Unlocking Your Authentic Superpowers With Erin Hatzikostas

Let’s start with a story. Many years ago, I started as an operations specialist to support a team of financial advisors. (If you are new to Brave Women at Work, I have been in the financial services industry for over 20 years.) After my first day on the job, my husband asked me where I was sitting in the building. To this day, I don’t know what prompted him to ask, but I told him that I sat with all the other administrative assistants. He told me to move immediately because I wouldn’t be seen as having “more potential” or the ability to move up in the organization.I didn’t want to rock the boat, so I didn’t ask to move. And you know what? My husband’s prophecy came to pass. It was difficult for me to advance in the company and during talent management reviews, I wasn’t seen as leadership material.When I met Jamie Vanek, my guest today, I knew I had to have her on the show. The fear of being perceived as “just an admin” is wrong and the myth that administrative assistants are not capable of more needs to be debunked. During my conversation with Jamie, we chatted about:Her career history and why she is so passionate about helping administrative professionals.What led her to write her book, Buried in Business: Find Freedom by Unlocking the Power of Your Admin Team?The gap between administration and leadership.Why being an admin has been considered “a dirty word” for so long.Why administrative staff are the heartbeat of the company.And more.This show is dedicated to the almost 2.5 million administrative professionals in the U.S. today, of which over 87% of them are female. Let’s give our admins the opportunities for growth they deserve!

Are you ready for this statistic? On average, we spend 90,000 hours at work throughout our lives. This represents over 1/3 of our lives. If we spend that much time at work, I’m sure you would agree that we want to be happy while doing it. But many times, we stay in jobs because we are comfortable, we have golden handcuffs, and more. We may not factor our happiness into the equation. My guest today, Lori-Ann Duguay, believes we should. By focusing on creating happy work environments, we will be more productive as a result. During my conversation with Lori-Ann, we discussed:How Lori’s book, The Happiness Factor: How to Create a Positive and Productive Workplace, came to be.What is the happiness factor culture check?Why 1 in 4 people are looking for another job at any given time?Positive vs. negative work environment signs and if they are overt or not always perceivable.The 10 needs of a happy worker.How much of this is the responsibility of management vs. the individual employee?What role do feedback and recognition factor in positive work environments?

As a mid-career professional, what has your experience been working with or leading Gen Z employees? How would you manage and work with Gen Z employees? My guest today, Stephanie Joong, is a friend and colleague who shares her experiences with Gen Z employees and co-workers. Since Stephanie is a millennial and I am Gen X, I thought it would be helpful to hear her perspective. I learned a thing or two from Stephanie during our conversation!  During my chat with Stephanie, we discussed:1. Her work history and experience as a Millennial.2. The differences Stephanie has seen between Millennials and Gen Z people.3. Gen Z expectations for work and how they differ from Millennials and Gen X.4. How Stephanie has flexed her leadership style to support her Gen Z employees.5. The stereotypes of Gen Z and how we can defend and even learn from this generation.

Hello everyone! How are you doing out there?I wanted to provide you all with a personal update. It’s been a whirlwind so far this year. We’ve done some remodeling on our house after having some water damage issues for the last several years. I traveled to Las Vegas in February to co-host a women’s leadership retreat. And now, I am about to go to Europe with a dear friend for two weeks.Two weeks! I have not been to Europe this long without my family, well, ever. The last time I went to Europe without my husband and family was 16 years ago. To tell you I’ve had a little bit of travel anxiety and mom guilt would be an understatement. I have gone through all the feelings. What kind of a mom am I to leave my kiddos that long? Ouch. That Imposter Syndrome and shameful voice has been loud. I’m sharing this with you because I’m not immune to this work. I have to do it too. And I’ve had to let all that go because if I fill my cup, I know I will be a better mom to my girls. I will also be a better wife, daughter, friend, podcaster, and the list goes on.I would like to thank my friend, Jennie, for inviting me on this trip. If you are curious about where we are going, we are traveling to Croatia, Montenegro, and Portugal. I’m collecting those passport stamps this year! I would also like to thank my husband, John, for encouraging me to do this. And of course, a thank you to my girls for being excited for me too.So, let’s switch gears. During the show today, I speak with my guest, April Roberts, about time freedom and having a Vixen Voice. I don’t know about you, but anything to do with time freedom, and owning my voice interests me. I’m a free spirit at heart, obviously with the upcoming trip to Europe. I like the idea of having as much autonomy as possible over my time and life.During my conversation with April, we chatted about:What drove April to do the work she does todayHow we can structure our calendars to achieve time freedomWhat you should be adding and removing from your calendarHow time and energy management are directly relatedWhat the Vixen Voice is and how we can claim it for ourselves

So, we talk about superheroes with their superpowers in the movies, in books, and when playing with toys with our kids. We may have even believed we had the ability to authentically be ourselves and claim what makes us special and unique, what makes us stand out from the rest of the crowd. Then we grow up and stop believing in make believe and a lot of magic. What if we turned back to that and started believing in ourselves again? In our superpowers? In our ability to be authentic? In our dreams? In careers we love to go to each day?Erin Hatzikostas, my guest today, was so fun to interview and a firecracker of energy. She shared so much wisdom about how we can follow and lead with our authenticity. It’s through this path that we can uncover our professional superpowers and land in positions that truly light us up from the inside out. During my conversation with Erin, we chatted about:1.      What strategic authenticity is all about.2.      What the compromise calculation is and how we’ve all done it.3.      The BS Burnout Wall and why it’s a real thing.4.      More about her book You Do You(ish): Unleash Your Authentic Superpowers to Get the Career You Deserve.5.      How we can identify our own workplace superpowers.

Here’s what I thought about my career in my twenties.I need to get a job so I can leave on my own and prove to my mom and myself that I am an adult.In my thirties, here’s what I was thinking about.I need to hustle and work hard.I’m not stopping until I get to the top.And then I hit my forties, and something shifted. Yes, I am still ambitious, but my priorities are changing. I want to be more present for my kids when they are young. My older daughter, Charlotte, is already twelve years old, and it feels like yesterday that I gave birth to her. I don’t want to lose those moments. I’m sure you can relate.I had a lovely, thought-provoking conversation with my guest, Soon Hagerty today. We were all over the page in our topics, but somehow it all made sense.During my chat with Soon, we discussed:Her experience fleeing Saigon with her family when she was little and what long lasting impacts this made on her.Her role at Hagerty Insurance and the impact of personal and professional brand.What led to her decision to move away from a large role at Hagerty and focus more of her energy on her daughter.Moving beyond resume virtues and towards eulogy virtues.Her other business endeavors, including the charitable restaurant, The Good Bowl, and her non-profit, Boundless Ventures.The underlying theme of today’s show is how we can give back to others and ourselves, how we can be truly present and not simply on the hamster wheel. I hope you take some time to reflect on your resume virtues vs. eulogy virtues after today’s conversation.

Study shows that color is a powerful communication tool used to signal action, influence mood, and influence physiological reactions. The colors yellow, red, and orange sometimes trigger our appetite, which is why fast-food chains use those colors to paint their establishments. But who knew that color could be a healing tool? In this episode, Heather Eck, a Synesthesia Artist and Color Alchemist, talks about the healing power of color and explains the process of how she uses its power to heal. Tune in to further explore the great healing power of color. During our chat, we discussed: Heather’s journey as an HR Manager to Synesthesia ArtistThe Meaning of SynesthesiaFrom Being Stuck to IntentionHow a Spirit Portrait process worksHeather’s gift and the meaning of colorsJennifer’s color.Getting a Spirit Portrait!

Crafting a career story goes beyond just listing your work experiences on a resume. It’s about weaving a compelling narrative that showcases your skills, experiences, and aspirations in a way that resonates with potential employers. In this episode, Gina Riley, the Creator of CareerVelocity System, shares her insights on the importance of crafting your career story during career transition. In today’s job market, career transition takes internal reflection and some soul searching to ensure that the next move for us is the right one, especially when we are in mid-career and looking for managerial-level roles or higher. Join us in unpacking more golden nuggets in today’s conversation. Tune in to this episode now!During my chat with Gina, we discussed:How Gina helps her clients during a career transitionWhat a career story is and why it is important to craft yoursHow we can leverage our career story, especially during times of career transitionWhat a leadership language and how we identify oursWhat Gina’s CareerVelocity System™ is and how we can use it to our advantageThe meaning of “You are a business within a business.”

According to Merriam-Webster, “authentic” means to be “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.”As you will learn during my conversation with guest, Emily Drake, the word “authentic” was also 2023 word of the year. It was one of the most looked up words in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary last year. And the word “authentic” showed up as a top character trait of executive/leadership presence in a 2022 study referenced in a recent article on executive presence by the Harvard Business Review.And finally, I recently reviewed my personal and professional values, and authenticity and integrity are two of them. I need to live and work authentically to me at this point in my life. Here’s a quick plug if you haven’t reviewed your values lately. Just like you go to the doctor for your annual check-up, you need to review your values annually. Know your values is so important because it drives clarity, especially when you need to make key personal or professional decisions. Google Brene Brown’s values exercise for awesome tools!The bottom line is that we can’t get away from authentic leadership!During my chat with Emily, we discussed:What authentic leadership means to Emily.What prompted her to start her company, The Collective Academy.How we can determine what success means to us and how it changes over time.How we can avoid career complacency, especially when we hear others encourage us to slide into our comfort zones and stay there.Emily shares some of the hurdles that she has seen ambitious women face and how to overcome them.And she shares signs of organizational cultures that don’t foster authenticity and what to do about it. 

Are you ready for a power-packed episode today? Get ready to take notes or listen to this show more than once. My guest, Shelmina Abji, shared so many wonderful tools on what it takes to show your worth, build your confidence, and emerge as a leader. I wish that I had known Shelmina earlier in my career. Her story was inspiring and motivating to me, and I am sure it will be for you!During my chat with Shelmina, we discussed:Show Your Worth: 8 Intentional Strategies for Women to Emerge as Leaders at WorkRedefining short-term and long-term success.The most valuable resource.How to say no to things that don’t fit our top priorities?The importance of personal brand.The role of sponsorship in emerging as a leader.Strategy to build a work-life balance.