Full Transcript for Nurturing Talent and Fostering Innovation with Lisa Bechtold (Meet My Boss - Leadership Series)

00:04:18.742 We also help them with other scholarships, and then we hope that they will get in and come out debt-free and be able to get a great job and break that cycle, something that you couldn't Google. 00:04:18.762 --> 00:04:20.449 Well, I actually started. 00:04:20.449 --> 00:04:27.370 I was a criminology major, so I had a fascination with the FBI and profiling, and so I thought that's what I wanted to do. 00:04:27.370 --> 00:04:44.685 And I ended up interning at a juvenile detention center in Alachua County and met young girls who were so smart and yet, you know, locked up, and I remember talking to a few of them and just thinking, gosh, they're so smart and how do we prevent this? 00:04:44.685 --> 00:05:00.031 So then I went on a journey to try to prevent that from happening and worked for a community foundation and then found my way to take stock and not that any of these students are on their way to jail, but just giving some opportunities where there is an opportunity. 00:05:00.031 --> 00:05:04.266 But I definitely I still watch my FBI profiler Mindhunter. 00:05:04.807 --> 00:05:06.752 I love all the crazy. 00:05:07.033 --> 00:05:10.723 yeah, I've got a little split personality when it comes to what I like. 00:05:11.406 --> 00:05:17.588 Well, you're not the only one, because I always say on Netflix, they're like the top rated shows or podcasts. 00:05:17.588 --> 00:05:19.600 Everyone has a little bit of a crime junkie in them. 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:20.702 I love it. 00:05:20.702 --> 00:05:24.713 Yes, totally, and I don't actually know if I know this when you first started. 00:05:24.713 --> 00:05:29.492 So, by the way, everyone I worked for Lisa at Take Stock and Children of Sarasota County. 00:05:29.492 --> 00:05:33.045 You are still there, yes, and I was working for you in 2011. 00:05:33.045 --> 00:05:36.170 When did you start working at Take Stock? 00:05:36.851 --> 00:05:39.155 I've been there 24 years Wow. 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:41.807 Was your first role there as an ED. 00:05:42.509 --> 00:05:42.670 No. 00:05:42.670 --> 00:06:02.389 So I started as a program coordinator, actually for the Umbrella organization, so I was doing some programs and then we inherited Take Stock that same time, so I was kind of straddling and doing both and the other program ended up doing something different and so we ended up in 2002 making Take Stock of the first standalone 501c3 in the state of Florida. 00:06:02.389 --> 00:06:32.608 My late husband and his best friend were my two biggest supporters and really the people that they helped set that foundation in 2002 are still supporting us, are still on our board, are still mentoring, and so you know you've set an amazing foundation when, 22 years later, these people are still part of that organization and I think, just bringing in the community and understanding how important it is and I look at it as a family so you become part of our. 00:06:32.608 --> 00:06:34.352 Well, you know you can never leave. 00:06:36.221 --> 00:06:42.386 You can, but you're still part of our family Absolutely All the time, and actually let's jump into that real quick. 00:06:42.386 --> 00:06:44.067 So this conversation is about leadership. 00:06:44.067 --> 00:06:54.632 I think you are an exceptional leader and so we'll dive through a lot of questions in regards to that Hiring, finding the right team and supporting them. 00:06:54.632 --> 00:07:02.427 So, listener, if you have been to one of my keynotes, you've often heard me talk about my story of finding my way to meeting with Lisa. 00:07:02.427 --> 00:07:07.329 But, lisa, it's always more interesting to hear your perspective of the side of the story. 00:07:07.329 --> 00:07:09.035 I'll set people up. 00:07:09.798 --> 00:07:28.194 I had graduated from UCF in 2010 and was really kind of struggling to find a job and then, in the spring of 2011, I ended up meeting Lisa because a mentor there was a mentor for the program, saul, that was at Booker High School, which was my alumni high school. 00:07:28.194 --> 00:07:37.788 I was sitting there talking to this amazing man, lem Andrews, who is our college guidance counselor, and I was just frustrated and basically Saul was like Lisa's really connected. 00:07:37.788 --> 00:07:38.751 I think you should talk to Lisa. 00:07:38.751 --> 00:07:48.420 And at the time I was like trying to move to New York City right away and go work in sports, and I was like why is no one hiring me, let alone I'm 22 with no experience? 00:07:48.420 --> 00:07:49.802 And so he's like why don't you meet? 00:07:49.802 --> 00:07:53.807 Lisa and I was like you know what I will, so we met at first watch. 00:07:53.807 --> 00:07:55.390 But then I even want to like hear from your side. 00:07:55.390 --> 00:07:56.932 You're obviously so busy already. 00:07:56.932 --> 00:07:58.473 Why did you say yes in the first place? 00:07:59.134 --> 00:08:00.196 Well, first of all, I trust Saul. 00:08:00.196 --> 00:08:05.329 So when you have Saul and you have Lem Andrews, tell you that they believe in somebody and they, you know. 00:08:05.329 --> 00:08:06.552 So you already had a leg up. 00:08:06.552 --> 00:08:09.169 Those guys were great in my, in my orbit. 00:08:09.169 --> 00:08:11.328 But when I met you, I'm an energy person. 00:08:11.328 --> 00:08:19.581 You had so much energy and I remember it. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:21.285 You know it's so easy to forget being young. 00:08:21.285 --> 00:08:25.617 You know you're so focused on moving forward and what I saw in you was I had somebody give me a chance. 00:08:25.617 --> 00:08:27.283 You started these jobs. 00:08:27.283 --> 00:08:28.770 It's like why am I doing this job? 00:08:28.770 --> 00:08:31.502 Because I have this degree and I should be doing all these other things. 00:08:31.502 --> 00:08:33.730 You have to get your foot in the door and it's not really what you know. 00:08:33.730 --> 00:08:44.120 It's who you know. 00:08:44.120 --> 00:08:44.442 You know your. 00:08:44.442

--> 00:08:45.866 What you know comes in later, but it's the who you know. 00:08:45.886 --> 00:08:46.490 Your energy was unbelievable. 00:08:46.490 --> 00:08:48.596 You had so much to offer and you had a niche that we were lacking, and that was that communications. 00:08:48.596 --> 00:08:50.141 We had been the best kept secret. 00:08:50.141 --> 00:08:50.725 So think about that. 00:08:50.725 --> 00:08:51.869 That was 2011. 00:08:51.869 --> 00:08:54.076 Yeah, and we were still a secret. 00:08:54.317 --> 00:09:17.290 People didn't know who we were because we were so far down in the trenches doing the work that we forgot to stand up and say, hey, this is what we're doing, and so you really started that for us and your energy, your background, you're from here you went to Booker I mean you just had so I remember going back and saying I know we don't have the money for this, but we're finding it because she needs an opportunity. 00:09:17.290 --> 00:09:22.245 And I put myself in your shoes and I remember what that was like to have that I knew I was going to lose you. 00:09:22.245 --> 00:09:25.285 So that was the thing I had to say to myself. 00:09:25.285 --> 00:09:30.307 Was she's not going to stay, but use her for what you can use her for while she's here. 00:09:30.307 --> 00:09:38.120 And, honestly, you are what set us to that next level, so that people started going take stock. 00:09:38.120 --> 00:09:39.066 I think I've heard of that. 00:09:39.539 --> 00:09:40.706 I think I know who they are. 00:09:40.706 --> 00:09:42.324 I mean, we still talk about you. 00:09:42.324 --> 00:09:47.729 You know you think about almost 2025 and my entire team knows who you are. 00:09:47.729 --> 00:09:56.722 So you made such an impact in such a short time with us and we've been able to carry that on and grow that and things. 00:09:56.722 --> 00:10:03.549 You said Twitter I'd never heard of a tweet and a Twitter and a whatever and kids, but they weren't using social media or anything. 00:10:03.549 --> 00:10:13.342 So, yeah, you really put us on the map and for me to, we have to be listening not only to the same things we've been, but to young people. 00:10:13.342 --> 00:10:16.900 That's who I'm working with, so we have to be able to speak their language. 00:10:16.900 --> 00:10:28.341 You know, their language isn't always the language we talk or we know, and so you brought that to it as well is, how do we really engage and get people young people to see the importance of being part of this program? 00:10:28.942 --> 00:10:31.490 Yeah, thank you, that is so meaningful. 00:10:31.529 --> 00:10:31.810 And it's. 00:10:32.331 --> 00:10:40.110 I mean, there are so many things about you as leader that you were just down for some of my like wild ideas. 00:10:40.110 --> 00:10:41.291 A flash mob. 00:10:41.291 --> 00:10:50.712 A flash mob and even from the sense of like saying, yes, we're going to invest in this marketing comms role, which I know sometimes is a struggle for a lot of other organizations that might be listening. 00:10:50.752 --> 00:10:51.493 It's always on the background. 00:10:52.134 --> 00:10:56.889 Yeah, what made you finally like make the switch to say you know what we're going to do it now? 00:10:56.889 --> 00:10:56.988 Yeah. 00:11:22.929 --> 00:11:24.931 Yeah, well, again, you can hear you're the best kept secret so many times and I don't have that. 00:11:24.931 --> 00:11:25.712 It's not my lane and what I've learned. 00:11:25.712 --> 00:11:26.834 You can say I'm a great leader and I appreciate that. 00:11:26.834 --> 00:11:27.675 What I'm good at is hiring great people. 00:11:27.675 --> 00:11:29.677 My best quality is knowing who needs to be doing what, and we knew we were lacking in that area. 00:11:29.697 --> 00:11:33.862 But if it's not your lane, you don't know what you don't know, and so when you came in, you started talking about things that didn't make sense to me, and so it's like we need to know this. 00:11:33.862 --> 00:11:34.062 We're not. 00:11:34.062 --> 00:11:35.164 I don't even understand what she's talking about. 00:11:35.164 --> 00:11:36.646 Like I needed a manual for some of the things you were prescribing. 00:11:36.646 --> 00:11:39.569 So I think, just knowing that this is something we don't know, we need to bring that in, and we can't grow if nobody knows who we are Right. 00:11:39.569 --> 00:11:47.510 We're doing great work for the people who know us doing great work, but if you think about when you were there, we probably had around we have a hundred kids maybe. 00:11:47.510 --> 00:11:49.193 Yeah, that sounds about right. 00:11:49.193 --> 00:11:53.322 We have 500 in college and 412 right now in our program. 00:11:53.729 --> 00:11:56.313 That blows my mind. 00:11:56.814 --> 00:11:58.336 But it takes. 00:11:58.336 --> 00:11:59.698 People have to know who you are. 00:11:59.698 --> 00:12:04.805 You know, and again we just it wasn't our lane, and so you, you don't even know how to hire. 00:12:04.805 --> 00:12:07.370 Who you are, you know, and again we just it wasn't our lane, and so you don't even know how to hire that. 00:12:07.370 --> 00:12:10.392 I wouldn't know how to go out and hire for that until you came along and said let me tell you what I can do for you. 00:12:11.189 --> 00:12:17.352 You know, and again, it's the energy, it's the personality you know, and you were telling me things and I'm like, oh my gosh, I don't know what that is. 00:12:17.352 --> 00:12:18.914 So we probably need to figure it out. 00:12:19.414 --> 00:12:24.199 Yeah, so good For a leader that might be sitting in your shoes. 00:12:24.199 --> 00:12:36.677 How do you keep your team and your board you're also great with your board motivated and aligned with the mission when times might feel uncertain or there might be limited resources. 00:12:37.570 --> 00:12:38.120 The stories. 00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:41.438 You know, these are real human beings and stories. 00:12:41.438 --> 00:12:43.096 And you know, I think,

when sometimes you, you know, I was a human beings and stories. 00:12:43.096 --> 00:12:54.002 And you know, I think, when sometimes you, you know, I was a college success coach, I was a mentor coordinator, I did do the finances, you know, I think any job, I think you should have to do some of the the latter work. 00:12:54.002 --> 00:12:56.475 You know, I think a great doctor would have been a nurse before. 00:12:56.475 --> 00:13:01.745 So I think, having had that background where I've done a lot of the other jobs, there's an appreciation for what they're doing. 00:13:01.745 --> 00:13:03.349 So I think, having had that background where I've done a lot of the other jobs, there's an appreciation for what they're doing. 00:13:03.349 --> 00:13:07.852 So I think that's part of it is the empathy and the understanding and the compassion for their job. 00:13:07.852 --> 00:13:12.842 But I also think that this is real life and it's real story. 00:13:12.882 --> 00:13:15.830 So we, we have a once a month team meeting. 00:13:15.830 --> 00:13:16.511 That's in person. 00:13:16.511 --> 00:13:19.653 We're all in different spots, we're all over the place, we jump on every Monday. 00:13:19.653 --> 00:13:20.493 We boop, boop, boop, boop. 00:13:20.493 --> 00:13:21.254 This is what's going on. 00:13:21.254 --> 00:13:23.875 But once a month we sit together, we celebrate birthdays. 00:13:23.875 --> 00:13:26.317 You know everybody brings in their cooking. 00:13:26.317 --> 00:13:27.677 You know we are a family. 00:13:27.857 --> 00:13:33.661 We do this, we spend so much time together and we also try to do once a quarter, let's go do something fun. 00:13:33.661 --> 00:13:41.005 We just did an event where you drew a name and you dress the other person up so a t-shirt and accessories. 00:13:41.005 --> 00:13:45.552 It was so silly, but we got to know each other's personalities. 00:13:45.552 --> 00:13:52.038 You saw, you know, maybe somebody lit up a little that you don't normally see light up, and we get to know each other on a personal level. 00:13:52.038 --> 00:13:54.631 As far as the board goes, you know, same thing. 00:13:54.631 --> 00:14:01.480 Our meetings are so about the kids and about the mission and we try to talk and give a story. 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:06.940 I always talk about a student who maybe doesn't have a mentor, or I talk about a student who has had some struggles. 00:14:06.940 --> 00:14:14.363 You know, and I think the people drawn to this organization to take stock feel the same way. 00:14:14.363 --> 00:14:16.534 You know, we just had three hurricanes come through here. 00:14:16.716 --> 00:14:16.996 Yeah. 00:14:17.136 --> 00:14:25.563 Gulf Coast Community Foundation gave us money right away to make sure they could eat and that they had gas and that you know, if anyone needed some repairs, maybe we could help with some of those. 00:14:25.563 --> 00:14:31.781 It's just now because people know who we are and they get to hear our stories and we keep talking about these kids. 00:14:31.781 --> 00:14:38.000 People want to help and so I think, whether it's good or bad times, the good in people come out. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:39.342 I think even in the worst times. 00:14:39.829 --> 00:14:42.654 Oh my gosh, there's so many nuggets that you just shared there. 00:14:42.654 --> 00:15:00.594 Now, in my monthly giving Slack group, the sustainers, there are more than a hundred nonprofits that share tips and tools to scale their recurring giving programs and, as you might believe, the CRM and fundraising tool conversation comes up a lot, and one that always comes up in conversation is Bloomerang. 00:15:00.594 --> 00:15:09.218 So if you're in the market to be looking at a complete donor, volunteer and fundraising management solution, head to bloomerangco. 00:15:09.218 --> 00:15:18.118 They have a very intuitive platform that tracks engagement, provides powerful insights so that you can really focus on driving your mission forward. 00:15:18.118 --> 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I

don't know if we want to get there, but I just came back from a an amazing weekend retreat with some friends, and so I try to share things I learn with our team. 00:18:40.685 --> 00:18:41.709 Which let's talk about. 00:18:41.709 --> 00:18:49.106 This is a self-care moment for an executive director, and I don't want to just gloss over it, okay, Because we were chit-chatting about this a little bit beforehand. 00:18:49.106 --> 00:18:56.527 When's the last time, lisa Bechtold, that you have taken a Lisa trip? 00:18:57.328 --> 00:19:01.116 I couldn't tell you when it was, so that's probably a problem. 00:19:01.116 --> 00:19:03.701 I wasn't sure I was going to go on this one. 00:19:03.701 --> 00:19:06.745 You know it was like, oh my gosh, we're so busy, I have so many things, whatever. 00:19:06.745 --> 00:19:08.067 And my friends were like no, no, no, no. 00:19:08.067 --> 00:19:14.411 You know we're going, we're doing this and to be able to take that time, and that's what I told my team this morning. 00:19:14.411 --> 00:19:16.240 I came in I said listen, I've just got back. 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:18.501 I have to tell you what I learned from this. 00:19:18.501 --> 00:19:23.446 What I learned is that we have to schedule time for ourselves, especially in our industry. 00:19:23.446 --> 00:19:26.809 We are giving and giving and giving, and we do it because we love it. 00:19:26.809 --> 00:19:36.445 We do this because we love giving, but giving can be exhausting and you don't realize it sometimes until maybe it's too late or you have those, you know, burnout or whatever. 00:19:36.626 --> 00:19:38.603 Especially when you have three hurricanes that have just come through. 00:19:38.603 --> 00:19:41.920 You're adding a whole lot of extra stress on that, or whatever that looks like. 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:43.782 Listener for you and you're where you are. 00:19:44.143 --> 00:19:46.605 And on top of what those students are already dealing with every day. 00:19:46.605 --> 00:19:47.487 You were adding layers. 00:19:47.487 --> 00:19:51.251 So to go and just, you know, I did archery. 00:19:51.251 --> 00:19:53.194 I've never shot an arrow before. 00:19:53.194 --> 00:19:54.820 I would like to say I was Katniss. 00:19:54.820 --> 00:20:14.982 I was not Maybe her, maybe 50% her, and I felt like I looked like her, but you know, it was so cool but it and I found that I'm an active purpose person, and so we took a goal that we want to achieve or something that we want to get rid of, and we put it on that you know on the box that you're shooting towards and you had to aim and hit it. 00:20:15.182 --> 00:20:16.306 Oh cool. 00:20:16.425 --> 00:20:17.889 It was really amazing. 00:20:18.149 --> 00:20:27.967 And what was funny is I kept hitting around it and so the guy was like you're surrounding it and what's so funny is what I put on there was to give myself grace. 00:20:27.967 --> 00:20:29.508 That's what I put on. 00:20:29.508 --> 00:20:32.230 There is that I have to learn to give myself grace. 00:20:32.230 --> 00:20:33.290 I'm too hard on myself. 00:20:33.290 --> 00:20:34.873 Everything's personal. 00:20:34.873 --> 00:20:36.254 You know, what we do is very personal. 00:20:36.254 --> 00:20:39.016 I take things very personal and I kept shooting around it. 00:20:39.016 --> 00:20:41.158 It was just neat to get that meeting. 00:20:41.158 --> 00:20:59.106 But now my friends had some mindful meditative but it really made me think about our team and how much they give and that they have to schedule on their calendar once a day me time and whatever that is sitting journaling running walking, you know whatever. 00:20:59.126 --> 00:21:03.961 It is so, but I'm better when I give myself a little bit of time for myself. 00:21:03.961 --> 00:21:10.173 I was able to rejuvenate, refresh, and I have a totally different outlook today. 00:21:11.120 --> 00:21:14.269 And this is such a perfect time, I think, to be having this conversation. 00:21:14.269 --> 00:21:15.559 It's the end of the year. 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:30.092 If this is something that you feel like is not realistic or that you won't do at the end of the year, set this up in the new year and say, like this is something that we are going to be doing, this is going to become an integral part of the culture of the organization and what we do. 00:21:30.092 --> 00:21:40.011 And that would actually be interesting, in your weekly meeting, to say what did you do for that hour, if you feel like sharing to make sure they actually do it take the time, absolutely. 00:21:40.052 --> 00:21:40.512 I think it's great. 00:21:40.512 --> 00:21:44.711 Well, and it also gives you ideas of, maybe, things that you haven't thought about doing. 00:21:44.711 --> 00:21:47.783 You know I get very structured in how I do that you haven't thought about doing. 00:21:47.783 --> 00:21:49.905 You know I get very structured in how I do, and that's you know it's funny. 00:21:49.905 --> 00:21:50.867 I'm going to take this back to you. 00:21:50.887 --> 00:21:56.935 When you came on board, we're so focused, we're so in our lane and we're crushing it and we're going and we're going and we're going and we're going. 00:21:56.935 --> 00:22:02.288 But sometimes you have to get out of the comfort zone to be better and to be bigger. 00:22:02.288 --> 00:22:03.569 That's what you did for me. 00:22:03.569 --> 00:22:12.674 So when I met Dana and you had all these ideas and you had all this energy and all this enthusiasm I mean when you said flash mob, I thought this girl, crazy flash mob. 00:22:12.674 --> 00:22:15.136 And Sarasota at the bandwagon are you out of your mind? 00:22:15.136 --> 00:22:17.597 It was one of the best experience I ever had. 00:22:17.597 --> 00:22:22.761 And what's funny is people who showed up to do it that I never would have thought would have come to do that. 00:22:22.761 --> 00:22:24.986 But then someone else does a flash mob. 00:22:25.026 --> 00:22:31.999 But you know, if someone says, oh, I journal

or I do this, it gives you ideas of things that you can be doing for yourself, and I love sharing. 00:22:31.999 --> 00:22:38.073 I'm a story person, so all about sharing those experiences, and I also think that's one of the things we did. 00:22:38.073 --> 00:22:47.742 We were high school friends who went this weekend, and once we all went off and did our own thing, we would come back at night and we shared our experiences, so emotional and it was. 00:22:47.742 --> 00:22:58.249 You know, maybe you didn't know somebody had been through something that they were sharing with you, so maybe you're going to take a little extra time to reach out to that person, but I think it's the same way with our teams. 00:22:58.249 --> 00:23:05.073 We do this for most of our life and so we have to care for each other, so then we can care for the people we support. 00:23:05.594 --> 00:23:11.376 I mean, I think it's a very popular topic burnout in the fundraising industry sector right now. 00:23:11.376 --> 00:23:24.145 How do you work with the people on your team to help you get the people on your team in that sense, or do they come to you feeling stressed out during campaigns or fundraising and how do you work, or how have you worked through that? 00:23:24.145 --> 00:23:26.943 Maybe, if it's not now, maybe it's in the past 20 years. 00:23:26.943 --> 00:23:28.788 How have you worked through scenarios like that? 00:23:29.209 --> 00:23:55.087 We try to keep such an open dialogue with everybody and I think by doing that and sharing how we feel sometimes and I was stressed out, I mean, I know a lot of times for me I'm in meetings and I'm doing all those things to bring things to the students I actually make sure at least once a month I'm on campus, I'm at a school and I'm meeting students and I'm doing those things and we with our team again having those in-person meetings. 00:23:55.087 --> 00:23:56.671 We don't put time limits on it. 00:23:56.671 --> 00:23:58.034 You know, we have our normal meetings. 00:23:58.034 --> 00:24:06.144 It's like quick five minutes, let's go, boom, boom. 00:24:06.144 --> 00:24:06.747 We have our in-person meeting. 00:24:06.747 --> 00:24:07.389 They have the freedom to talk. 00:24:07.389 --> 00:24:07.589 We listen. 00:24:07.589 --> 00:24:12.844 Sometimes they'll pull us aside, you know, but Melanie, who's my director of operations, who is my right, left hand, left foot, big toe, she's amazing. 00:24:12.844 --> 00:24:14.865 She's so overqualified for the job. 00:24:14.865 --> 00:24:15.788 She does such a great job. 00:24:15.788 --> 00:24:23.658 We make sure that they feel like they're part of the team and any decisions we make too, we try to talk through things, get their opinions on it. 00:24:23.718 --> 00:24:34.092 So it's really everybody that is huge, I think, even from the standpoint of I was, again, very literally the most junior you can get and I always had a seat at the table. 00:24:34.092 --> 00:24:37.956 I was always included in the group conversations that you were having. 00:24:37.956 --> 00:24:43.509 Even though staff members have been there for years before me, I was never like left out, and I think that's also really crucial. 00:24:43.509 --> 00:24:52.947 If there's a leader struggling with pulling this together and there is some dysfunction happening, what would be your recommendation to kind of get it back on track? 00:24:53.690 --> 00:24:54.553 Sit down and talk. 00:24:54.553 --> 00:25:05.973 If you see that somebody or maybe somebody's comments are a little off or whatever, I nip it in the bud quick and what I find out most of the time is it's something little, you know. 00:25:05.973 --> 00:25:06.717 It's something. 00:25:06.717 --> 00:25:07.117 You know. 00:25:07.117 --> 00:25:10.729 Maybe something was said and they misunderstood or they didn't like how somebody. 00:25:10.729 --> 00:25:12.701 We are hitting this thing right now. 00:25:12.701 --> 00:25:13.826 We're going to sit in a room. 00:25:13.826 --> 00:25:16.942 It may be uncomfortable, you know, and Melanie's taught me that she's like you. 00:25:16.942 --> 00:25:19.548 Keep your mouth shut and let people talk it out. 00:25:19.548 --> 00:25:21.533 You know, because I want to be like well, is this how you felt? 00:25:21.533 --> 00:25:27.216 And you know I'm learning to, to be a better listener and making sure. 00:25:27.216 --> 00:25:31.092 You know, because I'm a peacekeeper, I like peace and Melanie is. 00:25:31.152 --> 00:25:37.552 Sometimes there needs to be a little bit of chaos, sometimes there needs to be a little bit of discomfort in order for us again to grow. 00:25:37.552 --> 00:25:46.563 We're in such a place now with our team. 00:25:46.563 --> 00:25:47.025 There's not a question. 00:25:47.025 --> 00:25:47.646 If they're upset, they call us. 00:25:47.646 --> 00:25:49.433 Nobody's afraid to call, nobody's afraid to say you know, and it is literally again. 00:25:49.433 --> 00:25:50.679 Those monthly meetings really help, but just communication. 00:25:50.679 --> 00:25:51.682 We have to be communicating. 00:25:51.682 --> 00:25:53.931 Maybe there's something we could be doing better. 00:25:54.554 --> 00:25:56.461 But you're also an approachable leader. 00:25:57.182 --> 00:25:58.684 That is so important to me. 00:25:58.684 --> 00:26:05.206 I've worked for people who aren't approachable and you felt like you were walking on eggshells and I don't like that feeling. 00:26:05.206 --> 00:26:06.423 So I am definitely. 00:26:06.423 --> 00:26:11.969 If I don't like it, we're not gonna have that and if that's how you feel we need to talk about that. 00:26:11.969 --> 00:26:15.068 Work doesn't have to be not fun. 00:26:15.068 --> 00:26:19.769 It can be fun, you know, and we make it fun and we make sure we're doing. 00:26:19.769 --> 00:26:21.368 Again, it's stressful. 00:26:21.368 --> 00:26:29.069 You're dealing with some very sad stories and some very sad situations, tough situations, so we have to enjoy what we're

doing. 00:26:29.069 --> 00:26:32.790 So we do our best to make that a priority. 00:26:33.460 --> 00:26:38.815 There was never a moment that I didn't enjoy working with you and working with the team. 00:26:38.835 --> 00:26:41.467 Oh, that makes me happy, vice versa right back at you. 00:26:42.100 --> 00:26:47.902 It was honestly always, and I think this is so important because there's no way that things can change and evolve Like you just said. 00:26:47.902 --> 00:26:51.692 We went from a hundred kids like the impact has quadrupled. 00:26:51.692 --> 00:26:59.334 That's amazing, I know, and that cannot happen unless you have a solid home base with the team. 00:26:59.900 --> 00:27:00.943 Absolutely Cannot happen. 00:27:01.467 --> 00:27:02.785 Absolutely so twofold. 00:27:02.785 --> 00:27:08.610 Let's say there's an employee that's listening, that is dealing with a challenging leadership or manager. 00:27:08.610 --> 00:27:12.971 What would be your advice to that younger staff? 00:27:13.660 --> 00:27:16.468 So me personally that would be a reach out. 00:27:16.468 --> 00:27:17.351 Don't email. 00:27:17.351 --> 00:27:20.361 You can email to ask for text or whatever you know. 00:27:20.361 --> 00:27:26.563 Make a phone call and just say can we have a few minutes to talk? 00:27:26.563 --> 00:27:28.431 If they are not willing to do that, that's probably not where you need to be working. 00:27:28.431 --> 00:27:29.275 You probably need to find someplace else. 00:27:29.275 --> 00:27:34.770 But I think most people are open to it and I think I am not a text person, I'm not an email person. 00:27:34.812 --> 00:27:51.207 We can read those wrong it depends on what side of the bed you woke up on and how you read the same sentence, right, but I think, asking for some time and just going into that person and just saying you know, I think what I've learned too is don't blame. 00:27:51.207 --> 00:27:52.149 You know, everybody's trying. 00:27:52.149 --> 00:27:56.290 I don't think anybody's waking up in the morning, going I'm just going to ruin everybody's day today. 00:27:56.290 --> 00:28:00.062 But I do think sometimes we have different ways of leading. 00:28:00.062 --> 00:28:05.145 But I think saying you know this is how I feel, not that you've done this or you are. 00:28:05.246 --> 00:28:11.750 I think that as a leader, when someone says you know you need to or you, then I get defensive and then it's like, well, hold on a minute. 00:28:11.750 --> 00:28:20.256 But if someone came into me and just said you know, I'm feeling like I'm really not part of the team or I feel like someone doesn't appreciate what I'm adding to this. 00:28:20.256 --> 00:28:22.538 Whatever, hear them out, let you know. 00:28:22.538 --> 00:28:28.006 I would want you to go talk to that person and see what they say and maybe there's some ways that they can help. 00:28:28.006 --> 00:28:30.034 Or just say you know, I don't think that's it at all. 00:28:30.034 --> 00:28:34.112 There's different personalities and we all deal with things very differently. 00:28:34.533 --> 00:28:35.979 I also think get a few books. 00:28:35.999 --> 00:28:50.203 There's some great Malcolm Gladwell and some culture map and you know there's some great tips out there that help us understand how different communities and different areas in our country and in our world, how they do things. 00:28:50.203 --> 00:28:55.423 You know, and I think we've learned that too Diversity is great, but diversity is also. 00:28:55.423 --> 00:29:02.289 You might do something very differently than how I do and you may react differently than how I react, but communication to me is key. 00:29:02.289 --> 00:29:06.480 Go to your supervisor, whomever, and just say can I have a few minutes? 00:29:06.480 --> 00:29:11.701 And you know, this is how I'm feeling, this is where I'm at, and then see what they say. 00:29:12.402 --> 00:29:13.604 Love that, thank you. 00:29:13.604 --> 00:29:25.048 On the flip side, let's say the listener is going into a managerial or a leadership role, maybe even an ED or leading an area, a development team, marketing, et cetera. 00:29:25.048 --> 00:29:31.289 What would be some advice that you would give to those people that will now be probably overseeing a team? 00:29:32.140 --> 00:29:34.684 You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. 00:29:34.684 --> 00:29:50.146 My dad told me years ago he said when you hire, you hire someone as smart as, if not smarter than, you, because those are the people that are going to make things happen. 00:29:50.146 --> 00:29:50.789 I also think figuring out lanes. 00:29:50.789 --> 00:29:53.839 You know that was something Melanie came on board Specifically, she was KPMG consulting. 00:29:53.839 --> 00:29:55.964 She did logistics for the Pentagon. 00:29:55.964 --> 00:30:00.745 I mean, again, she's so overqualified for, you know, for what she does for us and I'm blessed to have her. 00:30:00.745 --> 00:30:04.733 But one of the things she did is she actually did an assessment. 00:30:04.733 --> 00:30:11.360 It was like a color assessment and so we did a little survey and we went through and I am a very tangential person. 00:30:11.660 --> 00:30:14.687 So I talk right up, left down. 00:30:14.687 --> 00:30:19.242 You know I'm all over the place and I'll nail it at the end, but yeah, you got to follow me. 00:30:19.242 --> 00:30:21.846 And then there's those very linear people. 00:30:21.846 --> 00:30:25.634 So I'm tangential, melanie's linear, she gets me. 00:30:25.634 --> 00:30:35.105 But sometimes there's people maybe who are super linear that have a hard time with me and in understanding what I'm saying or what I'm asking them to do. 00:30:35.105 --> 00:30:46.692 So what was super helpful for us was to understand who is the tangential, who is the linear, who is process, who is understanding people's roles, cause they're not bad just because they're not understanding. 00:30:46.692 --> 00:30:49.605 It's just they do

things differently, they hear things differently. 00:30:49.605 --> 00:31:02.250 That changed immensely how we ran things, and just understanding how somebody needs to be given assignments or or feedback or yeah, anything, anything you know cause. 00:31:02.209 --> 00:31:02.737 again, I'll tell you a story. 00:31:02.694 --> 00:31:03.687 Melanie's going to be given assignments or feedback or yeah, anything, anything you know. 00:31:03.687 --> 00:31:04.884 Because again, I'll tell you a story. 00:31:04.884 --> 00:31:10.302 Melanie is going to be like and boom, you know, and some people just want the boom. 00:31:10.302 --> 00:31:10.864 This is it. 00:31:10.864 --> 00:31:13.912 This is what we think Other people might need me to say. 00:31:13.912 --> 00:31:20.543 There was this girl named Dana and she was a lovely girl, and then we'll get into it and okay, we understand each other. 00:31:20.543 --> 00:31:25.708 But, that has been a game changer for us is understanding. 00:31:25.708 --> 00:31:28.681 It's almost like when you're in school, and understanding how kids learn. 00:31:29.363 --> 00:31:30.184 And what was that called? 00:31:30.184 --> 00:31:30.706 What was that? 00:31:30.706 --> 00:31:31.729 It was a color. 00:31:32.289 --> 00:31:34.403 Yeah, she did color, so it was personality. 00:31:34.403 --> 00:31:45.261 Essentially, I was red, which I was like oh gosh, you know she's like no, no, no, that's the color you should be. 00:31:45.261 --> 00:31:48.429 But like blue was a process and I'll have her send it to me and I'll send it to you and you can share it with your list, but it was priceless for us. 00:31:48.449 --> 00:31:48.970 Amazing, beautiful. 00:31:48.970 --> 00:31:53.564 I have taken up already so much of your time I am so grateful for. 00:31:53.564 --> 00:32:03.122 It's just so neat to see, like even gosh, what 15 years later what's happening in the organization. 00:32:03.122 --> 00:32:18.384 And then recently for us to see each other at the Kendra Scott store doing like the book release and take stock, as mentioned in my book, about like where it all started from and, listener, if you are a leader, if you have questions, the biggest thing I would say is like, surround yourself with other leaders that you can learn from and talk to and explore. 00:32:18.384 --> 00:32:21.331 Like I could not do what I do without my community. 00:32:21.331 --> 00:32:28.684 Please reach out to Lisa if that's Lisa in this case for any questions. 00:32:28.704 --> 00:32:37.593 And then, if you are working, and you are working on rising that ladder and want to be a leader and you're feeling restricted, this is how it should feel, like our dynamic. 00:32:37.593 --> 00:32:58.069 You should want to come 15 years later and talk to your first boss, literally like the abundance of room for innovation and growth, and it was never like no, Dana, absolutely not for an idea or something that we were working on, and I think that was also huge in my growth that that next step was. 00:32:58.069 --> 00:33:04.951 I moved to New York City and I think maybe I only felt like that could have been possible because I was like, oh, I'm able to do things here, I'm not. 00:33:04.951 --> 00:33:07.743 I'm just thinking about this from the progress of somebody's natural career. 00:33:07.743 --> 00:33:18.373 If you had said more no's or things have been more restricted, would I have then had less self-confidence to take a big move like that? 00:33:18.373 --> 00:33:23.791 And I wonder how much that happens in people's careers. 00:33:24.440 --> 00:33:26.645 You feel so restricted, you don't take chances. 00:33:26.645 --> 00:33:27.949 Yeah Right, you know what. 00:33:27.949 --> 00:33:28.991 You take chances. 00:33:28.991 --> 00:33:31.066 If they don't work, we go back to the drawing board. 00:33:31.066 --> 00:33:31.788 We're not doctors. 00:33:31.788 --> 00:33:36.048 Thankfully, you know, we don't have to make those split second decisions that are life or death. 00:33:36.048 --> 00:33:39.325 We get to play with it and decide how we want to do that. 00:33:39.325 --> 00:33:51.887 And I think the other thing on that too, I'd like to say is, when you said you were leaving, as sad as I was, I was so proud that you had been part of us and that you were getting to grow. 00:33:51.887 --> 00:33:58.403 And so I think, as a leader and as a manager, that our job yes, we'd love to keep all of the great people who come through, but our job is also to give opportunity. 00:33:58.403 --> 00:34:06.368 Love to keep all of the great people who come through, but our job is also to give opportunity and never take an opportunity away from somebody. 00:34:06.870 --> 00:34:11.213 So, we have to feel grateful and blessed that we had you in the time we had you. 00:34:11.213 --> 00:34:19.548 And if there is a better opportunity for somebody, I think it's up to us to say you need to go take that, you need to go explore and you need to go try things. 00:34:19.548 --> 00:34:24.265 If more of us did that, I think we'd be doing a lot bigger and better things. 00:34:24.285 --> 00:34:30.005 That's right, which is a sign of a wonderful, not even leader, just person, just person. 00:34:30.005 --> 00:34:38.085 Lisa, I am so grateful for you and my life and the work that you continue to do in Sarasota and beyond, so thank you so much for being here. 00:34:38.085 --> 00:34:40.387 If people want to reach out to you, what's the best way to do that? 00:34:40.968 --> 00:34:44.731 Lisa at take stock Sarasotaorg. 00:34:45.633 --> 00:34:46.974 Perfect, beautiful. 00:34:46.974 --> 00:34:47.914 Thank you for being here. 00:34:48.655 --> 00:34:49.117 My pleasure. 00:34:50.361 --> 00:34:54.370 Can you tell I love talking all things digital to make this show better. 00:34:54.370 --> 00:34:56.321 I'd be so grateful for your feedback. 00:34:56.321 --> 00:35:01.994 Leave a review, take a screenshot of this episode, share it on Instagram stories and tag positive equation with one E so I can reshare and connect with you. 00:35:01.994 --> 00:35:09.408 Leave a review, take a screenshot of this episode, share it on Instagram stories and tag Positive Equation with one E so I can reshare and connect with you.