Ep #164: Empowerment and what it creates with Leslie Galloway

In this episode, I chat with Leslie Galloway, a leadership coach and the founder and CEO of Interleap Group. Galloway shares her journey into leadership coaching, from her career as a vice president of a branding firm to the inspiration behind starting her own business. She discusses the challenges and successes of launching Interleap Group in the spring of 2020, emphasizing the importance of leadership coaching during crises.

Leslie also delves into the 'hello moment' concept that led to a significant shift in her career path, and how these inflection points can prompt deeper self-reflection about personal and professional goals. The conversation transitions into the impact of social media on productivity and self-perception. She advises on managing inputs to empower oneself and prevent disempowerment caused by negative self-talk and comparison on social media platforms.

The episode concludes with insights on the importance of self-investment for leaders and an invitation to visit Interleap Group's website for more information.

00:00 Welcome to the Hello CS Dorsey Podcast with Leslie Galloway
00:19 Introducing Leslie Galloway: Leadership Coach and CEO
00:43 The Journey to Starting Interleap
03:22 Leslie's 'Hello Moment' and Career Shift
05:45 Navigating Creativity and Feeling Stuck
10:48 Empowerment and Overcoming Disempowerment
14:59 Social Media's Impact and Managing Inputs
20:57 Final Thoughts and Where to Find Leslie

Where to find Leslie:

Website: https://interleapgroup.com/
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Transcript

0:00

Well, welcome back to another episode of the Hello CS Dorsey podcast. I have Leslie Galloway on the show today. Hi, Leslie. How are you doing? I was going to say good morning, but I guess it's not. It's just happy lunch. Yes. Yes. It's actually morning for me. So yes, it's somewhere, somewhere it's morning, right? So tell everyone who you are and what you do. So my name is Leslie Galloway. And I am a leadership coach. I am founder and CEO of a company called interleague group, and we coach we coach executives and you know, anywhere from I'd say fast paced. Middle management up to the C suite. So let's talk about the inspiration behind you starting your business. What was that like for you? you know, it was really interesting. I started this business. Well, I started before I started Interleap. I started a I was in a partnership. With my old business coach, and we started a company called capacity 7, and we ran that for about 4 years and we were doing really similar work working with companies, working with leaders. And, you know, it's so interesting, Candice, because when I 1st got into coaching, I, my previous career was as a vice president of a branding firm. And I had sort of a. We'll talk about the hello moment in a minute. I'll share more about that. But I had the hello moment, like you mentioned to me before we jumped on and I just had a baby and it was just that moment of, oh, my goodness, you know, where am I right now? And am I doing this thing? And you know, it was a big, big inflection point in my life. So I started this business with this partner and, it just didn't work out. We were wanting to do very different things. And so in 2020, I launched spring of 2020, as you can only imagine what that was like, I officially launched interleave. So it was in the works. I had clients. And as I was transitioning over into interleave, it was in the works in January. And so I even reflect on, gosh, when we officially launched that spring, I was already feeling Holy cow, like, do we do this? You know, is this something that's going to feel superfluous to clients? Right? Because everybody was hunkering down in that time. And I remember sitting on calls with big companies and consulting, trying to help coaches and leaders figure out what do we do right now? And I remember thinking. We kicked off a big program for leaders during that time because I quickly went from I'm scared and what does this look like? And is this going to be needed? And are we going to lose clients? And how's this going to affect business to? Oh, my gosh, leaders need this more than anything. They need a place that is. They can get poured into so that they can get in the trenches and sort of what feels like a crisis, you know, crisis in their worlds. They need a place to get fed. And so it was interesting timing. There were lots of hard things about it. And. It's one of the best things I've ever done. Oh, it sounds like it was amazing. So let's talk about that. Hello moment. What was that like for you? So I remember I'd been in, I was vice president of this company. I loved it. It was such a home for me. But I remember going to See a big leader speak in our industry. And he was actually not speaking about the industry. And this was commercial real estate at the time. He was talking about a passion play for him. And I just remember coming back to my office vividly. And I remember looking at my bio and I thought, okay, so there are all these great check marks on here. They're great titles. They're great. You know, the skills and the experience, but I remember asking myself, like, where, where am I on this page? Like, where, where do where's my passion? Where is where are the things that are unique to me on this page? Right? And like I said, I've gone through. A lot of big inflection points. I've gotten married a little bit later. A year later, I had a baby and it kind of forced as those moments do kind of a like, all right, hold on. Is this where I'm, you know, being called to and I think for me and for the clients that I work with. If you're not tuned in to where you are uniquely designed to create a story, right? And, you know, where do you pull from the strengths and from the. Interests you have and. If you're not engaged with that story, then you're either, you know, we're, we're so externally driven. I think, especially women, frankly, I'm, I'm sure men to a degree as well, but it's, you know, our culture tells us. Where we should be headed are, you know, what to value. And if if we don't pause to say, wait, hold on. Is this the story that I'm trying to build for myself for my professional life for my family? We're going to get stuck and I, and that's what I see so much in my business is stuck, right? People come to you with, I don't know what's wrong, but I'm stuck and I don't know quite how to pull out of it by myself. Wow. That's a really good conversation. I'm in that place right now. We all hit it, right? I mean, at some point. Yeah, yeah, that's interesting and it's so funny because I think that I'm the only one that's in it and I'm like Candace no, you're not and I'm at a place where I'm like What do I do? Where are where are my strengths? Where do I go? Like I'm too creative and the creativity in me is always Looking for other things, you know, I, I seek a lot of different other things and then if something that don't work out, it's time to move on to the next and the next and the next. If you feel like you're not being productive. Then listen up. Here's the thing. I always have brain fog with my one cup of coffee in the morning. So I grab another cup Or I make a homemade iced coffee or green tea for that middle of the day boost However, it only lasts for about an hour and i'm back to feeling stuck again And sometimes coffee give me the anxiety feels, you feel me? Instead of grabbing that extra cup of coffee or tea to boost my energy, I just grab a little shot of magic mind. It helps me drink less coffee throughout the day and keeps my energy and focus on point throughout the day. Just enough so that I can focus on doing client work for my business. Magic mind is all natural ingredients, no sugar, nut free, vegan, keto. Keto and paleo friendly. If you're like me and you have brain fog and need an extra boost to focus, I recommend you try it. Just one shot, get a natural, I mean, natural boost of focus and clarity. You can get it at magicmind. com slash CS Dorsey with code CS Dorsey 20. You also get 56 percent off your first subscription or 20 percent off your one time purchase. That's CSDorsey20 for 56 percent off. It also works if you're already a subscriber and you can save on your next subscription payment. So if you don't like those jitters, shakes, and afternoon crashes from the coffee or having trouble being 100 percent throughout the day, then try MagicMind. Need to know what's in it? Check out the ingredients below in the show notes. Again, go to www. magicmind. com forward slash CS Dorsey with code CS Dorsey 20 for up to 56 percent off your subscription. I'd get the 30 pack if I was you. Best value. Just saying. Yeah. So I was like, maybe that's a problem. Maybe I should talk to somebody about that. But some people say, Candace, that's just you. That's uniquely you. And then some people like, Candace, you're wishy washy. So that's where I'm at right now, but it's definitely been a journey. Okay, so I think what's, what's interesting is the 1st thing you said was, I always feel like it's just me. And I think that's, that is 1 of the number 1 things that keeps us stuck. Right? Because we think, well, she's got it figured out. He's got it figured out. And even just that moment of realizing we are all dealing with some version of the questions that we have. Right and so the acknowledgement of I'm, I'm not alone for whatever reason from a human condition is so powerful because I think then we allow ourselves to do something right? Like, we kind of put the shame aside or the guilt of, you know, what? What if there's something wrong with me and we're able to actually move? I think the 2nd thing you said is so interesting because. What you're wrestling with is your brain and your preferred style. And, you know, where do those things work really well for you creatively. Right and then where is that a real superpower for you? And then where does it. Where do you need to right size it because it ends up sabotaging, you know, movement perhaps right? Because because I almost hear you saying I get restless and I, I've got 20 windows open. Right and that feels kind of good to me in a minute. Like, I get dopamine hit from that and yet I'm not completing things that would give me the ultimate. And so a lot of times I think we need to know that we need to have grace for ourselves and curiosity so that we can learn, okay, what are some of those patterns for me? Which ones do I want to disrupt? And then we kind of take some action, but I think grace and curiosity for self is the prerequisite for movement. And I think a lot of people don't realize that. Yeah. Yeah. I'm definitely happy that we're having this conversation because I know I'm not the only one out there, but a lot of people don't talk about it. You know, you see it online about the, of the, yeah, I'm doing this and I'm doing this. And I'm starting to slowly like realize like, can this, okay, that's good for them. Yeah. What is it good for you? You know but we can talk about that for a very long time. This podcast is going to probably last for two hours. If we go into that, we're on that later, right? Yeah. So let's talk about empowerment and what it creates. Can you talk more on that? Well, so I think Even piggybacking off the conversation we were just having, right? Because what you were just sharing was, were a couple of stories that were disempowering, right? So the stories were what, what, what are the stories that you're telling yourself right now? And that I'm the only one going through this. Okay, what else? I need to focus on one thing. I'm too creative. And I have to, I keep moving in different directions. Every time something doesn't work out. Yeah. And, and so when we look at narratives like that, and we look at where we feed those narratives, then those are stories that. Are not driving you. I mean, you, you tell me, are they driving you further towards the plate toward a place of movement or, or further away? I feel like it's further away. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think there's a tendency for us. And again, I think the human condition is to is to when we judge ourself when we flaw when we, you know, when we. We think those are motivating factors, right? Like, they're motivating tools. And the more I, the more critical I am, the more I point out what's not working, the better I'll do. And, and I think that was a model for a lot of us growing up, right? Like, we, we. Either I have parents that wrote us and and and so we just kind of learned the, more, the more we criticize, the better we do. And what we know is that's not really true, right? Because what you're saying is, it's not working, you know, the more, the more negative I am about where I'm showing up and perhaps that. Why am I the only 1 who can't figure this out? Because everyone else is looks like they're in, you know. total action mode and that they are totally successful. The more we kind of want to crawl in a hole, right? So it's, it's disempowering. And I think, one of the things that, we're doing right now is we're naming things. We're, we're, we're noticing what feeds that disempowering feeling for you. Right. And, and, you know, in our business and our clients, one of the things we talk about a lot are inputs. They can be what I say to myself, who do I listen to most is 1 of the questions that we, we, we like to ask in our groups, right? Because when you stop and you realize what's actually me. I listen to me the most. So what am I saying to myself? Right? Like, what are the stories that are actually informing the way I show up during the day? Okay. So if I'm listening to myself the most, where, what other inputs am I getting? Am I getting social media? Am I getting. You know, am I strategically filling this with things that empower movement or am I filling it with things that actually pull me further away? Right? What does movement look like in my life? What does water intake? It's interesting because, you know, I was talking to a client about this this morning. These are pretty basic, right? I mean, when you think about water and do I, you know, movement that creates endorphins that creates. And, and yet I don't think that most of us are intentional about our inputs. So when I think about your question of empowerment I think we have to be incredibly strategic. About what we allow in what sort of stories or informing our power, right? Because our beliefs are our thoughts, all of those drive behavior. So if we aren't feeding the machine with what we want, To be creating, then of course it's gonna be doing the opposite. Does that make sense? It makes total sense. It makes total sense. Yeah, you're right. Because, you know, the thing of it is we're on social media for our business. And then we're also on social media scrolling for our business. So we're on it for our business We're scrolling for our business So we're looking for those posts that says I need help with xyz or i'm struggling with this trying to give the you know The value input but there are little things that pops up in those feeds that Well, of course, you know, kind of like driving you like focusing on that and you're like, wow, and it makes things like, it makes you feel a little bit more, less and less and less because the intent of you being on there is for your business to grow. To look to see if people need help and to post and everything. But at the same time, you're scrolling and you're seeing, you know, success stories and this and that and this, and it makes you even less and less and less. That's it. It does make you feel less and less and less. Yeah. So I think it's interesting that none of us are, I mean, you see some of the greatest minds and most successful. Yeah. People in their honesty say they're either not on social media, right? And then we can all go, yeah, but you're so and so, and maybe you don't need it. Right? And, and yet what they're saying is, and I think this is such a, an important point is that the cost. Of being on social media is too high, right? So that you and I can sit there and say, well, yeah, do I get something out of it? I'm, I'm learning. I'm looking at what's out there. And yet what you're speaking to is, well, okay. So what does that cost me? And maybe it's. Okay, so am I willing to, am I willing to depart social media 100%? Okay, well, maybe that's not what's right for my model, but what does it look like to minimize the expense, right? Like what, And and and I think that could take a different term, but I think that's what we're really asking ourselves in general is if we just sort of open up the all of this to whatever's out there, like, come on, and then, I mean, you and I both know that most of what's out there is not feeding. The, the thing that we're trying, we have to work a lot harder. And to your point, be intentional about which thing am I trying to feed? Because the, the other part is just naturally going to come in. So it's like putting guardrails around your input. It's not complex, but it's not easy. Right. And, and I think it takes us looking at the expense. Because until you go until you look at this, I like to think about it as sort of this running credit card statement, right? Well, when you look at your credit card statement, you see clear expenses. I'm spending this a month on this and, you know, and of course, it's the subscriptions that end up frustrating you because you don't even notice that that's being taken out of your account. Well, what if you had a what if you had a ledger that showed all of the debits? You know, the mental debits, the things that take away your power, the, that take away your agency, you probably look at that and say, oh, that I'm not going on that. Right? Like, I can't handle that expense. I don't, I don't have the money in the bank on the other side, or I'm not building and investing and. The, the innovative, you know, creative parts of my brain, but I'm spending a bunch of money over here. We're really out of balance, but we don't look at it that way, right? It's like this invisible thing. And then we wake up maybe it's because we were scrolling and we just, you know, we, we don't even see what it does to us. That is a really good analogy that you put there. I think it's visceral for all of us because we hate the red. Yeah. You know, so if we saw it, and if we were clear about the expense, then we might think harder about it. Spending it at the time. That's good. That's good. I've heard. I don't know. I think it was Russell Bronson. I don't know if you familiar with him, but he took a audit of how much time that he was spending on social media. And he's like, I now have two phones. He said the one with the social media is at home and then the where's there's the work phone that I take with me. And then he says, like, when I'm sitting and I'm like, You know, just like staring at the computer. I'll pull out my phone and I'll say, Oh, let me scroll through social. And then he's like, Oh, that's right. It's not on here. I can't. So, so think about the fact that, you know, this even goes back to your first comment today where you were saying, well, it's sort of this thing that everybody else has it figured out. And then you look at people who nobody is immune to this. Nobody, right? And then we expect our kids to be able to figure this out, but that's a whole nother story. But as adults, he has to have a hack where he's like, I got to have two phones because I know that it's too easy. Right. So I'm going to put I'm going to put a guardrail in place that's so strong that it's literally a physical. I can't I can't I have no phone. Right. It's not that I'm going to put it on the last page. I just can't actually carry that phone. And I mean, to me, that's. That is a real transparent look at the willingness to say, here are my limitations. I have reverence for my limitations. I respect that. You know what? That is just not somewhere I can trust myself and it matters enough to me that I'm going to put a guardrail because I see what it costs when I do it. So any last minute advice you have for our listeners out there? You know, I think that as leaders, oftentimes we were so focused on other people and we're focused on teams, families. Organizational growth that we make up all kinds of excuses. Not to invest in ourself 1st. And what we know is that when we are taking personal staff meetings, I'm thinking about what we want to see shift in her life, whether it's patterns and habits, or when we're dialed in there 1st, then everything else gets better. Right it isn't the other way around. And so I just. I think that for me, that would be the, the, the question for your audience and for leaders is what does that look like for you? Right? What is, what is self investment look like from a leadership perspective? And, and what is that costing you when you're not doing it? I think would be a great relation, just a way to piece those 2 concepts together. That's awesome. I love it. So where can everyone find you? So interleague group dot com is our website and they can also find me on linkedin and we're so excited because we are about to launch a new website. That's been in the works for far too long, but it's coming in the next month. And so there's. You know, super easy way just to click to learn more, schedule a call, and then they can find out how what opportunities there are to work with us. Sounds amazing. Yes, we'll definitely those up in the show notes. So Leslie, thank you so much for coming on the show. I really, I really do appreciate it. Anytime my friend. I enjoyed it. I love connecting with you. Thanks for having me on.