Strategy Game with Lauren Shippy

We’ve been in a place where we’ve experienced a lot of “undoing”, whether related to belief systems, assumptions, judgements or opinions. In the course of history, I imagine that there are cycles of this over and over again. When hard things happen - we start to question all of the things around us. Sometimes that happens subconsciously. We may not even realize it’s happening. When we enter into a sort of trauma mode, or when we get “squeezed”, all of the random thoughts that have been floating around gather and come to the surface. When we get squeezed, sometimes we don’t like what comes out. It’s a refinement process. When we have hard things happen to us or see hard things happening around us, it’s a wake up call. A reality check. It challenges us to think about why we’re here, what really matters, who we are, and maybe what we want to change. I think we’ve been through a lot of that in the last few years as a society. This isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last.   

The point here is, not only do we have all of the “noise” happening around us in the world, in our local community and friend circles, managing our lives, but then we have this internal “noise” that bubbles to the surface sometimes more than others, and I think it’s something we don’t give enough credit. It impacts us more than we recognize. And when we try to ignore it, it doesn’t go away. What’s your internal noise? What are the questions that have been bubbling up to the surface of your mind? Oftentimes, stating them can be the hardest part.  

Your calling doesn't change throughout your life, but your assignment will.  

Craig Cooney from Daily Prophetic shares a lot of wisdom and practical tools in this episode about what it looks like to hear God. There are so many different ways to see, know and hear God and this episode was so freeing for me personally.   

The more I went through the closet, the better I became at answering and knowing whether or not my answer was accurate for myself. I was learning my own voice in a different way. Turns out, I had two large trash bags full of things I didn’t really like hanging around in there. It felt so good to throw them out of the closet that my enthusiasm increased as I took things out. As I continued my evaluation - something great happened - nothing became off limits. When I first started the clean out, I felt guarded, protective of certain things. But as I got into it, and realized how much freedom was coming from getting rid of these things that I didn’t really like anyway, and I trusted the process more and more. So I started going back through some of the things I had brushed by in the beginning and listening, or trusting, my answer, and that’s how I filled the second bag. When I was done, I felt lighter. I guess it turns out that sometimes our spaces can be related to how much noise we have in our minds.   

What layers of noise do you experience and what are the triggers of that noise?  

What can you clear out to get some more space for the things that matter most to you?  

What CLASSICS do you have - default patterns that you rely on that maybe need to be disrupted - UNASSUMING thoughts, relationships or systems that aren’t serving you well and are hiding beneath the surface, FALSE ALARMS - things that you think you enjoy, but you don’t.  

What are your true yes’s and how can you say yes to them more?  

Listen in to learn more about clearing space for the things that matter most.  

THE TENSION IS THICK FROM THE PREVIOUS SEASON.

86% of Americans say that they feel exhausted by the division in America.

If you keep "hitting the wall" with yourself, or relationships - unsure of how to move forward when hard things come up - this episode is for you. Learn to process through emotions simply and get the change and freedom you need with yourself and others. With 25+ years of leadership and study in the field, Linda Tonnesen is one of my personal friends and I look up to her as a mentor. She's incredible, grace filled, and has this way about her that will leave you feeling refreshed, and just free after you listen to this episode. 

I had always felt that there is a longing for “more” deep down, underneath all of us that we don’t even realize. Maybe we just don’t know about it. But it’s a longing to really be seen, known and heard. Some of us may deflect by not sharing, some of us may overcompensate by seeing others and serving them to the point of exhaustion, some of us may think that we have the connection in our lives with lots of friends, but it’s only on the surface - and I think there’s more. I think there’s a longing (subconsciously in many cases) to be truly seen - to have someone acknowledge us right where we are, to be heard - to listen for the things we are saying and even not saying, and known - truly known like I believe our Creator knows us.

Does this scare you a little as you read it? It’s ok, nobody else is here, just you, me and this book. It’s not like the emperor’s new clothes (remember that kids book?), you won’t be put in the spotlight to share your deepest darkest secrets, most embarrassing moments or discomfort of being vulnerable. You’re safe here.

Maybe you find resistance rising up inside of you right now, but I want to gently nudge you to keep going to the other side. Maybe we might attribute it to a lack of time or space, but what’s behind that? Peel back the layers, there’s a lot more hiding in there (or might be, I won’t make assumptions before I know you) but I know for me, I’m afraid. I’m afraid to ask uncomfortable questions, I’m afraid to dive into the deep, not knowing where it’ll go.

This episode is packed full of lightbulb moments - tune in as Graham Bodie from the Listen First Project shares with us on turning to wonder, the importance of nuance, and looking at why we believe a lot of what we believe. This conversation put to words so much of what was in my mind, but hadn't yet figured out how to say it, I'm so excited to share it with you.   

I want you to take a minute and think about the people around you in your life - your family, friends, acquaintances, mailman, barista, assistant, coworker, and anyone else that comes to mind. These people make up a part of your daily life experience. As you think about each one of them in slideshow mode in your mind, what expression is on their face? What phrases do you hear them saying? What is the overall feeling that comes to mind when you think of each person?

As you see this slideshow of photos of all of the people that make up your life, I wonder if you have any thoughts that come to mind that surprise you. Things that you have picked up on, maybe an underlying sense that there’s more behind the standard greeting. I wonder if right now, you made a list, and wrote down the answers to these questions, if you also might hear a phrase for some of them that goes beyond the expression, or phrases or feeling. Maybe there’s a repeated pattern, or a concern, or something that you might be hearing them say repeatedly.

This is the start of how practicing seeing, knowing and hearing others can change everything - and I hope that it does for you too (in a good way). It gave me a new perspective, fresh eyes to see myself and others, that gave me freedom. My hope is that you’ll feel the same as you read this too.

Did you know that empathy doesn't just mean conjuring up feelings to understand someone? That actually can discourage true empathy. Empathy is strategic and can be learned!

This is one of the most impactful episodes we've recorded in the series - IDEOS founder Christy Vines joins us to talk about how they're leading a grassroots movement throughout the U.S, bringing people together that are different from each other. If you've experienced division and toxic polarization, this episode is a must listen. 

I've been working on a project for a few years now....it came to me in a very distinct moment of clarity - what would it look like if we really could see, know and hear each other and how would it change the world?

I'm excited to share with you that I've been writing a book all about what I'm learning, and I'm going to be highlighting that work here in this season of the podcast. I hope you'll listen in with me as we interview experts and thought leaders in the space, as well as share of my own writing before the book comes out. And share it with your friends! Anyone this series will help, please pass it on. This is about something much bigger than ourselves. 

- Lauren 

Every year around this time many of us look backward and forward – review the past, examine our wins/losses, then focus on the future goals/strategy/plans. These are good things to do both personally and/or as a founder/solopreneur. 

While it is important to think through these things, I’d like to suggest a better starting point—look inward at WHO you are and WHO your business is.  

Asking WHO questions really need to precede the what and how questions which are typical of year-end reviews and New Year’s goal setting.   

Guest contributor Jen Fonseca shares on the StoryWork blog and we recap her powerful questions here - listen in for 4 questions you need to ask yourself before setting any goals for next year.   

Do any of these sound familiar?   

This episode for you - I'm sharing 4 ways to break out of survival mode.  

Do you ever have seasons where you feel like you're so foggy you can't walk straight? Your head is swirling with thoughts, and you can't make sense of them? I do. There's a lot of "noise" on many levels that we have to contend with when it comes to our minds: our own emotional state, the state of our family or relationships, the state of our community, and the state of our world. Whether we acknowledge all of these levels or not, the thoughts still exist somewhere in our subconscious minds about all of these things. Layer in social media, emails, texts, tweets, emails, snapchats and you've got a total swirling mess of fog inside of your brain.  

This episode will show you the one simple secret to gaining clarity in your life.   

The louder the world's noise gets, the more I want to seek out quiet, solitude, and rest. There are places and spaces we can continually create, regardless of the circumstance, and when we learn to walk in these regularly, I believe we can become great leaders - in our homes, workplaces, with friends, and with everyone around us.   

Listen in as we share why it's important to rest, the different types of rest, and how you can start practicing this.   

Recent studies have shown that taking the time for silence restores the nervous system, helps sustain energy, and conditions our minds to be more adaptive and responsive to the complex environments in which so many of us now live, work, and lead.

Listen in as we unpack what it looks like to incorporate this superpower into your daily life, and how it's directly connected to new idea and strategy generation. 

Your team is a large part of your fuel, if they aren’t connected to you and the larger purpose, they lose momentum, just like you do.  

And when they feel connected, they want to work harder for you because they see that you genuinely care about their progress.  

In this episode of The Strategy Game Podcast, we're sharing 3 solid ways that you can get connected to your team tactically right away.   

Making space to ask WHY leads to evaluation and realization.

When we ask WHY on the things that we’re taking for granted, we open up space to consider new ways. 

New and different ways from the industry “standard”, and this makes space for Blue Ocean Strategy….the opportunity to create a business model that is unique, nothing like the competitors in the market.

So make space to ask why today….write a list of things that you might consider “standards” and ask why - there might be a different way, a better way that can create more revenue, cut expenses, or increase efficiency.

Your business is like a rubiks cube, as an entrepreneur when we iterate and shift those tiles around, we discover the convergence of factors that becomes our “secret sauce”.

No one (that we know of) is translating identity into strategy, and there's such a need for it. When we understand our personal and/or company identity and how it translates to those we serve, its rocket fuel. In this episode, we're sharing 3 key questions you can ask yourself to effectively translate the identity of your business, nonprofit or movement into a strategy that works.

Anyone? I'm sure over the last few years, you have felt this way (I know I have). If you can relate, listen in to this episode for some encouragement, inspiration, and tactical steps on how to navigate capacity.

If you're in a place where you're foreseeing a pivot, re-evaluation or transition is for you. In this episode we're talking about the 5 key things that you need to focus on during a season like this in order to be successful. This is an eye opener, and even as I was talking through these things, it reminded me how how important these things are! 

Do you ever feel like you're in a game of Chutes & Ladders - trying to reconnect with your vision/goals? Especially about half way through the year, things seem to get daunting, we can sometimes forget why we started - this episode is here to help you. We're recapping Belay CEO Tricia Sciortino's guest blog post as she shares 5 key questions around assessing where you are - that will help you regroup and figure out where you're going next. 

We all go through seasons of restlessness or disconnect as it relates to purpose in our lives. We're sharing a recap of 5 different gifts that, when practiced, can re-ignite that connection with purpose in your life at work, home or in community with others. 

This is probably one of my favorite episodes so far. Strategy guru, Helen Schmid, and I chat about passions, how to navigate decision points in life, and how faith has played a role in navigating through life. 

In this episode, we're recapping a blog post from Jean Roberts on Treating Yourself Like a Client and the 2 things you must balance in order to have success in your business or nonprofit. This 7 minutes is extremely important and we don't want you to miss this window into taking these things and applying them. 

Tune in as Kim and I talk about her life as an entrepreneur with her husband. Being a visionary, creator and then executing on projects is something Kim has a lot of experience doing - and she's at it again! She's talking about the new framework that she's written to help women everywhere get clarity on their mental, physical, emotional and Spiritual health. So much wisdom shared in this episode!  

Listen in as we chat with leadership expert and author Kadi Cole - there is SO much wisdom packed into this podcast. Kadi's unexpected story of becoming an entrepreneur, and so many top tips on how to maintain a clear life plan made this so valuable and fun to record and I'm thrilled to share it with you. With 25 years+ working with leaders, 3 books and counting, organizational + leadership consulting/training, and life plan development, Kadi is a wealth of knowledge.

We're thrilled to have founder of CHOMPS Pete Maldonado on the latest episode of the podcast! We're personal fans of the brand and absolutely loved hearing the story of how they've gotten to where they are today. Learning from failures, finding the right market at the right time, and the overnight wild growth as part of their journey make this episode a must listen.  

Thrilled to welcome my friend Jes Royston to the podcast! Anyone that knows Jes, knows that she's a true treasure. She's genuine, so kind and represents faithfulness in every sense of the word. She has worked consistently to write her newest book over the past year, and I'm excited to announce it's now OUT! We talk about what it looks like to build a business from a place of turning a struggle into purposeful career, scaling her business model over the years, how and why she wrote a book, and the first thing you can do to start truly getting well. 

"This unfamiliar blend of slow, distant, quiet and disconnected, has at times revealed powerful thought-provoking clarity."

Imagine a world where you wake up , ready to lead with genuine confidence. You rarely feel insecure. You never pretend, perform, or act like you have it all together. You are simply secure in who you are, and strong enough to influence others.

The most effective leaders have learned the secret of Authenticity. They have nothing to hide, nothing to prove and nothing to lose. They know how to battle insecurity and lead with influence by making four key decisions - listen in on today's episode with Dan Owolabi as we talk through those 4 elements. 

Today we're giving you a sneak peak from one of our non-profit masterminds! In this episode, we break down the marketing funnel and why it's so important. Jean and I talk about the top of the funnel, which is really focused on brand awareness and driving traffic to your social channels and your website. Often times, we're so focused on our social media channels, but there's a whole lot more that matters. Listen in as we break it down.

Starting a non-profit focusing on interactive performances in the middle of a pandemic seems crazy, right?

In this must listen episode of the Strategy Game podcast, we sit down with Bringing You Broadway founders, Emma Degerstedt and Hannah Jewel Kohn. Emma and Hannah talk all about how the they connected on a path to founding a non-profit that brings broadway artists together to create unique performances for children with developmental disabilities.

Over the last year as the world has gone through many changes, it's become more challenging to make sure that you're always that relevant resource to your clients, customers, and partners. How do you shift your mindset to keep creating moments of delight for customers and building mutually beneficial partnerships?

On today's episode of the Strategy Game podcast, we caught up with the award-winning PR and communications duo of Sabrina Levine and Karen Amster-Young. Sabrina founded Sabrina Levine Communications, a lifestyle and entertainment focused PR firm, where Karen serves as a strategic advisor. With 20+ years of experience in PR and brand partnerships. Sabrina and Karen have found success in always positioning their business around strategy, being valuable, and having passion for their clients!

"When people understand, then they can finally move forward."

On the Strategy Game Podcast today we're diving into word of mouth strategy with Mike Gonzalez! As an experienced Marketing Strategist, Mike discusses the importance of removing the barriers and roadblocks that sit in front of businesses and prevent them from reaching their potential. When people understand what you're selling, what problem you're solving, or how to interact with you, not only do they move forward as your customer but they feed your world of mouth strategy.

Make sure to have a pen and paper handy, get comfortable, and take some time to go through the great tips Mike gives you to convert referrals!

What would make today the greatest day? What are the 3 things that are really going to move the needle for you personally and professionally?

Entrepreneur, angel investor, and business coach Mike Brown talks about his personal journey and the insights he's gained from coaching other entrepreneurs. Mike dives into how to recognize the subconscious and create a new, more productive conscious. There are so many great takeaways in this episode that unlock the world of self awareness as it relates to personal and professional growth.

"Just because you're growing, doesn't mean you're living." How powerful is that statement? 

We get clear in our identity, and we learn to walk in it. 

In this episode, we’re going to talk about some key areas that influence who we are, and here’s how we can look at each one of them to increase our self awareness. 

In today's episode, we're bringing the insufficiency or comparison that we practice, whether subconscious or conscious, into the light, so it can’t continue to hinder us from walking in our identity. 

Because the world needs you - the world needs your work, your words, your thoughts, your kindness and goodness - and your impact. If you stay held down by fear or comparison or past struggles - you don’t get to serve others in the way that you were created to serve. The more “free” you get of all of this - the more you can start to do the work (or the things) that matter.

Fear.....is a liar. It will try to take you down every time, but you have to be determined not to let it. Fear paralyzes, fear creates a fog over you that can create confusion. Fear.is.a.liar.

Don’t let it get you one more day. Here are some things you can move through to unmask fear, call it out for what it is, and get on with your amazing business or movement or just doing life doing the things you were created to do.

CLEAR IT OUT: We delay moving forward often times because we lack clarity. We don’t know what’s next, and we don’t know which direction to move or how to execute - today we're talking about REMOVING HOLDBACKS to gain clarity and freedom for 2021. 

If you're feeling like you have some of your bigger picture strategy in your head, and some on a piece of scrap paper somewhere - this is a chance to get it all down in one place for 2021.

Join us for a sneak peak into our Goal Setting Workshop that we hosted earlier in December, as we guide you through the process of planning your strategy for 2021. 

In this episode, we're sharing 3 essential elements that make marketing work! Marketing engines are complex, and sometimes overwhelming, but today we're simplifying it for you. Listen in as we share what you can do to prepare for 2021. 

You need these in your life! Good habits serve as the foundation that fuels impact, revenue growth, and just plain growth as a person. Listen in as we share the top 7 habits that have led to game changing impact for us.

This season has felt "foggy" for many, harder to stay on mission with our work and families. But today we're talking about 5 tangible ways that you can continuously learn to get yourself out of that fog - its simple, practical and powerful - don't miss it. 

In this episode, we're talking about how you can go after those distractions with a fly swatter! Protect your time, refuel yourself, increase impact. Listen in as we share very practical tools to reduce the "noise" around you and work on what matters most. 

In this episode, we're talking about some key questions that you can ask to make more time for the things that you want to get done, but can never seem to make the time for them.

More intentional time = greater impact and greater impact = greater success in family life and your business. 

Listen in as we share some tangible ways you can increase your productivity and eliminate unnecessary busyness.

We're kicking off Season 2 of The Strategy Game podcast! In this episode, we're looking at 7 things that can cause us to get stuck in our lives and businesses and how we can gain an awareness that brings clarity. Listen in as we share some tangible strategies that you can use to kick-start your motivation. 

Growth is painful. Change is painful. But, nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you do not belong. N. R. Narayana Murthy

In this episode, we're talking about 3 things that you can do to scale your business or non-profit in this season! 

In today’s world, there’s a lot of content that is required for development and when you’re an entrepreneur, you have to wear so many hats, and this part can get overwhelming - keeping up with sending regular email blasts, updating the website, and regular social media posts.

In this episode, we’re covering 3 ways to combat overwhelm when it comes to content strategy.

In this episode, we're sharing a simple guide to getting clarity on your content strategy. We can all struggle with juggling so many platforms and so many formats of content. With these questions, we'll focus in on the channels and type of content that are most important, so that you can reach and convert customers.

In this episode, we're talking about how to open up a new market space and create new demand for your product or service. It's about creating and capturing uncontested market space, and being a game changer, rather than just an out performer in the marketplace. 

In this episode, we're talking about one tool that can help you generate new customers. It doesn't take a lot of time and we're going to give you a guide to execute on it. Listen in as we lay out a strategy that you can use to identify new customers and capture current non-customers in a way that's relevant to them.

In this episode, we're talking about one simple, free thing you can do that will move the needle for you this year (yes, even in this season). It doesn't take a lot of time and we're going to give you a guide to execute on it. Listen in as we lay out a strategy that you can use grow your business for the rest of the year.

In this episode, we're sharing the thing you need to do before even thinking about tweaking any of your marketing in this season - it's foundational, it's strategic, and it creates clarity. 

Listen in as we unpack a necessary tool that you can apply right away in your business - all around creating delight, that in turn creates raving fans. 

Our deepest needs as humans are to be seen, known and heard.

When we feel like someone (or a company or product) “gets us” and resonates with us, we are instantly attracted to it. If I feel like someone hasn’t taken the time to understand me, I write it off. Marketing language is meaningless if it isn’t relevant.

In this episode, we talk about what the most important tool we can use to understand and speak to our customers in a way that resonates with them and drives action. 

Be with them. 

Right now as I write this, we’re starting to slowly emerge out of quarantine. We've had lots of time as a family to truly be with each other. We can see each other, live in the same house, but not truly be with each other. Prior to the quarantine, our weekends would fill up with events, date nights, birthday parties, boating, and all kinds of fun activities. We would be home in between all of these events, but never home long enough to dwell or linger. We’re learning what it looks like to truly dwell with each other, and sometimes it’s hard. We’re hitting the same dynamics over and over again that make us mad, but it’s also a chance to know each other like we’ve never known each other before. What are our deepest needs, or desires? What do we want from each other? How can we serve each other? What are our boundaries? When we have the chance to be with each other, we become known.

Listen in for a short share on what this has looked like for us in this season.

In this episode, we talk about the 3 customer types that we need to understand in order to re-open successfully. The customer base is now divided and it's important that we understand the differences between these customer types so that we can create a plan to bring them back safely. Listen in as we highlight them in more detail.

As we begin to put together a re-open strategy for our businesses, active listening with yourself, your team and your customers becomes critical to delivering safety, and building brand trust. In this episode, we talk about what active listening is, and how to translate your findings and realizations into a strategy in this season.

Why does alignment matter so much right now?

Without continuous alignment - we encounter a lack of clear direction, a lack of connection between the organization’s vision and operations, and a team that may feel like they’re not able to maximize their performance.

Here’s a framework that can help you as a leader, practice continuous alignment:

The Continuous Alignment Framework:

Listen -> Identify Root Causes -> Translate -> Set Priorities

We have the ability to practice this framework over and over again - daily - with ourselves and our teams in order to create repeated clarity in this season.

In times of volatility, fear and uncertainty arise. What we’re experiencing can feel scary, unsettling, and uprooting on many levels. We’re out of our normal routines, our work situations are probably changing, and protecting our safety is taking priority.

I began to think about what we might learn right now. When we encounter things that “uproot” us, the benefit is the wake up call or the reset that comes with this.

The reset times can encourage us to ask questions, may cause some necessary endings, and the end to some things that may allow for the birth or rebirth of new things.

As I was thinking about where we are right now, resilience came to mind. How can we remain resilient in a period of uncertainty? There are so many things that are not within our control right now.

How do we move forward? In this episode, we're sharing some tangible steps we can take repeatedly. It’s centered around taking our thoughts captive, bringing the subconscious to the conscious, and allowing for adaptability in mindset.

Grab your journal and set aside 30 minutes - as you move through this practical exercise, the goal is to create clarity on what you can do right now, and gain some glimpses of the future.

Here are 3 focus areas that you can use to conduct a GAP analysis for your company, movement or non-profit.

As we think about what the future will look like and what products or services will become valuable, observing what we’re currently going through and how we’ll feel as we emerge from this becomes very valuable as a part of our future strategic planning.

In this episode, I share 3 dynamics have come to mind as I reflect on what is happening in my own journey in this season and how I believe it will impact businesses.