1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,200 Andrea Johnson, transformational leadership coach, 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:06,080 intentional optimist. 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:07,680 Tell me about your vision. 4 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:08,680 Let's hear about it. 5 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:12,480 Well, it took me at least 50 years to figure out 6 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:15,960 that I didn't want to play by everybody else's rules. 7 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,600 And once I did, it took me another two or three years 8 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,120 to kind of figure out a general direction I wanted to go. 9 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,700 I spent almost 25 years in higher education, 10 00:00:25,700 --> 00:00:27,600 which is a great pursuit. 11 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,880 I did administration operations, research administration. 12 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:32,320 I managed people. 13 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:35,300 I made sure clinical trials got put through faster 14 00:00:35,300 --> 00:00:38,660 so that patients could have access to new medications. 15 00:00:38,660 --> 00:00:42,160 I made sure that post-docs had what they needed 16 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:45,640 and that all the doctors were supported well. 17 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,680 And yet I still felt completely unfulfilled. 18 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,680 And I realized that part of it was I was born 19 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:54,520 to be more of an inspirer and more of a leader. 20 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:56,360 I just don't like to manage. 21 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,320 I have a really hard time sitting down with people 22 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,840 and having them say, yeah, I'm here to punch a time clock. 23 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,240 And if that's where they need to be, 24 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:05,280 that's where they need to be. 25 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:07,720 I don't need to be in their circle 26 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,240 because that's not the kind of person I want to be. 27 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:14,120 So my vision started about seven years ago 28 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:15,680 where I decided I needed to find out 29 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,120 what I wanted to stand for, who I was, 30 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:19,800 and how I wanted to move forward. 31 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:21,360 And about five years ago, 32 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:23,080 a friend introduced me to John Maxwell 33 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,360 and I became a certified Maxwell team, 34 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:29,120 disc speaker trainer and coach 35 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,520 and disc consultant speaker trainer and coach. 36 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,560 And I realized that this was an opportunity 37 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,240 to go into the same organizations 38 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,400 that I was trying to work inside 39 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:41,640 and offer them something from the outside 40 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,320 that would better their communication, 41 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:45,520 that would help them grow, 42 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,040 that would help them with their organizational structures. 43 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,680 And as I dove even deeper into the coaching side of it, 44 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,360 I realized that for me, for the last 30 years, 45 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:56,800 I started with Franklin Covey. 46 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,440 And I have from 30 years ago, 47 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,680 my governing values from when I read Steve Covey's book. 48 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,400 And that was the last exercise in it. 49 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,400 And I still have it laminated with packing tape. 50 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,360 And as I looked more at core values, 51 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:11,960 I realized this is the building block 52 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:13,520 that everything else is built on. 53 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:16,200 And so my vision is to help other people understand 54 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:17,960 that whether or not you live in a way, 55 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,840 as some people do, that already honors your core values 56 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:23,360 and you're not intentional about it, 57 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,360 or you've allowed your core values to be dishonored 58 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,720 for how many years and you're miserable because of it, 59 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:31,440 there is something in here for you. 60 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,600 Because if you're on this unicorn side 61 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,280 that kind of like has an idea of what your core values are 62 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,440 and you can live in a way that honors them, 63 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,240 I want you to be able to be intentional about it 64 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:43,600 because that it's like take it to 11, right? 65 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,600 It's like start at 10 and go to 11. 66 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:47,680 Whereas with people who are, 67 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:49,720 and I deal with a lot of people this way, 68 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:51,120 they're fed up, they're frustrated. 69 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,000 They're just, they realize everything that they're doing 70 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,000 is dishonoring who they are as a person. 71 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:58,520 Sometimes it means you change jobs. 72 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,080 Sometimes it means you build a different team. 73 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,440 Sometimes it means you have to confront conditioning. 74 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:07,260 So I talk about my ABCs, my assumptions, 75 00:03:07,260 --> 00:03:09,640 my beliefs and my conditioning. 76 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:12,080 And starting with that building block, 77 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,920 that's the three-part framework that gives people 78 00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:18,320 the opportunity to make changes, 79 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,800 make changes in their lives, in their families, 80 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,520 in their communities, in their businesses. 81 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:25,920 And so my vision is to start there 82 00:03:25,920 --> 00:03:28,160 and just see how many people we can touch. 83 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:30,760 And it's truly empowering someone. 84 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:32,880 It's truly giving them the tools that they need 85 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,720 to be able to make decisions for themselves. 86 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:37,320 Okay, fantastic. 87 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,160 And we're gonna dive into that even deeper, 88 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,720 not just what's the story behind your why, 89 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,040 but I'm gonna pull from a little bit 90 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,680 about what I heard earlier when you told me about your vision. 91 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,680 You mentioned it took 50 years to realize 92 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:55,800 that you didn't have to follow these rules 93 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:58,460 that society or life or family set. 94 00:03:58,460 --> 00:04:02,600 And you talked about the Stephen R. Covey book 95 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:04,000 having an impact on you. 96 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,520 And it sounds like it was somewhere before 97 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,040 that 50-year mark. 98 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,520 And then you've got this training with John Maxwell. 99 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,480 And so I capture the reality that, 100 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,480 okay, you're not throwing Stephen R. Covey's book 101 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:17,300 under the bus. 102 00:04:17,300 --> 00:04:18,140 You learned some values. 103 00:04:18,140 --> 00:04:18,980 I know. 104 00:04:18,980 --> 00:04:19,820 Right, exactly. 105 00:04:19,820 --> 00:04:20,660 I still quote it. 106 00:04:20,660 --> 00:04:22,760 Yep, hang in there. 107 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:24,040 So I can see that. 108 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:26,640 And I imagine with the shift you've made 109 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:28,880 through John Maxwell's program 110 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,680 and really figuring out how to break free 111 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:37,680 of superficial rules through your own life discoveries, 112 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:41,520 you probably have a different type of appreciation as well 113 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:43,280 for what you learned in the past. 114 00:04:44,420 --> 00:04:47,520 So I kind of wanna hear the story behind, 115 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:49,640 why do you do what you do? 116 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:54,640 Starting from what was so, I don't know, I guess, 117 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:57,880 what was so difficult without those first 50 years? 118 00:04:57,880 --> 00:04:59,920 Because I know other people probably were 119 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:03,160 in that same type of boat or are in that same type of boat. 120 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,240 And why is it so important for you 121 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:08,040 to help other people get out of it? 122 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:13,700 Well, I was raised in a Southern evangelical culture 123 00:05:13,700 --> 00:05:15,760 and I'm still a pastor's wife. 124 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,680 And so there's a lot of expectations that come with that. 125 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:20,680 There are a lot of rules and regulations 126 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:21,880 that come with that. 127 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,640 And when I teach core values 128 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,520 and when I help somebody understand their core values, 129 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,760 I tell them to look all the way back. 130 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,360 And when I look all the way back to even my mother saying, 131 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:36,080 Andrea, you were the definition of the strong willed child. 132 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,320 I'm like, well, looking back now, 133 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,880 I know that my top core value is freedom of thought. 134 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,540 And when somebody else is consistently telling me 135 00:05:44,540 --> 00:05:46,840 what to do and how to think and how to be, 136 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:49,840 I look back and I say, that's where it all started. 137 00:05:49,840 --> 00:05:53,860 This is where the conflict started over my own core values. 138 00:05:53,860 --> 00:05:56,560 The problem is we want to fit in. 139 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:58,680 We want to be accepted. 140 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,220 We want to be a part of the group. 141 00:06:01,220 --> 00:06:04,220 And when that group is very clear and defined, 142 00:06:04,220 --> 00:06:08,560 it makes it quote unquote easy to fall into those rules 143 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,860 and principles for this very defined group. 144 00:06:11,860 --> 00:06:15,880 And breaking away from that very defined group is difficult. 145 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:17,480 I've not broken away from Christianity, 146 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:18,960 but I'm just saying it's, 147 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:21,120 that's where some of that comes from. 148 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,840 And I look back at, there were specific times in my life. 149 00:06:24,840 --> 00:06:26,080 I say 30 years ago, 150 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,920 I started my core values journey 30 years ago. 151 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,480 I have glimpses of when I would come up for air. 152 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:34,720 And I think, and I look back now and I think, 153 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,100 oh, I wish I had been able to pursue it then 154 00:06:37,100 --> 00:06:40,040 because I had, I had come up above the fence 155 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:41,080 or up above the water line. 156 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:44,960 I was able to see an idea of who I could have been, 157 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:49,020 but it is so powerful, the conditioning that we have 158 00:06:49,020 --> 00:06:50,200 that pulls us back under 159 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,640 or the fear that we have of stepping outside. 160 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,600 I grew up in Seoul, Korea and in the Asian culture, 161 00:06:57,600 --> 00:06:59,200 they have sayings like, 162 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:00,600 and I think this is actually from Japan. 163 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:02,960 It's like the tallest blade of grass gets cut first. 164 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:05,340 So you don't want to stand out. 165 00:07:05,340 --> 00:07:06,700 You want to fit in. 166 00:07:06,700 --> 00:07:08,720 It's all about fitting in. 167 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:13,720 And for me, looking at what I believed I was supposed to do, 168 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:15,640 I just could not, 169 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:17,220 even though I would have these glimpses, 170 00:07:17,220 --> 00:07:19,240 I would have, I would read a good book. 171 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:23,300 And I've read personal growth books since I was 18, right? 172 00:07:23,300 --> 00:07:25,600 I mean, they started out as like spiritual personal growth, 173 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,760 but a lot of them were not necessarily 174 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:29,200 spiritual personal growth. 175 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,940 And so this is a battle or a journey 176 00:07:32,940 --> 00:07:35,360 that I've been on a really, really long time. 177 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:40,360 And I think that not recognizing that I had the authority 178 00:07:40,980 --> 00:07:44,940 to be able to say, this is who I am and it's okay. 179 00:07:44,940 --> 00:07:48,960 While I watched other friends, my same age do that. 180 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:51,440 And I was insanely jealous, 181 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,480 at 18 or at 35 or at 40. 182 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:57,940 And finally, and the thing that was really the big catalyst 183 00:07:57,940 --> 00:08:01,520 at 50 for me was that I lost my mom to breast cancer. 184 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:06,520 And so sometimes it takes a really big emotional thing 185 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,400 to put us in that crucible 186 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:11,560 where we have the opportunity to say, 187 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:14,080 all right, it's now more difficult 188 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:16,720 to continue doing all that other stuff 189 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,440 than to actually make the changes. 190 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:21,160 Wow, that's super deep. 191 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:22,400 Thank you for sharing that. 192 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:25,860 It's, yeah, there's so many, 193 00:08:25,860 --> 00:08:27,000 there's so many people out there 194 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:30,600 who are looking for that path towards the freedom 195 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,960 from the rules, the ability to be self, 196 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:35,000 undiscover their identity. 197 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,800 So I appreciate you sharing that so openly. 198 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:41,200 And what's your goal for being on the show? 199 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:46,480 Well, one of my goals this year is being on 200 shows 200 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,020 because I do not enjoy social media. 201 00:08:50,020 --> 00:08:50,920 I don't like it. 202 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:52,400 I'm 57, right? 203 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,760 It's like, I have a 15 year old adopted son 204 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:56,440 who thinks that I'm an old person. 205 00:08:56,440 --> 00:08:59,320 And in there are ways in which I do social media, 206 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,000 but I gotta be honest with you, it's rough. 207 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:03,000 Don't exclude me. 208 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:03,840 I'm in your group. 209 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:05,840 I'm 36, but I'm in your group. 210 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,000 I don't, I rock the mic. 211 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,360 I'm a producer, not a consumer. 212 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:11,920 Well, and I do rock the mic as well, 213 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,360 but I also really do well in one-on-one conversations. 214 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:17,720 And so I know that I can get my message across 215 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,200 to more people by talking to people like you 216 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,120 when your audience can hear what I have to say. 217 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:24,920 And when I do my CliftonStrengths, 218 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:27,040 it comes out as relator is number one. 219 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,140 And there's a reason I can do that. 220 00:09:29,140 --> 00:09:30,960 I can relate to people immediately. 221 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:32,800 So being on this show would be- 222 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,320 You're doing that in-person event too. 223 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:36,160 I'm also doing that. 224 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:38,960 You're like, you know, actually living in the world. 225 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:40,720 Like being in person too. 226 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:44,360 So that's where I would rather have my time spent as well. 227 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,040 And these one-on-ones are with people directly 228 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:49,780 because you can't get to depth 229 00:09:49,780 --> 00:09:52,920 by just posting the six image in your phone. 230 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:53,760 Nevermind. 231 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:55,840 And there are benefits to having a lot of followers, 232 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:57,880 but when I have somebody, 233 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:00,840 like when I even send my emails out on a weekly basis, 234 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:02,640 almost every week I get a response. 235 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:06,320 And it's like that's, then I'm doing something right. 236 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:09,840 And so those are the things that bring me joy. 237 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:12,240 Those are the things that tell me I'm on the right path. 238 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,480 And one of my tenets of intentional optimism 239 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:16,440 is being present. 240 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,280 And part of that is realizing that people 241 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:22,760 are more important than ideas, things, or principles. 242 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:26,840 And so this is my way of living part of that out as well. 243 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:27,920 That's awesome. 244 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:30,840 And it sounds like it gives you a good stage 245 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:32,720 for your number one core value too, 246 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:34,040 that freedom of thought. 247 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:35,760 That's also fun. 248 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:37,120 Thank you for being here today. 249 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:39,600 I'm really happy that you tuned in to Vision Pros Live. 250 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,240 I'm looking forward to seeing your reactions 251 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:44,520 as these episodes continue to move forward. 252 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:46,240 This is gonna get more and more fun. 253 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,040 We'll have more and more engagement as well. 254 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,160 We'll invite people to participate in the show. 255 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,520 And thank you for giving us your time and attention. 256 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,240 Have an excellent time building out your vision 257 00:10:55,240 --> 00:11:22,880 and becoming a Vision Pro yourself.