150. Gravitas: Living a Life of Self Assurance with Lisa Sun

Contrary to the opening of the 1968 song by Harry Nilson, one is NOT the loneliest number, especially for those who are thriving in single life, like today’s guest, Bella DePaulo, PhD, social scientist, psychologist, researcher, and author of “Single at Heart.” She suggests that for her and many others, single is arguably the most authentic and fulfilling way to live.  We speak to Dr. DePaulo about her own experiences, thoughts and take-aways from her book, as well as the affirming encouragement she offers to those who are happily single. Guest’s Website:  Home - Bella DePaulo TALK BIG QUESTIONS Use these prompts to have the opposite of small talk in real life. Are you or someone you know single at heart?   Have you ever done activities such as a concert or dinner solo?  What was your experience?  If not, would you be more apt to try it now? What are some misconceptions you or someone close to you has had about single life?  Have your perspective or views on being single changed following this episode?  Work with Danielle: If you are ready to start working with a life coach or just want to learn more about the impact that coaching can have in your life, visit Danielle's website at www.daniellemccombs.com and schedule a complimentary exploratory session.  Work with Kristy: You can work with Kristy one-on-one or hire her to speak with your team to improve workplace communication. Visit Kristy’s website at www.kristyolinger.com  and find her work journal at Work Journal — Kristy Olinger.  

In this #askmeanything episode, Kristy answers YOUR questions received in Instagram DMs and from participants of her team training program Communication Accelerator. Today's episode covers: How to motivate others How to handle a co-worker who is too assertive when you are not assertive Improving accountability Speaking to deliver an idea fully, without overwhelming the other person with too much information   For more workplace communication tips, follow Kristy on Instagram @ko.communication    

Do you find that the work you do gives you a sense of purpose or that your contributions as an employee are important to a cause bigger than yourself?  This week’s guest, Moe Carrick, author, podcast host, and CEO of the workplace culture consultancy, Momentum, Inc. views work as a human need.  Moe brings her wealth of knowledge, and decades of experience in the study of workplace culture to our spirited discussion on the topic of Why Work Matters.   Guest’s Website:  JMoementum, Inc. | Making organizations fit for human life.   TALK BIG QUESTIONS Use these prompts to have the opposite of small talk in real life. What are your conditions to thrive in a workplace?  Are they being met at your current job, why or why not? Have you had to have a courageous conversation at work about your needs or the needs of a colleague as an employee or employer?  If so, how did your employer react? Do you believe in the work that you do?  Or do you see work as a means to an end?   Work with Danielle: If you are ready to start working with a life coach or just want to learn more about the impact that coaching can have in your life, visit Danielle's website at www.daniellemccombs.com and schedule a complimentary exploratory session.  Work with Kristy: You can work with Kristy one-on-one or hire her to speak with your team to improve workplace communication. Visit Kristy’s website at www.kristyolinger.com  and find her work journal at Work Journal — Kristy Olinger.

In this episode of The Opposite of Small Talk, Danielle introduces Coaches Corner's, a new monthly segment, which explores topics through a coaches lense.  The inaugural guest is Julie Hess, author, executive coach, coaching supervisor and educator. Work with Danielle: If you are ready to start working with a life coach or just want to learn more about the impact that coaching can have in your life, visit Danielle's website at www.daniellemccombs.com and schedule a complimentary exploratory session.  Guest’s Website:  Catalyst Consulting – Catalyst Consulting & Coaching (catalystresults.com)

The Opposite of Small Talk Live (October 19th!):  Live Podcast Event — The Opposite of Small Talk Podcast We have reached peak election season in the United States and many of us are feeling the burnout from political discussions (arguments) and want to be able to genuinely connect with people, even those we disagree with. If you are feeling the election fatigue and struggling with what feels like a very divided world, this episode is for you. Today’s guest, Justin Jones-Fosu, author, highly sought-after business speaker, social entrepreneur, and meaningful work researcher provides us with some truly thought provoking, uplifting, useful advice on the topic of How to Respectfully Disagree in a Divided World.    Work with Danielle: If you are ready to start working with a life coach or just want to learn more about the impact that coaching can have in your life, visit Danielle's website at www.daniellemccombs.com and schedule a complimentary exploratory session.  Work with Kristy: You can work with Kristy one-on-one or hire her to speak with your team to improve workplace communication. Visit Kristy’s website at www.kristyolinger.com  and find her work journal at Work Journal — Kristy Olinger. Guest’s Book:  Justin Jones-Fosu: I Respectfully Disagree (howtorespectfullydisagree.com)   TALK BIG QUESTIONS Use these prompts to have the opposite of small talk in real life. Have you chosen to take the exit on someone in the past because of your differences?  How would you or will you do things differently now with that person? After this episode, is there someone you would like to delve into the gray with? Is there a person or persons in your life who you have been able to have a respectful disagreement with?      

LIVE EVENT Oct 19th in BOSTON - LEARN MORE AND REGISTER   According to Bill Gates, "We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve." But what do you wo when you ask for critical feedback and only ever receive praise? In this episode, Kristy shares 3 tips for how to get better feedback.    Follow us on Instagram @theoppositeofsmalltalk  

LIVE EVENT IN BOSTON - OCT 19th - LEARN MORE AND REGISTER As we enter the season of fall, it seems appropriate for us to discuss ghosts, but not the type of “ghosts” most people would think of at Halloween, today’s guest helps other authors write their stories as a ghostwriter. Kate Manley, author, coach, ghostwriter, and podcast host, joins us for a discussion on the topic, Writing Your Way Through Life.  Kate encourages us to consider all forms of writing as a powerful way of expressing our thoughts throughout our life experiences. Work with Danielle: If you are ready to start working with a life coach or just want to learn more about the impact that coaching can have in your life, visit Danielle's website at www.daniellemccombs.com and schedule a complimentary exploratory session.  Work with Kristy: You can work with Kristy one-on-one or hire her to speak with your team to improve workplace communication. Visit Kristy’s website at www.kristyolinger.com  and find her work journal at Work Journal — Kristy Olinger. The Opposite of Small Talk Live (October 19th!):  Live Podcast Event — The Opposite of Small Talk Podcast Guest’s Website:  Kate Hanley - Author, Podcast Host, Writer, Ghostwriter, and Coach TALK BIG QUESTIONS Use these prompts to have the opposite of small talk in real life. Have you ever or have you ever considered writing your own story or your own thoughts down before?  If you have, how did it feel once you’d done it? Were you familiar with the term ghostwriter, prior to this episode? Did you consider other forms of writing, i.e. journaling, list making, note taking to be “real” writing?  Do you have a different perspective on writing following this episode?  

LIVE EVENT IN BOSTON - OCT 19th - LEARN MORE AND REGISTER Most of us have experienced a significant amount of high stakes and low stakes negotiation in our personal lives, even when we don’t realize it.  Whether it is negotiating the terms of a contract with a client, negotiating bedtime with a child, or negotiating a better deal at the car dealership it can feel daunting.  Today’s guest, Fotini Iconomopoulos, best selling author of, “Say Less, Get More: Unconventional Negotiation Techniques to Get What You Want,” Fortune 50 advisor, coach, and speaker, brings her decades of impressive corporate experience and a ton of real world applicable advice to our conversation on the topic of Effective Negotiation.     Work with Danielle: If you are ready to start working with a life coach or just want to learn more about the impact that coaching can have in your life, visit Danielle's website at www.daniellemccombs.com and schedule a complimentary exploratory session.  Work with Kristy: You can work with Kristy one-on-one or hire her to speak with your team to improve workplace communication. Visit Kristy’s website at www.kristyolinger.com     The Opposite of Small Talk Live:  Live Podcast Event — The Opposite of Small Talk Podcast Kristy’s Work Journal:  Work Journal — Kristy Olinger Guest’s Website:  Home - Fotini (fotiniicon.com) Quiz:  What's Your Negotiation Style Quiz - Fotini (fotiniicon.com) TALK BIG QUESTIONS Use these prompts to have the opposite of small talk in real life. What has been the most difficult experience you’ve had with negotiation?  What has been the most rewarding?  Have you found yourself preparing for a negotiation beforehand?  Follow this conversation will you be more likely to psych yourself up and prepare ahead? What lessons or advice did you find most helpful from this episode’s guest?  

Ask yourself these questions:  First, what's something in your life, right now, that you've been avoiding or delaying due to fear?  Second question, If you knew you couldn't fail, what would you do?   Today’s guest, Collin Henderson, author, Fortune 500 speaker, and highly respected coach, asks his own clients these questions regularly. He joins us on our latest episode, to discuss the topic of Nurturing a Growth Mindset.  During our conversation, Collin offers some advice and tools he’s learned through his work on himself; as a father of five children; and as a coach to clients including professional athletes.  He also shares helpful insight into how it’s never too early to start supporting children in building their own self confidence and self image and how it’s never too late for adults to do the work on themselves and rebuild or strengthen their own sense of self personally and professionally. Work with Danielle: If you are ready to start working with a life coach or just want to learn more about the impact that coaching can have in your life, visit Danielle's website at www.daniellemccombs.com and schedule a complimentary exploratory session.  Work with Kristy: You can work with Kristy one-on-one or hire her to speak with your team to improve workplace communication. Visit Kristy’s website at www.kristyolinger.com   Kristy’s Work Journal:  Work Journal — Kristy Olinger Guest’s Website:  MASTER YOUR MINDSET (thecollinhenderson.com) TALK BIG QUESTIONS Use these prompts to have the opposite of small talk in real life. Overall do you find your own self talk to be mostly positive, negative, or somewhere in between? Is there an experience growing up where you felt particularly supported by yourself or someone else in putting effort toward achieving a goal?  Do you think your current focus or mindset is helping or hindering you in achieving what you want?  

How many Mondays have you lived, how many Mondays do you have left?  It may be a provocative or even unsettling question for some, but today’s guest looks at it more as motivation over morbidity.  We speak to Jodi Wellman, author of the book, “You Only Die Once, How to Make it to the End with No Regrets,” on the topic of Making Friends with the Grim Reaper.  She discusses how taking inventory of her mother’s personal items, following her death, was a catalyst for writing her book as well as for her general outlook on life.  During the episode Jodi explains how facing the inevitability of death can really help us to live in the here and now and accomplish our goals. Work with Danielle: If you are ready to start working with a life coach or just want to learn more about the impact that coaching can have in your life, visit Danielle's website at www.daniellemccombs.com and schedule a complimentary exploratory session.  Work with Kristy: You can work with Kristy one-on-one or hire her to speak with your team to improve workplace communication. Visit Kristy’s website at www.kristyolinger.com   Kristy’s Work Journal:  Work Journal — Kristy Olinger Guest’s Website and Book Information:  Home | Four Thousand Mondays TALK BIG QUESTIONS Use these prompts to have the opposite of small talk in real life. Following this episode, will you “count your Mondays?”   Are you really present in your life currently or do you find yourself more stuck in the routine? If you sat quietly right now, like Jodi mentioned during the episode, what are some of the unfinished things you still want to accomplish?