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Welcome to Leveling Up with Lindsay, the podcast

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where we dive into leadership, small business,

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and everything in between. I'm Lindsay, your

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host and the proud owner of White Puny Boutique,

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a space created to empower women, build confidence,

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and foster meaningful connections. Whether you're

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an entrepreneur, a mom, a friend, or someone

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just looking for a little inspiration. This is

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your space to feel seen, supported, and inspired.

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Join me as we share stories, strategies, and

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a little bit of life's chaos while navigating

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what it truly means to level up in starting a

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business, relationship, and personal growth.

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So grab a cup of coffee, get comfy, and let's

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level up together. Hey friends, it's Lindy. I

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want to start today with something simple, something

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that reaches every single one of us. When people

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hear the word leader, They often think of manager,

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a coach, a director, or a business owner. But

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the truth is leadership is everywhere. And what

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I often say is we're all influencers. It isn't

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how you talk to your kids before school. It is

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in the energy you bring when you walk into a

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room. It is in the way you treat the server at

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lunch or how you speak about someone when they're

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not in the room. It's how you choose to respond

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when something goes wrong. And whether you stand

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tall for what's right when no one else is paying

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attention. It's how you choose to respond when

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something goes wrong and whether you stand tall

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for what's right when no one else is paying attention.

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That is leadership. Those quiet behind the scenes

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moments, they define you far more than the spotlight

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ever will. And here's the thing. Becoming a better

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leader doesn't require a fancy course or long

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checklist. It's actually very simple. It's how

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you show up, how you treat people, and how you

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choose to handle those moments that matter the

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most. So today we're keeping it simple and real

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as we talk about what it actually means to be

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a better leader. Leadership isn't something you

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earn. It's something you practice. It's how you

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speak when no one is listening. It's the tone

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you use when you're tired. It's how you handle

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feedback with humility or with ego. It's what

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you do when things don't go your way. And it's

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how you carry yourself with integrity, even when

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no one would know if you didn't. That's leadership.

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And that's why anyone, absolutely anyone can

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be one. You don't have to own a business, manage

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a team, or hold a title. You lead every time

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you influence a moment with your character. Maybe

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it's a high schooler showing a new coworker the

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ropes. Maybe it's a mom diffusing a tough situation

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at home with calm instead of chaos. Maybe it's

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a coach reminding their players that effort matters

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more than their talent. Leadership is simply

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influence and the best influence comes from the

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heart. Now let's talk about a few ways anyone

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can become a better leader starting right now

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today. No long to do list. Just three simple

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shifts that can completely change how you lead

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and how others feel around you. Habit number

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one, lead with listening. We live in a world

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that talks a lot, but listens very little. Everyone

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wants to feel heard. Everyone wants to feel seen.

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Great leaders don't rush to fix things. They

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slow down long enough to understand. I've seen

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this play out in my own world so many times.

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Sometimes a team member doesn't need advice,

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they just need space to talk it through. And

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when they do, nine times out of ten, they find

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the answer themselves. Listening builds trust

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faster than any title will ever. When people

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feel heard, they stop needing to be managed.

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They will definitely start wanting to grow. Habit

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number two, lead by example, especially when

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it's inconvenient. The strongest leaders don't

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demand excellence, they model it. That means

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staying true to your standards even when it's

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hard, even when no one else is watching. Maybe

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it's picking up the small things that are overlooked.

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Maybe it's the way you speak kindly to a frustrated

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customer or how you hold yourself accountable

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when something falls short. Real leadership doesn't

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shout, it shows. People don't remember what you

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said, they remember what you modeled. And lastly,

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habit number three. Lead with heart. See the

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person, not the position. Whether you're leading

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a store, a classroom, a team, or a family, everyone

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you guide is carrying something you might not

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see. Leading with heart doesn't mean lowering

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your standards at all. It means pairing accountability

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with compassion. Sometimes that means noticing

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when someone's struggling and taking an extra

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moment to ask how they're doing. Sometimes it

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means celebrating effort, not just the results.

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And sometimes it means believing in someone a

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little longer than they believe in themselves.

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You lead best when you see people for who they're

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becoming and not just who they are today. So

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here's the truth no one talks about enough. The

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hardest person you'll ever lead is actually yourself.

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Your tone, your energy, your example, they set

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the temperature for everyone around you. So before

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we talk about leading others, we have to ask

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ourselves, How do people feel after being led

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by me today? Do they feel calm? Do they feel

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hurried? Do they feel inspired or drained? Do

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they feel valued or overlooked? Because leadership

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starts before you ever speak. It starts with

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your presence. You cannot pour peace into people

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if you're running on chaos yourself. So give

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yourself grace to reset, reflect and realign.

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That's not selfish either. That's stewardship.

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So how do you become a better leader? You slow

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down enough to see people. You listen when it

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would be easier to speak. You lead by example,

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not ego. You show kindness in moments that don't

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require it. You stand tall for what's right even

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when no one is watching. That's it. That's the

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simple truth about being a better leader. Whether

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you're leading a team of 20, a classroom of 10,

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or a household of two, leadership is love in

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action. And the best leaders, they don't just

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make people better at what they do, they make

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people better at who they are. So this week,

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I want to challenge you to find one small way

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to lead with intention, whether that's at work,

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at home, or in your own reflection. It doesn't

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have to be big. It just has to be heart first.

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That's where better leadership will begin. It's

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really that simple. So thank you so much for

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tuning in to Leveling Up with Lindsay today.

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If this episode encouraged you today, share it

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with someone else who's leading in any capacity

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and remind them that what they do every single

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day truly does matter. Until next time, stay

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grounded, stay grateful, and keep leading with

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heart. Thank you for listening. If you found

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this information helpful, please share it with

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a friend. If you're looking for more information

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on the topics we covered, please head to the

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show notes below. And if you wouldn't mind leaving

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a five -star rating and review, this would help

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this mission and our journey to get started.

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Let's make today and every day an opportunity

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to level up. Until next time, keep dreaming,

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keep striving, and keep making a difference.