Gratitude - Remastered | LAYC10

Speaker: 00:00:53

​ Isabel: Welcome everybody.

Speaker: 00:00:54

This is a particularly happy day for me because this is the first time.

Speaker: 00:01:01

You are witnessing the first time that I am interviewing a guest

Speaker: 00:01:07

on the Lift As You Climb podcast.

Speaker: 00:01:09

Up to this point, you've just listened to Moi, and now it's time to expand

Speaker: 00:01:16

what we're doing here in the universe, and start to share with you some very,

Speaker: 00:01:21

very special relationships I have with women who also Lift As They Climb.

Speaker: 00:01:29

Today I am interviewing a dear friend, a long time mentor, inspiration cheerleader

Speaker: 00:01:37

of mine, and her name is Michele Bailey.

Speaker: 00:01:41

That's Michele with one L.

Speaker: 00:01:44

Make sure you spell that right when you Google her.

Speaker: 00:01:47

She is the founder, CEO, and inspiration of multiple organizations,

Speaker: 00:01:56

enterprises, and those details are going to be shared in the show notes.

Speaker: 00:02:01

We're not gonna take up a lot of time to tell you about those

Speaker: 00:02:04

businesses, but I can tell you that two of my favorite ones are Blazing.

Speaker: 00:02:11

THE Agency, and the other is My Big Idea.

Speaker: 00:02:16

Michele, if I didn't quite get Blazing's moniker correct you can fix that up.

Speaker: 00:02:22

So welcome today, Michele.

Michele: 00:02:25

Thank you Isabel.

Michele: 00:02:26

I am so delighted to be here, with my dear friend of many, many years.

Isabel: 00:02:31

Yes!

Isabel: 00:02:32

Yay!...

Isabel: 00:02:33

The reason Michele and I met in the beginning was about being an entrepreneur.

Isabel: 00:02:38

The first introduction to Michele was when another badass femmepreneur...

Isabel: 00:02:45

put her arm around my neck, and took me to a WPO Women President's

Isabel: 00:02:51

Organization meeting, and that was when I first met Michele in Toronto, Canada.

Isabel: 00:02:58

Mmm....

Isabel: 00:02:58

Years ago...

Isabel: 00:03:00

and yesterday I realized it was the 32nd anniversary of me

Isabel: 00:03:06

becoming an entrepreneur, and starting my first all me business.

Isabel: 00:03:13

Michele, I think you probably have a few years on me...

Isabel: 00:03:18

in terms of owning the entrepreneur title.

Isabel: 00:03:21

Correct?

Isabel: 00:03:22

When did you start your first business?

Michele: 00:03:24

26 years ago, Isabel, for me.

Isabel: 00:03:27

26 years...

Isabel: 00:03:28

And look how young we are!

Isabel: 00:03:30

By the way, the podcast right now, of course you're probably listening

Isabel: 00:03:35

to us on your favorite podcast app...

Isabel: 00:03:37

But it's also soon going to be on its own YouTube channel.

Isabel: 00:03:42

So you'd be able to check how cute Michele and I are...

Isabel: 00:03:46

And that 26 and 32 years of entrepreneurship have

Isabel: 00:03:50

only enhanced our glow.

Isabel: 00:03:53

So today, Michele...

Isabel: 00:03:55

I was so grateful, and I am using that word purposely for all of you...

Isabel: 00:04:02

The word gratitude is the theme, the anchor, for this episode.

Isabel: 00:04:08

It is only appropriate that Michele should be the guest, because today we

Isabel: 00:04:15

are celebrating the launch of her new book about gratitude in the world.

Isabel: 00:04:22

By the time this episode airs...

Isabel: 00:04:25

Her book will be available internationally.

Isabel: 00:04:29

I believe.

Isabel: 00:04:29

Michele?....

Isabel: 00:04:31

So why don't I have you tell us about the book, and where

Isabel: 00:04:36

people will find out about it.

Michele: 00:04:39

The book is called The Currency of Gratitude.

Michele: 00:04:42

It is being published by Forbes Books.

Michele: 00:04:45

It will be available on amazon.com starting April 13th after they

Michele: 00:04:51

launch it in Times Square.

Isabel: 00:04:53

Oh really?

Isabel: 00:04:55

I didn't know that.

Isabel: 00:04:56

That's so cool.

Isabel: 00:04:58

Darn, if it wasn't 2021...

Isabel: 00:05:01

We'd be off to New York to celebrate it right there in Times Square.

Michele: 00:05:06

Absolutely Isabel...

Michele: 00:05:07

That's the one thing we can't do, but it will be in Times Square on the Jumbotron.

Isabel: 00:05:12

Oh, I am so excited.

Isabel: 00:05:15

What time of the day?

Isabel: 00:05:17

Do you know yet?

Michele: 00:05:17

I don't know yet.

Isabel: 00:05:19

Okay...

Isabel: 00:05:19

So I will be sure when we have that information we'll

Isabel: 00:05:22

add it to the show notes.

Isabel: 00:05:24

Well, I guess by that time it will have been a fait accompli...

Isabel: 00:05:28

But maybe we can find it on YouTube and rewatch it.

Isabel: 00:05:32

. We've established that you're an entrepreneur, a serial entrepreneur,

Isabel: 00:05:36

which is another reason I'm grateful for you in my life because you spoke on my

Isabel: 00:05:41

first Global Serial Entrepreneur Summit.

Isabel: 00:05:44

Now we've established that you're an author...

Isabel: 00:05:47

I happen to know this isn't your first rodeo in writing

Isabel: 00:05:51

a book, or publishing a book.

Isabel: 00:05:54

How many books have you written, Michele?

Michele: 00:05:57

This is my second book.

Michele: 00:05:58

The Currency of Gratitude is my second book.

Michele: 00:06:01

The first book was called, It's Not All About You...

Michele: 00:06:04

It's about the company you keep.

Michele: 00:06:06

I actually wrote that book, Isabel, because so many women were asking me for

Michele: 00:06:11

coffee dates, lunch date, wine dates.

Michele: 00:06:14

They wanted to get into my mind as an entrepreneur and find

Michele: 00:06:16

out all kinds of tid bits...

Michele: 00:06:18

So I launched that book because I didn't have a tremendous amount of time to do

Michele: 00:06:23

all these dates, so I just would give people the book and tell them, read it.

Michele: 00:06:26

It has lots of entrepreneurial hints and hacks for you to live by.

Isabel: 00:06:31

That was brilliant and that was very generous of you, because

Isabel: 00:06:35

then they could take it away and at any time you could be with them,

Isabel: 00:06:39

because there was that resource book.

Isabel: 00:06:42

I still have my copy, I treasure it.

Isabel: 00:06:45

I have repurposed many books in my lifetime, but I will never repurpose that

Isabel: 00:06:50

one because it serves as a reminder to me constantly that I really am the product of

Isabel: 00:06:57

the women that I spend the most time with.

Isabel: 00:07:00

And to be very wise and careful about where I put that time and

Isabel: 00:07:06

also how I reciprocate with others.

Isabel: 00:07:08

So thank you.

Isabel: 00:07:09

So I'd love to know, do you recall an age as a child that you were

Isabel: 00:07:15

aware of the word gratitude?

Michele: 00:07:18

Isabel, I believe I became aware of gratitude in a very big way

Michele: 00:07:21

when I lived in Manchester, New Hampshire between the ages of three to 12.

Michele: 00:07:26

My parents were extremely gracious.

Michele: 00:07:29

My father was a medical doctor and working all the time, and we lived in

Michele: 00:07:33

this big house on North Bay Street.

Michele: 00:07:36

So what my mother did...Is offer the home to exchange students from Nigeria.

Michele: 00:07:43

She brought her parents to live with us.

Michele: 00:07:44

She opened up her home and heart to people who needed a little bit of

Michele: 00:07:49

extra, extra help, extra guidance.

Michele: 00:07:53

So I started to see how graciousness and gratitude started to play out.

Michele: 00:07:57

Then I've always been an artist.

Michele: 00:07:59

I would go to my room in the evening and with a pen and ink,

Michele: 00:08:02

I would draw handmade cards.

Michele: 00:08:04

And then I would sell these cards in bunches...

Michele: 00:08:07

3 and 5...

Michele: 00:08:08

With matching envelopes...

Michele: 00:08:09

Door to door to my neighbors, so they too could write gratitude notes, or thank

Michele: 00:08:14

you notes to other people done by moi...

Michele: 00:08:17

a young artist.

Isabel: 00:08:19

I love that story.

Isabel: 00:08:21

This reveals that you were an entrepreneur and also generating the

Isabel: 00:08:28

currency of gratitude as a child.

Isabel: 00:08:31

It just went from there.

Michele: 00:08:33

You know what Isabel, it absolutely did.

Michele: 00:08:36

So it started there and then we moved so many times.

Michele: 00:08:39

We moved multiple times, and what I found is in different places

Michele: 00:08:43

we moved, whether it be different countries or different states,

Michele: 00:08:46

making new friends trying to fit in.

Michele: 00:08:49

I became very grateful for people who allowed me into their life because I

Michele: 00:08:53

was the newbie trying to make friends, especially through high school.

Michele: 00:08:57

I was in 5 different high schools.

Michele: 00:09:00

Very hard to fit in...

Michele: 00:09:02

In three different countries...

Michele: 00:09:04

Yeah, so I really had to hone a sense of graciousness, and kindness, and generosity

Michele: 00:09:10

to people who allowed me to join their cliques because I was an outsider.

Isabel: 00:09:16

You could have gone the complete opposite and withdrawn or been bitter,

Isabel: 00:09:22

but fortunately you're you, and you recognized that the way to find your

Isabel: 00:09:28

own happiness, was to continue to improve on that skill of sharing your

Isabel: 00:09:34

graciousness, and your gratefulness.

Isabel: 00:09:37

I know and anyone who knows you personally I know will support me in this statement:

Isabel: 00:09:41

It's contagious, when we are with you Michele.

Isabel: 00:09:45

It's contagious to want to be more generous, more

Isabel: 00:09:49

appreciative, more grateful.

Isabel: 00:09:52

I hope that in a very significant way, the release of your book will cause a

Isabel: 00:09:59

gratitude explosion around the world.

Isabel: 00:10:02

I truly, truly hope that...

Isabel: 00:10:04

I couldn't think of a better time in history, although history always

Isabel: 00:10:08

provides us a reason to make that choice, to be grateful or miserable.

Isabel: 00:10:13

So thank you.

Isabel: 00:10:15

I'm putting that in my arsenal.

Isabel: 00:10:18

Is there a presale of your book?

Isabel: 00:10:20

Just for my own knowledge.

Michele: 00:10:22

Yes, pre-sale, you can order, go ahead and order on Amazon.

Michele: 00:10:25

Forbes has it up, so feel free to pre-order.

Michele: 00:10:29

When we do the actual virtual launch on April 29th, we will

Michele: 00:10:33

have bundled packages with audio.

Michele: 00:10:36

The My Big Idea Planner, we will have gratitude cards and the book

Michele: 00:10:40

that you can bundle together.

Michele: 00:10:41

We are doing a promotion on April 20.

Michele: 00:10:45

When we do the virtual launch, it will be our friend, you know her well, Christine

Michele: 00:10:49

McGee on April 29th at 1:00 PM Eastern.

Isabel: 00:10:54

I have already saved that date on my calendar and I'll be

Isabel: 00:10:58

sharing it with the audience and with our entrepreneurial circle because

Isabel: 00:11:02

I don't wanna miss a good party.

Isabel: 00:11:04

I know you always have a good party and what an opportunity, and you just Thank

Isabel: 00:11:11

you for giving me this segue because I wanted to ask at the end of the show,

Isabel: 00:11:16

would you come back another day on the podcast and talk about my big idea?

Isabel: 00:11:22

With me.

Isabel: 00:11:24

I just feel this is a time also where it would be so important to people

Isabel: 00:11:28

to understand that concept of having a big idea, setting the goals and

Isabel: 00:11:35

the process that you created, that I have used multiple times in my life.

Michele: 00:11:41

Absolutely Isabel, and you've already taken the program several times

Michele: 00:11:45

and I would love to share how to get a personal and professional work life blend.

Michele: 00:11:50

We're already working on My Big Idea 3.0.

Michele: 00:11:54

We're including the COVID fatigue and what has shown up, or not shown

Michele: 00:11:58

up for people throughout COVID.

Michele: 00:12:00

Diversity and inclusion in both our personal and professional lives and ESG.

Michele: 00:12:06

Let's bring it all together, and let's address the issues that people need to

Michele: 00:12:11

talk about, whether it's recognizing it in themselves, but moving forward because

Michele: 00:12:17

we have to have a more inclusive and grateful world, as we come out of 2020.

Isabel: 00:12:24

That is so important.

Isabel: 00:12:27

And the timing again, absolutely perfect.

Isabel: 00:12:31

Thank you for doing that.

Isabel: 00:12:33

This is news to me, and I'm excited to hear about this.

Isabel: 00:12:37

All right, so I'm gonna fess up cuz I'm gonna guess I may not

Isabel: 00:12:40

be the only person listening.

Isabel: 00:12:41

What's ESG?

Michele: 00:12:44

Environmental Sustainability...

Isabel: 00:12:46

Sustainability Goal!...

Michele: 00:12:47

Yes.

Isabel: 00:12:49

I don't get full marks, but I get part marks for remembering.

Isabel: 00:12:51

Right, okay.

Isabel: 00:12:52

Which is very important everybody out there...

Isabel: 00:12:54

Because I'm a farm girl at heart, and always will be.

Isabel: 00:12:57

So environmental sustainability started for me as a child.

Isabel: 00:13:02

Okay.

Isabel: 00:13:02

That's really, really exciting to know about that and it's so

Isabel: 00:13:08

cool because what we are talking about in the current Summit is...

Isabel: 00:13:12

How, we as entrepreneurs, femmepreneurs...

Isabel: 00:13:16

Take the lessons that we learn through difficult,

Isabel: 00:13:20

unscheduled, inconvenient times...

Isabel: 00:13:24

Of which there always will be in history.

Isabel: 00:13:28

The current one happens to be called a pandemic, and how we take the

Isabel: 00:13:33

lessons that we learn and then we...

Isabel: 00:13:36

Transform, improve, innovate our businesses.

Isabel: 00:13:43

What I'm hearing is you recognize there was an opportunity to up level

Isabel: 00:13:47

the My Big Idea reach because of this.

Isabel: 00:13:51

Is that right?

Michele: 00:13:52

Absolutely Isabel, because in the My Big Idea Program...

Michele: 00:13:57

We asked usually 10 questions per section, but they are simple but profound.

Michele: 00:14:02

For instance, through this pandemic...

Michele: 00:14:05

Who showed up for you, that you least expected?...

Michele: 00:14:09

and...

Michele: 00:14:09

Who didn't show up for you, that you expected.

Michele: 00:14:12

What value have you relied on through this pandemic?

Michele: 00:14:17

What new habit have you created, that you will still have when this is over?

Michele: 00:14:23

Different questions like that to make you reflect and really think

Michele: 00:14:26

about your life moving forward.

Isabel: 00:14:29

I love those questions, and with your permission, I'd like to include

Isabel: 00:14:35

those in the show notes because...

Isabel: 00:14:38

That's a good thought starter, and that's a good, get off your ass,

Isabel: 00:14:44

and change your own world...

Isabel: 00:14:47

Way to begin, right?

Michele: 00:14:49

Absolutely.

Isabel: 00:14:50

Coincidentally...

Isabel: 00:14:51

About two episodes ago, or maybe three, on this podcast...

Isabel: 00:14:57

I did an episode about one whole life.

Isabel: 00:15:01

And I spoke about our dear friend and mentor Marg Hachey's revelation...

Isabel: 00:15:07

That she shared to me that as women, as femmepreneurs, entrepreneurs...

Isabel: 00:15:13

We don't have one professional life, and one personal life, that in fact...

Isabel: 00:15:21

We have one whole life.

Isabel: 00:15:24

I said that work-life-balance is BS, because it's my experience, my

Isabel: 00:15:31

opinion that if everything is in balance, nothing is moving, nothing

Isabel: 00:15:36

is changing, nothing is growing.

Isabel: 00:15:39

There has to be movement, and give and take.

Isabel: 00:15:43

So when you first expressed the term work life blend.

Isabel: 00:15:48

I went...

Isabel: 00:15:49

Yeah...

Isabel: 00:15:50

Okay, that I can buy into.

Isabel: 00:15:53

It's a blend, and each day I'm in charge of the recipe, right?

Isabel: 00:15:58

How much of the professional part I put in, how much of the personal

Isabel: 00:16:01

part I put in, and I'm the cook.

Isabel: 00:16:04

Thank you.

Isabel: 00:16:05

Thank you for that.

Isabel: 00:16:07

All right.

Isabel: 00:16:07

Going back to...

Isabel: 00:16:09

The Currency of Gratitude...

Isabel: 00:16:11

Concept...

Isabel: 00:16:13

Was there any particular moment in your business career that you

Isabel: 00:16:20

remember the catalyst, let's say...

Isabel: 00:16:23

For you to start to incorporate that practice of gratitude in your

Isabel: 00:16:28

business and with your clients?

Isabel: 00:16:30

Cause I know, because of our relationship, that you do a

Isabel: 00:16:34

lot of gratitude work with your major clients and their teams.

Michele: 00:16:39

Well actually, gratitude for me was second nature, it is second nature.

Michele: 00:16:45

About four years ago, my managing partner, Eric Marshall...

Michele: 00:16:50

I went to him and I said, I've been asked to open a woman's summit with

Michele: 00:16:54

a five minute speech on my passion.

Michele: 00:16:57

And he looked at me and said, What are you speaking on?

Michele: 00:17:00

I said, personal, professional goal setting for work life blend.

Michele: 00:17:04

He looked at me and said Michele...

Michele: 00:17:06

That's your process.

Michele: 00:17:07

That's not your passion.

Michele: 00:17:10

This very cynical man looked at me and...

Michele: 00:17:13

I said, what do you mean that's not my passion?

Michele: 00:17:16

He said, no, that's your process.

Michele: 00:17:18

Your passion is gratitude...

Michele: 00:17:20

Everything about you is about being grateful.

Michele: 00:17:23

And he walked off.

Isabel: 00:17:24

Yay, Eric!

Michele: 00:17:27

And then I sat down, and I thought about it, and I thought...

Michele: 00:17:30

He's absolutely right.

Michele: 00:17:33

It is about gratitude, because gratitude opens up so many doors for us.

Michele: 00:17:40

It's a gift that keeps on giving.

Michele: 00:17:42

It's a gift we give out, that comes back to us threefold, in whatever

Michele: 00:17:48

way gratitude shows up for people.

Michele: 00:17:51

And I'm not just talking about a note, I'm not talking about a lovely email.

Michele: 00:17:55

I'm not talking about a phone call.

Michele: 00:17:56

I'm talking about all the ways gratitude shows up and you don't expect it...

Michele: 00:18:01

An unexpected, sincere smile from a stranger...

Michele: 00:18:06

Someone walks by you, especially if it's a woman and says...

Michele: 00:18:10

Darn it, you look awesome!

Michele: 00:18:13

Yeah.

Michele: 00:18:13

It's someone who buys you a coffee, whether it's in the coffee line,

Michele: 00:18:16

drive through, or someone who just shows up and puts a cup on your desk.

Michele: 00:18:21

Things like making a call to someone that you know is struggling...

Michele: 00:18:25

And just being there to listen to whatever it is they wanna say.

Michele: 00:18:30

Sometimes it's just letting silence do the lifting.

Michele: 00:18:33

It's just a really, really great hug...

Michele: 00:18:36

Where people know you care.

Michele: 00:18:39

There's so many ways, gratitude, kindness, empathy, show up.

Michele: 00:18:43

Figure out what works for you with the person you're with.

Isabel: 00:18:47

I hear you, and I walk in your shoes in that area.

Isabel: 00:18:54

It's something that not every day, certainly am I as good

Isabel: 00:18:58

at doing that consistently.

Isabel: 00:19:01

And I want to do better.

Isabel: 00:19:03

I know you work with large brands and major corporations in your

Isabel: 00:19:07

advertising/branding business...

Isabel: 00:19:09

Your digital marketing business.

Isabel: 00:19:11

How do you convey to a CEO, or a manager in a larger organization...

Isabel: 00:19:21

That they can recoup the investment, so to speak...

Isabel: 00:19:26

To make that currency in their business.

Michele: 00:19:29

Well, that's actually why I wrote The Currency of Gratitude.

Michele: 00:19:33

I teach people how small gestures create big business results.

Michele: 00:19:39

I like to teach them by starting with example.

Michele: 00:19:42

I ask...

Michele: 00:19:43

It doesn't matter if it's the CEO, it's a VP level manager, whoever...

Michele: 00:19:48

The people I work with are the people that have entrusted us in their care.

Michele: 00:19:52

I often ask if we can meet for a coffee or lunch.

Michele: 00:19:56

I take the time, and often they say to me, I don't have any time.

Michele: 00:20:00

I said you're gonna have to eat, how about I bring lunch?

Michele: 00:20:02

And all I do when I'm meeting with them is say...

Michele: 00:20:05

I'm here to get to know you as a person.

Michele: 00:20:08

We're not here to talk about business, unless you wanna talk about business.

Michele: 00:20:11

That's not why I'm here.

Michele: 00:20:13

I'm here to tell you that I appreciate what you do...

Michele: 00:20:17

The work you give us, you've got awesome people...

Michele: 00:20:20

We love working with them, but I'm just wanting to get to know you as

Michele: 00:20:23

a person, and how I might be able to help you in whatever way I can.

Michele: 00:20:28

Isabel, this takes people aback...

Michele: 00:20:30

They kinda look at me and cross their arms.

Michele: 00:20:33

Like...

Michele: 00:20:33

You just wanna talk?

Michele: 00:20:35

Yes, and I'm doing that through this last year with the pandemic.

Michele: 00:20:39

Zoom...

Michele: 00:20:39

I have virtual lunches.

Michele: 00:20:41

Make sure you have your lunch.

Michele: 00:20:43

I have my lunch.

Michele: 00:20:44

We talk about everything but business.

Michele: 00:20:46

I have to tell you, I cannot get off the phone with my clients

Michele: 00:20:52

until we book the next one.

Michele: 00:20:54

They want the next one booked, because it's just fun.

Michele: 00:20:58

We're just sharing ideas, strategies, talking openly.

Michele: 00:21:02

Talking vulnerably, being vulnerable, being transparent.

Michele: 00:21:07

I often again lead by example...

Michele: 00:21:09

A client might say to me, so how are you doing Michele?...

Michele: 00:21:11

and I might say...

Michele: 00:21:13

This has been a really hard week for me...

Michele: 00:21:14

I'm really struggling.

Michele: 00:21:16

I'm really struggling to be positive, and I know I need

Michele: 00:21:19

to be positive for my team...

Michele: 00:21:20

But I'm having a really hard time.

Michele: 00:21:22

So I find myself doing, and then they'll look at me and go, Wow.

Michele: 00:21:28

Then let me share with you my week and then it becomes open,

Michele: 00:21:31

honest, vulnerable, and real.

Michele: 00:21:33

Right now we don't have time for the superficial, cuz we are all

Michele: 00:21:38

struggling differently in our own way.

Michele: 00:21:41

And I tell people when I have energy.

Michele: 00:21:44

It is my job to pay it forward, and give energy to somebody else.

Michele: 00:21:48

Just like if you have energy, Isabel...

Michele: 00:21:50

You need to pay it forward, because we need to keep lifting each other up...

Michele: 00:21:55

Lift As We Climb.

Michele: 00:21:57

We need to do that to one another.

Isabel: 00:22:00

Thank you.

Isabel: 00:22:01

You know...

Isabel: 00:22:02

Just thinking...

Isabel: 00:22:02

Energy isn't pie...

Isabel: 00:22:04

There isn't a limited number of slices, right?

Isabel: 00:22:07

Energy is unlimited, and continues to expand.

Isabel: 00:22:13

How brilliant to think...

Isabel: 00:22:16

We're not trying to sell ourselves, but we are giving of ourselves...

Isabel: 00:22:22

To that other relationship, by being human, and really caring about them.

Isabel: 00:22:30

The old masculine style of salesmanship...

Isabel: 00:22:34

This is a far better, a more enduring, sustainable way

Isabel: 00:22:40

of building a relationship.

Isabel: 00:22:42

We know the person...

Isabel: 00:22:43

What their goals are, their struggles are, and figure out what we have

Isabel: 00:22:48

to offer, how that will support them to accomplish what they want

Isabel: 00:22:52

for their own personal satisfaction.

Michele: 00:22:55

You know what?

Michele: 00:22:56

When you're vulnerable and open...

Michele: 00:22:59

It comes back to you Isabel, you know that...

Michele: 00:23:01

We've been in many places together.

Isabel: 00:23:03

Yes, absolutely.

Isabel: 00:23:05

As I often kid people...

Isabel: 00:23:08

I'm willing to be the person that'll sit in my underwear in the room...

Isabel: 00:23:12

Be vulnerable, and awkward...

Isabel: 00:23:15

So that everybody else can let down their armor...

Isabel: 00:23:19

And let's find the solution.

Isabel: 00:23:21

Let's figure this out.

Isabel: 00:23:23

but then again, you taught me a few things about good underwear...

Isabel: 00:23:27

So that's great.

Isabel: 00:23:28

Okay, so where do you go from here?

Isabel: 00:23:32

What are the other ways that this message, which is more than a message, really,

Isabel: 00:23:39

it's a culture that we could spread...

Isabel: 00:23:43

One at a time...

Isabel: 00:23:44

multiples of us at a time.

Isabel: 00:23:47

This new awareness of how gratitude is good business.

Michele: 00:23:54

Isabel, I would love to start a gratitude movement.

Isabel: 00:23:59

Yes!

Michele: 00:24:00

I would love to teach people how simple it is to

Michele: 00:24:04

recognize another individual.

Michele: 00:24:08

If you start following me on all my social channels...

Michele: 00:24:11

My Big Idea Facebook...

Michele: 00:24:13

Instagram This Is My Big Idea...

Michele: 00:24:15

and LinkedIn My Big Idea.

Michele: 00:24:17

You are going to see how we are trying to dial up the conversation

Michele: 00:24:22

and show people how easy it can be.

Michele: 00:24:25

I undertook this...

Michele: 00:24:27

How can I say this?...

Michele: 00:24:29

It almost wasn't an option for me not to write this book because they had heard

Michele: 00:24:34

that I teach a very simple but powerful way of how to acknowledge people in your

Michele: 00:24:39

life through the My Big Idea Program.

Michele: 00:24:42

They approached me and they said, the business world needs to get this.

Michele: 00:24:46

What can you do?

Michele: 00:24:48

Can you write this book?

Michele: 00:24:50

So I thought about it, and Isabel, what I did is...

Michele: 00:24:52

There's Placing gratitude at the center of your personal

Michele: 00:24:55

brand, is the first chapter.

Michele: 00:24:58

Creating brand ambassadors in your own corporation.

Michele: 00:25:02

How do you do that?

Michele: 00:25:03

Gratitude and winning business.

Michele: 00:25:06

Gratitude as a means of retaining clients and customers.

Michele: 00:25:12

Gratitude and self care.

Michele: 00:25:15

Gratitude in times of crisis.

Michele: 00:25:18

And then...

Michele: 00:25:19

Making gratitude a habit.

Michele: 00:25:22

Those are the chapters of the book.

Michele: 00:25:24

I think I've transcended all the areas and show...

Michele: 00:25:28

Using real business cases, ones that are out there, and ones that

Michele: 00:25:32

I've employed in my own business...

Michele: 00:25:34

That drive the message home.

Michele: 00:25:37

At the end of each chapter, I have reflection questions.

Michele: 00:25:41

Simple...

Michele: 00:25:42

Write right in the book, but this will help you on your gratitude journey.

Michele: 00:25:46

This is making gratitude outward facing.

Isabel: 00:25:50

I love this, Michele.

Isabel: 00:25:52

I love it on all levels.

Isabel: 00:25:55

I love that...

Isabel: 00:25:57

As you said...

Isabel: 00:25:57

gratitude can be a very small, no cost, way of reaching out and touching

Isabel: 00:26:04

somebody deeply, personally, impactfully.

Isabel: 00:26:08

You can start small and build.

Isabel: 00:26:11

I love that it involves everyone, so it's inclusive and I think there's like this

Isabel: 00:26:18

sort of exponential effect that happens.

Isabel: 00:26:22

It's like a catalytic reaction.

Isabel: 00:26:24

The more someone else grateful, the more that creates...

Isabel: 00:26:28

It just continues to ripple out and I love that...

Isabel: 00:26:33

This is a way that our teams can get behind and involved in our

Isabel: 00:26:38

companies, and feeling incredible pride in the brand that they work for.

Isabel: 00:26:46

Just so many ways of looking at the opportunities that gratitude creates

Isabel: 00:26:53

for us, and creates for others.

Isabel: 00:26:57

I'm a hundred percent behind your movement.

Isabel: 00:27:00

It's definitely needed.

Isabel: 00:27:03

We've had a really good opportunity in this past lockdown withdrawal...

Isabel: 00:27:08

To reflect on what's most important in our lives...

Isabel: 00:27:12

What we miss the most.

Isabel: 00:27:14

To think of different ways to do things.

Isabel: 00:27:17

This is so timely.

Isabel: 00:27:18

Thank you.

Michele: 00:27:20

You're so welcome.

Isabel: 00:27:22

All right...

Isabel: 00:27:24

I know...

Isabel: 00:27:24

From experience and imagination...

Isabel: 00:27:27

That I could talk to you for days and days and days...

Isabel: 00:27:30

And we would never run out of ideas.

Isabel: 00:27:34

So I'm gonna say...

Isabel: 00:27:35

Please, let's get our calendars out another time, and make

Isabel: 00:27:40

a date to do this again.

Isabel: 00:27:42

I'm inviting our audience to comment and send us suggestions

Isabel: 00:27:49

that you'd like to hear Michele and I explore deeper, because that

Isabel: 00:27:53

is part of Lift As You Climb....

Isabel: 00:27:55

We are all learning.

Isabel: 00:27:58

We are women under construction, women in progress...

Isabel: 00:28:01

But we are very happy to share what we learn as we go...

Isabel: 00:28:06

and we'll come back together.

Isabel: 00:28:08

But before you leave us today...

Isabel: 00:28:11

There's a lot out there in the media about you, Michele Bailey...

Isabel: 00:28:17

But is there maybe something that might not be on Google,

Isabel: 00:28:23

that you could share about you?

Michele: 00:28:25

Well Isabel...

Michele: 00:28:26

considering that I own a digital advertising agency...

Michele: 00:28:31

What people might not know about me is I'm an old fashioned analog girl.

Michele: 00:28:36

I love pictures.

Michele: 00:28:38

I love memories.

Michele: 00:28:39

I love creating memories for people.

Michele: 00:28:42

So I print out photographs...

Michele: 00:28:45

And I create scrapbooks...

Michele: 00:28:47

Stickers...

Michele: 00:28:48

All of that.

Michele: 00:28:49

I have done over 57 scrapbooks.

Michele: 00:28:52

I give them to friends for special occasions where I've traveled with them.

Michele: 00:28:57

So if people say...

Michele: 00:28:58

What's Antarctic like?, What's Chile like?...

Michele: 00:29:01

I just pull out the scrapbooks.

Michele: 00:29:03

It's not about looking perfect.

Michele: 00:29:05

It's about capturing the memories of the country, and all the

Michele: 00:29:09

energy that goes around it.

Michele: 00:29:11

So in five minutes, people can look at these scrapbooks.

Michele: 00:29:15

People ask me over and over again...

Michele: 00:29:16

I want one of these.

Michele: 00:29:17

I need one of these.

Michele: 00:29:18

I said, but you do digital books all the time.

Michele: 00:29:21

No, I want one of these.

Michele: 00:29:23

You know what?...

Michele: 00:29:24

I create scrapbooks.

Isabel: 00:29:26

I'd say that's an example of sensory gratitude . Thank you, Michele.

Isabel: 00:29:32

All right, everyone out there in podcast and YouTube land, I hope

Isabel: 00:29:38

that you have enjoyed this time with Michele as much as I have.

Isabel: 00:29:45

She definitely is gratitude, deep, deep, deep in my soul, and

Isabel: 00:29:52

continues to lift me, every day, by how she shows up in the world.

Isabel: 00:29:58

A sincere, flawed, awesome individual...

Isabel: 00:30:03

And she is not afraid to show it.

Isabel: 00:30:06

I encourage you to be who you really are too.

Isabel: 00:30:10

Michele, Thank you!

Isabel: 00:30:13

Get out there and make some more people grateful!

Isabel: 00:30:16

Yay!

Michele: 00:30:18

In closing, Isabel.

Michele: 00:30:20

I wanna thank you for everything you're doing, especially for women,

Michele: 00:30:25

especially for women entrepreneurs.

Michele: 00:30:27

We have to stop being crabs in a bucket.

Michele: 00:30:31

We can't pull another down when they get to the top of the bucket.

Michele: 00:30:36

We need to Lift as we Climb so we can change the world together.

Michele: 00:30:43

Thanks, Isabel, for including me in your world.

Isabel: 00:30:47

Thank you Michele.

Isabel: 00:30:50

Well said.

Isabel: 00:30:53

Actually, I think we should give them some homework Michele.

Isabel: 00:30:57

How about we get everybody out there writing some thank you

Isabel: 00:31:00

cards, and gratitude notes?

Michele: 00:31:03

I would love it.

Michele: 00:31:04

You could put your assignment for the week to write two gratitude cards a week,

Michele: 00:31:11

for four weeks, read them directly to somebody through Zoom or in person...

Michele: 00:31:17

And watch the magic that transforms.

Michele: 00:31:21

Go for it.

Isabel: 00:31:22

Awesome.

Isabel: 00:31:23

Okay.

Isabel: 00:31:23

There's gonna be a gratitude explosion now in the world.

Isabel: 00:31:27

All right, everybody do your homework.

Isabel: 00:31:29

I'll talk to you soon.