Laura Brandenburg, ACBA, CBAP

ACTober. This month, the challenge is to choose the opposite of what you'd normally do. Step outside your usual, comfy, default decision-making. The other side is where growth happens. Whether it's speaking up when you'd usually stay quiet, saying "no" when you normally say "yes", or trusting others when you typically take control -- this month, we're flipping the script and seeing what happens when we act, differently. Who's in?? Let's take a bold, unexpected step together. #MonthiesMonthlyChallenge #opposite #action #growth

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High performance isn’t just about hustling harder—it’s about knowing when to reset. Taking a mindful, midday pause allows you to recalibrate, clear mental clutter, and reconnect with your goals. Just a few minutes of clarity can turn a scattered afternoon into focused productivity. What’s your favorite way to reset and gain clarity during a busy day? Share your tips, and let’s create a toolkit for quick clarity! 🌤️🕰️

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Hey guys. Quick, but important request for y'all. This takes just 15 seconds to fill out. Would you do me a solid and submit a nomination for Thinkers50 Radar? [This is like the Oscars of management thinkers] As many of you know, I've definitely put in the work over the last decade - * Publishing 7 books of my own (including a 4-volume set on self-leadership, "Be Your Own Commander-in-Chief") and contributing to 3 others (including with the Dale Carnegie folks) * Contributing to top publications (Fast Co., Forbes, Entrepreneur, CEO World, Newsweek and many others) * Consulting Fortune 500 and tech companies, startups and non-profits and others on strategic HR, Learning and Development, Talent Management and Leadership * Coaching 2200+ execs on leadership and business, among others. I would be most grateful for your help! Thanks in advance, amigos! https://bit.ly/3NG1tdh

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Taking a sabbatical as a freelancer? Yes, it's possible! 🌍✨ By stepping away from the business and prioritizing your own well-being, you set a powerful example for your clients, colleagues, and friends. When Ashley told clients she was taking a sabbatical, their reactions were overwhelmingly positive. "What do you mean you're taking a sabbatical as a freelancer?" they asked. It opened the door for them to consider their own needs and well-being. 🌱 Taking a break is not just possible; it's essential for mental health and renewed creativity. It might be challenging, but it's a step worth taking. By doing this, you teach others that it's okay to prioritize themselves, too. Thinking of a sabbatical yourself? Make sure you listen to Episode 169 with Ashley Ryall first. #IndependentConsultant #FreelancerLife #WorkLifeBalance #MentalHealth #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #ConsultingBusiness

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I am a People Pleaser in recovery. In my well-meaning way, I used to believe that saying yes to everything was a way of serving others. That if I said no I’d be selfish. That saying yes meant saying no to conflict. And wasn’t that better for everyone? Joanne Perold introduced me to Virginia Satir’s work a couple of years ago. One of the things she taught me was Satir’s Self-Esteem Toolkit and connecting with my inner resources. The toolkit contains metaphors that are symbols for our inner resources that we can tap into. The symbol that was a game changer for me was the yes/no medallion. This is about meaning what you say and acting with integrity. We can say yes when something fits for us and no thank you when it doesn’t. I learnt that: - Saying no was a full sentence. I didn’t need to explain or justify my no.  - Both yes and no are loving words. - Saying yes to things I don’t want to do means saying no to things I do - I can’t please everyone even if I tried - My needs are just as important as others It changed things for me because I was no longer committing to things I had no passion for. I wasn’t committing to things I had no time for. I was prioritising my own needs and making space for rest and fun. I stopped feeling guilty for being unable to achieve everything I agreed to, which was an impossible standard I set for myself anyway. If there is one course I get to do this year it will be the Satir Intensive hosted by Faethm https://lnkd.in/dYTTSvMj If I could get so much value from a sliver of Satir’s work I can only imagine the value I’d gain digging deeper. (I don’t benefit in any way financially from sharing this course; I genuinely think it’s a goodie)

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Does your "work" "flow"? I would say that at some point, ALL of my clients have had workflow issues. And the main reason they hired me! They may not have realized it was a workflow issue, but that's what I helped them figure out. In Monday's podcast, I talked about workflow and how to make sure yours IS flowing! Listen in: https://lnkd.in/gPicRSGH • Get it out of your head! • Create a visual! And... • If you don't want to do it and can't delegate it, you better learn how to AUTOMATE IT! Even sole proprietors need to really SEE the process of how things flow. You can see where the inconsistencies are, what's not getting done, and what you're doing that's not a good use of your time! What helps you manage your work flow? • • #coach #businesscoach #badassness #thebadassbusinesscoach #teambuilding #sandi #ballard #goals #success #growth #mindset #LevelUp #podcast #speaker #author #justdoit #NoMoreExcuses #MondayMotivation #entrepreneur #coachmyway #startups #automate #ai #womeninbusiness #business #owners #Leverage #howtostartabusiness #whyhireacoach

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I have an evergreen blog post for you! Unclear expectations are the Achilles' heel for 90% of the teams I work with. So, does your team know the three key elements for success? They are: purpose, essential criteria, and desired outcome. Read more about setting expectations at: https://loom.ly/wwAgGGk #businesstools #businessstrategy #teambuilding #teamgoals #leadership #leadershipgoals #businesscoach #business

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NEW BLOG RELEASED A pattern I'm seeing far too often in Boomers and the Silent Generarion. How are us Gen X'ers coping? Be sire to sign-up to be notified when new blogs are released. #parentingparents #resilience ##ResilientLife #resiliencecoaching #Boomers #GenXers

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Shame, Fear, Neurodivergence, and Power plus marketing So many neurodivergent folks have deep shame and fear as a result of relationship trauma, much of it from people who positioned themselves as wise or expert. Many of them are far more comfortable taking the submissive role in relationships with strong power structures than in the partnerships between equals. Being an equal partner in relationship can feel destabilizing. The heart of coaching has two moves. 1. Increase safety and curiosity. 2. Introduce new information. Both of these can be done in enabling or disempowering ways. Learning to avoid disempowering is the moral move for coaches. Learning about relationship trauma, projection, transference, co-regulation, embodied cognition, and power dynamics are crucial. It can be so easy to fall into the trap of giving advice or being the experts when clients ask us to take that role, even when we know it serves clients far better to create the conditions where clients learn to trust themselves. After all, it feels good to be seen as knowledgable and helpful. I have been thinking about cults and gurus and manipulation, the narcissism of social media hustle culture, and the ethics of marketing and sales. Looking at the extremes helps me recognize patterns of insidious, traumatizing narcissism in the wider culture. When I ran theatre companies, I saw audience services as part of the production. As a coach, I see marketing and sales as part of the coaching service. Deep reading about trauma and the harms done by manipulative behaviours helps me stay away from manipulative marketing and sales tactics even when they would be highly effective for revenue generation.

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Something I noticed this week. It's not the first time it's happened. What am I talking about? People using my ideas. I've seen many posts lately about people copying, word for word, posts that they've written. But that's not my case. It's more about the ideas. I call myself an Inspiration Architect - I help you design and create the lifestyle you want with business you need. Scrolling on social media the other day, I found someone I know / connected with calling themselves something very similar. Coincidence? This made me think - we all look at profiles and posts of others, comparing ourselves and feeling lacking as their lives seem so much better. But we must stop. The only comparison to make is with ourselves. How were we yesterday compared to today? Make that daily 1% improvement. Then I had another thought. That person has obviously been following me and what I'm up to. They must believe my life and what I'm doing is getting results and they're not. Who are you comparing yourself to? #comparison #WhatNotToDo #accountability

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Love this article! The summary is that we're making most of our decisions based on statements and our guts -- not facts, data, evidence, or proof. What's worse is that evidence and proof rarely exist. Yet, we still must make decisions. To solve this riddle, we need to adopt a pilot/test mentality and be suspicious of our decisions. We should look for results instead of being creative about why reality doesn't match the questionable basis of our decisions. #Leadership #DecisionMaking #CriticalThinking #Logic

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In the latest episode of 🗺️ Talking Roadmaps, Melissa Appel, talks to my cohost Justin Woods. I’m lucky that I get to collaborate with Melissa all of the time. She’s just published a book on Stakeholder Management with Bruce McCarthy so no big surprise we picked out "How do you use a roadmap to align with stakeholders?", 🦻 listen to find out more! https://lnkd.in/eUhA2U-g #roadmapping #expert #productmanagement #productmgmt

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When we say 'AI can't substitute (fill in the blank)' might we be misdirecting our attention on a statement, when we need to save some of that attention to build high-quality questions about what AI is doing? If you've been on a call with me lately, the odds are quite high that you've heard me talk about the need for #K12 education to do PL on what current AI Companions do, and where the market of AI Companion toys is going (spoiler alert, it is growing). This is not to say that AI will be a 'substitute' for companionship. I think that's maybe a short-sighted concern. But it is to say that we are already seeing AI companions creating new paradigms of intimacy; and transforming our ontological relationship to connection itself. So when we say 'AI can never substitute (fill in the blank)'...perhaps we should ask: "What new paradigm is it introducing? How will our core understanding of (fill in the blank) be rewritten?" This video is a good reminder on why (as well as an opportunity for how) we need to switch gears from statement to questions: https://lnkd.in/gm2ZPnnz A child born today is born into a world into a world where AI therapy not only exists but is a market growing. They will very likely have an AI-powered 'friend.' In K12 education are we ready to lead not in the future world of AI companionship, but the present space? As always, I'm curious about the questions you are asking Dr. Fran Prolman, Sheldon Bradshaw, Madeleine Maceda Heide, Laura Light, Aisha Kristiansen (MEd), John Mikton, Malur Narayan, Barry M. Dequanne, Katie Ham, Michael J. Hibbeln, Ph.D., Marla Hunter [Hooper], Paula G. Plaza-Ponte, Lori Boll, April J. Remfrey, Erin Robinson PhD, Angeline Aow, Margaret Park, Joan Liu, Shannon Hobbs-Beckley, Nawal Qarooni, Helen Morgan, Kathy Stetson, Daniela Silva Chong, Stephen Taylor (he/him)

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Bold claim coming your way, stand by. Here's how working with a professional organizer offers more support than going it alone 'someday': Ever think about sorting out that basement before the next big rain hits? Or finally tackling the attic clutter? Let’s be real—busy folks like you say you’ll get to it ‘someday,’ but we both know ‘someday’ is code for ‘probably never’ because, well, life is chaotic! Take it from a client whose mother had just passed away: a month after we organized and safely stored her mother's belongings, her house caught fire. Thanks to our preemptive organizing, we saved irreplaceable memories that would have been lost. That’s the power of not putting it off. Not only do we dive into the chaos for you, but we also back our work together with a solid satisfaction guarantee. Want to learn more? Get in touch at www.ispeakorganized.com Check out our 5-Star reviews on Google. They speak for themselves 😉 #RiskManagement #ProfessionalOrganizing #BusinessContinuity #SafetyManagement #CorporateWellness

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When you’re a Visionary or Integrator in a dynamically growing company, it‘s natural to be driven and controlling (maybe a little overly controlling). Too often, being overly controlling of your V/I counterpart is the root of some pretty dysfunctional Visionary/Integrator (V/I) relationships. And it leaves a path of destruction for the entire team. 💥 As an observer of human behavior, Kelly Knight noticed the dynamics in some V/I relationships: the overly controlling Visionary and the overly controlling Integrator. Here's how to handle it: https://lnkd.in/dJemJZPv

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THIS is why buyer interviews are crucial. If you’re not interviewing buyers, your whole value proposition could be wrong. That’s why we’re running the persona workshop next Tuesday. To help you make discoveries like this. Want to join us?

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I spent 15 years across engineering, marketing and HR. Great presenters share these 3 common traits that captivate audiences and drive impact: Storytelling Mastery 📚 - They weave data and insights into compelling narratives that resonate. Audience Connection 🤝 - They put audience's needs first and tailor message to cover different group of audiences. Confidence and Clarity 🎤 - They deliver with poise and precision. They communicate complex ideas simply and effectively. No matter your field, mastering these skills can transform your presentations from good to unforgettable! 🚀🔥 ♻️ Feel free to repost if this provides value to your network. 🔔 For communication tips, follow me at Shin Chze #PublicSpeaking #Presentation

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Which of these would you be okay with people saying about your organization? (Actual comments from one of my kids comparing college tours.) 1. They’ve really polished their presentation, put their best people people on the PR team, backed it up with evidence, and made me want to apply even though the application process will be tough and the students obviously work hard. 2. They have a great reputation and the facilities look great. The students are clearly excited about what they are doing. They haven’t figured out how to deliver information about the program effectively though. It looks like a solid option. 3. That was a marketing pitch. They’ve put a lot of money into looking great and bought a lot of cool expensive infrastructure and equipment. I’m sure I could take advantage of the infrastructure and equipment to do my work. And knowing they’ll bend over backwards to get my money means at least it’ll be easy to get in if all else fails. Many, if not most, of us want our organizations to be 1. For most of us, that will require a narrow focus, effectively collaborating with a good team, hard work, and developmental practices. Collectively, these require human beings to lean into cognitive and behavioural practices that are counter-intuitive to children and young people. Psychological maturity in leaders is an enabling condition. And the greater the desired impact, the greater maturity required. If we want to be solving a problem as complex as climate change, vertical development of leaders is a necessity. However, vertical development of leaders isn’t easy to measure and can’t be driven. Vertical development is nurtured, enabled, and recognized by those who are further along the path. And eventually, vertical development requires self-directed growth. The subtitle of my talk for the Mensa Foundation Speaker Series this weekend is “Self-Directed Growth Beyond Resilience.” It’s all about self-directed vertical development. One of the ironies about being a vertical development focused coach is how bad it is for repeat business. I am only successful when my clients are capable of learning and growing in increasingly stressful environments without my support. My goal is to work myself out of a career path. In the meantime, I’m available to coach folks who are still working towards being self-determined despite their specific contextual stressors.

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