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The podcast focuses on fiercely empowering women in business, as entrepreneurs and women in male-dominated industries, featuring guests who embody strength, resilience, competence, and a touch of sass as they navigate business and life.
Looking for guests who are willing to bring a wealth of experience and knowledge but also possess the strength, resilience, and sass that align with the tone of my podcast.
I want their stories and insights to provide immense value to my audience, helping me to establish a powerful podcast as a must-listen for women looking to empower themselves in business. The goal is to build competence and discover how brave women can be in business.
Welcome to Superheroes in Heels, the podcast where powerful women rise, lead, and own the room. I'm Kimberley Borgans, your host, fellow trailblazer, and unapologetic advocate for women in the world of business. With over thirty years of experience building success in a male dominant industry, I'm here to empower you to do the same. Each week, you'll hear bold conversations with inspiring guests who embody strength, resilience, a little dash of sass, and a little bit of grace. Together, we'll challenge the status quo, break through barriers, unlock your confidence, and unleash your inner superhero.
Kimberley:You ready? Let's go. Welcome to Superheroes in Heels, the podcast that fiercely empowers women to step into command presence, own their role, and lead like the strong capable women that they are. I'm your host Kimberley Borgans. And today, I'm gonna be sharing with you a topic that can be a little controversial to talk about, in my perspective.
Kimberley:And today, we're gonna talk about the comfort zone. Right? We've heard so many phrases like nothing ever grows in your comfort zone. Right? This saying is often you hear it at, I don't know, every leadership seminar, any motivational talks that you attend, professional development sessions, like get out of your comfort zone.
Kimberley:Right? You see leaders using this in your social post. And while it's true that stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to professional and personal growth, I feel that we underestimate the gift of our comfort zone as a tool, especially for women in business. I know. I know.
Kimberley:Hear me out though. In certain scenarios, deliberately staying in your comfort zone can cultivate creativity, build resilience, and drive long term success. So today, I wanted to explore how we can you you how so often we overlook this strategy, right, to to to utilize our comfort zone. And I'm busting up the myth that nothing ever grows in your comfort zone, that in order for you to grow in your business, you have to be completely outside your comfort zone, and I'm not buying it. So let's talk about that.
Kimberley:What if you could look at your comfort zone as a place of renewal? And while that comfort zone gets painted as the enemy of growth, the truth is not all growth has to feel so disruptive or so risky or so wildly uncomfortable. Many times women get into their comfort zone and they stagnate. Right? They there's no growth.
Kimberley:They're just hanging out. It's the safety zone so they don't get rejected, overlooked, or feel like they're not being heard. But the comfort zone doesn't have to be associated with stagnation. Women are balancing the demands of leadership, of innovation, their personal lives as wives, as parents, as as friends, right, as as siblings. And quite often, the comfort zone is a space of renewal.
Kimberley:What if you know, think about it this way. What if you could grow in your comfort zone? That's what I'm here to talk about today. Look. Many people have heard me say that I am like a crock pot.
Kimberley:Okay? I sit on something for a while and I figure it out. I check my energy. I see how I can vision for the future of putting something, you know, the next thing in. But when I'm ready, I am so ready, full on, ready to do something.
Kimberley:It's like, I it is now time to savor this thing. Right? So, you know, think about that. I have heard many people, right, talk to me about getting out of my comfort zone. Right?
Kimberley:But when I'm in my come in my crock pot phase, right, I am a it's a simmering phase. It took me four years, come on, to simmer on doing a podcast. And, no, I didn't have FOMO. Right? I didn't have I wasn't afraid of missing out on the podcast thing.
Kimberley:It wasn't whether I could do it or not. I know that I'm capable of doing that just like you know you're capable of doing so much more than you give yourself credit for. But for me, I needed to have some other things in place in order me to be able to vision utilizing a podcast for my business and moving forward. Y'all realize it takes quite a bit of time, work, and energy to pull off a podcast. I mean, hey.
Kimberley:Very few podcasts out in the world get past a 100 episodes because it takes a lot of work, and I personally needed to have the right reason to do it. Now here I am just starting in this space of a podcast that other people have been doing for fifteen, twenty years now, but you know what? I'm okay with that. So it looks like, you know, most of my ducks are in a row now. Some of them are still like skirting off in other directions, but but mostly we're in a row, you know, for doing this podcast.
Kimberley:But I have to say when I was ready, when I stopped simmering about doing the podcast, I had a list of 60 people to interview. Right? I have a two year plan that I have decided on creating this podcast. I have a vision of what it's gonna look like. See?
Kimberley:I'm a crock pot. I simmer. I stew into it. Right? But then when I'm ready, be ready to savor the the reward of what this girl brings on.
Kimberley:I can promise you that. But let's talk about being in a comfort zone and how to help you grow and move forward in both your business and your personal life in the space of utilizing your comfort zone as a tool. When you get into your comfort zone, when you can get into your comfort zone and manage the threat of emotional burnout, it is a good place to be. See, women in business shoulder so much emotional labor alongside their professional roles. You know, think about it.
Kimberley:We're wearing so many hats all at the same time. Like, I I have a picture years ago of me wearing, like, 10 hats on my head. Right? Can you imagine that? Just all different shapes and sizes.
Kimberley:Alright? I wear hats. I like I have a convertible, so I gotta wear hats with that. So I do. I have multiple hats.
Kimberley:But as a woman who is the CEO of a corporation of 70 plus employees, as a entrepreneur who gets out and goes and speaks and teaches on, you know, how to work in male dominated industries and stepping into your role, right, as a wife, as a mother, as a Grammy to my two, you know, right now to my two grand boys. Like, I wear many hats. I mentor. I lead. Right?
Kimberley:I I challenge people. I am the boss. I am sometimes not even the favorite boss. Right? I mean, all these different hats that we have to wear.
Kimberley:And sometimes, we need to return to the familiar, the predictable environment like a comfort zone because it's a trustworthy space of routine that we can get into to help us have an emotional respite. Creating that space for clearer decision making when it matters most to prevent us from that emotional burnout. Think about it. It creates a space to relieve the anxiety by operating in that familiar to lower our stress. If we go into our comfort zone to take a few moments to go, what hat do I need to wear in this moment?
Kimberley:And how can I take off the stress hat for a minute so that I don't get into that emotional burnout? That's when that's one space that being in your comfort zone can be a great tool. How about when you wanna strengthen core skills? Like, our comfort zone is where foundational expertise is sharpened. Sometimes we have to get out of the always being uncomfortable space to have a great foundation in business so that we can position our company for success.
Kimberley:Look. If you're leading a team or managing a project, relying on the proven skills that are within your comfort zone, it can provide stability while tackling those high stake challenges everywhere else. You know, I know that I've been heard saying sometimes you have to go back to the basics that worked before. My clients have heard that from me before, like, what has worked before in the past for you? Sometimes we have to go back to those core skills and go, okay, this is what worked for me in the past.
Kimberley:What can I do to tweak it just a little tiny bit to refine it in such a way that I can use it again in what I need to move forward with? So getting into your comfort zone to refine those basics can be a great space, can be a great tool, can be a great environment for a short period of time so that you can go, okay. What worked in the past? What do I can I use it as it is, or can I do a couple of tweaks so that it still feels comfortable, but it also it's known? Right?
Kimberley:And I can then move forward again. What about being in your comfort zone when creating mastery and confidence need to need to align? Right? Look. Repetition builds skill.
Kimberley:I don't know about you. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. The more that you do it, the more that it becomes ingrained in who you are.
Kimberley:And staying in your comfort zone sometimes can allow you to deepen your expertise. Right? Master that craft. Build that unshakable confidence. You know, if you think about it, elite athletes, right, like musicians, military personnel, they repeat the same drills over and over and over again for years.
Kimberley:Right? Athletes didn't you know, gold medal athletes, they didn't start last year. Right? They've been working on repeating and repeating and repeating the same things over and over and over again for years and years and years to be really good at it, to master their confidence in that. Think musicians are top musicians.
Kimberley:Yeah. There are some extraordinary human beings out there that can hear something and then place that same thing without any errors. K. That's not most of us. God bless them, but that's not most of us.
Kimberley:We have to do repetition. We have to do the melody. We have to create the rhythm. You know? We have to really make sure that we're hitting the right notes in our businesses just like a musician is doing that to refine an amazing piece.
Kimberley:The military personnel out there, come on. They go to boot camp. It's all about repetition, repetition, repetition. They're doing those same drills over and over and over and over again. Right?
Kimberley:And we forget as business people that sometimes we have to do some of those same things over and over and over again. We have to create the mastery in such a way that when we go out and share about what our business does, what our job does, what it is that we do in this world, whether you're in a male dominant space or you are, you know, staying at home with your kids, we have to make sure that we're refining everything in such a way that we master it, that we repeat it, repeat it, and master it. And doesn't mean we're not gonna make mistakes. This is not about perfection. It's about building the confidence to continue to move forward.
Kimberley:Look. Repetition, it creates those the right synapses in our brain for our subconscious to master our move. You know, think about it. We do things like driving cars. Most of us have experience in driving cars, and we're just driving along.
Kimberley:And we're just going along and we're like suddenly, go like, oh, was that light green? Like, we didn't even notice or pay attention because our subconscious was running it because we have mastered the art of driving. Okay? It becomes so every day for us that it seems simple for us to do. Right?
Kimberley:We don't spend every waking hour going like, oh, is that a green light? Is that a red light? Did I there's am I gonna stop at the stop sign? You know what? What we have to do is we build that repetition so much so that our subconscious can take it over, and it just becomes automatic for us.
Kimberley:Look. I get caught in this one sometimes. So for me, it's like, it's just my every day because I have mastered the confidence around the things that I know to be true. Right? So I just like, somebody asked me a question.
Kimberley:I just rattle it off, and they're like, oh my gosh, Kimberley. You are so brilliant. And I'm like, I'm just an average ordinary human being. Right? But if you really think about it is we we become that average human being based on the repetition of all the things that we do.
Kimberley:And sometimes, we just have to go back into our comfort zone for a minute to practice. Right? Practice and practice and get back to the real down and dirty things that need to get done. Right? We don't wanna spend our whole time in our comfort zone.
Kimberley:We have to get uncomfortable to learn new things. Right? Every new thing is uncomfortable. But sometimes we can go, I'm learning, and I I just have to repeat it, repeat it, repeat it, repeat it. And that's when that's a great comfort zone tool.
Kimberley:Stability and wellness. Sometimes we need to get into our comfort zone because not every season of life calls for pushing our boundaries. Sometimes we just need stillness. We need the steadiness to heal, to reflect, and to recharge. Look.
Kimberley:Sometimes I'm, like, pushing, pushing, pushing, doing everything that I can, and, you know, I just need a break. I need to pull myself into my comfort zone and give myself permission to go, it's time to take a break. You know, last couple of years, my husband and I, we have a a a trailer, a fifth wheel, and I don't drive it around. Okay. I just admit it.
Kimberley:I just let him do his gifting, and that is take me wherever I wanna go in life. He gave me my chauffeur. So but the past couple of years, I've had my husband park our trailer at a camping ground, right, a camp park. And we'd take it. It's a few hours away, and, you know, he'll take me there.
Kimberley:And he we set up he sets up the trailer for me. We do. We we we both have our parts. And we set up this trailer, and, and then he goes home. And he leaves me there for a week.
Kimberley:And then he returns at the end of week for a couple of days. We spend a little bit of time together there at the RV park and and and then we head home. K? The reason that he does this for me is because it's where I get to get into nature. I get to give myself permission to be lazy.
Kimberley:Right? I don't have to deal with responsibilities for anyone else but myself. He's like, well, do you wanna take the dog with you? And I'm like, nope. No dog.
Kimberley:No kids. And guess what? There's not much cell service. So no phone calls unless I kinda drive up the hill a little bit, and then I can get on the phone. Okay?
Kimberley:Sometimes we need to go into that comfort zone as a way for self care to take care of our mental wellness to create that stability again when life has been a little chaotic and move you know, pushing us way outside our boundary where we can't even catch our breath. See, yes, it's great to, you know, push our boundaries and, you know, know that there's growth on the outside of the comfort zone. But sometimes there's growth on the inside of comfort zone. Let me tell you. I have notebooks.
Kimberley:I have books. I will read. I will write. I get into thinking. Like, oh, I see something like, oh, that would make a great podcast or, oh, that would make a a a great, you know, blog or that would make a great story.
Kimberley:That could be a good book. That could be a great speaking topic. Oh, I gotta love on my family a little bit more. What would that look like? Right?
Kimberley:Taking that time out for ourselves can be a great space to be in our comfort zone while we regenerate. Right? While we get into the stillness to be able to heal from look. I I'm a strong, powerful woman. I'm bold.
Kimberley:I can be called bossy. You name it. Like, people have given it to me. They've used that that b word, you know, beautiful boss. Right?
Kimberley:I I am out there. I am bold all the time. And sometimes as bold women, people say not so nice things to bold women acting as if we don't have feelings. I have feelings just like the rest of y'all. If you're a quiet, shy person and you wear your feelings on your sleeve, God bless you.
Kimberley:That is not me. I'm not gonna wear them on my sleeve, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't wear on my heart. Sometimes I need to go back and get into that space where I can heal and reflect and recharge. And I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty powerful space to be in in my comfort zone when I need it. But I guarantee you notice I put a timeline on it.
Kimberley:I'm only there for a week. Right? I'm not gonna sit in that space all the time. One week out of 52, I think that's pretty not staying in my comfort zone as much. Right?
Kimberley:But so don't sit in your comfort zone and stagnate. Right? And just blow it off. If you're gonna do it, just go. Give yourself permission for a short time.
Kimberley:Another space where being in your comfort zone could be a great tool is for creativity and flow. See, when I am allowed to just heal all that stuff that I get from the world, right, and and reset it and and just connect with with my God and say, look, I need you to, like, remind me who I am in your eyes. And I get to do that in that space. And then guess what? It shifts.
Kimberley:It shifts to creativity. Creativity flourishes when you're relaxed and not under pressure. That comfort zone, it offers that psychological safety space. Right? And that is the soil for which imagination is an inspired thinking.
Kimberley:That's where it comes from. When you're not in fight or flight mode because, you know, you're reacting and doing and, you know, planning all the time, when you're not in that space, sometimes it helps to save energy so that you can dream bigger. Right? It's hard to dream big if you're constantly in survival mode. Look.
Kimberley:I can guarantee when I return from my personal camping trip, right, my husband picks me up. Like, I'm a bit more creative because I've made the space for it. I've gotten rid of all of that crabby stuff that people wanna put on you. Right? Or you might put on yourself.
Kimberley:Not speaking to anybody particularly, but if that fits, check yourself. Okay? Don't be crabby to yourself. Right? Look.
Kimberley:Doing this can be a strategic move so that you can clearly think about your next steps moving forward, you know, what it is that you need to create and how you might move forward in that direction. And, yes, you're gonna have to get out of your comfort zone to go make that happen after you utilize that tool. How about utilizing this tool, in your comfort zone to build strong relationships? Look. Being in your comfort zone often means being surrounded by people that you trust.
Kimberley:When you're in your comfort zone, that's the space where your your spouse, your family, your friends are in that environment and can foster that deeper emotional connection and the meaningful conversations that we have that require emotional safety. Like, being comfortable enough to speak your mind, laugh so hard that you snort, right, and not have to dress to impress can be a great comfort zone without judgment. And sometimes we have to get into that comfort zone to be able to just let go and just be all of who we are without somebody expecting anything different. I know that I've been in this space with my family and friends and, like, something came out of my mouth and lie like, what? Kimberley, I've never heard that from you before.
Kimberley:I'm like, you know, I can still surprise y'all. But, you know, think about it for yourself is are you creating that space where you're surrounded by people that you trust, That you know that when you say something crazy, they're not gonna go out and blab it to the world. They wait until you're ready to blab it for yourself. And how about being in your comfort zone to self identify and to create some personal reflection? When you're not constantly chasing change or challenge, you finally get to meet yourself.
Kimberley:You can reflect on where you are now and where you still wanna go to. This is a time when you can go in your comfort zone and you can pray and you can meditate and you can reconnect to your values. Right? Those things that help to make the decisions for your life and your future based on what your intention is rather than having urgency to make those things. It's a great time to reinvest in your soul space.
Kimberley:Look. I'm not a woo woo gal. Okay? But I do understand creating that space in your soul for yourself. It's the thing that's gonna drive you when things get hard, when things are challenging and overwhelmed.
Kimberley:It reminds you of yourself to your core. What are your core values? Why are you doing what you're doing? Look. I've had many one-sided arguments with God on why I'm doing what I'm doing.
Kimberley:And sometimes when I get in this space of reflection time, It's the time that I can reconnect with my mission and my purpose so that I can make clear decisions on moving forward or even making a lane change. Right? We're constantly evolving in business, and sometimes we're like, I know something doesn't feel right. And taking some time out to reflect can be a great tool in a comfort zone. Look.
Kimberley:Contrary to public belief, right, the comfort zone can be dynamic rather than just static. Like, it fosters self awareness, reconnection, Time to create focus and build your confidence. These are all critical, right, for for impactful growth, for, you know, creating new and constant things in your business. Right? It's powerful for the growth of women in business altogether.
Kimberley:I mean, if you really think about that, it can be mind blowing if we're constantly go, go, go, go, go, and we don't take time to stop and just go, where do I wanna go for real? Not just what society expects you to go to, not just what direction your boss wants you to go to or your mentors or your clients or your spouse, your kids? Like, where do you want to go? And how can you create that confidence to move forward into the uncomfort zone? And let's get real.
Kimberley:In business, timing is everything. There are key moments when staying in your comfort zone can align with strategic goals. For women who are navigating male dominated industries that often are, you know, undervalue their contributions. Right? Don't notice their the value of their, you know, their past experiences, all the stuff that is needed for them, like, this strategy of being in your comfort zone to align and get reconnected with yourself can be particularly empowering.
Kimberley:I don't know about you, but I know that it has helped me along the way. Think about planning when you're planning long term strategies. Sometimes staying in your comfort zone allows you calmness. It allows you uninterrupted focus. This is where you can gather your data, identify patterns.
Kimberley:I don't know about you, but I'm a pattern girl. I look at patterns all the time. I can be doing my payroll and I can notice a pattern. And then I go to my scheduler and I'm like, hey. I'm noticing this pattern of so and so.
Kimberley:Right? But if I'm not paying attention, right, if I don't allow that calm space to discover the new ideas without all the external pressures, I wouldn't be able to notice those things maybe. Think about it like this. Could you create a new narrative around comfort zone? The traditional narrative around comfort zone is about motivating you to get uncomfortable in order to succeed.
Kimberley:And, yes, there's a space for that. It creates a it creates a lot of moving forward, but it also can create a large amount of shame and guilt when a woman sits down, you know, at night or on a weekend, lifts up her feet. She sits back to relax, and then the internal dialogue starts. I don't know about you, but these ones have come into my head before. I'm lazy.
Kimberley:I should be getting more things done. Shouldn't I be using this time to plan my next move or answer those calls? The emails are piling up. I should probably be doing that. If I relax now, I'm gonna lose momentum.
Kimberley:I don't wanna lose momentum. Will others think that I'm not serious about what I'm doing? There's so many other women who are out there working harder than I am. Maybe I'm not cut out for this. There's so much piling up.
Kimberley:Look. I should be doing the dishes. I should be getting the laundry done. I should be making beds. Maybe I need to go spend time with my kids instead of taking some time out for me.
Kimberley:Do they think I'm just lazy mom sitting around watching a movie? We put so much energy on ourselves as entrepreneurs. There is so much pressure to prove ourselves in the entrepreneurial space. Even more pressure if you're a female in a male dominated industry where women are often told that they're too emotional. Oh, they have excuses.
Kimberley:Right? We're not looked up to unless, you know, oh, you know, all those things. Come on, lady. Tough it out. Right?
Kimberley:The comfort zone can feel overly restrictive sometimes by putting the guilt on a woman who wants to take the time out just so she can prove that she has to grow and she can't she can't grow in a comfort zone. She has to get uncomfortable in order to grow, and I'm challenging that thinking today. I want us to shift that thinking, to shift this this perspective. Think about it. Could we re reframe it?
Kimberley:Could we redefine comfort? Comfort doesn't mean complacency. Women can view their comfort zones as sanctuaries for developing resilience. Look. I am the queen of resilience.
Kimberley:I have bounced back so many times. We can use it to explore creative ideas in a low pressure environment. I hope that you can redefine comfort zone, not as a place to get comfortable and sit back and put your feet up and ignore your responsibilities and the things that you need to do in order to move forward. Your business needs you to move forward. It needs you to grow.
Kimberley:And, yes, you are going to have to get uncomfortable over and over and over again in order to be a successful woman in business. But you can also use your comfort zone to explore and be more resilient, get more creative, and take care of yourself. You can use your comfort zone to focus on the balance that everybody's talking about. Right? How do you get balance?
Kimberley:I have balance every now and again for a few minutes, and then it gets out of balance again. And then I bring it back into balance. And then, you know, but if we normalize our comfort zone as an integral part of this balance space, women can adopt a healthier approach to growth. Yeah. I'm gonna get uncomfortable.
Kimberley:I'm gonna do that for x amount of time. And then you know what? I'm gonna get here to this level and I'm gonna stop and take a deep breath, but only for a short moment. But I'm gonna do it, and then I'm gonna get back to the grind. I'm gonna get back out there and let women beat on me with their words and their their negativity and their, hey.
Kimberley:Who do you think you are that you think you could do this? Right? It's gonna happen. But we have got to reframe this powerful message that women can embrace their comfort zone as a tool in their business toolbox, navigating the complex emotions of guilt and shame, right, for taking time out to regroup. It's essential to challenge that underlying narrative that keeps being put out, that rest is a sign of weakness or a failing in life rather than a vital component of sustainability and creativity and leadership.
Kimberley:I am the leader that I am today because I take the time out to go, woah. What do I need to do right now that is comfortable so that I can recharge? A well rested mind approaches challenges with clarity. It fosters better decision, right, and creates long term success for all of us. Recognize that success includes your well-being and balance, not just the milestones.
Kimberley:And I am all about the milestones. Don't get me wrong. Right? I am all about creating milestones, setting those goals, reaching for that next thing. In order to be in business for thirty three years, way that I have been in business requires that.
Kimberley:But it also requires and recognizes that I have to include that success is also about stopping and taking time out for me. We need to reframe what rest is. View relaxation as an investment of ourselves and our business rather than the distraction or an indulgence. Lean on our communities. Right?
Kimberley:Share our experiences with other women entrepreneurs who understand the unique pressures, right, and can offer support when we're, like, we're in the chaos and the challenge. We need to practice intentional rest to be successful. Right? Set some specific times for relaxation. Give yourself permission to fully be present during those moments.
Kimberley:Take that time out to recharge, to only be in that space of this is where I'm confident right now because my confidence kinda got knocked down with those constant beats on by not being enough. Not, you know, what you shared. I didn't get anything. All those negative comments you get from all the social posts that you put out there that people wanna disagree with you, but they don't do it lovingly. Right?
Kimberley:I wanna emphasize that women, we excel at creating collaborative environments. We gotta teams of people that are safe spaces, right, that encourage open communication, that encourage trust and innovation. And when we can do this well, we're looking to create win win environments. And that's what I've done with the Hive Hangout and the hive society is I've tried to create a place that it's safe for women to say, oh, I just need someone to lift me up. I just need someone to remind me why I'm doing what I'm doing.
Kimberley:And when women do this, mentors emerging talents offering guidance, right, without an intimidating setting, huge win. Huge win. When you can champion inclusive policies that spotlight diverse voices, allowing people to have their say even if you don't agree with them, Build long term networks that support collaborative success that go, oh, Kimberley, you know what? If you tweak it just a little bit like this, I think it might work for you. That's the kind of space and environment and community that I create in all that I do.
Kimberley:That's what I want to bring forth in this world. Rather than seeing the comfort zone as a limitation, women can leverage it as a foundation to foster meaningful connections, achieving shared goals. Right? Ladies, are you hearing what I'm saying? First, one of my mentors says, are you tracking with me?
Kimberley:Like, your comfort zone when utilized as a tool for better can be a great place to emerge like that butterfly. Right? From not just that staying comfortable space, but as that place to gather your thoughts, your energy, create new decisions. Right? Not just move yourself forward, but also bring others with you as you continue to grow in your position and in your business.
Kimberley:It's important to acknowledge that growth occurs in cycles. Right? It there's ebb and flow in everything. The economy, there's ebb and flow. Right?
Kimberley:You notice that, you know, interest rates, they ebb and flow. They they constantly up and down, up and down. Right? Well, our business is like that too. Success comes in cycles.
Kimberley:You're not successful every single day on every single thing. Right? So after a phase, right, of rapid learning or change, right, getting through a chaotic time or a challenging time, retreating temporarily to a familiar surrounding offers a chance to reflect on those experiences. And women in demanding roles, we benefit from having this built in space for self assessment before taking that next leap forward. The next time you hear somebody say, you have to get out of your comfort zone.
Kimberley:No growth happens in your comfort zone. I want you to think to yourself, I have now learned that that's BS. Okay? That that's not always true. Well, ultimately, the key to using your comfort zone strategically lies in timing and context.
Kimberley:Think about that. Knowing when to strategically be in your comfort zone and not going in there as a place to hide. So I have some questions for you. Some questions that you could answer for yourself to reflect on, am I going into my comfort zone for the right place, for the right time, for the right reason? So one question you can ask yourself is, am I avoiding growth, or am I preparing for it?
Kimberley:Your comfort zone should feel like a deliberate choice, not an escape space. Think about our circumstances demanding quick action, or can this moment be one for thoughtful reflection? Like, sometimes you have to make quick decisions. And if you go into hiding, into your comfort zone to hide, you give your decision making power to somebody else. I don't know about you.
Kimberley:I'm not willing to give that up to anybody else. Right? If you want to give somebody else the authority to make decisions on your behalf, that's different. Right? It's different than somebody else making it because you won't make it.
Kimberley:And I don't know about you, but as a woman in in power, as a woman, in business, as a woman in general, we shouldn't be letting other people make decisions for us. We should be standing up and being heard about what our decisions are for our life, what we wanna do in our businesses, what we wanna do moving forward. If you're in a job and somebody is your boss and they're telling you that you have to do these things, you have decisions around that too. You can do just enough. You can do it with excellence.
Kimberley:You can choose not to do it and then possibly lose your job or you can quit. There's lots of other decisions that you can make even if you're under a boss. Don't underestimate the power of your decision making abilities. And the other thing you wanna ask yourself is can you trust your instincts? Look.
Kimberley:Women often possess strong intuition. If your gut is telling you to hold steady, it's likely for a good reason. But let me tell you about this. Years ago, in my, security business, Delta Protective Services, we had this thing that happened where my my business partner who's also my husband, at the time, we were doing interviews. And what we did is we did interviews where we're both in the room as we interviewed candidates for the positions in the company.
Kimberley:We had this one gentleman come in who looked really, really good. We're excited about interviewing him. He's got every certification necessary. Right? He everything on paper looks really good.
Kimberley:So he comes in for interview. And guess what? He speaks so good. We are you know, he could be a phenomenal candidate, right, to hire. Like, this guy had it all together.
Kimberley:What he said matched everything that's on his paper. And so at the end of the interview, we said, you know, we'll let you know. We have some more interviews to do, and we'll get back to you. No problem. And my business partner, husband, said, oh, we need to hire this guy after he left.
Kimberley:Right? He said, we need to hire this guy. We need to put him into place. I know exactly where you can go. But this woman and her intuition, like, alarms were flying.
Kimberley:I'm like, hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Something's not right. Now my husband was like, oh, no.
Kimberley:Like, he's really good. We need to do it. My business partner was, like, no. You need to get over yourself. Like, we need to hire this guy and, you know, we we really need to move forward.
Kimberley:He's a great candidate, and I need to hire him. And I'm like, hold on. Something is not right. And he's like, well, what's not right? You know, like, sometimes people will say to you when you're trying to, like, your intuition is telling you something and they try to kinda push you past it or they wanna bully you into, you know, making their decision and all of those things.
Kimberley:And I just wanna be clear though, you know, my husband treated me great in this. My business partner was a little pushy. I gotta have that differentiation. Right? But let me tell you what happened is I I said, look.
Kimberley:I don't know. I don't know why my intuition is telling me that this guy is not the person for our business. And he's like, well, what's it gonna take? What do you need? I said, you know what?
Kimberley:Can you just give me twenty four hours? Like, we told him we have more interviews this week. We have time. Can you just give me twenty four hours to figure out what it is that my intuition is screaming about that says this is not a good candidate for us. Now, you know, I know he didn't wanna give me twenty four hours, but he said, okay.
Kimberley:Fine. Twenty four hours. So this time tomorrow, then you're gonna have an answer for me. And I said, yep. No problem.
Kimberley:Little did I know. Like, I I kept thinking about it. I kept thinking about it. I still couldn't come up with the reason why my intuition felt that a way that it did, but it did. And then I didn't have to have the answer because the gentleman created the space for my intuition to be right.
Kimberley:He was arrested for kidnapping his girlfriend and throwing her into the trunk of his car and taking off down the street, and somebody witnessed it and called the police. Look, ladies. Your intuition, you may not know the reason why it's it's screaming out at you, but we have that. We have to trust our instincts as women, as women entrepreneurs, as women in business, as women in male dominant industries, as parents, as spouses. We have to trust our intuition.
Kimberley:And if our gut is telling us to hold steady sometimes, we need to stop and listen to it for a minute. It's likely for a good reason. Now I do wanna put this little caveat in there. If it's about being comfortable, if it's about fear, fear of rejection, fear of looking bad. Right?
Kimberley:A fear of success, whatever that is, remember, it's your fear, and you can make adjustments to that. Go back and talk you know, listen to my podcast all around fear and how you can detox fear. Right? Is, like, really think of it. Like, I don't want you to be so stuck that your intuition says, like, oh, we can't do that because I'm afraid.
Kimberley:That's not what I'm talking about with your intuition. You need a little pep talk to get through your fear? Pick up the phone and call me. Right? Go into the hive hangout.
Kimberley:Mention it. Right? I will walk you through getting past that fear in a way whether I do it with an email, whether I do it with a little training, whether I, you know, I I talk to you personally. Right? That's a whole different ballgame than trusting your instincts in your in utilizing your comfort zone to go like, what is this?
Kimberley:I didn't know what it was. And you know what? At the twenty fourth hour, I probably would have said, okay. We'll hire him because, you know, I I can't give you an answer. But at the twentieth hour, he proved it.
Kimberley:So watch what's happening with those things that your intuition, your gut feeling is telling you to, oh, wait. Hold on. What's what's not right? Try to discover what's not right in that. Look.
Kimberley:I'm gonna wrap this up because this one's been a long one, but think about your comfort zone. It is not the enemy of growth. Think about it as a strategic asset that when you use it wisely can create amazing things. It can create the dreams that you've been dreaming for to be successfully in your business. For women in business, understanding the when and the how to lean into this space can lead to profound personal and professional gains.
Kimberley:By embracing your comfort zone as a place of strength and renewal and collaboration, women, we can chart a path that honors both ambition and balance. I truly feel that it's time to rewrite the narrative and recognize that growth doesn't always require leaving comfort behind. The key isn't to abandon the comfort zone. It's to know when to step in and step out. Right?
Kimberley:It's not either or. It's both and. Right? Think about it. Your comfort zone is a place for you to get strong enough to survive back out there in the uncomfortable zone.
Kimberley:Growth doesn't always have to look like movement. Sometimes it can look like stillness. It can look like you're are putting roots in the ground. It can create quiet strength. And you know what?
Kimberley:When you come out, you are ready on fire to take on what's next to deal with the chaos. And trust me, even when you're in your comfort zone, you still have to deal with some of that chaos and some of that life that happens for all the other different reasons. Get uncomfortable being comfortable to grow your business, but get comfortable to be comfortable to take care of you as you move forward in life. Thank you so much for joining me today on this podcast where, you know, as women, we have to remember that we are the superheroes of our lives, and we are the ones who have to stand up and say, no or yes. That's what I wanna create.
Kimberley:Thank you for joining me here with Superheroes in Heels. Make sure that if you thought this was a podcast that you could share with the other women in your lives on your social media, please repost it. Right? Share it out there. Subscribe to the podcast.
Kimberley:You never know what's gonna come next out of my mouth. Right? Get out there. Give me a review. Let me know.
Kimberley:Are you challenging my challenge on your comfort zone and being in there? I'd love to hear about it. Give me a review. Share the information. Who knows?
Kimberley:You might, hear your voice on a future podcast or your name on a future podcast. Could be your voice too because, I do take, the right people in onto my podcast and interview. But I'm excited for moving forward for this next phase, and I look forward to seeing you on the next episode of Superheroes in Heels with Kimberley Borgans.
Outro:Thanks for tuning in to Superheroes in Heels with Kimberley Borgans. If you're walking away feeling a little braver, a little bolder, and a whole lot more powerful, mission accomplished. Be sure to subscribe to the show and leave a review. It helps us to reach more women who are ready to unleash their power and lead with confidence. And if you do leave a review, you might just hear your name in an upcoming episode.
Outro:If today's conversation lit a fire in you, share it with your network and join us inside the hive society at kimberlyborgans.com, where powerful women gather to break barriers and rise together. Until next time, keep showing up, standing strong, and heels or not, keep embracing your inner superhero.