Dear Reader,
Odd as it may sound, I've been writing letters to myself since I was 10 years old. Each letter begins simply with the words, "Dear Me...." and continues from there. Often, I have written to myself during difficult times and "crossroads moments." Sometimes, I've remembered to write to myself about an epiphany or a wonderful achievement or a sense of deep contentment about life. Over decades, these letters have become a surprising record of a lifelong conversation with myself. Thankfully, these letters have helped me survive life's ups and downs with greater awareness of how I am doing, not just what needs to be done. Written in the moment, these letters are valuable, but imagine what you could gain by accessing your own wisdom and writing your younger self a letter from the perspective of what you know now.
Next Monday's radio show offers you a gift. My guest, Ellyn Spragins, has spent the past several years perfecting a process of helping people to mentor themselves through a powerful letter writing process called Letters to My Younger Self. In her 2006 book by the same name, Ellyn captured the wise self-counsel of famous and successful women, such as actress Olivia Dukakis, poet Maya Angelou, and stateswoman Madeleine Albright. Their letters are honest, poignant and filled with the wisdom of hindsight. On Visionary Leader, Extraordinary Life, Ellyn will share her process and explain its power to heal the past and prepare us for the future. Listen and you'll also hear Ellyn's self-guidance during a trying time in her own life. I highly recommend Ellyn's process and invite you to tune in to learn how it works.
Very best,
Kate Ebner
CEO Nebo Company |
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Monday, June 25 11 AM Eastern Time On VoiceAmerica Business
The Power of Hindsight: How Perspective Born of Time Offers Wisdom to Your Past and Future
with author Ellyn Spragins
Listen on Monday.  Published in 2006, Letters to My Younger Self launched a new career for Ellyn Spragins, the award-winning journalist, columnist, and editor. Ellyn interviewed prominent women and asked them to reflect on a time in the past when they were struggling. Ellyn then asked them what they would write to their "younger self" in a letter to help their younger selves navigate the difficult time. These letters, once published, inspired readers everywhere to write such a letter and - voila! Today, Letters To My Younger Self® Seminars and Workshops around the world for corporate women's leadership programs. She has inspired corporate leaders to share their inner wisdom at visionary organizations such as Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Genentech, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis. Join Host Kate Ebner to find out how and why to write your own Letter to My Younger Self. Discover how looking backwards can inspire your vision of the future and your actions in the present. More. Be inspired. Missed the Live Show?
Past Episodes are available On Demand and Podcast Ready via iTunes or RSS feed.
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Leadership and Life:Carlyle Group CFO Adena Friedman Reflects
Adena Friedman, CFO of the Carlyle Group in Washington, DC, spent 18 years with NASDAQ OMX where she served as CFO and Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy. Her time there earned her a spot on Crain's New York Business' "Top 40 Under 40" list in 2005 as well as celebrity status in China, where the NASDAQ is very popular.
During the radio show this week, Adena admitted that she has never been afraid to voice her opinions -- a key to her career success. After attending an all-girls high school, which "eliminated distractions" and "helped me find my voice," Adena continued to speak up in the classroom at Williams College where she noticed that many other young women were hesitant to share their thoughts in class.
On Visionary Leader, Extraordinary Life last week, Adena offered additional insights taken from her own successful career path. We've translated her ideas into direct advice for you:
- Make a candid assessment of your strengths, weaknesses, and interests and choose a career in which you think you will succeed;
- Trust your own abilities and actively develop them at every opportunity;
- Don't worry about being the only woman in the room; instead, focus on doing your job well and contributing value at every opportunity;
- Choose to make a difference every day;
- Say YES to every assignment offered to you, even if it seems mundane or outside of your job description -- opportunities will follow a job well done; and
- Look for an employer that offers work/life flexibility and takes a long-term view of retention, especially during years when raising a young family.
Adena, who along with her husband has raised two children during her executive career, spoke passionately about the importance of workplace flexibility as a strategy for retaining and growing top talent. She said, "For companies, it's worth it in the long-term to invest in a high-performing person and give them flexibility when they need it. It increases their sense of loyalty to their employer. I know I felt that if my company had faith in me to get the job done on my own schedule, then I was going to work really hard and give them my best."
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Bon Voyage to Erin Doherty Gregg!
Please join us in sending well wishes to Erin Gregg and her husband, Chris. After five years with The Nebo Company, today is Erin's final day. She and Chris are moving to Vienna, Austria in July, where Chris has a new position in the State Department. Erin plans to coach girls' soccer, explore Vienna, learn German and look for a job that makes full use of the myriad of entrepreneurial skills she has developed at Nebo.
During her time with us, Erin has played an integral role in the development of the business and our relationships with clients. She has often been the face and voice of Nebo, on the front lines handling a wide variety of responsibilities, from business planning to human resources to managing client projects.
We already miss Erin -- not only for her talent, but also for her quiet intelligence, thoughtfulness and warmth. She has made a big difference through her work at Nebo.
Thank you and safe travels, Erin!
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The Inspired Leader Blog
We're delighted to announce the launch of our new blog, The Inspired Leader. Read Kate's weekly posts for inspiration, reflection, and fresh perspectives on leadership. |
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Create Your Vision!
We have designed a quick and easy visioning exercise just for you! You will receive your own personal vision statement immediately upon hitting "submit." To create your vision statement, CLICK HERE.
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Missed the last show?
 Listen to Kate's interview with Adena Friedman, CFO of the Carlyle Group on the 6/25/12 episode of Visionary Leader, Extraordinary Life. After two decades on Wall Street, Adena shares her vision for what it will take to bring the financial industry back to its client-oriented roots.
Be inspired.
Become inspiring.
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Earning Opportunity:
"As a young professional, I would say 'yes' first and then figure out how to get the task done. If you say 'yes' to opportunities, then people above you see that you're the person who can handle a challenge. Eventually, you'll be offered a great opportunity because of it."
~ Adena FriedmanThe Carlyle Group
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Recommended Resources
How Remarkable Women Lead: The Breakthrough Model for Work and Life
by: Joanna Barsh, Susie Cranston and Geoffrey Lewis  Why Good Girls Don't Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do: 9 Secrets Every Working Woman Must Know
by: Kate White
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