The Intentional Greatness Podcast

We have recorded almost 150 episodes of the Intentional Greatness Podcast, and we are beyond grateful for your continued support, enthusiasm, and feedback. During this special announcement episode, Sue discusses what to expect from the show in the coming weeks, as well as changes that you will hear in our upcoming spring episodes.   What You Will Learn: What can you expect from the show in the next few weeks The exciting changes coming later this year Why you should continue to share your feedback and thoughts about the podcast Where you can find continued support and resources from Sue Resources: Chasing Perfection Book 2-Day Intentional Greatness® Immersive Experience: https://suehawkes.lpages.co/smart-start-2-day-8-31-21 Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS

“Clarity is the elimination of mental clutter, agility is the elimination of physical clutter, and tranquility is the elimination of spiritual clutter,” says author James Clear. In this episode of the podcast Sue and her daughter, Ali Stieglbauer, discuss decluttering to create mental, spiritual, and physical space. During their conversation, Sue and Ali share thoughts about why we tend to declutter during transitional periods and how saying no allows us to create more space. What you’ll learn about in this episode: The importance of removing mental, physical, and spiritual clutter You must declutter your mind, not just your physical space Why you must declutter your calendar to create mental space How to restore order in chaos What inner tranquility means Why you must say “no” more often in order to create space Why how you dress impacts how you show up internally How to declutter to remain engaged online How to have an elimination diet for your life Resources: Chasing Perfection Book 2-Day Intentional Greatness® Immersive Experience: https://suehawkes.lpages.co/smart-start-2-day-8-31-21 Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Decluttering for Clarity Clarity is the elimination of mental clutter, agility is the elimination of physical clutter. and tranquility is the elimination of spiritual clutter, says author James Clear. My daughter, Ali Stieglbauer, is joining us again to discuss decluttering to create mental, spiritual, and physical space. During our conversation, Ali and I share thoughts about why we tend to declutter during transitional periods. We also explain how saying no allows us to create more space. Showing Up to Level Up As our work culture has changed throughout the pandemic, many people believe that the rules have changed regarding physical appearance and showing up. However, not showing up in a professional wardrobe or with your physical presence on screen, does not allow for a level playing field. This may be an old school belief system, but you have to dress for the game you want to play. Knowing When to Say No When you’re pondering what things to eliminate — it’s really about knowing when to say no. Decluttering your life is about saying no to things, in order to elevate and level up. It can be difficult to say no, but it’s an essential part of being a leader. Ultimately saying no allows you to reach an ideal state of tranquility, agility, and clarity.

As a bestselling author, keynote speaker, Expert EOS Implementer, Certified Business Coach, WPO Chapter Chair, and globally recognized, award-winning seminar leader, Sue brings over twenty-five years of experience to her clients. She is the CEO of YESS! and has designed and delivered dynamic, transformational programs for thousands of people. Sue has received numerous awards including the Dream Keeper award recognized by the Governor’s Council for her leadership program, the Regional U.S. Small Business Administration Women in Business Champion of the Year award, the Exemplary Woman of the Community award, WomenVenture’s Unsung Hero award, Women Who Lead from Minnesota Business Magazine, NAWBO Minnesota’s Achieve! Vision Award and named a 2018 Enterprising Woman of the Year. Sue has been featured in publications including Inc., Entrepreneur, Thrive Global and The New York Daily News. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why you must change your mindset in order to combat burnout Why you need to pause and remember you are in control How to form effective, lasting habits How to determine your recipe for success Why this is the year to do what makes you happy Why you should take five quiet minutes in the morning to be present Resources: Learnworlds Online Learning Community: https://yess.learnworlds.com/ Unf♥https://www.sayyess.com/shop/ Whole Life Challenge: https://www.wholelifechallenge.com/ Daily Blog Sign-Up: https://www.sayyess.com/blog-signup Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Collective Burnout As we continue battling a pandemic we are finding that more and more people are beginning to experience a feeling of burnout. People are just tired. Tired of their current circumstances and mentally exhausted. While there have been many discussions surrounding burnout - there has not been a lot of talk focused on ways to combat it. During our conversation, my daughter, Ali, and I share insights into what we really need when we’re experiencing burnout and how to avoid it altogether. Habits Create Success If you’re experiencing burnout due to overexertion or being overworked, one of the first things you should do is take better care of yourself. It may feel impossible to dedicate time to things like movement or meditation - but it’s necessary. You have to choose what you say "yes" and "no" to in order to experience positive change. When forming habits it’s important to look back and think about how you’ve felt doing this in the past. Healthy habits are not about instant gratification. The Power of Mindset When you feel burned out, it’s likely because you are sick of doing the same things that don’t fuel you or fulfill you. When you feel this way, it’s important to remember that you are in control. You have the power to change your behavior, surroundings, or anything else that does not serve you. We put too much emphasis on what we think we should be doing, instead of what we need. In order to truly exile burnout - we must start paying attention to the things that make us feel good and do more of that.

As a bestselling author, keynote speaker, Certified EOS Implementer, Certified Business Coach, WPO Chapter Chair, and globally recognized, award-winning seminar leader, Sue brings over twenty-five years of experience to her clients. She is the CEO of YESS! and has designed and delivered dynamic, transformational programs for thousands of people. Sue has received numerous awards including the Dream Keeper award recognized by the Governor’s Council for her leadership program, the Regional U.S. Small Business Administration Women in Business Champion of the Year award, the Exemplary Woman of the Community award, WomenVenture’s Unsung Hero award, Women Who Lead from Minnesota Business Magazine, NAWBO Minnesota’s Achieve! Vision Award and named a 2018 Enterprising Woman of the Year. Sue has been featured in publications including Inc., Entrepreneur, Thrive Global and The New York Daily News. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why you must hire with Core Values How to effectively hire over a screen How to manage a hybrid workforce What employee capacity really means How to determine who your right employees are in a hybrid world The 3 questions to prepare for tough workplace conversations How to have tough conversations with superiors when you are the employee Resources: Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS YESS! Online learning community: yess.learnworlds.com Results Guaranteed communication course (if you loved the communication information, learn more here!): https://www.sayyess.com/results-guaranteed/ Core Values Cards: https://www.amazon.com/Values-Cards-John-Veeken/dp/0980517532/ref=sr_1_1?crid=NWXEOTSEZW5W&dchild=1&keywords=core+values+cards&qid=1611804572&sprefix=core+values+car%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-1 Getting Messy The challenging part of business isn’t business at all - it’s people. Business is easy, people are challenging. During this week’s episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, my daughter Ali and I share our insights on communication best practices in the workplace. In 2022 things are going to get a lot messier before they get cleaner. It’s important to know what employees really want right now and what they’re willing to trade to have those things. Throughout our conversation, we discuss core values and how to make sure that someone is a right fit during the hiring process. Finding A Core Value Match Hiring new employees is difficult, but finding the right fit virtually is an entirely new challenge. While many companies work with teams they have never met in person - it can feel impossible to spot the wrong person in a mobile world. Unfortunately, if you don’t have the right practices in place - it is a lot easier for someone to fake it. When analyzing if a potential hire aligns with your company's core values, implement core values cards during the hiring process to get a better understanding of where your prospect lies. Not Going Anywhere When you feel attacked in the workplace or are experiencing criticism, it’s natural to want to retreat or get defensive. But, there are better and more effective ways to respond. It’s important to make sure that everyone involved knows that their concerns were heard, are valid, and most importantly you are not going anywhere. We all have a choice to continue to stay in the circumstance or not. If you’re the employee in this situation and are dealing with a superior - you should come to the conversation armed with data. Spend time role-playing the conversation, to eliminate the element of fear. Don’t let the conversation be the first time you’ve talked it through.

Small businesses, ranging from 10 to 200 employees realize that a wrong person can change the course and trajectory of your business. This makes it critical to find the right person for your company. During this solo episode, Sue shares her thoughts about the importance of raising our standards and hiring the ideal talent for a business. What you’ll learn about in this episode: What does right person, right seat mean Why outsourcing work may be the best fit when looking for new talent Why you should not lower the bar when hiring Why all businesses should slow down How employers should handle in-office vs remote employees Resources: Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Share the Goodness: yess.learnworlds.com Changing the Course Small businesses, ranging from 10 to 200 employees realize that a wrong person can change the course and trajectory of your business. This makes it critical to find the right person for your company. During this solo episode, I share thoughts about the importance of raising our standards and hiring the ideal talent for a business. Finding the Right Person It’s common to struggle in the hiring department in most businesses. The key is to find the right person and the right seat. This means having an employee that is not only good at performing the required skills, but also a good fit within the company culture. It’s good business to raise your standards and take the proper amount of time needed to locate the best employee. While searching — outsource work to contractors to meet short-term needs. The Ideal Balance Some businesses are set up to thrive as an online company, while others, myself included, have some level of our business in person. The workplace in 2021 has been disrupted with some employees wanting to work from home, others wanting higher compensation for commuting to the office, and some are looking for a hybrid work solution. Businesses must find a healthy intersection between the well-being of employees and the well-being of the company. In this episode of the Intentional Greatness Podcast, I explain why I think remote employees need to operate at a 25% higher productivity rate and how businesses should consider adjusting benefits for their employees.

Often people see others who they deem successful, and they think, “of course, it happened for them.” The truth is that success doesn’t come without hard work and intention. Intentionality is like a math equation. You set an intention of certain results and then determine what practices you need to reach it. In this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue shares her thoughts on what it means to be intentional, how intentionality shows up in your life, and how to design an intentionally great life. What you’ll learn about in this episode: What does intentionality mean and how does it show up for you Why you need to redefine who you are to become what you intend Why you should reassess when things are working well and not working How often you should evaluate what’s important in your life How to find an accountability partner to help you achieve success Resources: Chasing Perfection Book 2-Day Intentional Greatness® Immersive Experience: https://suehawkes.lpages.co/smart-start-2-day-8-31-21 Online Learning Community: https://yess.learnworlds.com/ Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Showing Up Intentionally Often people see others who they deem successful, and they think, “of course, it happened for them.” The truth is that success doesn’t come without hard work and intention. Intentionality is like a math equation. You set an intention of certain results and then determine what practices you need to reach it. In this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue shares her thoughts on what it means to be intentional, how intentionality shows up in your life, and how to design an intentionally great life. Remaining Patient In our current world, we are used to instant gratification. Whether that’s getting groceries delivered within hours or merchandise shipped to our home in days–we are used to the immediacy of things. Overall, the persistence and patience to be intentional about something over time is a somewhat lost art. Achieving Intentional Greatness requires intention and a lot of hard work. Sue shares how her upbringing taught her to work hard and remain persistent and patient on this episode of the Intentional Greatness podcast. Assessing and Evaluating When designing your life, it’s important to exaggerate your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. However, it can be difficult to even understand what those are when you are never taking the time to look closely. Re-evaluate and reassess your life when things are not working, and also when things are working very well. Doing this process regularly allows you to course-correct your life and reach the intentions you set.

In this special episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast with the City Girl Empower Hour podcast, Sue speaks with host Alyza Bohbot James about how to use the principles of EOS to become successful in both your professional and personal life. During the conversation, she discusses how important remaining disciplined is to reach your ultimate level of success. Also, Sue shares tactics to combat the feelings of burnout by saying no more often, and how committing to small, incremental daily improvements have helped her achieve more success. What you’ll learn about in this episode: What does it mean to live the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)® life How does discipline and being intentional impact your level of success Why is it important to say no to maintain clarity and intentionality What does work-life balance actually mean to most people How business owners often think that they cannot take breaks if they want to be successful How can business owners achieve their vision and what they want in their business Why the healthiest business owners are those that are detached How business owners can stop searching for perfection, and instead strive for excellence or greatness Why entrepreneurs need to have a group of confidants outside of their business and personal life What are the benefits of working on incremental, consistent improvements daily Resources: Chasing Perfection Book 2-Day Intentional Greatness® Immersive Experience: https://suehawkes.lpages.co/smart-start-2-day-8-31-21 Online Learning Community: https://yess.learnworlds.com/ Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Combating Burnout In this special episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast with the City Girl Empower Hour podcast, Sue speaks with host Alyza Bohbot James about how to use the principles of EOS to become successful in both your professional and personal life. During the conversation, she discusses how important remaining disciplined is to reach your ultimate level of success. Also, Sue shares tactics to combat the feelings of burnout by saying no more often, and how committing to small, incremental daily improvements have helped her achieve more success. Remaining Disciplined Sue learned in her 20s that discipline is the key to all success. While she naturally tends to overfill her life and do things last minute, she found that the people she met who were intensely successful, all had one thing in common — discipline. Eventually, Sue learned from both mentors and experience, if you don’t develop discipline and practices you will eventually burn out and run yourself down. Incremental Improvement At 42 years old, Sue committed herself that she would get better incrementally each year, moving forward. She decided that by age 50, she would be on the road to being in the best shape of her life. Sue kept that promise to herself, and she was able to by remaining consistent and committed to improving incrementally each day. She started from her worst, most vulnerable place in life, and was able to move forward by always remaining hopeful.

The world gives us what we need, but unfortunately, it’s not always what we want. When we are forced to learn a lesson or go through things that are not what we expected, how do we remain resilient enough to learn? During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue and Ali discuss remaining open and keeping a positive mindset during challenging times. Sue also explains what your negative emotions and thoughts mean, and what she does to shift her mindset. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How to remain resilient and receptive enough to remain open and learn lessons Why you should set intentions and efforts only on the things you can control How to change your mindset when you are thinking negative thoughts Why your negative feelings are about being disappointed in yourself, not reality The question to ask yourself when you are feeling down or sad How to avoid arguing with the reality of situations and outcomes Resources: Chasing Perfection Book 2-Day Intentional Greatness® Immersive Experience: https://suehawkes.lpages.co/smart-start-2-day-8-31-21 Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Remaining Resilient The world gives us what we need, but unfortunately, it’s not always what we want. When we are forced to learn a lesson or go through things that are not what we expected, how do we remain resilient enough to learn? During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue and Ali discuss remaining open and keeping a positive mindset during challenging times. Sue also explains what your negative emotions and thoughts mean, and what she does to shift her mindset. Losing Expectations If you were to look back on your life and ask yourself, how often have things turned out exactly as you expected, the answer would likely be close to never. Sometimes we miss the mark, while other times we exceed it. We tend to live in a false hope that we know what the future holds when in truth we do not. This allows us to feel liberated and free, knowing that we are not responsible for the outcome. We are only responsible for our efforts. Setting Intentions Byron Katie says, “when I argue with reality I lose 100% of the time.” When life offers circumstances that are neither for or against you, you can choose to become irritated and blame others or you can look for the opportunity of what this situation is offering you. Arguing with reality does not serve you. Focus on where you put your efforts and only put your emotions into where you set your intentions.

How do you find the ever-elusive work-life balance, in whatever way balance looks for you? During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue and Ali discuss chapter 2 of Chasing Perfection: Shatter the Illusion, Minimize Self-Doubt and Maximize Success, titled “Balance is Bullshit.” During the holiday season, it can be difficult to integrate your work priorities along with your personal priorities. Sue shares how to prioritize your needs during busy and stressful times. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Practices to prioritize ourselves amid professional and personal conflicts Why creating boundaries is critical for managing stress and setting short term priorities How planning for the things that are important to you can help you reduce resentment and increase enjoyment Why it’s important to take the time to get clear on what makes you your best self How to observe yourself and discover what you need at the moment Three things you can do to reflect and gain more clarity Resources: Chasing Perfection Book 2-Day Intentional Greatness® Immersive Experience: https://suehawkes.lpages.co/smart-start-2-day-8-31-21 Online Learning Community: https://yess.learnworlds.com/ Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Finding Balance How do you find the ever-elusive work-life balance, in whatever way balance looks for you? During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue and Ali discuss chapter 2 of Chasing Perfection: Shatter the Illusion, Minimize Self-Doubt and Maximize Success, titled Balance is Bullshit. During the holiday season, it can be difficult to integrate your work priorities along with your personal priorities. Sue shares how to prioritize your needs during busy and stressful times. Setting Boundaries During stressful times, like the holiday season, you have to become crystal clear on what you need and factor that into your decision-making. When choosing what events to go to, or what additional responsibilities to take on, it’s all about boundaries and stepping back to see what actually works for you. You have to be disciplined enough to plan for the things that matter most to you. Become a student of what makes you awesome, and focus on doing those things. Do not allow yourself to get distracted by busyness and saying yes to things that will eventually lead to resentment. Getting Clarity You need the space to be able to evaluate and observe yourself, to ask “why did I behave this way?” When you begin to ask yourself what you need, you will discover that it always comes back to you. You can blame others, but you won’t get anywhere. Take the time to pause, reflect, and get clarity on what you need right now, and figure out how to get that. Sue shares the three things she does to get more clarity on what she needs.

We all experience moments in life when we feel down or in a bad mood, and we may typically step back during those times. However, this week Sue chooses to be vulnerable and share some of the challenges she has been facing in life recently. During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue also explains how to move forward when you are feeling bad, and the importance of evaluating the things you say yes and no to in life. What you’ll learn about in this episode: The first thing that Sue does when she is in a bad mood How to hack yourself when you are feeling down or not your best self How to do the things you love without making it a bad experience or becoming resentful Why saying yes to one thing often includes several additional yesses What an inauthentic yes is and why we shouldn’t do it Why it’s important to weigh and evaluate your yeses and nos Resources: Chasing Perfection Book 2-Day Intentional Greatness® Immersive Experience: https://suehawkes.lpages.co/smart-start-2-day-8-31-21 Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Feeling Down We all experience moments in life when we feel down or in a bad mood, and we may typically step back during those times. However, this week Sue chooses to be vulnerable and share some of the challenges she has been facing in life recently. During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue also explains how to move forward when you are feeling bad, and the importance of evaluating the things you say yes and no to in life. Hacking Yourself Sometimes it's okay to resent that the world isn't happening on your terms. It's okay to be sad and upset about the circumstances or struggles that you are facing. When you feel this way, you can hack yourself into feeling better by giving more of what you need. If you want a hug, go give one, acknowledge or appreciate someone when you don't feel appreciated. Once you put that energy out into the world, you often start to see it return to you. Evaluating Yes Do not be too quick to say yes. Pause long enough to evaluate, and then negotiate. If the answer is no, give yourself permission to say so. During the short term, you might feel a little bit of hurt or sadness, but you don’t want to give an inauthentic yes because you gave a yes that at the moment seemed like the right thing to do, and then the day of may not. Evaluate your yesses and nos and learn to say no and stick with it.

The holiday season is a time where you are supposed to feel joy and excitement about spending time with loved ones and going to special events. However, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed with your meetings, deadlines, events, and all of the holiday parties you’re juggling. It stops being fun and starts getting stressful. During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue walks you through an activity to make your calendar more efficient, so that you can enjoy your time, rather than resent it. What you’ll learn about in this episode: How to become more efficient with your calendar during the holiday season Why you should schedule downtime every day to avoid resentment What activity you can do to create more white space in your calendar What questions you should ask yourself when examining your calendar How thinking long term and taking more time off allows you to become more successful Why you need to be thoughtful about how you spend your time and what works for you Why it’s important to test what time of day you are at your best How examining the things that you procrastinate can help you understand what makes you happy Resources: Chasing Perfection Book 2-Day Intentional Greatness® Immersive Experience: https://suehawkes.lpages.co/smart-start-2-day-8-31-21 Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Fighting Overwhelm The holiday season is a time where you are supposed to feel joy and excitement about spending time with loved ones and going to special events. However, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed with your meetings, deadlines, events, and all of the holiday parties you’re juggling. It stops being fun and starts getting stressful. During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue walks you through an activity to make your calendar more efficient, so that you can enjoy your time, rather than resent it. Thinking Long Term Take a look at your calendar and imagine what your ideal schedule would look like. What activities would you nurture? Which would you let go of? When planning your schedule, begin to think long-term. Plan your vacation first. It may not be as spontaneous as you’d like, but it forces you to take better care of yourself. If you make yourself a priority and take more time off you will likely become more successful. Life Hacks It’s important to discover when you are at your best in life. Examine the areas in life that you procrastinate. They are usually the things that you don’t love. Find a way to eliminate them, or delegate them to someone else. Test the time of day that you operate the best. Discover how many hours you need for optimal sleep. Hack your life by working and operating when and where you are most likely to be efficient.

In this special episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast with Onward Nation Podcast, Sue speaks with host Stephen Woessner about taking time to think and gain clarity as an entrepreneur and the steps you can take to move past imposter syndrome. You can move from the chaos of your business controlling you, to you controlling your business by developing a system and process for operation. Sue shares the Six Key Components™ of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)®, and the three things she focuses on to get a business healthy. What You Will Learn: What tactical steps a leader can take to move past imposter syndrome What a Clarity Break™ is, and how leaders can get started Why not making decisions by committee helps a business become a leadership team The Six Key Components™ of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)® Why entrepreneurs tend to more of what love in their business What three things to focus on to get a business healthy Resources: Chasing Perfection book 2-Day Intentional Greatness® Immersive Experience: https://suehawkes.lpages.co/smart-start-2-day-8-31-21 Online Learning Community: https://yess.learnworlds.com/  Website:https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Controlling Your Business In this special episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast with Onward Nation Podcast. Sue speaks with host Stephen Woessner about taking time to think and gain clarity as an entrepreneur and the steps you can take to move past imposter syndrome. You can move from the chaos of your business controlling you, to you controlling your business by developing a system and process for operation. Sue shares the Six Key Components™ of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)®, and the three things she focuses on to get a business healthy. Taking Breaks Sue believes that the secret weapon of the best leaders is consistently making time to think. Take a Clarity Break™ regularly to consider how you, your team, and your business can be better and what problems or concerns you foresee. It is extracting yourself from the detail to how to create a space to just think and expand. How can you be a visionary in your business, if you don’t allow yourself clarity breaks, because then you’ll never be in vision mode? Developing Structure Sue explains that when you are working so hard in your business, solving problems, and fighting problems, it’s difficult to get the return on all of the efforts you’re putting in. Having a system and processes in place, like EOS®, allows you to develop a structure and solve all of your problems more effectively. During this episode, Sue explains the vision, people, data, issues, process, and traction — the six key components of EOS® that she helps business owners implement.

Listen in for a special episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast with Onward Nation Podcast. Sue speaks with host Stephen Woessner about the importance of addressing self-doubt and defining excellence as a leader.  Your two options in business are either winning or learning. Sue shares how to learn from the down cycles of business, including how a few “unkind” words from a friend helped her push forward during a challenging time.  What You Will Learn: Why it’s important to be vulnerable enough to address self-doubt and imposter syndrome How continuous self-improvement results in increased freedom and internal peace What advice Sue received to get through a challenging time in her life How to prepare yourself to face a downturn in your business  The most critical skill required to be a successful business owner Why becoming a leadership team is more important than being a team of leaders Resources: Online Learning Community: https://yess.learnworlds.com/  Website:https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Winning or Learning  In this special episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast with Onward Nation Podcast. Sue speaks with host Stephen Woessner about the importance of addressing self-doubt and defining excellence as a leader. Your two options in business are either winning or learning. Sue shares how to learn from the down cycles of business, including how a few “unkind” words from a friend helped her push forward during a challenging time.  Facing Challenges In 2008 Sue experienced a very difficult time both professionally and personally where she was going through a divorce, her house was in foreclosure, and her two businesses were struggling. Unfortunately, her struggles continued when she lost both of her parents and her brother in the years following. She explained how a friend’s words, “I suggest you get about getting back on your horse” could have been perceived as unkind, aided her in pushing forward and bouncing back from the challenging cycle she was in.  Alignment vs Agreement Sue explains that the first step to having better control over your business is to align with your team. There is more power in moving from being a team of leaders to becoming a leadership team. Alignment is not the same as agreement. Sue shares why you need to leverage the best of each leader and allow them to contribute their maximum value. Allow each leader in your business to take complete ownership of their role and duties, while you do the same in your role

In this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, we are joined for the fourth time by Jon Berghoff. Jon is the founder of the XCHANGE Approach, where he helps facilitate meaningful dialogue and change at an accelerated pace. During their conversation, Jon and Sue discuss their takeaways from the WPO Conference and how to design and facilitate conversations that can work well in any group setting. He also shares an alternative method to traditional problem-solving techniques.  What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why do most leaders struggle to slow down instead of taking action How to design conversations to be a resource Why we should pause when making important decisions How being more productive causes us to stop relationship building An alternative to traditional problem-solving approaches How to craft quality questions and facilitate conversations in any setting Questions can we ask during moments of creative tension Resources:  Website: https://xchangeapproach.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonberghoff https://www.linkedin.com/company/xchange-approach Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XChangeGuide/ Conversations that Work In this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, we are joined for the fourth time by Jon Berghoff. Jon is the founder of the XCHANGE Approach, where he helps facilitate meaningful dialogue and change at an accelerated pace. During their conversation, Jon and Sue discuss their takeaways from the WPO Conference and how to design and facilitate conversations that can work well in any group setting. He also shares an alternative method to traditional problem-solving techniques.  Productivity Drawbacks During this era of time, while we continue to have the majority of our meetings online, many feel that we have the opportunity to be more productive. We are putting such a large emphasis on how productive we can be that we are losing sight of the consequence of that productivity. Jon shares that when we get hyper-productive, the consequence is we shut off the part of our brain that does all the important relationship building. Benefits of Curiosity It is common to share your thoughts and ideas, and when they are not well-received or liked we tend to take it personally, as though the person does not like us. Jon explains how during these instances of creative tension we can work through the moment by becoming curious. He explains that studies show high-performing teams that can navigate change well depending on how curious they are.

How do you find your purpose, or what really drives you in life? During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue and Ali discuss chapter 8 of Chasing Perfection: Shatter the Illusion, Minimize Self-Doubt and Maximize Success, titled Pouring Gas on the Fire. Many people will ask, “what’s your purpose?” and it feels as though something is wrong if you don’t have an answer. Sue shares how she discovered that a purpose is not a one-size-fits-all. What You Will Learn: How to find your purpose if you’re not in a leadership role or an entrepreneur Why we cannot compare our purpose to someone else’s Why your purpose does not have to be grandiose The difference between living life by default vs. living life by design How you can intentionally change habits with small changes Resources: Online Learning Community: https://yess.learnworlds.com/ Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Discovering Purpose How do you find your purpose, or what really drives you in life? During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue and Ali discuss chapter 8 of Chasing Perfection: Shatter the Illusion, Minimize Self-Doubt and Maximize Success, titled Pouring Gas on the Fire. Many people will ask, “what’s your purpose?” and it feels as though something is wrong if you don’t have an answer. Sue shares how she discovered that a purpose is not a one-size-fits-all. Comparing Journeys You may look at others and think, “you’re meant for so much more”. Although you may mean it in a sincere and complimentary way, underneath that thought what you’re saying is, “you should be doing more things like I am.” However, we are radically different people. We aren’t all here for the same thing. Once you begin to compare other’s journeys to your own, you forget that not everyone derives pleasure from the same things as you. We all have a purpose, how we articulate it, embrace it, or work on it is up to you. Flowing with Purpose Discovering your purpose is not a momentary thing, it can evolve in how it manifests. It’s something we tap into when we’re at our best. When you are expressing yourself as your best self, you’re living on purpose. It does not mean that it will always be put together in a nice package. Purpose can be grandiose, but you have to sit and you have to be quiet enough to figure it out. When it seems like life is magically unfolding, you’re on purpose. When it’s hard, you are probably not on purpose at that moment. There’s a flow with purpose that transcends beyond what you do to where you’re coming from. It’s your why.

What can you do when you’re not feeling great about yourself and things are hard? Step back and ask yourself a few key questions to better understand what lesson the situation is teaching you. Just asking yourself questions gives you the ability to reframe how you think about the circumstance — once you reframe your thinking your feelings will follow. During this solo episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue shares seven things to focus on to become more effective and kickass in life. What you’ll learn about in this episode: The seven things to focus on to become more effective What questions to ask yourself when you are struggling in life How Sue’s mothers Alzheimer’s impacted her priorities How to leave the world better than you found it Why you should lower your expectations and assume nothing How to make peace with the past by telling your story in a way that forwards you Resources: Online Learning Community: yess.learnworlds.com Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Reframing Questions What can you do when you’re not feeling great about yourself and things are hard? Step back and ask yourself a few key questions to better understand what lesson the situation is teaching you. Just asking yourself questions gives you the ability to reframe how you think about the circumstance — once you reframe your thinking your feelings will follow. During this solo episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue shares seven things to focus on to become more effective and kickass in life. Leaving it Better Always do more than what’s expected of you. Leave the world a better place than you found it. What is expected of you, is doing the bare minimum. What would the world be like if everyone were to only do the minimum in their personal lives or work lives? Challenge yourself to exceed expectations whenever possible. Do not overextend yourself. But, if you can offer a little bit more than expected, you can leave an indelible mark on someone. Moving Forward Do not fall in love with your story. When someone tells a story, they know how to elicit a specific response, and they often tell it differently depending on the audience. No one else is as in love with your story as you are. You are the author of your own story, and you have the opportunity to tell it in a way that allows you to make peace with the past by telling the story of how it catalyzed you and how it made you better. Use your story to move yourself forward.

When asking groups what they think when they hear the word “virtual” they often think less than, not real, or not valuable. During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue shares how to make our online meetings more valuable and why we should focus on living a more integrated life. She offers her insights on the behaviors that contribute to Zoom fatigue, and what we can do to make meetings better and more engaging. What you’ll learn about in this episode: What people typically feel when they hear the word virtual Why meeting in person is still valuable How taking more breaks helps you be more creative Why multitasking during online meetings can lead to Zoom fatigue What we can do to make online meetings better and more engaging Why integrated meetings should have two facilitators How viewing meetings as a spectator is problematic Resources: Online Learning Community: yess.learnworlds.com Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Valuable Behaviors When asking groups what they think when they hear the word “virtual” they often think less than, not real, or not valuable. During this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue shares how to make our online meetings more valuable and why we should focus on living a more integrated life. She offers her insights on the behaviors that contribute to Zoom fatigue, and what we can do to make meetings better and more engaging. Taking Breaks We have to get more confident and thoughtful about building self-care into our day so that we can take care of ourselves and prevent blending work and home. We have to consider how many times we need to get up and take breaks. Feeling fatigued during meetings is often the result of not being engaged. Taking more breaks actually has you stay creative and energized all day. Preparing to Participate We have all reached a point where we’ve relaxed as if it’s always someone else’s meeting. If you are viewing the meeting as a spectator or a contributor, you’ll ultimately feel that you don’t need to invest your time, create value, or add to the conversation. You should always view a meeting as if it’s your own. Do your homework. Prepare enough to ensure that it is worth your time — that is what makes meetings spectacular.

Saiyyidah Zaidi is the Amazon number one international bestseller of the book, Results: The Art and Science of Getting it Done. She’s a certified business coach, a certified high-performance coach, faculty member, and tutor. She has a Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology and Construction Economics and Management. Saiyyidah was the first of the first 10 female fellows of the Association Project Management. She is currently finishing her Ph.D. in the Intersection of Identity and Intersectionality. She has lived around the world and currently resides in North London. She started her first business early on in life, with a lemonade stall at the age of eight. Her purpose is to help individuals pause, reflect, make progress, and live purposefully wherever they are in their journey. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why it’s important that others correctly pronounce your name How project management helps with belonging and understanding Why you should shift your focus to the well-being of other individuals What it means to create psychological safety in a space Why the words diversity, equity, and inclusion no longer serve us Why it is beneficial to go into spaces where you’re different Resources: Website: https://www.saiyyidah.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saiyyidahzaidi LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/saiyyidah Twitter: https://twitter.com/saiyyidahzaidi Saiyyidah’s Book: Results: The Art and Science of Getting it Do Being Different Saiyyidah Zaidi is an author, coach, and conversation architect at the Centre for Belonging and Understanding. Her professional journey has had multiple twists and turns including careers in architecture and project management helping to build the skills necessary for her purpose. In this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Saiyyidah explains how being different serves us and the importance of showing up in spaces where you initially feel you don’t belong. Wasting Time Saiyyidah spent seven years studying architecture, and at the end of those years decided to no longer practice. While she could have been stubborn or not given herself the grace to change course, she realized that she probably would not have enjoyed her life. You must allow yourself to lean in and ask, where is this landscape taking me? There is peace in surrendering to what’s coming to you and allowing it to happen. Whatever leads you to that place is not a waste of time. Choosing Words Saiyyidah says that your words create worlds. If someone says “I love you” or “I hate you” those words mean something, not only in your head but your heart. Words have a DNA, specifically, the word diversity derives from the word divorce. It’s difficult to create a world of inclusion when the etymology of it is related to divorce or separation. In our conversation, Saiyyidah discusses how to use our conversations to bring us together.

Today Sue is coming at you from the Intentional Growth podcast airwaves! Listen in as Sue speaks with Intentional Growth podcast host Ryan Tansom about leadership, growth, and becoming Unf♥ During this episode Sue opens up about a challenging period in both her personal and professional life and the growth that ultimately led to becoming Unf♥ What you’ll learn about in this episode: What Unf♥ Why the Core Values of a company are so important during an unstable economy How confidence and being grounded affects your opinions and ideas Practices to feel more centered and grounded Why it’s beneficial to listen to people with different opinions and experiences Why the best person to educate someone is a person that truly cares How taking a Clarity Break™ can help you clear space in your mind Resources: Intentional Growth Podcast: https://arkona.io/podcasts Online Learning Community: https://yess.learnworlds.com/ Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Becoming Unfuckwithable When leaders are at their best, they are Unf♥ Changing Opinions There was a time when people were raised to not speak about certain topics, like sex, religion, or politics. Now that we have social media, we are always posting our opinions and hardening that opinion onto the person’s character, and judging them based on that thought. People must be able to learn and educate themselves over time. We need to give others the opportunity to change their perspective based on new information. Setting Core Values Core values are huge for your business. You have to get clear about who you are, what is your purpose, and what are your best and worst uses. After honing and refining your core values you’ll be able to come through difficult circumstances. Businesses can double down on their core values during challenging times and rely on those values as the reasoning behind their decisions. Great core values were and always will be who you are.

Listen in for a special episode with What the HR! Podcast. Sue speaks with hosts Mike Thul and Jessie Novey about virtual meetings and how to remain engaged and present while still preserving your energy. Engagement happens because you’re present, which means finding new ways to ensure that your video call audience is fully present is critical. Sue shares how utilizing technology and asking questions helps make her meetings engaging. What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why you should choose a virtual meeting over a phone call How to preserve energy and remain present for mandatory video meetings How to keep your audience engaged during virtual meetings What leaders should do to better connect with their employees virtually When is it appropriate and not appropriate to use video in meetings How to prevent fatigue from video calls Should leaders require cameras to be on or left optional How to have difficult or serious conversations on video What ways can leaders monitor employee engagement in a remote work setting Resources: What the HR! website: https://www.tcshrm.org/page/podcast Online Learning Community: https://yess.learnworlds.com/ Online Learning Community: yess.learnworlds.com Website: https://www.sayyess.com/ Books: https://www.sayyess.com/books/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suehawkes/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/suehawkesyess/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YESScoaching Twitter: https://twitter.com/SueHawkesYESS Preserving Energy The pandemic has accelerated remote work for many organizations, and this has led a lot of people to have “ZOOM fatigue.” It’s important to set up your schedule in a way that allows you to bring as much of yourself to all of your meetings and each virtual interaction. In this episode of the Intentional Greatness® podcast, Sue shares how she organizes her schedule to preserve energy, allowing her best self to show up on calls. Maintaining Engagement People are capable of sitting down and watching a five-hour Superbowl game, but often struggle to sit through an hour-long meeting. Leaders must learn how to facilitate meetings in a way that keeps the audience engaged. People participate differently in larger meetings, so using techniques like asking questions and using rooms to put people in smaller groups to have a more intimate conversation is key. Creating Connection Leaders are struggling to keep the water cooler conversation alive in a remote work setting. People are busy, which causes leaders to be hesitant to put another meeting on the calendar, even if it is for fun. The most respectful way for leaders to connect with their employees is to ask them what works best. Some may want an informal one-on-one meeting, while others may prefer to have a monthly virtual happy hour. The key is to ask, and know that it is okay for someone to change their mind.