Category Archives: Scrappy Women

BOOK LAUNCH: Allow Life to Happen

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Guest Post by Beth McGill, Thrive Flourish & Grow

Mom’s Spirit 

It was October 11, 2012, at 9:00 PM and I held my mom’s hands as she took her final breath  on this planet. My entire world was turned upside down and inside out. My mom was gone.  My body felt numb. She had been my rock, my best friend and my everything! When  something good happened to me, I called her. When something bad happened, I called  her. I suddenly felt alone in a way that I couldn’t express in words. Then, later that night as  I lay in bed in the hotel room I cried, not sobbing, just tears streaming down my face. I  finally relaxed and lying on my back, I felt my mom’s spirit press down on the blanket  around my shoulders, like she was tucking me in for the last time. The bed moved  downward enough for me to realize that this was real. It wasn’t a dream. 

Immediately, I started out on a personal journey. Was it a mental journey or a spiritual  journey? I had no clue, but I knew that my life needed something. 

I started to question everything! I started to be aware of anything! 

Warrior Heart 

In a few short months, the timing was right, and I invested in a one-day retreat in Santa  Barbara with a coach that I had listened to on a local radio station.  

It was January 12th, 2013. Continue reading→

Shocking Ways Personal Brands Will Make You a Better Leader

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Guest post in our leadership series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Shocking Ways Personal Brands Will Make You a Better Leader creates a thoughtful perspective on the future of leadership development.

After decades worth of studying leadership development and career advancement, there is a powerful truth that presents itself. Anyone in a leadership role that wants to be a better leader should understand this basic principle. Shocking ways personal brands will make you a better leader is the easiest way to command attention from a team regardless of how many people you lead.

Let’s look at leadership from two main perspectives. The first perspective is the individual perspective. This is otherwise known as a personal brand. The second perspective is the collective or team where each individual contributor adds to the greater whole. Somewhere in the middle is where it seems to go off the rails. Good leaders can get distracted when they need to keep it simple. The shocking truth is that being a better leader is easier when you focus on personal brands. Here’s how we do it!

The basic objective in leadership is to get the individual contributors to effectively and productively work toward the common goal with less effort. Turning this complicated task into a simple solution is easy. The right approach leads to simplicity. Let’s consider the shocking ways personal brands will make you a better leader by focusing on personal brands.

Shockingly Simple Ways to Use a Personal Brand to Lead

Anyone in a leadership position may already know the difficulty that comes when leading teams of individual contributors. The bigger the team, the more difficult the task. Using a simple approach repeatedly makes you a better leader.Continue reading→

Common Roots: Shifting Context – Leadership Springs from Within

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What does a rubber chicken like this one? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have to do with a book like this one?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, Kimberly Wiefling (rubber chicken lady) met Linda Alepin (now author of above book) when they started their study of generative leadership as young professionals.  

Kimberly was inspired by the principles of vision, listening, and dreaming to become widely known in the leadership arena, particularly working with innovative Japanese companies.  

Linda took the same principles into industry, academia, founding a not for profit that worked with hundreds of people around the globe and, finally, to this book.  

Join Linda as the author (and Kimberly as a participant) on Friday, February 4 from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM PST (GMT -8).  You will hear stories of people from around the world who are featured in the book. 

It’s FREE.  Register at bit.ly/shifting-context-launch.

Shifting Context:  Leadership Springs from Within is available for pre-sale at Amazon https://amzn.to/3IHdJFS.  

Here is what Rayona Sharpnack had to say about the book:

“Shifting Context: Leadership Springs from Within is an important book at an important time in history. Research consistently shows that countries who seriously invest in women’s and girls’ empowerment get a dramatic return on their investment financially, socially, and in all ways that matter for a civil society. 

The women featured in this book are exemplars of that important investment! 

The book will inspire you, move you, and remind you of the hidden power that women have to make all of our lives better. Kudos to Linda and Barbara for their essential leadership in this movement for social entrepreneurship!”

 —Rayona Sharpnack, Founder/CEO at Institute for Gender Partnership and Women’s Leadership, Inc. 

These true stories of sheroes and heroes from around the world will inspire you.  They demonstrate how leadership that springs from within brings about real social change. 

If you are a passionate leader who wants to create greater impact do not miss this book launch and be sure to read the book. 

5 Ways to Ask for What You Want

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Contributed article in our professional empowerment series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

During a talk I was explaining the spirit of generosity, the final mindset in my book, The Connector’s Advantage. The idea of giving because you can, because you want to, giving because it feels good to you and without expectation of anything in return.  

My passionate please was interrupted when a woman in the audience loudly grumbled, “I’m tired of giving.” She threw her hands up in the air and continued, “No one ever gives back.” I paused quickly trying to determine why this could be happening to her. Then I questioned, “What have you asked for?” With a look of something between surprise and confusion she thought about it for a moment and then, a bit deflated said, “nothing.”

It is hard to ask for what you want, but you’ll never get it unless you do. I always say, “If you don’t ask, the answer is no. If you do ask, you immediately increase your odds.” We can’t expect others to read our minds and know what we want (and yes, that includes our significant others.) So, let’s talk about how to make ‘the ask’ easy so you can get what you want with the least amount of stress.

First, get clear on your fear. Are you worried you will come off as pushy or annoying? Do you feel guilty that you never did anything for them? Are you worried about jeopardizing the friendship or making them feel uncomfortable?

If any of these sounds familiar, choose a strategy to counter your concern. Below are five pressure-free ‘asks’ that snuff the stress out of these situations for you and the person you are asking the favor of.

The “Opt-Out Ask”
When you make this type of request, you will actually provide the reason why they may say no. You want to make ‘no’ as easy as saying yes. After all, yes feels good and no makes me want to avoid you. By making it easy to say ‘no’ you protect the relationship and leave the door open for a ‘yes’ down the road. For example, “I am interested in learning more about the day-to-day responsibilities of your job and the company you work for. Would you be available for an informational interview?  If you are too swamped with work, though, I understand.”Continue reading→

You Can Beat Autoimmune!

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We are delighted to host this guest post in support of the wonderful work that Palmer Kippola is doing to help people reclaim their best lives. Enjoy! – Kimberly

I’m Palmer Kippola, certified Functional Medicine Health Coach and I used to have MS.

If you’re plagued with frustrating or debilitating autoimmune symptoms like profound fatigue, aches and pains, numbness and tingling, brain fog, or all of the above you’re not alone. About one in five Americans, or roughly ten percent of the world’s population, suffers from one of the more than 100 autoimmune diseases. It’s estimated that the prevalence and cost of autoimmune disease is greater than cancer, heart disease and diabetes combined, and it’s one of the top ten causes of death in women under age sixty-four. Long haul COVID may very well be classified as an autoimmune disease too.

Autoimmunity is epidemic today but it doesn’t have to be that way.

While it took me more than two decades of trial and error to finally reverse the MS, and another 5 years to study how that was even possible, it can be far quicker, more straightforward, and less costly to reverse or prevent autoimmune conditions today.

You may be thinking all this sounds a little too good to be true. And who can blame you? You probably haven’t heard many people say, “I used to have MS,” and most likely, your doctor hasn’t mentioned anything beyond the use of prescription medication to “manage” your condition. Although millions of Americans suffer from at least one of the myriad autoimmune disorders, the best the current medical establishment can provide is little more than medications, which may in an ironic twist, trigger additional autoimmune conditions, and even cancer. That’s because most conventional doctors have never learned how to effectively treat chronic disease, like autoimmune disorders, type 2 diabetes, and dementia.

In other words, what your doctor doesn’t know can hurt you. Thankfully, despite Western medicine’s current limitations, groundbreaking studies in the last decade have given us the science we need to prevent, and yes, even reverse autoimmune disorders.Continue reading→

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My friend’s 5 year old daughter, Dejanah, published her first short book on Amazon as part of a series. She is so excited about it. Her Mum says “She really worked hard on this and saw this process through, even the publishing part that my husband helped with. So she has asked me to share the news!” Enjoy! – Kimberly

The author describes this as an epic book. It is part of a series, and is only part one. It is about Serena, a superhero, and she is great! More books about her will be coming out that explain her legacy. This is a beautiful book. It is magical, is very mysterious, and it is very funny. It explains a tiny bit of her life. Follow her as she explores the nether, in search of her sister.Continue reading→

Becoming a Student of Leadership – Making Leadership a Practice, by Jeffrey Page

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If EVER there was a book excerpt MADE for our blog, THIS IS IT! AND Jeff mentions CLUCKSTERS and CHICKENS!! What could be MORE scrappy??!! Enjoy scrappy gal pals! – Kimberly

About the Book

Becoming a Student of Leadership – Making Leadership a Practice is a book about leadership in the broadest sense of the word. It asserts that we all serve as leaders in some way, and we need to become students of leadership to learn how best to lead from our various positions within an organization. As students, we must practice with a drive to continually improve and with the humility to know that we’ll never be finished learning. The most effective leaders spend less time trying to prove what they know and more time creating opportunities for everyone to learn.

The book is written as a series of stories, meditations, and essays about various aspects of leadership including the influence of ego, the importance of humility, the power of radical candor, and the ability to address adversity with generosity and an assumption of positive intent. Many of the pieces present stories about Jeff’s work and life experiences — and often about his mistakes and shortcomings — that led him to revelations about how to become a better leader.

Book Excerpt

Jeff felt the following excerpt of “Becoming a Student of Leadership” might resonate with readers of the “Scrappy Women” blog – and not only because of the word “scrappy” is in the title. As you will see in the excerpt below, Jeff and his wife Lisa admire and applaud the scrappiness of daughter Nicole…

Get Scrappy

When my wife Lisa and I think of our daughter Nicole, there’s one word that usually comes to mind: “Scrappy.”

Describing Nicole as scrappy is an expression of our fondness and admiration for her bold and determined, go-getter attitude. We don’t think of the word’s more quarrelsome connotations. If anything, Nicole is conflict-averse.Continue reading→

Happy DRJ App for Children Diagnosed with Autism

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We are delighted to host this guest post in support the the wonderful work that Dr. Dustow is doing. Enjoy! – Kimberly

I’m Dr. Jennifer Dustow, a Cognitive Behavioral Learning Specialist who have been working with children diagnosed under the autism spectrum for over 17 years. One of the devastating aspects regarding autism is the cost for treatments. After many years of repeatedly witnessing families being financially drained, bankrupted and forced to stop much needed treatments, I just knew I needed to do something.

So in order to assist families, I decided to create an app both in Apple and Android that is simple to use, very inexpensive and highly effective. This app is in no way designed to replace treatments but rather a supplement to aid in left and right brain hemisphere communication which leads to increase focus.

When a brain is able to focus learning occurs.

The Happy DRJ app was created and geared for children 2+ diagnosed under the autism spectrum. However, children with other diagnoses are also benefiting.

Continue reading→

Meet Chryseis Knight – Possibly the Youngest Child Author

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Welcome to this special post! It’s truly my pleasure to feature Chryseis Knight here. She wrote her first book when she was 3. Now THAT is SCRAPPY! Below in the images is the message she wrote to me, transcribed by her dear dad. Enjoy! – Kimberly   

WRITTEN by a 3-year-old . . . “The Great Big Lion“! I got to meet Chryseis virtually last week. She’s AWESOME!

Dear Kimberly, here are my thoughts about writing & why I write books.

Why books?

  1. Because when you read books, they are always exciting. You never get tired of reading them.
  2. Because when you read a book, you cannot stop reading it. When its time to put the book down you feel that was such a wonderful read & get inspired to write books too!
  3. Because when you read books, your mind is opened to another world, full of wizards & witches & fairies, & even pixies!
  4. Because when you read a book you feel like you are all of the characters, you feel sucked into the book & you don’t expect it to end at all!
  5. Because when you read books you finally know which kind of book you like, whether it’s a funny book, a horror book or a fantasy book.

Why I write books?Continue reading→

What’s a Shero and How To Become Your Own

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Who

Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Sheroes can derive from all backgrounds and ages. Whether it is Greta Thunberg who is only a teenager devoting her life to stopping climate change or Arianna Huffington who has become one of the most accomplished business women in history, these women are sheroes by definition.

The term was coined during the suffrage movement in the 1836 but is more relevant than ever today: A woman who is admired or idealized for her courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities is considered a shero. These qualities seldomly come easy and are the result of hard work and dedication. To help you become your own shero, FTD has gathered nine tips from empowered women to set you in the right direction.

Take small steps but commit to the process and you’ll soon find yourself inspiring other women. Don’t forget to acknowledge the sheroes in your life by thanking them for being an inspiration and empowering women around them. By lifting each other up, we can create a supportive community that females across the globe will benefit from.