Jennifer McClure | Jennifer McClure`

Putting Yourself First and Finally Taking Control of Your Career With Laurie Ruettimann

I’m coming in hot into 2021 with Episode number 53 of the Impact Makers podcast!

Seriously.

I’m ready to emerge from my 2020 coronavirus induced cocoon, and to make great things happen in my world, and for you in this shiny and promising new year. And I can think of no better way to kick off the year, than with my BFF, Laurie Ruettimann.

Laurie is back as a guest on the podcast to chat about her first traditionally published book – Betting On You – which will be released on January 12, 2021.

And that’s truly a big deal.

In Episode 002 of the Impact Makers podcast, I shared a little bit about how I originally found Laurie online through one of her early blogs – Teambuilding Is For Suckers. She wrote every day about work, life and cats – among other things – and even though I didn’t always agree with her, or share some of her views, her writing style was totally engaging, and she always had an informed point of view that made me think.

Over the last 15+ years, she’s evolved online from the anonymous voice behind the Teambuilding Is For Suckers blog, to being the pixie of the apocalypse who penned the wildly popular Punk Rock HR blog, and then the successful blogger who blew everything up to rebrand, and become The Cynical Girl for awhile.

A few years ago, she took all of her great writing and talents over to her own online domain – laurieruettiman.com – and resurrected Punk Rock HR as the name of her popular weekly podcast.

And while she’s become my best friend over the last 11 years, I’m also her biggest Fan. She’s simply one of the best writers out there, and can always be counted on to share frank, informed – and sometimes contrary to popular opinions – career and life advice, which is what is needed in a world where many of the so-called career experts sound very much the same.

It’s always been a personal dream of Laurie’s to write a book, and to have it published by a traditional publishing house, and she’s finally made that dream come true. Her book – Betting On You: How To Put Yourself First And (Finally) Take Control Of Your Career – will be published and released by Henry Holt & Co on January 12, 2021.

So, of course, we needed to talk about this moment in time, and what it took to accomplish this major life goal. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m so glad that Laurie pushed through the challenges, did the hard work, and has reached the point where the book will go from a dream to reality next week.

In this episode, Laurie will share a couple of the career and life stories that are included in the book, and she’ll also unpack the framework she proposes for fixing work by fixing yourself – which includes focusing on self leadership, well-being, continuous learning, and risk taking.

I’m so proud of my friend. And I’m really proud of this book.

I’ve read an advance copy, have pre-ordered a hardback version, and will also purchase the audio book. I hope that you’ll buy at least one copy too, and will connect with Laurie to continue to follow her journey, as well as learn from her in the future.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

The steps Laurie took in the long process of selling her book proposal for Betting On You, and ultimately signing with a major publisher.
The project plan that Laurie and her team created to ensure that the book was written, and delivered on time.
The role that her husband, and a bottle of tequila, played in the receipt of the long awaited initially proposed book cover for Betting On You.
The framework for fixing work by fixing yourself: self leadership, well-being, continuous learning, and risk taking.
What the buyer of Betting On You is going to get – a fresh take on the world of work, and also life. Also, good stories, well told.
The role that punk rock singer Courtney Love played in Laurie deciding to put herself first, and reclaim her life.
Why everybody good gets fired at least once – and the lessons that can be learned in that process.
How using the pre-mortem process can help you approach your life and career more effectively.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 53

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“You fix work by fixing yourself. People really get sick and tired of me saying that. I don’t care. I’m going to say it until I die. You fix work by fixing yourself. When you look at your employer for the answer, you’re never going to be satisfied. When you look for your HR lady to swoop in and solve a problem, even if she nails it, it’s never going to feel good. Because most of the problems we have at work reflect the problems we have in our own personal lives. I’ve never dealt with someone who was chronically late at work that didn’t have something going on in their personal life that was driving some of those attendance issues. For me to just sit there and blather on about an attendance policy was a failed way to solve that problem. We had to drive in deeper. And it’s not just attendance. It’s attention, it’s attitude, it’s engagement. All of this doesn’t start at work, it starts at home. That’s what I believe.” ~ Laurie Ruettimann

“Your worth is not your work.” ~ Laurie Ruettimann

“If you’ve been fired, know that you’re in really great company. But beyond that, know that it’s not the defining moment of your life – or it doesn’t have to be.” ~ Laurie Ruettimann

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Order your copy of Betting on You: How to Put Yourself First and (Finally) Take Control of Your Career by Laurie Ruettimann

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 002 – The Thriving Contrarian with Laurie Ruettimann

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 036 – The Random Show — Conversations with My BFF Laurie Ruettimann

Laurie Ruettimann Website

Laurie Ruettimann books

Betting On You Book Resources

Laurie’s LinkedIn Learning courses on Self-Leadership & Managing Conflict

Punk Rock HR podcast with Laurie Ruettimann

Danny Ozment / Emerald City Productions

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins

Blake Mycosckie / Madefor

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Written by Jennifer McClure

How Human-Centered Workplaces Will Transform the Future of Work With Derek Irvine

My guest today is a senior executive at Workhuman®, a company that helps forward-thinking organizations energize their cultures, unlock their employees’ passion and potential, and unite around a shared purpose. I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Workhuman® team for over 5 years now, both attending and speaking at their amazing and unique Workhuman Live annual Conference.

Each year, the conference is kicked off by the colorfully and impeccably dressed Derek Irvine, who is Workhuman’s Senior Vice President of Client Strategy and Consulting. Derek is one of the world’s foremost experts on social recognition, continuous performance management, engagement, and the future of work, and he’s passionate about helping business leaders to elevate their vision and ambitions for their company culture.

Derek is also a renowned speaker and co-author of three books, including “Winning with a Culture of Recognition”, “The Power of Thanks”, and the latest – Making Work Human: How Human-Centered Companies are Changing the Future of Work and the World, which he co-authored along with the CEO of Workhuman, Eric Mosley. Their book is full of practical strategies based upon wide-ranging research, extensive data and analysis, and real-world case studies, and also covers how weaving the three pillars of THANK, TALK, and CELEBRATE into the daily lives of employees can reinforce an organization’s purpose, improve productivity, and even magnify the social impact of the business.

Derek always shares a ton of great wisdom and advice in his keynotes and books, and I think you’ll really enjoy this conversation. You’ll also come away with some practical action steps that you can take to create a more human-centered workplace for the people that you lead and serve.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

What the research shows, and the argument for why human connection makes a tremendous difference for businesses.
Is it possible for high-achieving and results focused cultures to achieve results while focusing on human connection?
What the Workhuman Charter of Workplace Rights is, and how it can help organizations to progress faster.
Three powerful words that bring humanity forward in the workplace – Thank, Talk, and Celebrate.
How technology can help organizations to create more human centered workplaces.
The difference between meaning and purpose at work.
The role that gratitude plays in motivating employees to do their best work.
Why expressing gratitude is more effective than saying “thank you”.
Three actions that leaders can take to create a more human-centered workplace.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 52

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“When you achieve human connection in the workplace, it’s everything. In fact, it’s the number one thing that humans who come to work are looking for. A connection to not only the other people that they work with, but also a connection to the purpose for the company. Because when you get a connection to the purpose of the company, it builds your personal meaning for what you’re doing. And that unleashes this virtuous circle that’s good for everybody involved.” ~ Derek Irvine

“True human-centric cultures embrace our differences, allow more variety of thought and behavior, and that in itself is what creates the virtuous circle of feeling like you work in a more human workplace, where people can really bring their whole selves to the workplace.” ~ Derek Irvine

“Purpose is something that is shared across the wider organization, whereas meaning is what it comes down to for me personally.” ~ Derek Irvine

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Workhuman

Workhuman Live Conference

Making Work Human: How Human-Centered Companies are Changing the Future of Work and the World by Eric Mosley and Derek Irvine

Brené Brown

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Written by Jennifer McClure

The Value of Taking a Strategic Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion With Jennifer Ingram

My guest on Episode 51 of the Impact Makers podcast is Jennifer Ingram.

Jennifer is the Founder and CEO of Calibrated Lens LLC,where she specializes in helping organizations to enhance their performance, productivity, and brand presence by centering equity and inclusion.

Jennifer has previously served as the first Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, which is the sixth largest United Way in the nation, and has also led DE&I strategies at two nationally ranked academic medical centers – The Mayo Clinic and Henry Ford Health System.

She’s passionate about her work, and describes herself as an Equity & Inclusion Evangelist.

I think you’ll learn a lot from the fresh perspectives she shares in this episode.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

What Jennifer learned by being a member of a Diversity and Inclusion committee back in elementary school, and how those experiences still impact her today.
How diversity should be an outcome of our work, instead of the driver of it.
Why the head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion should be a member of the executive team, reporting into the CEO.
The importance of clarifying how diversity programs have changed as a result of introducing equity into the equation.
What does equity look like from a strategic perspective?
Where many organizations miss the mark when trying to improve their diversity recruiting efforts.
Creative approaches to establishing equity programs in your organization.
How we’ve created a false sense of inclusion within organizations, and perpetuated that with diversity and inclusion programs.
Is it possible for a white person to be the head of diversity and inclusion?
Thoughts on incentivizing DE&I efforts for leaders of organizations.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 51

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“If you have a head of D&I that is not a member of the executive team, you’re missing the mark. Not to say that you can’t do good work, but it won’t be as deeply impactful at achieving some of those desired outcomes as it could be.” ~ Jennifer Ingram

“What does equity look like from a strategic perspective? Diversity is happening, inclusion in intentional, equity is deliberate. It’s taking a deliberate look at your systems and understanding where you may be producing disparity.” ~ Jennifer Ingram

“Equity work is deliberate. It won’t just happen.” ~ Jennifer Ingram

“Folks love to say that diverse teams outperform more homogeneous teams. That’s not true. Well-managed diverse teams outperform teams that lack diversity.” ~ Jennifer Ingram

“Oftentimes we confuse the goal of reaching this kumbaya state, it’s not. The desire is not always to change everyone’s beliefs. That’s not success. It’s teaching how to be mutually respectful of differences and understanding and seeing and valuing those differences in others, and understanding that those are the things that make us better – not everyone singing from the same hymn book of sorts.” ~ Jennifer Ingram

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Calibrated Lens LLC

Jennifer Ingram LinkedIn

Navigating Uncertainty and Unrest in 2020 by Jennifer Ingram

RESOURCE GUIDE: Exploring Differences, Reducing Harm, Evolving Strategies

Mishawn Styles

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Written by Jennifer McClure

Balancing a Strong Personal Brand With a High Profile Corporate Career With Amber Naslund

If you’re a regular listener of the podcast, you’ve heard me talk with several previous guests that I first connected with back in the somewhat golden days of blogging, and the beginnings of social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Although I’m not sure how I originally came across my guest on this episode, I know that I was a regular reader of her very popular blog called Brass Tack Thinking during that time frame.

Through great writing and a relatable voice, she shared experiences, practical advice, and marketing expertise, that was extremely helpful to me, and thousands of others, in building a personal brand, and in building a business that connected with those that I wanted to serve.

Then, one day in January 2010, she wrote a blog post that was titled – “The Equestrian’s Guide to Reaching Your Goals” – and as a fellow adult amateur equestrian, I loved how she linked lessons she had learned from horseback riding to setting foundational goals for the next year.

That was it. We were destined to be the best of friends. Or, at least virtual horse buddies. 🙂

To this day, we love sharing, commenting and liking pictures of our horsey adventures online, and I hope we’ll actually get to meet at a horse show or an industry conference or event sometime in the future.

But, since that doesn’t look like it will be able to happen any time soon, I thought that asking her to join me on the podcast would be fun, but also really valuable for both me and you. She’s still doing great work, and continues to share her thoughts and ideas freely in order to help others.

Amber Naslund is a 20-year veteran marketer, and in that time she’s worked with some of the biggest companies, the freshest startups, and everything in between.

In her current role as a senior consultant at LinkedIn, she advises top global clients on their digital content marketing strategies, and their overall approach to using LinkedIn, while on a mission to prove that companies can build compelling, authoritative B2B brands without being dull.

Amber is also the co-author of the best-selling social media handbook The Now Revolution, and when she’s not working on her next book, article, or industry talk, she’s restoring her brain cells on horseback, or spending time with her kid (who’s also an accomplished equestrian already), and her rescue dogs.

In this episode, Amber and I chat about what it was like for her to go from industry darling, to best selling author, to failed entrepreneur, and what she discovered about herself in that journey that helped her to rebuild her confidence, and fuel her success today.

We also talk about what it takes to build a strong and authentic personal brand and platform in today’s noisy world, as well as what to consider when balancing a strong personal brand with a high profile corporate career.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

What an entrepreneurial failure taught Amber about herself, and how it set her up for future success.
What it’s like being a woman out front in the tech industry sharing your ideas.
Advice for someone who asks how they can build a loyal following online.
Amber’s thoughts on whether it’s necessary to be on all of the online platforms if you’re trying to build your personal brand.
The difference between being authentic and being genuine, and why it’s important for personal brands.
Why Amber is comfortable talking online about sensitive topics like mental health, imposter syndrome, and failures in business.
Amber’s journey toward understanding imposter syndrome, and how she’s come to view it as a normal, and real, part of the process.
How sharing your own vulnerabilities can be helpful with addressing imposter syndrome, and foster trust with your community.
3 tips for those who are interesting becoming thought leaders.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 50

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Being a thought leader isn’t the goal, it’s the result. So, every “thought leader” started as a nobody that no one had ever heard of, that didn’t have an audience. That stuff comes with your willingness to show up first, and put more into the community than you’re asking to take out. So make all of the deposits up front, share the knowledge, be generous, be effusive with how much you’re willing to put in, and the results come. But it has to go in that order.” ~ Amber Naslund

“When we feel seen, and we feel that sense of belonging to something that is bigger than us, but still imperfect, it’s okay for us to be imperfect. That’s an incredibly relieving, reenforcing and validating feeling as humans, and we could all use a little bit more of that right now.” ~ Amber Naslund

“The world doesn’t have your point of view, so there’s really no harm in seeing what you can add that’s unique, even if the conversation itself is not.” ~ Amber Naslund

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Amber Naslund

Amber Naslund LinkedIn

Amber Naslund Twitter

The NOW Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Business Faster, Smarter and More Social by Jay Baer and Amber Naslund

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 049 – Discovering the Hidden Forces That Drive You to Do Your Best Work With Todd Henry

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Written by Jennifer McClure

Discovering the Hidden Forces That Drive You to Do Your Best Work With Todd Henry

On Episode 49 of the Impact Makers Podcast, I’m speaking with someone that I admire and respect, and whom I’ve learned a great deal from over the past 10 years through his podcast, his books, and also by sometimes sharing stages with him speaking at conferences and events around the world.

Todd Henry positions himself as an “arms dealer for the creative revolution”, and he teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance.

He’s the author of five books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, Herding Tigers, and the latest – The Motivation Code), and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.

Todd is also the host of The Accidental Creative podcast, where he offers weekly tips for how to stay prolific, brilliant, and healthy, and it’s been downloaded over 10 million times.

When I saw that he was releasing his latest book – his fifth – in early October, I immediately bought a copy to keep my streak going of having read all of his books, and I also reached out to ask if he would join me on the podcast to share more about it with you. I was thrilled when he said yes right away, and I think you’ll enjoy learning more about his books, as well as how you can do the best work of your life.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

How starting a podcast in 2005 as a fun side project and creative outlet led unexpectedly to a book deal with a major publisher, and invitations to speak at events all over the world.
Why persistence is the key to success at work and in life.
What a 5-time published author who hates the writing process loves about writing books.
How to structure your life in a way that you’re going to produce great work.
How to avoid the seven forces that disrupt your ability to produce work you can be proud of.
The five key elements needed when putting your work into the world to ensure it will resonate with people.
The leadership framework necessary to lead highly creative people, and to provide the stability and challenge they need to thrive.
How identifying your core motivators can help you understand what drives you, and also how you can mitigate any of their negative effects.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 49

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Part of the key to life and to success is that success comes in layers, and it’s just showing up over and over and over and over and over. Because you might show up today and get rejected, and then six months later you show up to the exact same person but the circumstances have changed, and you’re the greatest thing in the history of the world. All of a sudden, now you’re exactly what they’re looking for.” ~ Todd Henry

“For me, my love of the writing process has little to do with the actual writing, and more to do with the fact that it introduces the opportunity for me to put ideas out into the world in the way that they’re accessible to people.” ~ Todd Henry

“Every motivation is a gift. We should not feel guilty for the way that we’re motivated.” ~ Todd Henry

“Motivation is the base layer for everything else we do. If we understand what drives us, so much of our other behavior is explainable and we can mitigate so many of the negative effects of our actions.” ~ Todd Henry