Can we talk about how hard it is to get feedback?

Navigating feedback – both the giving and the receiving – makes up a lot of my coaching work. On any given Tuesday or Friday, clients will come to me looking for guidance on how to make sense of feedback they’ve received, or for help around how to give feedback to a team member or client.

In today’s episode, we’re going to focus specifically on receiving feedback, and how to handle all the feelings that come when someone shares their perspective on our work.

It’s tricky, it’s scary and it’s something most of us avoid at all costs.

So let’s bring it out into the light and talk about it.

I’ll start with a story that happened to me a couple of years ago. Trust me, there have been other occasions since, but this particular example encapsulates everything I want to share with you about feedback. 

A few years ago, I released a new product into the world called Communicate Like a PRO. It was an idea that had been in my ‘someday’ pile for over a year, and I finally said, “Ok, enough. Create the damn thing already.” 

So I did. And then came the feedback…

Enjoy the episode!

Recommended Resources:

Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders.

Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters

Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter

Hello and happy new year! 

This episode is dropping at the end of my first week back post-holidays, and I feel like I’m just getting back into the groove. As I said on Instagram earlier this week, give yourself lots of grace and space as you re-enter back to work. 

In our last episode, we talked about 10 questions you could ask yourself to close out the year. If you missed it and want to take that reflection time (sidebar, it’s not too late) head here. 

Today we’re going to spend time envisioning what 2020 can bring you. If you’re listening to this much later than January 2020, don’t skip this. These questions are valuable at any time of the year. 

Once again, I encourage you to give yourself permission to take some time to think these over. Head to a local coffee shop for an hour of uninterrupted time, with your favourite notebook. Don’t rush through it. Taking this time now will help you set up the year ahead in a purposeful, mindful way that can be sustainable. 

Trust me, with a lot of personal and client experience behind me, it’s easy to get swept up in the January possibility vibes without really considering if you can make it happen once February hits. 

Let’s jump into the questions and walk through each one. I’m going to break these up into two sets of five. The first set focuses more on what you want to do and accomplish this year whereas the second set is about you and how you want to be this year.

Enjoy the episode.

Join LEAD.Well – a new leadership subscription for women who want to be better, braver leaders.

Break free of your addiction to possibilities (podcast #017)

The key ingredient to have a stand-out year (podcast #018)

Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters

Join me on Instagram here or on LinkedIn here

As we come to the end of the year, let’s all take a collective moment to pause, look backward and reflect on all the ground we’ve covered and lessons we’ve learned.

It’s easy to want blow past the past and focus only on what’s ahead, but we do so at our own peril. When we take the time and flex our courage muscles to get honest about what’s transpired, we can learn and grow. We can use what we now know (that we didn’t know before) to shape how we proceed and what perspective we hold about the future ahead.

In today’s episode, I walk you through the 10 questions to ask yourself to close out this year. I’ll be asking myself the very same questions and sharing my answers on Instagram and LinkedIn if you want to follow along.

Enjoy the episode! 

Yes I’m an overnight success – 11 years in the making. ~Chris Brogan, author and speaker

My husband and I were watching TV last week after a very long day. As I searched the PVR for something to watch, I saw that Modern Family had just started taping.

Awesome I thought, we love this show.

And so I hit play. And all was well until a commercial began and I realized because it was taping live, we didn’t have the luxury of hitting that little 15 seconds button a few times until we got back to the show.

Can I tell you how annoyed we both were? We looked at each other in bewilderment like, “what is happening here? Do we actually have to watch a commercial? This is so wrong!”

We were so used to having easy, on-demand access to the exact thing we wanted to watch when we wanted to watch it that it felt totally alien to have to wait.

Ah waiting. Something we’re not so good at doing.

Because for the most part, we don’t have to...

Enjoy the episode!

Recommended Resources:

The Leadership League Mastermind 

Nothing is ever wasted, it is all useful 

A League of their Own (clip)

Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters

Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter here and use the hashtag #risewithoutcompromise

Thanks for listening:

I want to thank you for listening and to those that have taken the time to review the show. If you like the Rise without Compromise podcast, please consider leaving an honest review in Apple Podcasts.

Your review goes a long way to help this podcast get found by more people. Thank you!

You can review & rate the show here Rise without Compromise

Shownotes >> https://stephaniepollock.com/rwc072

A bird sitting in a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not in the branch but in its wings. ~Unknown

Spring has sprung, quarter two is ahead of us and I’m taking a moment to pause, catch my breath and regroup. In reality, that’s meant putting a few exciting opportunities on the backburner and easing up my work processes a bit.

I’m not always good at parking projects – I want to do them all right now, thank you very much. But after 11 years in business, I know that when I try to do it all, I end up doing none of it well. And I’m actively working to break that pattern.

In today’s episode, I share what’s going on for quarter two, what I decided to put in an Evernote folder for later and why it’s important for you to do a Q2 check-in too.

And then I share three reminders to help you navigate these next months with ease and joy.

Enjoy the episode!

Recommended Resources:

The Leadership League Mastermind

Team Steph Book Updates

ACE Class Master Class

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #1)

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #2)

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #3)

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #4)

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #5)

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #6)

Thanks for listening:

Stephanie is an amazing, and realistic, leader. She breaks business down into tangible chunks and realizes real life happens, but gives you tools to succeed in light of it. Her podcast is a breath of fresh air and I’m burning through her earlier ones at lightning speed and so pumped up to apply all her amazing tips!  ~ Liz of Lekker Cider

I want to thank you for listening and to those that have taken the time to review the show. If you like the Rise without Compromise podcast, please consider leaving an honest review in Apple Podcasts.

Your review goes a long way to help this podcast get found by more people. Thank you!

You can review & rate the show here Rise without Compromise

Shownotes >> https://stephaniepollock.com/rwc072

A bird sitting in a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not in the branch but in its wings. ~Unknown

Spring has sprung, quarter two is ahead of us and I’m taking a moment to pause, catch my breath and regroup. In reality, that’s meant putting a few exciting opportunities on the backburner and easing up my work processes a bit.

I’m not always good at parking projects – I want to do them all right now, thank you very much. But after 11 years in business, I know that when I try to do it all, I end up doing none of it well. And I’m actively working to break that pattern.

In today’s episode, I share what’s going on for quarter two, what I decided to put in an Evernote folder for later and why it’s important for you to do a Q2 check-in too.

And then I share three reminders to help you navigate these next months with ease and joy.

Enjoy the episode!

Recommended Resources:

The Leadership League Mastermind

Team Steph Book Updates

ACE Class Master Class

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #1)

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #2)

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #3)

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #4)

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #5)

30 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business (part #6)

Thanks for listening:

Stephanie is an amazing, and realistic, leader. She breaks business down into tangible chunks and realizes real life happens, but gives you tools to succeed in light of it. Her podcast is a breath of fresh air and I’m burning through her earlier ones at lightning speed and so pumped up to apply all her amazing tips!  ~ Liz of Lekker Cider

I want to thank you for listening and to those that have taken the time to review the show. If you like the Rise without Compromise podcast, please consider leaving an honest review in Apple Podcasts.

Your review goes a long way to help this podcast get found by more people. Thank you!

You can review & rate the show here Rise without Compromise

The willingness to show up changes us. It makes us a little braver each time.
~Brené Brown

You may remember that I chose the words “show up” as my focus for 2019. I wanted to show up in all areas of my life – from my work to my health to my friends and family, to myself.

Today I thought I’d give you a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at how that’s going and what’s been getting in the way. My goal with this episode isn’t to make it all about me, but rather use my progress as an example to speak to how hard it can be for many of us to show up and be seen.

I don’t have 5 quick tips in today’s episode either – this one is a little rawer than it is strategic. But sometimes we have to show up and tell the truth over another listicle, right?

Listen in for a vulnerable, honest take about what it looks like when I lean into “showing up” as my mandate for 2019.

Enjoy today’s episode.

Recommended Resources:

FULL SHOW NOTES HERE

Instagram post about my Word of the Year

Instagram post about showing up

The Leadership League Mastermind – early bird spots are now available

Team Steph Book Club – join my behind-the-scenes look at my book writing process

Daring Greatly – Brené Brown

RISE Conference

Why I love getting up at 4:30am every morning

Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters

Book a Breakthrough Session with me to talk about how you can start to show up and be seen

Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter here and use the hashtag #risewithoutcompromise

Enjoy this short clip of my interview with Victoria Smith in celebration of her 100th episode of the Girl Tries Life podcast. 

You can listen to the full episode here or by searching for Girl Tries Life in your podcast player of choice. 

In this interview, we talk about the critical difference between self-care and self-comfort, how to avoid burnout and how to find a personalized plan to feel more like yourself. 

Enjoy! 

Self-Care vs Self-Comfort with Stephanie Pollock 

SHOWNOTES >> https://stephaniepollock.com/rwc070

Love your work, then you will find pleasure in mastering it. ~H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Happy Valentine’s Day! 

Today I wanted to use Valentine’s Day as a jumping off point to talk about ways you can love your work again – whether that’s your professional career or your business. And given that today is my 70th episode, I’ve come up with seven specific strategies you can try to get there.

It may be Valentine’s Day, but it’s also mid-February. Which means that for most of us, we’re knee deep into winter with the polar vortex sweeping much of Canada and the United States. The new year energy is behind us, spring is still far away and it’s easy to feel slow, sluggish and perhaps even a bit discontented about our life and work.

That’s why I wanted to bring these seven ideas to you today – so that you can intentionally find ways to make your work feel better, more fulfilling and perhaps even joyful. You don’t need to try all these strategies of course, but even if you give just one a go, my hope is that you’ll see your satisfaction rise.

It’s easy to find ourselves doing the same thing, day after day, not really questioning things much until suddenly we have a moment where we think, “Is this all there is?” or “I’m not loving this,” or even just “This is good, but I bet it could be better.”

I’ve talked about this before on the podcast, in episode 31 where I talked about how to bounce back after a crisis of confidence, and in episode 32 where we discussed what questions to ask when your business needs to change.  They are both helpful episodes if you’re feeling particularly disenchanted with your business or you’ve been dealt a tough blow.

In today’s seven strategies, I’m going to focus more on positive actions you can take to bring the love back to your work, maybe not overnight, but slowly and steadily until it feels aligned and good again.

Enjoy the episode!

Recommended Resources:

Subscribe to my weekly Leadership Letters

RISE Conference (Mar 7-9, 2019) – use POLLOCKVIP to receive 15% off

How to bounce back after a crisis of confidence

What questions to ask when your business needs to change

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

Why I love getting up at 4:30am every day

Build better habits (the ones that stick)

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

Deep Work by Cal Newport

Book a Breakthrough Session with me to talk about how to do work that matters this year

Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter here and use the hashtag #risewithoutcompromise

Learnings, Practices & Celebrations:

I’m gathering your stories and insights into what you’re learning, practicing and celebrating. I’ll be sharing them on upcoming episodes as a way to showcase the small and big wins that often get overlooked as we go in search of what’s next.

If you’re particularly proud of something you accomplished or a hurdle you overcame, or if you’re practicing something that’s strengthening your leadership and impact, or if you’ve had a recent aha (as I share in today’s episode), please email me and let me know.

You can choose to stay anonymous (just let me know in your email) or I can give you a shout-out on the show. My goal is to pay reverence and respect to all the steps along the way to creating a life and work we can be proud of. You never know who you may inspire.

Submit your story (1-4 paragraphs) here. Thank you!

Thanks for listening:

I want to thank you for listening and to those that have taken the time to review the show. If you like the Rise without Compromise podcast, please consider leaving an honest review in Apple Podcasts.

Your review goes a long way to help this podcast get found by more people. Thank you!

You can review & rate the show here Rise without Compromise

>>Show notes: https://stephaniepollock.com/rwc069

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Rise and shine

Ever since I began my (very) early morning routine some nine months ago, I’ve received a lot of questions about it.

Some people look at me, mouth agape wondering what on earth I’m thinking of waking up before the sun. Others are curious, questioning if they too could rise in the wee hours to make time for themselves.

Mostly, people want to know the answers to four questions:

1. Why I decided to get up so early
2. What I do during my morning hours
3. What time I go to bed
4. Is it worth it?

In this episode of the Rise without Compromise podcast, I answer all four questions in detail and give you a behind-the-scenes look at what mornings look like for me.

Before you listen, a couple caveats:

1. This is not prescriptive. Early mornings aren’t for everyone and I don’t think getting up early makes me any more successful than the next person who works hard but gets up at 9am.
2. It’s nothing sexy or particularly noteworthy. I say that to demystify the practice of getting up early. It’s honestly not that big of a deal, nor is that hard to do when you want to do it.
3. It does not need to start at 4:30am. That’s what works for me, right now, and this season in my life and work. It’s about the “why” behind it, not the actual time on the clock. You can do the same thing at 6:30am or 2:30pm or 9:30pm.

If you’ve been wanting to make more time for yourself, your work or your creative ideas, listen in and see if it inspires you to start a morning practice.

And if not, then that’s perfectly fine too. As I say in the show, you do you.

Enjoy the episode!

Recommended Resources:

Build better habits (the ones that stick)

“Good for her, not for me.”

Boost your chances for success with a set of these

Simple Habit app

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Up First podcast by NPR

The Daily by the New York Times

Sign up to receive my weekly Leadership Letters

Book a Breakthrough Session with me to talk about how to do work that matters this year

Join me on Instagram here or on Twitter here and use the hashtag #risewithoutcompromise

Learnings, Practices & Celebrations:

I’m gathering your stories and insights into what you’re learning, practicing and celebrating. I’ll be sharing them on upcoming episodes as a way to showcase the small and big wins that often get overlooked as we go in search of what’s next.

If you’re particularly proud of something you accomplished or a hurdle you overcame, or if you’re practicing something that’s strengthening your leadership and impact, or if you’ve had a recent aha (as I share in today’s episode), please email me and let me know.

You can choose to stay anonymous (just let me know in your email) or I can give you a shout-out on the show. My goal is to pay reverence and respect to all the steps along the way to creating a life and work we can be proud of. You never know who you may inspire.

Submit your story (1-4 paragraphs) here. Thank you!

Thanks for listening:

I want to thank you for listening and to those that have taken the time to review the show. If you like the Rise without Compromise podcast, please consider leaving an honest review in Apple Podcasts.

Your review goes a long way to help this podcast get found by more people. Thank you!

You can review & rate the show here Rise without Compromise