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Speech Transcript

0:00  

Hey there, this is Seth Cobra with Leadership Academy for women. And if you really want to learn how to level up your life, you should be listening to the time to shine today podcast with my friend Scott Ferguson. Listen in and level up time to shine today varsity squad at Scott Ferguson and thank you so much for joining us here. It’s kind of a milestone moment for me with in our team here. This is Episode 100. And I get to bring you one of my good friends in also a fan just an overall fantastic person, Beth Caldwell from Leadership Academy for women. She’s a total go giver, always leveling up herself but also leveling up others. She is a person of integrity. She’s so well spoken. She’s so approachable, which is just fantastic in this day and age. So I want you to I took so many notes While I was interviewing her and then as I really listened to this podcast, I took even more so I want you to sit back relax, break out your notebooks, because here comes my good friend Beth Caldwell from the Leadership Academy for women.

1:20  

Hey, time to shine today varsity squad to this Scott Ferguson and I am super, super, super stoked that I have my Pittsburgh connection this Beth Caldwell, and she works from the lady side of the aisle. I’m just kidding. But I think it’s awesome. She has the Leadership Academy for women. And she, her energy from what i’ve bedded her out, is so amazing. She’s a speaker. She’s an author, and her big being the founder of the Leadership Academy for women. It’s a very Innovative leadership development program for aspiring women leaders. She has an awesome eight week course that is designed to help women understand their leadership style, develop authentic leadership skills, learn to lead others effectively. She Like I said before, this rock star is the author of more than 10 books on leadership. And I will put the link to her books here in the show notes. And she even just told me that she’s sending me an autographed copy, which I cannot wait to get. I was just going to buy one and ask you to sign up but that she’s a go giver. So she’s an author. She’s an author and leadership inspiration, personal development, she believes that women can and that’s all capitals, see and do it all, just not at the same time. her newest book, women lead is now available in bookstores nationwide. And so I without further ado, I’m going to welcome on my good friend Beth Caldwell from Pittsburgh Beth please come on and introduce yourself but first, what emoji Do you use the most Oh my goodness. Well that’s so before. Hello Scott and thanks for having me. Welcome. So I would say when I was in my 30s I used to use that emoji with a blinking lashes. You know, like the flirty one. I’m when I say today these days, mostly the sunshine one, so sorry. And of course Have you listened to my podcast which Thank you so much. What’s your favorite color? And why? Purple? Purple? No hesitation in answering that one. I love the color purple. You know what, it makes me feel strong to regal royal. I love that. I love it. So let’s get into your origins here. Give me start with younger people haven’t always had the Leadership Academy for women. What were you doing before and then let’s lead up into that. Yeah, well, I have been a writer for some time. In fact, I used to write books. As a very young girl before I could even read and one Christmas. For Christmas. My mother got me this was This is dating me now. Right? So when I was a little girl I used to write books. And my mom would take a pair of scissors and cut holes in the paper like shoot folded over and like cut like a little halfmoon and then tie my books together with yarn. Right? Right and then so one Christmas my favorite gifts still to this day with a little box of those little kind of push pin things that you can like so you can send us Yes, little like rubber toy things I could find out what the day a little box of them it was probably they probably cost 50 cents now. back then. So I could actually have bound books. So I’ve been writing for a long time. It’s almost like tax write. A little folded on the end. Yes. Yeah. I remember you’re not doing yourself. I’m right there with your sister, or a Christmas gift ever. I have always loved the rage. So. So basically my my Women’s Leadership Academy, I, the way that I grew my speaking business was I would talk about what I wrote about and then I’d write about what I said. About and I kept seeing the leadership programs around in my town and seeing these women who were attending them, and being very frustrated, because it’s very hard Scott to teach leadership skills from a textbook. And I really feel that especially young women, especially emerging women, it gives them a real leg up if they can learn leadership from somebody who’s actually leading.

5:29  

Love that love it. No.

5:32  

So the idea kept coming to me, and I kept staying busy doing other things, but it was just bound to happen. So, how long have you had the Leadership Academy foreman? So we started in 2012, and this fall will be our seventh class. So what was the because I notice the next class you have is until 2021. Is that because of COVID-19? Or is it because of Covenant Okay, to be fair, September of 2020. Okay, and right now today, I’m supposed to be on my book tour. My book came out on March 6 on International Women’s Day. So we had I had one book event. Okay, man, it’s so funny. That was Memorial Day weekend was this weekend. So I was going through my clothes in my closet and my significant Paul, he comes in, he says, Where did you get all those clothes? I’m like, they were packed for my book tour. in the closet, right? So what we decided to do in agony, and just you just don’t know what to do. We are just going to start over next year on March 6. Okay, the whole bookstore I’ve already missed about 11 days. And I feel like everybody’s going to push everything into September. No reason to do that. I feel like when things like this happen, I’ll be in New York City. I will be in Palm Beach. I will be in Palm Beach this November. I’ll be moved till next year. Well, I can’t wait. I will be there for that absolutely about That’s fantastic. And that you What squad that’s a total resilience right there. She’s still progressing. It’s not a fail, if you will, on both departments a fail of what is happening all around us to keep the safety precautions in place. But you see, Beth is failing forward. She’s still moving forward. She’s still if you go to her website right now women dash leadership dash Academy calm, you will see that the next Academy begins in September 17 of 2021. So she’s still keeping it going during this time. That’s something that is absolutely phenomenal. But that let’s take it back as you’re looking at eight years that you’ve had the Leadership Academy for women, what were you doing before then, in the aha moments to start the academy? I was doing the same type of thing. I was just teaching on different topics. Okay. I had Success Academy for women. I had a publicity Academy for women. I had a marketing Academy, so it was just taking it up one notch too. Instead of having like an eight hour, my Success Academy was a Saturday afternoon, you know, eight hour workshop. My publicity Academy was the same thing. So this is a lot more originally it was 12 weeks. Okay, we figured it out, refined it over the years, combined a couple things. We do a few things virtually now. So it was it was a big step up for me though, I’ll tell you the first, the first year that I decided to do it, I kept putting it off and putting it off and putting it off. And I finally did it. And I had a web designer that I was working with. We got the whole description up on the website, and I set the price. It was the most expensive thing I had ever charged for at that time. And here’s where my mindset was at that time. I thought this is how I charge it was charging 1200 dollars at the time. And I thought well, maybe I could let let me put 1200 dollar app and that let me put it into maybe, maybe two payments and then maybe I’ll do a three payment plan and they’ll do it for me. Complicated in worried about that cost. So it was very complicated to put all that code. I sent all the code to my web designer, I was so overwhelmed that I walked out the door to take the dog for a walk. I was gone for about a half an hour, 45 minutes came back in, two people have signed up. In the time that I was gone, I had not sent an email had not advertised it. I didn’t know either of the people. They had found it on Google ice. And I knew at that moment that this was truly something that was really inspired and it really was to do.

9:35  

So why women only

9:37  

Well, that’s my area of expertise. Okay. And it is not it isn’t anything against men. I’ll tell you. The business that I had before I was a speaker and a teacher. I was a publisher and I published a magazine for moms. Okay, so that was where that was where my audience was at the time. I love that. I love that conviction. That’s I mean, Scott, do you hear that? I mean, she is now Nothing against men at all. But she needs she really dug into her niche of what she’s really good at. And that’s fantastic. So we talked about here at time to shine today, calm, do what you’re great at. You know, that’s what you did. So what do you think Beth makes a great leader? Oh, I can tell you a lot of things that make a bad leader. In fact, People sometimes ask me, how did you train for this? I had a I had a lot of jobs with bad bosses. Okay. So I think that what makes a good leader obviously, my big number one thing is integrity. But I think that, especially today as we’re dealing with the crisis of COVID-19 what makes a good leader is somebody who is honest with themselves and honest with others, and admit when they need help.

10:56  

Love it.

10:58  

That is a tough thing to do for Anyone, but it’s really really important. Okay, on that mark, then when you’re bringing people into your group into your leadership academy, I apologize. What? Is there a secret sauce that you use there if you don’t mind sharing that you help your ladies find their blind spot? Well, that is my I think that’s my most significant gift is I can see the potential. We’re in a person where a man or a woman where they can’t see their own. And

11:38  

how do you find that out?

11:40  

I totally trust my my. I don’t think I want to say intuition or my gut feeling or my sense, but I can very quickly in working with somebody to see their potential. Okay. And the biggest problem that the women in leadership academy has But women across America have is what I think is the worst part of society today. And that is what but but What will they think of me? But what will he think of me? What will she think of me? What will they say about me? And it’s really helping people navigate through that. Sure. It’s a really terrible disease that we have. What will people think of me? Yeah, I hope that so many people, oh my gosh, you’re so so correct. I mean, I tell people like when I get interviewed, and do, of course, with COVID-19, I’m getting interview requests all the time and let people laugh about me is that I have a duality and one is I don’t give a crap what you think of me as long as I have not disrespected you or hurt you in any way I could care less what you think and because I’m living in the second part of that duality is because I’m living in the service of others. If I’m serving people, I cracked a lot of jokes. You know, I like to have fun some people are like home. I don’t care what they think. You know, a lot of people Will and a lot of my clients that I coach one on one, they actually care a lot about what other people are thinking. And I just feel that if you don’t inner disrespect the person or anybody else that you’re really kind of got to do your own thing. I mean, what do you think about that? I think that’s a really healthy attitude. I think that the underlying problem is, is that the person is uncomfortable with themselves, you’re clearly they’re comfortable with yourself, right? So you help them find that blind spot to your Academy then to get comfortable with themselves to level up, correct. Absolutely. Be comfortable with that uncomfortable feeling. And that’s another thing that I help women to this is a really important aha moment and you can actually see it in a person when they get it and that is when I teach them. You make other people uncomfortable, you just being in the room you just existing makes other people uncomfortable, right? That’s something that I have to grasp in my own life because I want everybody Like everybody, I want everybody to like me. And I want everybody to like what I’m doing, right. But sometimes when you show up in your real, authentic, true self, here to do what you’re meant to do, can make other people extremely uncomfortable. They can react to that in a way that makes everybody else in the room uncomfortable. So often women will try to do is just dope, they’ll dim themselves, so they don’t make somebody uncomfortable. Right? rather just realize you’re going to make them uncomfortable and keep moving on. But if I see others, insecurities that are rising to the top that are making that happen, you know, I’m fine. Yeah, I found that out. So you say you help him see the potential in you. I believe it’s your intuition just because of your history in your track record. But are you asking like super powerful questions and listening not only with your ears and your eyes and other senses that you have? Is there a lot of questions that you’re asking the ladies or even your clients that are far in between have me if it’s a workshop face, okay, so workshop, which I really, really refined over the years, okay, because we have in each workshop, six 810 points that we make. I tell a lot of stories. And what’s really nice is that they can then it’s either me or another instructor, they can then see what they’re dealing with has already been overcome by somebody else. Love that as that the stories are so powerful. That’s beautiful years later people will what we have alumni events, alum, how do you say that? That’s all women? alumnus I think I’m not sure I think, yeah. A lot. We have a lot of events. And they’ll talk about stories that that I pulled in 2013 that I don’t remember telling and they’ll say oh, I think about that a little time. So it’s really powerful. So part of like your graduates, is that what you’re kind of talking about the people that graduate I love that. I love it. Yeah, I just got out your website pretty good. So you don’t want to just be them one time for eight weeks. Gotcha. We keep those relationships going. So somebody from class one could be connecting with somebody from class 567. Gotcha. So, I love that, that you keep them all connected and keep them a family. Do you have like women from different backgrounds, maybe even coming from abusive relationships coming from? Not just a corporate culture? Like, do you have a plethora of women that come into your Academy? Yeah, so

16:30  

interesting that you’re asking me these very intuitive questions. Back that that day when I was sitting at my dining room table, creating this course and announcing it to the world, I looked at a lot of other leadership courses, because I was really creating this from scratch. And I thought when you’re when you’re describing a workshop like this, a workshop series, you want to say, this academy is ideal for you if that’s really the way you write that copy, and I was sitting there imagining who did I want to have In this room, and I just wrote it out, you may be, you may be climbing the corporate ladder at your work. You may be a small business owner or entrepreneur, or perhaps you work in the government or nonprofit sector. That’s what I wrote. Sure. About, I don’t know, four or five months later, the classes about six weeks in and I didn’t have another instructor teaching that day. And I’m sitting and I’m like, wow, there’s for nonprofits, for corporate and for entrepreneurs. It was just amazing. Oh, exactly. What I wrote is who came? Gotcha. The one thing that these folks have in common is they want to be they want to be better leaders. They want to be more respected. They want to improve their career. So they come from different backgrounds. But that’s the one thing that they have in common. Gotcha, gotcha. So you’re really building what you said with integrity and building them to be leveling off. Like we say your time to shine today, every aspect, if you will of their life to become a better leader, that kind of what you do not just purse. I mean, that’s just business. I mean, you’re working in their personal and family and everything correct when you learn to communicate. And when you learn to negotiate, and you learn to be confident, and influence. You are affecting people at work at home and in the community. Sure, it’s all around. It’s all around. And no matter what your title at work is, you’re a leader at home, at work in a community because people are looking at what you do and how you handle yourself. Oh, absolutely. Hundred percent agree. So if we were to get in our DeLorean with Marty McFly, okay, and we went back to the 22 year old stuff, what kind of knowledge nuggets are you dropping on her to shorten their learning curve a little bit with the knowledge that you’ve gained through the years? So 22 year old bath Wow. One thing I would say to her his success doesn’t have to be difficult. Success doesn’t have to be hard. And people who tell you that this is hard work, don’t listen to them.

19:11  

And

19:15  

I think that meaningful work doesn’t have to be difficult. I think it can be very rewarding. It can be like this morning, I was trying to fix something on my website. Right that it was very frustrating. If that’s the hardest step that might be the hardest thing I do all day today. I suppose. I hear you. I have to go help my girlfriend’s son move furniture into a place up in Orlando later this afternoon. I’m like thinking, Man, that’s hard work. stuff is not that hard.

19:48  

Okay, so

19:51  

that I love that, you know, don’t basically kind of like don’t think things too seriously. And success doesn’t have to be difficult. That’s fantastic. So, we’ve talked about the dash here buff. And how do you want your dash? Remember that dash between your life date and death date? How do you want that? Beth Caldwell to be remembered? Maybe your epitaph if you will, how do you want your dash to be remembered? Wow, that’s that’s a powerful question. The first thing that comes to mind is significant. Significant you know, I believe that we come here that we come to earth and we have a purpose to fulfill. And I think that success truly is when you are embracing your purpose when you’re in touch with your purpose. And if you are forever worried about checking off all the boxes, you know, I had all the boxes checked off by the time I was 25, you know, car house career, tall, dark, handsome to kick it out, like eventually there were two kids. And that’s can be very unfulfilling, right? It can be very fulfilling for some people. can be very unfulfilling, because you’re just collecting things and you’re just keep keep getting the better car, the better. Oh, the new windows or the new that whatever. And so you can lose a lot of time getting wrapped up in those types of competitions. Sure. And so, so really thinking about why am I here and getting back to that getting away from all the box checks that were cool. That is what I think can be your most significant life. I love that. I love it. So what is the big the big thing that Beth wants to accomplish in her life? I want to take my leadership academy my speaking International, I want to think that global so I’ve been kind of international because I’ve been to Canada, but I want to get off the continent, get off content. I love that. I love it going big. So if I’m at a networking event, and I’m pressing flush with people, because we’re allowed to do that, again here in Florida a little bit, a little bit more. I heard you know, and we’re able and I’m not talking in You know, I’m using my networking skills that I’ve been passed down by my mentors where I shut up and I listen. What if someone says anything? What am I listening for that might make them a great prospect referral connection for the Leadership Academy for women.

22:18  

I haven’t got a promotion.

22:21  

I keep my co workers keep getting promoted over me. All the men in my office get paid more than me. Somebody who is giving, giving, giving and is really not taking up her space, but you can see that they have so much to give. They have so much to offer, but they haven’t got the confidence yet to speak up and own it. Love that. I love it. That’s and there’s a lot of it out there that they’re just afraid to speak is that stigma that’s kind of over, you know, fortunately, females that are that that’s out there. So when you bring a new prospect into the loop Bishop Academy for women in your putting him through the process. Is there any good question that you wish they would ask you but never do?

23:09  

What do you think my potential is?

23:11  

That what do you think is possible for me? Yeah,

23:14  

yeah, I’m writing that down. So let’s possible

23:17  

and at the end of first class A lot of times we do it we do an overview of what we’re going to go over. And at the end of that class, I say so I have a question.

23:27  

what’s possible,

23:29  

right? So So fighting to think about possibilities is so powerful. So what is your definition of a life well lived

23:39  

a person who embraces their purpose

23:42  

Wow, guys, if you’re watching on YouTube, I got notes like going out crazy I’m getting me a free masterclass. I don’t know about you out there, but embraces their purpose. You know, I should have told you after a session with me, people either they don’t go to sleep they they’re taking immediate now. Okay, because they just get so many ideas, right? Yeah, I love it. I love that. And you’re confident in it, that’s, that’s amazing that you’re there self confidence is, is where it’s at, you know, being and again, I’m not saying anything about being a female, that is approachable. You know, a lot of times I’m in the business, my listeners know that I’m in the business of luxury real estate. And I do deals with with females all the time. And I ladies and women in you know, I love everybody in the human race, but sometimes there’s overcompensation. And I’m sure you have those people that kind of come into your leadership academy that have that and it can be it can start as uncomfortable situation if you will, and like you are just amazing where you’re, you’re you got that alpha and you but you’re approachable and smiling. And I love that. That’s amazing. So if we were to remove your cell phone, laptop, internet, all those gadgets was three things that Beth can’t live without. Can’t live without number one, the people I love. I’m not picking one of them. I’m picking all of them. Number two would be laughter I have to laugh. And number three would be books. The first place that I’m going when they take down the restrictions is Barnes and Noble being Barnes and Noble Love it. Love it. Love it. Yeah, like it’s there’s actually one here in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida where I live like literally there’s, I think it’s the only one out here and I it’s walking distance from me. So I love it. They have nice little coffee shop in there and they did open so which was which was nice. So we’re going to, as we wind things down a little bit, we’re going to go into our leveling up lightning round. Okay, so we could talk 1520 minutes. Each one of these questions, but we got five seconds and my producer is telling me five seconds. So you’re ready to rock. I’m ready. All right to Beth, what is the best leveling up advice you’ve ever received? Well, it’s a piece of organizing advice. Because in this head, there’s all these ideas. Same thing on my desk. So I learned from a professional organizer one. Don’t put something where you think it should go. When you have something that you want to put it away, say, where would I find this? If I were looking for this? Where would I find it? I love it. My wife loved that. I had to hire one myself too. So trust me, it was hard for me. I’m sure one of your personal habits that contributes to your success. Well, I don’t know if this was a habit, but if it’s who I am, and that’s optimism. I see the I see the best opportunities in every situation. Whether it be annoying for some people. I’m right there with you as well. So not your book, not the flavor of the month. It’s out there. What is your kind of go to book that like minds Andy Andrews, a travelers gift and my friend Bob Burns to go Give her What are two books that are what’s one book. It’s kind of like your go to that you might have here you go to. I love both of those books. I would say, I and I have a lot of books, but I think the one that’s been most significant for me is a book called coach yourself to success. Okay? Success helps me with those thoughts in your mind, right? stay on track. Beautiful. What’s your favorite charity and organization you’d like to give your time or money to? Keep up? I love Kiva. Kiva, Kiva, you know, you can help somebody and they make it so easy to make a difference. And you can even help people globally. And you can watch their progress. Really great. also founded by the frog. Oh, yeah. So if you could be one age for the rest of your life, what would it be? Oh, one age for the rest of my life. 38 Okay, that’s a great age. That’s a great so Last question, what’s the best decade of music? 60s 70s 80s or 90s?

28:05  

You know, I’ve heard you ask this question before so

28:09  

my favorite decade of music is the 80s because of the Madonna and all that but truly honestly the best music is the 70s 70s 80s is awesome because so much like rap music came out and big hair bands and stuff like that. But like the 70s you had pure music pure carpenters, you can have the carpenters or you can have spark

28:32  

or the bees.

28:35  

Yeah, disco and everything else. So but tell us how we can find you please. So, if you are a professional person, find me on LinkedIn. Okay, and if you’re on Facebook, I have an inspirational group on Facebook called Monday morning mastermind with Beth Caldwell. Everybody has a video in there. I put too happy and inspirational messages in there every day. And if you’re interested in leadership academy Go to women’s leadership academy.com women hyphen women’s hyphen, leadership hyphen Academy. I’m sure you put that link in there. Everything will be in the show notes people and including a link to her book. And for my giveaway, what I’m going to do is the first person that actually comments because my social media is not where it should be. I just hired a company that’s actually ramping me up. Thank you very much stigma. It’s a shout out to you. But the first person that comments on this post in the Facebook time to shine today, I’m going to send them a book that is going to be mailed to Beth and then I’m going to send her posters, she’s going to sign up for you and then mail it out to you. So I’m going to send that out to the first person that comments in the time to shine to a Facebook group. In bet if you could please leave the time to shine today. Squad one last Knowledge Nugget that you want them to take with them and internalize and take action.

30:00  

you’re meant to be

30:02  

love that love it.

30:05  

Folks squad we have had a fantastic like serious free coaching slash masterclass with my friend Beth Caldwell, who wants you to embrace your purpose. You ask yourself what your potential is and then take action on it. If you’re a hard working female that’s getting passed over, this not getting the raises, you’re just feeling even down in the doldrums. Make sure you reach out to Leadership Academy, look in the show notes down below. I’ll make sure that you get in touch with just reach out the time to shine today. And I’ll make sure you get with bath and because she will definitely be able to get you to she’ll see your potential. She’ll help you find your blind spot and help you push through. Remember people that success does not have to be difficult and actually just listen to your intuition and forget about the naysayers. So embarrassing. Amazing. I have a just chock full page of notes and she’s so humble yet so hungry to want to help people. She levels up her health. She levels up her wealth and Beth, you’re part of our squad now. Thank you so, so much forward to having you back again too. So you have to promise you’ll have to come back. I’m going to have coffee with you at Barnes and Noble when I’m signing books. Yes, you are. Yes, you are. I can’t wait. We’ll talk. Bye, everybody. Hey, thanks so much for listening to this episode of time to shine today podcast, probably brought to you by southern New term real estate real estate excellence, who can be reached at 561-249-7266 and online at www dot Sutter in nugent.com. If you’re a business owner or professional who would like to be interviewed on time to shine today, please visit time to shine today comm slash guest If you liked this up so please subscribe on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify. I Heart Radio Wherever you get your podcasts, there’s a link in the show notes to our website. Also there you will see a recommended resources. We hope that you will support our show by supporting them. If you like what you’ve been listening to, it’d be great if you could just give us a five star rating until your friends have subscribe while you’re at it. I’m your host, Scott Ferguson. And until next time, let’s level up. It’s our time to shine.

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