The Power of Relationships with Self and Others with guest Susan Lambert

Dr. Amy Moore:

Hi, everyone. I’m Dr. Amy Moore, here with my co-host, Teri Miller. And this is Brainy Moms. Our guest today is Susan Lambert. Susan offers human-centered facilitation and coaching, guiding growth-minded businesses, schools, and entrepreneurs through the change our world demands. With over 10 years of professional facilitation experience, nearly a decade of classroom teaching, and over 15 years of intercultural immersion, Susan’s background is rooted in business consulting, education and global competency. She’s the Founder of the LEAP coaching program for entrepreneurs.

Dr. Amy Moore:

And here are a couple of fun facts about Susan, she is trained in Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead program, and is a wilderness first responder.

Teri Miller:

So cool. We’re excited to have you here. Welcome, Susan.

Susan Lambert:

Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Yeah. I saw that and went, “Oh my gosh, we have to include that in our bio even though she didn’t tell us that. But I thought that was pretty cool, especially being here in Colorado.

Teri Miller:

Yes, very exciting. So tell us your story and how you got into the business of human-centered coaching as your life’s work.

Susan Lambert:

Well, my story, like many stories… I don’t know if you’ve ever heard Elizabeth Gilbert’s talk on hummingbirds and jackhammers, but it’s a beautiful talk about how some of us are jackhammers and the people that know exactly what they’re going to do the second they have a cognitive thought. So for example, Gilbert knew at five years old, she was going to be a writer. And she says, then there are the hummingbirds that cross-pollinate, and flitter around, and do lots of different things. And we need both. And I would say I’m much more of a hummingbird. So my story, like many, begins and ends in different places, or continues in different places. I was a high school Spanish teacher actually in Wheat Ridge, Colorado for nearly a decade, resigned from teaching to start a travel company called A Way To Be, and I still have that travel company.

Susan Lambert:

And as I was building my travel company, I was asked to facilitate, and do curriculum design, and professional development, and trainings, and so on. And so I built my current business of consulting and coaching based on what people were asking me to do. I like to say that my story… and I could get into the details of it… but really the philosophy and the background of my story is rooted in accompaniment. So no matter what I’m doing as a hummingbird, so to speak, in the world, it’s really about walking with people and walking with organizations and walking with my clients as they discover their answers and their next steps.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Well, that actually leads us to our first question then. So you talk about the power of walking with rather than doing for, so talk to us a little bit about that.

Susan Lambert:

Sure. Well, the story I often tell… And so those people that listen to podcasts I’m on or that know me, well, this’ll be on repeat… but the story I often tell is one from Nicaragua. I spent 10 years going back and forth to Nicaragua, working at a home for at-risk pregnant women as a liaison for the organization. And when I arrived, let’s see, my first summer there, I was, I think, 25. And people in the United States, family and friends, kept saying, “Wow, Susan, you are doing such powerful work. You’re doing such wonderful work.” And it never resonated with me because I really was feeling like I was receiving so much more than I was giving when I was working with these women. And daily, we would walk from the Casa Materna, which is in Matagalpa, Nicaragua… Or it was, since dissolved… but we’d walk up this hill, up this dirt road, and they’ve got these nine months pregnant bellies and wearing flip-flops and we’re walking to this overlook.

Susan Lambert:

And all the while, we’d ask each other about our families, and about our jobs, and what we love to do, and really just get to know one another in our lives. And we get to the top and we’d stretch. And we’d summon all women who are pregnant to our circle and welcome in our friends and family. And so I was wondering, as people kept saying, “Susan, you’re doing such good work. You’re doing such good work.”, I thought it doesn’t sit well with me. And so I asked my dear friend and colleague who was the Co-Founder of the organization, I asked her what I was doing there. I said, “What is my purpose here? What am I doing?” And she said… Which has become really my mantra and something I always repeat twice… she said, “Susan, the most important thing you could ever do for us is walk with us. The most important thing you could ever do for us is walk with us.”

Susan Lambert:

So the philosophy and the value of accompaniment is one that Paul Farmer uses, if you’ve read his book, Mountains Beyond Mountains, and many others for that matter, many other thought leaders in our time. And I just think it’s a really valuable lesson that, as human beings, we aren’t really designed to tell people what to do or how to do it. Or even as a teacher, I never thought I was teaching anything, but rather facilitating and helping people find their own answers. So I keep that visual of walking in Nicaragua and walking with the women with me really every day as I work with clients, as I work with schools, as I work with companies.

Teri Miller:

That is such a beautiful perspective and it makes me think of… I know you’re certified with Brene Brown and her coaching, and it reminds me… I’m going to massacre the quotes because I don’t remember exactly what it is, but she’s got a quote of perspective of… She says she’s a mapmaker and a fellow Sojourner, something like that. And so it’s that idea in leadership of, okay, yeah, I might have a map, but I’m walking with you. I am on this path with you. And I think it’s what you’re saying.

Susan Lambert:

Yeah. I recently found out actually, and I forgot it might be in her podcast or an interview I heard with her, but she actually wrote… It may even have been part of her dissertation… but some paper on accompaniment and that value of accompaniment, so that is a familiar word in her work as well.

Dr. Amy Moore:

So I came across this children’s book recently called The Rabbit Listened, and it is such a beautiful illustration of everyone wanting to fix the problem, except this rabbit who just snuggled up next to this child and was just with him, like just with him in his moment of crisis, not trying to fix anything, not trying to solve the problem, but literally just being there. And so that is so powerful, no matter what field you’re in, no matter which relationship you’re talking with, but I really just… I love your story and love that focus.

Susan Lambert:

Thank you. Yeah, that is empathy.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Absolutely.

Susan Lambert:

That we may not understand exactly what other people are going through, but we can identify with the emotion and we can choose to be there.

Dr. Amy Moore:

And Brene Brown actually has a sweet little cartoon that illustrates that.

Susan Lambert:

Yeah, I’ve seen that. I’ve seen that.

Teri Miller:

So I’m thinking about that, even everything you just talked about as a mom, as a parent, that as a Brainy Mom, I know you’re putting that in the realm of coaching and leading. But as a mom, as a parent, we’re coaches and leaders, and what a beautiful picture that, yeah, I might have a map for my kids, but I’m just a person. I’m just a girl too. And so I think that’s a great thing as moms to communicate to our kids that we’re just coaching them, we’re just leading them. We have a map, but we’re also just walking that journey with them. And so to just say to my kid, maybe when they have a struggle or even when I’m trying to correct them on something that I can say to them, I can look at them and say, “I’m walking this journey with you, and so I’m right here with you.” And even if I have a little bit of an idea of the map, I’m just walking with you.

Susan Lambert:

And therein lies the power of asking questions. When I was a teacher, often we would gather us as teachers and administrators, and we would say, “Okay, what’s best for the kids? What’s best for the kids?” And we’d ask these big questions, and I would always raise my hand and say, “Let’s ask them.” They don’t have to be adults to know what feels right for them. And same with our kids, we can ask them the question of what’s going to feel best. How can we come up with a solution together? We’re not experts either.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Yeah. So if you look at the philosophy behind the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, Loris Malaguzzi who created that whole preschool system says that, “Wen we do something for a child that they’re capable of doing themselves, we rob them of the opportunity to grow and become more.” And so when you think of it that way, that you’re robbing your child of the opportunity to use their creativity, to grow, to learn from mistakes, it should just halt us in our tracks, right? Like as opposed to just creating invitations to learning and joining them in that exploration process.

Susan Lambert:

Yeah. Which is really tough for a lot of people, because I think sometimes we desire control. And when we ask questions, we relinquish control and that can be really difficult. I often tell the story of, again, when I was teaching and students would approach my desk and they would say… and this is high school… but they would say, “Now I know you’re just going to say, what do you think? But I’m going to ask you the question anyway.” And they’d ask me the question. Then I’d say, “Well, what do you think?” They say, “I knew it.” And then they’d have to go back and try and figure it out, and we talked through it together.

Dr. Amy Moore:

So we have a lot of listeners who are mompreneurs, moms and business, can you talk a little bit about what that looks like for them in terms of how they lead, how they work with colleagues?

Susan Lambert:

Sure. I am not a mom, so I can’t talk from a place of deep empathy there, but I work with a lot of mompreneurs. A lot of my clients are moms with kids and moms that are starting businesses. And I think it’s one of the most awe inspiring jobs to be a mother, and then to choose to do something that aligns with your passion as your parenting is one of the greatest callings I think anybody could ever do. So I know as an entrepreneur, that time seems to be the greatest restriction and I try and remind myself that all we have is time. So it’s a matter of figuring out how to manage that. I know a lot of the mamas that I work with, they just figure out their system.

Susan Lambert:

One of them, while her kids are doing an activity, that’s when she does her emails. Another mama, when her kids are at school, that’s when she works. So I think it’s really whether you’re a mompreneur, or an entrepreneur, or a mom, I think it’s really about finding the system that works best for you, trying it out, knowing that there’ll be times when you falter, and trying again, and asking for support where and when you need it. And that’s where I’ve been able to really work closely with individuals and with small companies.

Teri Miller:

So you talk about the importance of quiet, tell us a little bit about that.

Susan Lambert:

Yeah. Well, just as much as I said, reach out for support, I think often we have the answers within ourselves, and there’s so much power and resolution solution in silence. I often start… In fact, I made a promise to myself to start every coaching session, every group facilitation, with quiet. And it can be uncomfortable for people at first, but I really believe in this, it’s through experience and through working with clients. I really believe that we know more than we think we do. And when we get quiet, we can listen to how our bodies and minds are responding to different questions that we have. Sometimes getting quiet is really simple, and you just need a glass of water. Sometimes your body will tell you, you need to have a snack or a nap, and sometimes your body will tell you that it’s time to connect with other people and start something new.

Susan Lambert:

So there’s certainly a lot of science behind it. There’s also a lot of history behind getting quiet, finding that moment. Even if you’re a mom, can you find those five minutes to check in with yourself? We get very cognitive and very… I should say, we get very cognitive, and I get very in my head. And when I can remember… You can even notice somebody’s voice when they’re in their head and they’re thinking a lot, their voice tends to be higher and up here. But when they’re in their body and they’re checking in with what feels right, and what sounds right, and what the next step should be, it’s apparent and you can feel it in somebody’s energy, and you can certainly feel it in your own body.

Teri Miller:

How do we get there? Give me a practical application. So I’m running crazy, busy, fast mom and business woman, and I’ve got a million things going on in my head. And you’re saying, “Just stop and just have quiet.” And I’m listening to you thinking, oh, that would have changed my morning, and every Thursday morning, I get kind of this frantic spell where I’m anxious, I’m nervous about some of the things I’m heading into. What does it look like in practicality? How do I do that, to quiet myself, to get out of my head?

Susan Lambert:

Shall we?

Teri Miller:

Yeah.

Susan Lambert:

So let’s put our feet on the ground, and this is one that Brene Brown loves. It’s called square breath. And so it’s really accessible because you can envision drawing a square as you’re breathing. I’ll guide us through three, let’s say. So the first side of the square will inhale, and then the second side of the square will hold our breath. The third side of the square will exhale, and the fourth side we’ll hold. Each time we’ll count to four and you’re welcome to close your eyes. And like I said, I’ll guide us, so if my counting is too fast or too slow, feel free to go on your own. But see if you can just follow the guided breath and then we’ll see how you feel.

Susan Lambert:

So with your feet on the ground, and if you’d like, you can close your eyes and exhale all of your air. And then start to inhale, drawing the first side of the square. Three, four, hold. Two, three, four, exhale. Two, three, four, and hold. Two, three, four. Second time. Three, four, hold. Two, three, four, exhale. Two, three four, and hold. Two, three, four. And last one, hold, exhale, hold. And then just pause, take a scan, notice how your body feels. And come on back when you’re ready.

Teri Miller:

Yeah, much more peaceful, much more centered. I hope our listeners-

Dr. Amy Moore:

Try that.

Teri Miller:

… stuck with that. If you’re podcast listening, I hope you were able to stick with that. And obviously, if you were driving, I really hope you didn’t close your eyes.

Susan Lambert:

You didn’t do that with your eyes closed.

Teri Miller:

But even with your eyes open, to just stop and pause and breathe, I wonder what better drivers we would be, so much more centered as business women, entrepreneurs, mothers, humans, friends. How much better off we would be, good heavens, if we just did that every hour, every 10 minutes sometimes.

Dr. Amy Moore:

So I have to say, as a counselor, I do mindfulness activities with clients all the time, right? But I rarely do them for myself, I’m helping them with anxiety. But in that few moments that we just practiced that grounding… So I don’t know if anybody noticed who was watching this, but my son brought me a coffee from our local coffee shop right at the beginning of the recording. The flavor of that coffee became so bold and apparent during that exercise because I was completely focused on my body and my sensory experience in that moment that, I mean, it just exploded with flavor in my mouth.

Teri Miller:

That’s so good.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Yeah.

Teri Miller:

How much of life do we miss because we’re just not present? We’re fretting about the next thing.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Right.

Teri Miller:

Like you said, we’re just in our heads, and our worries, and our anxieties, our fears. Uh.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Yeah.

Dr. Amy Moore:

So let’s talk about the power of relationships.

Susan Lambert:

Well, the most important one is the one with yourself.

Dr. Amy Moore:

How so?

Teri Miller:

Tell us.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Yeah.

Susan Lambert:

Well, just as we did that breathing exercise, one that’s a gift for you. And of course, there are lots of different metaphors for putting your air mask on first before giving it to the person next to you. But we have to fortify the relationship with ourselves before we can do so with others. So to make this a kinesthetic podcast, another really, I think, powerful activity, and it’s very brief and something that we could just do right now is to sit up just a little bit taller. And in the yoga that I learned and that I practice, the philosophy is that your back body represents community. And so as we sit up, see if you can even just ever so slightly lean back a little bit and notice what that does to your chest. If you just lean back a little bit, notice what that does to your chest. So what do you notice?

Teri Miller:

My shoulders open up. I feel a little more open, right in my heart across my chest.

Susan Lambert:

Yes, so that’s another thing. If you don’t have a minute to take three square breaths, what if we could just lean back and know that we’ve got our own back. I’ve got you. And then that allows the heart to be so much more open. It allows us to not suppress and compress the adrenals and the thyroid and everything else that makes us anxious and so on. So if we can remember to, oh yeah, I’ve got my own back, that’s building relationship with ourselves. So often when we go into the mind spin, or whatever it might be, or really focused on our kids, or really focused on our clients, we forget ourselves. And in fact, sometimes we can become at odds with ourselves… Oh, I should have done, or I wish I could do, or if only there were. And just that, even again, that physical exercise of leaning back a little bit to open, relax your shoulders, align your body, can help with that relationship.

Susan Lambert:

So, again, a kinesthetic way to build that. Of course, building relationship with self is going to look different for everybody, whether it’s counseling, or therapy, or writing, or painting, or running in the woods. But to have that, knowing that you’ve got your own back, that you are your best friend that you will have for your entire life, that’s how we can then start to create similar relationships with other people. And really, it goes back to, Amy, what you were saying earlier, empathy, and sitting and listening. And I believe, and I think I said this in some of my correspondence with you, but that relationships are the pathway to peace. If we can sit and listen with people, we would actually spark the catalyst to turn back war and violence and all of the things that are plaguing our world right now.

Dr. Amy Moore:

So talk a little bit about what that looks like in the reality of the crazy busy workday. So where do you make space for that? How do you make space for that in your interactions during your crazy busy workday?

Susan Lambert:

Well, I think that’s, again, going back to systems and what systems work for individuals. You’ve got to know what works for you. For me, it’s really important to check in with whomever I’m corresponding with about their lives. I typically don’t just dive into work. At least do a, “How are you? Tell me how things are going? How are you feeling today?” And really developing the rapport and the understanding of what people need on the other end. Are you somebody that’s okay with doing the check-in at the beginning of our call? Would you rather dive into business first? How do you like to receive feedback? Let’s find a common language on feedback. So sometimes it’s a lot of front-loading when you’re developing relationships, depending on what your work is, but when you’re developing relationships with clients, or whomever you’re with…

Susan Lambert:

Again, another quick story about teaching. When I was a teacher, I would spend at least three weeks, not even looking at a textbook, not even teaching any part of the curriculum, and we would just build relationships with one another. We’re talking 30 high school students in a classroom. And the other teachers would say, “Well, what chapter are you on? Are you on 2B yet? Have you learned that the preterite tense?” I’d say, “No, we’re just getting to know one another.” And I tell you what, by the end of the semester, my students superseded any curricular expectations because they had trust in the relationship. They had trusted the space they were in. So sometimes in our crazy busy workday, as you say, it seems like fluff, it seems like extra. And I believe it is actually the foundation of everything strategically that we have to do.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Yeah. I talk all the time in almost every podcast about the importance of connection and how connection is the number one buffer against mental health crisis. And so when we think about connection, we think about our personal relationships for the most part, right? Like our friendships, our family relationships. And so I think sometimes we miss the boat on what that looks like in the workplace, and the ability to nurture those relationships with the people that we lead and the people that we work alongside, we could change the world with those relationships as well. Right? So…

Susan Lambert:

Yeah. So thankfully, I think the tides are shifting. I think even within the past five plus years, there’s more of an emphasis on relationship building in the workplace and mindfulness in the workplace. And you’ve got companies like Google and Amazon who are really encouraging that. So I do think the tides are shifting, I do think the conversation is happening. And I’m hopeful that people will understand that it is really important and not just the soft fluff.

Teri Miller:

Yeah. And Hey, Amy, for the record, you do that so well. You do connection in the workplace very, very well. And we are very, very… I don’t take it for granted that we do have a work environment that really emphasizes connection. And yeah, that’s a beautiful thing. And I think it fosters, like you said, greater productivity. It fosters loyalty. It fosters the ability to get through trials and obstacles that all humans, all workplaces… Any coaching interaction, any parenting interaction, there’s always going to be obstacles. There’s always going to be trials and hardships. And I think when you have that connection and you have that base of relationship, beautiful, starting with self, I got my own back so that I have the strength to then reach out to others. I do think that’s the foundation for something so much more productive, like what you said with your students. [crosstalk 00:25:37].

Dr. Amy Moore:

Well, and you talk about… When you said loyalty, that has to be something that nurtures productivity, right? Because you want to work harder for that organization when you feel loyal to that and connected to that organization.

Teri Miller:

Yeah.

Susan Lambert:

I’m a big believer too in, along with building relationships and building connection, is creating safe spaces. So whether that’s a Zoom room or whether that’s a conference room, or whether that’s an office space, there are ways and strategies to make the space feel welcoming and inclusive where everybody feels that they belong, because we will not trust our colleagues if we don’t feel safe in our environment. So that’s critical.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Can you talk a little bit more about how to do that remotely, since there’s so many people that are missing the water cooler conversation, because they’re working remotely with their colleagues now?

Susan Lambert:

Absolutely. I think expectations on something like Zoom really need to be talked about ahead of time. What are our norms when we’re on Zoom? Is it okay to have your camera off or camera on? What do we do to bookend our meetings? Is there a way that we welcome one another, and is there a way that we depart from the meeting? Who is responsible for taking notes, or who’s responsible for facilitating? Sometimes we go into a Zoom room for a meeting and nobody is facilitating, and we really lose efficiency and effectiveness because there isn’t direction.

Susan Lambert:

So again, setting those norms and setting those expectations… I love bookending, I think it’s a really great way to create a safe space. What is our norm at the beginning of every session, and how do we make sure that we’re all on the same page when we leave? Also, how do we be present in our space, even in our remote space? Do we close the door? Do we welcome pets in? Do we have a blurred background? So really just having conversations about what the expectations and the norms are, and having explicit conversations helps us to feel safe, grounded, included/

Dr. Amy Moore:

What bookend ideas could you give our listeners that they could implement?

Susan Lambert:

One I learned recently… Well, so a couple I learned recently. One is a 30 second, just tell us everything about what’s going on with you. It doesn’t have anything to do with work, whatever you want to share. And it is important to hold people to the timing. Timing also creates safety, believe it or not. Because again, there’s an expectation and the norm, so 30 seconds, a minute, whatever you have time for, and however many people you have, but just tell us what’s going on with you. Again, that’s a way to create empathy and build relationships. It’s a great way to open a meeting. There’s millions of them, but that’s one.

Susan Lambert:

A way to close I learned recently is called stems and branches, and I don’t know that I’ll be able to recall the exact prompts, something along the… There are four or five of them, something along the lines of what I’m still curious about is… What I’d like to do next is… What surprised me by this conversation is… And you have just a set of prompts that everybody has ahead of time, that will reflect on the conversation you just had, reflect on your meeting… My next steps are… And it’s just a great way to hear from everybody. And again, to close with intention. And I really believe that creating a space where every voice and every face, whether you’re on Zoom or not, is seen and heard is critical.

Teri Miller:

Again, I’m thinking about from a parenting perspective, we’re sitting at the dinner table and you’ve got the sullen 15 year old that doesn’t want to participate in… Ah, there’s this… I think if we don’t create intentionality, like you said, then that 15 year old can come to the table, mad, ignoring the family. Leave the table, mad, ignoring the family. But if we can begin to create intentionality like that when we sit down, there’s something that’s said, if it’s a prayer, if it’s a, “Hello, everyone. Just real quick, you guys, something lovely about your day, or something rotten.”, Whatever, roses and… Thorns and petals, what is it? Like-

Susan Lambert:

Yeah. Rosebud… A lot of my [inaudible 00:30:18], use that and they say to start with the thorn, I think. Thorn, rose, bud, or something like that. But [crosstalk 00:30:26], but something that’s bothering you, something that you’re grateful for, and something you’re working on.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Oh, I like that.

Teri Miller:

Good.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Yeah. And you could do that in the classroom too, as a teacher.

Teri Miller:

Oh, yeah.

Dr. Amy Moore:

So I like that.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Okay, so we need to take a quick break and let Teri read a word from our sponsor. And when we come back, we want to hear more about your coaching program.

Susan Lambert:

Okay.

Teri Miller: (reading sponsor ad from LearningRx)

Are you concerned about your child’s reading or spelling performance? Are you worried your child’s reading curriculum isn’t thorough enough? Well, most of the learning struggles aren’t the results of poor curriculum or instruction, they’re typically caused by having cognitive skills that need to be strengthened, skills like auditory processing, memory and processing speed. LearningRx one-on-one brain training programs are designed to target and strengthen the skills that we rely on for reading, spelling, writing, and learning. LearningRx can help you identify which skills may be keeping your child from performing their best. In fact, they’ve worked with more than 100,000 children and adults who wanted to think and perform better. They’d like to help get your child on the path to a brighter and more confident future. Give LearningRx a call at 866-BRAIN-01, or visit learningrx.com. That’s learningrx.com.

Dr. Amy Moore:

And we’re back talking to Susan Lambert. Susan, we would love it if you would talk to us a little bit about your coaching program.

Susan Lambert:

Sure. As I said, I started my coaching program after being asked to be a coach so many times. And that’s just kind of how my life has worked, truth be told, that it’s mostly trial by fire. And then I look back and I say, “Hmm, what did I do that worked in all of those experiences of mine.” And I realized that I’ve actually been coaching for quite some time. So I looked back at all of the experiences I’d had and all of the clients I’d worked with. And I thought, what are the common denominators? Whether I was working with a teacher, or a corporate client, or entrepreneur, what are the common denominators and what worked? And so I developed the LEAP coaching program. And so LEAP stands for listen, Engage, Ask, and pause and Plan, two Ps.

Susan Lambert:

And we’ve already talked about some of the things that we do in the coaching program. Like I said, we’ll start every session with quiet because we’re going to enter into every day, every moment of every day, with a new set of stories, a new perspective, a new set of things that have happened in our lives. So we really do get quiet. The beginning sessions… Typically it’s an eight session program. Sometimes four, sometimes longer. It’s very customizable to meet whatever the client needs. The listen part of the program is about just that, listening. So we go really big to start. So I work with a lot of clients who are starting businesses.

Susan Lambert:

And often, when we’re entrepreneurs that are very passionate about what we’re doing, we can get kind of almost paralyzed and blinded by our own ideas, by our own passion. And so we go really big and we just say, “Okay, let’s listen to all of your ideas. Let’s put them all out there.” So whether it’s to curb poverty in the community, or start a coaching program, or design copy for someone, or start a new school, we get big. Then we strategically break it down… And I’ve coached, or rather I’ve taught a lot of courses for entrepreneurs and people that are starting businesses. And so it’s really important to take the big ideas and then create a strategy around them. So then we engage with the ideas, we ask questions. I love using driving questions like we do in education, non Googleable questions that we’re trying to figure out… How can I create a more engaged and empathetic community, for example, off the top of my head. And then we continue to ask questions.

Susan Lambert:

So after engaging with them, we’re going to ask even more questions. We’re going to go through a process of discernment. We’re going to go back to the beginning. Do we still have all of those ideas or are there priorities we can focus on? And then again, pausing and planning and creating a strategy around those ideas. And so it’s kind of broad and even perhaps sounding a little vague, but it really does depend on what the client needs. I’ve worked with a lot of people who are deciding to transition out of a full-time job and into starting their own business. I’ve worked with people that just need support and where they are in their lives. Again, I’ve worked with corporate clients that need to want to focus on how to improve their team in this huge company. And so it can look very different, but the bones of it are the same and that is listening, developing relationships and creating a strategy that we can adhere to.

Dr. Amy Moore:

So it’s applicable for any stage of your career goals and dreams.

Susan Lambert:

Absolutely.

Dr. Amy Moore:

That’s awesome.

Teri Miller:

I find it interesting that… Like you look at that word LEAP, that acronym, and it sounds like it’s going to be this… Like, you’re going to be one of those, “Okay, let’s go. Let’s go. Come on, just take the leap.” You’re going to be one of those, “I’m going to put a fire under you” kind of coaches. And instead, what I’m hearing is that it’s this process of space, and time, and dream big, think big, and then whittle down, evaluate. It’s actually very intentional and purposeful so that I imagine it’s the recoil, it’s the strengthening, so that then you can leap instead of just haphazardly flying across.

Susan Lambert:

Absolutely. Yes [crosstalk 00:36:32]

Dr. Amy Moore:

Well, because dreamers need somebody that can help them narrow it down and engage in those… Yeah.

Susan Lambert:

That’s right. And the only reason I can do it is because I am a dreamer. I’m a big picture dreamer, but I’m a systems thinker. And I’ve learned to become a systems thinker through experience and through my work. And one of the first things I’ll have clients do even before our first session actually is to read this piece called The Fear Of Transformation.

Susan Lambert:

So to your point, Teri, it is very much preparing for the leap and the fear of transformation, and it’s from the Book of Days… I can send you a link… but it’s all about the trapeze bar. And so the metaphor is that we’re holding onto this trapeze bar, but in order to transition to the next phase in life to that next trapeze bar, there is a moment where we have to let go. There is a moment where we have to let go of this one in order to swing to the next one. And in that moment of fear and transition, we’re okay and we’ve got a net below us, coaches, therapists, counselors, family, friends, that will catch us, should we fall? And then we can get up and we can swing again. So you’re absolutely right that it’s a gradual process and that’s life. I mean, we’re always making leaps in one way or another.

Teri Miller:

To new seasons of life, new work opportunities, yeah, it’s so many applications. I mean, I know, again, you’re talking entrepreneurial coaching business, but such important application for moms, for parenting.

Susan Lambert:

Yep.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Absolutely.

Dr. Amy Moore:

Well, I could listen to you all day, but we are at a time and need to wrap up. Is there anything that you didn’t get to talk about that you’d like to talk about?

Susan Lambert:

Oh, I could talk for hours about lots of things, so we’ll just have to do it [inaudible 00:38:27].

Dr. Amy Moore:

Okay, sounds good.

Dr. Amy Moore:

So I just want to thank our guest today, Susan Lambert, for sharing some amazing tips and ideas for moms. And if you’d like to learn more about her coaching program, you can visit susanklambert.com/coaching. And we will put her social media handles and that link in the show notes. Susan is also offering 10% off of her services just for Brainy Moms’ listeners, so take advantage of that if you are dreaming of anything related to growth.

Dr. Amy Moore:

So thank you so much for listening today. If you liked our show, we would love it if you would give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, if you would rather watch us, we are on YouTube. Please follow us on social media at the Brainy Moms. So, look, until next time we know you’re busy moms and we’re busy moms, so we are out.

Teri Miller:

See ya.

Susan Lambert:

Thank you.

CONNECT WITH SUSAN
Website: https://www.susanklambert.com/
IG – @susan.k.lambert 
FB – @susan.lambert.3979 
Special offer for Brainy Moms listeners: 10% off Susan’s coaching, consulting and facilitation services