim joins us to share her expertise in inclusive language and its impact on both personal and professional relationships, how to learn it, use it properly, and correct ourselves when making mistakes. Suzanne Wertheim is a Keynote Speaker, Workshop leader, Anti-bias Consultant, CEO of Worthwhile Research & Consulting, and the Author of "The Inclusive Language Field Guide." She specialized in her Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley, in theories of language endangerment, sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology, and post-Soviet studies.Throughout our conversation, you'll hear Dr. Suzanne's thoughts on inclusive language and pronoun presentation at the workplace, proper use of language in highly productive environments, and language bias and how it affects communication. You'll also hear about Dr. Suzanne's book and why she decided to write it, why she states that words can cost tons of money, how to address people according to their gender identity, and much more.Tune in to Episode 407 and learn more about the massive difference little words can make in someone's life.Some Questions I Ask:What are the biggest minefields or things that should be more inclusive that you see might trip people up? (7:50)Why are people putting their pronouns next to their names in their bios, and what's the benefit of it? (17:20)In This Episode, You Will Learn:Dr. Suzanne talks about the moment she realized the importance of inclusive language (3:50)Language is the most complicated skill (10:40)How do we repair things when we make an inappropriate use of language (21:00)Dr. Suzanne talks about the link between inclusive language and productivity (23:20)Connect with Dr. Suzanne:WebsiteLinkedInGet Dr. Suzanne's book, "The Inclusive Language Field Guide"Becoming Your Best Resources:Becoming Your Best WebsiteBecoming Your Best LibraryBook: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful LeadersBook: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your PerformanceFacebook Group – Conquer Anxiety

Executive coaching is about being courageous enough to raise and have tough conversations, show vulnerability to your coachees, and make it clear that as a coach, you come from humility, kind directness, and a learning mindset.To our guest, Antonia Bowring, excellence in leading leaders has more to do with internal work than accumulating qualifications, or, in her words, it requires more "mesearch" than research.In this episode, Antonia Bowring joins us to talk about transformational coaching, leadership, and personal and professional growth. Antonia is a Highly Credentialed Consultant, elected Top NY Coach in 2021, Strategic Facilitator, Sought-after Speaker, and Author of "Coach Yourself! Increase Awareness, Change Behaviors, and Thrive."Throughout our conversation, you'll hear Antonia's thoughts on executive coaching as a two-way learning experience, what inspired her to write her book, the C.O.I.N. framework, and her work supporting leaders with A.D.H.D. You'll also hear about self-coaching, the importance of conducting tons of "mesearch" to become a great leader, and much more.Tune in to Episode 406 of and learn how to coach yourself up, and improve your leadership and management skills.  Some Questions I Ask: Please tell us about your book, Antonia. How did it come about? Why did you write it? (5:00)What is C.O.I.N.? What's its purpose? How is it helpful to a person or a team? (13:20)In This Episode, You Will Learn:About Antonia's background and her first steps in coaching (3:30)Antonia talks about her real mission as a coach (7:40)Can someone coach themselves (18:50)Why do leading leaders require tons of "mesearch" (22:20)Antonia's final words of wisdom (27:10) Resources: Book: Antonia Bowring - Coach Yourself! Increase Awareness, Change Behaviors, and ThriveConnect with Antonia: Website LinkedIn Instagram TikTok  Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best Website Becoming Your Best University Website Becoming Your Best LibraryEmail: support@becomingyourbest.comBook: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your PerformanceFacebook Group – Conquer Anxiety

There are two ways of looking at the pain of doing something hard; you either see it as a cave that you get into and laid down in a fetal position in the darkness, coming out the same entrance you got in, or as a tunnel, a transformative journey that sees your evolution as you get out of it on the other end a changed person, a victor.   In this episode, you'll get inspired by the extraordinary Rebecca Rusch, Adventure Athlete, World Champion, two-time Hall of Fame Inductee, Speaker, Best-selling Author, and Emmy Award Winner. Among the many accolades of "The Queen of Pain," Rebecca is a 7x world champion in the ultra-adventure/endurance MTB (Mountain Bike), was recognized by Outside Magazine among the Top 40 Women Who've Made the Biggest Impact, set the FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the Arkansas High Country Route, clocking 1,041 miles in 8 straight days of pedaling 12-15 hours per day, wrote "Rusch to Glory: Adventure, Risk & Triumph on the Path Less Traveled," and got an Emmy Award for her film Blood Road, which documents her pedaling of the 1,200-mile Ho Chi Minh trail in search of the crash site that claimed my father's life in the Vietnam War.   Throughout our conversation, you'll hear Rebecca's thoughts on how aiming for peak performance in physical activities motivates us to find our best version in other areas of our lives and how being a high-performance athlete impacted her leadership abilities. We also talk about her nickname, "The Queen of Pain," her unique view of pain's transformational power, her funniest experiences on the bike, the Be Good Foundation, and much more.   Tune in to Episode 405 and get the inspiration you need to, regardless of the mountain you're about to climb, just take the first step.   Some Questions I Ask: As a world-class, ultra-endurance athlete, what have you learned in all your outdoor endeavors around the world? (7:30) How have you navigated your career in sports and leadership? How do you combine those all to balance essential areas in your life? (16:00)  In This Episode, You Will Learn: A bit about Rebecca's background and accolades (3:00) Rebecca's realization she was training for life, not only the competitions (8:20) Rebecca explains her nickname's meaning (11:00) 4 simple steps to live like a high-performing athlete (19:20) Rebecca talks about the funniest experiences she had as an ultra-endurance athlete (21:10) Connect with Rebecca: Website LinkedIn Instagram Twitter YouTube FacebookBook: Rusch to Glory: Adventure, Risk & Triumph on the Path Less Traveled  Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best Website

Understanding their values and living in unity with them is one of the smartest moves a leader can make. That will help them identify those values in others with ease and get clarity on why they do what they do.   Leading groups of like-minded people who share core values create the perfect environment for every leader to stay motivated and ask themselves the same question: what does my best look like? In this episode, I'm joined by the Executive Coach, Speaker, Author, and Leadership Development Expert, Debbie Collard, to talk about excellence in leadership, personal growth, and self-awareness. The oldest of five children born in rural poverty, Debbie had to figure out her path to getting a college education since her parents couldn't afford to pay for it. She figured a military career would open a few doors, so she joined the Air Force. Fast forward many years, Debbie built an astonishing leadership career at Boeing for over 30 years, and after "graduating" from it (retirement), she knew she had more to give, so she started Season Leadership alongside her partner, Susan Ireland.Throughout this episode, you'll hear about Debbie's fantastic story of resilience, personal growth, and almost obsessive pursuit of excellence throughout her professional life. Debbie shares her thoughts on what becoming her best version means, how accepting jobs no one wanted to take helped her, and what kept her motivated to constantly improve herself throughout her career. Additionally, you'll learn how to achieve excellence in leadership, Debbie's top leadership tips, what inspired her to write her book "The Making of a World-Class Organization," and much more.Tune in to Episode 404 and learn how to reach excellence in leadership and transform yours into a world-class organization.   Some Questions I Ask: Please tell us, what does becoming your best look like to you? (5:00) What are some of the most important things that make a world-class organization? (13:30)  In This Episode, You Will Learn: A bit about Debbie's upbringing and background (3:20) Challenges are opportunities to shine (8:20) How to reach excellence in leadership (18:00) Two things every leader should focus on (20:50)  Resources: Book: Debbie Collard, David Spong - The Making of a World-Class Organization  Connect with Debbie: Website LinkedIn  Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best WebsiteBecoming Your Best LibraryBook: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance

Caring for our health becomes much easier when we make it an enjoyable, non-restrictive, conscious choice; it's about romanticizing our lives. It's understanding that health is a lot more than the absence of disease; it's who we surround ourselves with, the quality of the thoughts we ruminate on, the food we choose to eat, and the time we schedule for rest and recreation.   This week, the inspiring Renée Marie Joyal joins us to share her unique approach to physical and mental health, wellness, and nutrition. Renée is a Keynote Speaker, Coach, and the Author of the Amazon #1 Best-seller, "Live Beautiful: A Compassionate, Balanced Guide to Everyday Wellness & Well-being." Two near-death experiences marked Renée's life: a life-threatening illness in early adolescence and a drunk-driving accident in her mid-20s. The radical change Renée created in her life as an answer to her autoimmune disease brought her health back and prepared her mentally and physically to recover from the accident.   Throughout this episode, you'll hear Renée's inspiring story of resilience, self-love, and commitment to making her body a temple of health where her mind can rest and expand. We talk about the health issues that put her on her knees and the adjustments she made in her diet, daily routines, and thought processing to reach peak health.   Additionally, Renée talks about her book and what inspired her to write it, and she shares dozens of tips to improve mental and physical health, change eating habits, and more.   Tune in to Episode 403 and let Renée show you the path to living a beautiful life and enjoying your best physical, mental, and emotional health.   Some Questions I Ask: What's your passion in life? What are the things that really get you excited? (9:00) What are some of the things that people can do to create optimal health and happiness? (20:30)  In This Episode, You Will Learn: About Renée's two near-death experiences (3:00) What inspired Renée to write her book (12:10) Why creating sustainability is crucial for improving your health (22:20) Don't do everything at once. Focus on improving 1% every day (28:30)  Connect with Renée: Website InstagramBook: Live Beautiful: A Compassionate, Balanced Guide to Everyday Wellness & Well-Being  Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best WebsiteBecoming Your Best LibraryBook: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety 

Statistics show that one in two veterans struggle to rejoin civilian life. Some fight silent battles against anxiety, depression, or PTSD; others don't even realize or admit they are struggling. For all of them, there are resources, answers, thousands of ears willing to listen, and hundreds of hands ready to help. It's our job to clear the path and spread the voice so this help can get to those who need it. Today, Bob Taylor joins us to raise awareness of veterans' mental health, spread an optimistic message for those transitioning from military to civilian life, and explain his service to success formula. Bob is the CEO and Founder of Alliant Healthcare and the Author of "From Service To Success: New Mission, New Purpose, and a New Journey to a Great Life." He served in the US Air Force for 21 years as a B-52 navigator, KC-135 navigator, and an Air Force Academy liaison officer. Bob's civilian life after service turned quite bumpy after a few years, which led him to develop mental health issues and deprived him and his family of his best version for almost 16 years. In understanding his struggle was the struggle of thousands of veterans, Bob found a new meaning and purpose for his life. Throughout this episode, you'll learn about Bob's inspiring story, the issues he had to deal with, and how he repurposed them into a whole new meaning in his life. You'll also hear about why Bob decided to join the Air Force, the values he learned there that helped him develop as an inspirational leader, the six years of research that birthed his book, his thoughts on the power of gratitude, and more. Tune in to Episode 402 and learn how to stretch a helping hand for those who put their lives on the line for the rest of us.   Some Questions I Ask: Can you share your experiences navigating the gigantic B-52? (5:50) What are your findings as the primary reasons veterans struggle to transition to civilian life? (16:40)  In This Episode, You Will Learn: Bob talks about what inspired him to write his book (9:20) Why finding your passion outside the military life can literally save lives (19:00) Bob talks about the importance of finding hobbies (22:50) Why having a clear vision is crucial to live your best life (26:00) It is darkest before it is lightest (29:20) Connect with Bob: WebsiteLinkedInBook: From Service To Success Becoming Your Best Resources: Becoming Your Best WebsiteBecoming Your Best LibraryBook: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders