To watch the video of this episode, you can find it here!
Kate Thompson is a leadership coach, experience designer, marketer and art enthusiast. We met via a great network we are both part of, called the Chief of Staff Network. It’s a great active community filled with interesting, inspiring, empathetic professionals. If you’re a Chief of Staff, (or close enough) highly recommend checking it out!
If you’re going through something personal right now outside of work, I highly recommend this episode. Kate’s perspective and how she’s shifted her mindset to accept and thrive in the season of what some may see as negative circumstances is inspiring.
In this episode, we cover:
* Navigating a cancer diagnosis along with being a mom and being laid off for the 3rd time
* How positivity is like an orbit, and avoiding toxic positivity
* Why she relates to describing herself more as verbs than nouns in her career these days and how to provide clarity to others about what she does
* How she’s creating her ideal clients rather than selling to them or attracting them
* Conscious leadership, and what it means to create vs to react
Quote of the day:
* “I think about why people are burnt out or feeling like there's got to be more or feeling a lack of meaning in their work. I think so much of it comes down to the fact that we can't see the difference we're making. We can't see the change that we make in this kind of tech knowledge work environment. Whereas when you are close to the earth: cook a meal, you create a thing, you plow the field, whatever it is, you can see ‘I did work and this is different.’” - Kate
Amanda’s post-recording reflections:
I love what Kate said about how you don’t own positivity, but it is somehow attached or connected to you. An orbit implies that there’s some pull toward, and eventually away from you. And it’s okay if positivity isn’t always nearby- it comes and goes just like the seasons do. I think about this in navigating my own journey of being laid off. Some days the positivity is really close, like summer. And some days, when an unexpected pet injury turns into a multi-thousand dollar surgery and you’re stressed and overwhelmed, and the positivity is like winter, it feels really far away. I’m allowing myself to go through the ebb and flow of emotions, but damn it’s not always easy.
Ps. Did you like the video format this week? Reach out and lmk!
Thanks for joining us,
Amanda
If you know someone who would enjoy Kate’s perspective on life and work, please share this episode with them!
