Some people build the outline three weeks early. Some people find out what they're saying in the shower the morning of. In Episode 4, The Traveling Saleslady sits down with Lauren Caulfield, Angie Gray, and Erin Thompson to settle the debate: are you a planner or a winger, and does it even matter once you're in the room.

Takeaways:

• The speakers engage in a meaningful dialogue surrounding the merits of planning versus spontaneity in various aspects of life, particularly in professional settings.
• One speaker emphasizes the necessity of preparation, stating that it fosters confidence and enhances performance when addressing an audience or undertaking significant tasks.
• Participants reflect upon personal anecdotes illustrating the unpredictability of life and how adaptability plays a crucial role when plans do not unfold as anticipated.
• Listeners are encouraged to embrace both planning and the ability to pivot, as both skills are essential in navigating the complexities of leadership and parenting.

Links referenced in this episode:

• The Traveling Saleslady
• aspireformorewitherin
• highperformancenursing
• lovebetterleadbetter

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Aspire for More with Erin
• High Performance Nursing
• Lauren Caulfield
• Brilliant Beam Media

Hey, Lauren.

So that conversation that we just had about those tasty chicken wings down in Fort Myers, are you a wing it person or are you a planner?

Oh, my gosh, I am so not a wing it person.

I plan to the nth degree and if I have a project to do, that thing's gonna be done two, three weeks in advance.

Cause I cannot do things last minute.

It's stresses me out and I don't do my best work under pressure.

Now I have a son and he does everything last minute, and it works fabulously for him.

And we had actually a roommate from college.

I'll never forget.

She called me and said she was speaking to like 75 people and this was the night before.

And I said, oh, so, you know, what's your, your plan?

What are you going to do?

And she said, oh, no, I'll figure that out tomorrow.

I was sick to my stomach.

I said, are you serious?

Like you don't know what you can do?

She goes, no, I'll figure it out.

It'll come to me in the morning.

I wouldn't be able to sleep.

There's no way I'd be able to sleep.

That's amazing.

Yeah.

And she's great at it.

That's the thing.

Like, she came back that day and said, oh, my gosh, it was an amazing presentation.

I had no problems.

But I can't do the things off the, off the top of my head.

If I have to, I will.

But no, I got to have the outline.

I start with the outline and then I got to fill in all my speaking points.

And I have to really think about it for a long time beforehand.

I'm my own worst enemy.

You know, it is what it is.

But no, I'm definitely a planner.

Are you a planner, Angie?

I am definitely a planner, but I don't always follow my plan.

I love a plan and I will plan it out.

But yeah, I have probably honestly had just as many times when I'm speaking, because that's where.

Well, you know, with a big family, you try to plan, but now I know that you can.

That just never happens.

It just never happens.

But I do like to start with a plan.

Same thing for professionally.

I. I start planning and I practice it way more than five times.

Lauren practicing, you know, and I'm an overthinker and all that stuff.

And more times than I can count, when it comes time to deliver, I will have something technical, not work.

I've had so many times where I haven't had no slides, no note.

And I Just have to wing it anyway.

And those are actually really great times.

Right?

Those are really great times because you remember, oh, you already have the things.

And I think some of those have probably been my best presentations or best, you know, speaking times.

But, but I am a planner.

I love a plan.

I really thrive with a plan.

And how about you, Erin?

I could almost guess because we've had this conversation that you are definitely a planner.

Yes.

And I can, in my speaking world and I'm sure, well, I don't know, the more speakers I talk to, the more, less alone I feel.

But like, I can plan out everything that I want to say and I get up on that stage and something happens and I don't talk about 50% of what I had planned.

Something else comes out and at the end of it, I'm just like, wow, where did that come from?

I have no idea where'd that come from?

But you know, I have my slides and, you know, that kind of thing.

You know, when you work in healthcare, when you work inside senior living, there are certain strategies and things that you can plan, but you're always winging it because something's gonna happen, something is gonna happen, and it's not gonna go as planned.

So I am a professional wing it girl.

I can go with the flow.

I, I can pivot and maneuver with the best of them.

And I know in order to feel confident, I have to prepare.

And so if I prepare, that's a plan.

I have to plan to do that.

I teach people not to wing it because there are systems and strategies that we can have the outline of our day, but you have to be prepared to wing it.

Right.

So I think that there's both.

I mean, especially in parenthood, especially inside leadership in travel.

I will tell you, I'm the worst planner.

That is too much time for me to plan that.

I mean, there are certain things that I want to do.

But if you're going to plan my time down to at, I'm going to feel like I can't do this.

I can't meet the standards.

I can't beat the standards.

Really?

Yes.

Well, so to that point, I want to add Aaron and I think you guys to see if you see if you agree with it.

The planning.

You're making me think about this.

The planning is really because I want to show up and be my best.

I want to be competent.

Yes.

I want to know that I'm prepared and I'm competent.

And I know my, I've said now three times, apologies to everyone in this Audience.

Okay, I'm very sorry.

We're on YouTube.

Makes you real, Angie.

Makes you real.

You know, so that's what that's about.

I know it's not gonna.

I know I'm gonna black out mostly and not remember what I even talked about or I know, whatever.

But the same thing is for parenting, so I feel like I just want to be prepared.

I want to be the best.

It's a big responsibility, whether it's being a parent or it's, you know, showing up to speak, you know, for people.

So that's really what it is.

I like a plan for that reason, but I also know I'll be fine if it blows up.

Yeah, it's the preparation.

I have learned there's a lot of confidence building and preparation.

And unlike Lauren, sometimes my best work is like two or three days when the pressure's on.

I'm like, ooh, yeah, that's good.

Yeah, you know?

Yeah, that's good.

Like the night before a presentation, I feel like that.

Yeah.

The night before a presentation, I'm like, oh, my God, I should say that.

That is so good.

Write that down, you know, like, don't you think?

Cause you're leaders.

We're all leaders.

We're all in leaders position.

And that just comes with even parenting.

That just comes with the.

The whatever I'm trying to say.

Okay, quick break.

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This keeps popping in my head.

And speaking of balancing serious things with funny things like you plan for.

What's the saying?

You plan for the.

You plan for the worst, hope for the best, right?

That's the saying.

I get those wrong all the time.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

So my kid, my 30, almost 4 year old son, he's his heart surgeon.

So he's like a big guy, lots of responsibilities.

But he comes home and he's helping Olivia with.

With a baby.

They have a new six month old and everything.

Like, Olivia went to go do something for herself, right?

She went to some yoga thing.

So TJ's is like on it.

He calls us, he's FaceTiming, and he's like all proud of himself.

He got home from work, he slayed the surgery.

You know, he's not saying it like that.

But he did all these things.

This plan was in.

In effect.

It was happening.

Bathing the baby.

Baby's cute.

Okay, next steps, I'm gonna get him out of bed.

I'm gonna have him all ready for bed, Even get him into bed before Olivia gets home.

Right before we hung up the phone, he was getting ready to take August out of the bathtub.

And August poops.

Ever in the bathtub.

Poop.

Floating all over the water.

Hilarious.

And so that's what made me think of that.

Like, plan, you know, plan for the bad.

No.

Plan for the worst.

No, whatever.

I said.

Plans don't go as planned is what my point was.

And be ready, you know, Be ready for the worst.

Yeah.

That's why pivot should be way high up in the.

In the dictionary.

I love that word, pivot.

It's like, pivot.

Oh, yeah, you have to pivot.

Pivot all the time.

It's.

But I think we just go with it, you know?

And, yeah, it makes I think of.

This story from an old boss of mine, and he was transitioning a brand new account over to me, and he said, I'm going to invite you to the.

The kickoff meeting.

I said, great.

I said, what did you need me to do?

He said, you know what?

Nothing much.

He said, there's just going to be probably about 10 people there will kind of wing it.

And I'm thinking, oh, Lord.

Okay, we're going to wing it.

And we get there.

And the.

Not.

There was not 10.

There was about 90 people.

All managers showed up.

It was a large chain nursing home.

And I'm thinking, oh, this is great to be winging.

I feel fabulous about this.

And the woman looked over that was running the whole thing and said, so now the name of our company is going to come in and do a one hour training presentation for us all.

I thought I was going to vomit.

And my boss literally looked at me and he goes, you got this one, girl.

And I looked at him and I said, are you serious right now?

And he's like, dead serious.

And I'm thinking, you cannot be serious.

I was freaking out internally, and I'm like, yes, of course.

And what would we like to talk about today?

Because I'm thinking I have no frame or resting on what I'm talking about.

And I just took a deep breath and I said, lauren, you've been in this field for 35 years.

You've got this, like, come on, this is gonna be it.

And getting back to that, it was.

It ended up being awesome.

Right?

And you Just had to kind of.

Pivot as said and.

And be able to do it.

But I'll tell you, I.

It ended up fine.

Ended up great.

But I don't like to operate like that.

That really was pretty scary.

But it was fine.

It's all good.

It's all good.

It's all good.

I always think too, with speaking, you know, like, nobody at the end of the day is going to tell you to your face.

I've never had.

Right.

Or have you ever had someone come.

Up to you at the end?

Oh, that was just terrible.

You were terrible up there.

Awful.

Awful.

It just doesn't happen.

So either a, they're going to tell you know behind your back.

They're going to say nasty things, but you're never going to know about it.

That's the word.

And I always say you're going home at the end of the day to your family, you're going home to your friends, roof over.

Like, what is the worst?

So I always.

I don't know, I start with the worst.

Kind of like you said, Angie, with, you know, make a plan, come up with the best or whatever.

I start with the what.

What is the worst case?

It was terrible and they talked behind my back.

So be it.

Probably not gonna happen, but if it does, so be it.

And we carry on and go on to the next thing.

And a sense of humor goes a long way, doesn't it, ladies?

You need a sense of humor with.

Gotta have one.

So anyway.

All right.

Any parting thoughts?

I think this wraps it up.

I think we're a fun person, people to hang around.

You can learn a lot from us.

You can learn a lot from us.

We have things to offer.

That's right.

And you know what?

Real quickly, because we have the time.

Erin, what is two words that people can learn from you with your company?

Aspire for more with erin.

Oh, gosh.

Two words.

Two words.

I'll say three words.

Three words.

I'll say three words dot Grow, lead, and rise.

I like it.

You have to grow in order to lead so everyone can rise.

Angie.

Wow, that's performance nursing.

I like that.

Thank you.

Well, I'm just gonna.

The thing that I believe is if we love better, we can lead better.

So my hashtag is lovebetterleadbetter.

And Lauren, those are good.

Those are good.

Lauren, as a person no longer in the field, what are three words of advice to people that are still early in their career?

Find your silver lining.

In my words are, Sia, I hope you do an amazing editing job on this last little five minutes.

So in wrapping things up, from my heart, a big, big thank you to Erin with Aspire for more with Erin, to Angie Gray with High Performance Nursing and to Lauren Caulfield, who is newly retired.

We celebrate her.

But I just want to say thanks so much.

You guys offer so much to people in the workforce and I hope people take advantage of listening to the podcast and also taking advantage of the wonderful services that you offer and have some fun out there and journey on.

Sam.