Embrace Breakthroughs - Part 3

Welcome to the Organized 365 Podcast. I'm your host, professional organizer, productivity expert, and motivational speaker, Lisa Woodruff. This podcast will help you embrace progress over perfection and create lasting, functional organizing in your home. I have so much to share with you. So let's get started. I can hardly believe that we actually did it. We said that we were having the last Embrace. So at the end of June, I had the 5th and last live and virtual Embrace that we're going to have in this season. And in the next couple of weeks, we're going to share with you the breakthroughs that people received as they went through that 2-day experience in community in the Organized 365 app. But good news, good news. While I am not going to do Embrace Live next year, I don't know what Embrace will become in the future. I know that right now, some of you may be ready to embrace. Embrace this next season, embrace your next golden window, embrace the next phase of life. And you're wondering, how does Lisa do that? Like, how does Lisa live in a positive world? How does she think about things that aren't out there and then just create them? How does she create her company culture? Like, how did Lisa do what she did in the last 10 years? That is the Embrace Experience. This 2-day-long, or you could do it in one power day if you want to, experience that's now available on demand will guide you through your current present reality at home, how you're feeling about the phase of life that you're in, the fact that you can love where you are today and still think about where you might be going in the future. We address, you know, the hard times of life and things that you're going through that are not easy to get through. And how do we set goals? And how do we dream again? And how do we not just dream really, really big dreams, but little dreams that will be really big for ourselves, for our family, for our community? How do we do that? How do we take action? How do you believe in yourself the way that I believe in you? You know I do. I totally believe in you. How do you start to believe in yourself as much as I believe in your potential? What are the steps that you take? That is the Embrace on-demand experience. I'm hoping that you'll go through it for yourself. I'm also hoping that you'll do it in small groups all over the world. So let's take a listen to what the Embrace attendees at the last in-person and virtual Embrace in 2022 had as their breakthroughs.

My name's Nanalyn. I live in South Carolina, and I have been following Lisa, I think, since 2013 when she very, very first started.

Yeah.

And, um, there have been a lot of life changes in my life in these last 9 years, 10 years. And oh man, I can't believe I'm tearing up. Oh, I thought I'd cried out already today. One of the things was the vision board when you were doing that. And, and in our breakout group, I was like, yo, I have some blanks here because I can't come up with some things. And it was like, you know, who believes in you? It was blank. And I thought, that's ridiculous. I know there's people that believe in me. And it was like I had to think about it. And I wrote down some and I was like, oh, and then there's like 5, 6, 7 names. And I thought, I bet there's But I thought, what negative self-talk is there that makes me think that there's people who don't believe in me? Because I know that's not true. I know that's not true. So, um, an action step is the next couple of weeks I'm going to ask people specifically if they do, because I'm going to pin it on my wall to remind myself. So that was good. Another thing you were talking about, dreams. It was really intimidating to me. I didn't understand it. I couldn't wrap my brain around it. I was asking people in our breakout group, you know, what is that?

I don't—

you know, and I've come to understand that I've always been a doer. I've taken care of everybody else. You know, I was a nurse for 35 years and farmer and taking care of everybody. So it's like, I know what to do. I can do those things. But I'm learning Who to be. So with my husband dying 2 years ago, I'm having to understand who am I and what is it that I want, because I don't have children that need me, I don't have a husband that needs me, our parents are gone. So that was one of the questions we asked in breakout group was, when am I taking time to think? To think about what that dream is and And again, that word dream was intimidating me, so I had to look it up. The internet said vision, ambition, aspiration, hope, goal, design, plan, aim, objective, think, consider, contemplate, conceive, target, desire, intent, yearn. And so I think I'm going to take all those words and And think about them for a while. And I think I'm gonna have to put on my schedule time to think every day. So thank you.

Thank you. You guys don't have to be afraid if you cry. I think, I think we cry because we've kept it inside for so long that you can't just like say it because you haven't shared it with other people and you don't realize how much you're really thinking or feeling those things because you keep them inside. So don't, don't Don't worry about that.

Don't worry about that.

Hi!

Hello, my name is Martine. I'm so happy to be with all of you today. I've been following Lisa since before she had products. I've been doing the Sunday basket for many years. My husband now looks forward to the Sunday mornings when we can do it together and get through all of the crap and not have to deal with it during the week. He's disappointed when we skip a week. So that's really nice to have something that I can do with him together. I do have a Workbox and the 100-day program, but I'm not very far along with those. Need some help. So I'll probably be reaching out to an organizer to help me with the Workbox soon. My transformation this weekend is that I realized that I'd like to be intentional and a participant in my life. I need to be present. I don't need to escape in my game. I play a game on my phone, Nonogram. Like 3 hours a day, and that's just not okay. I need to be a participant in my life, not just sitting back and just being a bump on a log. I need to be intentional about my health. My father last year, age 74, he was the picture of health, traveling the world, energetic, sporty. He was cleaning out the garage and he had a massive coronary and he left this world. So it's time for me to now address my own health issues, my heart, And be intentional about it so I can be around for my future grandkids, if my future holds grandkids. I think the most concrete thing that came of this is that with my husband, I really need to intentionally plan our retirement plan step by step, which will probably happen— I've decided today, I've decided summer of '27. So getting on that on-ramp with all that entails. And I just want to say thanks to Lisa and to Embrace, and thanks to the honesty and wisdom of the ladies in room. 10 yesterday and room 1 today, and especially Amy in Indiana for asking me lots and lots of questions during the last break. I have my plans, so together we're smarter. And thank you, thank you so much. I love being part of this community.

Thank you.

Hi, Lisa.

Hi.

I want to say thanks again for having Embrace, because every time I come to something that you're doing, it just really— it feels like it's the right time and the right thing I need. So this time it's been extra transformative for me. I'm going through a lot right now. I've been thinking a lot about a lot of things that you're saying. I filled up like half a notebook of notes and thoughts, and I took this whole weekend. I don't know if you told us to do it this year, but I know, I think last year you said, get a hotel, take the weekend off. I got childcare and I'm just, just me this weekend. So my dad has my kids. I have 4 of them, 2, 4, 6, and 8. And I've been staying alone. Now I took myself out to a concert last night and just being with myself, which I haven't done since I had my first baby and she's 8. So Lisa, you're one of— when you say like you're a person is made of— your thoughts are made of the 5 people you listen to the most, I've kind of transformed that into my mom died and she was very abusive and I feel like I didn't have a mom. So Lisa, you're one of my 5 surrogate Or get made-up moms in my head. So I really, I feel like I owe a lot to you and I really appreciate you. So thank you. This weekend, my breakthrough is more of like a coming out. I think I've come to the conclusion of where I am in my life. I've recently separated from my husband, leaving an abusive marriage that I didn't realize was abusive. I didn't really know what I wanted to do with it or how I wanted to do it or what I needed to do or if I was strong enough. But I think I have a path forward now. And I just, I also want to say thank you to the ladies that are here and have supported me. I've been extremely isolated for years. I don't really have any, a lot of friends. I don't have a lot of family. So even if it's just like someone being like, you did a great job on your garage, or like whatever, it's important to know that people kind of, they're still there out there supporting you. So I want to give all my love to all of you guys that need it. And I want to say thank you for the support. that you've given me throughout things like this and in the chat and all of the things that we've been doing in Organized 365. So I feel like it's not so much I know what my dream is, but at least I know my pathway forward. And I've been struggling with that for probably almost 6 weeks now, and it's come together this weekend. So thank you for encouraging me to take this time for myself and spend it with myself. And I'm really feeling a song that's, uh, This Is Me. I'm brave, I'm bruised, and I'm who I'm meant to be. So I just have to accept myself. So I'm gonna go forward with that. Thank you, Lisa.

Thank you. And I'm so glad that your dad is able to watch your kids for you this week. And what an example of a man you can look up to as well.

A good example.

True.

Hi.

Hi, I'm Laura, and I found you, Lisa, the beginning of 2021 when I was Looking for ways to dampen down my overwhelm as I was working from home with my daughter in remote kindergarten next to me. Just needed some help. And what my breakthroughs have been, have been things that I've been working on for a while, but really thinking beyond the day-to-day list of things to do, other people's urgency, and Knowing that I've needed to make some changes within my work for a while, and I recently set up my Workbox within the last month, and my pink folder was a collection of ideas for the next grant, the next research project, because that's what pays my salary. And now I have a more concrete, actionable— that moves beyond just what I need to do to pay my salary. And I realized Even while I was just writing down the things that I wanted to say just now, that the things that have really fulfilled me in my work have often been things that other people told me not to pursue because it would not help with promotion or paying my salary given the type of position that I'm in. And when I've gone for those things, those are the things that have really increased my overall fulfillment. So now I have a concrete idea of what I can work towards and A pink slash pocket that is going to, over the next 3 to 5 years, move beyond. Because in the past it's just been— I'd have so many purple projects that have to get done that finding that time to think. So thank you for this weekend and the time to just think, as many people have been saying in the Zoom chat as well.

Thank you.

So nice to be able to see all of you guys that are on Zoom, because I've been seeing everyone that's here in person, and I just love connecting with you. So Thank you for sharing.

Hey, Lisa.

Hi.

I know you've interviewed like a million people, so I doubt you'll remember me, but, uh, back in like, I think it was December last year, and then it came out in March. I was blessed to get to talk to you. And my big takeaway back then completely changed the route of what I was doing. We were talking about what are you doing with your extra 5 hours? And I mentioned that I had just finished my first novel and it was gonna be one in a series of 12 that was gonna be aimed towards teenagers. And the struggles that they have, and from addictions to loss of a parent to just everything, and how it can be kind of an inspiration so they have a voice. And I remember I just, you know, it was fun just getting to talk about it and getting to hang out with Lisa, as you all know there now. And so I thought that was it. Well, then she stops recording and makes my head spin.

I mean, it was insane.

It was— I was sitting there jotting notes as fast as I could, and I kept looking up. I'm listening, Lisa, but I'm taking notes. And I just kept going and going. And it went from that wanting to just write this story and helping people as a very vague idea to after talking with you, Lisa, I stopped the call and thought, I've got permission. Like, why do we women feel like we need permission to chase our dreams? I don't know. But I felt like she believes in me. She says it's okay for me to do this. And so I remember going and talking to my husband and I'm like, okay, So I'm gonna start a YouTube channel because Lisa said I could. And so I did. And so we're already up to 50 subscribers, which is exciting because as a new writer, you need to have people subscribe so that you have a chance of selling the book. And then I started, you know, writing all the time. And anytime my husband was trying to talk to me, I'm like, shh, Lisa said I need to write. So I'm now on book 3. And because you have already published your own novels and gave me so many great ideas on how to do that publishing process, I didn't wait for someone to give me permission to publish. I actually enrolled in an academy for brand new authors who self-publish. And so starting next year, my book is gonna start coming out 1 or 2 a year. And that's because of you, Lisa, because like so many of us have said, we just needed someone to believe in us. And give us that courage.

So thank you.

Well, and congratulations for taking action, because you could talk to people all day long, but it doesn't mean they're going to do anything with it. So congratulations to you.

Hello, Lisa.

My name is Kathleen Alt. I have known of Organized 365 for, oh, probably 4 or 5 years, and I'd always— I purchased lots of stuff, done everything, and But never, like, had a breakthrough with stuff. I work as a school nurse. I'm the mother of 8 children. The oldest is 33. The youngest is 16. What I learned from this embrace, a couple of the things were, well, wait, I was waiting for someone to give me permission. You gave me permission, Lisa, for some of the things that I want to do. That I really appreciate. A couple of the other things were, When people are negative, it's more about what's in their inner dialogue than what I said or did. And that also was so freeing. But the one thing I starred was that crown yourself the queen of your dream and assume your throne. And also, another thing that was wonderful was There's been a lot I've walked through in my life. Lots of health issues, lots of relationship issues, lots of parenting issues. And— but I've learned a few things. And it's like some people in my life have said, oh, well, you're so confident about things. Are you being prideful? And I said, no, that's not it. But to give my confidence to those who are moving along, coming along behind me. That is so freeing. It's like, yes, I've learned something through all this. To have the negative voices silenced and the positive ones to really believe. Thank you. Thank you, Lisa.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, I'm Belinda, and I turned back to the front of the book. And as I hear others talk, like, some of these pieces kind of came into focus. So I was one that had trouble dreaming, putting everybody else's dreams first, like I don't have capacity to even think of my dream. Then when I did try to dream, I didn't want to vocalize or couldn't think of a dream. Like, I had to spell out the pathway to the dream. I had to make sure there was a way to it. Otherwise, I was scared to even say that was a dream. So nope, that's not a dream because there's not a way there. But seeing the front of this folder, like, and seeing that there's pieces of the dream, and those are the stars— they're not lined up yet, but I have to embrace the now and get in that direction and see those stars. And slowly they will move, they will line up in a way— there is no way I can see from where I am at now in life that later I'll look back and go, oh, that's— How that all worked out. But now I'm going to embrace my now. I'm going to dream and see those stars. Others will appear along the way and they'll line up. I'll get there. And it may be slow, but it'll be forward. And so, you know, it's been great to have the groups that we've had that we're, we're put together with, and awesome to be able to join today.

Thank you.

Hey, Lisa.

Hi, how's it going?

Uh, pretty good, pretty good. Hi, everybody. I sort of did a, uh, choose your own adventure embrace because I drove here and did mostly virtual, and then I popped by to buy something in the warehouse. So—

And we invited you to stay.

Yes. Yeah, very kindly. Thank you. So to sort of touch on some of the other people things they've said.

Yeah.

I am in a transition point, and so like naming a concrete dream, I don't know, like it's just me and my dog. And so, you know, I'm doing some new things and like testing things out, and what I realized is like even if I don't have the concrete things, like I do have like my values, and like as long as I keep living into those Then like the next step will follow. And none of my values include things like sacrificing myself for everybody else. So like keeping authenticity in mind and, you know, connection, connection's huge. So, you know, this obviously has been great for that. So.

Well, and you are you through all of life's experiences. You are still you.

Yeah. Yeah.

Your pink robe.

Hi, I'm Shannon. I just wanted to say thank you. I was planning to come to Embrace the year that it was going to be in person, and then it was changed to virtual. And I'm more of an in-person kind of person. So touch is one of my love languages, quality time. I'm in a house with the family where they're not— I love my family, but they're not going to be the biggest cheerleaders for me and my business and my professional and personal development. So I knew I'd get more out of it in person, and it was a great experience to be around other women who are also looking to improve themselves in whatever stage and area of life that they're in. I also knew that it was a little tough because I don't really have the income right now in the part-time jobs that I'm doing to supplement my organizing as I try to build my organizing business. I don't really have the income that I need to have gotten to this conference. And so I hesitated. I bought the ticket right away, and then I hesitated before I bought the airline ticket because I said, well, this is a lot of money, and I don't have this income, and all my part-time jobs and everything is not going to pay for this. But I remembered my mother who built a business. She didn't have a bachelor's degree, and Lisa reminds me a lot of my mother that she just, you know, she just ran her business with gusto. She just knew she could do it, and she's no longer here. So I just, you know, remembered her saying sometimes you have to spend money to make money. You need to go to every conference and learning opportunity that there is. She said even if you learn one new thing, When you make one new connection, it's worth it. And then I also prayed and God said, go. So I said, okay, well, I'm on my way. So I just want to say it's been a great experience and it's been nice to connect with people in the community in person. As a certified organizer who's done the training online, it was a little isolating and a little, you know, just like kind of felt far away. So it was nice to come here and see how things are run and meet other people who are using the products. And also just being in our wonderful breakout group and hearing other people's stories was really uplifting. But I definitely appreciate as you speak and you're telling us about your dreams and then your thought process and your decision-making process has been helpful. And your off-the-cuff videos are definitely the best. There was one like 2 months ago. I was like, that's the best video she's ever done. And I didn't have time to really comment on it at that time. And I regret it because now you don't know which one it was. But it was just fantastic. And it was one of those, like, I didn't plan to come on, but I'm here and I'm going to share with you. And whatever it was you had to share was just really worth it.

Oh, inside of the app?

Yes, inside of the app.

Yeah. So when I travel, I like to just start live streaming inside of the app in hotel rooms. I like sharing with you everything I've thought on my travels.

Yes, it was one of the best, like, videos I'd ever seen. And I thought, this is fantastic. So I just want to say, continue to follow your gut when you're looking at what to share and when to move on things, because you know where you're going. Just continue to follow that.

Thank you. Okay. Thank you.

Oh my goodness. I cannot believe that we have been able to do the Embrace Conference for 5 years in a row. And now We have the Embrace Conference available on demand. I have so enjoyed curating all the information over the last 5 years and creating this wonderful online and in-person experience that we host the end of June. And now the gift will live on. So what I love about the Embrace Conference is the ability for us to come together and dream and have a community experience. But I had this idea as I realized that this was going to be the last conference. I thought, you know, this content is good. Like this self-guided retreat is good. And I would love for people to do the self-guided retreat on their own. But also, just like we have the certified organizers that do small workshops and small in-person paper organizing retreats where you can get a smaller, more intimate group of people and more one-on-one Attention, I can just see, I mean, I could just see in my mind as I close my eyes and dream a million dreams as we talk about Embrace. I can see people using the Embrace on-demand conference as a way to bring together small groups of people, having a whole bunch of cousins do it when they go and hang out in a cabin one weekend, or maybe your small group or Bible study, or your family would do this, or your girlfriends, or. Bringing small groups of people together to be able to go through the Embrace experience and choreograph it, ugh, I think that's where Embrace is going. If you want to learn more about the Embrace Conference, download it on demand for yourself or buy it for your small group, just head on over to organized365.com in the events section and you can find the Embrace Conference on demand or under the program session. We would love to have you join us and email us about your experience. Tag us, tag Organize 365 inside of your Embrace replays and the experiences that you're having on Facebook and Instagram. I would love to take part.