38. Life Lessons The Operations Room: A Podcast for COO’s

In this unique episode, Bethany Ayers and Brandon Mensinga share their personal stories. This episode is simply titled: Life Lessons. Bethany and Brandon are experienced scale-up COO’s and the co-hosts of the Operations Room. 
We chat about the following lessons: 
Know where you want to goLean into the fearDon’t try to be somebody elseFocus on the job that is in front of youKnow your superpowerAccept critical feedback for what it is Leadership is about serving othersFind people who stretch youTake opportunities when they present themselvesDon’t be a victim, take responsibility for your lifeDo uncomfortable thingsCultivate your networkBe kind. Be respectful. Accept the fact that people won’t like you
Summary:
Career goals and adaptability. 0:05Brandon and Bethany discuss their sleeping difficulties, with Bethany experiencing a bird phobia-related insomnia and Brandon going to a quiz night with his wife.Bethany struggles to fall asleep due to her bird phobia, while Brandon enjoys a UK-centric quiz night with his wife.Bethany Ayers shares her lesson learned from her career journey: know where you want to go, but be open to opportunities.Brandon Mensa adds to the discussion, emphasizing the importance of being clear on one's goals while remaining flexible and open to new experiences.Overcoming fear and ambition in business. 4:31Brandon shares his experience of struggling to land a job during an internship programme, despite applying for 10 marketing roles and interviewing 10 times without success.Brandon overcame his anxiety related to telephone interviews by taking small steps, such as practicing with friends and using positive self-talk, to build his confidence and land a job as a marketing specialist.Brandon leaned into his fear and ambition to secure a job, despite a long commute and initial discomfort.Leveraging his motivation and ambition, he drove himself to fulfill the potential of the company, learning to manage his fear along the way.Personal growth and career development. 9:37Bethany emphasizes the importance of embracing discomfort and being the best version of oneself, rather than trying to be someone else.She encourages individuals to focus on their unique strengths and skills, rather than comparing themselves to others.Brandon recognizes the value of his own strengths and weaknesses, and stops comparing himself to extroverts.Brandon takes inspiration from others' ways of working and incorporates them into his own toolkit, rather than mimicking them exactly.Bethany prioritizes becoming a domain expert and a practitioner in her field, focusing on the job she has and building her skills to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.Brandon emphasizes the importance of focusing on the job and becoming a craftsperson, with opportunities for advancement and job security following suit.Embracing unique strengths and work ethic for career success. 17:09Bethany struggles with imposter syndrome and feeling unimportant in a leadership role due to her lack of a specific functional expertise.Bethany...