WEBVTT 00:00:10.689 --> 00:00:13.470 Welcome to her comeback, transforming your life 00:00:13.470 --> 00:00:16.329 after 50. I'm your host, Michelle Thompson. If 00:00:16.329 --> 00:00:19.190 you've ever whispered to yourself, there has 00:00:19.190 --> 00:00:22.230 to be more than this. You are in the right place. 00:00:22.550 --> 00:00:25.050 This show is for women over 50 who have hit their 00:00:25.050 --> 00:00:27.410 breaking point and are finally ready to stop 00:00:27.410 --> 00:00:30.350 going at it alone. You've tried the self -help 00:00:30.350 --> 00:00:33.990 box, the vision boards, positive thinking, but 00:00:33.990 --> 00:00:37.310 you're still stuck. And here's what I know. You're 00:00:37.310 --> 00:00:40.450 not broken. You just need the right support. 00:00:40.530 --> 00:00:42.429 And that's exactly what you're going to find 00:00:42.429 --> 00:00:45.530 here. Each week, I'll sit down with incredible 00:00:45.530 --> 00:00:48.289 women who have transformed their lives. You'll 00:00:48.289 --> 00:00:51.289 hear their real stories, the messy middle, the 00:00:51.289 --> 00:00:53.390 breakthrough moments, the practical steps that 00:00:53.390 --> 00:00:56.250 they took to create the lives that they love. 00:00:56.729 --> 00:01:00.109 Because your lowest limit, it can be your launching 00:01:00.109 --> 00:01:03.850 pad. So if you're done settling and ready for 00:01:03.850 --> 00:01:06.849 your comeback, Stay with me. Let's discover how 00:01:06.849 --> 00:01:09.769 other women have made it happen and how you can 00:01:09.769 --> 00:01:14.409 too. Are you ready? This is her comeback. We 00:01:14.409 --> 00:01:18.189 are so lucky and fortunate to have with us Annie 00:01:18.189 --> 00:01:21.870 Meehan. She is an international speaker and author 00:01:21.870 --> 00:01:25.230 and just so exciting. So, Annie, just tell us 00:01:25.230 --> 00:01:27.349 a little bit more about yourself before we get 00:01:27.349 --> 00:01:30.349 started here. So I am Annie Meehan. I live in 00:01:30.349 --> 00:01:32.170 Southwest Florida most of the time, in central 00:01:32.170 --> 00:01:34.810 Florida part of the time. I'm a CSP, which means 00:01:34.810 --> 00:01:37.409 I'm a certified speaking professional. I've written 00:01:37.409 --> 00:01:41.450 11 books. I'm mentally starting my 12th. And 00:01:41.450 --> 00:01:44.750 more than anything, I do work that really shows 00:01:44.750 --> 00:01:46.950 people how to heal mentally, emotionally, and 00:01:46.950 --> 00:01:49.390 physically so they can live the most successful 00:01:49.390 --> 00:01:51.930 life they ever imagined, whether that's in relationships 00:01:51.930 --> 00:01:55.530 or it's in health or it's in their career or 00:01:55.530 --> 00:01:57.439 earnings or whatever they want. That's what I 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:00.519 got to do. Great stuff. Awesome. Awesome. And 00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:04.340 you also have a signature talk, a trademark about 00:02:04.340 --> 00:02:08.060 being a pineapple person. Tell me about that. 00:02:08.520 --> 00:02:10.580 Yes, I am known as a pineapple person. In fact, 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:13.120 somebody last week Googled pineapple person and 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:14.900 they're like, it's you. You are the pineapple 00:02:14.900 --> 00:02:18.800 person. I really am always looking for two things, 00:02:19.219 --> 00:02:21.419 Michelle. I'm always looking for easy ways to. 00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:24.979 learn and teach and I'm also looking for ways 00:02:24.979 --> 00:02:27.300 to be memorable and so and to spread kindness 00:02:27.300 --> 00:02:30.560 and so what I thought about is like kindness 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:33.180 it's like just say be kind it's easy to forget 00:02:33.180 --> 00:02:35.800 but if I can give you a visual and so the pineapple 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:38.479 became our symbol our vision so a lot of people 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:40.620 have heard the pineapple poem be a pineapple 00:02:40.620 --> 00:02:43.120 stand up straight wear a crown be sweet on the 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:45.539 inside so it's kind of cute and it's a poem and 00:02:45.539 --> 00:02:47.979 it kind of reminds us to be kind but I took the 00:02:47.979 --> 00:02:51.000 poem And I dug into it and said, how do we take 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:54.219 the poem and make it a principle? And what happened 00:02:54.219 --> 00:02:56.360 was that the first thing is stand up straight 00:02:56.360 --> 00:03:00.259 and just that simple movement from down to up 00:03:00.259 --> 00:03:02.460 with confidence. First of all, as a woman, I 00:03:02.460 --> 00:03:04.340 always say put your shoulders back, be confident 00:03:04.340 --> 00:03:06.979 in yourself, look people in the eye, own your 00:03:06.979 --> 00:03:10.060 space, take up space, but also with the value 00:03:10.060 --> 00:03:11.759 of people. Instead of looking down their phone 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:14.560 to text, we look at people. And it literally 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:17.360 transforms relationships, professional and personal 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.759 relationships, by just looking up. somebody called 00:03:20.759 --> 00:03:22.460 me a pineapple, then they taught me the poem, 00:03:22.580 --> 00:03:24.379 then I turned it into a principle, then I wrote 00:03:24.379 --> 00:03:26.379 a book about it, then people heard about it and 00:03:26.379 --> 00:03:28.560 invited me to do a TED talk, and today I'm kind 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:31.000 of known as the pineapple person. And you may 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:33.120 see me in a pineapple onesie or eating a pineapple 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:35.300 cookie, but I'm always trying to remind people 00:03:35.300 --> 00:03:38.439 one simple symbol of a pineapple reminds us slow 00:03:38.439 --> 00:03:42.439 down and offer more kindness. Awesome. I love 00:03:42.439 --> 00:03:48.719 that. I love that. So As we look at women and 00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:52.000 as we aspire to do all the many things that we're 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:55.500 trying to do in our lives today, how can a woman 00:03:55.500 --> 00:03:59.060 be the exception as they become all they're meant 00:03:59.060 --> 00:04:02.240 to be and then try to support others as they 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:05.379 climb to? How can we do all of that? Absolutely. 00:04:05.539 --> 00:04:09.430 I always think about like one word. And it requires 00:04:09.430 --> 00:04:12.729 slowness. I think slow to go fast. So you got 00:04:12.729 --> 00:04:14.849 to slow down and think intentionally. How do 00:04:14.849 --> 00:04:16.949 I want to show up today? How do I want to show 00:04:16.949 --> 00:04:19.170 up? Period. Then how do I want to show up for 00:04:19.170 --> 00:04:20.970 other people? And then how do I want to move 00:04:20.970 --> 00:04:23.610 forward? So my, I feel like my growing up years 00:04:23.610 --> 00:04:25.689 are my climbing years. I spent nine years in 00:04:25.689 --> 00:04:27.949 the financial world on the institutional trading 00:04:27.949 --> 00:04:30.910 side. And my floor that I worked on was about 00:04:30.910 --> 00:04:35.250 440 people and 20 of us were women. So really 00:04:35.250 --> 00:04:37.990 strong, successful, male dominated space. And 00:04:37.990 --> 00:04:39.810 I would watch women shrink, including myself. 00:04:39.810 --> 00:04:42.449 I was in my 20s and watch me shrink and write. 00:04:42.990 --> 00:04:45.189 I think being the exception is like deciding 00:04:45.189 --> 00:04:49.670 to rewrite any stories that don't serve us so 00:04:49.670 --> 00:04:51.829 that a man has more worth than us, that a man 00:04:51.829 --> 00:04:53.829 deserves to be paid more than us. I remember 00:04:53.829 --> 00:04:55.810 one woman I met there. She had worked there a 00:04:55.810 --> 00:04:58.470 long time and she said in 1979 she was called 00:04:58.470 --> 00:05:00.509 back into the boss's office and he said, listen, 00:05:00.509 --> 00:05:03.449 I'm going to give all the guys a raise. But are 00:05:03.449 --> 00:05:06.670 you OK if I don't give you a raise? And she said, 00:05:06.829 --> 00:05:08.449 Well, how come I don't get a raise? And he said, 00:05:08.470 --> 00:05:10.110 well, you're not married and you don't have any 00:05:10.110 --> 00:05:12.350 kids, so you don't really need a raise. And she 00:05:12.350 --> 00:05:14.610 said, OK, that makes sense. And she didn't get 00:05:14.610 --> 00:05:17.089 a raise. And today, she says, what in the world? 00:05:17.569 --> 00:05:19.930 And that was 1979. I know some of your listeners 00:05:19.930 --> 00:05:22.170 probably weren't even around in 1979. But for 00:05:22.170 --> 00:05:23.730 those of us that are middle -aged that were, 00:05:24.209 --> 00:05:26.790 it crushes my heart. And so part of being the 00:05:26.790 --> 00:05:29.290 exception for me is one of the first things I 00:05:29.290 --> 00:05:32.180 tell people is be honest. And I said, I'm not 00:05:32.180 --> 00:05:34.579 talking about lying. I'm talking about the stories 00:05:34.579 --> 00:05:36.480 that we tell in the back of our head are out 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:39.240 of our mouth that don't serve us. Well, Michelle's 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:41.939 better than me. Well, John's married. Well, they 00:05:41.939 --> 00:05:43.699 have greater success. Well, they're smarter. 00:05:43.819 --> 00:05:46.040 They have more degrees. all of those stories 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:48.180 that do not serve us. Wait a minute, that's not 00:05:48.180 --> 00:05:49.959 true. Michelle might have that gift and John 00:05:49.959 --> 00:05:52.319 might have that one, but I have value too. And 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:55.620 so part of being the exception for me was transforming 00:05:55.620 --> 00:05:58.439 my brain, transforming my thoughts. And whether 00:05:58.439 --> 00:06:00.160 I ever spoke them out, other people could look 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:02.540 at me and say, Annie, so confident. But if inside 00:06:02.540 --> 00:06:05.720 I was like, I'm not measuring up. I'm not as 00:06:05.720 --> 00:06:07.540 good as this person or that. I don't deserve 00:06:07.540 --> 00:06:10.040 to be paid as much. It was not serving me. So 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:13.420 part of being the exception for me was filtering, 00:06:13.639 --> 00:06:15.959 I think of a strainer, filtering every thought 00:06:15.959 --> 00:06:18.759 I have, catching captive every thought, right? 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:20.920 Having that strainer and saying, does this serve 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:23.660 me or does it make me suffer? Does this make 00:06:23.660 --> 00:06:26.100 me stand out or does it make me play small? And 00:06:26.100 --> 00:06:29.120 I think as women that, well, I'll get to me. 00:06:29.220 --> 00:06:31.399 It's not my turn. Or maybe they deserve it more. 00:06:31.500 --> 00:06:32.839 Maybe they're better looking. Maybe they're smarter. 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:35.329 Maybe they're more successful. No, no, no. I 00:06:35.329 --> 00:06:37.310 have great value. We all have great strength 00:06:37.310 --> 00:06:39.490 and great value. So be the exception is kind 00:06:39.490 --> 00:06:41.750 of seven keys, but the main one I would say to 00:06:41.750 --> 00:06:44.990 women is think about what you're talking about 00:06:44.990 --> 00:06:46.490 to yourself. When you look in the mirror, do 00:06:46.490 --> 00:06:48.750 you just think, oh my gosh, I am so beautiful? 00:06:49.170 --> 00:06:52.129 Or do you rip yourself apart? And one thing I 00:06:52.129 --> 00:06:54.050 learned on my journey was I did not like myself 00:06:54.050 --> 00:06:56.149 as pretty much the first 20 years of my life. 00:06:56.149 --> 00:06:57.810 I didn't like how I looked. I didn't like who 00:06:57.810 --> 00:07:00.050 I was. I didn't want to just be like other people. 00:07:00.050 --> 00:07:02.410 I wanted to be anyone else. And when I decided 00:07:02.410 --> 00:07:05.980 I'm kind of amazing. Not more amazing than anyone 00:07:05.980 --> 00:07:08.639 else, but amazing. Each and every person has 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:12.519 so many gifts and so much to contribute. Like, 00:07:12.519 --> 00:07:15.220 I showed up differently. I knew that I deserved 00:07:15.220 --> 00:07:17.680 to take up space. So people call me short. I 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:21.500 call myself fun size. But I take up space. I 00:07:21.500 --> 00:07:24.019 intentionally stand with my shoulders back up 00:07:24.019 --> 00:07:26.920 straight. I speak up. I know that I have something 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:30.779 worth being heard. And I think it's easy to get 00:07:30.779 --> 00:07:33.920 in your mind. Nobody cares. Nobody will listen. 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:38.379 That's stupid. Nobody else. You deserve a voice. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:43.480 I had to learn. I deserve to be seen. I deserve 00:07:43.480 --> 00:07:46.120 to be heard. I am not the worst thing that ever 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:48.420 happened to the world. I have gifts, and though 00:07:48.420 --> 00:07:50.540 I'm messy and complicated and silly, and I might 00:07:50.540 --> 00:07:52.879 not be everybody's cup of tea, I have value. 00:07:53.220 --> 00:07:55.560 And that, Michelle, for me, especially when I'm 00:07:55.560 --> 00:07:58.509 working with women, I say, ladies. Stop telling 00:07:58.509 --> 00:08:00.490 yourself horrible things. Stop spending so much 00:08:00.490 --> 00:08:02.990 time on this and spend time on this and on this 00:08:02.990 --> 00:08:06.149 and contribute. And even if you think what you 00:08:06.149 --> 00:08:07.889 have to say doesn't have value, someone else 00:08:07.889 --> 00:08:10.720 needs it. And it just shifted me. It really made 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:13.639 me be the exception. Don't follow, don't stand 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:16.680 behind, don't doubt yourself. Even if I laugh 00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:18.000 at you and think, oh, that's the dumbest thing 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:20.180 I've heard, who cares? You said it, move on, 00:08:20.259 --> 00:08:24.339 right? And so being brave, rewriting stories, 00:08:24.779 --> 00:08:28.339 being kind to myself, gentle to myself, courageous, 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:32.659 bold, authentic, all of those things serve me 00:08:32.659 --> 00:08:35.440 very much as a speaker and a coach and a writer, 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:37.769 people will say. You're the real deal, aren't 00:08:37.769 --> 00:08:39.909 you? And I'm like, 100%. I don't even know how 00:08:39.909 --> 00:08:41.370 to be fake. I told someone the other day, I'm 00:08:41.370 --> 00:08:43.509 like, I wish I could sometimes, but I just, I 00:08:43.509 --> 00:08:47.190 don't have it in me. So that's what. That's so 00:08:47.190 --> 00:08:48.929 true. And I definitely, in the time that I've 00:08:48.929 --> 00:08:50.909 known you, Annie, it's, you're so authentic. 00:08:51.309 --> 00:08:53.789 It's just like, I love it. And it's just every 00:08:53.789 --> 00:08:55.970 conversation with you. I just feel like it's 00:08:55.970 --> 00:08:58.830 always from the heart and it's, it's just, I 00:08:58.830 --> 00:09:04.639 think you're fabulous. So as life shows up, we 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:07.480 all know we have the bad days, the tough times, 00:09:08.460 --> 00:09:12.279 the disruptions come into our lives. How do you 00:09:12.279 --> 00:09:15.480 yourself manage those disruptions and not let 00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:20.059 that define you and soar above those things that 00:09:20.059 --> 00:09:22.679 happen? It seems like they've been happening. 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:24.340 I was talking to a friend this morning. I said, 00:09:24.419 --> 00:09:25.879 since I moved to Florida, I'm like, never mind. 00:09:25.940 --> 00:09:27.440 Pretty much my whole life I've had disruption. 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:29.779 So yesterday I was doing a Facebook Live. I was 00:09:29.779 --> 00:09:32.059 so happy. I had a friend visiting from Minnesota. 00:09:32.460 --> 00:09:34.519 We're riding in the golf cart. Greg's able to 00:09:34.519 --> 00:09:36.559 drive again since his triple bypass. We're going 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:38.820 to church. I am just so happy. I'm doing a Facebook 00:09:38.820 --> 00:09:41.899 Live. Life is so glorious. And literally it ended. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:44.059 And my husband goes, I think something's wrong. 00:09:44.460 --> 00:09:46.580 And he's like, we got to stop. And I jump off 00:09:46.580 --> 00:09:48.879 the golf cart and I have a flat tire. And we're 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:51.460 just like, oh my gosh. We can't even go five 00:09:51.460 --> 00:09:54.360 minutes from a house for to church and I I say 00:09:54.360 --> 00:09:56.940 that to say I learned to laugh at myself I learned 00:09:56.940 --> 00:09:59.159 to not take myself too seriously My faith is 00:09:59.159 --> 00:10:01.259 the most important thing to me and so I start 00:10:01.259 --> 00:10:03.259 my day with God and God says I have good plans 00:10:03.259 --> 00:10:05.200 for you I'm like if you could help those come 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:07.639 a little quicker. I am ready like come on Could 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:10.220 I have like three weeks of no no disruptions? 00:10:11.230 --> 00:10:13.470 Intention. I go back to intention. Starting my 00:10:13.470 --> 00:10:15.549 day in quiet. Starting my day in prayer. Having 00:10:15.549 --> 00:10:18.429 really beautiful intentional relationships. Yesterday, 00:10:18.450 --> 00:10:20.710 before we were headed to church, I have a very 00:10:20.710 --> 00:10:22.330 dear friend that I've been friends with for 40 00:10:22.330 --> 00:10:24.190 years here visiting me. She just left this morning. 00:10:24.450 --> 00:10:26.789 Beautiful. That intentional time. My husband 00:10:26.789 --> 00:10:28.730 and I went for a beautiful two -mile walk. He 00:10:28.730 --> 00:10:32.570 can walk two miles again. Like, I try to shift 00:10:32.570 --> 00:10:36.320 focus, right? Like, so there's always... Sadly, 00:10:36.340 --> 00:10:38.799 for most of us, there's always a list of things 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:41.620 that aren't going how we imagined, that aren't 00:10:41.620 --> 00:10:44.379 living up to our expectations, that are not a 00:10:44.379 --> 00:10:46.100 smooth, straight line from, I start a business, 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:49.000 I have a thousand customers, right? But if I 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:51.720 say to myself, Annie, it doesn't really matter. 00:10:52.139 --> 00:10:54.360 So what? So there's another disruption, another 00:10:54.360 --> 00:10:57.120 flat tire, another health concern, another, I 00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:59.240 have a sister in the hospital right now, just 00:10:59.240 --> 00:11:01.419 these things that keep coming up. And I think, 00:11:01.740 --> 00:11:04.019 what is the part you can do? What is the part 00:11:04.019 --> 00:11:07.519 that I can do to spread love in the midst of 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:09.340 the disruption. How do I keep my sense of humor? 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:12.320 How do I keep loving on the people God has given 00:11:12.320 --> 00:11:15.240 me to love or my audiences? How do I shift from 00:11:15.240 --> 00:11:18.200 this disruption I'm in into what next? So when 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:20.460 I wrote the book Choose to Soar kind of inspired 00:11:20.460 --> 00:11:24.299 by Hurricane Ian, the literal disruption what 00:11:24.299 --> 00:11:26.740 I thought about is that every day we get to decide 00:11:26.740 --> 00:11:29.259 how we show up Michelle and like when people 00:11:29.259 --> 00:11:32.080 say who are you do I lead with all the tragedy 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:33.820 and trauma that I've gone through or do I think 00:11:33.820 --> 00:11:36.240 I'm this extraordinary speaker that gets to travel 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:38.820 the world and make people inspired and show them 00:11:38.820 --> 00:11:42.000 light and love in the face of their own challenge 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:44.580 and disruption and so I try to focus on the good 00:11:44.580 --> 00:11:47.639 I try to be grateful I try to be generous I try 00:11:47.639 --> 00:11:49.960 to laugh at myself and say Well, isn't that ironic? 00:11:50.039 --> 00:11:51.720 Because I was talking about what a fabulous day 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:53.759 I'm having, you know, fabulously beautiful it 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:56.240 is in Florida and then flat tire. And I always 00:11:56.240 --> 00:11:58.799 go back to Job in the Bible and like all the 00:11:58.799 --> 00:11:59.980 things that happened to him. And he's like, I'm 00:11:59.980 --> 00:12:01.820 not giving up. And it's like, are you sure? You 00:12:01.820 --> 00:12:04.620 know, like, I just feel like all of us have things 00:12:04.620 --> 00:12:07.440 that will come against us. But if we decide I 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:10.139 will look for the good, I will be the good and 00:12:10.139 --> 00:12:13.419 I will spread the good. It changes you. You can't 00:12:13.419 --> 00:12:15.679 help but soar above. And, you know, I get to 00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:19.059 go speak to realtors on Wednesday. I get to have 00:12:19.059 --> 00:12:21.720 a friend here. My husband's healing. Like, there's 00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:25.360 so much good in the face of also a lot of disruption, 00:12:25.659 --> 00:12:28.460 but I'd rather look for the good. That's how 00:12:28.460 --> 00:12:32.460 I guess. As I hear you talking about that, I 00:12:32.460 --> 00:12:36.259 just hear the gratitude. So how much do you think 00:12:36.259 --> 00:12:40.779 that gratitude is able to play into kind of being 00:12:40.779 --> 00:12:44.039 able to go with it with the disruption? How do 00:12:44.039 --> 00:12:48.639 you see that? Yeah, 100 % and so what I would 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:52.690 say is that I am a person that. When a lot of 00:12:52.690 --> 00:12:55.230 people say, why me, God, about tragedies that 00:12:55.230 --> 00:12:57.850 come at them, I always say to God, why me? Why 00:12:57.850 --> 00:12:59.389 do I get to live at the beach? Why do I get to 00:12:59.389 --> 00:13:01.110 have a husband that's loyal and loving to me? 00:13:01.350 --> 00:13:03.330 Why do I get to have three healthy adult children? 00:13:03.789 --> 00:13:05.850 Why do I get to have a career that I love and 00:13:05.850 --> 00:13:07.889 travel the world and make an impact? So I always 00:13:07.889 --> 00:13:10.629 think, if we're going to question our blessing, 00:13:11.230 --> 00:13:13.909 why do we not question, or if we're gonna question 00:13:13.909 --> 00:13:15.710 our burden, why do we not question our blessing? 00:13:15.909 --> 00:13:18.070 Like, who are we? So yes, gratitude's a huge 00:13:18.070 --> 00:13:20.669 part of it. I also totally know whatever we focus 00:13:20.669 --> 00:13:23.470 on expands, and I meet so many people that get 00:13:23.470 --> 00:13:26.090 stuck focused on the disruption, and then it 00:13:26.090 --> 00:13:28.009 expands, and all we see is what we lost. But 00:13:28.009 --> 00:13:30.970 I really try to broaden and focus on what did 00:13:30.970 --> 00:13:33.009 I gain? I gained a friend through that. I gained 00:13:33.009 --> 00:13:37.740 compassion. I gained connection, community. And 00:13:37.740 --> 00:13:40.200 so I say gratitude, yes, be grateful for what 00:13:40.200 --> 00:13:42.919 I have and then live beyond it. So for me, it's 00:13:42.919 --> 00:13:46.539 about gratitude and then generosity. So I am 00:13:46.539 --> 00:13:48.279 grateful for what I have. But then I ask, how 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:50.480 can I expand? So my dear friend that was here 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:52.759 had just lost her mother recently, actually the 00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:54.860 day my husband went in the hospital. So I couldn't 00:13:54.860 --> 00:13:59.039 be with her for the funeral. And I said, I'm 00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:00.759 so sorry I can't be there. She's been such a 00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:02.639 dear friend. And she was there when my mom died 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:06.500 last December. when you can come visit us so 00:14:06.500 --> 00:14:08.279 she came to the villages which is where we live 00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:10.299 at this moment and i said what do you want to 00:14:10.299 --> 00:14:12.039 do you want to go out dancing so we went out 00:14:12.039 --> 00:14:14.000 dancing you want to go out for drinks no not 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:16.059 really i want to go out for ice cream and i want 00:14:16.059 --> 00:14:20.059 to go dancing so gratitude first but then beyond 00:14:20.059 --> 00:14:22.440 so then go do something for someone else which 00:14:22.440 --> 00:14:25.269 really helps me shift because she's single and 00:14:25.269 --> 00:14:27.289 she just lost her mom and her mom was like my 00:14:27.289 --> 00:14:29.529 mom who struggled with mental health and addiction 00:14:29.529 --> 00:14:31.750 and depression and so I got to go love on her 00:14:31.750 --> 00:14:34.149 and we got big sundaes and we giggled and you 00:14:34.149 --> 00:14:36.049 know we forgot to take pictures and you know 00:14:36.049 --> 00:14:38.049 we joke about getting out of the car is painful 00:14:38.049 --> 00:14:40.889 and so yes first being grateful for what I do 00:14:40.889 --> 00:14:43.490 have and how far we have come and how every day 00:14:43.490 --> 00:14:45.950 is a gift but then asking how do I make this 00:14:45.950 --> 00:14:48.809 day meaningful by loving on someone else and 00:14:48.809 --> 00:14:52.110 encouraging someone else so that's That's great. 00:14:52.269 --> 00:14:56.690 Awesome. I love that. So you mentioned a little 00:14:56.690 --> 00:15:00.080 bit about climbing The latter, so to speak, that 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:02.399 everyone talks about in the corporate world with 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:05.179 it being so male dominated. We've also talked 00:15:05.179 --> 00:15:07.580 about, you know, having the confidence that yes, 00:15:07.580 --> 00:15:11.179 you, you deserve to be that to get that promotion. 00:15:11.179 --> 00:15:13.220 You have value and all the things that you bring 00:15:13.220 --> 00:15:15.659 to the table. Is there anything else you can 00:15:15.659 --> 00:15:18.200 share about that? Or maybe there's some women 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:21.080 out there that are thinking it's just really 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:24.840 hard for me to speak up and to say my value and 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:28.240 to really bring verbalize that. What suggestions 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:30.080 might you give them? Anything else you could 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:32.519 tell them? Yeah, I just thought of something 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:35.740 as you asked, Michelle, is that one really important 00:15:35.740 --> 00:15:39.000 tip for all women is find one really good friend. 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:42.039 Just one. You don't need 20, just one really 00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:43.840 good friend. One really good friend that tells 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:46.000 you the truth. The ugly truth sometimes, but 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:48.440 the truth. One really good friend that will laugh 00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:50.659 with you and at you when you make a fool of yourself 00:15:50.659 --> 00:15:52.240 that you can call and say, oh my gosh, I spoke 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:53.960 up and everyone thought I was an idiot. Who cares? 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:56.850 Do it again tomorrow. But you need an ally. You 00:15:56.850 --> 00:15:59.470 need somebody to talk through that with. And 00:15:59.470 --> 00:16:01.649 this girlfriend actually that was visiting, we 00:16:01.649 --> 00:16:03.509 used to do walking therapy at the Mall of America. 00:16:03.610 --> 00:16:05.210 So every Monday night we'd meet for four hours 00:16:05.210 --> 00:16:06.750 and we'd walk and we'd talk. We wouldn't spend 00:16:06.750 --> 00:16:08.769 money. We'd just walk and talk. And it was so 00:16:08.769 --> 00:16:10.830 good. We'd talk about our hopes, our dreams, 00:16:11.070 --> 00:16:13.269 our embarrassments, our struggles, support each 00:16:13.269 --> 00:16:15.269 other, encourage each other. So first, find a 00:16:15.269 --> 00:16:18.330 really good friend. Second, just do it. There 00:16:18.330 --> 00:16:20.389 is a lot of statistics about this. I don't want 00:16:20.389 --> 00:16:23.610 to quote wrong, but I know that men it's somewhere 00:16:23.610 --> 00:16:26.370 between 20 and 50 % of what the requirements 00:16:26.370 --> 00:16:30.309 are will apply. Though if they have 20 % of what 00:16:30.309 --> 00:16:32.230 it says, they'll put their name in the hat. Women 00:16:32.230 --> 00:16:34.610 are about 80 % and higher before they put their 00:16:34.610 --> 00:16:36.610 name in the hat. We gotta shift that ladies. 00:16:36.970 --> 00:16:39.049 Come on ladies. Put your name in the hat. Get 00:16:39.049 --> 00:16:41.889 rejected like I tell people my favorite hobby. 00:16:42.169 --> 00:16:44.309 HR directors don't love me for this, but is applying 00:16:44.309 --> 00:16:48.129 for jobs. because it builds confidence. It actually 00:16:48.129 --> 00:16:50.470 builds confidence. And I don't even always want 00:16:50.470 --> 00:16:52.990 the job. I want to know that I know how to answer 00:16:52.990 --> 00:16:54.850 a question when I'm nervous, when I'm intimidated. 00:16:55.210 --> 00:16:57.370 So it's a great practice to put your name in 00:16:57.370 --> 00:17:00.210 a hat for a job, less qualified and more qualified, 00:17:00.509 --> 00:17:02.929 and just to practice to build that muscle, right? 00:17:03.190 --> 00:17:06.609 So anything we do, reps on repetition, we get 00:17:06.609 --> 00:17:09.369 stronger. So I like to apply for jobs, but I 00:17:09.369 --> 00:17:11.109 often applied for jobs in the financial world 00:17:11.109 --> 00:17:13.210 that I was not qualified for, and I often got 00:17:13.210 --> 00:17:16.559 them. And I think the reason why is because I 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:19.160 spoke clearly and confidently learning language, 00:17:19.339 --> 00:17:21.740 learning your voice. I sometimes want to work 00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:24.519 with people just on how to articulate, how to 00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:26.599 look up, how to answer a question confidently, 00:17:27.059 --> 00:17:30.700 because a confident answer, right or wrong, is 00:17:30.700 --> 00:17:33.440 more received than I think it's the sort of even 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:36.099 if you're more right. So being confident, having 00:17:36.099 --> 00:17:39.660 your posture, having your voice. Doing some self 00:17:39.660 --> 00:17:42.200 -affirmation of I deserve to be heard. I deserve 00:17:42.200 --> 00:17:45.119 to speak up. I deserve to my daughter's meeting 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:47.259 with her company It's in the construction field 00:17:47.259 --> 00:17:49.359 and she got invited into the round tables kind 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:50.819 of with the CEO and at first like I don't know 00:17:50.819 --> 00:17:53.559 why I'm going or I'm That's not my position and 00:17:53.559 --> 00:17:55.500 she's like now they're like asking me and she 00:17:55.500 --> 00:17:57.339 goes I kind of just want to listen and now she's 00:17:57.339 --> 00:17:59.859 speaking up more and more Find a mentor inside 00:17:59.859 --> 00:18:02.299 your workplace and say I do want to climb the 00:18:02.299 --> 00:18:04.460 ladder I got five promotions in nine years in 00:18:04.460 --> 00:18:06.839 the financial world, but I looked always look 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:08.779 for the helpers look for them mentors. Oh my 00:18:08.779 --> 00:18:10.900 gosh, Michelle seems really kind. Wow, she's 00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:12.380 an executive. I'm going to see if she'll go to 00:18:12.380 --> 00:18:14.460 lunch with me. I'm going to learn from her and 00:18:14.460 --> 00:18:17.619 say, I'm grateful for the job I have, but I see 00:18:17.619 --> 00:18:19.900 myself going somewhere. What are some tips? What 00:18:19.900 --> 00:18:23.740 are seek? um advice seek wisdom seek encouragement 00:18:23.740 --> 00:18:27.099 also 20 minutes with the mentors plenty don't 00:18:27.099 --> 00:18:29.000 always ask them for an hour because their plate's 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:31.380 pretty full but could i get 20 minutes with you 00:18:31.380 --> 00:18:33.519 can i buy you a cup of coffee and talk to you 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:37.200 for 20 minutes so seek advisors get a great ally 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:39.799 friend outside because you're gonna make a fool 00:18:39.799 --> 00:18:41.279 of yourself and some people are gonna think you're 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:43.700 goofy who cares go to that friend and say i think 00:18:43.700 --> 00:18:46.059 i screwed up today okay Go back again tomorrow. 00:18:46.539 --> 00:18:48.019 Put your name in the hat, even when you're not 00:18:48.019 --> 00:18:50.640 qualified for practice. And also you might be 00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:54.099 surprised you might get that promotion. Get volunteer. 00:18:54.279 --> 00:18:56.279 I'm such a huge believer in, you know, when they 00:18:56.279 --> 00:18:59.680 sign up to. paint a house for Habitat for Humanity, 00:18:59.700 --> 00:19:01.720 get involved in that, do the things that your 00:19:01.720 --> 00:19:05.640 company does, get involved, volunteer, lead something, 00:19:06.099 --> 00:19:08.460 lead a lunch, go to the learning lunch when there's 00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:11.099 opportunities to learn, continue to learn, grow, 00:19:11.400 --> 00:19:15.339 read. They say leaders are readers. I believe 00:19:15.339 --> 00:19:17.660 that leaders are learners, and I think we all 00:19:17.660 --> 00:19:19.660 learn differently. So you can read books, go 00:19:19.660 --> 00:19:22.859 to a conference, listen to something, lead something. 00:19:22.920 --> 00:19:24.859 I started my own groups, whether it was Bunko, 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:27.630 Bible Study, or Women's leadership, I would just 00:19:27.630 --> 00:19:29.809 start things and invite two or three people and 00:19:29.809 --> 00:19:33.269 expand a networking group. What do we have in 00:19:33.269 --> 00:19:36.089 common at lunch? Different opportunities. So 00:19:36.089 --> 00:19:38.089 lots of different things, but more than anything, 00:19:38.329 --> 00:19:39.690 believe in yourself and put yourself out there, 00:19:39.750 --> 00:19:41.289 even if you make a fool of yourself. That's what 00:19:41.289 --> 00:19:43.910 I say. That's all. I think that's awesome. I 00:19:43.910 --> 00:19:47.170 think that's great advice. And then when that 00:19:47.170 --> 00:19:51.210 imposter syndrome slips in, when you have that 00:19:51.210 --> 00:19:53.990 moment of like, Oh my God, what am I doing here? 00:19:54.250 --> 00:19:57.730 What do you tell yourself in those moments? Okay. 00:19:57.809 --> 00:19:59.309 Will you play a little game with me, Michelle? 00:19:59.990 --> 00:20:01.970 Sure. Absolutely. I'm going to make you think 00:20:01.970 --> 00:20:04.150 on your feet. So I want you to answer three questions 00:20:04.150 --> 00:20:06.630 and it's worth four points for you. Okay. Okay. 00:20:06.630 --> 00:20:08.430 I know it's your interview and talk show, but 00:20:08.430 --> 00:20:09.930 let's see how you do on this. Cause I'm going 00:20:09.930 --> 00:20:12.130 to, I always think it better to show than teach 00:20:12.130 --> 00:20:15.589 people to tell, to show them and tell. So I want 00:20:15.589 --> 00:20:17.809 you to tell me what's your favorite author book 00:20:17.809 --> 00:20:20.009 just off the top of your head. The first thing 00:20:20.009 --> 00:20:24.059 you think of Mel Robbins. Okay. Who's your favorite 00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:25.799 speaker? It could be somebody you saw live at 00:20:25.799 --> 00:20:28.180 a conference or on a TED Talk or somebody listening 00:20:28.180 --> 00:20:32.220 on a podcast. Simon Sinek. Okay. And what's your 00:20:32.220 --> 00:20:35.119 favorite quote? Like what's some someone you 00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:38.200 quote or something you like to quote? Yeah. If 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:40.400 you want things you have never had, you got to 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:42.559 do things you've never done. I think that that 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:46.619 is anonymous, but yeah, I love that. Beautiful. 00:20:47.019 --> 00:20:48.839 So what I like to tell people is when I'm doing 00:20:48.839 --> 00:20:50.920 a women's leadership, I do a lot of mixed audiences 00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:52.839 or all men sometimes. But when I'm doing all 00:20:52.839 --> 00:20:54.759 women, I always start with that pop quiz. And 00:20:54.759 --> 00:20:56.740 there's a reason. Because remember, I told you 00:20:56.740 --> 00:20:59.240 it's four points, but three questions. What I'm 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:02.819 looking for, ladies, is I'm looking for you to 00:21:02.819 --> 00:21:06.220 quote a woman, to tell me a woman speaker, and 00:21:06.220 --> 00:21:09.180 to tell me a woman book. And really, the fourth 00:21:09.180 --> 00:21:11.599 bonus point is to quote yourself or your book 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:15.430 or your speaking. And here's why ladies, I love, 00:21:15.490 --> 00:21:18.509 I love men. I have an amazing husband, two beautiful 00:21:18.509 --> 00:21:21.779 sons. but I watch women tell me they're empowerment 00:21:21.779 --> 00:21:24.299 women, they're leadership women, and then I watch 00:21:24.299 --> 00:21:26.880 them quote male after male after male, recommend 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:29.880 a man's book, a man speaker, offer men more to 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:31.980 speak than women. I thought the speaking world 00:21:31.980 --> 00:21:34.059 would be very different than the financial, and 00:21:34.059 --> 00:21:35.940 there'd be more women than men, and women would 00:21:35.940 --> 00:21:38.500 get paid equal if not more. That's not true. 00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:40.700 There's definitely more men than women, and men 00:21:40.700 --> 00:21:43.099 are offered more money to speak than women, and 00:21:43.099 --> 00:21:45.559 men demand more money than women. Women will 00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:48.500 speak for free. 100 times more often than men, 00:21:48.900 --> 00:21:51.579 90 times more often than men. So what I like 00:21:51.579 --> 00:21:54.119 to teach, Michelle, just like you did, is it's 00:21:54.119 --> 00:21:56.140 not a right or wrong answer. It's an awareness. 00:21:56.380 --> 00:21:58.420 Oh my gosh. I love that you said Mel Rotman's 00:21:58.420 --> 00:22:01.539 like, let's elevate women. If I'm a woman that 00:22:01.539 --> 00:22:03.920 teaches women to lead and to be empowered, then 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:06.059 I better be speaking highly about women. I better 00:22:06.059 --> 00:22:07.920 be saying, do you know my friend Michelle? She's 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:09.859 amazing. You should see her speak. You should 00:22:09.859 --> 00:22:11.940 get on your podcast. You should coach with her. 00:22:12.339 --> 00:22:15.589 Because if we are referring, And if we are recommending, 00:22:15.750 --> 00:22:18.230 and if we are elevating, then let's do it with 00:22:18.230 --> 00:22:20.910 women. And I can't take 100 % credit for this 00:22:20.910 --> 00:22:22.710 though. I've become more and more aware of it 00:22:22.710 --> 00:22:25.529 over the last 20 years. But when I wrote my second 00:22:25.529 --> 00:22:29.130 book, Be the Exception, what happened is that 00:22:29.130 --> 00:22:30.910 I was coaching with someone. I always have a 00:22:30.910 --> 00:22:33.210 coach when I write a book because my brain is 00:22:33.210 --> 00:22:35.589 broad and I sometimes need a little focus and 00:22:35.589 --> 00:22:38.670 dyslexia. And she said to me, you have had so 00:22:38.670 --> 00:22:41.470 many... amazing quotes. So many nuggets that 00:22:41.470 --> 00:22:43.130 I've written down that you've said, Annie, over 00:22:43.130 --> 00:22:45.769 the six months we worked together. And she said, 00:22:45.809 --> 00:22:47.650 can I put some in the book? Can we add these 00:22:47.650 --> 00:22:48.890 to the book? I think they're beautiful. I said, 00:22:48.910 --> 00:22:51.009 oh yeah, that'd be great. I love quotes. And 00:22:51.009 --> 00:22:54.309 she said, do you want to add other quotes? And 00:22:54.309 --> 00:22:56.569 I said, absolutely. And she is in the publishing 00:22:56.569 --> 00:22:58.569 world. And so she said, do you know that most 00:22:58.569 --> 00:23:01.319 quotes in books are dead white men? And, you 00:23:01.319 --> 00:23:03.339 know, even the books that are written by women 00:23:03.339 --> 00:23:05.880 are dead men. And there's some extraordinary 00:23:05.880 --> 00:23:08.420 male speakers out there and authors and coaches 00:23:08.420 --> 00:23:11.460 and all the things. I agree. But if we do not 00:23:11.460 --> 00:23:13.799 start elevating, the reason we have imposter 00:23:13.799 --> 00:23:16.000 syndrome is because we don't hear enough women 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:18.579 elevated. The reason we have imposter syndrome 00:23:18.579 --> 00:23:20.900 is because I myself go, Michelle's okay, but 00:23:20.900 --> 00:23:24.210 I'm better. because we are not elevating each 00:23:24.210 --> 00:23:27.549 other. And when we start to go, oh my gosh, I 00:23:27.549 --> 00:23:29.089 am an amazing coach, but you gotta meet my friend 00:23:29.089 --> 00:23:30.609 Michelle, because I'm kind of, my plate's full, 00:23:30.910 --> 00:23:34.470 she's amazing. When we start elevating each other 00:23:34.470 --> 00:23:36.690 and we start lifting up other women and referring 00:23:36.690 --> 00:23:39.609 other women and as. Women meeting planners and 00:23:39.609 --> 00:23:42.670 as women executives, we hire women and we don't 00:23:42.670 --> 00:23:45.910 bully women. We celebrate women. You're balancing 00:23:45.910 --> 00:23:48.789 family and your job. Congratulations. I'm going 00:23:48.789 --> 00:23:50.529 to work with you. I'm going to be flexible with 00:23:50.529 --> 00:23:52.329 you, not because you're a woman, but because 00:23:52.329 --> 00:23:54.789 I want you to be successful in my company. And 00:23:54.789 --> 00:23:57.170 that's what I really love to show women is to 00:23:57.170 --> 00:23:59.549 have that awareness. How are you speaking about 00:23:59.549 --> 00:24:01.650 other women? When someone says, hey, Michelle, 00:24:01.670 --> 00:24:03.410 do you know any great speakers? Do you know a 00:24:03.410 --> 00:24:06.369 great book? Are we talking about other women? 00:24:06.390 --> 00:24:09.059 Because trust me. Men are referring men. And 00:24:09.059 --> 00:24:10.720 occasionally, there are male allies that are 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:13.400 referring women. But for the most part, they 00:24:13.400 --> 00:24:15.200 are referring other men. And I know, because 00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:17.119 I hang out with a lot of professional speakers, 00:24:17.140 --> 00:24:19.819 and I know who they refer. And I work with them, 00:24:19.819 --> 00:24:22.359 and I'll ask them, oh, I told you this. And so 00:24:22.359 --> 00:24:25.200 as women, if you want to get over imposter syndrome, 00:24:25.700 --> 00:24:27.980 start to value yourself. And other women, start 00:24:27.980 --> 00:24:31.039 to elevate and speak highly behind women's backs. 00:24:31.319 --> 00:24:33.339 I would say, I spoke about you behind your back. 00:24:33.539 --> 00:24:35.240 Let me just tell you, I did it in the most beautiful 00:24:35.240 --> 00:24:38.559 way. Let's do that. Awesome. I love that. Break 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:41.900 the imposter center. Yeah. Oh, that's amazing. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:44.839 Thank you for that. I mean, gosh, just so inspiring. 00:24:44.980 --> 00:24:47.559 So I will be looking up and finding my favorite 00:24:47.559 --> 00:24:50.279 quote from a woman now. You better believe it. 00:24:50.700 --> 00:24:53.079 Mine is Maya Angelou. It is not what we say or 00:24:53.079 --> 00:24:55.299 what we do, but it's how we make people feel. 00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:58.000 that they will never forget. That is Maya Angelou, 00:24:58.019 --> 00:25:00.180 a beautiful woman, and so there's so many great 00:25:00.180 --> 00:25:02.119 quotes, so I can't wait to hear next time I see 00:25:02.119 --> 00:25:03.539 you. What's your favorite book, your favorite 00:25:03.539 --> 00:25:09.119 quote? Absolutely, thank you so much. Is there 00:25:09.119 --> 00:25:12.559 anything else that you might say to... Say a 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:15.240 woman like us in our fifties that they've just 00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:19.220 always done things one way the same way, and 00:25:19.220 --> 00:25:21.980 they're just in a little comfort zone and just 00:25:21.980 --> 00:25:25.880 really afraid to step out and try something to 00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:28.380 do something different, be something different. 00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:32.059 Anything else you might say to a woman in a spot 00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:35.240 like that. Yeah, for sure. I always pretend to 00:25:35.240 --> 00:25:37.880 be my 20s, but I think I'm 28 and all my kids 00:25:37.880 --> 00:25:41.920 about age me, but I'm 57. And the first thing 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:43.720 I thought of Michelle is give yourself a lot 00:25:43.720 --> 00:25:47.619 of grace. You are extraordinary. You have survived 00:25:47.619 --> 00:25:51.839 over 50 years in this challenging world. Many 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:54.819 of you have bore children. What a miracle. Many 00:25:54.819 --> 00:25:57.119 of you have given them deep roots and now you've 00:25:57.119 --> 00:25:58.920 given them wings to fly and now you miss them 00:25:58.920 --> 00:26:01.400 and you wonder what your identity is. Give yourself 00:26:01.400 --> 00:26:04.920 a lot of grace and dream, dream big. Imagine 00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:07.140 if tomorrow's my last day, have I made a big 00:26:07.140 --> 00:26:10.000 enough impact? Have I encouraged enough? Have 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:12.880 I loved enough myself? And one thing I know about 00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:14.750 middle -aged women is there's so much Oh my gosh, 00:26:14.849 --> 00:26:16.789 20 year olds telling us how to be skinny and 00:26:16.789 --> 00:26:18.369 how to be this and how to be that. And just like, 00:26:18.369 --> 00:26:20.869 really, I have had five pregnancies. Please don't 00:26:20.869 --> 00:26:23.450 tell me to do my, maybe my calorie deficit. Like, 00:26:23.450 --> 00:26:25.690 stop it. You need to intermittent fast. Stop 00:26:25.690 --> 00:26:28.150 it. Like, what about my value as a human being? 00:26:28.210 --> 00:26:32.089 So first, grace. Second, dream. And third, get 00:26:32.089 --> 00:26:34.970 with, again, a coach, an ally and encourage her 00:26:34.970 --> 00:26:37.170 and say, this is what I'm at this job. I've been 00:26:37.170 --> 00:26:39.049 here 20 years. I've been here. My kids have grown 00:26:39.049 --> 00:26:41.549 up. Wherever you're at in your life. I kind of 00:26:41.549 --> 00:26:44.019 have this vision. kind of have this and share 00:26:44.019 --> 00:26:46.039 it out loud, articulate it with somebody who 00:26:46.039 --> 00:26:48.579 is safe before you start putting it into practice. 00:26:50.059 --> 00:26:51.819 But the world is your oyster is what I want to 00:26:51.819 --> 00:26:56.039 say, but really just be, get support, dream big 00:26:56.039 --> 00:26:58.880 and imagine what is my legacy. I always say every 00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:01.519 day we're building our legacy. So you're at middle 00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:03.119 age and there's a lot of noise in the world that 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:05.339 you're irrelevant or you're going to gain 50 00:27:05.339 --> 00:27:06.740 pounds or you're going to have menopause and 00:27:06.740 --> 00:27:08.809 be miserable or you're not good enough. Well, 00:27:08.829 --> 00:27:10.650 that's not a true story. You're extraordinary 00:27:10.650 --> 00:27:12.650 and you have great wisdom and the world needs 00:27:12.650 --> 00:27:15.750 it. And we need face to face connections. So 00:27:15.750 --> 00:27:17.990 get off social media and go knock on a friend's 00:27:17.990 --> 00:27:19.450 door. And when they say their house isn't clean, 00:27:19.609 --> 00:27:22.309 say, I do not care. I love you and I need quality 00:27:22.309 --> 00:27:24.960 time with my girlfriend. So. That's my encouragement 00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:27.980 is just keep dreaming and being all you can be 00:27:27.980 --> 00:27:29.640 and get Michelle as your support if you need 00:27:29.640 --> 00:27:33.519 it. So yes. Oh, thank you. That is so, so awesome. 00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:37.180 Inspiring, inspiring. So Annie, for someone who 00:27:37.180 --> 00:27:40.119 would love to reach out to you or connect with 00:27:40.119 --> 00:27:42.279 you in some way, how, where can they find you? 00:27:42.740 --> 00:27:45.759 Yeah. Annie Meehan is my website and I'm kind 00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:48.099 of all over social media, but my website's where 00:27:48.099 --> 00:27:52.160 my most videos and encouragement YouTube. Yeah, 00:27:52.220 --> 00:27:54.799 AnnieMehan .com. I've got videos. I've got topics. 00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:58.220 I've got books. I just, I try to use my written 00:27:58.220 --> 00:28:00.859 and spoken word every day to encourage, inspire, 00:28:01.339 --> 00:28:03.299 and show people to believe in themselves and 00:28:03.299 --> 00:28:05.599 to rewrite those stories that do not serve them 00:28:05.599 --> 00:28:08.420 because the world needs them. Oh, thank you so 00:28:08.420 --> 00:28:11.240 much. What a gift. I really appreciate you joining 00:28:11.240 --> 00:28:14.339 me today and being part of my show. Thank you, 00:28:14.440 --> 00:28:17.220 Annie. I look forward to seeing just how high 00:28:17.220 --> 00:28:19.940 you will soar and where you'll go. Thank you 00:28:19.940 --> 00:28:23.039 so much for having me. Appreciate you. Thank 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:25.099 you so much for spending time with me today. 00:28:25.180 --> 00:28:28.099 I am truly grateful that you chose to listen 00:28:28.099 --> 00:28:30.400 in and I hope that this conversation sparked 00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:33.279 something meaningful for you. Please take a moment 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:36.140 to subscribe, leave a review. It helps other 00:28:36.140 --> 00:28:38.440 women to find us who need to hear these stories 00:28:38.440 --> 00:28:41.619 too. And if you know someone who is ready for 00:28:41.619 --> 00:28:44.039 their own comeback, share this episode with them. 00:28:44.119 --> 00:28:47.240 I'd love to connect with you beyond the podcast. 00:28:47.740 --> 00:28:53.039 Visit me at HerComebackPodcast .com. That's HerComebackPodcast 00:28:53.039 --> 00:28:56.279 .com to learn more about how we can work together. 00:28:56.759 --> 00:28:59.960 I have a gift for you. Get your free copy today 00:28:59.960 --> 00:29:03.500 of five powerful shifts to reclaim your life. 00:29:04.059 --> 00:29:06.759 Remember your comeback story is waiting to be 00:29:06.759 --> 00:29:09.779 written. The question isn't, can I transform 00:29:09.779 --> 00:29:13.910 my life? The question is, are you ready? Let's 00:29:13.910 --> 00:29:14.150 go.