Lauren is a 2018 US Olympic medalist in the sport of bobsled. She accomplished this goal just three and half years after leaving her lucrative corporate sales management career in 2014, to try bobsled for the first time.  With an undergraduate degree from Brown University in Entrepreneurship and an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University, Lauren has found a way to satisfy her passion for corporate level coaching, training and consulting while continuing to train for the 2022 Olympics through public speaking.  In addition to having been invited to give a TEDx talk, Lauren has been requested to speak by a number of organizations in a variety of different industries about the parallels of achieving success in business and elite level athletics, handling adversity in high pressure situations and the many facets of improving leadership and organizational culture.

In this episode, James gets interviewed by Nichole Sylvester on her podcast The Harmonious Hustle, a podcast designed to interview impactful leaders changing the world. They talk about the 61 mile walk James did around Las Vegas and why he intentionally chooses to challenge himself. 

Client and friend Natasha Leas is the owner of Studio360, a dance studio  in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She was working two jobs for years, keeping the the security of a 9-5 while growing her dream of owning her own studio on the side. Then came the moment where she decided to go all in. Since then, she never looked back and her business has continued to grow exponentially. Listen to her journey and let it be a reminder that whatever your dream is, it can become a reality. 

Team
Hall of fame UNLV football captain, Ron Drake is a Sales Director at Caesars Entertainment and manages projects all over the world. He has found a way to empower his team through very simple techniques that allows his team to own their positions and shine. James interviews Ron on how he builds high performing teams in multiple countries and strengthens his leaders to overcome challenges so they can achieve their desired goals. 

In today’s episode, James talks about the idea of being “Self-Made”. 

I welcome back to the podcast, Branden Collinsworth, CSCS, MAPP,  Nike Master Trainer, Yoga Teacher, Human Performance Coach and Humanitarian.  He is also the founder of Warrior Retreats in Peru. Branden has his Masters in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He studied under Angela Duckworth, Adam Grant and other greats in the positive psychology world. He’s currently studying in Bali, Indonesia. 

In today’s episode, James finishes the leadership series with Characteristic/Trait #5 of great leaders- the power of reframing.

Reframing is all about controlling the meaning of an experience. How you look at something and the meaning you assign to that situation, determines the actions you take or don’t take. 

We are always thinking and speaking from a certain frame.  These frames can be the reason why you don’t achieve the goals you set out to do. As a leader, being intentional and skillful with reframing thoughts and behaviors, you’ll be able to help yourself  and your team take massive action and create more success in your business and life. 

Ever feel like you don’t want to do the task you know you need to do? Do Any of these moments sound familiar? 

I know I need to go to the gym… but I don’t WANT to go. 
I know I need to have the hard conversation… but I don’t WANT to.
I know I need to save/invest my money… but I want to go to that concert, get that car, go on that vacation. 
There is always going to be a moment in your life where you don’t want to take action… in this episode James talks about how he handles these situations.

In this third episode of the leadership series, James talks about another essential characteristic that great leaders possess- self- awareness. Being able to identify your weaknesses, strengths, fears, insecurities and hurts better equips you to serve and help others who are in similar positions. Listen to find out how to increase your own self-awareness so you can step into more of the leader you are.