Across The Desk With Elizabeth Plouffe

Sometimes it can take a bit of a set back to get you to look at your why. If you've been living under a rock then you might never have heard of Simon Sinek and the why talk. That's another podcast. Your values and your why are what makes your business run. Sometimes it's that simple. When one of those gets jerked around a bit it can cause a crisis of faith in your why. But there's a silver lining! Taking a look at your why helps you to see where you can improve. Where you can make your team stronger. Where you can create even more value for your customer. I'm telling you - we covered so much today at Ballsy that I think I need a nap ...

Did you know there's a difference between pursuing personal development and personal education? And that they each have incredible value to you as a human being and employee or entrepreneur? As someone who's always been a crazy dedicated learner, I never thought of the distinction. I just figured learning was learning. But it's finding that balance and making sure you don't mistake one for the other that creates the most benefit. Education does not equal personal development and focusing too much on your self and not enough on the other kind of smarts can be dangerous too. Excited to find out more? Romper bomper stomper boo ... I see Stevie and Mary and ...

Can you remember the last time you sat across from someone for a job interview? Searching for words? Hoping the stress sweat didn't stink too bad? Wondering what surprise question was coming up? Now imagine being PERFECT for the job but not having the ability to convey that. Of dealing with a social disorder that makes the interview process 10x more uncomfortable than you could ever imagine. That's what happens when you're on the spectrum. The result? 85% of adults able to hold a job can't get one or keep one. That sucks and we need to fix it.

Have you ever wondered about how intentional you're being in your learning? Or do you figure you're past that stage? That learning shouldn't have to be a part of your business any more? That's pretty freaking short sighted if I do say so myself. My business coach recommended The 15 Laws of Invaluable Growth and it's impact will be felt on my family, my business, my volunteer activities and more. It strengthened my resolve to continue with learning in whatever capacity possible so that not only do I continue to grow but all those around me do as well. Works for me ;)

I'm a huge believer in personal development. HUGE. (I know what you're thinking right now and my hands DO NOT look like some orange TRex experiment). It began with some things I wanted to improve about me (I'm mostly awesome but ...) and has turned in to more about my business. How do I do this? Well besides my reading addiction, I attend events. I used to be quite indiscriminate. Shiny, New. Free - off I'd go. Now? I value my time, my learning goals and the benefits to my business. Take a listen and learn how you can get the most out of events for yourself, your business and your pocketbook.

There aren't too many business books I read and immediately think: You know what? I could get more out of that. This book is one of them. Make it Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die is terrific. Not only can it help you tell your business' story better but it can help you communicate better period. Why is this book worth reading again? It's got so many good ideas for how to stand out, be real and reach your audience that I'd be doing my business a disservice if I didn't. It's that good. Take a listen and I just might be able to convince you too. Or at least save your kidneys ...

I like to believe that most people operate their business like they operate their life. For me that means honesty, transparency and healthy dose of sarcasm. It would never occur to me to shyst someone personally or professionally so when I run in to these backdoor politics in certain industries, it always hits me between the eyes. This month at Ballsy, we covered the most diverse range of topics yet. The legality of pot and implications on society. Purging out of date business practices. Setting your company's moral threshold and building an element of social community in to your product or service. Phew. I'm already exhausted ...

I had the good fortune of meeting Hazel van der Werken back in 2015 at our very first Spark the Change Toronto. She came to our conference but I forgot to ask her an important question at the time: why? Turns out the answer is exactly why we want people to come to Spark. Hazel thought so too and became a part of the team in 2016. So why did she come out on those fateful June days? She was, as it turns out, quite strategic about it. She wanted to expand her network, learn new things and meet people who were trying to create the type of change that excited her. Win/win!

Have you ever been sitting at your desk and just known there's somewhere else you'd rather be? Something else you'd rather be doing? I don't mean at the movies or going for lunch. I mean leaving your career something else. Changing your life something else. Or is it all just as simple as learning to play the ukelele? Whispers of Your Heart, Vikas' topic for Spark helps us to find out.

We sit down, well across from, Ryan Burwell who is the Director of Training and Facilitation for TwentyOne Toys. Sounds stuffy right? He's anything but. Passionate. Animated. Committed. Creative. But not stuffy. Ryan is our second guest for Spark2018 and the #sparkto podcast. We chat about how to tap in to the 4 year old you were once friends with. How catalyzing moments can create some of the best change. Using empathy to create better communication. And how leading the Epic Game Event at Spark the Change Toronto embraces everything we discussed. Join us!

Sue Johnston is really good at being curious. The great thing about this? She's even better at sharing what's she found on her adventures with curiosity. I've looked forward to having Sue across the desk since 2015 when we started working together on the Spark the Change Toronto team. With a diverse background including journalism, fashion, TV, coaching and communications expert, Sue brings an incredible breadth of knowledge to Spark. An event can't lose when you've got someone on the team. Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit. e. e. cummings

Does your knee act like a jerk when change happens? Would someone providing a new way of thinking be helpful? If your organization is experiencing some changes that have your team flipping out and the change stalling, perhaps you need someone like Laura to come in and give you some new ways to save your knees. Your business can't afford to cling to practices that could bring it to its knees.

Sometimes you go in a meeting with an agenda. Or at least an idea for the meeting. And sometimes something better happens. Today at Ballsy, we discussed how to manage your employees and what happens when a project causes a rift in the organization. We touched on how to take a time out and whether that should include social media (gasp!). We ended on the importance of recognizing what truly rejuvenates us and what feeds our "addictions". Mine is strategy and reading books. Not great when you also have a podcast about strategy and reading books ...

Since becoming an entrepreneur, I've had a lot of learning to do. Not just about business but about myself. I've always been considered a bit of a "rebel" though not in the conventional sense. I don't have any desire to get a Mohawk and I don't have the body (any more) to rock some of the rebel fashions. Plus they look awfully uncomfortable and if it doesn't work for me, I don't wear it. That's where the rebel comes in. I speak my mind. I take chances. I do things most people in my circle wouldn't try. Like a podcast ;) 3 years ago, however, I was still transitioning from employee to entrepreneur. I was falling on my ass that's for sure. Getting tired of that pretty quickly, I turned to my trusty books. Diving in to business books, books on skills I wanted to develop and books on leaders helped me to dust my ass off and keep going. Jen Sincero's book is not only for where I was 3 years ago but where I'm heading for the next 30. If you'd like to turn your bruised ass in to a badass, take a listen.

Christa Pepper is a personal trainer, coach and empowerment #badass which is why I invited her to have a chat with on Across The Desk. As ways of an introduction I asked Christa to tell me who she works with: "I work with women who've tried it ALL to lose the weight - the pills, the shakes, the crash diets, the do or die attempts and the voodoo magic, really, desperate times call for desperate measures, right?! I work with women who are ready for a different approach, a lasting change."

Do you ever stop and wonder how much your mindset directly influences your business? Could prejudices or scarcity be holding your business back? This is something that's fascinated me for years and after quite a few experiences left me scratching my brain in perplexity, I decided to chat about it.

Sometimes networking is freaking hard. If you're an introvert (or just having a bad damn day), it doesn't matter how much your business needs it, you just don't want to. It's time for some personal growth. It's time to develop tips and tricks that turn opportunities you might not have thought of in to networking that could work for you. Today on Ballsy, we cover evaluating value of networking, where you should take some risks with developing your pitch and how building your tribe can be painless :)

When you first start anything, you can be caught in the "prove it" mindset. It has a slight whiff of desperation and earnestness that is common to all people starting something new. Let's face it, if you're cocky right off the bat, people will pummel you at some point. But when the shift comes, and it will, from proving to demonstrating, there's no feeling like it in the world.

Lalit is a Business Transformation Specialist and a Thought Leader in Digital Strategy. He has led and managed organisational transformations for customers across the Asia Pacific region. Currently he works with the top customers of SAP to drive innovation and transformation that can create new business value. A strong believer in chasing his dreams, he has varied experiences that go beyond the typical corporate realm. A Diploma in Film Making led him to script and direct numerous videos. Lalit is the author of “When Change Happens” – a story of Organisational Transformation. “Change Management is not a practice where one size fits all. It needs to be adapted, improvised and then fitted to the needs and demands of the organisation. And my book does exactly that.”

Stefano is a Microsoft MVP and Chapter Leader of CRMUG Switzerland. He is a regular speaker at international conferences including Microsoft Ignite, NDC, API World and Developer Week. Stefano is passionate about life experiences, technology and traveling. His interests span across Dynamics 365, Office 365 and AI related technologies. Stefano’s Spark the Change Topic at Pune: “Internet 4.0, the Age of the Blockchain” Spark Theme: Disruption & Change