Hello everyone! How are you doing out there?

I wanted to provide you all with a personal update. It’s been a whirlwind so far this year. We’ve done some remodeling on our house after having some water damage issues for the last several years. I traveled to Las Vegas in February to co-host a women’s leadership retreat. And now, I am about to go to Europe with a dear friend for two weeks.

Two weeks! I have not been to Europe this long without my family, well, ever. The last time I went to Europe without my husband and family was 16 years ago. To tell you I’ve had a little bit of travel anxiety and mom guilt would be an understatement. I have gone through all the feelings. What kind of a mom am I to leave my kiddos that long? Ouch. That Imposter Syndrome and shameful voice has been loud. I’m sharing this with you because I’m not immune to this work. I have to do it too. And I’ve had to let all that go because if I fill my cup, I know I will be a better mom to my girls. I will also be a better wife, daughter, friend, podcaster, and the list goes on.

I would like to thank my friend, Jennie, for inviting me on this trip. If you are curious about where we are going, we are traveling to Croatia, Montenegro, and Portugal. I’m collecting those passport stamps this year! I would also like to thank my husband, John, for encouraging me to do this. And of course, a thank you to my girls for being excited for me too.

So, let’s switch gears. During the show today, I speak with my guest, April Roberts, about time freedom and having a Vixen Voice. I don’t know about you, but anything to do with time freedom, and owning my voice interests me. I’m a free spirit at heart, obviously with the upcoming trip to Europe. I like the idea of having as much autonomy as possible over my time and life.

During my conversation with April, we chatted about:

1. What drove April to do the work she does today
2. How we can structure our calendars to achieve time freedom
3. What you should be adding and removing from your calendar
4. How time and energy management are directly related
5. What the Vixen Voice is and how we can claim it for ourselves

So, we talk about superheroes with their superpowers in the movies, in books, and when playing with toys with our kids. We may have even believed we had the ability to authentically be ourselves and claim what makes us special and unique, what makes us stand out from the rest of the crowd. Then we grow up and stop believing in make believe and a lot of magic.

What if we turned back to that and started believing in ourselves again? In our superpowers? In our ability to be authentic? In our dreams? In careers we love to go to each day?

Erin Hatzikostas, my guest today, was so fun to interview and a firecracker of energy. She shared so much wisdom about how we can follow and lead with our authenticity. It’s through this path that we can uncover our professional superpowers and land in positions that truly light us up from the inside out.

During my conversation with Erin, we chatted about:

1. What strategic authenticity is all about.

2. What the compromise calculation is and how we’ve all done it.

3. The BS Burnout Wall and why it’s a real thing.

4. More about her book You Do You(ish): Unleash Your Authentic Superpowers to Get the Career You Deserve.

5. How we can identify our own workplace superpowers.

Here’s what I thought about my career in my twenties.

I need to get a job so I can leave on my own and prove to my mom and myself that I am an adult.

In my thirties, here’s what I was thinking about.

I need to hustle and work hard.

I’m not stopping until I get to the top.

And then I hit my forties, and something shifted. Yes, I am still ambitious, but my priorities are changing. I want to be more present for my kids when they are young. My older daughter, Charlotte, is already twelve years old, and it feels like yesterday that I gave birth to her. I don’t want to lose those moments. I’m sure you can relate.

I had a lovely, thought-provoking conversation with my guest, Soon Hagerty today. We were all over the page in our topics, but somehow it all made sense.

During my chat with Soon, we discussed:

1. Her experience fleeing Saigon with her family when she was little and what long lasting impacts this made on her.
2. Her role at Hagerty Insurance and the impact of personal and professional brand.
3. What led to her decision to move away from a large role at Hagerty and focus more of her energy on her daughter.
4. Moving beyond resume virtues and towards eulogy virtues.
5. Her other business endeavors, including the charitable restaurant, The Good Bowl, and her non-profit, Boundless Ventures.

The underlying theme of today’s show is how we can give back to others and ourselves, how we can be truly present and not simply on the hamster wheel. I hope you take some time to reflect on your resume virtues vs. eulogy virtues after today’s conversation.