Know What To Ignore

Connie Kwan is the CEO of 4Storyteller, where she helps leaders tell their stories. As a former product executive, she worked with companies like Microsoft, Atlassian, and six product startups. Connie has crafted and delivered thousands of stories to investors and boards to set company visions and motivate teams. She has spoken on stages at Cornell University, the Product Management Festival, and Google Tech Talk.

Connie Kwan
apple
spotify
pandora
amazon music
Deezer
iheartradio
playerfm

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [3:02] How Connie Kwan began researching the art of storytelling
  • [8:25] What are the four types of storytellers?
  • [10:06] Examples of stories that resonate with audiences
  • [14:18] Connie shares an anecdote of a champion storyteller in action
  • [18:37] The genesis of Nobody Studios
  • [22:14] Why Connie launched the AmplifyHer network
  • [32:55] Advice for reaching your audience through storytelling
  • [34:48] Connie talks about her leadership style

In this episode...

Many women are stuck in the Smurfette paradigm, where they compete with other women for a single leadership position in a male-dominated organization. Yet as more women fight for a seat at the table, amplifying each other’s voices becomes increasingly vital. How can you encourage women to find their voice and stand out?

Master storyteller Connie Kwan has identified four storytelling methods to help women amplify their reach and carve a niche for themselves. The champion and sage storytellers reach their audiences through emotional connections, whereas visionary and professor storytellers use logic to convince their audiences. Identifying your and your audience’s storytelling methods allows you to craft a message that conveys your needs while resonating with your audience.

In today’s episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston chats with Connie Kwan, the CEO of 4Storyteller, about how women can hone their storytelling techniques. Connie describes the psychological aspects of effective communication, how she leads like a woman, and her mission to amplify women’s voices.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:
  • Where I started in engineering, storytelling was not part of the curriculum.”
  • “Knowing what to ignore is when you’ll start being really great.”
  • “Collaboration and the ability to bring all voices together, even when they’re sitting around different corners, is key.”
  • “The power of rising together is learned when we understand there are multiple seats at the table for women.”
  • “My superpower is helping managers become story-led leaders.”
Action Steps:
  1. Take a quiz to find your storyteller type: This allows individuals to understand their natural storytelling predispositions, enabling better alignment with their audience’s expectations.
  2. Craft your “why you?” story: A compelling personal story tied to your mission garners investor faith and resilience during challenging times.
  3. Practice collaborative storytelling: Collaborative environments enhance narrative richness and ensure multiple perspectives are considered, leading to more inclusive decision-making.
  4. Embrace the raw shared mindset: Sharing ideas in their nascent stages invites early collaboration and feedback that’s essential for innovation and growth.
  5. Support and amplify others: Amplifying colleagues’ and peers’ successes fosters a culture of mutual support and advancement, which is particularly crucial for marginalized voices.

Sponsor for this episode…​

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

Take the Plunge

Lizzie Mintus is the Founder and CEO of Here’s Waldo Recruiting, a boutique technical recruiting firm specializing in the video game space. Before founding her agency, Lizzie was a technical recruiter for Verticalmove, Inc. She received a certificate in Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership from the University of Washington to enhance her leadership skills and grow her agency. Lizzie is also an ambassador at Women in Games, a platform empowering women in the gaming industry, and an active member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization.

Lizzie Mintus
apple
spotify
pandora
amazon music
Deezer
iheartradio
playerfm

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [2:36] Lizzie Mintus’ journey from a Nordstrom sales associate to a recruiter and entrepreneur
  • [9:18] Lizzie talks about her decision to create a niche recruiting firm
  • [11:37] The growth trajectory of the gaming industry
  • [14:43] How Meta’s year of efficiency impacted Lizzie’s business
  • [16:25] Lizzie reveals her approach to leading like a woman
  • [20:35] Advice for women taking professional risks
  • [21:46] How Lizzie landed a meeting with the Founder of Xbox

In this episode...

Every entrepreneur knows that starting and managing a business means navigating market fluctuations, industry dominations and descents, and many failures. Yet among setbacks and losses, success and impact prevail.

Using her exceptional people skills, extroverted recruiter Lizzie Mintus went from losing profitable clients during Meta’s year of efficiency to landing a meeting with the Founder of Xbox. From this connection, Lizzie began paying it forward, providing her clients with valuable referrals and even offering to pay for an employee’s travel expenses to spend time with family during a crisis. Lizzie’s advice for women wanting to break into an industry with little experience is to take the risk and recognize that if it doesn’t work out, it’s never too late to start over.

In this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Lizzie Mintus, the Founder and CEO of Here’s Waldo Recruiting, joins Andrea Heuston to discuss how she ventured boldly into entrepreneurship. Lizzie explains the importance of leading with empathy, the gaming industry’s evolution and growth, and why she created a niche recruiting business.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:
  • “I’ve learned a lot. It was an excellent first job. You talk to people, and you have to figure out how to get people to talk to you, which is really my superpower.”
  • “I made a business plan in a notebook. It’s a simple beginning, but you never know where it might lead.”
  • “People were willing to take my call because I’d been good to them in the past. That’s the power of building long-term relationships.”
  • “You have to be somewhat crazy to start a business. If it fails, what’s the worst thing that could happen? You just get another job.”
  • “If you can’t take care of your personal life, you cannot be a good employee or a good person. So you need to take care of that first.”
Action Steps:
  1. Start building your business plan and keep iterating: Dive into the creation process of your business plan, allowing it to evolve as you gain more insight.
  2. Build and sustain long-term relationships in your network: Foster relationships by being genuinely interested in others and reaching out with personalized connections; this creates a valuable support system for entrepreneurial endeavors.
  3. Identify and leverage your unique superpower: Reflect on what comes naturally to you and use it as a cornerstone for personal and professional growth.
  4. Embrace change and learn from adversity: Adopt a flexible mindset to navigate industry shifts by reassessing and strengthening your business’ internal processes.
  5. Prioritize empathy and personal care in leadership: Lead like a woman by putting empathy at the forefront of your business decisions, which nurtures a loyal, caring workplace culture.

Sponsor for this episode…​

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

Trust Your Feet

Miranda Barrett is the Owner of Capacity to Scale, which helps business leaders generate ROI from speaking engagements. With over 25 years of experience collaborating with senior leaders and entrepreneurs, she helps people amplify their impact through speaking and storytelling. Before Capacity to Scale, Miranda was the Vice President of External Engagement at the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), where she helped double its size and geographic reach, spoke at industry conferences, and wrote for various publications as a member of the association executive committee.

Miranda Barrett
apple
spotify
pandora
amazon music
Deezer
iheartradio
playerfm

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [2:57] How an entrepreneurial itch led Miranda Barrett to start Capacity to Scale
  • [7:45] The shared responsibility between speakers and audiences to create an impactful experience
  • [11:43] Miranda talks about her services for associations and speakers
  • [15:35] Miranda’s favorite part about working with speakers — and her core values
  • [18:25] Impactful speaking engagements Miranda has attended
  • [21:36] Advice for on-stage speaking

In this episode...

Have you ever attended a conference where the speaker was visibly unprepared for the speech? Unfortunately, this can happen often, dismantling trust between the speaker and their audience. How can you create impactful speaking experiences? 

With immersive learning at the forefront, capturing and maintaining audiences’ attention has become increasingly difficult. Speaker coach and entrepreneur Miranda Barrett notes that both speakers and their audiences are responsible for making speaking engagements worthwhile. Audience members must show the speaker respect by remaining present and attentive during the speech and trusting the speaker’s authority. Likewise, speakers must venture beyond merely capturing attention to study their audiences’ profiles and the association’s culture. 

Tune in to this episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show as Andrea Heuston chats with Miranda Barrett, the Owner of Capacity to Scale, about scaling your personal brand through speaking engagements. Miranda discusses bridging the gap between organizations and speakers, advice for women speaking on stage, and her personal core values.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:
  • “Clarity comes through action.”
  • “Being on stage is a privilege, and you have to earn and be worthy of it.”
  • “You just have to get comfortable with discomfort and do it.”
  • “The more you practice public speaking, the more comfortable you get, enabling growth and fun.”
  • “I am an instigator. I make stuff happen.”
Action Steps:
  1. Embrace discomfort as a path to growth: Being willing to step out of your comfort zone, especially when speaking publicly, is key to self-improvement.
  2. Prepare thoroughly for public speaking opportunities: In-depth preparation shows respect for your audience and ensures you can confidently deliver your message.
  3. Trust in your capabilities: Miranda Barrett’s mantra of “trust your feet” can be applied to believing in your expertise and skills.
  4. Focus on building relationships over lists: Developing genuine connections is more effective than casting a wide, impersonal net.
  5. Be strategic with your learning: Staying current with industry trends and innovations helps you maintain expertise and relevance.

Sponsor for this episode…​

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

Standing up to the Hurricane

Kait Gannon is the Founder and CEO of Mezzo Allies, Inc., which raises awareness for family-controlled human trafficking and child sexual abuse. She is a survivor of family-controlled commercial child sexual exploitation and shares her experience through public speaking and hosting the podcast The Ugly Truth About the Girl Next Door. With a background in social work, Kait is trained in suicide prevention and was the program director for a public health clinic in Buffalo, New York.

Kait Gannon

Laurie Krull is the Clinical Director of Mezzo Allies, Inc., the co-host of The Ugly Truth About the Girl Next Door podcast, and a licensed clinical social worker. With over 30 years of clinical experience, she specializes in foster care, adoption, and trauma. Laurie began her career as a social worker with child protective services before working in an outpatient children’s mental health ward.

Laurie Krull
apple
spotify
pandora
amazon music
Deezer
iheartradio
playerfm

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [4:51] How a desperate personal situation led Kait Gannon to seek Laurie Krull’s clinical help
  • [8:48] Kait shares how her daughter sparked her journey toward recovery
  • [14:01] The bright and dark worlds in the context of abuse
  • [17:19] Breaking through dissociation to reconcile prolonged trauma
  • [22:26] What led Kait and Laurie to launch The Truth About the Girl Next Door?
  • [27:18] The three levels of understanding in human trafficking
  • [35:04] Mezzo Allies, Inc.’s mission to provide support to sexual abuse victims

In this episode...

Sex trafficking isn’t talked about enough, as most people remain unaware of the magnitude of abuse taking place throughout the world, believing it’s relegated to minority groups and third-world countries. Yet much of this trafficking occurs within the family unit, as 82% of survivors report parents or extended family members as primary offenders. How can you educate yourself and become a fierce advocate for child sex trafficking victims?

A family home is supposed to be a safe haven, but for Kait Gannon, it was a recurring nightmare. Beginning before the age of four and continuing well into adulthood, Kait was sexually trafficked by her parents, grandparents, and uncles — a mere pawn in a generations-long organized trafficking scheme. After receiving threatening messages following repeated attempts to escape, Kait connected with trauma social worker Laurie Krull, who helped her reconcile the compartmentalized abuse with other areas of her life, leading to support initiatives for child sexual abuse victims. Through rigorous training programs and volunteering with mission-based organizations, you can become an advocate these survivors need.

Tune in to the latest episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show as Andrea Heuston welcomes Kait Gannon and Laurie Krull of Mezzo Allies, Inc., to talk about family-organized child sex trafficking. Together, they uncover abuse survivors’ compartmentalized worlds, how to reconcile prolonged trauma, and the three levels of public understanding in human trafficking.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:
  • “I’m not just going to die in a dark hole someday, and no one’s gonna know.” – Kait Gannon
  • “It’s about being able to channel that rage, to channel that drive towards something productive.” – Kait Gannon
  • “Even though I was still unsafe, I started receiving threats. It was an act of desperation.” – Kait Gannon
  • “If not us, then who? We didn’t wake up one day and decide; it was driven by necessity.” – Kait Gannon
  • “Persistent. When I hit an obstacle, I bounce around it, especially when the vulnerable are on the line.” – Laurie Krull
Action Steps:
  1. Educate yourself about the different levels of human trafficking, especially family-controlled abuse: Awareness is the first step to change; understanding the issue enables one to recognize and act against such injustices.
  2. Become an advocate for survivors in your community by staying informed and spreading awareness: Advocacy can drive systemic change and create a safer environment for survivors to come forward.
  3. Volunteer or offer professional services to organizations like Mezzo Allies, Inc.: Engaging directly with organizations supports their mission and extends help to those needing specialized services.
  4. Donate or seek sponsorships for initiatives combating sexual exploitation: Financial contributions fuel the programs, training, and support vital to survivors and their advocates.
  5. Support legislation and policymakers who prioritize the fight against human trafficking: Legislative support ensures the development and enforcement of laws that protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable.

Sponsor for this episode…​

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.

Curiosity Is the Tool You Need

Lisa Fain is the CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence and the founder of Vista Coaching. She was formerly senior director of the diversity and inclusion function at Outerwall Inc. (former parent company to automated retail giants Redbox and Coinstar). She is a certified mediator through Chicago’s Center for Conflict Resolution, and a certified life coach through the International Coach Academy.

Lisa Fain
apple
spotify
pandora
amazon music
Deezer
iheartradio
playerfm

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [2:45] Lisa Fain’s shift from a legal career to leading the Center for Mentoring Excellence
  • [10:56] How Lisa transformed her mindset to become an entrepreneur
  • [13:41] Lisa talks about her books Bridging Difference for Better Mentoring and The Mentor’s Guide
  • [19:13] The most common misconception about mentoring
  • [20:21] How to build trust between a mentor and mentee
  • [22:26] What is the Mentoring Bites program?
  • [28:00] Why mentoring is crucial for fostering workplace inclusion
  • [29:51] The difference between mentoring and coaching

In this episode...

The Harvard Business Review reveals that corporations have a more inclusive culture when women and other minority groups occupy C-suite and board positions. How can mentoring and leadership coaching lead organizations to adopt these practices?

As a leader in DEI, Lisa Fain maintains that mentorship is inclusion in action. Mentoring up-and-coming leaders invites transparent conversations about diversity through relationships and connections. The relationship between mentors and mentees is reciprocal, with both parties learning from each other. Companies can create a mentoring culture by providing ongoing support and training that enables consistent communication.

Tune in to the latest episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show as Andrea Heuston welcomes Lisa Fain, the CEO of the Center for Mentoring Excellence, to talk about the role of mentoring in leadership and organizational inclusion. Lisa shares the most common mentoring myth, why she transitioned from a legal career to an entrepreneur, and how to build trust between a mentor and mentee.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:

Quotable Moments:
  • “A career vision crafted through curiosity leads to a journey of impactful discoveries.”
  • “When somebody says, ‘Hey, can you explore that?’ and it’s in an area I’m interested in, I’m like, let’s go.”
  • “Fun can be so underrated; we really need it in our work lives.”
  • “I’ve spent a lifetime taking myself too seriously, and when I started having fun at work, it was like a whole new world of job satisfaction.”
  • “The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.”
Action Steps:
  1. Embrace work-life balance: As Lisa discussed her transition to focus more on family, this reminds us to recognize the importance of maintaining balance and adjust roles to fulfill personal goals.
  2. Cultivate curiosity: In leadership, fostering a culture of curiosity can lead to innovative thinking and problem-solving.
  3. Establish a personal board of advisors: Like Lisa creating a mentoring community, this step can provide diverse perspectives and guidance for professional growth.
  4. Welcome hybrid work: Lisa’s insights on remote work show it’s essential to adapt leadership strategies to effectively engage teams in various work environments.
  5. Prioritize “the main thing”: Consistently assessing and maintaining focus on core values can be an effective way to ensure leaders remain on track toward their goals.

Sponsor for this episode…​

This episode is brought to you by Artitudes Design by Andrea Heuston. Artitudes Design is an award-winning creative agency that has been creating visual communication for Fortune 500 companies for over 25 years. They have worked with notable companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Expedia, and have also served startups and nonprofit organizations.

They specialize in connecting speakers with audiences by creating visual value with presentations and through the creation of motion graphics, video, and content.

To learn more about Artitudes Design, visit their website today. Checkout their portfolio to see their previous projects, and contact them today to find out how they can help you bring your business a cut above the rest.