How to Embrace Change, Connection & Vulnerable Conversations

Paula Shepherd Author

Why is it so important to slow down and reevaluate? Even if everything feels like a well oiled machine? Because you’re not a machine!

In this week’s episode Paula shares how re-evaluating has taken her back to her roots. Paula’s gift is connection, creating relationships and communities, fostering intimate spaces where we can thrive together! She shares how it is vital to slow down to move forward and feel into everything you do. Paula also shares why episodes will be moving to biweekly.

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Timestamps:

(01:25) Paula is sharing insight into what she’s been changing and why she’s moving in a new direction.

40-57 its scary

(02:01) Life is scary sometimes and how to move through it.

(03:09) How Paula uses her logical mind to NOT over structure life and business.

(04:45) How we missed places of vulnerability in real life spaces in the past 2 years of online connections.

(05:23) Paula’s strengths in relationships and how it caused her to re-evaluate.

(07:14) What Paula has learned during her re-evaluation.

(09:00) Why you need to slow down.

(12:20) Your invitation to Paula’s monthly mastermind High Caliber Conversations.

14:00 in this minute/moment

(15:45) Why we’re moving to biweekly episodes.

Transcript:

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

feeling, share, realise, moment, clients, episode, podcast, conversations, listen, little bit, person, people, today, spend, courage, competent, solo, connecting, monthly, connection

SPEAKERS

Paula Shepherd

Paula Shepherd 00:01

Hi, I'm Paula Shepherd, I went to college to get a good job and make a lot of money back then, no one talked about doing what you love. And while I successfully climbed the corporate ladder, I felt like there was something missing. So I left the seemingly comfortable corporate world at 40 years old for the freedom of full time entrepreneurship. Today, I get to help ambitious women go from entrepreneur to competent CEO of their lives and businesses. I created this podcast to share what I've learned with you to make your journey just a little easier, and to connect you with other incredible business owners who took a chance on themselves and who they are becoming. So whether you're just getting started, are all in or just when you hear friendly voice, come on in and sit with us. Now, let's dive in.

Paula Shepherd 01:02

Welcome to an episode of the competence sessions, which it's just me, it's just me riding solo today, which I normally don't do. And one of the things that I noticed is that I am brilliant at connecting people and celebrating others. And I am not so great at doing that myself. And so here I am on the show, rocking it solo today, to share a little bit of insight about what's going on how things are going to change with the podcast, why those things are happening, and not because I feel like you need an explanation. But more because I want to share to inspire you to do the things that you're feeling called to do, even when it's freakin scary, because trust me, it's scary. Not all of us are sitting on a giant savings account, maybe you just started your business, maybe you're trying to get cash flow, maybe you're in a job, and you're a little concerned about what's gonna happen and whether or not you're going to still have that job and three months, and how that works with your family. And so there's this cycle that happens that we need to address.

Paula Shepherd 02:18

And I've gone through this, and my clients have been going through this and the more conversations that I have vulnerably both from my side and from other people, the more I realise we're not alone. Shocking, I know. However, it's really important to share this message with you.

Paula Shepherd 02:42

Back in July, I had a a retreat for my clients, and it was amazing. Now as a project manager and event planner, programme management operations, I understand logistics and the tactical, very systematic way of doing business. And honestly, if you need somebody to plan your Disney trip, because you need to know exactly where to go here or there, wherever what to do when the Fastpass doesn't work if they're even doing that anymore, I'm your girl. And I'm really good at making that happen. Because I am a high achiever, as are most of my clients.

Paula Shepherd 03:22

So when we hosted this retreat, here in Austin, Texas, my number one goal was to give them what they needed to give myself what I needed in the meantime, and to not over plan and over structure. That sounds scary, right? When you've got people that are travelling from all over the place to come spend time with you. And we can internalise other people's expectations of us, leading us to over plan because we really do want them to have the best time ever. But the thing is, coming out of that experience, I realised what they needed, which actually filled all of our souls, what they needed, was to not have all that planning was to not have all that structure was to be able to have the day guided not by worksheets, not by curriculum, but by how they felt in that moment. And the interesting thing about in person events, especially when they're very intimate, this was a very intimate event. was is that over a very rapid period of time.

Paula Shepherd 04:46

People get vulnerable. They share things they wouldn't otherwise the connections become so much deeper than they do behind a screen. Now we get that opportunity to meet people that we wouldn't otherwise thank you to technology Chi, however, there is absolutely no substitute for being in person and that energy and feeling that and that closeness, that connection that belonging. After that experience, I really sad and ruminated in what I was doing and what the next step was for me. Because I love being around people. I love it. I love walking into a room and talking to the person who's a little nervous. I like connecting people in ways that lead to relationships that stand the test of time.

Paula Shepherd 05:51

That meant reevaluating my business, that meant re evaluating how I show up what I need to do how I make an impact. And truth be told, who's not telling the truth. But truth be told, I, I really wanted to get back to my roots, because I was finding that hiding behind the systems hiding behind the tactics, the strategies that people want to get them ahead, to get the money to get the clout to get the place in their works or chart to get that raise, to buy that car was still a sense of insecurity. A sense of not feeling like their ideas were important enough. Now I work with incredibly educated humans.

Paula Shepherd 06:51

These people love to learn, I love to learn, if you're listening to this, it's because you love to learn. You want to learn something from my guests, you're trying to learn something from me, whether it's experience, or how to 1234 or five steps, but you're here for a reason. And what I've learned over the last couple of months, and and as I'm going through my own personal professional transition, is that sometimes we have to reevaluate even if something seems to be working, even if it's a quote, well oiled machine, check in with yourself, Does it feel right? If it doesn't seem to be working the way it used to? Or even if it does? Do you wake up excited to do it in the morning? Or do you feel like you're feeding a machine?

Paula Shepherd 07:49

Now, I have a client that is going to come back and do a podcast with me because the way that her story unfolded is so non traditional, and not what she ever expected. And yet it is exactly what she wanted from the very beginning. And that's a little bit of a teaser, because I'm not going to tell you the story here. I really want her to share it with you. But it means that just like that moment when you decided you didn't want to be an employee anymore, or just like that moment when you decided that that job wasn't for you and you wanted to be in a different career path.

Paula Shepherd 08:27

You should always be listening. Now, how do you listen, when your schedule is full? When you're driving kids around when you are over scheduling yourself with Zoom calls, when you are spending all of your time scrolling on social media marketing, when you are trying to fill your time with activity. You're not going to like this any more than I didn't like hearing this but it is to slow down. This idea of doing nothing is actually doing something you're doing something when you're doing nothing you were filling your own soul. When was the last time that you listen to your own thoughts? When was the last time that you went to take a walk or run and didn't listen to a podcast? When was the last time that you trusted your gut when was the last time you've gotten the car and didn't turn on the radio or an audio book? When was the last time that you just trusted the thoughts, the feelings the ideas that you had and acted on those without doing all of the research to make sure it sounded okay.

Paula Shepherd 09:51

These are the moments that count and I would never honestly ask anyone to do anything that I haven't done Before every single thing that I've ever done, I have wholeheartedly believed in, as I did it. Now as I evolve and become more of who I am becoming, because it is an evolution. And every time you do that, there's an opportunity for you to check in with yourself. And if you're feeling overwhelmed, like I was, or overwhelmed, like, my clients, or people in my community have shared with me, they were as well, at some point in time, the only way to stop the overwhelm, is to simply stop and listen.

Paula Shepherd 10:45

Now, I'm a huge proponent for therapy, I think, if you can go to therapy, please do. It's not for broken people, none of us are broken. It's not for people who just have endured traumatic events, it is a great way for you to process and I am also a huge proponent of having both a coach who's helping you face forward and also a therapist. Now I recognise the fact that sometimes that's not, that's just not a way that you can do it. Because financially, it just doesn't feel available to you. I will tell you that there are opportunities for you to do that. If you don't, if you want some information on it. And I can absolutely share some resources with you.

Paula Shepherd 11:36

Please message me, send me a message, shoot me a message and email at Paula at the courage blueprint.com. It is really me responding to you. It really is I care so deeply about you. And I, I want you to know in this moment of feeling like you're wobbling, there's a little bit of an identity crisis, you're not really sure what to do, you've got to do something, it feels like it feels like the world is coming in on you when you finally thought you knew yourself. And that's when growth is happening. And I want you to embrace it, we need to find one step one place that you can embrace it, I want you to come to my monthly high calibre conversations. These are monthly, no cost events for you. I truly want you to be a part of it.

Paula Shepherd 12:28

And you can get all the information on that by joining my email list. Please join the email list. Go to the website, the courage blueprint.com. Get on the email list and come hang out with us on Zoom. And actually have conversations, this isn't me talking at you. So I'm here to tell you that you're not alone. The intention here is to share with you the knowledge that I have any experience of the transition there. We're always transitioning, there's always a point in time where we are still transitioning, I'm always transitioning from one moment to the other, whatever that looks like. And so are you. And when I look back at all the most challenging pieces and parts of my life the times that then I made it through completely unscathed.

Paula Shepherd 13:24

Were some of the most terrifying moments of my life. Maybe you can relate to that. Those moments don't make you. They don't make you a person that can't move forward. They make you into a person that continues to evolve, right? So who you are now, it's not who you were, and who you will be tomorrow, next week, next month next year. It's not who you are today. So in this minute, in this moment, in this month, or this season, when you're feeling completely out of control, and you're not sure what the next step is. Or maybe you're worried about money, maybe you're wanting support, you're just not sure how to get that. Ask. In fact, I challenge you to send me a message and ask, tell me what you need. Is it a connection? Is it a resource? Let me know what you need. Guaranteed I haven't or I know somebody that does. And I'll bet you it probably won't cost you a penny.

Paula Shepherd 14:48

So I hope that this has been helpful. I hope to see you at our monthly community series calls. And I hope that this gives you a little bit of comfort to know that You are not alone. This is not abnormal, this is completely part of life. And that this, this like wobbly bit, this being in this transitionary space is literally the moment before you're about to step into the next big thing.

Paula Shepherd 15:21

We'll be moving these to bi weekly, I want to make sure that you have time to digest and communicate and share because this sense of community is really, really important to me, this isn't about pumping out episodes, this is about you really feeling inspired by the guests, by my conversations with them by the solo episodes. This is an opportunity for us to go deeper in our relationship, and I hope that you will embrace that. Okay. I will see you in email in the community. And on another episode of the competent sessions.

Paula Shepherd 16:04

Thank you for listening to this episode of the competent sessions. I know there are hundreds of 1000s of podcasts and I'm so grateful that you chose to spend your time today with me. Head on over to the courage blueprint.com forward slash podcast to check out the show notes from today's episode, and grab links to all the amazing goodies mentioned today. If you love this episode, as much as I loved making it, make sure you don't miss out on any future ones by hitting the subscribe button right now. See you next time.

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