The Legendary Leaders Podcast Cathleen O'Sullivan – Leadership Consultant, Thinking Partner and Podcast

Get ready for an insightful and inspiring conversation with our host Cathleen O’Sullivan that will leave you with a fresh perspective on burnout and leadership, leading with resilience, and the true meaning of success.
 
In episode 135 of Legendary Leaders, our guest is Julie Bee, a renowned burnout strategist and author passionate about helping entrepreneurs navigate business ownership challenges while prioritising their overall well-being. 
 
Julie shares invaluable advice on recognising and addressing burnout in the world of entrepreneurship, emphasising the importance of building support systems, avoiding misleading advertising, and redefining what being successful means.
 
Ready to learn more? 
 
Episode Timeline: 
 
[07:00] Hospital stay led to reflection, and burnout discussion.
[15:27] Recognise burnout
[18:51] Indications of struggling with mental wellness.
[23:49] Summer 2021: Burnout led to helpful book.
[28:23] Prioritised self-care and clear busy schedule.
[32:55] Not showing up annoys me, I communicate.
[37:44] Establish regular sleep routine, avoid alcohol.
[43:09] Business owner's success relies on support network.
[55:09] Define success beyond goals and business achievements.
[01:17] Address burnout before tackling business initiatives.
[01:29] Plan to prevent burnout during holiday season  
 
Key Takeaways: 
Understanding Individual Paths: Julie emphasises the importance of allowing people to figure things out for themselves and not expecting a quick fix.
Effective Outsourcing: We highlight the significance of treating freelancers from platforms like Upwork as part of the team.
Mutual Commitment and Loyalty: Julie and I discuss the crucial need for structured onboarding processes and testing potential hires.



About Julie Bee: 
Julie Bee isn’t just an award-winning entrepreneur – she’s been dubbed the “small business fixer" by her clients and peers. With over 15 years in the entrepreneurial field, Julie has solidified her reputation as a dynamic consultant, a riveting speaker, and a leader who sheds light on the darker side of business ownership. Whether it's reshaping workplace cultures or empowering leaders, her influence proves game-changing for those who collaborate with her.
 
Connect with Julie:
Social Media Links:
https://twitter.com/thejuliebee 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejuliebee/ 
https://www.instagram.com/thejuliebee_/ 
 
Julie has two freebies to offer - 30 Ways to Say No for Business Owners or 5 Cost-Effective Roles to Outsource on Upwork: 
https://pages.thejuliebee.com/30waysno 
https://pages.thejuliebee.com/5rolestooutsource 
 
Book recommendation: https://a.co/d/6aRIgla  



Connect:
 
Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan 
Business: www.cathleenmerkel.com    
Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel/ 
Instagram: @legendary_leaders_cathleenos   
 
 
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In leadership positions, it’s important to embrace change and progress. Here, to talk about change through communication, is Ulrike Seminati. 

 

In Episode 134 of The Legendary Leaders Podcast, Ulrike talks about how to become your authentic self, overcome insecurities, and balance our perfectionism. She also shares about combining change and communication, becoming more inclusive, and how to avoid making communication mistakes. 

 

Ready to learn more? 

 

Episode Timeline: 

[07:54] What is Ulrike in service of? 


[10:38] Becoming her authentic self. 
[21:42] Dealing with insecurities. 
[32:39] Balancing the two sides of perfectionism. 
[45:33] Change combined with communication. 
[55:50] Know your people. 


[65:43] How to practically become more inclusive. 
[78:37] Top tips to avoid communication mistakes. 
[81:55] Focusing in a digital world. 

 
 

Key Takeaways: 


How to become your authentic self. 
How to overcome our insecurities. 
How to balance the two sides of perfectionism. 
Combining change and communication. 
How to become more inclusive. 


How to avoid communication mistakes. 

 

Notable Quotes: 

“There’s no job without change anymore.” - Ulrike Seminati [08:20] 
“Help yourself first, and then you help others.” - Ulrike Seminati [57:32] 


“Listen for understanding, instead of listening to reply.” - Ulrike Seminati [79:42] 

 

Connect: 

Find | Ulrike Seminati 
 

Business: ulrikeseminati.com 
Facebook: https://facebook.com/ulrikeseminati 


LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ulrikeseminati 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ulrikeseminati/ 
Free Guide: https://ulrikeseminati.com/the-art-of-persuasion/ 

 

 

Bio: 

As a well-established coach and consultant, and former C-level executive, Ulrike is the go-to expert for authentic leadership and impactful communication. 

By combining cutting-edge self-development techniques with her vast hands-on experience as a Corporate Communications Executive, she helps leaders to build credibility, trust, and lead change, through effective communication.  Ulrike's clients benefit from her pragmatic and user-friendly tools that enable them to make lasting improvements. 

 
In all her years as a professional, the one thing that has struck her time and again is: The sustainable benefit of leader training which all too often comes to nothing because the individual is unable to implement what they have learned. That is why she has shaped training programs that follow an integrative approach: she empowers the successful application of proven communication techniques by releasing the authentic personal style of every individual. 

Prior to founding her company in 2019, Ulrike worked as a Corporate Communications leader for over 20 years in a variety of industries, steadily climbing the corporate ladder until she became a member of the executive committee of an international pharmaceutical company based in Zurich in 2015. 

 
Ulrike holds an MA in Marketing Management from Robert Schuman University in Strasbourg, France. She is a CCA-certified coach, a member of the International Association of Coaching Institutes (ICI), and founder and host of the podcast, Empowering Female Leaders. 

 

 

 

 

 

Recommendations: 

 

 

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When building healthy relationships in leadership, it is important to acknowledge our humanness and the effects of generational traumas. Here, to talk about breaking generational traumas and creating opportunities, is Dez Rock. 

 

In Episode 133 of The Legendary Leaders Podcast, Dez talks about allowing ourselves to be human as leaders, the importance of breaking generational traumas, and the experience of trying to fit in with rejection sensitivity. She also shares about the effects of societal expectations, how to balance authenticity and societal norms, building relationships and loyalty in teams, and neurodiversity in leadership. 

 

Ready to learn more? 

 

Episode Timeline: 

 

[06:46] What’s in a name? 


[10:09] Not being strong all the time. 
[23:14] Dez’s hit-the-wall moment. 
[27:01] Who is Dez Rock? 
[33:55] How Dez learned the lessons. 
[52:25] Fitting in with rejection sensitivity. 


[57:42] The unspoken societal expectations. 
[59:47] Being authentic vs satisfying others. 
[63:44] Why is it okay to kill a cockroach but not a butterfly? 
[65:48] Building relationships and loyalty. 
[75:21] Neurodiversity as a CEO. 


 

Key Takeaways: 

The importance of acknowledging when we’re not running at 100%. 
Taking the opportunity to grow through adversity. 
How to break generational traumas. 


Why not all opinions matter. 
How to balance authenticity and societal norms. 
How to build relationships and loyalty. 
How neurodiversity affects leadership. 

 


Notable Quotes: 

 

“Poor decisions are worse than decisions.” - Dez Rock [21:09] 
“Lessons learned the hard way; they tend to stick.” - Dez Rock [24:41] 
“You are what is stopping you.” - Dez Rock [51:27] 

 


Find | Dez Rock 
 

Business: https://siemonster.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dez-rock 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/deztraction 
 
 
 
 
 

Bio: 

Dez Rock has been an entrepreneur for over 20 years. Mentoring others on career and negotiation skills, she has now focused in on her own business, dropping out of law school to start SIEMonster several years ago. 

 
Her greatest strength is always seeing the big picture. A start-up requires a person who can always fight all fronts without losing perspective and making things personal; this is where she excels. 
 

Dez’s mind works at a fast pace. With her ability to see solutions and paths like puzzle pieces, she has managed to take a great idea to market and make it grow. She sees every challenge as an opportunity and thrives well under pressure. 
 

With experience traveling and working in three different countries, Dez has become an expert on managing staff in various locations.  

 

 

Recommendations: 

 

 

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Some may perceive confidence as being the loudest communicator in the room. In today’s episode, Cathleen continues the topic of direct communication, with a focus on building confidence in your communication style.
 
In Episode 132 of The Legendary Leaders Podcast, Cathleen talks about the nature of confidence, being self-aware, how to live in alignment, how you can become & remain a confident communicator, and how to stay calm and centred during challenging conversations.
 
Ready to learn more?
 
Episode Timeline:
[03:35] What is confidence? [05:42] Self-awareness. [06:31] What are your top 3 strengths at work? [07:15] What are your top 3 weaknesses at work? [07:31] How have you improved in your career? [07:48] When at work, do you feel in control, or do you feel like you are on autopilot? [09:39] Living in alignment. [13:11] How to become a confident communicator. [17:37] Staying calm and centred during challenging conversations. [19:39] Tools for managing emotional situations more effectively. [23:22] In summary.  
Key Takeaways:
How to know when you are confident. How to live in alignment. How to become and remain a confident communicator. How to stay calm and centred during challenging conversations.  
Notable Quotes:
“Confidence is being so sure in yourself that you don’t have to be the loudest.” – Cathleen O’Sullivan [04:06] “Self-awareness is your capacity to understand and focus on you.” – Cathleen O’Sullivan [08:10] “Don’t just prepare for what you need to say. Prepare for what you need to hear.” – Cathleen O’Sullivan [14:05] “89% of professionals let conflict escalate before addressing it.” – Cathleen O’Sullivan [21:34]  
Connect:

Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan
Business: cathleenmerkel.com
Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel-2b0991151
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cathleenmerkel
Twitter: twitter.com/CathleenMerkel7
 
 
 
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When thinking about leadership development, few think of the connection between horses and leadership. Here, to talk about the leadership lessons we could learn from horses, is Summer Davies.
 
In Episode 131 of The Legendary Leaders Podcast, Summer talks about how she got into the leadership space, the truth about “brokenness”, and the power of horse meditation. She also shares about the gaps in frontline leadership development, the importance of clear and frequent communication, micromanagement vs delegation, and paying attention to our verbal and non-verbal communication.
 
Ready to learn more?
 
Episode Timeline:
[09:32] From horses to leadership. [17:18] The truth about “brokenness.” [20:00] Helping leaders find their successes. [24:01] Horse meditation. [36:10] Summer’s biggest lessons. [39:14] Breaking people’s trust. [47:15] Frontline leadership development. [52:45] Untrained frontline leadership challenges. [55:42] The importance of clear and frequent communication. [57:39] Micromanagement vs delegation. [64:02] Non-verbal communication. [66:39] Delegation, accountability, and remote work. [72:06] The current trends in leadership.  
Key Takeaways:
How to find sustainable solutions. The importance of prioritising frontline leadership development. The impact of clear and frequent communication. The difference between micromanagement and delegation.  
Notable Quotes:
“Sustainable solutions are often not fast.” - Summer Davies [22:32] “The opposite of belonging is fitting in.” - Summer Davies [75:25]  
Find | Summer Davies
Business: https://www.leader-shop.com
 
Bio:
Summer Davies is the Principle of LeaderShop. She is an award-winning leadership development expert with over 15 years of experience cultivating thriving work environments where individuals feel equipped, capable, valued, and connected. She specialises in guiding emerging leaders to develop the mindset and tactical skills required to lead with impact, confidence, and empowerment, whilst loving what they do. 
 
 
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When thinking about remote work nowadays, most people’s experiences are with working remotely during the pandemic. Here, to talk about building a successful remote, global company, is Nataly Kelly.
 
In this Episode 130 of The Legendary Leaders Podcast, Nataly talks about leading remote teams over the years, managing remote work expectations, and dealing with language barriers. She also shares about having no headquarters, the key ingredients for a successful global organisation, and being intentional about taking career steps.
 
Ready to learn more?
 
Episode Timeline:
[06:43] A bit about Nataly. [08:11] How does Nataly do all of it? [16:15] How to go remote-first. [22:20] Productivity. [27:27] Micro-messages on camera. [35:45] Supporting language barriers. [40:56] Recruiting for a global team. [47:26] No headquarters. [51:37] Considering the customer. [58:00] Why Nataly wrote the book. [68:45] The key ingredients for successful global organisations. [77:25] Taking the next career step.  
Key Takeaways:
How to run effective remote teams. How to manage remote work productivity. How to deal with support members across language barriers. Recruiting team members without familiarity bias. Building a globally equitable organisation. The importance of considering customers. The key ingredients for global success.  
Notable Quotes:
“Pandemic remote work isn’t the same as normal remote work.” – Nataly Kelly [17:50] “Outcomes and outputs are what matter the most.” - Nataly Kelly [26:42] “Talking to customers is the number one thing that everyone should do.” - Nataly Kelly [52:01] “None of this works if you don’t build trust with people.” - Nataly Kelly [75:33] “It doesn’t have to be as hard as we think, sometimes.” - Nataly Kelly [83:52]  
Connect: Find | Nataly Kelly

Business: https://borntobeglobal.com
https://www.rebrandly.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalykelly
 

Bio:
Nataly is the Chief Growth Officer at Rebrandly, a regular contributor for Harvard Business Review, author of Take Your Company Global and Found in Translation, business advisor for Lottie Dolls, and board member of MultiLingual.
 
Recommendations:
 
 
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