From Corporate to Finding Your Wings as an Entrepreneur with Lindsay White

Welcome back to the She's Crafted to Thrive podcast. I am super excited to have Lindsay White on the show. She is a leadership expert with a human resource background, and she is an amazing coach who really helps people to understand that no matter how small or big your business is, having great leaders that are inspiring culture and helping people create a strategy that brings them all together is what really helps businesses to thrive. I'm so excited to have her on the show. We're going to be talking about one, if you're transitioning out of corporate environment and you're going into your own business, how to take some of those wonderful gifts that you've learned, some lessons that you saw that you would rather not repeat in your own business, and help that to inform how you grow your business. And also how to become comfortable with the uncomfortable. As an entrepreneur, this is a balance that we all try to find, some little harmony and figuring out how do we do things that are things we've never done before, and how do we find our little wings that flap and fly until we become these wonderful butterflies. So I hope you enjoy this episode with Lindsay White and I. We are talking about real things when it comes to growing a business, especially if you're trying to figure out what will work for you. So stay tuned. You're listening to the She's Crafted to Thrive podcast, and this is your host Nikita Williams. On this show, we're talking about what it's like to start, grow, and scale a business while living with chronic illness. You will hear from other creatives and CEOs as they share their stories and the lessons that led them to learn to lean more into what works for them. You'll discover that success does not mean perfection, and fear, negative thoughts, and challenges are all a part of the journey, but there's always an abundance of wins. So stay tuned and you'll find the inspiration and tools you need to craft a life and business that thrives. Okay, I just need to start this conversation off for this episode that this has been Nikita's week of feeling like, am I being punked? And Lindsay has been so gracious to come on and roll with the punches because I just love her vibe. So please tell us a little bit more about who you are now. I did a little intro before this, but tell us a little bit about where you're from, where you're living, what you're doing, and what's going on with you.

Yeah, so I am Lindsay White, the founder and principal of High Voltage Leadership, and I'm joining you today from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, right snuggled up against the beautiful Rocky Mountains. And not only am I a leadership coach and a people strategist who gets to work with some of the most incredible female small business owners in the world I am a mother of 4. I am a GLAMMA to one because I am way too young and glamorous to be a grandma.

I love that name.

I know, right?

That needs to be like on a book or something. Like, well, I get—

I actually had someone send me that. I can't take credit for it. And it was a little plaque that said GLAMMA, way too young and glamorous to be a grandma.

I love it.

And I actually have another grandbaby on the way Coming soon, July of 2022. I am a dog mom to 3 of the craziest Shih Tzus, and I am also a crazy cat lady. I have one sleeping on my desk right now and 2 more that are running around the house. So it's a bit of a rodeo, but we have a lot of fun. Oh, and I should mention I have a wonderful husband who's very kind and patient, right? I shouldn't forget about him.

Right, I love that.

He's my— it's my mulligan marriage. We've both been married before, so we have this great big blended family. We got all these kids, just one, one guy left at home. He turned 16 this weekend, he's a junior in high school. And so yeah, basically it's chaos over here. So that's why I totally get it, because my, my regular status is, am I being punked? Like, who's— where are the cameras? Who's filming this?

Right. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's amazing when you're an entrepreneur and you have your own business and it feels like this stuff doesn't feel that like this when you work in corporate. If you've ever worked in corporate, it feels like you just kind of— it's happening and you kind of can leave what's happening, right? Like you can have like a real escape from whatever is happening because you got to go to work. You got to go into the 9 to 5 and do the thing. But when the collides of the world happen with running a business at home and life, it's like, why?

Yes, yes. I think I said before the show, I often feel like, you know, was I a serial killer in a prior life? Like, did I do something really bad?

Yeah, this.

But you know what, I guess if nothing else, we learned to be incredibly resilient. You gotta laugh, have some fun, be playful with it, and, you know, just get on with it, right?

Yeah, yeah. I'd love to hear more about your story, about what led you to being a leadership coach and some of your background, because I think there's so many people— I know some of the ladies that I work with and that listen to the show come a little bit from corporate, and they're like, how does this happen? How do you pivot into doing something like this? Like, I want to know more. So I'd love for you to share.

Totally. So I too had the corporate career. I worked with actually a couple of very iconic Canadian organizations in my business career spanning about 20 years. And about 4 years ago, I actually ended up— I was working at a financial institution here in Calgary, and I had built a very carefully crafted career. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I was working in HR. I had, I had built a very successful HR practice inside of the organization. And at the time, I was working with senior leaders and C-suite executives doing, you know, working as a coach with them on their leadership, but also really helping them craft a talent strategy. So have the big business planning meetings, 5-year business plan. What, what are we going to do with the talent in order to execute on that business plan? So had, you know, had a number of, of leaders and groups that I was working with Really enjoyed the work, but I ended up working for an incredibly toxic boss. This individual was really incredibly difficult to work with, incredibly traumatizing to work with, just a real gaslighter. And I am a people pleaser, like so many of us are, you know, raise your hand. We have a meeting every Wednesday, bring wine, right? Yeah, we need matching t-shirts. I spent 2 years, the last 2 years I worked in corporate, I spent trying to please this woman. And the truth is, it was never gonna happen. And I got to the point where we were in one more meeting, 'cause all she ever would do is call to give me crap about something, right? She never talked to me otherwise. It was only when I was on the hit list. And she called, you know, to give me some feedback, and I'm using air quotes.

Air quotes.

'Cause it wasn't feedback to help me, it was feedback to hurt me. And I just, you know what, I don't know, something kind of snapped. And I just, I kind of realized in my own head, like, I am just not willing to tolerate this anymore. And I said to her, I, you know what, you're right, I don't fit here anymore. I can't do this. This isn't working for me. And so in Canada, we have a thing called termination without cause. And that means that the employer has to pay you some severance. And after 10 years, I was owed quite a bit of severance. And I said, you know what, why don't you make me an offer and write me a check and I'll go away. I had already made the decision at that point that I wanted to further my skillset as a coach. I knew I loved coaching. I like asking a smart person a really great question and them going, I never even thought about it that way before. Like there is magic in that, right?

Yeah, it's so fun. It feels good.

It feels great. It feels great. And I'm always super curious. I mean, I'll ask why 1,000 times. I drive people crazy. Crazy. So I had already committed to a coaching certification program, and it is one of the best. It's, it's one of the— it's the gold standard. And so I negotiated that they would pay for most of that, and I left my job in August of 2017, and I called up the coaching— the coach training place and said, hey, I want to do all of my coursework as quickly as possible, sign me up. So within 6 months, I completed all the coursework, went straight into the 6-month certification process. And so I really got to spend a full year fully immersed in really deepening my coach training. And of course, being that I had always worked with leaders, that is really what I always wanted to focus on. Because when you have great leaders in organizations, everything else is figureoutable, to use the Marie formula. Yeah. It— leadership is absolutely the key. It is essential. So I was really lucky. I got some great peer coaching, and in that I was challenged. Why didn't I start my own business? And I was like, holy crap, I don't know why. I never thought about it. It really wasn't everything. I had always worked in corporate, so I very much am an accidental entrepreneur. I sort of staggered into it, but I thought, you know what, Why not? I could totally give it a shot. So now, 4 years later, I combine the leadership coaching as well as the HR and talent strategy. And I bring that all to small businesses that are led by incredibly powerful, busy women who really want to be a great leader, like in their life and their business.

Mm-hmm.

And then build a really incredible team inspiring culture, great place to work, you know, place where people feel safe, respected, honored, empowered. And so now I get to do the two things that I really love.

I love that. I love that, all of it. I love the fact that it's like took all of your— what I like to say— ooey gooey parts of the things that you actually lit you up about what you were doing and turned this like really not so great mind space into like an awesome fit for you. Like, I think that's the power of entrepreneurship, like just the journey and also the journey of like being okay with not knowing what is around the corner.

Yes.

Right. Because it's like, yeah, I'm doing this, but I have no idea what I might actually be doing with this. But I'm okay with that.

You do have to become comfortable with the uncomfortable. There is absolutely no doubt that is really important to being a successful entrepreneur. If you need to know every step in the process, if you need to be able to see 12, 18, 24 months in advance with certainty, entrepreneurship is not for you because in this line of work, nothing is guaranteed, right?

Yeah, it's a good point. I always talk about this too with my community. Some of them are in corporate and they are living also with chronic illness, so they understand the concept of like You're not— we can't always plan what we think we want to plan 6 or 12 months from here, but I'm okay with being flexible with what I might need to do if things pivot. And so I guess that leads me to my next question for you is like, what has, what has enabled you or helped you in facilitating that kind of life of being able to be like, you know what, I'm just going to go with the flow and I'm not going to feel like I have to do it a certain way, but I'm gonna trust myself.

Yeah. So let me just acknowledge first and foremost, what's enabled me to do what I needed to do over the last 4 years is an incredibly understanding and patient husband.

Yes. Yes.

So he is a project manager. He manages multi, multi-million dollar projects, huge mega projects. And his world is all about the timeline, the budget, and, and the program, right? So, so he has been incredibly patient in allowing me to do what I need to do. And the truth is he has largely supported the finances in our business or in our family because when we start businesses, we're not, you know, they, I mean, they say you're not profitable for 3 to 5 years. Well, I'm going into year 4. So let's hope, you know, that profitability hopefully is right around the corner, right?

Right.

So that, that's number one. I mean, I've had a support system that has been remarkable. I think the second thing is, again, my curiosity. Like, I've always been the kind of person that wants to know what's next or what's new or how, how can I solve that problem differently? What else is possible? And so just having that ability to just ask those questions and stay present with that. I am also comfortable in a lot of gray because the truth is, when we work in human resources, And when we do a good job of it, a lot of our world is working in the gray. I mean, there's policies and processes and procedures, but the human factor is always messing with those things.

Right.

And so, you know, certainly my career in HR prepared me for that. And I also like to think that, you know, my big courageous heart, like I'm just, I'm a bold human. That's why it's called High Voltage, folks, 'cause that's who I am. So I don't do anything without courageously just stepping into it. And as an entrepreneur, sometimes you just gotta go, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's really incorporating like that CEO literal mindset. Like there's nobody else here to put this on. Like ain't nobody y'all, like ain't nobody else.

Okay.

So it's like you have to embrace that. You know what? I am the fix. Like whatever it is, I have to take the responsibility, the, the risk. I have to take those, those steps in order to see what is going to happen. And I think what happens when you're doing business for a long time, you start to know where the risks are better and which risks to take and all of those different things. But it takes time. And I love that you're bringing this out. Like, it takes time to get to that, like knowing what it is and having the support system is so huge. So huge.

I cannot tell you how lucky I have been. My husband, my parents, my children.

Yeah.

Everybody's been really supportive. My girlfriends, they've been incredibly supportive and patient. And, and I think, you know, one of the things that I've really leaned into as a coach, I use a lot in my coaching, but also in terms of, yes, running my business, is my intuition.

Yes.

And a lot of times when we work in a corporate job We are really taught to put that in a box and put it up on the shelf and stop. You know, there's no place for that. But in all reality, I think, especially as women, we have to lean into our intuition. We really have to get still, get quiet, and understand what's truly in our heart, because that will always steer you in the right direction. It might not steer you in the direction you thought you were gonna go, but inevitably it's going to be the right one. And that has been critical to my whole practice.

Yeah, I think there's a beautiful— I think what corporate does when it comes to that box is that also tells your brain to shut off. And to me, the, the, the beautifulness of working for yourself is that one, you listen to the intuition, but you have so much knowledge in your head of how this could work. And it's the trust, right? It's the trust of being like, let me lean into this thing. I think it's gonna work. And it's not like fluke. Like you didn't just like, it's, it's feeling intuitively for you because you have the things in your head. Like it's the things in your head. And you know, when you lead with that and you lead with them too, like both, I feel like heart is important, but I feel like the mind and heart connection is so they're so connected in a way, like they, they feed off of each other. And I think it's a beautiful thing that in your business you can lean on that. Incorporate— no, no, no, like, no, no, no, like, do you have a better idea? So what?

Like, yeah, exactly, exactly. Yeah, totally. It's been crucial for me.

Yeah. So what has been, what has been some challenges, like, in, in life or in, in doing this, like what has been some things that have been like, you know what, didn't see that coming, or I've been juggling these different balls in the air and some of them fall, or maybe it was yourself, like what has been maybe an experience you would like to share around like that overcoming?

Yeah, so I mean, I certainly think, and, and I struggle with this even now, You know, overcoming that critical inner voice that we all have, that saboteur, right? That tries to convince us in one way or another that we're not enough. Mm-hmm. And, and some of that does come from our corporate time. Some of that comes from experiences in our childhood. We carry that with us. And so I work every single day to manage that conversation in my own head. And some days I'm better at it than others, but it certainly has been something that has become a big part of my journey as an entrepreneur. Because it can trip you up if you're not careful with it. I think the other thing that, that I've had to work on, and now I work a lot with my clients and in the coaching relationship, is creating a work and life blend. I don't talk about work-life balance because I think that's— yes, I don't think— I think balance plays into our perfectionist saboteur because balance means perfect and Lord knows we're not perfect, none of us. So I believe in trying to blend our work and our life, and, and that particularly over the last couple years with work and life being so intimately connected, like as in, you know, like not leaving our houses for weeks at a time.

Yeah, thanks COVID. Uh-huh.

Thanks COVID. Finding the boundaries around what is going to work not only for me but for my family. It may still have a child, a man-child, 6'2", weighs 195 pounds, right? But I still have a child that I have to look after and care for. I still need to have time with my husband who also has a big busy job. I have a grandson that I like to see. How do I create boundaries for myself? 'Cause I could just work all the time. I mean, I'm really passionate about what I want, what I do. So creating that blend and really finding a, my stride in terms of when I work, when I don't work, when I work my best, when I'm, you know, when I'm sort of at peak performance. And then also, what is the work that is my zone of genius? How do I do as much of that as I can and as little of the other stuff as possible?

Yeah.

So those, those have certainly been my challenges because I am one of those people that, well, I can do that, I can figure that out. As a CEO, the question actually better asked is, should you be doing that? And should you be one figure that out.

Yeah, yeah.

So, so those have been some of my, my challenges, and, and how do I, how do I make all of these pieces fit together in a way that really creates the fulfillment that I'm looking for, right?

Yeah, I love that. You so, so much. One of the first podcasts I did, we were talking about that concept of work-life quote-unquote balance, and She said, I just think it's about finding the harmony between them, between the two. And I was just like, I love that because what, like you're saying, is that blending of the two. I mean, there's nothing that we can give 100% to all the time, you know, like one is gonna outweigh, if we were talking about balance, something else. It's just the nature of science. Like, so it's like, It's such a good point about what you're saying about that, that finding that blend, and it's, it's crucial. And I think to the point you said too about the, um, knowing what is your zone of genius and knowing how you work best is crucial. How did you figure that out for yourself?

Yeah, so I really had to start paying attention because you're right, we work our corporate jobs, it's 9 to 5, We don't really have a choice when we work best.

Right, exactly. Show us.

Yeah, there's built-in parameters about when you, you shalt, thou shalt work at these times. So I, I actually really had to pay attention. And I mean, I work with my own coach, right? So I, I do, I do my work all the time, right? Um, and that was some of the work that I had to do with her around, okay, hang on a second, I don't wanna work 12 and 14-hour days. And I really need to be conscious of, you know, when do I feel my creativity is at its height? When's my energy best? Well, actually for me, that's at about 10 o'clock in the morning, right? I warm up slowly. Okay. So let's actually look at what should your day look like so that that's the time. If it's 10 until 1, when you're at your peak, Then let's build that in in such a way that what are the things you're going to do then? Okay. But you also, you know, I love to connect, right? I love meeting new people, having great conversations, finding ways to collaborate. Okay. So, but that actually works better for me in the afternoon. Okay, great. So what are you going to do in the morning? When do you want to be at your desk? Well, I sort of like to be at my desk at about 8:30. I don't want to rush in the morning. I'm not interested. It's part of the reason why I don't work in corporate anymore. I don't want to be here early.

Right.

Okay, so what does that look like for me? Like, I really had to get really introspective about it and be really clear about it, and then, you know, to some degree be really clinical about it, right? So I have, I have a podcast that you're going to be a guest on. Okay, well, what's the right— when is my energy great so that I can be with my guests and really create an experience for them and then for the listeners that's going to be awesome?

Right.

So really thinking it through, like getting really granular with it.

Yeah. Do you think people are afraid of doing that?

Yeah, I think sometimes, and I know I resisted the whole time blocking thing a little bit at first. Well, we want to stay flexible, want to be nimble. Yes, yes. Like always knowing it's your calendar, you get to control it whatever way.

Okay, let's say that again.

Belongs to you.

You can change it.

It's your life and it's your business. And if it stops serving your purpose, then stop doing it immediately. Like right now, today, don't do it anymore. But give it a shot, right? Be willing. And this is something I did learn in my corporate world, is be willing to iterate. Try it, test it, run a pilot, call it whatever you want in your own head. And then be willing to shift and change and ask, did this work? If it didn't, why not? What else is possible? Yeah. Right. So actually getting into that agile mindset for yourself and your own business, you don't have to do what any expert tells you to do. You have to do what feels right and is gonna help you feel successful.

Boom. Yeah. Yeah.

Podcast over. That's it. That's all I got.

Yeah.

I Just be willing to experiment, right?

Yeah, I think we're so afraid sometimes, like, that experimenting, like, that's— I don't know. I mean, for me, I know for my clients, because they're very creative, they don't mind experimenting in the creativity, but when it comes to their business, they're like, oh no, I don't know. Like, it's like, but this is just another reflection of your creativity. And that's what I like to tell people about their business is like, Yeah, there's the big corporate people and they figured it out and did it and they're doing all of that, but they didn't do it like overnight. Like it took them curiosity and creativity to get to where they are. When you said what you were saying, I couldn't help but think about Mary Kay Ash, just— oh yeah, her, her story of like, you know what, you just have to try. Like you just gotta do it and see what's gonna happen because you just Don't know what's gonna stick.

No, it's the truth. Well, and I think about it, I love what you said about the creatives. And so for those people, you know, have being creative, having that outlet is a really huge value. It's self-expression. Well, if you're not living that value in your actual business and how you run it, are you really living that value?

Exactly. That, yep, that quote, quote, quote that.

Quote that.

Yes.

Like if that's the value for you, is creative expression. What leverage that in how you build and run your own business. Creative, do it. Make it neat, make it cool, make it something that helps you live that value in every single thing that you do.

Yeah, yeah. This is why me and Lindsay are like, when we get on chats, we can like talk forever because we're very much like, yes, yes, like that's the thing. I think the creativity is just the thing that we miss and we lose. And then if you're coming from corporate, creativity is also stifled in the corporate space. So getting free and wanting to do it that way, it's like, this feels weird. And I don't know what, what this is, right? Like, isn't that—

there's some programming you have to get over, right?

Yeah, exactly.

Yes.

So for you, what are some things that inspire you? What gets you excited? What gets you like, you know what, even if it's a, am I being a punk kind of week? Like what gets you out of the bed to roll up and do the thing that you need to do?

Yeah. So, I mean, the first thing is doing really important, impactful, meaningful work with a great client, right? Someone who really desires to be a great leader from the inside out. Someone who really deeply desires to uncover, understand, and, and then really bring their values to life in, in every single thing they do. Doesn't matter what kind of day, week, or month I'm having, doing that work, being in that coaching connection with someone who is ready and willing to just open their heart and bare their soul That to me just gives me so much juice. Like, that's it right there. And then, you know, working— I was working with a client this morning on designing a compensation strategy for her rapidly growing, you know, marketing and communications business, right? She's hired some of her first employees. She really genuinely cares about compensating them properly and creating a bonus structure. Where they can, you know, they can see how they impact not just the financial well-being of the business, but clients. And again, leveraging their creativity and how the business is going to grow, that's really cool stuff because you can see the impact, the ripple effect that's going to have on her and her family, on her business, and on her team and their families, right? Yeah, that stuff is really cool to me to do.

Yeah, yeah, I, I agree with you. That's not like— that's amazing.

It's a lot of fun, right? So I, I love doing, you know, that deep meaningful work, but also some of that strategic stuff. That's, that's really cool. That's really cool for me.

So it's the thing that you actually do, that's the thing that inspires you?

100%.

I love that because it's like, it's a self-serving energy. Right. It's like an energy that's serving itself. So you're not looking necessarily outwardly in the sense of like, I need to be inspired by someone else. I am inspired by the work that I actually do.

Yeah, no, totally, totally. 100%. It is very inspiring to me.

That's so amazing. I think that's a piece that we don't talk about enough in the space of coaches. Like, we always are like, oh, such and such coach inspires me and how they do whatever. But I don't often hear coaches being like, you know what, just to do what I do in itself inspires me. Like, if I have to think about getting out of the bed and it's like, uh, I'm the first to say I'm with you. Like, I'm like, I have a client today, so I need to get up. It's like, it's the thing, right? Yeah.

Well, and I get to work with someone awesome. Yeah, we're gonna do awesome work. This is gonna be really cool. We're gonna find something we don't even know we're missing yet.

Mm-hmm.

That's neat. That's neat work, right? Yeah.

So when you, when you talk about your work with other people, like, so I was reading this post recently and they're like, we need to have like starting a business parties. Like, you know, there's baby showers and bridal showers and like, we need to start a thing where it's like, my friend is starting a coaching business or my friend is starting a artsy business and let's throw her a party. Like, can we do that? Can we do that? Y'all, like, seriously?

Yeah, we could totally do that. Yeah.

But for you, what is the thing that helps you be most successful in connecting with your clients? Like, yes, you have all the tools because you have all of those different literal tools in your hand to help them build those things out. But what helps you get that deep connection with your clients so that they feel like they trust you, like they know that they can trust you? What helps you with the deep connection piece?

Yeah, so I think there's sort of two pieces. I think some of it absolutely is the experience that I bring, you know, not only from the business world, but particularly that HR stuff, right? Like I, and I just said this at a senior coaches meeting last night, I'm— because I've worked in HR, I've worked with thousands of people and tons of big emotion. Inevitably, I'm not afraid, right? Getting deep with someone who is in the moment with a big fear or a big feeling does not frighten me. So being able— and I think people sense that, right? I'm able to stay right there, super connected, holding the space, holding them. And they know, they know intuitively that I have the strength to do that. And so I don't know if I would have that if I didn't have that sort of background in dealing with that, you know, sort of emotional level of things. But I also think I've always been one of those people, and my kids hate this. I've always been one of those people that will be standing in line at the grocery store and someone comes up to me and starts telling me their life story. And my kids are like, do you know that person? Like, What is happening? I'm like, no, they just— people just randomly talk to me and tell me weird things.

Glad I'm not alone. I think a lot of coaches have that kind of vibe. Yeah.

So I think people in— I think they sense, whether they would call it intuition or not, I think people pick up on that individuals like you and I, we are just open and accepting and we are wholehearted. Right? Like, I have always been the person that people come to for advice or a shoulder. Like, that has all— and I've always been a leader. I've been a, you know, the captain of every team I think I've ever been on. That, and, and just accepting that role and being okay with that, that's, that's what I am meant to do. I think when I accept that, then my clients are so much more open to feeling that, right? And also being authentically high voltage. I swore to myself when I left corporate, I was— stop— I was gonna stop being something that someone else wanted. And so now this is as good as it gets right here. This is it, right? I am me. This is— this is it. And I'm pretty awesome, but I'm not for everybody. And some high voltage is too much, and I am super cool with that. And thank you very much for stopping. But I'm not going to be anything other than that.

Yeah.

And so the people that come to work with me, they want high voltage, they need high voltage, they love it. Now, that doesn't mean that I can't get quiet and thoughtful, but it's still— the energy is always pulsing behind that. Yeah, that was a very long way to answer that question.

I know, it was an awesome way to answer that question because you're tapping into, like, knowing yourself. And this is something we've talked about off the show about the importance of not only knowing yourself, but claiming it. Like, there's ways that we can go around, like, playing small, but not playing small in the sense of, like, you know, go reach your $100,000K mark, whatever is like— and your coach is saying, no, go higher. No, I mean playing small and, like, little-ing the things that are your superpower. And I love that you're, like, super clear and you're like, that's what it is. That's what you're going to get. And if it's not for you, I'm okay with that. Are you okay with that? Then we're good. Like, it's like, I, I love that. That's the thing. And I think all of us have to learn that our success lies in that. Our success lies in knowing who we are, being okay with it. And yes, maybe there are some things about us that we don't necessarily like, but we're wanting to work on it.

That's cool too.

But know that that's who you are and you're working on it. Like, don't have any shame or any of that saboteur talk that we put in our heads. Just claim it and then move on and embrace it. And I love that's what you are literally vibing right now in this whole episode. It's like, this is what it is and this is who I am.

Yeah, it just has to be. First of all, I'm way too old for any of that crap anymore. Like, middle-aged, don't care, right? But I, like, I just, I think we all spend a ton of time, particularly again in our corporate careers, trying to be what someone else tells us is the standard of excellence.

Oh, right. Mm.

We work really hard to try and fit into and check off boxes that someone else has created. And when we start our own businesses, it is the opportunity for us to be who we've always meant to be. And to build the business in a way that is a reflection of us. There are literally millions of coaches in this world. I am one of many.

Yeah.

So the one thing that I have that is different from everybody else is me. It's this right here, right? That's what sets me apart right from the start, is I am high voltage, and I am unapologetically so.

Mm-hmm.

Right. Nobody else, nobody else can lay claim to that because that one's mine.

Yeah, and that's awesome, and that's awesome, and that's what we all— hopefully, if you're not high voltage and you're like, I'm soft-spoken, clingy girl, like, that's okay. There are people there for you, looking for you.

Exactly. I have a, I have a friend and colleague, and that's— she's an introvert, and she talks about being a quiet person, and that's who she works with, is quiet people. That is totally her jam. It makes perfect sense for her. And you know what? They flock to her in droves.

Yes, yes, yes. And you know, I, I like to like tie this together with like my story. Like, I fought for a long time thinking the chronic illness part of my journey needed to be hidden. And the moment I embraced it as if like, you know what, this is my life, this is what it is, it's You know, I've learned so much. It shifted everything for me. It shifted everything for my clients. That's the piece of thing that we're most afraid of to show, right? The thing that we think is going to get all negative thoughts that we think are going to be happening.

Oh yeah.

It's actually the thing that most people are going to be like, I need to know you because of that.

Just that little element of vulnerability, right? Because there's vulnerability in all of that. Yeah, that's what people really connect with. Yeah, that's what makes relationships really beautiful is when we can be heart to heart. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So I guess, what would be your tip for someone who is leaving corporate or wants to? Yeah, and it's like, you know, I thought I could be a coach, I've— I implement those kind of things. What would be your advice to them?

Yeah, so I think, you know, first and foremost, always for me goes back to you really need to do your work on your own values. That to me is some of the most important work you can do. What are your foundational values as a human being? What and why? Why are those important to you? And then how, how do you live that value? How do you do that? So if one of your values is integrity, How do you show up with integrity?

Yeah.

My value is authenticity. How do I bring authenticity to every single thing I do? Most importantly, if I'm gonna start my business, cuz if you're gonna start your business, it's gotta be grounded in those things.

Mm-hmm.

I think the second thing is, what's your purpose? What are you even doing here? Yeah. Like you're, Simon Sinek calls it your why.

Yeah.

Like what is that? And then get granular with that. What's your why as a person? What's your why in your business? When you have those two things, you got the building blocks.

Yeah.

And then if you're gonna bet on anything, bet on yourself, right? You are worth it and you, you absolutely can do it. Yeah. Now spend the time, you know, do some of the technical pieces, get your business plan together, spend some time thinking about what, what this, what is this product or service and who needs it? Like you gotta do some of that work too. Right? But it all has to be able to be tied back to your values and your purpose and who you are. Then you can figure all the businessy stuff out. And the other thing I would say is absolutely ignore all the experts on Instagram. Don't do it. Shut it off. Delete the app. Don't listen to them. There's so much crap out there. Right? I know you— I mean, we get bombarded with it all the time. Oh, buy this thing in 10K months and blah blah blah. And you know, oh, like, it just makes me want to— yeah, don't listen to that. Find a coach or a mentor that you deeply respect, that you deeply connect with, and work with them. And work with them for a period of time, right? And I'm not talking about spend 50 grand doing it. You know, because that— you don't need to do that. Yeah, find someone who can really help you, you, not just because they get results, right? I think those things are, are really, really important. And then make sure that you have your support team in place so that your friends and your family and your kids are on your side and they really understand what you're trying to do and, and how it relates to them. Like, you're doing make their life better too.

Yeah, yeah, that last piece, that could be a whole nother episode. Like, totally, you're right, like, that could be a whole nother episode, but about your people understanding why this is important to you and why it's important to them too. And that's a, that's a huge, huge point. So I love all of that, all of it. And yes, about— I'm with you on all of the advice. Take it, take it like a grain of salt, literally. Like, If it's for you, great. If it's not for you, it's okay.

And if it leaves you feeling less than— yes, if the advice leaves you feeling like you are stupid, inadequate, you don't know, you're not enough, run away screaming. That, that's a marketing technique. Yeah, they mean to make you feel bad so you will buy their crap.

Yeah.

So if you encounter advice or advertising that makes you feel yucky, yeah, don't take it.

Mm-hmm.

Don't take it.

Yeah. Just because it's out there, it's not real. I can't— there's this movie or something, it's like, it's a joke, but it's like, everything on the internet, it's real. And you're like, no, no, it's not.

Like, about 2%. Yeah, right. And we've seen some of that lately through some of these big influencers that modify their photographs, and then they kind of get busted, or some of these big, you know, celebrity coaches, and you recognize they don't coach. They don't do— actually do anything. They just run a business. They're not— they don't coach anybody, right?

Right.

Anybody in years, they don't know what— like, so I, I just think the most important thing you can do if you feel like you don't know, or it's— do I leave now? Do I wait? Do I do— find yourself some space. Get super quiet and calm. Take 10 deep breaths and listen to what your heart is telling you to do. That, I think, is some of the best advice I ever received, because when I can cut out all of the noise, my inner leader always knows the right choice for me.

Yeah, it's a— it's such a— I don't know, for you, I, I can, I can say this probably just based on what you just said, the One of the first things I tell my clients to do is to turn literally all the noise down. Like, it is— it's a hard stop because if you don't, you will not actually hear what it is that you need to do. You will not actually know what it is that you want to do, nevertheless need to do. So you have to turn the noise off or down. Like, just do what you can, but turn it down. And I'm 100% with you. And when you do, the results of whatever you're deciding to do, you will see the fruit of that so much quicker and so much more heartfelt that you will not doubt yourself going forward. You will stick your ground, you know, like you will stand your ground, right? Like on knowing, you know what, but I'm doing it this way. Like you will just know.

Yes, yes. And that's exactly it. And I can honestly say in my entire life, personally and professionally, the decisions that have gone sideways on me have always been ones that I didn't listen to my own inner leader. Whether it was my first marriage— now, I wouldn't have my oldest child if it wasn't for that, but like, I never should have married him. I too have been involved in programs where I thought, this is not right for me, what am I doing here? Because I didn't listen. Right. I've made choices around buying houses where I thought, oh, this was not it. Like, I should have, I should have known this. If I just turned down the noise, I would have been able to make a better, stronger decision.

Right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yep. 100%.

Oh, so good. So good. Well, how can we learn more about you, check you out? Hop into whatever world you are, especially if you're like high voltage like Lindsay. Like, let's, let's figure out how we can tap into your world.

Yeah, totally. So you can find me on my website, highvoltagel leadership.ca. I spend a ton of time on LinkedIn, so come and connect with me there. I always love to create new connections, so you can find me Lindsay White over there. I'm on Instagram at High Volt Leadership, and you can find me on Facebook too.

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being on the show. I just, I just love the energy you bring and your story. I just love it.

Well, thanks. I love spending time with you because we really are kindred spirits.

All right, y'all, that's a wrap. Thank you for listening, and I hope this conversation inspired you. Be sure to visit craftedtothrive.com to check out our show notes, connect with our guests, and grab some of those goodies. Join us for the next episode. And in the meantime, remember, yes, yes, yes, you are crafted to thrive.