Women Who Dare Ignite with Connie Phieff

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Hello and welcome to Shedding the Bitch Radio, where you can discuss, debate, and get advice on how to discover and shed the bitches of fear, insecurity, self-doubt, and negative mindsets so you can realize your dreams and life purpose and create and accelerate the riches you want in life. Join us here live every Tuesday at noon Eastern and dialogue with us at 818-572-2910. You can also chat with us at BlogTalkRadio.com. /sheddingthebitch or share your stories on our website at sheddingthebitch.com. Whatever the bitch is that's holding you back from living your life to the fullest, it's not worth giving up the riches in life that you deserve. So call in now and let Bernadette Boas know what's holding you back. 818-572-2910.

Welcome, welcome, welcome everyone! How is everybody on this absolutely gorgeous Tuesday. Uh, it is, um, let's see, it's in— we're in Atlanta and it's been about 75, 78 degrees in late February, which is a beautiful, beautiful thing. Um, so I hope wherever you are around the world, uh, it is a beautiful, uh, morning, noon, or night. But we're thrilled to have you here because we're going to have a great conversation, and I love this conversation.. It's all around women who dare ignite, and we're going to have just a lively conversation to kind of help you figure out what you need in order to step out, so to speak, and really pursue whatever dreams and goals that you have for yourself. But before we get there, just a couple of things. We have had some awesome guests, and actually a couple of filler guests, so to speak. But we've had, we had Rihanna Milne last week talking about attracting healthy relationships. Now what I thought was really very interesting about this conversation, and definitely go back to sheddingthebitch.com or to blogtalkradio.com/sheddingthebitchradio and pull down this episode, because what she really went through are kind of— we're really about the 10 almost traumas that we all go through, and there's different degrees of that, that really impact our level of healthy relationships and our ability to really have a, you know, deep intimate relationship with not only other people but even ourselves. And I just, I could have talked to her forever, so it was a great discussion. And some of it kind of might hit a chord because she really asks you to kind of consider where you are, you know, in these 10 degrees or 10 areas of traumas that really stem back even to your early childhood. So it was very interesting, interesting. So take a look at that. And then Katherine Carrigan, you know, she's our popular guest. You ask for her all the time, and fortunately one of her most popular episodes, Pain Versus Suffering. We replayed it a couple of weeks ago. I had mentioned to you all that the day before that episode I had lost my 12-year pup Charlie, who was a regular here on the program. And so we, we filled in that episode with Katherine, and again, that episode got a lot of attention. Now, that said, If you hear a couple of barks and different types of barks, I actually have two little puppies under the age of 6 months in my studio with me. It seems as if everybody wants to fill my puppy void that I have right now. So I actually have 5 that I'm watching and 2 are in my— 2 are in my studio right now. So I'm getting a lot of puppy love and I appreciate the continued outpouring from the community around that. So thank you so much for that. So Catherine, again, her episodes are also on sheddingthebitch.com. Just look for the radio channel. And then also on blogtalkradio.com under the Shedding the Bitch radio channel. All right, so let's see, what else do we have to talk about? Oh, next week is our Tuesday of March, and it will be our Ask Bernadette Anything. So get your questions, stories, or challenges as it pertains to anything specific, maybe regarding your career, your desire, or your challenges you might be having in your career, in your business, or just generally in life. We're here to talk about how to shed your bitches of fears, insecurities, and negativity. So whatever is creating those things. Let's talk about them and let's give you some tips, advice, and sometimes tough love. And if it's not from me, it'll be from one of our amazing guests that we have on the program. So you can go to Twitter or Facebook under Shedding the Bits to do that. I get a lot of them directly sent to me at BernadetteBoas@SheddingTheBits.com. Also through LinkedIn, I get a lot of direct messages through LinkedIn. So just look for me there and feel free, however you want to get your information to, to me, uh, just please do. And of course, Deborah, Deborah Parker, um, Parker House Virtual Services is out there, and, uh, she, she mans the studio and also does all of our social media. So, um, she and I will be looking out for whatever it is that you want to talk about. And if you want to join the program live to go into your question or your story, you can always do that and just dial 1-818-572-2910. And We'll get into all of that. Okay, let's see what else, what else. That seems to be it. So I want to dive into this conversation. So what we typically do is I'll introduce the subject to you and what you'll hear and learn. I'll give you your rich question. We'll take a brief break and when we get back, we'll dive into the women who dare ignite. So this is all about a movement. Where women gain the courage and confidence to lead change, disrupt status quo, and embrace gender equality to make the world a better place. So I want you to be listening and ready to learn about these things: how to be courageous, confident, and be heard in a positive, daring way. Identify what makes you a woman who dare, or the women around you maybe. Also, you'll learn that you can be in alignment with a movement that embraces gender equality.

Woo-hoo!

Let's do a shout-out for gender equality.

Woo-hoo!

And then lastly, you're gonna be challenged. I love this. Be challenged to dare to do something differently tomorrow, or maybe this year. So that kinda touches in a great segue into your rich question that I give you to think about as our guests and I are talking. And most likely she'll answer your question, but if not, then you can always reach out to her, and I'll be sharing her information throughout the program. So your rich question is, what is that one thing that you've always kind of loved to or have aspired to do, should you dare yourself to do it? What is that one thing you've always wanted to do or accomplish if you're willing to dare yourself to do it? So hashtag with us, hashtag Women Who Dare, or hashtag of course Shed the Bitch. Okay, and you can tweet and Facebook with us. And like I said, Deborah's out there and ready and willing. And not only today during the live program, but we heavily kind of post and market the, the episode afterwards. So we will get to your question or your story or challenge should you post it, and we'll be sure to follow up with you on that. All right, so those are things you can be thinking about when we take a quick break, and when we get back, we're going to introduce our guests and dive into the Women Who Dare Ignite conversation. We'll be right back.

You are listening to Shedding the Bitch Radio with Bernadette Boas. We are inspiring individuals around the globe to discover, confront, confront and shed their bitches of fear, insecurity, and negativity so they can create the riches in their career, business, and life they deserve. Be sure to check out Bernadette Boas' book, Shedding the Corporate Bitch: Shifting from Bitch to Rich in Life and Business, available on Amazon and sheddingthebitch.com. We also want to thank our sponsors, TSR Consulting, who offers a broad range of tax services for small to corporate-sized clients. Go to TSRConsulting.com to learn more. And Parker House Virtual Services, who provides virtual assistance and social media support for small to medium-sized businesses. Email Deborah Parker at deborahparker78@gmail.com for more information. To become a sponsor or advertiser on our program, email us at mediarelations@sheddingthebitch.com. Shedding the Bitch Radio airs every Tuesday at noon Eastern time. Be sure to go to blogtalkradio.com/sheddingthebitchradio and follow the program for all of the updates and announcements of our guests and show topics. Now let's return to Bernadette and Shedding the Bitch Radio.

Welcome back everyone, and Deborah, yes, I'm gonna— I want to kind of do this shout out if you I have a new microphone, everybody, so bear with me and forgive me if I'm breaking up a little bit. We're going to test that out as we talk, and if not, then I'll find a solution. All right, let's get into this. I'm so excited. All right, so our guest is Connie Fife. She's an internationally recognized mentor, speaker, celebrity, author, and founder of the High Performance Academy and Women Who Dare Council. WWD, she goes by. Connie has been highlighted in national publications showcasing her business acumen and drive to help C-suite executives and entrepreneurial leaders achieve excellence while developing high-performance habits and be unstoppable together. Connie has been featured in numerous publications online and live in studios across the globe. Including Fox 56, NBC, and ABC affiliates, iTunes, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, C-Suite Radio, and many more. Connie stars in her own shows as the producer and host of the award-winning podcast Up or Out with Connie and the WWD, Women Who Dare Network. Working with many top names like the C-Suite Network, UPS, National Foundation Center, Coca-Cola, and many others as their high-performance expert. Connie received the Iconic Woman of the Year Award for 2017-18 and 2018 and is the former CEO Girl Scouts of Penns Woods Council. Connie's asked to speak around the globe, and I'm so thrilled to have her here on Shedding the Bitch Radio. Welcome, Connie.

Hey, I'm so excited to be here.

I am excited to have you. I want to make sure before we— as we get started, actually, I want everyone to make note of something. I want to make note of the website PHEIFFGroup.com. That's PHEIFFGroup.com. Check it out while we're talking, if you would, and then you can always make note of her Facebook handles, which I love guests that make it really easy. So you can Facebook and tweet with her @ConnieFeif. You can also do Twitter under WWD Council. That's Women Who Dare Council, but WWD Council. All right, and on Facebook, if you want, Up or Out, and of course Women Who Dare are other pages of Connie's. Well, Connie, I am absolutely thrilled about this conversation because I just love everything that you're doing around it. So let's talk and give the listeners an idea of what was that one moment or event in your life that had the greatest impact and kind of brought you to what you're doing today?

Oh, there have been so many of those moments that brought me to today. Oh my gosh. I'm just going to jump right in and talk about what really brought me to Women Who Dare. As you mentioned, I was the former CEO for Girl Scouts. Prior to that, I was director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. And I have a double master's degree, one in public administration and one in business administration. So I guess I wasn't quite clear which road I was going to take. But I figured out how to combine them together. And I mean, my entire lifetime I've worked with women. I've worked with women in regards to helping them step into their power, helping them advance in their leadership role. So, the last couple of years people have been asking me to create another program for women. And you know, Bernadette, I'm going to be right, I'm going to be honest with you. This is my bitch moment. I did not want to work with any more women because they can be so bitchy. Come on, let's be honest about that. But then last year I had this aha moment. I was actually visiting my stepdaughter and there was a water skiing competition going on at this big lake and the name of the competition was Women Who Dare. And it was like, it was like a moment of like a bolt of lightning went off, and I was like, that is it, that's exactly— because that is what I've been trying to help women when I talk about helping women step into their power, because we all have that stuff, you know, right, growing up in childhood and trying to, you know, reach, you know, the C-suite and, uh, you know, trying to get into the boardroom and break that glass ceiling. And I never was clear on what that message was, and that's what I had to get very clear on. But when I seen Women Who Dare, and I was like, that's exactly it. I ran, I didn't walk, I ran to Starbucks because there was no internet close by to see if Women Who Dare was even available. You know, went to my GoDaddy account and it was. So, wow, I mean, I, I just like immediately bought the .coms, the .biz, the .the, and everything that they had available. I went back to my team, I said, we need a website. It's womanwhodare.com. That is up now. We've done multiple events. We have a membership, um, growing. We have a fabulous event coming up on April 30th in Los Angeles and I have women calling me saying, when is your event? When can I buy a ticket? Can I speak at your event? It has been just incredible. So I would always say previously—

so what is the, um, you know, mission statement, or what is the— your, your vision for, um, the Women Who Dare movement?

The Women Who Dare movement is helping women step into their power. Helping them advance in leadership and make the world a better place so we can all be unstoppable together.

Right. And what are these—

so what are the events? What do they look like to the person who's attending them?

Well, the events, of course, we have some fabulous speakers coming. We're going to give awards out to the Woman Who Dare of the Year. So that's all fun and exciting. But what's really key to these events is providing those educational components to help women. What we don't do well is support each other as women. And you see somebody sitting in the seat— I was a CEO. People were afraid to talk to me. They thought, "Oh, well, she knows everything. She knows how to do everything." But guess what? We don't. And that's what I was finding out from a lot of women talking to them. I interviewed 50 women that are in the C-suite, leading corporations, leading their own business, and they're like, I just want a place where I can go, where I can have a voice, where there's trust, where I can feel embraced by other professional women and connecting with those women just like me. Where we can share those struggles that we still have. Although, you know, and I've created my best avatar, and that's that woman that's still looking for a place to trust and connect and be who she wants to be and be open to new challenges. You know, we didn't get to this position without accepting those challenges.

Right, right. So what is the education that you find women are lacking that you're going to be offering or providing?

Well, a couple of things. I mean, I went back to the U.S. Chamber and said, okay, we have this large group of women, we have all of these women issues that are coming up, and so now we're going to be that voice, and we're going to be talking about some of those women's issues, whether it be lobbying, we're going to take it to the grassroots, we're going to have women across the country, around the globe, talking and creating educational platforms. Again, going back to those grassroots efforts. So we have chapters in London and across the U.S. as well. So these women are looking for a purpose, and part of that purpose is, again, finding that voice and having that voice. So creating these platforms and being able to speak and lobby, that's one component of the Women Who Dare. Because they want to step out of that place where they are at and they want to be there and be a cheerleader for other women. The other thing is, is leading that change, okay, disrupting the status quo, embracing the gender equality, okay, all again of what we're seeing a lot of those movements going on right now. And what I am— want to be very clear on how we are doing and how we are different is that we are taking those positive steps forward. Okay, looking through those same concerns, we want to hold some people accountable that misbehave, but we want to do it in a positive way. And that's part of what scares me when I see some of these marches and these movements and some of these things happening, that they're coming through from a place of negativity, which is putting you in that same place than the abusers that you're talking, you know, that you're talking out to. You want to take this from a place of positivity. You want to take the high road. You want to move beyond all that noise that's going on right now and create a place that is more positive, and that's when you will have your courage and your confidence, and that's when we can make a difference in the world.

Right, right, right. And you, well, you talk about truth and North Star. What, what Can you kind of explain that and how your North Star guides your way of life and how can other people kind of tap into what that might be for them?

And the North Star is going to be different, of course, for everybody. I mean, there was a time for me when I had no idea what direction that star was going for me. You know, I mean, my childhood was very similar to a lot of women that I talked to, which it wasn't the best. There was a lot of abuse, from sexual abuse to physical abuse. And then as I was getting older, in my 20s, and I had relationship issues, and again, I had no North Star. And so then I finally decided, okay, I needed to take a step back in my life And actually for 11 years, I focused, I went to school, I got the education. So, I totally focused on that side of me, but I never focused on my personal side. So today I could say my North Star, what guides me, for me, it's my family. Okay, first and foremost, you know, my family and that they are there for me, I am there for them. And part of the research that I had done on women, primarily Gen X women into the baby boomers, is family is number one. And second to that, they want to have time. And because that is the sandwich generation, you know, taking care of mom and dad, taking care of the kids. And I went through that the last couple of years, and unfortunately both my parents are gone. And so to be able to do that, and then the, the other aspect that they're looking at, they want the financial stability, their financial security. So all of that is like that package for me, for my North Star. It's having the family, it's having the financial, it's having fun, and then also experience. Women want an experience, they want subjective experience that validates whether it's something good or something real so they could enjoy their life. They want to make a difference, and they want to really do something meaningful besides, you know, just doing their 9 to 5 every day. And then the other one is, you know, the freedom, and the freedom comes from, you know, the financial security, also the freedom to be there for their family and also to be there for their community as well, because they want to spend more time. The thing too with this level of women these professional women is that they grew up as the latchkey kids. And so now they're feeling that, okay, I need to step out of my little box and make a difference. And that's why you're hearing so many of them coming forward and talking about, you know, this has happened to me, this has happened. They want their voice. They want to be and find themselves in a place that's trusted. Because many times they're really afraid of letting their real self out because they don't want to be rejected, right? Or, you know, they, they— because they want that acceptance of others, because otherwise it leads to a very deadly isolation. And that's what's happening with a lot of you women that are sitting in corporate because they have a fear of And their fear is worrying that they're not enough, and they're obsessed with being perfect, that they're really failing to perform where they want to be. So Womanhood Dare is making a difference for them. It's giving them that flexibility so they could have their family responsibilities. It's giving them a place where they could have a voice and really step out and take that grassroots effort and join up with other professional women just like them so they can share and, you know, those concerns, have that purpose, and really be a voice and be ready for some new challenges in their life. Sure.

And so part of— so part of the work that you do and part of Women Who Dare is to help women define their North Star and to kind of, you know, not only define that but actually kind of, work to open themselves up to pursuing that and helping them, you know, guiding them toward that. Yes, yes, all of that that you just said. Yeah, okay, all right. Um, well, and so, and how does that, uh, level of work— because I know you, um, are primarily a business architect, and a lot of people look at that from more of a from more of a system process perspective than what somebody might look at from a North Star, which is very internal, very personal growth transformation. How do you, how do you blend those two aspects into the work that you do?

And that's a really good question because that was always a challenge of mine because I'm very process-driven business architect. And I can go in, I can lead a business, I can help someone else turn their business around, you know, and reach those goals, achieve those goals that they're looking for. And I could still do that. And then on the flip side, just like, you know, you're asking, You know, it's helping that woman. So what I've done, I've actually done work for myself the last couple of years on how I can bring this together. And that's exactly what we're doing. So we are working with professional women, women in business. So not only are we helping them on the personal side and helping them step into their power, but we're also giving them those systems for their business so they can go back to their business, so they can be heard in the boardroom, right? You know, so not, not just go in and, you know, and look good. And because how many times— I know for me, I would say, okay, I'm in a boardroom and I make a statement, I make a comment, but somehow it just, it wasn't heard. But it seemed like the person next to me said it, and oh, Okay, so they're taking their advice. So we talk about that, but then we talk about those systems where you have to, when you are making that statement in the boardroom, you have to come from, sometimes from a different viewpoint and present it differently. So we've melded both of those skills together.

Nice. Yeah, because I think it's, you know, I think Right now, I think the whole world's going through this idea that we've been almost very robotic, very process, very procedural driven in business for centuries. And all of a sudden over the last, what, 10, 15 years, but especially the last 5, people are like wanting to bring their true self, as you call it, and their North Star and their authentic self. And they want to bring, you know, kind of their outside-of-work person into work so then they can be a whole person. And, you know, I think both men and women struggle with how do I learn how to be empathetic and compassionate and authentic and personal, you know, because I'm so used to kind of having this armor on that's very process, procedural, or system-based. Driven. So that's great because I think women definitely want to learn how to, you know, use their nurturing soft side along with their very smart business savvy, right?

Yeah, if I could just add to that, to what you're saying, because we did— I mean, even when I started in corporate, I mean, we were groomed that there is no emotion in the office. You know, you leave it, you leave it at the door. And that's very hard for some people to do, men or women. And that's very hard because, I mean, if something happens at home, I mean, you know, you're definitely going to take it into the office, whether happy, whether sad. So it is going to affect. So there were many books written on that. I remember someone saying, that's me, oh, you got to, you got to keep the emotions out of here, you got to leave, you know, like, not the door. But today, it all blends. I mean, you are who you are from one aspect to another. And again, going back to when I was in corporate and as a woman and trying to move up and then becoming CEO, I mean, I did. I sat in that ivory tower, as they say, And I put that shield up in front of me that, you know, no chit-chatting allowed, no personal talk allowed. If we come in here for a meeting, it's a business meeting. And that's exactly how I was. And I, you know, and I built that shield around me because I did not want anyone to look at me any less. Like, I never talked about my story of growing up and my, you know, they were demons that, you know, were really holding me back.— but I never talked about that because I didn't want anyone to see me any less of a person because I really worked hard to get to where I got to. And again, I just didn't want that black cloud hanging over me. But I mean, it took me a long time to actually fess up and say, okay, my life was a piece of shit growing up. This is what it was. And I still got to sit in that CEO position. So, we have to be, as leaders, we have to learn how to be vulnerable without spilling our guts, basically is what it is. Because people need to see you as a real person, and when they're able to see that, when you're able to make that emotional connection with your people, they're going to do much more for you than if you were just sitting there like, okay, just do this and I don't need to tell you why. You know what I'm saying? So— It just changes the dynamics when you allow that vulnerability to happen. And again, it's much harder for guys to do that because, I mean, even if they didn't have, you know, this club behind them. And again, I mean, my husband's in corporate, and he still is today, and he'll tell you he had a fabulous childhood growing up, but he still maintains a bit of that, this is who I am, and we don't You know, we don't talk like— he won't go out with the guys from the office for a beer on Friday. That's not appropriate. And, you know, so, you know, I'll sometimes I'll say, well, you know, honey, it's okay to go for one, just don't get, you know, sloshed. Right, right, right, right, right. You know, it's okay. Or somebody's leaving and, you know, they're having a goodbye thing, it's okay to go do that once in a while. So he's learning himself how to step out of it. Yeah.

Yeah, well, you know, life is one big learning lesson. So, uh, so everybody—

oh yeah, yeah.

As we continue this conversation with our guest Connie Fife, um, just make a note of fifegroup.com, check out everything that she's doing. Womenwhodare.com, and check out what she's actually pulling together in regards to that, because ladies, you're going to want to get involved in some shape or form. And then of course, make note of her Facebook and Twitter handle, which is simply Connie Fife. You can also on Facebook look at her pages Up or Out as well as Women Who Dare. And on Twitter you can use hashtag or you can use @WWDCouncil and that's for Women Who Dare Council, @WWDCouncil. We're going to take a quick break and when we get back I want to talk about her other kind of slant on what women, who they are and what they could be, and that is all about the being unstoppable together. So we will be right back with our guest Connie Spice right after this commercial.

You are listening to Shedding the Bitch Radio with Bernadette Boas. We are inspiring individuals around the globe to discover, confront, and shed their bitches of fear, insecurity, and negativity so they can create the riches in their career, business, and life they deserve. Be sure to check out Bernadette's book, Shedding The Corporate Bitch: Shifting from Bitch to Rich in Life and Business, available on Amazon and sheddingthebitch.com. We also want to thank our sponsors, TSR Consulting, who offers a broad range of tax services for small to corporate size clients. Go to TSRConsulting.com to learn more. And Parker House Virtual Services, who provides virtual assistance and social media support for small to medium businesses. Email Deborah Parker at deborahparker78@gmail.com for more information. To become a sponsor or advertiser on our program, email us at mediarelations@sheddingthebitch.com. Shedding the Bitch Radio airs every Tuesday at noon Eastern Time. Be sure to go to blogtalkradio.com/sheddingthebitchradio and follow the program for all of the updates and announcements of our guests and show topics. Now let's return to Bernadette and Shedding the Bitch Radio.

Welcome back everyone, we are having a fabulous conversation with our guest Connie Fife, an internationally recognized mentor, speaker, celebrity, and author. She's also the founder of High Performance Academy and Women Who Dare Counsel. We're talking about Women Who Dare Ignite and what you can be doing in order to kind of step into your brilliance, quite honestly. So, excuse me. So Connie, before we went on break, I had mentioned that I love your other, what I'll call a tagline, be unstoppable together. What is that all about and why is it important to anyone from either leadership and/or from their overall business success?

Well, let's look at it first from a business, business side, business perspective. So how that even came to be is because I started getting called that. Like when I was in Girl Scouts, my camp name was the Queen because I was CEO. And then we moved from there and my team started, you know, calling me Unstoppable because I got sick and, you know, while I was sick, I kept working, running the business. So they started calling me Unstoppable. So fast forward 12 years now, I started saying to my team, you know, no, we are unstoppable together. And then it just caught on because then when I was coaching, coaching men and women, on different programs that we did, we would always use that word because on business, you know, we go through the 5 Ps of process, performance, pricing, profitability, and we talk about those high-performance habits that people have that hold us back. So, like I said, on the business side, we do go into the individual, what's holding them back, and how can they move beyond that, move forward. Forward. So everyone that would go through the program would, you know, would get that label, that tagline that they're unstoppable and we're all unstoppable together. So then when I started seeing that word being used so much through other channels, so I trademarked it. So we do own that trademark of Unstoppable Together. But what was really interesting with that is, and again for women and why I decided to really target women, and although I still do have male clients, but really target women is because we're trying to do this independently. And that's where the together really resonated, really made sense, because initially I'm thinking, oh, it's like cartoonish, you know, was something that we had fun going on internally. But when we started using it externally with our clients, that really resonated. It just became a powerful word that we were doing this together and that we weren't doing it independently in silos. Because again, women do work in silos. They have their tribe, they have their BFFs, and the group they want to wine night with.. But when it comes to working the business, they're doing it independently because in so many organizations and corporations, the number of women in the C-suite right now is 6%. Sure, right. That is not a large number, meaning when— unless you're going to hang out with the guys like I, I've done. I mean, I even went to a strip bar with guys one time at a conference because it was me. Me too. Okay, so you get it, so you know. I was like, all right, I'm game, let's go. So women don't have that, or if you're in corporate, you feel like, okay, I, you know, I got to be the golfer, I got to be manly, I got to know about all the sports so I could be included in the conversations at least. And again, I've done it, I've been there, I've worn the dark suits, I've worn very high heels, not to look sexy, but because I could have the height of the guys that were going to be in the room with me.

Right.

Yeah. And, you know, done that. So why is it so powerful for women? Go ahead. Right.

Well, let me ask you a question.

So do you think—

are you seeing that tendency to kind of work in silos? Do you see that more so in corporate than in like entrepreneurs, because, you know, there's— there are tons of women's groups for small business owners to help each other. But do you see a, you know, how it skews differently? And, and what are the benefits or the cons to that?

It does. It is definitely differently in, in C-suite, in, in corporate. And then you have a lot of entrepreneurial groups that have You know, they have the young professional women's groups, but when you get into the C-suite, you become isolated because you're working tons of hours. You're, you know, going home, taking care of the family, and trying to stay healthy or get to the gym or whatever it is. So the benefit of having another group there just to say, hey, can I run something by you? I have this idea. Before I present it in the board meeting, I want to make sure that it doesn't sound like I'm coming from left field.

Right.

To run it by somebody. Okay, that's the kind of support and group that we are offering, and we also have entrepreneurial women in our group as well because they're looking— there's a lot of those entrepreneurial groups out there and helping them through business, but they want to look at the bigger picture. Okay, so they want to connect with those professional women who have either been there or done that because we're all about think big, act bigger. So they want to see that bigger picture versus be amongst somebody at their same level. Why not look at somebody who also looks at it differently? So that's the benefit of being part of, of the Women Who Dare. And again, for the women in the C-suite, their benefit is that they have that sounding board. They have somebody that they can go to. Uh, because I have people, they'll just email me all the time.. And I had that one yesterday. They said, I'm going to a board meeting tomorrow with our stockholders. This is what I'm thinking about presenting. Could you give me some thoughts on it? I rewrote maybe 30% of it for her. And so hopefully today it came out great. So that's the benefit. The con of it for a woman at that level is time. You know, really finding the time to be present. So for them to say, mm, you know, I'm going to go to your event. Yes, I want to be at your event, but I got to come in, I got to be out. So that event better be full of hard-ass, powerful information to educate me on where I need to go next, again, to help me really step beyond my power, and then I have to get out of there.

Right, right.

Okay, so that's where some of the pros and cons and some of the challenges come in for us, making sure that we're providing first-class, big-picture, high-level information at our programs.

Right, right, right, right, right. So I think what I'm hearing also is that some tips and advice for our listeners, especially our female listeners, is to I, you know, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but what I'm hearing is, is to one, kind of build a posse of other like-minded, even other, um, women who are in positions that you want to be in and up-level yourself. Yeah, to, to network and to tap into leveraging other women. And at the same time, um, that when they do— and I think this can pertain to anyone whether it's a C-level executive or a solopreneur, because all of our time is valuable. So if you're going to go and devote an hour, 3 hours, a day, a couple of days to anything, whether it's educational, whether it's networking, whether it's whatever, it needs to be assessed to ensure that it has high value. And what I always say to people, you need to look at the ROI of doing anything. To make sure that you're putting your time and your focus and your energy into something that's going to give you a great return. And that might just be networking, that might be a good relationship or a new relationship that could be a good piece of content, but it has to have some degree of return on investment. So would that be—

That is exactly it. And I've been having some conversations with some of our members. We have a member, she's a producer for GMA, Good Morning America. Erica, and she's coming and she's going to be hosting our red carpet for the event. And I was having a conversation with her recently and I said, what is it that attracts you to these events? And that's exactly what she said. She said the informationals need to be dynamic because, you know, she said, I don't know everything. And she is going to be stepping away and doing her own business. And she said, for example, I have no idea on how to do a business business plan. And, you know, and again, for me, and I'm thinking, you don't know how to do a business plan? You know, so it's like, okay, well, we need to do a program on that. But, but that's what she's saying, that it needs to be not just high level from somebody standing there and saying, oh, I've achieved the Million Dollar Roundtable and I'm not going to tell you how I did it.

But she sort of—

somebody were to say, this is how I did it, and took me through the steps. She's like, you got me. She was like, yeah, I'm there. She was like, that's what people want to know. They don't want somebody up there, you know, celebrating their own success. We want them there to help us so we can again look at what's that next challenge, where do we go next in our life. And that happened to me after Girl Scouts, and I don't mean this to sound negative or in any way at all against anybody, After Girl Scouts, so again, all of my girls, they were able to go to the unemployment office, collect, they got additional education. And I'm like, okay, what do I do now? Because I thought I was going to continue staying there. And joked about becoming a truck driver and a fishmonger. But none of that happened. So I was talking to one of my staff and she's like, yeah, she goes, they're sending me to school and getting all this education. So I thought, "Alright, let me see, I don't know what I'm doing, maybe they'll give me some direction." And they wouldn't even talk to me. They're like, "Oh no, you have two master's degrees, there's nothing we can do to help you." Okay. So then I started applying for other jobs, CEO jobs of nonprofits, was getting down to a final candidate, wasn't getting hired, and I'm like, Okay, and then I started applying for COO positions, and then I, you know, I just kept getting told, oh, well, you're overqualified, you're overqualified. And I'm like, I, I very— I feel very isolated because I just thought, okay, where am I going? It's like nobody wants me anymore, right?

Right.

Because, you know, it's like I was just pushed to the curb. And that was another one of my revelations that said, you know what, I have a lot to give back, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. So, 12 years ago, that's— I say it was a gift. I evaluated my own— what I had to offer. I evaluated myself and turned around and said, okay, we're going to start a business. I'm going to become a speaker. I'm going to write business books, and I'm going to help others develop and grow a business because that's the thing that I do best. And went back to helping women because again, that's what I do best. And that came about my mother when I was caring for her. I took about 6 months off of my business about 2 years ago and really evaluating where I was in my life and what I wanted to do. I'm like, okay, I've achieved— I've had this great business, Million Dollar Roundtable. And she said, what do you enjoy doing the most? And I said, I've always loved working with the girls and Girl Scouts. And she's like, well then, why don't you do the same thing for women? Yeah, because that's what you meant to do. So that's when I hired a coach and said, okay, how do I combine my business knowledge with helping women? And that's how we were able to bring it together. Fab!

Oh, that's awesome. Now, I want to— before we, um, wrap up, I want to make sure that we get an opportunity. Um, you, you had mentioned that the listeners will have an opportunity to receive a 30-minute consultation with you. So can you talk a little bit about this?

Yes. And again, uh, this goes out to your female listeners and some of the guys. If they want to have a little chat with me. I take them through a 30-minute consultation. I also do a personality analysis with them as well. They'll get a link, an online link that they would complete. And then after they complete that, we have a conversation and we really focus and take a look at their creating high-performance habits. So within that 30 minutes, they're going to walk away clearly knowing what habits are holding them back, why are they holding them back, and they're going to have a clear path that we are going to design together that's going to take them to the next step. Again, allowing them to step into their power, and we will do that in 30 minutes and less.

Right.

And I'll just— sometimes it just takes somebody else to look at you from the outside and and they'll figure it out.

Right, right. And how does someone go about doing that, getting that schedule?

To get that schedule with me, all they have to do is go to— I'm trying to think the best way— or just bump like for Bernadette Boas.

Why don't they just email you and mention the show? Why don't they just email you at, uh, let's see, I have connie@pahiffgroup.com. Connie at fight—

that's the best.

Yeah, dot com. That's pahiffgroup.com. And just put in there, um, put in the subject line a 30-minute consultation, and then put in the body— just put it— mention in the body that you, uh, you know, enjoyed listening to her on the Shade and the Bitch program. And you'd love to receive a 30-minute consultation with her. And we'll also be, um, we'll also be sure that we promote and put that, uh, information out there on Twitter and Facebook as well. Great, awesome, great.

Thank you.

You're—

oh, you're so welcome, you're so welcome. And everybody go to feistgroup.com as well as womenwhodare.com and learn more about Connie and the causes and the work that she's doing. But Connie, what would you say would be kind of one last, you know, big piece of advice or a tip that you would give, you know, our listeners in regards to, you know, daring to ignite?

Well, my final advice for your listeners, again, men and women, just go out there, step into your power. That's when you will be bold, you will be fabulous, And that's when we are all unstoppable together.

Wait, and everyone, and everyone, this offering of a 30-minute consultation— understand something, this woman, you know, if she's anything like me, she's very booked and she's very busy. And yet 30 minutes, wow, what you could gain so much today— not necessarily today on our calendar, but today you could be gaining so much information and so much valuable insight from a third party such as herself, especially someone who sees and listens and talks to people on a regular basis. And, you know, she could help you make a change in your life so you're igniting yourself as well. So take advantage of that 30-minute consultation. Email Connie@fifegroup.com, mention the program, and, you know, leverage— let's call it leverage— that 30 minutes because it could be life-changing for you. Connie, I want to thank you so much for being part of the program. This has been awesome.

Oh, you're welcome. I love being here.

Yeah, and oh, one last thing.

Yeah, glad to come.

Can you just throw out the date? What is the date of your Women Who Dare event and where is it?

Oh, I would love to. So it's womenwhodare.com. You can find more information there under our event tab. It is April 7th. 30th, 2018. It's going to be held in Los Angeles at the City Club of Los Angeles. We do have two nonprofits that we are honoring. One will be Junior Achievement because they're focusing on future business leaders, and also Dress for Success.

Nice, nice, nice.

I love those organizations. Yeah, awesome. We are adding some phenomenal speakers every day. It's just really exciting just doing these programs. And at the same time, our London chapter will be holding event there because we are also live streaming. So they will be holding their event there. So we also have a live stream option. If you can't make it in person, although we would like you to because we also have a VIP pre-cocktail dinner happening, and we also have a VIP dinner happening the night of the event as well.

Right. And ladies, I need to stress something really important. You know, you might be in Atlanta, you might be in Australia, you might be in London, you might be in Canada, and she's mentioning that this is a Los Angeles event. All I can tell you is this: invest in yourself, even if that means getting on a plane or a train or an automobile and going and, you know, investing a few days into you and what it is that you want to do. We all have to kind of make those investments. We have to get out of our little comfort, comfortable couch, um, or from behind the desk. We need to, you know, work on ensuring that we are opening our minds and hearts and, and brains to new opportunities. So look into that, womenwhodare.com. Look at her events and, uh, and find out how you can be part of that event and that program. Again, thank you, Toni.

It's much more powerful. Yeah, it's so powerful that when you're there together with other women, like I said, we have a lot of activities, deep dives, and powerful information that we're bringing to our ladies.

Absolutely, absolutely. And I'm all for— I tend to get on a plane quite often for different events and trainings and educations. And I get to Los Angeles, so you never know, you might be seeing my lovely face there, we'll see.

All right.

Yeah, and everybody, I want to remind you next week, Tuesday at noon Eastern time is our next episode of Ask Bernadette Anything, so post your questions, stories, or challenges onto Facebook or Twitter or send them to me directly, BernadetteBoas@ShedInTheBitch.com or through LinkedIn., and, uh, we will have a deep dive conversation in regards to that next Tuesday at noon Eastern time. I want to thank everybody for joining us and being part of the program, and we will see you right back here next Tuesday at noon Eastern time. Thanks everyone. Thanks Connie.

Thank you.

Thank you for listening to Shedding the Bitch Radio with Bernadette Boas. Join Bernadette every Tuesday at noon noon Eastern as she helps you shift your bitches to riches. And the dialogue is always going on at sheddingthebitch.com. See you next week.