Welcome to Say More, the powerhouse podcast dedicated to elevating the voices
and journeys of women striving for the C -suite and those who've already conquered
it.
Brace yourself for candid conversations, illuminating interviews and unfiltered
insights as we delve into the triumphs, hurdles and invaluable lessons learned
along the path to success.
Join us on this empowering journey where inspiration meets empowerment and wisdom
reigns supreme.
Get ready to ignite your ambition, harness your potential and thrive alongside your
sisters on Say More.
to another episode of the Say More podcast.
We are so glad that you decided to join us.
You know, it's such a great destination for talking about not only some of the
challenges that we face, but also the triumphs that we faced in the space of
women as we aspire to not only make it to the C -suite, or perhaps it's not your
journey that you want to make it to the C -suite, but you want to seek promotion.
This is the destination in place for you to do it.
And I think the great thing about our speakers that we've had thus far is that
though we talk about women, we realize that there is a role that men have played
in this conversations as well.
I mentioned before that some of my greatest mentors have been men and at the
same time, those are some of the best people that we've also had some
interaction with when it comes to them being developed who want to know more
about being an all inclusive leader.
So.
I am so excited to go down this conversation and path with a good dear
friend of mine, Rosemarie Sloan.
We'll call her Rose throughout because that's what friends do.
But today, you know, we're going to learn something that I didn't even know as well.
And so we get to share it together and, or learn about it together.
And that is.
Rose, could you talk to us about not only your journey, now that I knew, but I
didn't know about the founding of JBR Leadership Consulting and really kind of
what inspired you to focus on supporting leaders.
And of course, we'll talk about women as our key area of focus, but realizing it
really is broad and it runs the gamut of men and women.
Well, Kimberly, it's so good to be with you.
It's good to see you again.
It's good to be here today.
And it's really good to talk about the journey that women have.
to senior leadership positions.
And that's really what inspired me.
You know, I think about myself back being six, seven, eight years old, wanting to
lead my own classroom.
And I would bring neighborhood kids together in the summertime, and I probably
wasn't very popular on the block, and wanted to teach them.
And so I had papers, and I just wanted to, I've always wanted to lead.
So it became really important to me at a very, very young age.
I began my career as you know as an elementary school teacher, spent almost 20
years as the leader of the classroom, and hopefully influential in the lives of what
I call, you know, the little people.
Because then we're going to grow up and be big people.
The other thing that I think about is the role of the executive officer also for an
organization that I lead.
I'm the first woman to be in that senior leadership chair.
I don't take that lightly.
It's not something that I brag about or boast, but it is something eternally that
really fills me with a great sense of accomplishment and joy.
And then it becomes my responsibility to honor the vision and the history of the
organization and then take it forward.
JBR stemmed from all of my experiences.
And actually JBR was coined by my husband.
I was getting in the car one day, very, very challenged with something and feeling
like I couldn't be vulnerable in the situation that I was going in.
And I was getting in the car and he handed me my lunch, gave me a kiss on the cheek.
And he said, JBR.
I went, JBR?
You're not going to be thinking about this?
And he said, just be Rose.
You are.
It's all you need to be, just be Rose and everything else will take care of itself.
And so I began thinking if I ever was to lead my own consulting organization,
that's what I would do.
It would be about being authentic, showing up and be real.
So whether you think about JBR consulting, leadership consulting as being just be
Rose, what it really means is just be real.
I love that.
And I am so glad that I did not.
twist your arm and ask you to share it in advance because I really wanted, you know,
me and the listeners to learn about what the meaning was behind it together.
And it is more powerful than I ever thought it was or would be.
So thank you, thank you for sharing that.
And we certainly have to add your husband to our group of influencers because it
really is about investing in others.
So Rose, when we think about, you know, JBR leadership and being the founder, what
specific challenges or gaps did you identify in the landscape, specifically
around women's leadership development that motivated you to take action or inspired
you to take action?
I think it's really clear the future is female.
It's very clear.
There's so many roles.
There's so many women moving into leadership positions.
The future really is just out there.
Research shows that women, when they are a part of either a senior leadership board
or a senior leadership team, that those organizations are more productive, more
forward moving.
And we bring a great deal of perspective.
The other thing that I would say is that women have had to really overcome a lot of
deep rooted stereotypes, microaggressions.
There is still persisting bias and discrimination in the work environment,
compensation inequities.
There's a lot of challenges that women do experience, but women are tough.
We're strong.
We're committed.
We are just as committed and just as passionate about being in a leadership
position, but also being promoted.
We're ambitious.
And we bring a lot of what I like to call,
The soft skills, we excel at those soft skills.
Now, of course there's the hard skills, you know, those skills that are job
essential, related, structures, the strategies, the systems.
Women excel in soft skills and it's the soft skills that are going to retain
talent in our organizations.
High emotional intelligence, flexibility, teamwork, adaptability, communication
skills, all of those things that honor the talent and the style.
of not just women in an organization, but all people, all leaders in an
organization.
And so this is really what motivated me to be part of this process, to help lead this
process, and to inspire women.
my goodness.
Again, I hear and I eventually our listeners are like, let me get closer.
So if you're walking, doing your afternoon stroll and you got your smartphone in your
hand, I know you're pulling it close.
And if you're watching us on YouTube or Spotify, Apple, wherever you're doing that
at, I know again, this is such a good conversation that I know that you will
want to replay it because it really does touch all aspects and share it with your
friends, your friends that may be men.
as well because it's a big enough conversation that we need all hands on
deck.
And so Rose, when you think about critical issues, what do you believe are the most
critical issues or obstacles faced by women advancing the leadership positions?
And how does JBR leadership address those challenges?
I mentioned a lot of the challenges in what I just said, but I would add to that
allyship.
Women supporting
women providing opportunities to mentor or to coach.
Be part of another woman's journey.
I think that's really powerful.
And I really do believe that men do this very, very well.
They have connections.
They have more networks that support their growth and development that champion the
path they're on, the process they're on.
Women, I don't believe do this as well.
And we need to support.
other women.
I can't tell you how many times that I felt like a woman was not on my side.
I don't want any woman, regardless of role, to feel any threat, anything.
I want to empower.
And so that I think is really important.
And I know when I said that about 32 % of all senior leadership positions involve a
woman in that role, and that needs to be much, much higher.
I do believe
that there is a lot of training out there available, but what I think is happening
is that women in leadership positions are stalling.
And I don't know the reason for that, but I have seen the research there.
Women supporting other women.
If you have the opportunity, you're in a leadership role as a woman, mentor
someone.
Find someone who has that potential to take that next step, provide coaching
opportunities for them, sponsor them, put them in a...
program or help them find a program that's going to support what their path is.
I think that's really important.
Rose, you have said so many.
I mean, again, not only this conversation I have to share with the listeners too.
You were also one of our great speakers and conversationalist on Workforce
Insight.
So if you haven't tuned into that episode, then make sure that you're looking for
that one as well, because lots of great nuggets.
So.
You mentioned that oftentimes in the case of women as they're making their way up
the allyship and the sponsorship, I tend to absolutely agree.
And I've often wondered and it's not just a conversation that's in Kim's head.
It's that literally where every corner of the US where I've gone, you hear this
conversation that I don't feel that I was supported and I'll say, okay, who was it?
It was another woman.
So.
How do and what advice have you given to those who are in leadership roles?
Because sometimes, and I've heard this, I heard this just a week ago, a colleague
said to me in a different space and she said, you know what, I just opted, it was
such a bad experience for me.
And because it was with another woman, I chose not to pursue leadership anymore.
I said, really?
She's like, yeah, I just couldn't take it anymore.
And I said, what'd you do?
She said, I left that job and I went into another.
And I hate those stories because we have such a unique opportunity to help each
other and to learn from the experiences shared by others.
Hence the reason for why even my interests would say more, regardless of whether I'm
resilient and whatever else people think about me, I knew it was bigger than me.
And I knew that having a platform that we could have all this collective voices.
that it would just be something amazing in that, you know, maybe we would be okay
with hearing it in this way and less, you know, you know, not, not a situation where
it was threatening, but really about allyship and friendship.
So what, what, you know, thinking about that, what ways have you done or I guess
processes, workshops, whatever the case may be with JBR leadership to try and
combat that.
because it's a real thing that's ever -present.
I think the biggest thing that I do with JBR leadership is coaching.
Coaching, there's a difference between mentoring and there's a difference between
mentoring and coaching.
Mentoring is about linking yourself with another professional and I mentor as well,
but linking yourself with another professional that you aspire to be or that
will give you support or guidance or some training.
That's what mentoring is about.
It becomes all about the person that you're mentoring, not about the mentor
themselves.
Coaching...
is much different and this is what I do a lot of.
It's about performance.
So I hear the stories that you just mentioned, Kimberly.
It's heartbreaking to hear a story like that.
I also understand a story like that.
I've been in that woman's shoes.
I've wanted to walk away.
I have walked away.
I don't do that anymore and I don't encourage women.
I don't encourage any leader to do that.
Women are stronger.
We are stronger than we think we are.
It's been very challenging for us because
we have been a part, like I say, of some of these deep -rooted stereotypes or the
lack of positions that are available for women or the lack of people hiring women
in these senior leadership positions.
I will tell you that when I applied for a position, and this was years ago in
district leadership, I was in the process of getting
my administrative certificate.
Earlier, a male colleague of mine and a good friend was also in the process that
he was hired as an administrator while he was completing his certificate.
I thought, great, this is an opportunity for me.
I applied.
I was told that I could not go further in the process because my administrative
certificate hadn't been completed.
my goodness.
So you see right there, double standard.
Now I'm not preaching that this happens all the time.
That was an experience that I had.
I hear about these experiences from other women.
My advice when I am coaching is let's deal with the issue.
Let's share the issue.
Let's create awareness around it.
Let's develop a plan.
Let's learn how to communicate effectively, intentionally.
But let's really get clear on what it is we want.
and then how we're gonna go about achieving that.
And we will stumble.
I mean, all leaders stumble.
And we will stumble along the way.
And that's not gender specific.
That's just, but I think getting involved in a formal coaching process is life
-changing.
And I've heard that on numerous testimonials of people that have worked
with me.
So if you wanna work with me, I have parameters.
I will tell you this.
I don't fix people.
Because I don't believe you need to be fixed.
I believe this is the mission of JBR that goes right to what you're talking about.
Developing people, developing people in the context of who they are, what they
believe, and how they define success.
That's a vision of JBR.
And the way we do that is leading with integrity, intent, with intention, with
influence.
So we don't have control over some of those issues, especially the one...
that I just described in terms of my experience.
So what can I influence?
Right.
That's where we go.
Coaching with me, you get involved in at least six months, twice a week, and then
the rest of the year we work on where we're headed about monthly.
So that would be my recommendation.
I love that and definitely making sure that as you know, individuals are
listening in that they understand the difference between whether it's coaching,
whether it's mentorship, whether it's sponsorship and sponsors, because you know
that understanding those terms.
So really what I'm trying to do with each of these conversations on say more is to
create that.
I call it, I call it the playbook or that at a glance that you know, what these
terms are and you know what they mean to you and how you can pursue them.
So Rose, when we think about everything that we've talked about thus far, in what
ways does JBR leadership differentiate itself from organizations or initiatives
focused on women's leadership development?
What do you think that differentiating piece is?
Well, I mentioned the coaching piece and training specific to the needs that want
to be developed, whatever you want to be developed.
But I'm a strengths -based coach.
And I believe strongly in transformational leadership.
So how are we influencing, allowing people to motivate themselves, stimulating with
conversation, continuing our education?
I'm on a journey.
I've been on a journey for, since the day I was born, I'm on a journey and my
journey takes different paths.
All people are on a journey.
So I really think JBR differentiates itself because it's from a strengths
-based.
philosophy around transformational leadership that incorporates both
training, coaching, and self -selecting of a mentor all at the same time.
So you can't do one without the other.
Yeah, you can't.
I mean, you actually need that one to punch.
So when you think about, you know, and basically too from your own experiences,
what are some of the key competencies that and skills that aspiring leaders,
especially women, should focus on?
developing to succeed in higher ed or just leadership in general?
Well, I would say one of them is networking.
Really find, find places, you know, like this podcast, listen to other women,
listen to stories and connect with them.
The strongest thing that we have in terms of women working with other women or women
working together is the experiences that we share.
Many of us may have two jobs.
Some of us have families.
Some of us have aging parents that we're working with.
You know, we have different defining moments, whether they're positive or
negative that have shaped the reasons we believe the way we believe or the path
that we're on.
Connect with other women.
You won't feel alone.
I recently joined a book club.
I wanted something different.
that I hadn't experienced and I wanted to have intellectual conversations with other
women around stories that we were reading and finding connections to.
So this is what I did.
I went on Google.
I live in Phoenix, so I Googled Phoenix Book Club and one popped up and I
submitted my request to join and I attended.
I didn't know any of the women.
There were nine other women there.
I knew none.
And when I left, I knew.
nine women that were powerful forces in the fields that they were leading.
And some weren't leading except leading in their own lives at home, weren't leading
out in the workforce, but raising children, being a family member, all of
that are experiences that women have very, very closely.
And so I would just encourage networking.
also encourage women to always show up as themselves.
Yes.
Don't try to be somebody else.
Be yourself, hence JBR.
So for JB, JBK, just be Cameron.
Whoever your first initial is, just be yourself.
And I think wellness is really important.
Women, take care of yourselves.
I mean, first and foremost, take care of yourselves.
You're really, you're no good to anyone if you don't take care of yourself.
So, you know, if you think I don't have time to do that, why?
Ask yourself, why don't I have time?
You're the most important person in your life.
You really are.
It's okay to say that.
I am the most important person in my life.
So those are some, I mean, simple, but you can see their human competencies.
Now in the work environment, women have high emotional intelligence.
That's a key competency.
We're flexible.
We work in all kinds of situations.
We have to deal with all kinds of situations, right?
No, I'm not saying that men don't.
I'm speaking specifically to women.
Be authentic.
Yeah.
So again, so many rich nuggets there.
And when I think about, you know, the networking, that's the one that I hear
most often is, you know, there is a comfort level in being comfortable.
with the people that you already know and the situations that you believe you
already know the outcome because in their minds, like, you know, no one wants
rejection.
And what I try and preach much like it was, you know what you've got, you've got
to stretch yourself, you know, go in and be intentional.
You walk into a room, you know, realize that you are the best version of yourself
and take that person in there.
You will meet people by being you.
You will.
And so really the world does become your oyster, which is why again, would say more
of that notion was that every corner of these United States I wanted to touch.
And then I thought about my dear friend over there, Rose in Arizona.
And I'm like, you know what?
We can bring these connections because there's so many rich stories, much like a
quilt.
That's what we're making.
That's what we're making with these conversations.
So.
Thank you for that.
And I know that there will be listeners that want to know more about not only JBR,
but the JB question mark and whatever their name is that they can fill that
with.
So I love it.
You're right.
Can you mention something Kimberly about taking a risk?
Yeah.
You may, and there's a good chance you may, you may stumble as well.
We learned so much from the things that don't go the way that we want, just as we
do from the things that go the way.
that we want them to go take a risk.
Take a risk.
Bet on yourself.
Bet on yourself and I promise you'll come out stronger than ever before.
So how does JBR leadership, you know, cultivate a supportive community?
Because we've talked about the network and even when you just join the book club,
just you mentioned as well.
So this supportive community of leaders to collaborate and share insights, what does
that look like for those that?
take part with JBR leadership?
It really creates a collaborative space.
I say this all the time, I'm a lifelong learner.
In my top five themes of talent through CliftonStrengths, one of them is learner
and it couldn't define me in a better way.
I also have a lot of positivity and it's not a positivity that's not realistic, but
it's a positivity of a can -do attitude.
And so when you come together in a collaborative space,
and you start to break down some of those walls that we have put up.
And we start to talk about those things that are very important to us and the
experiences we have.
This is what we find.
We find we have more in common than not.
And we find that we can be supportive and we can be that validating voice that we
don't hear.
The self -talk that we tell ourselves is so destructive.
And believe me, I'm a great storyteller.
I can go from A to B and my mind is just boom, like that.
And there are times I have to be so aware that I'm doing that.
And it makes me wonder if I'm doing it internally, am I saying that out loud too?
Am I thinking and believing that way?
And when I hear other women validating me or saying things like, that conversation
really helped me to reflect.
I'm so glad you mentioned that.
You've said it out loud.
You provided an opportunity for me to connect with it and feel safe.
Yeah.
Psychological safety is something that's so important to me and the work that I do.
Creating spaces.
Kimberly, think about it.
When you go into your work environment, think about all the ways, whether you're
home or at work, that we keep ourselves physically safe.
We have alarms in our homes, in our work environments.
We have keys.
We have locks.
When we go to work, sometimes there's metal detectors that we have to walk
through.
You know, all these ways that we keep ourselves physically safe, what do we do
for psychological safety?
Together as friends, together in families, together in collaborative training
programs or coaching programs.
It's about trust and safety.
And if we do that, we will create a space where people feel like they belong.
they feel like they can be vulnerable and they can really, J .B.
real.
I love that.
And you talked about, you know, this, the idea of, you know, not only being safe and
the validation that can come from it, but will you also speak to the converse of
that?
Because that again has been a lot of the conversations that I've heard from other
women that it hurts more when it's inflicted.
by other women because you expect them to understand the struggle, right?
And so when, much like you, where it was okay to not have a certificate until you
didn't have a certificate, right?
Or in some instances, you know, and I heard this consistently too throughout
these conversations that I've had, and is that, okay, well, I can't afford to be
super confident or strong, come across as strong.
in my space because I'll be perceived wrong.
But if someone else does it, then it's good and it's amazing.
And they're on a fast track for leadership.
So would you talk just a moment about that?
You know, you're right.
There are so many different standards that are out there and the way women are
perceived in terms of authority.
or if there are some behaviors that are more acceptable depending on gender.
There are labels.
Like I said, it's very deep rooted.
It's something that women in leadership roles are mindful of and that, you know, I
guess they don't have to be gender specific, but we tend to see it that way.
And it's really hard when you feel defeated.
to get back up.
And this is why working with somebody, to have somebody to talk to that's not on the
inside, that can hold your confidentialities and you can really
express what's going on because what ends up happening is you begin talking about it
and someone else is really actively listening and they can help either reframe
or provide a way forward.
But the first thing that I do is I validate it.
That sounds really frustrating.
That sounds really hard.
That sounds challenging.
How did you ever pick yourself back up and decide that you're going to go forward?
So really validating as opposed to saying things like, it's not that bad.
that just happens in our work environment all the time.
that's just how it is.
Why?
Why is it that way?
No, that's not how it's supposed to be.
Acceptable right?
Absolutely.
So we need to learn to stand firm And that's really hard.
I know what I'm saying people may be out there saying Rose I've done that Rose I've
tried and believe me I'm with you I've tried there are times I felt defeated that
I don't want to I don't want to do this anymore It's easier to leave than it is to
stay But what are we doing when we leave?
Yeah?
It's our job to connect.
That's why I keep saying network, connect, find a program, find someone who you can
have confidential conversations with so you don't feel alone.
Someone who will validate the fact that this is hard.
It's frustrating.
It's wrong.
And that we're going to find a way through.
Monty Williams used to be, I'm a big sports person.
Monty Williams of the sons.
He's no longer with us, but he's.
disbeloved in this area and he used to say, everything you want's on the other
side of heart.
I love it.
I encourage you to think about that.
Everything you want is on the other side of heart.
I can't tell you how many times I have had to say that to myself.
So the only way to get from me to be is to go through.
Now there's going to be a lot of avenues, but we have to go through it and figure
out our way.
have to go through it and for the listeners a reminder, a stark reminder
that it's not about this whole linear space that we're gonna walk down.
It is not a straight line.
So, and it's okay.
And it's okay to stop and start, take a breath, but do not call it a permanent
stop.
Call it a pause.
That's what we'll do.
We'll refer to it on a say more as a comma.
We'll put commas, but we're certainly not putting periods.
We are resilient.
You know, can I add to that?
Sure.
You added about, you asked about one of the competencies or one of the
ingredients, I think, when we're in communications or things that are
happening and you made a great point that comma.
I say all the time, pause is your friend.
Pause allows you to take a deep breath.
It doesn't have to be a long pause.
Take a deep breath.
Don't be reactive.
Take a deep breath, figure out what you want to say and say it that way so you can
articulate it and it can come out the way that when you walk away, you feel like I
said what I wanted to say and it came out the way I wanted to say it, whether it's
firm, more pleasant or critical, say it the way you want to say it.
So it comes out that way.
And I always say, when you're in somebody's presence, people need to walk
away with their dignity intact.
Yeah.
They do.
Dignity is huge and you need to be able to walk away with your dignity intact.
I have stopped conversations after a pause and said, whoa, this is going in a
direction that's not going to end well.
I think both of us need to be taking a pause right now and coming back when we
can have a very productive conversation.
So don't be afraid to stop the conversation and say, mm, I'm not ready.
Engage right now in that I need some time and we can come back tomorrow and we can
have this conversation.
I love that.
I believe that we're going to break some chains and open some doors of freedom on
this for a lot of people that's listening and experiencing these things that again,
I wanted to make a point of creating awareness and I think not only awareness,
but a game plan and strategy.
So we've talked about some of those strategies today.
So.
when it comes to, because I'm certain this comes up, whether men or women, but we're
talking about women would say more, how have you encouraged or coached folks about
navigating career advancement, negotiation, all of those things that you
want to get to that job?
And then I hear a lot of women that, well, I took the job and they didn't offer me a
raise to do it.
And then someone else came in and they're making more than everybody.
How?
What are those conversations that you're having about advancement and negotiation
and trade -offs and what, what, yeah.
Set your boundaries and stick to them.
Yeah.
You know, I know I've said this before is that there are things we don't have
control over.
So if there are specific pay scales, you know, I mentioned compensation inequities
that are absolutely real in the work environment.
I've experienced that.
I experienced that.
in my senior leadership role, when I interviewed and was offered, unanimously
selected, and was offered the position, it was significantly lower than I said that
we had negotiated.
It was lower.
And I thanked them and I declined.
I knew exactly what I was doing.
Now, I'm not saying to other women out there, excuse me, that you should, if
you're given a position, you should decline it.
I'm talking about my personal experience.
So I did decline and they asked why and I said, I'm not going to negotiate this with
you.
This is not a matter of negotiation.
This was set in stone prior to my accepting the interview process.
Yeah.
And we are not going to, if you're not going to honor in good faith what we have
already talked about, then I can't do this and I won't do this.
And I am, I'm not in my twenties anymore.
I'm much more competent and confident in my own skin.
I don't think I wouldn't.
I know I wouldn't.
I wouldn't have done that in my 20s or my 30s.
And so with age comes wisdom, comes experience, comes how I want to be seen,
how I see myself.
And so I do, I encourage all leaders, stand up for yourself.
If you can't be your own voice,
who's going to.
And so I'm working with women, with leaders, stand up, have that conversation,
sitting in silence does no one any good.
Speak your truth, speak it.
Speak your truth.
And I tell people, I said, whether you're a CEO outwardly and you care that title,
you are the CEO of you and yourself and your future.
So it starts there.
It does, it starts with you.
Yeah.
Could you share a success story or achievement of JBR leadership that you are
particularly proud of and how this accomplishment really positively impacted
the women that this program serves?
And not to mention again, it is all inclusive, but in particular for this
conversation, women.
Yeah, you know, I think about that.
The organization I started almost five years ago and I kind of thought, what
happened?
What success story?
And as I listen to the people that I've coached and the training programs that I
have been in, I hear this word life -changing.
I can't believe I was this far into my career, and yet this discovery of self has
been so profound.
This is life -changing in how I'm going to move forward.
And if I can take us back to something that...
is in my home that I see every single day.
It's predominantly placed.
It is a picture that was painted and given to my husband and I the day of our
wedding.
It was painted by one of my former students, a Latina student who was in my
sixth grade class.
And this is how it came to be.
And I look back and think, this is my inspiration.
This is, this is.
why I want to continue to pay it forward.
Is this student first generation going to college?
You know, and I didn't, I didn't know this until recently.
I have a friend in another town that I lived in and she was coming to the wedding
and she asked me, I want to get you something.
What can I get you?
And I said, I'd like something that will remind me of my past, but inspire my
future.
That's what I said.
And she's like, really?
Could you make it any more different?
Will you ask?
What is that?
Yeah.
One of my former students saw a picture of my husband and I on her desk and she said,
my goodness, that was my sixth grade teacher.
I love her.
I went to college because I was in her class and she made me believe that I
could.
And so she says, I'm an artist now and I would love to do something for her.
And my friend said, my goodness, this is going to resemble her past.
and inspire her for her future.
The day of my husband and I getting married, my friend gave this to me and
there was a note on the back and it's still there.
It hangs predominantly in my home with a note on the back and it said, I believe in
myself because you believed in me.
And you know, there is no greater inspiration than to hear some of those
words and some of those thoughts and see another woman in another culture.
make something of themselves and follow the path because somebody believed in them
along the way.
That's what JBR stands for.
I believe that wholeheartedly.
It is about investing and paying it forward.
So what a beautiful story.
And I know one that you'll always cherish, but I think our listeners will be thinking
about that too.
And it is, I think it's a great reflection point for the listeners to think about,
you know.
Who's been that person for you in your life?
And then how can you be that for someone else that, you know, may not even know
that they need that kind of help or support, but that you're able to do that.
And that's by validating and doing, providing that positive reinforcement.
So Rose, when you think about, you know, being a leader and an advocate for
empowerment, what advice would you give to women who are.
striving to break through the barriers and advance in their careers.
I mean, you've given some great ones along the way, but you know, I will tell you,
you know, one thought is that for those that are in the thick of it right now,
what kind of advice would you give to them?
You know, what are two things that they might want to think about?
Show up as yourself, of course, is what I said.
Be prepared.
Just really be prepared.
You know, I have.
My father used to say that to me all the time, you gotta be prepared.
I mean, I could think about this in my sleep.
Be prepared for what?
I didn't know.
But just be prepared.
So there are gonna be some things that are gonna go your way and some things that are
not.
And it's hard to be prepared for everything.
But if you're prepared, that means when things don't go your way, you have a
support system to lean on, to draw on, to help you through.
The other thing that I really wanna mention is that,
There are going to be some defining moments for you and honor them.
Honor those defining moments.
One of the defining moments of my life is around mental health.
You know, everyone has mental health and the state of well -being impacts all of us
in a lot of different ways.
So for your listeners, for your viewers, I don't want you to think that you're seeing
a woman here that's had this path.
to success, there have been some significant challenges that I have had to
work through and overcome.
And so when you think about mental health, we all experience different wellbeing
issues and possibly some, a mental health disorder in some way, and how we choose to
address that.
Many of us have coping strategies because we're stressed or because there are some
significant issues.
We cope in healthy ways and in unhealthy ways.
Mine was an eating disorder that stemmed from a lifetime of being perfect, trying
to be perfect, restrictive behaviors that dealt with anxiety.
And I coped in ways that at sometimes were not healthy.
And to have a group of women come around and support me was a defining moment in my
life.
And I decided at that point that I was going to be a defining moment.
in somebody else's life.
And so I encourage you listening, I encourage you, regardless of gender, that
there is somebody out there that's close to you that may be struggling.
Notice, pay attention, listen, hear what maybe they don't even want you to hear.
That is so, so important in our day and age.
It's incredibly important.
Change is happening rapidly.
We can't keep up with it.
Things are evolving.
There's so much competition out there.
There's hurt.
There's not as much support as there should be.
Listen, find out what's not being said.
Pay attention.
Be prepared.
Validate.
Encourage.
Have that conversation.
Allow people to show up as themselves.
And...
really find a place or a person that they can start to heal with.
Rose, you have, you know, really made my heart smile with this conversation.
And hopefully our listeners can get a visual of that.
This, you know, picture of this in your head of, of not only being transparent,
but showing both the vulnerability that goes along with this path, but also the
strength that you can arrive at.
And oftentimes, and I'll say even in your case, it came by way of pouring into other
people and you are still inspired.
And that is what you, what's led you to not only what I call your professional
career, but then even what you've personalized and now by creating JBR
leadership to do.
And I think that's, you know, when we think, you know, when we're going through
it, you can't see this far.
And if we had the crystal ball, my goodness, wouldn't it be amazing?
You're like, okay, it's worth it.
But you can't.
And that's why it's so important that we have not only those that are in our
corner, but look, seek those opportunities out.
If they're not there in front of you, seek some out because I promise you, there are
people just like Rose, just like myself, that's willing to invest in you.
So Rose, Rose, thank you for sharing that.
And we're, we have one other question and that is really kind of looking ahead.
What are your aspirations for the future of JBR leadership?
And then, you know what, let's make it two.
Kind of what's the legacy?
What do you want your legacy to be around this?
So what do you see for the future of JBR?
And then what would you like that legacy to be?
You know, I think if you've listened to this long, you could probably pretty much
predict what I'm gonna say in terms of my legacy.
And people say it, and I don't think they understand.
exactly what they mean by it, but I do, I want to make a difference.
I was put here to make a difference and that's what I want to do.
And if it's helping women, if it's helping children, if it's helping new and emerging
leaders, experienced leaders, CEOs, you know, whoever comes in my path, I want to
be a force of positivity, realistic positivity, but I want to be a force for
positivity, for inspiration.
When someone says, you know, working with you has changed my life,
That's that's payday, you know, you don't need to send in the fee for consulting or
anything That's pretty much that covers it because they're gonna go out and they're
gonna pay it forward Have you ever been in a Starbucks line or a coffee line or human
being line wherever you get your coffee or your Frappuccino or whatever it is you get
and you get up to the window and someone says the person in front of you has paid
for your that's paid forward it's
That's the legacy that I would like to leave is that I paid it forward.
And then I was a part of something.
You know, some of the things that I do want to share is that we're in a rapidly
changing environment.
And I don't believe that many people understand what change actually is, this
cycle of change.
And so when I work with my clients, go out and I train or I coach,
I make sure that people understand that when the status quo changes, disruption
occurs.
And so if you're in a leadership position or you aspire to be in a leadership
position or something is happening within your role and the status quo changes,
there will be disruption and people either withdraw or they push back.
My recommendation is try to find a way to dance with people.
Find a way to sway to the music and dance with people.
And you do that by showing up through conversations, collaborations,
adaptations, whatever it is, because people decide for themselves when change
happens.
They decide when to change.
The change has to become your own.
And so when I say, yes, I see myself in this change,
Then I move over into these strategies that help me adopt it.
And I cry and I fail and I skin my knee and I get back up.
I put a bandaid on, I figure out a new path until the new way becomes the way
that I feel comfortable in.
And this happens all the time, multiple times.
So if you're a woman and you're getting back into the workforce, status quo has
changed.
You're going to be disrupted.
If you're a...
married woman and you may be getting going through divorce or separation status quo
has changed.
There's going to be issues.
If we understand this we may get to dance quicker.
Yes.
And work through it and figure out how to find support so we can begin then to deal
with this new process because we don't want to stay in failure and we don't want
to go back to status quo.
We want to find new innovative ways.
So that would be my piece of encouragement.
along the course of your situation.
I love that because what you just shared again, without saying it, is that your
experience and where you are, it really is going to dictate kind of what and how you
process these things like change and like where you're meeting life on this career
journey.
So be okay with that, but.
There's also some helpful tips that we're hoping that will accelerate that dance
movement.
Because here's the great thing about life's lessons.
We don't want you to have to repeat any unnecessarily.
If you can learn from someone else, learn from our conversations, then that's
exactly what we want you to do.
And Rose, you have been awe inspiring.
I felt like I learned so much.
I felt like I had my own private session.
I love it that I got to share with all my listener friends.
So thank you for the conversation.
Know again, that just like with Workforce Insights, we invite you back often to the
Say More podcast listeners.
Again, just such a powerful conversation.
Say more listeners.
Thank you for joining us today.
Thank you for your continued commitment to self growth and just really focusing in on
the journey and how we can do this thing together.
You are never alone with say more.
So please remember to subscribe.
Please do like us and most of all, share it with your friends until the next time.
Bye bye.