#femaleleaders

Empowering your Team with Ali Adams

Ali Adams is the Chief Executive of ChristchurchNZ. She leads the city’s economic development agency with the support of six general managers who lead teams in pillars that each support a vital part of the agency’s work.

Ali has a background in economic development, having led New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s work in Europe and before that, in the South Island. She has also worked in marketing, tourism and sports leadership, spending four years as the domestic manager for New Zealand Cricket.

Ali is a powerhouse and I am so excited to see what she brings to the beautiful city of Christchurch.

This interview was recorded in front of an audience at my most recent HPL event in Christchurch. Every year I host my High Performance Leadership event. Leaders from all over the country get together to focus on their performance and growth. We were honoured to have Ali Adams as one of our guest speakers at the event. 

The waitlist is now open for HPL 2023. If you would like to be there and listen to some incredible guests like Ali, you can pop your name on the list here - https://www.jjlaughlin.com/leadershipnewzealand 

Have a look at the epic work ChristchurchNZ is doing here - https://www.christchurchnz.com 


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Full Transcript, Quote Cards, and a Show Summary are available here: 


https://www.jjlaughlin.com/blog

Empowering your Team with Ali Adams

Ali Adams is the Chief Executive of ChristchurchNZ. She leads the city’s economic development agency with the support of six general managers who lead teams in pillars that each support a vital part of the agency’s work.

Ali has a background in economic development, having led New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s work in Europe and before that, in the South Island. She has also worked in marketing, tourism and sports leadership, spending four years as the domestic manager for New Zealand Cricket.

Ali is a powerhouse and I am so excited to see what she brings to the beautiful city of Christchurch.

This interview was recorded in front of an audience at my most recent HPL event in Christchurch. Every year I host my High Performance Leadership event. Leaders from all over the country get together to focus on their performance and growth. We were honoured to have Ali Adams as one of our guest speakers at the event. 

The waitlist is now open for HPL 2023. If you would like to be there and listen to some incredible guests like Ali, you can pop your name on the list here - https://www.jjlaughlin.com/leadershipnewzealand 

Have a look at the epic work ChristchurchNZ is doing here - https://www.christchurchnz.com 


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Full Transcript, Quote Cards, and a Show Summary are available here: 


https://www.jjlaughlin.com/blog

In Episode 83, Laura Liswood, Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders, joins Melinda in a thoughtful discussion about how we can improve workplace diversity faster. They discuss tactics that help leaders address the roadblocks brought by the 'Elephant-Mouse' dynamic between dominant and non-dominant groups in organizations. Laura also addresses some of the key topics from her latest book, The Elephant and the Mouse: Moving Beyond the Illusion of Inclusion to Create a Truly Diverse and Equitable Workplace, such as the meritocracy myth, code-switching, the risks posed by a homogeneous workforce, and the rewards of allyship. Bonus: Laura shares her research findings on what it would take for the US to have a woman President.

About Laura (she/her)

In August 1996, Laura Liswood co-founded the Council of Women World Leaders with President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir of Iceland located at the UN Foundation in Washington, DC. Ms. Liswood is the Secretary General of the Council, which is composed of women presidents, prime ministers, and heads of government. It is the only organization of its kind globally.

From 2001 to 2016, Liswood was also named Managing Director, Global Leadership and Diversity for Goldman Sachs, and later became a senior advisor. She continues to speak to audiences globally on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Liswood holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from California State University, San Diego. She holds a J.D. degree from the University of California, Davis, School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in California and Massachusetts. After the events of 9/11, she became a reserve police officer in the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and retired as a sergeant.

Liswood is the author of four books The Loudest Duck-Moving beyond Diversity, The Elephant and the Mouse, Women World Leaders, and Serving Them Right. She is a long time participant in the World Economic Forum and is a Steward of the Forum’s Education, Gender, and Work Initiative.

She is a commissioner for the New Mexico State Personnel Review Board, a board advisor for EDGE, and a member of the Washington DC Metro Transit Police Investigative Review Panel.

To join us for our monthly live event or find educational resources from this episode, visit https://ally.cc.

Connect With Laura On Social

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laura-liswood-60451924/ 

Connect With Us On Social

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia

Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco

Facebook: facebook.com/empovia

Instagram: instagram.com/empovia/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia/

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler

Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan

Creative Director @ Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth

[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Laura, a White woman with short blonde/brown hair, glasses, pearl earrings, and a white/black polka dot suit; beside her is the book cover of The Elephant and the Mouse; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with red hair, glasses, and orange shirt holding a white mug behin

Hey Parents,

Have you ever asked your daughter how she’s doing and heard something like … “it’s complicated” or “you won’t understand!”

As you’re working through the ‘letting go’ and ‘losing control’ part of raising a teenager (two of the toughest parts if you ask me), getting a non-answer when you’re trying to connect is tough because:

• it feels like it widens the divide
• and pulls heavily on your heartstrings

As a parent of teens, I get it.

Welcome back to the Cultivating Resilient Teens Podcast, it’s an honor to spend this time with you.

If you’re feeling like you haven’t quite found a solution to how to empower your daughter to build confidence, integrity and resilience for all of life’s adventures, this episode is for you.

And hopefully it’ll make it easier for you and your daughter to learn and grow together, too.

Signature System

After years of working with teens and their families, I think you’ll see that the 4 Steps to Cultivating a Resilient Teen:

• Developing a strong sense of self
• Creating meaningful educational experiences
• Designing healthy social scenarios
• Fostering a connective family life

Not only offer your daughter the tools she needs to step into her personal power, recognize when to lead and when to follow, and mitigate the negative effects of social media.

They also help you learn how to navigate these teen rites of passage.

If you’re not familiar with my signature system, the 4 Steps to Cultivating a Resilient Teen, you’ll find more information and the full show notes for this podcast on my website, cultivatingresilientteens.com.

What’s Happening

Okay, here’s the downlow on … “it’s complicated” or “you won’t understand.”

The likelihood that these statements are true, is pretty high.

It’s less about trying to drive you crazy or push you away, and more about your daughter feeling overwhelmed and confused herself.

And as a caring, resourceful and hardworking parent, you likely encourage your daughter to be a critical thinker in order to solve her problems.

Critical thinking is an essential life skill.

But sometimes relationships are messy, and miscommunications happen - and there’s not a clear answer or approach.

You may even see the wheels turning as your daughter attempts to figure out or fix her situation.

And recognize that she's caught in a negative thought loop, which, as you know, isn’t helpful.

If you’re not familiar with how negative thought loops influence your daughter’s mood and motivation, you may want to familiarize yourself with the top 6 thinking errors in Ep – 28 How to Break Free from Thinking Errors that Wreck Your Daughter’s Confidence.

It's a Dance

So here you are, trying to connect with and support your daughter, but you’re not sure whether to step in or step back – a bit of a dance.

Find out if a growth mindset will make life easier for your daughter, as well as, learn how to dance with agility and grace. Get the complete show notes on my website, Cultivating Resilient Teens Podcast.

Podcast Resources

Life’s Random Bits | Parenting is Like Dancing | 9.7.2017

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success | Carol Dweck

5 Keys to the Right Mindset for Growth and Success | Bob Choat | 7.3.2015

Episode #2 How to Rais

Here's to cultivating a more resilient teen for all of life's adventures!

Hi beautiful friends, this episode is the second in our three part leadership series and a controversial but important one about being female and being male and whether [emotionally intelligent] leadership is gendered? 

I won't say anymore and leave you to listening, sharing and commenting below! ;)

Stay tuned and share this episode with all the men and women you love! 

Fearlessly yours, 
Tania & Ali

Copy rights: Fearless Knowledge 2021
Music: Unknown
Sound Editor: Lukas Stainmaier

Hey Parents,

Does your teenage daughter feel like life is just happening TO her?

If she’s super spunky one minute and grouchy and grumbling the next, she may be riding this wild roller coaster.

So today we’re going to offer you and your daughter, what I affectionately call the Mood Maintenance Toolkit.

Because if your daughter is constantly responding with a fiery, knee-jerk reaction – especially in messy situations – you’ll want to guide her away from this habit.

As parents, you’re probably well aware of how hard it is to know what to say because by the time you’ve come up with a thoughtful response, well, the situation’s already swinging in another direction. 

Here’s an example parents have shared with me, that may sound familiar to you … 

• When my daughter gets a lot of likes, compliments, or invites - her mood is awesome – she’s playful and lighthearted.
• And then when someone doesn’t respond the way she hoped they would, if she’s not tagged in a post, or if she feels left out of a gathering - her mood is dreadful and she’s suddenly depressed and unresponsive to me.

Ah, as humans it’s a natural response to feel great when someone praises you.

And, on the flip side, it’s natural to feel disappointed and hurt when you don’t feel seen and heard.

The hard part is, although the highs may be exhilarating in the moment, the downs instantly zap your daughter’s mood, wreck her motivation and leave her totally exhausted.

And, I don’t know about you, but my clients tell me they’re sick of riding the emotional rollercoaster – especially when it comes to social media. 

So, if your daughter is like most teenagers, not only does the rollercoaster ride make her feel like she’s lost all control, but it can also lead to behaviors and responses that your daughter will later regret.

The Mood Maintenance Toolkit

So, let’s equip your daughter with the Mood Maintenance Kit.

Because when she’s able to maintain her mood and motivation – she’ll go from ‘meh’ to ‘heck ya’!

The Kit contains:

3 Questions 

2 Mantra’s

1 Key Word

And it taps into the benefits social and emotional intelligence – giving your daughter the power to respond in a way that feels good and motivates her!

Head over to my website Cultivating Resilient Teens Podcast and listen to the full podcast or grab the show notes.

Because, when your daughter takes the time to …

• Be honest about who she is making decisions for - and why
• Recognize that she has a strong resiliency muscle inside her
• And when she truly EMBRACES her progress (and not someone else’s)

She’ll begin to SEE that life IS happening FOR her.

Here's to cultivating a more resilient teen for all of life's adventures!

Hey parents,
Welcome back to episode #9
Before we dive into today’s episode I wanted to take a minute to say thank so much for reaching out and letting me know how valuable episodes #7 and 8 were for you and your daughter.
It’s not always easy to talk about the tough stuff,  especially right now, with so many teenagers 

• trying to navigate the back-and-forth-to-school 
• and keeping their spirits up even though they’re missing out on so many important rites of passage

The upside is there’s definitely some solace in knowing that you’re not alone.

We all struggle with what to do sometimes, but INDECISION can become an epidemic in the teenage years because there’s a lot at stake.

Chances are, there’s been a time or two when you’ve had an interaction with your daughter that looks something like you asking … “why don’t you stop scrolling through your phone and make some plans with your friends?

And then you either hear crickets, catch a sideways glance, or hear a muttered, “uh, I don’t know.”

But, I think it’s important for you to know that “I don’t know” IS a real response.

And it can mean many, many things, depending on 

• if your daughter has been hurt by her friends in the past
• or if her tribe is in the midst of some tribal unrest

So even though your daughter really wants that happy, connected feeling, taking a risk – socially and emotionally right now - may feel like too much.

But the good news is, she CAN definitely learn to move through her “I don’t know” and confidently make a decision, no matter how difficult her situation may be.

First, I’d like to encourage her to try the 3 Practical Approaches we talked about in Episode #5 How to Turn Your Daughter’s Fears into Opportunities to Grow.

One of the best ways to bust through the walls of indecision and feel confident about her decisions is to combine the 3 Practical Approaches and to equip your daughter with-The Choice Tool.

The Choice Tool helps your daughter get really clear about 

• what her intentions are
• what she wants
• and what she needs

so she can make a decision that feels good to her.

The Choice Tool is 3 Key Questions:

1.  How important this decision is to you?
2. Who are you making this decision for?
3. What will you do if things go exactly as planned OR don’t quite go the way you’d hoped they would?

Head over to my website Cultivating Resilient Teens to learn how to put the 3 Key Questions into practice. 

You can also grab a complimentary Discovery Session.

Or, I’m now offering a 90 Minute Strategy Session.

And be sure to listen in next week because we’re going to offer you a few really important tips that’ll help your daughter stay focused in a world full of distractions.

Podcast Resources:
Episode #5 How to Turn Your Daughter’s Fears into Opportunities to Grow
Grab a complimentary Discovery Session
90 Minutes to Clarity and

Here's to cultivating a more resilient teen for all of life's adventures!

Hey Parents,

What happens when your teenage daughter “harmlessly” looks around her social media accounts?

Today we’re going to talk about what the comparison trap looks like for teenage girls and how to put an end to this harmful habit. 

I’m not sure I know anyone who hasn’t gotten totally stuck in the comparison trap at least once. 

Because it’s totally natural to be curious about what life is like for other people.

And my clients have shared that with all the covid restrictions still in place, the amount of time they spend looking around the internet has really increased.

But here’s the hard part, if your daughter is consistently absorbing everyone else’s high points, without mindful supervision, all while she’s trying to find her place in this world, it can really muddle her sense of self and wreck her self-confidence. 

So, rather than always feeling like you’re always trying to ‘build yourself back up,' let’s give your daughter ONE SIMPLE STRATEGY that’ll help build rock-solid resilience.

Recently, my clients say their screen time is way up.

So, not surprisingly, it's causing all sorts of what feels like anxiety, depression and ADD.

Ahhh, so if you’re wondering HOW one gets caught in the comparison trap – there’s your ANSWER.

The mindless quest for one sweet little dose of dopamine. 

Unfortunately, rather than getting that dose of happiness she craves; she ends up absorbing… 

• a zillion images of people who appear oh so happy, the way she wants to feel
• and a bunch of lovely places that, if she were just there, would make her feel better

I probably don’t have to tell you this is tough, even for confident teens.

As Developmental Molecular Biologist, Dr. John Medina reminds us, “Most of us have no idea what’s really going on inside our heads.”

That’s why it’s so important for your daughter to learn MINDFUL MONITORING.

Mindful monitoring is the art of paying attention to the thoughts and feelings that are running through your daughter’s head while she’s taking in the images and happenings of the world around her.

Dr. Susan David, the author of Emotionally Agility, “our raw feelings can be the messengers we need to teach us things about ourselves and can prompt insights into important life directions.”

So, let’s make sure your daughter practices mindful monitoring and gathers her golden nuggets whenever she scrolls.

You can also deepen your daughter's social and emotional skill set with this article, published in Thrive Global, “How to Raise a Socially Intelligent and Resilient Teenager 5 Simple Questions That Will Set Your Teenager Up for Success (https://cultivatingresilientteens.com/)

 Next week we'll help your daughter make confident decisions with one reliable tool.
Podcast Resources
Developmental Molecular Biologist | Dr. John Medina |Brain Rules, 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School
Dr. Susan David | Emotional Agility Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life
 How to Raise a Socially Intelligent and Resilient Teenager 5 Simple Questions That Will Set Your Teenager Up for Success

Here's to cultivating a more resilient teen for all of life's adventures!