The Porch with Lindsay Boccardo Lindsay Boccardo

As Millennials continue to grow into their forties and GenXers are moving into their sixties, there is a pressing issue that every workplace is dealing with. Their leaders need time off to take care of (not their kiddos) but their aging parents.

I brought Scott Sutherland on the Porch to provide a perspective on what this looks like and what questions we need to be asking our parents now so that we don't end up in a chaotic and heartbreaking situation later. 

Check out this fascinating conversation with Scott and grab his 10 Questions here:

https://www.practicewithlindsay.com/talktoyourparents

We had my dear friend and incredibly talented author, coach, and facilitator Kris Taylor on The Porch to talk about the trends in the workforce and how they are impacting all of us. It was such a thought-provoking conversation:

We’re seeing 3 main areas of change in the workforce and the all intersect and compound change for one another: 

-The work itself is changing - think AI, technology, etc.

-The workforce - demographics are changing quickly

-The workplace - we are becoming more virtual, more flat, and much more fluid

In order for us to successfully adapt to this ever-changing world we must adopt the identity of being agile and being a lifelong learner. 

It is important to have your own “report card” of what is important to you - the world is full of priorities (that are always changing) - by having your own true north you can avoid getting caught up in the chaos.

The people who will have more success and peace in their life in this increasingly complex business world, have decided to be more agile and are willing to adapt. 

We have to bake in some slow-ness into our work. It doesn’t excuse you from learning and growing, but you don't have to know everything immediately. Increasing your speed will only burn you out in the long run!

You can find Kris here ⬇️

LI Link:  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorkris/

Website: https://evergreenleadership.com/



Books: 

Owning It - Take Control of Your Life, Work, and Career

The Leader's Guide to Turbulent Times



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LinkedIn:  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayboccardo/

Website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com

Have you ever wondered what it's like to work with a coach? Missy's new book "Forces at Work" will introduce you to life-coaching principles and stories that give you that sense of wonder and imagination many of us lost as we grew up and took on adulting. 



We covered a lot of topics during our conversation: 

🌟 Seeing challenges as catalysts

🛑 Navigating the Information Age and taking care of our minds so that we can find our inner wisdom 

📓 Journaling for daily self-care and imagination 



So much is crammed into these 40 minutes - I can't wait to hear what you think!



You can find Missy here ⬇️

https://www.missyshopshire.com/



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LinkedIn:  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayboccardo/

Website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com​

We had Forbes' top-rated speaker Jess Ekstrom on The Porch to talk about speaking with confidence and using your story to make a difference. There is so much great advice in here for speakers.

Here are just some of the tips she shared:

1. A good story has a Premise and Promise. Your Premise is your story. The Promise is the takeaway for the audience. The lessons you’ve learned shared in your premise can apply to everyone through a promise.


2. The best speakers have a curious mindset and are learners, not just tellers.


3. You don’t have to be the expert on the stage to be credible. Simply being ahead of the game compared to your audience, having an interesting story, and a relatable message is enough to provide value and influence to your audience.


4. You decide what your “success currency” is for yourself. It won’t be the same for everyone and the freedom is letting go of the expectations of others with different currency expectations compared to you.

There are so many ways to stay in Jess' world in real life. Her weekly hype texts (which I receive and LOVE), her Mic Drop Workshop, TikTok, LinkedIn... stay connected so you can borrow her courage!



You can find Jess here ⬇️
LI Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-ekstrom-speaker-author/

Website: https://micdropworkshop.com/
Sign up for her weekly hype text: 704-228-9495 - text the word: HYPE

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayboccardo/
Website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com

This month, I came on the Porch solo to talk about my experience as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

There were several reasons we held a special Porch session:
1. Representation. There were folks on the call from all different backgrounds. I work with many leaders who are working hard to understand someone different than them. I also know many folks who are closeted for fear of losing their job, their stability, and their community. I did this to create a safe place for those that have known me for years.

2. To talk about implicit bias and learn about how the brain categorizes information naturally. We really can't stop how our brain categorizes information but we can choose how we interpret it!

3. To give some direction for how business and non-profit leaders can be more supportive of their LGBTQIA+ teammates.

If you are looking for ways to support your LGBTQIA colleagues, here are some starting points:

1. Spend quality time with LGBTIA+ folks and show up to events that are designed to celebrate them. It shows us that you’re safe and you care about our well-being.
2. Know that actions speak loudly. If you put a pride flag pin on your jacket, we notice it. You are sending us a clear signal that you get it.
3. Be mindful of the language used when talking about families, whether you are speaking to adults or children. Many folks do not live with their mom and dad in the same houses. This could be from divorce or death, or maybe there wasn't a mom and dad to begin with. Using language about "moms and dads" makes it hard for many people to feel like they belong.
4. Establish an employee resource group. There is power in numbers and representation matters! Find a champion in a senior leadership position to give the group a voice. You can find more information about that here: https://www.hrc.org/resources/establishing-an-employee-resource-group


Know that your words and actions matter. Teens are at risk and are watching the way we speak and act around LGBTQIA issues.

There is plenty of research available but two important sites I'd like to highlight:

1. LGBTQ Youth are more likely to be bullied at school:
https://www.hrc.org/news/new-cdc-data-shows-lgbtq-youth-are-more-likely-to-be-bullied-than-straight-cisgender-youth

2. LGBTQ Youth are more likely to attempt suicide:
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide/


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LinkedIn: " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayboccardo/
Website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com

We had bestselling author Mark C. Crowley on The Porch to talk about what it looks like to Lead From The Heart.

Warning: Do not be confused by the word "heart". This is not a fluffy interview full of cozy stories. Mark brings research and years of leadership experience to the table to tell us the biological NEED for us to change the way we lead others.

Here's some of what we covered:
- We need to ask ourselves if we are willing to make life better for those we lead or if we want folks to experience the same hardship we did.
-Human beings are hardwired to reciprocate - if you treat them well they want to treat you well. But it has to be genuine care and not a quid pro quo expectation.
-We have to practice boundaries, not just talk about them. Consider those after-hours emails and texts that ruin your teammate's time away from the office. (It doesn't matter if you say "don't worry about it until Monday" it was still sent...)
-Do a gut check on why you're talking about well-being at work. Is it a means to get more productivity out of employees? This is not helpful. Employees know when it's not genuine. The heart tells us.
-We now know that the heart is not just a pump. It's the core of our humanity. It's sending information even ahead of what the brain is able to process.
-The heart is connected to EVERYTHING, without it, everything else does not work.

The future of leadership is not just an intellectual exercise, it's a spiritual and emotional one. We must align ourselves with human nature as we lead into the future.

You can find Mark here ⬇️
LI Link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markccrow...
Website: https://markccrowley.com/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Lead-Heart-Tra...

KEEP IN TOUCH 🌏
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaybo...
Website: https://www.lindsayboccardo.com