Behind the Curtain with Lauren Shippy

Have you ever felt that you were the only one who could be experiencing this? Let me remind you, that you’re not. There are others that have walked the same road, been through similar phases and encountered situations that mirror yours. In this great big world, there are a lot of others who have felt alone in it too. Listen in as we unpack what it looks like to see "alone in it" in a new way.

Do you ever go to do something and think - who am I to be doing this? Even if you've been at it for quite awhile, imposter syndrome can still come to visit sometimes. As Craig Cooney from Daily Prophetic returns to the podcast, we talk about all kinds of things - including what it looks like to pull back the curtain on imposter syndrome.

Self sabotage comes as a result of our inability to see who we really are. We simply forget. We let other things in, like our own negative voice or others’ criticism. It stings. The tape plays on repeat over and over in our minds throughout our lives at different moments, sometimes quietly and sometimes - loudly.If you find yourself consistently starting things and not being able to finish them...this is for you.

The questioning, second guessing, that starts the spiral of - am I off on this? Am I doing this right? Did I mess this up? Is there a better way? Did I hear or understand that right? Did I misinterpret? Listen in as we unpack doubt and encourage you to hold steady. For more - head to StoryWork.co.

In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on fear! Fear that can cause you to....Play it safe,Shrink back,Stay quiet,Freeze,Run from it,Quit,Leave before it’s time,Stay too long,Hold onto things not meant for you.The cost of fear is great, but the reward of fear is nothing. Here's the declaration we shared in this episode on fear:Declare it. Fear, I choose not to partner with you anymore. I’m not bringing you with me, but leaving you here. You’ve cost me too much - too much time, energy, resistance and space. I’m moving forward in a new way, and when I feel you trying to creep in, I’m going to guard the gates of my mind and heart, and recognize you for what you really are. I no longer partner with your lies, false narratives and distortion of situations.

Like the Wizard of Oz - that looks great and mighty and all powerful on the surface, but what happens when the curtain is pulled back? He’s timid, a bit afraid and unsure. That’s what this podcast is about - going behind the curtain. My hope is to peel back the curtain on some of the things that can trip us up, and become blocks that hinder us from walking in our true purpose.Welcome to Behind the Curtain.

Well, the last 4 years have been fun, challenging and so much more. I'm not sure how long this will last, but felt that it was time to record the last Strategy Game podcast - so listen in for a special message on where I think things are headed and how to prepare for 2025....it's unconventional (of course). For more - stay tuned at www.storywork.co or follow my personal pages on all the platforms.

This episode was so much fun to record! My long time friend John Melhorn comes on the podcast to talk about the process of growing his company, Melhorn Architecture & Construction. But more than that, we talk about the "behind the scenes" of what it takes and what you want around you as you navigate all of life's twists and turns. More on John at www.melhorn.com.

Have you ever been talking to someone and you’re not fully hearing what they’re saying in the moment because you heard them say a particular word or phrase and your mind started to automatically “classify” what they’ve said into a category? Assumptions can happen quickly, so they’re tricky to keep track of unless we really assess our thoughts regularly because we can make them in a split second without even knowing it. Assumptions are often unprompted and based on a number of diverse things such as our past experiences in life, people we know like them, our political or religious beliefs, our news and social media feeds, and so much more. As we’re seeing people throughout the day, whether words are used or not, we’re probably making a whole bunch of assumptions about those people – everything from surface level demographics like their socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, background and upbringing, and their education level. We also might be subconsciously or consciously making assumptions about their philosophies and worldview such as their faith, political orientation, or their stance on social issues. We all have biases – whether we acknowledge them consciously or not. And we all have triggers that create associations with past wounds and hurts. Listen in as we unpack more on how to navigate assumptions + judgments. For more, head to www.storywork.co.

Listen in as we share another word on how to stay the course. For more, head to www.storywork.co.

Eighty-four percent of people surveyed said Americans are angrier today compared with a generation ago, according to the latest NPR-IBM Watson Health poll.  In a related question, they were asked if they were more likely to express their anger on social media than in person. Overall, nine in ten people said that was the case. We have more time due to automation and technology, but almost to our detriment. We have more information, but almost too much for our brains to process. We have more relationships with people, in some cases all over the world, but sometimes at the cost of us feeling overwhelmed by keeping up with all of these people. Burdens pile up, world events and leaders seem to become more and more amplified, and we don't know where to go with our anger. We feel more out of control than a decade ago because of all of the information we can access and more public platforms to express it.  In this episode we talk about what you can do right now to maintain peace of mind and clarity. For more things StoryWork: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/storywork⁠⁠⁠⁠

Listen in as we share another word on how to catch the aerial view. For more, head to www.storywork.co.

I LOVED having great friend and amazing leader Julie Wilson, President of Women Doing Well on the podcast. She is a fellow visionary, big picture thinker and also constantly committed to personal growth. Listen in as she shares how those two interact and some of the personal themes from her life story that have influenced how she got to where she is today. For more on Women Doing Well - head to https://womendoingwell.org

Bitterness, or resentment, is anger compounded over time. Bitter roots can run deep. Bitterness doesn't just happen on the first offense, it simmers slowly and with each offense, it grows. My therapist used to say that bitterness is like a cut. The first time you get a cut, it can heal pretty quickly. The second, third, fourth time you hit it in that same place, it's going to take longer to heal because the wound now runs deeper. Bitterness is the same; each time someone hurts us using the same pattern, in a similar scenario, or leaves us with the same feeling, it drives that bitterness or resentment down deeper. For more things StoryWork: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/storywork⁠⁠

You are going to a new place. It won’t look like the places you’ve been before. You don’t need to bring anything with you, just yourself. What you need for the new place is already in you, inscribed on the tablet of your heart, soul and mind. When you start out, it will feel unfamiliar, but as you go, you will see fragments of where you’ve been before and you will know that you are revisiting those places to get healed. The time is being redeemed, what has been lost is being restored. Notice the turns, stop and observe the map when you need to, cross over into new spaces and come back often to refuel. You are going to a new place. The New Place Guide

Welcoming Lauren Cotton from Cotton Crews to the podcast today! She's a long time friend, fellow entrepreneur and I've loved watching her consistently build her business. Listen in as she shares the lightbulb moment that started her business, the top 3 things that have led to her success and the generational wisdom that she has carried with her. For more on Cotton Crews - head to https://www.cottoncrews.com

The only person that unforgiveness holds captive is you. In preparation for practicing a lifestyle of seeing, knowing and hearing others, a regular rhythm of releasing others and forgiving them will set us free. Forgiveness is simply an acknowledgment that you no longer hold the offense against them; you release them. In other words, we no longer carry the burden of setting the record straight, righting their wrong, or holding them to expectations of repentance or justice. We set them free to let the offender work their own stuff out. For more things StoryWork: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/storywork⁠⁠

I'm going to be sharing a series of these words that have started interrupting my thoughts on a regular basis - when I hear them I run for the nearest piece of paper or note in my phone. These have encouraged me and I hope they encourage you too. This one is all about recognizing that you are not who you were - you've come through the season of blurry - and you're stepping into clarity. For more things StoryWork: ⁠https://linktr.ee/storywork⁠

Loved having good friend and business leader Rick Maffett on the podcast! Rick has stepped into the role of leading the family business over the last 2 years and in this episode, we recount the journey of his career, the drastic change and how he absolutely knew he needed to make this change, among many other things. If you're navigating transition, or feeling a pull to go in a new direction, this episode is for you. For more things StoryWork: ⁠https://linktr.ee/storywork

Control can give us a false sense of security. Controlling our schedules, time, and even other people is something we attempt to do in some way every day. Control can make us feel like we're on top of things - like we've got it together. We pull things in a little tighter (mostly subconsciously) because we think doing so will give us a sense of peace or security. The problem with control, though, is that it's an illusion most of the time. We don't actually have control over much at all, other than ourselves and our own reactions. Listen in as we unpack this "weed in the way" and highlight some questions that you can ask to get free of false control. For all things StoryWork - head to: https://linktr.ee/storywork