BONUS: 'Finding Your Voice' with Tricia Brouk

In this bonus episode of The Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Sara Deschamps and Arjun Sahdev are in conversation with Tricia Brouk.

Tricia is a dynamic director, producer, author and speaker who specializes in empowering leaders to find their voice and tell their stories. She is also the founder of The Big Talk Academy, where she helps individuals master the art of public speaking and storytelling and over 30 years she has directed numerous award-winning films and theatrical productions.

Known for her innovative approach to communication, Tricia combines her expertise in performance with a passion for personal growth, guiding clients to captivate audiences and make a lasting impact. Her work has been featured in prestigious platforms, and she is a sought-after speaker and mentor.

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 The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.

Transcript

Scott Allender: 0:03

While many leaders are commercially minded, operationally efficient and goal oriented, knowing precisely what they need to achieve and what they require from their teams each day, how many of us are as consciously purposeful about how we show up as leaders each day? How many of us are consciously aware of the lasting impact of our daily words and actions. Conscious leadership, being fully present with our teams, prioritizing self awareness, being mindful of the words we choose, even in our most challenging and demanding circumstances, is a key differentiator between those who may have good intentions and those who are fully mindful of their impact on those around them, as we often talk about, on the evolving leader, an automating world requires leadership that is more human, not less. As leaders, the world needs us to prioritize our own inner work, to pursue healing, where we need to to consciously evolve in a rapidly changing and more uncertain reality our actions and words have profound, far reaching power to affect change, both positively or negatively. It has never been more important to be true to our values and purpose. Each of us has the opportunity to create lasting legacies. As psychologist William James said, the greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it. Let's tune in to a motivating conversation on The Evolving Leader.

Sara Deschamps: 1:44

Welcome everyone to the evolving leader. My name is Sara, and I'm here with Arjun today. We're taking over for Jean and Scott, and we have an incredible guest for you today. But first, let's kick off with a bit of a check in Arjun, how are you feeling today?

Arjun Sahdev: 1:58

Thank you so much, Sara. I am feeling really good today. I'm super energized. I'm very excited about what the rest of the year has in store. There's so so much potential ahead, I feel, but there's also this feeling of of excitement, because I'm back in in the evolving leader seat. So I'm really excited to be sharing the next hour with you and our guest, and I'm really thrilled about the conversation we're going to have today. I truly believe that our voices, when used with purpose, can make a real impact in the world. So yeah, really looking forward to diving into how we can harness all that power. How are you feeling Sara?

Sara Deschamps: 2:39

Oh, plus one to everything you've just said. And I think I'd also add I'm feeling very curious, and I feel like there's a sense of momentum and excitement with the guests that we're about to speak to. I just can't wait to speak to her about her book and everything that she's working on. So it's just really delightful to be here. Really excited to be co hosting with you as well, Arjun, so I'm thinking maybe we just dive right in, and I'd love to introduce our guest. So today we have Tricia Brouk on The Evolving Leader. Tricia is a dynamic director, producer and speaker who specializes in empowering leaders to find their voice and tell their stories with over 30 years of experience in the industry, she has directed numerous award winning films and theatrical productions. Tricia is also the founder of the big talk Academy, where she helps individuals master the art of public speaking and storytelling. She's known for her innovative approach to communication, and Tricia combines her expertise in performance with a passion for personal growth, guiding clients to captivate audiences and make a lasting impact. Her work has been featured in prestigious platforms, and she is a sought after speaker and mentor. Through her creative vision and commitment to authenticity, Tricia inspires others to embrace their unique narratives and share them confidently with the world. When I read her book, I pulled out a passage journalist Nydia Han. She penned her forward, and she describes Tricia as a master storyteller and a genius at helping others identify and bring to light their own stories. Tricia, welcome to The Evolving Leader. How are you feeling, and how did that intro make you feel?

Tricia Brouk: 4:31

Oh, my goodness, Sara and Arjun, I'm so honored to be here, and I love that you ask one another how you're feeling, and you really give each other the space to share that truth. When somebody says, How are you or how are you feeling, we're so quick to say, Fine. When we give ourselves permission to really share the truth of how we're feeling, that's how we can connect on a much deeper level. And to answer your question, I am feeling honored, I'm feeling excited, I'm feeling privileged, and I'm feeling blessed to be here and to have this conversation with you both today.

Sara Deschamps: 5:11

That's amazing. I'd love us to jump right in Tricia. I'd love for you to take us back. Can you tell us a little bit about your origin story? So what was your journey in finding your own voice?

Tricia Brouk: 5:22

I am from Arnold, Missouri, which was a small town 20 miles south of St Louis, and I grew up in a small town farm. We had some cows and some corn fields, and we sold strawberries on the side of the road, and I saw my sister dance when I was seven. She was taking lessons at the local dance studio, and she was dancing and tap dancing with a pink poodle costume. And I remember thinking, I want to be on stage. I didn't really know what that meant, and I certainly didn't want to be dancing in a poodle costume, but I became completely obsessed with classical ballet and PBS, and started dreaming of becoming a classical ballet dancer and moving to New York City to dance with Baryshnikov. So I told my mother, I'm going to dance class, and she enrolled me, and I started the process of fulfilling my dream, and I was one of those dancers who would come home from school sit with my feet underneath the door frame to help my arches become even more beautiful. I would study in the full splits so that I could be as flexible as possible. And I would go to dance class as often as I could, cut to wanting to graduate from high school and move directly to New York City, and my parents, luckily had the foresight to make me go to college. So I went to university, and I got a degree in dance, and it was an accelerated three year, two summer programs. So I moved to New York City at the age of 20 to pursue this career, and started waiting tables. Then I started my own company, then I started touring the world with all of these incredible choreographers and dance companies. And 13 years to the day, I moved to New York City. I danced with bursnikov When I was working with the Lucinda childs Dance Company, and also knew that I had a voice that wasn't completely fulfilled because I was dancing and I was definitely expressing myself through physicality. However, I wasn't using my actual voice, and so I decided I would retire, and I did one last dance performance. It was a one woman show where I brought all of the solos that I had ever danced from other choreographers and then choreographed several on my own, and I produced this one woman show, one woman dance show, and I created it very much like the the monks create the mandalas, the Buddhist monks create the sand mandalas. And they take months and months and months to create these gorgeous mandalas with different colors of sand, and when they're complete, they wipe it away, they wash it away. And that's exactly what I did with my final dance performance. And then moved into choreography and directing, working in film, television and theater, continued to do that and to express myself in that way, on the other side of the table, on the other side of the camera. And then all of a sudden, sudden, one of my friends said, I want you to direct my TED talk. And I approached it just like a one woman show, and there was choreography and blocking and intention and script analysis, and she planted the seed that thought leaders and professionals would really benefit from me helping them become effective communicators. And what I realized in that moment was the legacy that I was leaving was limited to the number of people in the theater and the length of time I was on stage. So if I could create documentaries and support speakers and thought leaders, that legacy would have a ripple effect that would go way beyond me being a performer and being on stage. And here I am in New York City, and for those of you who are listening, you may be hearing some construction next door, because that's how it goes in New York City. And I look out at the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, literally, this is where I live, and I get to see the dancers realizing their dream. And that's also the legacy, if energetically, I can show up every day in this room. And support thought leaders and energetically cheer on the dancers who are living out their dreams, then my life is complete.

Sara Deschamps: 10:09

Wow. Tricia, that is full circle. And speaking of storytelling, what a beautiful story. You mentioned TEDx. I was wondering if you could tell us a bit more about your work with TEDx and maybe your own speaker series. I believe it's called speakers who dare so you seem to have a passion for creating spaces and for creating platforms where other people can tell their own stories. Can you tell us a little bit more about that mission?

Tricia Brouk: 10:34

Absolutely, Sara, when I made the decision to start supporting thought leaders in using their voice for impact. All of a sudden, as one, as it happens, when one makes a decision and the universe connects to you, it all becomes part of receivership. So all of a sudden, I had all these speakers and no place to put them. Well, as a theater producer, I produce shows. What's the best show for speakers? TEDx, so I became the executive producer of TEDx Lincoln Square, and I produced that show for two years, and I absolutely loved putting those speakers on my stage. And then I wanted more creative control, so I started producing my own event called speakers who dare. And in March of 2020, we were having an event in New York City that obviously did not happen, and I was able to actually innovate and create a platform for those speakers. As a filmmaker, I had them all shoot themselves, filming their talks. I got all of the footage, and I edited together all of their talks, and I created a film of speakers who dare. And what that taught me was anything is possible, and when you're faced with a challenge, you have an opportunity to innovate or to stagnate. And I decided to innovate, and that is why I created TEDx Lincoln Square and speakers who dare and now with this platform, all of a sudden, Oxford talks, speak. Speak up women. They know that I can produce incredible speakers for their events. So what's happened since then? And I'm waiting to put on my next big event, but what's happened since then is I've become the funnel, the go to for highly sought after speakers. And that is something that I'm super proud of.

Arjun Sahdev: 12:28

That's such a such a fascinating again, once again, such a fascinating story about your, your TEDx experience. For a second, I just want to switch lanes into your your fantastic book, the influential voice. And as I mentioned earlier, I think, I think the power of our voices is just so important and compelling in this day and age, but, but one of the things you mentioned in your book is the importance of dignified language. But what does dignified language mean to you, Tricia, and how can it help shape the way we lead and the way we communicate, the way we show up in the world?

Tricia Brouk: 13:06

Arjun, this is such a wonderful question, and something that I care deeply about. I truly believe all voices matter, and that means respecting the opinions of others that I don't necessarily align with and when I say dignified language, it means being able to speak in a way that is respectful of everyone's way of being thought process and differing opinions. And it is not gossip. It is not name calling. It is not making fun of it's a conscious choice as an influential voice to recognize that every single thing you say has the possibility of creating love, hate, good or evil, and if we fully step into being an influential voice and making a commitment to speaking with dignified language, that means that we're aligning with good and we're aligning with love. And there's a lot happening in the United States, where I live right now when it comes to not having dignified speech and and I often do an analysis of campaign performances and people who run for office, because there's a lot of people who may not agree with you, or you may not agree with them, but they're definitely speaking With dignified language, and that's what I mean, respect, avoiding gossip, avoiding hate speech at all costs, because it's our responsibility as influential voices to recognize the impact of what we say and when we really fully. Understand that and we own that responsibility, then we can have the kind of impact we're looking to have in the world for good.

Sara Deschamps: 15:11

You mentioned love, you mentioned hate, this idea of the human experience, and you touch upon this a bit in your book, as well, the human experience amidst social media, amidst the noise and amidst emerging technologies, and Arjun and I talk about this quite a bit with our team, and I'd love to ask you, in the world that we're living in today, what does it mean to you to be here in or to be more human?

Tricia Brouk: 15:36

It means understanding that you have a consciousness and a soul that is directly connected to how you communicate. I have conversations about artificial intelligence all the time, and here at the big talk, we make a decision to not use AI to communicate with our community, meaning, I write all of my emails. They are coming from my soul. They're coming from my heart. I write my books, and that's a that's a choice that we make. Now I'm not saying that AI is bad. I'm saying that the difference between being human and using artificial intelligence is the connection to the soul and the consciousness. I'm an artist. I'm a creator, this is how I show up in the world, so I can only tap into what I'm being given as an artist. And that doesn't mean going into chat GPT to create a new play. It means being available for the muse, for source to tell me how to be the vehicle to create content. And that's the difference for me when it comes to being human and what's going on in a silo of social media or artificial intelligence, creativity.

Sara Deschamps: 16:59

I'd like to stay on that idea of consciousness for just another moment, and I'd love to highlight a passage in your book that really resonated with me. I read it a couple of times over and over, where you addressed consciousness and your factual story versus the false story that historically you might tell yourself about your journey. Can you tell us a bit more about this, and then the impact that this could potentially have on someone factual versus false.

Tricia Brouk: 17:27

For many years, I would say I accidentally became a choreographer. I accidentally became a director. I accidentally wrote a book, and what I realized was that I was creating this this false sense of reality for myself. I became a choreographer because I was a trained dancer for most of my life. I became a director because I understand a good director hires well and they're organized. I understand that I became a writer because I sat down and I did the work. So what happens is I created this confidence, competence loop, where I am competent, and that gave me the confidence to then own. I didn't accidentally become any of this. I worked really hard. I understand the art and the craft of what it means to be a choreographer and a director and an author, and that was the false story I was telling myself. So as soon as I fully embodied, no I called all of this in and I also did the work in order to show up fully and to understand my craft and to stay curious and to learn more about my craft in order to improve. That was me opening up to what was available to me and really owning my consciousness. I have had an incredible and have an incredible life, and that is because I have stayed curious. I understand that the world is bigger than me, and that this one moment that I have while I'm in human form on the planet is all I get. And I want to show up as fully as possible, and going back to legacy and leave that lasting legacy. So I'm deeply connected to what my consciousness is meant to do, and I'm available to receive that. And there's nothing about AI that is is brought into this conversation about consciousness. So thank you for asking that follow up question, Sara.

Sara Deschamps: 19:42

Staying on that idea of factual versus false stories and a lot of your book, there are so many parallels that I drew to the work that that we do with leaders and with innovators and with innovation incubators globally, around questioning, around assumption busting around questioning your own stories and your own perspectives, and also seeking different points of view. I think you mentioned that earlier as well. Can you speak to some of the parallels that you see in your work that could directly impact leaders today?

Tricia Brouk: 20:15

Well, I think, as an artist, we hear no a lot there. The door is always being closed on us as an artist, as a dancer, as a producer, as a writer. How many times I've submitted pilots to Netflix and to Hulu, and it's, it's a it's a matter of not allowing that to be a no and as an innovator, as a creator, understanding that what's meant for you is meant for you, and to keep opening the doors. And if you can open the door, build your own door so that it stays open. And that's, I think, the parallels that we can draw here. And the big talk is a global community as well. And I'm always really excited when we bring in speakers from all over the world who have a different way of being, they have a different culture, they speak a different language, and so knowing that the collective common desire is to have an impact by using your voice that is something that just excites me beyond what's possible. So I think the being curious, spending time with people who know more than you, spending time with people who are different from you, and understanding that all voices matter.

Arjun Sahdev: 21:45

You know, Tricia, just just a reflection I think I I got this definitely through your broader work, but much more poignantly, as I'm sitting here listening to you speak is just how I can feel your passion in wanting to help people find their influential voice, but also the power with which that can you know that can be used within the world, so For someone or for listeners that feel uncertain about the intention of their voice? Perhaps the the message that they're trying to get across, or even you know their their direction? What? What steps would you recommend they take to discover and refine their their their voice to make it more influential, more authentic.

Tricia Brouk: 22:44

Thank you for asking that question. Arjun, and I think the first thing is, hop on over to the influential voice. Grab a book. There's an audio book as well. Then I think it really means going inside and determining what are your values, what is your purpose and what is your mission. When you align with your values and your purpose and your mission, then there's no way you can stay silent any longer. And I am certain that everyone who is listening to this and watching this, would never want to silence anyone else. They would never judge anyone else for using their voice so knowing that you listener would not do that to another person. Why would you violate your own principles by staying silent and by judging yourself. So I encourage and I inspire you to think about that one person in the world. There's over 8 billion people on the planet, that one person in the world who needs to hear from you, and if you stay silent, that is selfish, and I know that you listener are not selfish.

Arjun Sahdev: 24:07

What a wonderful message, and it just brings me, I guess, onto the next point, really, because part of that silence is also driven and rooted in ego. So it takes me to this, to this kind of point around detachment, which you speak about as a key principle in leadership. I wonder if you could explain to us how detaching from your ego, from outcomes, from perceptions that you're holding or have previously held, can really help leaders become more adaptable, more resilient and and more authentic in today's fast paced world.

Tricia Brouk: 24:49

I think of ego nature being smart and Buddha nature being wise and and I am currently working on my third book, which is about the wisdom of Buddha nature and successful leadership. And it's not a it's not a book on spirituality or religion. It is really a book on how to incorporate the principles and the philosophies of this 1000 year old tradition, which includes detachment, oneness and impermanence, in order to create better leaders. And when it comes to detachment, as leaders, we want our teams to be a certain way. We want to have a certain profit margin. We want things to go as quickly as possible. That is attachment. And attachment creates friction. It creates suffering, and it creates the inability to be efficient. If you think about detaching from the outcome of a launch, detaching from the outcome of whether or not your team is going to be as efficient or make mistakes or not make mistakes, when you detach from those outcomes, it frees you as a leader to keep a forward momentum that is much swifter now I am married, and I have a fur baby. Joe is my husband. Eva Moon is my fur baby, and I am very attached to both of them. So this is a practice. This is not something that is just easy. As a leader, when you practice detachment and oneness and impermanence, you actually can lead at a much higher level, and you can model that kind of leadership for your team and your community and all of the other leaders on the planet. And so I really am excited to be able to introduce these ideas to up and coming leaders and to the seasoned leaders who may think just because they're smart, they've got it all figured out, but I'm introducing this concept of wisdom.

Arjun Sahdev: 27:17

Well, Tricia, you mentioned something that just made my my ears prick up, because I've seen a fantastic video that you did recently at an Oxford talk where you introduced this concept of of Buddha nature in leadership. How can embracing Buddha Nature transform a leader's approach, but but also just being practical for a second. What's one or two things that leaders that are listening can actually do to help them connect with Buddha with their Buddha nature?

Tricia Brouk: 27:52

Well, I think the first thing is to understand the difference between ego nature and Buddha nature. And ego nature is you being smart and making decisions that you think are in alignment with what's best as a leader. However, when you when you connect with your Buddha Nature, which is the wisdom of making decisions, and you cultivate oneness, detachment, impermanence, those sorts of philosophies. How that helps you is you have a bigger picture, you understand that every decision you make has a ripple effect, because of oneness, because we are all connected. Here's a very simple example. Let's say one of your employees, one of your consultants, comes in, and as the leader, they've they've done something that's upset you, and as the leader, you chew them out. And it's not your best day, it's not your best behavior. But you didn't think first, and you just acted. You reacted instead of responded well, because of oneness and the understanding of that philosophy, that person might go home and chew out their kid, and that kid might feel really badly about themselves, and that spiral happens not knowing that mom or dad had a bad day at work. So when we think about oneness, and we think about how every action, every behavior that we take, can affect people way beyond what we can even see that makes us a better leader, because we come back to Sara, we become more conscious, and that's why I'm excited to talk about the difference between ego nature and Buddha nature, and how practicing these philosophies of getting still, giving us a moment to pause so that we can respond instead of react. Understanding the difference between being smart and being wise, understanding. Saying that nothing is going to last. So showing up like today is your last day that makes you a better leader.

Sara Deschamps: 30:16

I'd love to jump in and go back to something that you mentioned about using your voice and aligning it with your your values, your mission. And I'd like to bring up the human experience of fear, I think, to moments in my past where there has been a certain amount of fear around aligning my voice with my values, as I'm sure many can relate to. And I'm wondering if I believe at one point you mentioned, I believe it was in your book becoming intimate with your fear. I'd love it if you could talk a little bit more about that.

Tricia Brouk: 30:49

Fear is a human response, and it is something that can coexist with delivering a talk, with being a leader and so having an intimate relationship with your personal fear is only going to help you, and what I mean by that is it's never going to go away, if you care. I have been on 1000s of stages, and I still get nerves. I still have butterflies, I still think, who am I to write a third book about Buddha nature, and that fear is what fuels me. I am the person I am meant for this. So when that fear pops into your head and it will, this is what I do, huh, that's funny, and then I let it go. So anytime a story happens, anytime fear comes in, because I don't have time for fear, you don't have time for fear. We have a very limited amount of time on this planet. And you have you listener and Sara and Arjun, you have so much incredible work to do in the world and things to contribute to humanity. So allowing fear to usurp your energy for a nanosecond is is a hard No. So anytime that fear pops in as a human being, just simply, that's funny, and then let it go.

Sara Deschamps: 32:25

I love that. It goes back to that idea of detachment.

Tricia Brouk: 32:28

It does.

Arjun Sahdev: 32:29

How does that parallel? Just, just for, for, for my own interest, really? How does that parallel, do you think, with the experience of uncertainty in your experience. So there is so much that we are from a everything from kind of environmentally, politically, socially, geographically, there's so much uncertainty that's brewing in the world. How does the experience, or can we learn from dealing with the experience of fear in that way that can help us also embrace uncertainty?

Tricia Brouk: 33:08

This is a very deep question and a conversation that I hope everyone continues to have. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, and there's a lot of pain in the world right now. There's a lot of pain, there's a lot of sadness, and I have the privilege of working with thought leaders who speak about climate, who speak about trafficking, who speak about the hard stuff. So because I am so privileged and honored to be able to spend time with people all the time who are talking about the hard stuff, I also get to ask them, How do you get up every morning knowing the truth about what it is you're talking about? And they always say, I still have hope, and that's what I hold on to during these uncertain times. I still have hope that the human spirit will gravitate towards love and peace and that collectively, if we make that conscious choice to grab it, gravitate towards love and peace, we can win good will win over evil.

Arjun Sahdev: 34:33

Thank you so much for that. Tricia, that's a wonderful message once again. So one of the things that strikes me is just how how broadly works across the creative fields, be it a director, writer, a coach, a producer. I'm just wondering how you balance the creative demands of storytelling with the more structured responsibilities of leadership being a leader yourself.

Tricia Brouk: 35:02

It really is about prioritizing and organizing and making self care a non negotiable. I know at the level that I want to play. I want to play at a high level. I play at elevation, and that means making sure that I'm hydrated and getting enough sleep and that I practice getting still and exercising and meditating and also giving myself structured time to be creative and structured time to reflect on what kind of a leader was I today, and how can I be a better leader tomorrow?

Sara Deschamps: 35:40

From all of this work and this experience in the arts and in the media fields, Tricia, what do you feel leaders can learn from artists and actors?

Tricia Brouk: 35:52

We are the most disciplined creatures, and we understand failure. We have a high risk tolerance. We don't take no for an answer, and we are filled with grit. That is why I truly believe I understand my role as a leader. It's because of my experience as a dancer, having no multiple times a day at auditions, understanding that the plies put me in a state of readiness. As leaders, we need to be in a state of readiness always, and that means doing the plies, doing the bicep curls. Being an athlete is how you can be an incredible leader.

Arjun Sahdev: 36:41

Tricia, you mentioned self care a little earlier and and just now mentioning your, your background of being a dancer, and the influence it had. And, you know, the the being an athlete, what it takes to be an athlete, self care is at the center of that, I'm I'm sure that there are, and there are a number of practical tactics and techniques that you've honed and refined over the years, just wondering how those practices, how those techniques, have actually impacted your ability to show up for others, and I wonder whether you can perhaps share a few anecdotes or some stories about about how those things are paying dividends in your life.

Tricia Brouk: 37:29

Well, according to my aura ring, my cardiovascular health is seven years below my age, so that's one of the ways it's paying off. The other thing that I can say is my ability to be extremely present with everyone that I come in contact with, and that's something that I also cultivate and am very conscious of as an influential voice. You are an influential voice. When you are at the barista, you are an influential voice. When you are across the counter at the grocery store and the woman or the man or the young person who is ringing you up, every interaction that you have with another human being, you have an opportunity to make them feel seen and to make them feel better because of your interaction with them, which means I need to make sure that my tank is full before I go out into the world, so that I can be as present as possible with every single person I interact with, and being conscious to say, You know what? Today, I'm tired, I'm going to be super mindful of how quick I am or might be to react. So I'm going to be super mindful today and give myself a little bit of grace because I'm tired. And tonight, I'm going to go to bed a little bit early so that tomorrow I can be more fully present. So it's about being aware. It's about understanding the impact of your interactions with people and making a decision about what your mission, purpose and values are. Because being able to be as present with everyone I come in contact with as possible, that is part of my values.

Sara Deschamps: 39:20

And Tricia, when it comes to your core needs or your your physical needs, if you are feeling that there's a day that perhaps you're not feeling at your most optimal, is that something that you try and share with others, speaking of communication, so that they know that they can meet you where you're at.

Tricia Brouk: 39:37

That's a really good question. I've never been asked that before. I tend to not share that, because that is a story that could potentially inform how they see me, and it's my job as an influential voice to show up as fully as possible. So let's say I'm under the weather. Now, I'm not going to cancel a podcast recording, necessarily, but I'm going to give myself 30 minutes prior to sit quietly, to hydrate and to give myself a little extra energy prior knowing that I might be a little tired or under the weather,

Arjun Sahdev: 40:17

Just following on from this as well as a leader, how do you empower others that you lead to identify where they can use their energy, their capacity, and therefore their voice, in the most powerful way, given how they're feeling, their this, their sense of self care.

Tricia Brouk: 40:40

Part of what we do on our team is we we talk about the values and the mission and the purpose, and I am effusive when it comes to highlighting my team's successes and what they're good at. So we always lead with positive and we also sunshine and highlight mistakes as learnings and not mistakes, learnings and lessons. And if I'm noticing that the team is, let's say, overworked, we've got a lot of initiatives happening at once. It's my job to make them feel seen, to make them feel empowered and to remind them why we're doing what we're doing. And I have a remote team, and most of them have been with me for years, and I know that that is very unique, and I do not take it for granted, and that is really because we have a culture that is all about love and respect and dignity, and we are all aligned with the mission, which is to be the most transformational and loving speaker platform in the world. So aligning yourself to the mission, whatever that mission is for you, will lift you up when you are tired, anxious, experiencing fear, experiencing uncertainty, and that is really what we hold as our North Star.

Sara Deschamps: 42:15

If the conversations we've been having on the evolving leader have helped you in any way, please head over to Apple podcasts and leave us a rating and review. Thank you for listening. Now let's get back to the conversation. Tricia, I feel you're in this incredible position where you get to hear so many people's stories and so many people's influential voices, and I'm wondering if you cast your gaze back at the history of the people that you've heard, where do you see best practices, who's really owning and using their voice for good? Or maybe, what industries are you seeing this the most in, and where are you seeing that global reach? And then maybe on the other side, where do you think some of the biggest challenges lay and what challenges are leaders facing today in really digging deep and finding their voice?

Tricia Brouk: 43:08

Well, I mean, last night, Barack Obama was in Wisconsin, and this is not political. I'm simply sharing that his influential voice was all about inspiring people to vote. This is the kind of impact one can have by using their voice. You can create policy change. You can inspire a movement. Dr Andrew Benedict, who is the founder of anergia, he is creating the scientific process where we could literally become net negative, not net zero. And he is speaking all over the place about this. So being able to support Catherine Garcia, who ran for mayor in New York City, and she's now working under Kathy Hochul, these are the kinds of people who when they understand that it's bigger than them and they're public servants. They're public servants, they're not celebrities. So understanding that your voice can create a movement. It can create policy change. It can create awareness around something that will connect you with another human being, and I think that is the importance of using your voice, so you don't have to be a celebrity and you don't have to be a politician to have this kind of impact as an influential voice. You can be a teacher in front of a classroom of second graders, you can be a parent, being an influential voice to your kids, and that's why I speak so passionately about this. It's because the power of your voice, the power of sharing your story. I can literally change and even save someone's life,

Arjun Sahdev: 45:05

Just hanging on to that last that last bit for a second the power of sharing your story. I'm sure many, many of the listeners know or have heard of Brene Brown and and her, her thoughts and reflections on vulnerability and just how critical I think this is when sharing your authentic truth, your story from your perspective. Tricia, how can leaders and speakers embrace vulnerability in a way that really strengthens their voice and strengthens the message that they're trying to send out.

Tricia Brouk: 45:44

Being vulnerable does not mean sharing your story before you've healed from it, and that's really important as a leader. If you are sharing your story in service of an audience, it means you're sharing vulnerably from the scar, not the wound, in service of the audience, having an experience. And the other part of being vulnerable as a leader means you can have emotion without becoming emotional. These are two distinctive differences when it comes to the use and the embodiment of vulnerability, and I'll say it again. Speak from the scar, not the wound. Make sure you're healed from anything that you're sharing that is vulnerable. And you can have emotion as a leader without becoming emotional. If you become emotional as a leader, you are robbing the audience of having an emotional experience.

Arjun Sahdev: 46:42

Just on on that last point, it made me wonder, What are the dangers of sharing your story without healing? So speaking from the wound first.

Tricia Brouk: 46:53

Well, you could potentially re traumatize yourself, and you also require the audience to take care of you, and that is not that is not their job. You as a leader or as a speaker on a big stage, you are there to speak to and to lead your audience. And if you are not speaking from a place of healed experience, then you are requiring the audience to take care of you, and that is not the position that you want to put them in.

Sara Deschamps: 47:24

Tricia. You have given us so much incredible goodness today. But I would like to ask you, from everything that you've shared, if our audience, if our leaders, could do one thing today, one small step, one first step in finding their voice and really harnessing the power of storytelling. What would that one thing be?

Tricia Brouk: 47:47

It would be to ask yourself what you would say and how you would say it if you didn't have tomorrow.

Arjun Sahdev: 47:57

What a powerful question that's that's, uh, that's gonna have me thinking for the rest of the day. Before, before we close Tricia, I I want to touch on a point around legacy, because one of the big themes in your book that stood out to me was about was this kind of idea of leaving a lasting legacy. So I couldn't leave the conversation without asking you how you define legacy and what advice you have for leaders who are really looking to build a legacy through their work, those that define or measure their legacy through the work that they're doing.

Tricia Brouk: 48:44

I think if you understand that every book you write, every conversation you have, every training that you deliver, that's an opportunity for you to leave a legacy, because everyone who has that training reads that book is going to share it with others. So the ripple effect of the people that you touch and impact is ultimately your legacy. So every time I show up for a podcast or have a conversation with someone or share a training with someone or a master class or I teach, I understand deeply that is my lasting legacy, and so I show up 150% every single time, because again, this goes back to understanding the laws of impermanence. Tomorrow might not come. So I have today to build on the legacy that I am living. So as a leader, if you are listening to this and you want to lead your legacy start right now if you haven't, because you can create a legacy very rapidly by understanding every time you interact with another human being, you leave your legacy. And that fingerprint and that ripple effect goes on and on and on way beyond after you're here and after you're gone.

Sara Deschamps: 50:00

Tricia, before we close, are there any final thoughts that you'd like to offer our listeners?

Tricia Brouk: 50:05

I would just like to remind you that your voice matters. There is only one you and when you when you speak and share your powerful voice with the world, you truly can change and even save a life.

Arjun Sahdev: 50:20

Tricia, thank you so much for coming on the evolving leader today. This was such an incredible conversation. The time has flown by. I can't believe we've been we've been talking for nearly an hour, but there's so much to take away from your stories, from your advice, from your authenticity, and just such a big lesson around how our voices can ripple across people's across the world, people's minds, and the actions that they then take from that so thank you for sharing this important message today.

Tricia Brouk: 50:56

Arjun and Sara, thank you so much for having me. You've been incredible hosts, and I am feeling so grateful.