133: Adapting to Change: Business Transformation, Women Entrepreneurs, and Investing Strategies with Corporate Anthropologist Dr. Andi Simon

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Welcome to the Women Investing Network podcast. This is Cheryl Lecture. I'm your host and, and today I get to introduce somebody that I'm just meeting for the first time, but I think I'm going to really enjoy her stuff. Dr. Andy Simon. She's a pioneering corporate anthropologist and she focuses on guiding companies through transformative change. And I think there's a lot of change in the world. And her most recent book, Women Mean Business, is very intriguing. I'm going to order a copy so I can read it. And so Dr. Simon, thank you so much for being with me.

My pleasure. It's just delightful to share our ideas and thoughts. And your podcast is a wonderful podcast. Thank you for having me.

Well, I'm absolutely delighted. I mean, you, you are called often a trailblazer as I am, so it's always wonderful to, to meet a fellow trailblazer and I think it just means that we go and open the way for other women to follow us. So I appreciate it. So tell me a little bit how you got into this field.

Well, you know, I was raised in a family, firm environment and my grandmother, my father, my mother had a wonderful business in Manhattan. And as I was growing up, I was being trained, mentored all kinds of things to grow into running it. And then I went off to college and I had a fabulous time as an explorer. You know, you talked about being a trailblazer and you know, my archetype is an explorer and a philosopher. And I was intrigued by my first anthropology course and it touched me in a, a way that I can only say hit my heart and my head, my eyes, and I went, ooh, this is very interesting. I'd love to go explore other cultures and understand them. And I was particularly interested in understanding how people adapt to change. Humans have evolved over millions of years not by being the same as they were, but about seeing opportunities and changing the way they do things the way they think, the way they feel, sometimes slowly, which is good, and sometimes dramatically. I certainly don't want another pandemic, but I used to tell my clients, if you want to change, have a crisis or create one, because humans don't like to change. Then I went back to Columbia University and I finished my undergraduate as an anthropology major, went right into my doctoral work, went right out into the field to do research. I have spent, let's see, a decade in academia, 20 years in business, applying it as an executive in financial services and health care, going through change. And then after 9 11, I launched my business. So I'm in business now, 22 years as a corporate anthropologist, helping companies and the people inside them adapt to the fast changing times that we're living through. And my early clients all called me not because I was an anthropologist, but because they needed to change and whatever they were doing wasn't working. And so my first book, on the Brink, A fresh lens to take your business to new Heights, was about 8 of our clients who had to get unstuck. They were stalled. And I have a hunch you and your, your audience understands that feeling of, I tried this and I tried that and nothing much worked. And so that's been sort of my career over the last two decades and I'm looking forward to the next one because the pace of change is accelerating and people are coming to us to help them adapt. You know, we're humans. How do we do this so that we can thrive and our company can find its new mojo in a time of very different customers, staff, environment, AI it's really cool for me and for them, it's a time. Time of both exploration and creativity.

Yeah, I love that. Yeah. We see right now so much changing in technology so rapidly. But I often tell people, you know, we. People go through their college or their. And they have a career, they get comfortable, then they get complacent, and then there is a crisis, as you talked about, and that crisis turns, throws them into chaos. And I talk about the way to get out of chaos is through creativity and curiosity, which is what we had when we were little. But somehow we lose it along the. I love the fact that you address this now. I hope this isn't a curveball, but I'd love for you to talk about, because this podcast is for investors, women investors, primarily in real estate, but across the board. And certainly we've seen the market up and down, up and down. So can you speak to the emotional reactions to dramatic changes and things that you can't necessarily control, certainly.

And it's not a curveball because that is exactly what happens to the mind. And it's interesting, I was in Milwaukee doing three workshops and several of the companies, the CEOs there were women who had early stage companies and they were discovering the both the joy and the agony of opening up new market space. But for your real estate audience, and my husband was in real estate for many years, the real opportunity is to see what the opportunities are. And so here's how the brain works. The brain has a story in it, and you live that story as if it's a reality. And I can't say that often enough because there really isn't any reality. It's a perception of a reality that the story is guiding you so that every day the habits take over and you go about what you did yesterday. You mentioned that so well. And your investment strategy is what worked yesterday perfectly fine. But if the market is changing, I don't care if it's corporate real estate and people aren't going back in those offices, or it's malls where people aren't coming shopping the same way they did, or it's something that you've always done so well but nobody's buying it right now, or the market is different because of the price of interest rates. When things change, the story gets angry.

Literally.

You're feeling like your brain hurts, and it does, because that amygdala, the oldest reptilian part of the brain, wants continuity and consistency. It's happiest when it doesn't have to change. And when it does, it creates cortisol and it's painful. But what I tell my clients and I tell you and your audience is that you can manage your mind. Tell it. This is a great idea. Instead of saying no, but we don't do that. We've never done that. Say, this is a good idea. Your mind is looking for a new way to transition to a new story. And the new story is one that you create. And so Marissa Pierce has a wonderful book. Change the story, change your life. I think I'm. I'm ad libbing the title of it, but she's a psychiatrist in England who helps people understand that the story is what's holding them back and the story is what can create their future. So now the trick is, what do you see happening? Try not to go into group think. You can go to where others are just like you to trade shows and.

Talk to each other.

But what happens is you all begin to bond into the same group. Think that's fine, but in fact, if everything is changing, go to new places. Have you looked at what robots can do? Have you looked at what drones can do? Can you look really at what ideas are coming out that could be transformative? And I'm working with a health care system for five years now, and I asked them all, what do they think about the work of tomorrow, the future? And they've come back with amazing things that they see already happening, whether it's AI, machine learning, blockchain, new ideas so that it's a time for growth. The fourth industrial revolution is here. You can fight it, or you can embrace it and begin to see how it can help you. But you need to open your mind and begin to learn. One thing I tell everybody is the only truth is there's no truth. And here is a time for you to create a better story so that you can be successful in fast changing times. And that's my story for your listeners and yourself.

I love that. I love that. You also have a very successful podcast, on the Brink with Andy Simon. I love that title. And so I, you know, I think I recommend everybody check it out, on the Brink with Andy Simon. Because right now there is, you know, obviously we hear the phrase there's nothing guaranteed but change, but we have been on a roller coaster in every aspect of life right now, from from inflation to real estate to political angst. And it's something that people need to figure out. So give us some recommendations or your advice. When somebody finds themselves in a position of high angst, what do you recommend.

They do if you're going to begin to address that, I, being an anthropologist and taking my clients exploring, and I say this very intentionally, you need to see things through new lenses. Go explore. Go talk to people you normally don't talk to. Let your mind fill with ideas that are unfamiliar, and before you delete them, open your mind to the possibilities of what they might create. And therefore, you must see it and feel it. Remember, you said it so well. We decide with how things feel. So when you're full of angst, you can hang on to it or you can go on an exploration of what's coming next. Go find some places that are really a little ahead of the curve and find out how are they doing that. You know, we, we went into Pandemic Vote and everybody was in hybrid. But companies have been working hybrid for a long time. I've been working hybrid for a long time. So what do they do differently to manage their remote workers? And how can you learn from them. The most important asset that humans have is this wonderful ability to learn new things and to try them. Now, when I work with a company, the first thing people do is say, oh, we don't do that. You're going to have to manage your mind and say, what if we did do it? And would you find some folks who say that's a good idea instead of knocking it down? Because it's so much easier to say no than it is to say how and why. So you got to change. I often say the words you use will create the worlds you live in. And today's talk is really about changing the words that you use to describe the anxiety you have, as opposed to thinking about it as stress, thinking of its opportunity as opposed to thinking of it as bad and unfamiliar, which it is. Think about it as possibilities and what I can learn from it. And all of a sudden your mind will start to see things as amazing possibilities and you've got problems to solve. Innovative and new ways we often say, take your observations, turn them into innovations and move forward a little at a time. You don't have to turn the whole battleship with an ore, but you do have to turn it.

I love that. I'm just smiling and chuckling because we are very aligned in what we teach do we each use our own vernacular, But I tell people my mantra has been many years is why not? Why not do try something different? Why not find the path less traveled? Why not solve a problem or serve a need and turn obstacles into opportunities and say, okay, there's a problem, let's solve it and create something bigger, better and stronger as a result of it. Because there, as you know, there's. There are always going to be issues. The journey to success is not a straight line. And so I think the most successful leaders understand how to take those obstacles and turn them into the next step of success. So I appreciate everything that you've just said. So how can people find you? Dr. Simon?

You know, we have two wonderful websites. One is SimonAssociates.net and the other is AndySimon.com that has my books on it. My videos, of course, are all on YouTube and my podcast is available on SimonAssociates.net.

Podcast but I am on LinkedIn like most of the world is today. It's become a great directory for connecting people to connect and we can. The conversation begins and now we can figure out how to help you take your observations and turn them into innovations together.

I love that. So what are you working on right now? What's the next step for Dr. Simon.

My co author Edie Frazier and I, Edie, created a company, an organization called Women Business Collaborative. And one of the things that we're finding are women entrepreneurs who are creating businesses that are both profitable and purposeful. You'll appreciate this. And so they aren't just looking for success, they're looking for significance. And so we are beginning to highlight them and I'm beginning to podcast with them because their stories have a slightly different angle than just how do I make more money or build a bigger business is how do I make a different impact on the communities or society. One company I love is called Unicorn, and it's about female period care products that they created because they found in the bathrooms there were none available for women. It was very. Daniel Finkelstein and Time Sullivan have a fabulous company there. Then a psychiatrist in the Washington, D.C. virginia area, Dr. Barbara Brook, has created a whole community wellness program that's not just about helping and making money. It's about helping and changing the social life of the community so that we can build better together. And then Dion Laszlo Baker has created something which are healthy snacks and pops for kids because she watched her kids and they said, why don't we create a healthy pop? And out of it came an idea for something more than just a profitable, innovative company. And I'm anxious to share their stories, you know, to some degree. As podcasters, our job is to share stories and help others learn from them. And so this is. I don't know where it's going to go, maybe a book. But I love sharing the stories of these women because they just talk differently. It's not just about how do I build a business, it's how do I make a difference.

So that's.

And in some ways, I too, want significance, not just success. I think I've had the success part, but I'm enjoying sharing their significance. Makes sense.

I love that. Yeah, I love that. In fact, when I released Think and Grow rich for women, the subtitle is using your power to create success and significance. Because I do believe overall, women, you know, tend to look at impact even more than dollars. So. And I applaud that. I think that's fantastic. So, again, we are rhyming in different ways. We end up in the same kind of messaging. So I appreciate that very much, and it's just been an absolute pleasure and delight to meet you and I recommend everybody check out your podcast, check out your websites, any last words of encouragement for what's happening in the world today. You do.

I think these are very exciting times. I don't think that we ever know what's coming next. Somebody once said the future is actually already here. It's just not widely distributed. And so it's time for us to think about today and tomorrow with very positive energy. Someone said, why do you stay so positive? I said, it's a state of mind. Why not? And so I hope your listeners really take your own energy and think positively about the changes that are coming and turn them into great opportunities for themselves and for others. I do think it's a great time for giving back.

Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. And to be a beacon of light for others who need to learn the message as well, because you can learn through example or you can be an example and be a somebody that allows light to go into somebody else's life and their perspective. And I absolutely one of my most highly read blogs I know I teach money, I teach financial success and mindset, but one of my most popular blogs is how to change your perspective. So I think people understand they need to change the lenses sometimes. And so I really appreciate you discussing that and sharing that. And I look forward to getting to know you better and to reading your book. I think is fantastic. And so thank you so much for your time today.

This has been a wonderful podcast. Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts with you and your audience. I appreciate it.

Well, my pleasure and my honor. Thank you so much. And for don't forget to get her book and check out and connect with her on LinkedIn at least. And it sounds to me like she's got some great wisdom for what's happening in the world today? And don't forget my my standard is why not, why not do something different? Why not find the tools to help you deal with craziness that we live in today and turn that craziness into creativity and new ideas. So thank you again, Dr. Simon and thank all of you for being here and listening to this episode of the Women Investing Network. I'm Cheryl Lecter, your host and until next time, connect with us Sharon Lecter on LinkedIn as well, Facebook, Instagram, and cannot wait to see you on the next episode. Thank you so much.

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