Episode Description:

In this enlightening episode, Coco Sellman interviews Kathy Parry, a certified speaking professional known for energizing teams and fostering resilience and productivity. 

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN BY LISTENTING IN:

With a career that began in bank training and evolved through personal trials, Kathy shares her expertise in navigating change and building supportive work environments, especially in healthcare. Her latest book, "Joy Jolt," aligns perfectly with her mission to empower leaders and invigorate teams in women-led enterprises.

CHAPTERS:

04:51 The Journey of Resilience

20:19 Finding Purpose Amidst Challenges

20:19 Understanding Purpose, Joy, and Connection in Leadership

33:22 The Importance of Accountability in Leadership

41:54 Embracing Growth Through Leadership

TAKEAWAYS:

• Kathy Perry emphasizes the importance of resilience during difficult times, encouraging women to embrace their challenges.
• The conversation highlights the significance of purpose, gratitude, and joy in fostering a positive workplace culture.
• Kathy's personal journey as a caregiver shaped her mission to empower others through resilience and trust.
• Coco Selman and Kathy Perry discuss how leaders can effectively communicate during times of disruption.
• The episode explores how transparency and acknowledgment of challenges can build trust within teams.
• Kathy Perry shares her three-step approach: React, Reframe, and Re-energize to enhance team dynamics.

BURNING QUESTIONS ANSWERED:

1.How can leaders foster resilience in high-stress environments?

• Kathy introduces her "rubber band resilience" model, providing steps to navigate and overcome workplace challenges.
• Insights into how emotional acknowledgment and creative reframing can re-energize leaders and their teams.

2.What role does purpose play in combating workforce burnout?

• Exploration of strategies that leaders can adopt to reconnect teams with their core purpose.
• Kathy shares personal anecdotes that illustrate the power of purpose in maintaining energy and focus during crises.

3.How can trust and effective communication transform team dynamics?

• Discussion on the importance of transparency and timely communication in building and maintaining trust.
• Practical advice for leaders on fostering a culture of accountability and inclusivity.

4.What are the keys to developing and supporting women leaders in business?

• Kathy shares her journey and the critical experiences that shaped her approach to leadership and resilience.
• Effective methods for women leaders to develop skills and inspire their teams through personal and professional growth initiatives.

FAVORITE QUOTES:

• Kathy Parry: "If it's stretching you, it's teaching you. Embrace the stretch to unleash your potential."
• Coco Sellman: "The power of resilience is not just in surviving but in thriving through adversity."

CLOSING THOUGHTS:

Kathy Parry’s insights offer invaluable lessons on resilience, purpose, and leadership for any visionary woman founder aiming to lead a high-impact, high-growth enterprise. Her strategies for building resilient teams and fostering a joyful, purpose-driven workplace are more than just inspirational—they are essential tools for any leader looking to make a profound impact in today’s challenging business environment.

Listeners are encouraged to reflect on how they can apply these principles within their own teams and organizations to foster environments where trust, communication, and resilience are at the heart of their culture.

OFFERS & CONTACT INFORMATION:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathyparryspeaker/

LinkedIn – Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kathy-parry-corporate-energy-expert/ 

Website: http://www.KathyParry.com 

JOY JOLT – The Book: https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Jolt-Kathy-Parry/dp/B0CSHY47KJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LDDIQW6XKJ8G&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5LJAAJ1sN7GbwQWIuv-Vrg.cgnkpTvOMkIG4uPqgpbjdo5I6_tJ6w-PbaztEUFWJwI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Joy+Jolt+Kathy+Parry&qid=1729611711&sprefix=joy+jolt+kathy+parry%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-1

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Coco Sellman, the host of #WisdomOfWomen, believes business is a force for good, especially with visionary women at the helm. With over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience, she has launched five companies and guided over 500 startups. As Founder & CEO of A Force for Good, Coco supports purpose-driven women founders in unlocking exponential growth and prosperity. Her recent venture, Allumé Home Care, reached eight-figure revenues and seven-figure profits in just four years before a successful exit in 2024. A venture investor and board director, Coco’s upcoming book, *A Force for Good*, reveals a roadmap for women to lead high-impact, high-growth companies.

Learn more about A Force for Good:

Website: https://aforceforgood.biz/ 

Are Your GROWING or PLATEAUING? https://aforceforgood.biz/quiz/

1-Day Growth Plan: https://aforceforgood.biz/free-plan/ 

FFG Tool of the Week: https://aforceforgood.biz/weekly-tool/ 

The Book:  https://aforceforgood.biz/book/ 

Growth Accelerator: https://aforceforgood.biz/accelerator/

Welcome to the Wisdom of Women Show.

We are dedicated to amplifying the voice and wisdom of women in business.

A new model of leadership is emerging and we are here to amplify the voices of women leading the way.

I am your host, Coco Selman, five time founder, impact investor and creator of the Force for Good system.

Thank you for joining us today as we illuminate the path to unlocking opportunities, opportunities and prosperity for women led enterprises everywhere.

So today I have the most delightful, joyful, wonderful treat for you all today.

I am excited to share.

Kathy Perry Kathy energizes teams to thrive amid change and challenge.

As a certified speaking professional and expert in corporate energy, resilience and productivity, Kathy empowers leaders and their teams to thrive through disruption and change.

With a career that began as a trainer for a super super regional bank's merger and acquisitions team, Kathy gained invaluable expertise in managing transitions and integrating new technologies.

Her personal journey, shaped by the life changing diagnosis of her fourth child, inspired her mission to teach others how to stretch without snapping during difficult times.

Kathy has published six books including the Rubber Band Resilient Leader and her most recent Joy Jolt, which you'll want to go straight to Amazon and get a copy and these books provide actionable insights for energizing teams and building resilience in high stress environments.

Drawing on her diverse certifications and in plant based nutrition, Alzheimer's care and coaching, Kathy has become a sought after keynote speaker and trainer renowned for helping organizations unlock trust, boost engagement and achieve sustainable growth.

I'm so happy and honored to have you here Kathy.

Thank you so much.

It's great to be with you.

That sounds like a lot.

Well, thank you.

You are a gift and I had the wonderful experience of getting to see you speak at a healthcare conference recently, the Connecticut association for Healthcare at Home.

And I was just blown away as was everyone else sitting at my table and we were talking about it on our board meetings afterwards and you really are a a gift to, to teams and a spark of, of new perspective.

And I think really you really embody what is the wisdom of women in business.

It really is.

So one question I always like to ask at the beginning is what is a book written by a woman that has significantly influenced your life?

Go way back and think because of course I we all read like business books and things like that, but I was like what really impacted my life.

And there was one I read almost 30 years ago and it's called the Gift of the Red Bird by Paula DRC and it's all about a tragic event that happened to a woman.

She lost her husband and young child in a car accident.

And then just how she overcame.

And it was sort of.

I read it at a time when I was facing something very, very difficult.

And I just.

I always remember that book.

And it was just, you know, there's a bit of a faith journey in it, but it's also just about that, you know, things are going to happen.

And how little did I know, you know, probably 15 years later, I'd write a book on resilience.

But that one stuck with me.

That's beautiful.

So the Gift of the Red Bird.

Awesome.

I'll have to pick this one up.

I don't know.

It's.

I know it's an old one, but.

I was like, I've read, you know, and then I was like, oh, I could say Sheryl Sandberg, lean in, because that's so impactful.

But I don't know that that one really got me.

So thank you for that.

That sounds like a remarkable, remarkable read for us all because we all go through hard times, every single one of us, right?

Absolutely.

We are not immune.

We are not immune.

So I.

As I was saying before, I've been fortunate to see you speak.

Speak.

And your story, your wisdom, and your.

Your remarkable, difficult, challenging journey are all quite extraordinary.

You truly are a force for good in my.

In my view.

So I was hoping you could tell your story, tell your journey, and about the pivotal moments of your life and career and how you got to stay where you're talking about resilience and trust and enjoy.

Thank you for the platform.

I appreciate it.

And what I hope when I share my story is that other women will see themselves in my story, because, as I said, we are not immune.

And things are going to happen where we are stretched and we might not know the next step.

So, yeah, I was a bank trainer, so I stood up in front of people and spoke.

Had a pretty easy transition into the work world when I graduated college and loved what I did.

Then took some time off to raise a family.

And my fourth child was born with a severe disability.

So we didn't know what we were facing because all appeared normal the first two to three months.

And then we were given the very harsh reality that she did indeed have what is called a mitochondrial dysfunction.

And the doctors told us the best we could hope for is two years.

Well, it turned into 20 years, and she lived a beautiful life.

She was completely dependent on me and other caregivers, which is why I have such a heart for those who are in a caregiving space, whatever field that might be, because it takes a lot.

And also as women, a lot of that falls on us.

You know, I always thought that when she turned 5, it was kind of like known between my ex husband and I that that would be when I would return to work.

And of course that didn't happen because she needed the care and we had caregivers coming in, but it just wasn't enough.

And in that time frame, I started to learn more and more about nutrition.

And so I started researching, researching because her disease was called the disease of no energy.

Her cells didn't turn food into energy properly.

So that's why I got a certification in plant based nutrition.

Then I started doing corporate wellness.

Everyone started asking me, well, how, how keeping her alive?

Her doctors were saying, how are you keeping her alive?

What are you doing?

And this is again, early stages of what we now know.

We knew we all are experts in nutrition now, but it really helped me focus.

And then people started asking me to speak.

So that's how I.

The journey to speaking.

And then it became more about resilience.

And that's where we transitioned from just being a corporate wellness into.

No, this is truly a story of resilience.

And that's what I kept hearing from people.

That's kind of a brief little summary of how I got where I am.

Well, Kathy, I just, I love your story and I don't think I told you this, but I also have a medically fragile stepdaughter.

And so, and she was not supposed to live till 16 or 17, and she's 23 and, you know, she inspired my healthcare company that I was telling you about before we get on the phone.

So, you know, I think, and I was talking to another founder this morning, that one of the unique differences about women founders is that we're often moved by a situation that is, you know, it's hard, that's challenging, and that often is what creates an impetus to create something to do good, you know, Phoenix rising from the ashes, if you will.

And, and your, your message reminds me of that so much.

So, so your, your fourth child remind me of their name.

Her name, Merit Joy.

But when I named her Merit Joy, I had no idea anything was wrong with her.

But it's, it's the joy that I felt, you know, in raising her that really came to fruition in, in my work.

But I love what you Just said that we are often, as women, we're motivated by what is stretching us.

And sometimes the vision isn't clear, especially when we're in it, and it's just really tough.

But I always say, just wait, something's coming.

When I do that example, I do the rubber band.

You know, it's the rubber band resilient leader.

And the stretch of the rubber band holds the potential energy.

And if we don't ever stretch, the rubber band can't shoot across the room.

It has no energy.

But it's in the stretch that we gain that.

So when people, maybe someone listening today, you're going through something difficult, it hurts.

It's stretching you.

You don't like it, you know, do whatever.

If it's financial or personal, something can come of that, and we can always look forward.

I know it's tough when you're in it, but there is the potential.

Oh, it's true.

Right, Right.

I have a book coming out myself, and I talk a little bit in one section about how progress isn't always pretty.

Right.

Like those moments of big breakthroughs where you have those, wow, I just grew, you know, I grew as a human.

I created a new outcome.

It's usually really hard.

Right.

And so as.

As we're building our companies, it's sometimes we think, well, if it's.

If it doesn't.

If we're not celebrating all the time, then there.

It must mean that something's wrong and we need to make sure everybody's just, you know, so how do you balance that, that.

That.

That resilience, stretching the.

The rubber band without snapping, as you.

Describe it, at the reframing stage.

So there's the reacting stage when we're in it and we're reacting and we don't like this and it's uncomfortable.

And then we get to reframe it, and that's our choice.

We can reframe our crisis however we like.

And so how we talk about it, you know, I used to say, as soon as I said I don't have to be the mother of a child with severe disabilities, I get to be her mother.

Like, the world sort of opened up.

I was working with Pittsburgh Children's Hospital.

I was on call for if a parent wanted to talk to another parent, you know, I started again the whole path of.

Of working in nutrition to help others.

So I got to experience that.

I also used to have this thing like, you know, some people, they just don't get all the emotions.

They're just either, you know, happy or, you Know, sad or whatever.

I'm like, I get all the emotions.

All the emotions come my way because it, you know, is difficult.

So after, like just how we talk about it and think about the disruption, then I always like to say a really great exercise is just to start to list, okay, what could I gain from this?

What, what are the opportunities here that I could actually gain something from this thing, this thing that is stretching me.

So doing some of that difficult work helps when you're stretched.

And you talk about this in your book, in both of your books, or how we're.

It's in the rubber band resilient leader.

Yeah, React, reframe, re energize is my system for getting through the crisis.

Amazing.

So walk us through those three steps just a little bit.

Just tell us a little.

You sort of did it now, but just break it down so we can focus on something that's challenging right now in our lives and walk us through how we can transform that into something better.

So if you are facing something that is disrupting you, there's a bit of a crisis, a disruption.

First step is reacting.

And I like to say that's fine, you should react.

We are humans.

If we don't react, that's, you know, not.

It doesn't feel right.

But we all have different ways of reacting and this is important on a team.

When I address this with teams, you know, you're implementing a brand new technology system and this person is stretched because they have to work extra hours and that's going to cost more child care.

And this person doesn't that.

So understanding what are the reactions on a team are important when you're dealing with something professionally, but just honoring reactions.

And again, if you are on a team, work to understand how an entire team reacts to things that will make things better, then I like to say that you can't live in just reaction mode.

Right.

So then the next phase in that rubber band resilience curve is reframing.

And reframing looks like things like how we talk about it, you know, what energy comes from it, what are we trying to create from it?

It's also a time to get creative.

It's like, okay, well this looks different, it feels different.

How can I manage it and be creative around it?

So we, you know, we kind of ignite our creativity and then the final phase is the re energizing phase.

And I like to say this is where the good stuff happens.

This is where you get to share what you've learned.

You can, you know, step into the new you, because at this point, you've reacted, you've reframed it.

It's like, wow, I didn't know this was the way it was going to be and start to share that.

Like, wow, I learned from this.

So being a kind of a servant leader and saying, I've been there, I've seen exactly what you're going through.

You know, you're growing a new business and you're going through a divorce and you got kids.

I'm going to step in because I've done that too.

So that's the re energizing phase.

Well, and so, you know, one of the things I love about this is as a leader, we're going to go through these things.

And so we need to nurture our own reactions and look to reframe the things that we can't see anything good in and, and then, you know, honor and re energize ourselves.

But so often our team will go through things and if we can help them see what they've just uncovered, like, wow, you just went through something really hard.

Right.

I witnessed that.

I witnessed your greatness.

Right.

And how what a refuel that is to be re energized by.

I know you've been dealing with this divorce at home or this sick child at home, and I watched you come to work every day.

I watched you make it happen even still.

And I just honor that.

Like, how re energizing is that?

And that's a, you know, five minute conversation.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We, we want to be acknowledged in our pain.

I think most of us, we don't want to be pitied.

We don't want to be looked upon in that way.

But just a simple acknowledgment is, I understand you're going through something, makes a world of difference.

Yeah.

So workforce burnout is a big topic in healthcare.

It's a big topic in probably every area.

Right.

You get to a point where you're just burned out.

Entrepreneurs all the time, especially ones who've been doing it for a while, are often burned out.

So it's a challenge for any kind of a growing company.

So what are some practical steps that visionary women founders and leaders can take to re energize themselves and their teams?

Most important things when we talk about burnout, is really looking at the tasks that are burning you out.

What is it?

What is it specifically that is making you uncomfortable, making you not want to show up?

I know what those tasks are for me personally, and when I start feeling that, I also know the tasks that Energize me.

So if I can get away from those draining tasks, which are usually repetitive or, you know, things that just have to be done, and I can set aside some space for creativity.

Excuse me.

Bless you.

I'm energized because creativity, you know, sparks me and it keeps me going.

So I'm gonna let you ask one more question and how that looks in your life, because I'm going to take a drink of water.

Of course.

Of course.

Of course.

Yeah.

No, I think that burnout is a big thing, right?

I've experienced it at different moments, and for sure, Covid was a perfect moment, right, where we watched our teams.

I watched my team feel the challenge of having to go back into the field and feeling afraid.

And some of them, my nurses, were working for skilled nursing facilities where it was just overflowing with COVID and they were really worried about then taking it into the home of a medically fragile child on a vent or, you know, with a trach and, you know, with respiratory challenges.

Really, really worried to do that.

So.

And then we had PPE challenges, right?

So.

So really, as a leader, I remember.

I remember going back to the drawing board of, like, what is my core purpose?

What is the core purpose of the business?

Like, we are here to provide remarkable care.

You know, you people are heroes.

Let's get, you know, go out into the world.

And, you know, and meanwhile, we were, you know, I had Tyvek suits made for everybody.

You know, I had a group of ladies come over and they all made masks, right?

And we had.

Had them taken out to the house, shuffled out to the houses every week.

We brought cookies, and, you know, we brought different things to sort of say we.

We got your back.

So I think, you know, it's always on us, and it's in those moments of the biggest challenge when we really need to lean into whatever our purpose is.

I'm sorry about my coughing.

No, I'm sorry.

You're having.

You're having a cold.

I want to.

I want to, like, make you some chicken soup.

I'm 80% better.

But what I loved what you said about purpose and burnout, when we align and we fully know what that purpose is.

I'll tell a quick story about my daughter.

When she did turn five, and it was supposed to be the year I went back to work and I wasn't going to get to.

That wasn't going to happen.

I called it my school bus moment.

It was the moment the school bus pulled up and all my other children got on it and this would have been the year that she was supposed to go to school.

And I remember just feeling sorry for myself.

And I'm like, all right, I'm going to go down to Starbucks, pick myself up.

And yet there were all the other moms who had just loaded kids on the school bus.

And I told myself, stop it.

You've made it five years.

She's beautiful.

Part of your life, what's your purpose going to be?

I asked myself the hard question, because fear is one of those things that can come in and stop us, and fear is that thing that can drain us of energy quicker than anything else.

But I was having.

I was allowing fear to come in.

And so I said, no, what is your purpose?

And it just became very clear.

It's like, be her voice.

That's going to be your new purpose.

You know, you're not going back to work.

You're not going back to corporate, that thing you wanted to do.

You have a new purpose.

Be her voice.

And then I launched this professional speaking career, and I get to, you know, listen to other people's stories and, And.

And be that force that helps them, you know, get over the fear.

So purpose is so important.

And that in my new keynote, you know, joy, Joel.

When I talk about joy, it's about purpose and gratitude and loyalty and how those things can build joy in any culture.

So I love it.

I love it when you talk purpose and I don't.

Sometimes we glance over, oh, it's our purpose.

That's our purpose.

But really tapping into that and helping your teams understand what that purpose is so important.

Naming it, right?

Naming it.

It's super important to name it.

So often when I.

When I meet with founders, they'll say, oh, we have a purpose and we have values.

And I'll say, well, tell me what.

What are they?

And if you cannot name them, I am certain that there is misalignment on your team.

I am certain, because if you don't know, and sometimes it's even.

They haven't written it down ever, and they still think they have one.

And this is one of the founders.

Founders need to.

To embody this.

This is something the corporate understands better, that you need to write things down and things need to be systematized.

But so you talked about.

Okay, so I want to talk about joy Jolt and purpose and gratitude and joy.

Because I have so much belief that if you can cultivate these in your.

In your culture for your.

For your teams, there's nothing in the world that you can't do.

And it Sort of doesn't even matter.

You want to achieve things, obviously, but it creates a whole new way of interacting.

And so tell us about purpose, gratitude and joy and, and how that all comes together.

Your.

Your philosophy around how to do that in your.

And I know you talk about.

Enjoy.

Joel.

To equate it to like, a cup of coffee.

A cup of coffee is made up of three things.

Beans, water, and heat.

So the whole thing has a theme of.

Of coffee.

Because I love Starbucks.

Some A big Starbucks fan, been a part of my life.

But the beans, I like to say, you know, coffee beans are just meant to make one thing.

It's not like corn.

That is the most abundant crop.

And it can be made into, you know, hundreds of different things.

It's just one thing.

So what is that one thing?

And we get kind of, you know, hung up on it.

Like, it has to be too big by me just saying my purpose is to be her voice.

My purpose is still to be my daughter's voice.

She's not with us anymore.

But what she taught others, you know, just in her simple life, it's still my purpose.

So.

But in an organization, there's great research done by Kearney Consulting, and it's all on joy at work.

The former CEO actually wrote a book called Joy at Work.

And there is a gap.

There's a joy gap.

90% of people believe there should be some degree of joy at work, whereas only about, you know, 40% experience joy at work.

And how do we build joy on teams is we show them how.

How does their role in the purpose of this organization make a difference?

And if somebody's not understanding how their role makes a difference, they don't have a lot of, you know, reason to show up each day or feel that joy.

And then there's, of course, loyalty.

To build loyalty, I like to say in a cup of coffee, you want to get the impurities out of the water.

Starbucks triple filters their water.

So in our organizations, we want to get the impurities out.

And some of those impurities look like incivility or lack of communication or just, you know, managerial level that don't understand how to manage people.

Those are some of the impurities.

So look for those and build more loyalty on a team.

Because people want to work for people they like and then find these gratitude.

And we kind of touched on this, I think, a little bit like, we need to show that we appreciate what somebody does or we appreciate that they are going through something difficult.

Just constantly looking for those ways that we can be grateful for People who work for us.

And if you happen to be a solopreneur and you're listening to this constantly being grateful for your journey and in how you show up every day that you are, you know, making a difference in someone's life.

Oh.

So Kathy, there's so much to unpack here.

First of all, I'm going to say that one of the great marks of a leader, I think is being able to tell a very simple story over and over and over again and keep using the same references and bringing it back to everything.

And you do that so well.

So I, I've seen you do your, your longer talk on joy and this, this idea, no joke, she talks about Starbucks, she weaves Starbucks into her whole story and in, in it's part of her big, you know, journey and, and, and then to of course take that same reference and put it into your Joy.

And I think about your book with, with the beans and the heat and the water.

And so as a founder, I think it's so important to, to come up with those stories, to come up with those true analogies that you can then bring forth.

So this idea.

So now I'm going to remember these three things, Joy, and I'm going to remember loyalty.

Right.

And I'm remember the importance of gratitude because you just, just made it so simple with the process of creating coffee and, and what those pieces are.

And now I have a way to latch onto it.

So, so I, I really appreciate that.

The other thing I, I want to really touch on is that Joy, it isn't about giving people cookies and candy all day long.

It's not about taking them bowling, although that can be a nice thing to do.

Right.

The joy comes from meaning and purpose, from being able to contribute and have add value to be, you know, and, and so sometimes I think we miss the mark on that as leaders.

Do you want to say more about that.

To that?

Not only do we miss the mark, but we forget how important the human connection is in that building of Joy.

I mean we want as humans, even though we're moving into this AI world and it's getting, you know, it's very interesting, the whole thing's very interesting.

And we don't maybe don't need as many people around us and we can have an AI friend.

People thrive and feel joy when they're connected to another human.

And even friends and people I know who are the most introverted, they still want that connection with someone.

Maybe it's just a one on one connection, but realizing that even on Your team, they're there to build a connection, not just do the work.

So I say you get to know them.

You said bowling.

Yeah.

Might not bring joy, but it might bring a connection that then they can remember the next time.

Like, I didn't know they got to do that project.

I don't want to do that project.

Oh, but just if they already have a connection, it makes things a lot easier.

Yeah, that is so true.

And sometimes it's in those after hours moments that you break down those barriers between one another.

You start to see each other a little more human.

Like, the other thing I thought was interesting you said right away about joy is that to look at what people are doing and is it.

Is it aligned with their unique value, their unique abilities and you know, we can.

If everybody was doing the work where they are best suited, their highest and best use, they.

They're going to do more for the organization and they're also going to feel better.

Right.

And that will, of course, hopefully make them want to stay longer.

Right.

So this loyalty piece also gets tied in.

So all the impurities too.

Right?

Impurities.

Got to look for those.

Yeah.

And if you're unsure what the impurities are in your organization or your team, ask.

People will let you know with some degree of candor what they feel.

I just did a session for actually a rural hospital.

They have three locations.

And we did that.

We said, you know, and they were at tables and they had group discussion and boy, I heard it.

You know, I don't know if they were letting their CEO, who was in the room and, and the chief human resource officer necessarily know what they were saying, but I heard it and I did report back.

Like, you have a lot of people saying you're siloed and you're communic.

Education is not, you know, where they want it to be.

So people will tell you you have.

To be brave, right.

To.

To ask and be willing to change.

Don't ask if you're not gonna.

If you're not willing to change too.

Right.

Because now you've really busted loyalty.

Right.

In correct.

And.

And trust.

Yeah.

Seth.

So that's the other topic I was hoping we could talk about today, is as, how important trust is.

And it's.

I know it's a conversation that you have a lot.

When you do keynotes, you have a lot of topics on trust.

So why is, why is trust critical to retaining and energizing teams?

And how can leaders do better fostering it?

And what are we doing that unconsciously, you know, thwarts it.

You're correct.

That is another session I do.

It's called unlock trust.

The winning combination to retain and energize teams.

Because people will leave so quickly if they do not trust.

And they won't give.

They won't give them themselves if they don't trust.

So there's actually, you know, transparency, I like to say, is.

Well, I think that's number two in, in importance.

Communication obviously is tops.

People want to know information, but transparency is a little bit different.

Transparency is not just the information, but.

But it's the why behind the information.

Why did I make that decision?

Because we can talk about.

Well, that decision's made and there's your information.

But if I don't have the why, I don't feel like I'm part of the team.

I don't feel like everything's being truthful.

So I do like to say transparency is one of the, the big ones.

And then of course, you know, civility and several others that I, I talk about.

I'm not like having a little brain.

But I do believe that trust will leave you if you can build it up.

It's one of the most important things.

I, I had a friend who was a executive director at a senior housing facility.

In her first year as the director, she desperately needed new carpet.

It was worn.

They're like, absolutely, it's in the budget.

We're going to get it.

And they had a lot of locations.

Year number two.

Oh, yeah, carpet.

It's.

It's on the budget.

You're gon it.

Year number three, still no carpet.

She quit after four years.

Like I'm getting, you know, cannot trust that they're going to come through on it.

So actions must match, you know what we're saying as well.

Absolutely.

Right.

So we have to be careful with that.

Right.

So our good intentions to promise something can go right down the drain.

We're better off saying, I'm not sure I hear that.

This is something you need.

Right.

So much better off to just.

Yeah.

Not, not just place a.

But also just say, I, I don't have the answer right now.

Let me circle back.

And then I always say, say when.

How long will it take before you get back?

I will have an answer next week and then have the answer next week or else you are no longer trustworthy.

Right.

And, and if you don't have the answer, get back to them.

I see that happen.

Right.

Like, okay, we can be, we, we can allow for the occasional miss on the timeline, but don't just not respond.

Right.

Like go back, say, I apologize, I'm not going to make the deadline that I committed to.

As leaders, we, we have to hold ourselves really accountable for that kind of thing as founders.

You know, Kathy, one of the things that make us unique is, is that we really can go out and start and do whatever.

I mean, we can create cool things.

But there's also the, the underbelly of that is that we don't like to be accountable.

So, so we have to watch out for that because it's, it does erode trust as we're trying to, to build.

Yes, absolutely.

That's funny.

Yes, we, we are entrepreneurs for reasons.

Yes, yes, it's true.

It's true.

So with looking at the companies that you've worked with, what common traits or even practices set apart those that successfully adapt and thrive during disruptive, difficult events or times?

Yeah, well, absolutely.

I will give you a example from a company I worked with.

And again, I do a lot of work in senior care and caregiving.

And this was a large organization, but one location, they, they were residents for about 400 residents.

And they actually did away with a division which was their home health care division.

They did it all on their own and they were doing away with it.

And the CEO came to me because we were in, we were in the middle of a six month program to train his leaders because unfortunately a lot of leaders get, get put into positions because they've done the position, but they haven't had the leadership skill set.

And he said, I'm in trouble, I messed up.

I said, what happened?

Where'd it go wrong?

He said, I did not adequately communicate why and it was a transparency issue and a trust issue.

And so not only did he lose the trust of his team, but also the residents and their families because they were counting on the ability to have that home health aide come in in an assisted living situation.

So it was all about that trust and transparency.

So we did a little, you know, mind, you know, dump.

I'm like, okay, well who's most upset and how can we work with that?

And just had a lot of conversation around what is that piece of, not just information, but being transparent about the why.

So that ended up being so much better.

And he said, he said, I'm going to now lay out the plan for any changes ahead of time and really think about impact.

He hadn't thought about the impact on, you know, this level, this level, this level.

So when we work through that, I just, you know, number one and all, I think in all leadership situations is that Communication piece.

And I see it over and over and over again.

I always say it's the free one.

It really doesn't cost a lot to communicate.

Well, you just have to do it.

It.

Yeah.

Have to do it.

Right.

And you have to think about all the people, all the constituents.

Right.

And what their worries and concerns are going to be.

And sometimes it's not even.

You can't just tell them once.

No.

No.

And that same organization, when we dove a little deeper, their kind of corporate culture on returning an email was a week.

I'm like, a week is not.

If is not good.

That's, you know, I'm sorry if you might have to do it at night or, you know, whatever a weak response time is, in my opinion, unless it's just, you know, someone asking you to a party or something.

But if it is a.

If it is a critical situation, a week is too long.

Right.

Again, there's.

It's eroding that trust and.

And that loyalty.

And then you set this example, too.

That.

That it's nothing is that urgent or important.

Right?

Great.

What if it's a customer?

You know, so.

Exactly.

Right.

We're team.

I always.

I always.

I am of the elk.

That my most important customer is my employee.

Right.

Like, that's.

That's my most important customer.

Because I'm not the one out there doing this stuff.

Like, you know, like, I'm not the nurse.

I'm not the home and health aide, or, you know, if.

If you're in design work, you know, or you're in bakery work, whatever, you're not the one who's hopefully doing all of.

All of it.

And so for me, it's always taking care of those people first and not responding.

But I want to also say that it's really admirable that your client was honest and owned up to it, because that's how we change as a founder so often.

Nothing is perfect.

Like, if somebody came to my website right now that was a marketing expert, they could cut it up into shreds.

Right?

Because.

Because we just have.

We have to.

We have to settle for whatever we can get up and get moving and get going.

And perfection has to.

Has to go to the wayside.

So we have to be willing to say, yeah, you know what I did wrong here.

This is what I did.

Now I'm going to improve.

So kudos to him.

And they.

They brought you in.

Yep.

And I will say his executive team, he had a team of about 22 people.

They were watching and they.

And it was all On a call.

It was all going down on a call.

And I.

You are 100.

Correct.

He really gained, you know, not even just the trust, but the admiration of a team.

Because when we humble ourselves, we know this as a leader.

If we're able to humble ourselves, say I was wrong, people are all of a sudden going to be more loyal than, you know, if we put up that bravado.

That's the wisdom of women, Kathy.

We don't all know it, but we women do.

Right.

Like that's very national.

It's very, very natural for us to see that as a power.

I think you're right.

Yeah.

So.

So, Kathy, how can people get in touch with you more of what you do?

Certainly everybody can go buy Joy Jolt on Amazon right now.

You can also pick up the rubber band Resilient Leader.

But how else?

Website.

The website.

I'm Kathy with a K.

Perry.

With an A.

Kathy Perry.

I always say don't, don't text or email Katy Perry.

She won't answer you, but I will@LinkedIn.

I'm very active on LinkedIn.

There's some resources on the website and Instagram.

I kind of keep it a little less businessy, but I will say right now I am doing, going through the entire joy Joel on my Instagram account every day, giving the prompts in the book and helping people find their 30 day journey to more joy.

So just, I think that's more because it lights me up well.

And then that's what, that's how, it's how it works.

Right?

Everybody off.

And I also, you know, when you go to, to Kathy Perry, P A R R Y dot com, you'll see that she delivers keynotes, she delivers various workshops and she also has a platinum power program.

What is that?

Yeah, so that's actually what I just described when I was working with that leadership team.

It's a six month program specifically designed because what I notice, and again, especially in healthcare, some other areas where we're so impacted by the pandemic and workforce issues, shortages that people are being placed into leadership roles that had no leadership or managerial training.

So we go through six months with a team that needs a little bit more development just in those skills.

We meet twice a month, a couple times I've done the kickoff in person, which is a lot of fun, you know, gathering a whole team, working through, getting to do some of those fun exercises where you're learning about each other and then we continue on our journey for six more months together.

Great.

It's been great, great feedback.

The groups I've worked with have been phenomenal and open.

They're open to this growth because a lot of them haven't had that kind of growth before.

And it's, it's a good reset for those who have.

As I said, that CEO, he was very open and honest that he'd messed up up.

So I love that.

Oh, that sounds like a wonderful experience, especially for founders if they've grown and they have team members that have been with them for a long time.

But maybe they haven't really gotten their, the leadership skills in place.

Like there's a lot to learn.

Right.

With, with effective leadership doesn't just come naturally.

I think you have to learn it and you have to have mentors and so forth.

Absolutely.

So there's also folks, just make sure when you go to the website, there's also at the bottom of the homepage there's a get your energized team kit.

You want to get this.

It has the resilient team exercise, the team trust audit, and it includes a one week stress reduction challenge, which sounds really awesome.

We all need a little less stress, especially in the holidays.

So be sure to check all that out.

And as we start to move towards close here, Kathy, what is one final word of wisdom that you'd like to offer to our listeners?

Wow, that's a big one.

Only because this is also presenting itself in my life a little bit right now.

But if it's stretching you, it's building you up.

But unless we're building and stretching, we're not building those muscles that we need.

So if it hurts a little bit, it's okay.

It's okay.

We can handle it.

Right?

Well, thank you so much, Kathy.

Thank you for joining us today on the Wisdom of Women Show.

Thank you for illuminating the path to unlocking opportunities for growth and prosperity for women led enterprises.

We value and appreciate you and your wisdom and for all of our listeners, if you enjoyed our time time together, please be sure to follow like and share the Wisdom of Women show on whatever your favorite listening or viewing platform you prefer.

And to infuse more wisdom into your business, be sure to take the growth readiness quiz at a course for good Biz quiz and uncover where your insight is needed most right now in your business.

So the world is made better by women led business.

So let's all go make the world a better place.

Thank you.