Trust Your Inner Compass with Lisa Speer Artwork

Live Your Values

What are values? In a nutshell, values are the things that matter to us. The trick is that you define and live yours in your own way. Taking the time to identify and connect with your own set of core values can help you in many ways, big and small, and everything in between. Our values can help us through life's challenges, guide our decision making and remind us why we do the things we do on a daily basis. Through this interview style podcast, we share real conversations with real people about what matters to them and what it means to live your values. Our hope is that each episode will inspire and help you discover or uncover your own set of core values as well as provide useful tools and strategies to help you align and practice them more consistently. In a nutshell, our goal is to help you do more of what matters so that you can live a more meaningful and fulfilling life, and who doesn't want that? Host and Jersey boy, Mike "Bagel", brings his own stories and experiences to the table in this insightful and entertaining podcast. Bagel has done everything from pulling an "Office Space" and leaving an anxiety-ridden corporate job, to moving to a completely new state to start a new life as a Career Counselor, only then to pursue his lifelong dream of hitting the road and traveling cross-country. This led him to discovering his new path of entrepreneurship, founding Free Your Time Virtual Assistants, and now primarily he works as a Small Business Counselor in the Charlotte, NC area. More important than any of these "credentials,” Bagel truly loves getting to know people on an individual level, and believes all are connected in some way. Whether through the lens of career and business, big life choices, or just casual water-cooler conversation, he finds joy in providing a platform for people to share their stories and helping them figure out what matters most, so they can do more of it and feel fulfilled.

All Episodes

Live Your Values

Trust Your Inner Compass with Lisa Speer

November 16, 2022 • Season 2 • Episode 6

Do you feel like you struggle with decision making? How often do you turn inwards to trust your gut instincts? And is that the same as living your values?

In this episode with Brand Strategist and Coach, Lisa Speer, we cover:

Using curiosity and exploration to better understand yourself
Learning to trust your inner compass, especially when going "against the grain"
Experiencing life through adaptability
Dealing with conflict, while staying grounded
Letting your inner compass guide you through fear when making decisions

We also hear how Lisa is putting her tools to practice with our coaching and strategy clients in her business, Speerhead Solutions.

Come along for the ride!

You can read the full show notes, transcription, guest bio, and more for this episode at: https://www.liveyourvalues.co/trust-your-inner-compass-with-lisa-speer

Have a comment or suggestion for the show? Leave us a voice message or email us at contact@liveyourvalues.co

Mentioned in this Episode:

Guest Bio:

Lisa Speer is founder of Speerhead Solutions and host of the Branding BFF® podcast. She helps new businesses create their brand and established businesses strengthen their brand. Lisa is adept at guiding clients through a range of services to support small businesses.

Services may be as simple as a 90 minute Solutions Session or a Brand Check-Up. Or they may be as complex as a creating a comprehensive brand system: brand strategy, business naming, logo and visual brand creation, brand messaging, website and social media starter kit.

She also provides entrepreneur coaching, for business and life.

Lisa built her creative career working at agencies on global brands such as Volvo, Samsung and New Balance. She began her coaching career through professional training with Accomplishment Coaching.

Outside of her business Lisa is a passionate fan of Formula 1 racing and enjoys smelling and learning about natural, artisan perfume.

Social Accounts:
Lisa Speer (LinkedIn)
Lisa Speer (Website)

[00:00:00] Lisa Speer: And so when we just weren't doing well as a company. And so they basically said, here's the situation. You can take the layoff, or you can take a 30% pay cut. So imagine 2008, the world's going crazy. And I just was like, I'm, I'm leaving. Like I won't work here in an environment that's doing that with people that I trust and support. And I'm certainly not gonna do this work for 30% less, you know, but I trusted that I could find another situation to work.

[00:00:38] Bagel: What's up Bagel here, And we're back this week with another standard issue of LYV.

Do you feel like you struggle with decision making? How often do you turn inwards to trust your gut instincts? And is that the same as living your values?

In this interview with brand strategist and coach, Lisa Speer, we cover: using curiosity and exploration to better understand yourself. Learning to trust your inner compass, especially when going against the grain, experiencing life through adaptability, dealing with conflict, while staying grounded and letting your inner compass guide you through fear when making decisions.

We also hear how Lisa's putting her tools to practice with her coaching and strategy clients in her business, Speerhead Solutions. Come along for the ride.

Welcome to the Live Your Values podcast. I'm your host Mike Bagel. And today I am beyond excited to welcome our guest for today's episode. Long time coworker, it's always funny saying that cuz it's like we work in the same coworking space, so I don't know a better word for it.

But coworker and friend, Lisa Speer. And Lisa is the founder of Speerhead Solutions and host of the Branding BFF podcast. She helps new businesses create their brand and established businesses strengthen their brand. Lisa is adapt at guiding clients through a range of services to support small businesses.

She also provides entrepreneur coaching for business and life. Lisa has built her creative career working at agencies on global brands, such as Volvo, Samsung and New Balance. And she began her coaching career through professional training with Accomplishment Coaching. And then on the outside of the business, Lisa's passionate fan of Formula One racing and enjoys smelling and learning about natural artisan perfumes.

So, you know, just a very eclectic person that we're gonna be talking with today. Lisa, welcome to the show.

[00:02:38] Lisa Speer: Thanks. I'm happy to be here.

I know it's been a long time coming. You've been a supporter of the podcast and kind of the mission of what we're doing here for a long time since, since before it started. So it's very exciting to have you on it. Finally.

[00:02:54] Lisa Speer: Well, that's the beauty of being coworkers. You get to hear about things before they actually launch.

[00:02:59] Bagel: Yes, that's very true. And just, I mean, there's gonna be a little bit of touting here on my part today, so hopefully I won't embarrass Lisa too much. But I just have to say, Lisa was one of the first people that I felt like I really connected with when I joined my coworking space. And I think I joined, I don't know, the end of 2017 or something like that. And I remember we had kind of seen each other around, but didn't really connect at first. And we saw each other at an event outside of the space. And I think you came up to me and you were like, I feel like I've seen you around.

And then we just started talking and you know, then that was it from there. But I just wanna mention, you know, how, how much of a connector that you really are, and it's just such a big part of your personality. But also just like it's part of who you are. And I have a feeling that that's gonna come out in a little bit of what we're gonna talk about here today.

[00:03:53] Lisa Speer: I do love connecting people. And that's why when I'm at an event, I'm like, if I've seen somebody before, I'm like, where, where did I learn about you from how, how are we connected?

[00:04:04] Bagel: Yeah, totally.

[00:04:05] Lisa Speer: I was at an event once that I went to and right after I moved to Charlotte and there was a woman I talked to and I just remembered being like, I love your suit.

She worked for a bank and she had like a killer suit. It was really cool. Fashionable, not the typical bank outfit. And then I remember at years later, like three or four years later, I saw somebody at an event. Totally different context. And I'm like, man, I know her, where do I know her from? So I went up to her, we started talking and then I figured it out.

I was like, oh, you're the one with the cool suit at that event at the gallery way back when. And she's like, oh my God, I cannot believe you remembered me.

[00:04:46] Bagel: That's so funny, the little details too. It's like funny, funny ways that you remember something about somebody. Yeah.

[00:04:54] Lisa Speer: It's kind a way where brain works though. Connect the dots, you know, it's like I do it with work, but I do it in personal and I do it with connecting people. So I'm always looking for like, what's that common thread and what connects us.

[00:05:06] Bagel: Yeah, definitely. So speaking of common thread, here's a good segue. Let's talk about how you got into these hobbies and how you're finding some community. Just maybe as a little bit of a way to get to know you first, because when you first shared this, and I know probably with other people too. People are like F1 racing, like maybe perfume, like a little more stereotypically for women, you know, might make a little more, more sense.

But the F1 racing thing, especially caught me off guard. I was like, that's an interesting new thing. I wouldn't have expected. So how did you get into these things over the pandemic.

[00:05:40] Lisa Speer: Yeah. So really it, it did stem from the pandemic. What I realized is that once we had to be working from home, I realized how much I was missing community. And also just how much I'd been putting into work and how I used to have a ton of outlets outside of work. But running a business, especially like I'd moved to Charlotte seven years ago.

So I just found once I had that disconnection from the normal routine, the normal stuff. I was like, oh my God, I have, I need something outside of work. You know, like I have friends and there's things that I, you know, you generally yes. You like to go out for drinks and you like to all that stuff. But I mean, I used to be like really, really passionate about reading and music and stuff.

Like I remember in college, that was the thing just put me in front of a book or put me in front of a music store and like get to explore a bunch of new music. That was my way of exploration, particularly coming from a smaller town, a smaller city in the south, it was just like my outlet.

So what happened was the first thing was my sister-in-law because I did live with my brother and sister-in-law during the pandemic. I was like, I can't be a hermit during the pandemic. So I actually, yeah, no, so actually it was great because they live here in town and I just was like, Hey, I don't know what's gonna happen.

I don't know what's gonna happen to my business. I don't know what's gonna happen in the world. It was probably the smartest decision I made going quickly into the pandemic. My lease was coming up and I'm just like, let's jump. And so I did have access to two people in person during the pandemic at the beginning.

And one of them, you know, was my sister-in-law and you know, you mentioned stereotypical perfume. I hated perfume. I remember smelling stuff at the department stores in high school. I didn't like it. I didn't like the stereotypical female fragrances. They often gave me headaches. I have a lot of skin and headache sensitivity to scent.

I don't really like a lot of candles that are overpowering, so I hated perfume. But my sister-in-law introduced me to a natural perfume that she had. And I was like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. This is a whole new ball game. So

[00:08:00] Bagel: interesting.

[00:08:01] Lisa Speer: the. Sort of like being willing to open myself up to smelling something that I thought I hated was the first step.

And then second, all of a sudden I realized there's this whole world I knew nothing about. That is natural, it's artisan. What happened was I just got really hooked on learning more. And so I started, you know, reading about the different perfumes, the natural ones, some of the higher end stuff.

I joined a couple perfume, Facebook groups online and started being able to talk to other people and kind of steer me in different directions. I became friends with a woman in San Francisco and we are real life friends now because she also had sensitivities. And so I just discovered this whole world and really what the perfume did for me during the pandemic was I got to explore from home.

And I think that was something like you can't travel. So being able to explore and feel like I had my own little adventure. So I smelled perfume from Australia. I smelled perfume from Thailand. Like I just click a little button, order some samples, and all of a sudden I'm transported to different types of different countries, different, styles, different perfume notes.

They call them notes. It's the, you know, different scents that go into a perfume. And so what was something I thought I hated, I just needed a broader view of what was possible. And then all of a sudden I'm like knee deep in this world. And two years later, I'm still really interested in the exploration of it.

But I also have honed in on the things that I am most drawn to. But still continue to kind of push myself and explore deeper because as I already said, I thought I hated something and I really didn't. So it's just a really cool way to expand and explore and learn without any actual end result.

I think that's the thing, also being a business owner. We're constantly learning new things and we're how do we apply it to our business and how do we improve? And so this was the chance to really just have fun with learning as opposed to having an end goal, having to have an ROI.

[00:10:20] Bagel: Right. Yeah. I think that's so important. I think you're so right about just giving yourself sort of that freedom to explore, be curious, have fun. And not have such a defined outcome that you need to get to. It's more just like play, really, in a sense.

[00:10:37] Lisa Speer: Yeah. And then in terms of Formula One, I was listening to a podcast Armchair Expert, and I, again, I thought I had no reason to ever watch racing. But Dax Shepard was talking to this driver, Daniel Ricardo, who was a Formula One driver, and the way Dax was describing the GForce and what it takes and kind of like talking with the driver of all that goes into it.

It got me interested and I was like, wait, there's more to this than I ever realized, you know, because I'm not a speed junkie. And I thought, okay, you know, most people watch a race cuz they wanna see the cars go fast, but as they were talking, they were talking also about this Netflix series Drive to Survive.

And I thought, oh, well, that's a great way to learn a little bit more about the sport. You know, just more as the casual viewer. And what quickly happened is you start seeing behind the scenes, the personalities, the politics, the technical side, the engineering development, all of a sudden you see a much bigger world than just what happens on track.

And so the racing was fun because it's only 20 drivers, they race around the world. So again, exploration from home, right. I get to see the world through other people's eyes and it was just really cool, the complexity of it. And that's where I got hooked was the complexity. If it was just that I started watching a race, I don't think I would've jumped in, in the same way. But then I quickly became hooked and I was able to watch the last three races in 2020 immediately, you know, got myself a Formula One TV subscription.

Now I watch the practices, the qualifications, I listen to podcasts.

[00:12:25] Bagel: You're deep into it.

[00:12:26] Lisa Speer: Read the blogs, you know, so yeah, it's, it became another totally immersive world for me. That was really, again, another outlet. So having two things that I could go knee deep in, never expected to

[00:12:42] Bagel: Right.

[00:12:43] Lisa Speer: was just such a cool way to surprise myself.

You know, I'm in my midlife and I thought all of my life, I hated these things, but to discover that I don't is pretty cool.

[00:12:57] Bagel: It is, it is. And it's inspiring too. I think it just, you know, everyone kind of I'm sure figured out what they could occupy themselves with during the primary part of the lockdown. And everyone found some, maybe new hobby for a lot of people, it was baking, right. Like I was back on the sourdough train and probably a lot of other people were too, which is why you couldn't find flour on the shelves.

But yeah, trying to find those things that you can do from home that, weren't risky that gave you some joy. And it sounds like you were able to kind of change your own perspective and mindset around some of the things you didn't like in the past and kind of had new ways of looking at them.

[00:13:35] Bagel: So I think that's super cool.

[00:13:36] Lisa Speer: And it's a cool connection thing. Going back to connection, you know, the property manager of my apartment complex, she has been watching Formula One with her dad since she was young. I met a woman at a networking event, a women's group, and she and her husband have been watching Formula One for years and have attended races.

And so it's funny. Again, you talk about stereotypical. The people that I've met in person in Charlotte who watch Formula One are all women. I have a friend in California, that's a man who watches and we chat as well. But you know, it's really funny because it's not as popular a sport in America as like NASCAR IndyCar, or obviously, you know, our football, baseball, everything.

So, but it's super cool that, it's another way of connecting. And in fact, at this networking event, these two women were with us as we discovered our mutual love for Formula One. And they were like, oh my God, we love how excited you are, but you guys are speaking a totally different language.

[00:14:33] Bagel: Yeah, that's funny, but talk about instant connection, right? Like, especially when you find another woman who's into it. I feel like that's probably like, oh my God. Like I wanna talk to them immediately because you feel like you're in that smaller group and have that shared interest.

So, yeah. Cool. Awesome to hear a little bit about, about how you explored some new things during that time.

So, how did this idea of what we're gonna talk about today of trusting your inner compass? Like where did this all start? Or give us a little bit of like the history behind how this became meaningful for you.

[00:15:05] Lisa Speer: Well, I think the first thing is trusting your inner compass. That's a current term that I've learned to explain what I'm gonna talk about. I think the one first way you could look at it is, you know, it's kind of an instinct. So growing up, I was raised in a household where I was taught to color in between the lines literally and figuratively.

So, you know, there was a right way to do things. There was a wrong way to do things I love and respect my parents a ton. However, it really wasn't a match for this creative kid who was like super creative, but frustrated. Cause I didn't have the outlets. I, they didn't know how to even see that that was going on with me and I didn't know how to say it.

So, you know, coming from this world, if there's a right way, wrong way, there's always like constraints in a way that as a kid, you know, you kind of wanna get messy with the crayons. You kind of wanna like, just have that freedom again, going back to exploration, just to try things and that it's okay to mess up. Now, you know, there was no punishment if I color it outside the lines, but there was this automatic, like there's a right way and a wrong way to do things.

And it also tied to how their beliefs around religion. Like there was just a very clear cut system of beliefs. And so, at a young age, you know, I felt like it didn't match me. And I wouldn't have known how to describe it, but the feeling was always there. And so with that, you know, it's that whole thing of, When you're raised a particular way and yet you're going against the grain, there has to be this element of trust in yourself.

Because if you're not seeing the example somewhere, you have to trust that what you're feeling and your belief is valid. And so that young age, that was probably the first time I recognized this in me, this ability to trust my instinct.

[00:17:02] Bagel: What a powerful statement Lisa just shared. I wanna give you an opportunity to reflect on your own childhood. Were you taught to color inside the lines? Did you feel then or even now as you look back that you were going against the grain? Think about how much you trusted or relied on yourself versus others to show up more authentically in the world. I think the next really big pivotal moment for me was in high school.

[00:17:35] Lisa Speer: I was in an algebra class and at that age, you know, I definitely wanted to do what all my friends were doing. We had a really great group, but someone came in and said, who wants to be on the yearbook staff next. I raised my hand. I do not know what prompted me to pull my hand up.

Absolutely have

[00:17:54] Bagel: It was just a force.

[00:17:55] Lisa Speer: really was. And none of my friends had raised their hands. And so I became the first freshman to be on the yearbook staff for the sophomore year. So that summer I went with the editor, we went to this workshop that was held in Clemson University. And all of a sudden I was like, oh, my brain clicks with this designing. Like, it just, there was something about that creative outlet and having like a, a real place for it. So going back to instinct and kind of trusting my inner compass was just raising my hand without having a logical reason for it. Which led to the career I currently have is, you know, graphic design branding.

Like this whole realm, came from me just raising my hand and going with it. Versus having to rationalize it or have some good reason to do it. It wasn't try to get some good extracurriculars to look good for getting into college. It was this impulse that I had.

[00:18:53] Bagel: Yeah. I'm just so curious, like at the time, so it felt like an impulse is what it sounds like you're saying. To this day, do you know what drove you to raise your hand or was it literally like involuntary in,

[00:19:06] Lisa Speer: It was involuntary, you know, and I don't have any like spiritual, religious belief system that gives a reason for that. You know, for me, it was literally just something compelled me and it just was this instantaneous thing. And so, yeah,

[00:19:26] Bagel: And, and I'm also just curious, had you had any experiences, that seems like that was like a pivotal one, right. That was really impactful and meaningful. But do you remember anything that maybe happened before that where something similar, like a similar feeling occurred? Or something like where you're like, oh, like that feels like something I want to do.

Had there been

[00:19:45] Lisa Speer: Nothing that strong, you know, like there was always my curiosity with books and music and things, and that makes a lot more sense. Now me telling you guys about this is it really was me exploring worlds outside of how I was being trained. And so, you know, a lot of my book choices and music choices were very much against the things I was learning about that my parent or liking that my parents would like.

So yeah, it really felt like the raising my hand in algebra class was this the biggest sort of pivotal moment that was unintentional. I think even with the stuff about feeling different than my parents, it was an instinct. But it was one that I had to keep building up my own trust in myself.

That what I was feeling was valid. So there was a little more cerebral element to that even though at my core, the feeling was there. So yeah, it, that was a really, really big one for me. The stuff like going to grad school, again, that wasn't, I was the first person in my family to go to grad school.

And so again, it didn't have a model for that. It just felt like, well, that'll open my world up more.

[00:20:59] Bagel: Hmm. Yeah.

[00:21:00] Lisa Speer: But it wasn't a sort of big story moment. It just was like, okay, that's the next thing that I wanna try? That's the next thing I wanna do to grow.

But I think the big, another big one for me was like kind of feeling that directional pull was when I moved to New York City. And most people moved to New York City for a career.

And yes, there was plenty of job opportunities in New York City because it's a big hub for creativity. But the reason I moved there was because it was more for fulfilling a drive I had to kind of figure out who I was apart from how I was raised. And so that was a big pull for me. It was either that or it was gonna be San Francisco.

So those were my two cities that I looked at and explored and you know, was looking for the job offer. And I got the job in New York and I'm really glad that ended up being my city, but that was such a great place for me to meet. I mean, all types of people, I have all types of experiences. I lived there for 16 years and I just couldn't trade that for anything.

I'm just

[00:22:05] Bagel: That's a long time to live in New York City, by the way, 16 years. Why New York and San Francisco, what was it about those two cities that attracted you to maybe be a place to find yourself?

Big cities, cultural melting pots, a lot of creativity.

[00:22:21] Bagel: Mm.

you know anyone in either of those?

[00:22:23] Lisa Speer: No, I didn't know a soul in either one of them.

[00:22:26] Bagel: Yeah. So you really were like, I want to go out on my own and figure this out.

[00:22:31] Lisa Speer: Yeah, because I went to grad school in Philly, for me the choosing the grad school was also being in a bigger city. I'd gotten a full ride at. a school in Indiana, but I turned it down because, well, so that is a story, right. So I did turn it down because I felt like it wouldn't help me expand as much.

I felt like the program wasn't as strong. I felt like where it was the part of the state it was, it's just too small. I happened to apply there, you know, but it wasn't really in my top list of schools. And so with all those choices, in terms of leaving the South and moving to the Northeast, it was just really around access to new people, new experiences, new ways of thinking.

[00:23:15] Bagel: Yeah, I don't think I realized that you went to grad school in Philly. Where did you go?

[00:23:21] Lisa Speer: I went to Tyler School of Art, which is part of the Temple University and they had their own campus just north of the city.

[00:23:28] Bagel: Okay, cool. I lived in Philly for a couple years after college, but out in Manayunk area.

[00:23:34] Lisa Speer: Yeah. Yeah.

[00:23:36] Bagel: Yeah. And what was your degree in for your grad degree?

[00:23:40] Lisa Speer: Visual design. So it was an MFA and visual design. Yeah.

[00:23:44] Bagel: And then you had moved to New York City after that.

[00:23:47] Lisa Speer: Yep. Yeah. It took me a few months to get a job. Because I didn't have any people that I knew there. I basically found the job through my connections, with people who'd graduated from the university. So I got some intros and I met a woman who'd graduated a few years prior to me, in undergrad from there.

And she got me an interview and that got me hired. And so my first account that I worked on was Volvo. So it was pretty big, pretty big jump. My work right out of college was working for, a food packaging company doing design. And I got really bored really quick, cause I felt like within the first year I learned everything that I needed to learn.

I got to go on photo shoots, we'd drive to Atlanta and I'd go by myself and art direct the photo shoot. I would go on press overseeing the printing. I was designing, but at the same time,it was exciting for the first year. And then it got really boring because it's like, well, this will be the job ever after.

[00:24:50] Lisa Speer: And I saw, you know, a woman who had started there right outta college. And I was like, man, that's her life now, 15 years later. And I don't want that. You know, it was easy. It was safe, but it was also boring.

[00:25:05] Bagel: Yeah, it's pretty amazing how you can see probably at a younger age, you can foresee, Hey, this is what it would look like to stay in on this path. Whether that's a career that you don't really see yourself in or a relationship or whatever it might be. But to have the foresight to see that, and then also to have the active decision making skills to say, I do want to choose something different.

I think that does take some courage. So

[00:25:32] Lisa Speer: Yeah. And that goes back to that feeling of the directional pull, the inner compass, that instinct side of me. I could say that I had a really good rationalization for it, but there really was sort of this combination of imagining it, kind of this hybrid between the feeling and the brain. It was kind of that the instinct pairs both in that case.

[00:25:55] Bagel: Take a moment to think about a time when you had to make a tough decision in the past. Did you rely on logic, emotion, or both? Which one typically wins out? Is it consistent or is it situational?

Yeah. So once you're in New York, how does life start to unfold? How does intuition start to play a role once you're there and trusting that self more? Once you're figuring some things out.

[00:26:27] Lisa Speer: I think it was you know, just having this like playground really. I was working my ass off. I worked way too many hours. But you know, I got to attend concerts, I got to go to plays, Broadway, off Broadway. All the time you'd see celebrities and you ignore them cuz as a good New Yorker, that's what you gotta do.

You know that from living in Jersey

[00:26:51] Bagel: That's right. Yep.

[00:26:52] Lisa Speer: Yeah, I mean it was, it was just like the types of experiences I got to have every time. It just felt like one night you can be attending after work happy hour at a biker bar. And then the next night because of your work, you get invited to some, she-she like film director launch party where I got to talk to some people in the elevator and it took me a month later to realize who they were.

I had talked in the elevator with James Gandolfini and Edie Falco right after they had just had their first season of Sopranos. I hadn't

[00:27:28] Bagel: Oh, my God. Oh,

[00:27:30] Lisa Speer: Shooting the shit in the elevator and out, we get out on the street and people were talking to this guy. And I'm like, huh, wonder who he is. You know, everyone seems to know him.

[00:27:41] Bagel: Yeah,

[00:27:42] Lisa Speer: Like a month or two later when they were having the Emmys.

I was like, oh, oh, that's who that was.

[00:27:50] Bagel: Yeah. Would you have been starstruck if you had known who they were in the elevator? Is it better that

Sopranos. Yes. Yeah.

[00:27:58] Lisa Speer: Like, yeah. I, I tend to, when I am in vicinity of celebrities, rather not say anything because I don't wanna be that person again. So at burning man festival, my friend opened the porta pot on Rosario Dawson, cause it didn't have a lock. Turns out Rosario Dawson knew people in our camp. And so, you know, she was hanging out in our camp and I was just like, I can't talk to her. She's just like too unreal.

[00:28:27] Bagel: Yeah.

[00:28:27] Lisa Speer: she's too beautiful in this like dusty, dirty environment. And I'm sure everyone who recognizes her is gonna go talk to her. Like I can't, even though she knew people in our group. So I tend to, well I take that back. Cuz there was also the dog park I met, Alan Cumming, his dog were, were there and I was watching a friend's dog.

And so I did talk to him knowing who he was, but I didn't acknowledge that I knew who he was. I just talked to him like a normal person.

[00:28:57] Bagel: I don't know that I know who he is and I probably

[00:29:00] Lisa Speer: He's an actor and, and theater performer. So he was like on the Good Wife, he was in Cabaret on Broadway. So he's had a lot of

[00:29:09] Bagel: probably why I don't know him.

[00:29:11] Lisa Speer: but it's, he's kind of under the radar in a lot of ways.

[00:29:15] Bagel: Yeah. Gotcha. So, so you're, you're in the city and you're meeting the famous people.

[00:29:21] Lisa Speer: Yeah. But

[00:29:22] Bagel: but you're getting to go to all these different

[00:29:23] Lisa Speer: The random, you know, and, and the other thing about it was, I think, you know, it's something that isn't glamorous. It isn't sexy. It isn't something that, you know, I wish existed, but you ride the subway with homeless people. You're riding the subway with, you know, millionaires, billionaires.

What I liked about the city was that it wasn't compartmentalized in the same way. It's not about what house you live in. It's not about even what car you're driving, because a lot of people take public transportation, but you know, it's like, you don't get to ignore the poverty or the homelessness. You don't get to ignore the things that if you live in the suburbs, it's very easy to do.

[00:30:09] Lisa Speer: And so that was a part of it too. Like I didn't wanna shy away from kind of getting that full range of humanity. So that was a big part. You know, you see that every day and you can get numb to it, but you it's, it's always present. And so it sort of confronts you in a way that I think is actually really healthy.

[00:30:33] Bagel: Yeah. What, what, what do you mean by that? Like how, how was it healthy for you?

I think growing up, I was super sheltered, very much like in this religious bubble, very white, very,kind of, you know, everything was very safe

[00:30:48] Bagel: Hmm.

It felt like just one fragment of life. You know, it felt like this is a very narrow wedge of what it's to be a human and what life experience is. And that, a big pull for me for New York and Philly was, it's not just, I'm not gonna be in a bubble. And so I think I have a capacity to be with all types of people in a way that is like actual practical.

[00:31:20] Lisa Speer: Like it's not in theory, I'm accepting and open of everybody. It's like, there was a very real being with all types of people, not judging. I think in New York, there's something about, there's so many people different than you. If you went around judging everybody, that's all you do all day. And so to realize that all types of people exist and they each have their place in the world, they each have different things.

They bring to the table. But again, it's like, I'm fascinated to be with all types of people because I'm like, I don't wanna necessarily be that person. Like for, for example, the biker bar on the west side highway, you know, I don't wanna be a biker. But like I had the greatest conversation and playing pool with this guy.

And, you know, we had the best time and you know, his, his old lady came over as, you know, they would call it. But, you know, it was really cool cuz it was just a matter of letting her know I'm not threatening what she has going on. I'm just playing pool with this guy, you know? And it just being able to be adaptable.

I think being adaptable is also a big thing that I learned and gained in New York. There's the resilience, there's the openness and there's the adaptability that I think were all things that have really served me well in my lifetime.

[00:32:38] Bagel: Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. I'm curious, like if the very, you know, structured more rule following, rule based childhood experiences you had growing up in your family. Did it almost feel like it was, you were rebelling in a sense from that and saying no. Okay. So it

[00:32:59] Lisa Speer: Yeah, it was fascinating. It was fascinating to me because if I'd done the rebellion, you know, I would've done a lot of things in high school that I didn't do. I actually didn't drink in high school. I wasn't doing the partying. I wasn't, there was just a lot of things I didn't do. And it wasn't because of the rules.

It was more of a, like, that's just, I didn't see at that time, the fun in that. Like I just, I was very driven because I knew what I wanted to do for my career. So it wasn't like a F- them. I'm gonna go do the opposite. So like the thing to New York was just a curiosity, right? It wasn't like, oh, now I'm gonna go do the opposite.

I didn't become the opposite of my parents. We still have a lot of the same values. It's just the way we, our belief system is different. Our priorities are different. But I think we do, I'd say our, when I say values, you know, it is live your values podcast, my core values and my parents' core values are different.

I would say, you know, with my parents, a lot of theirs is around security, safety, that kind of thing. And mine is, you know, more around the creativity and the self-expression and connection. So I think in that sense, our values are different. But we're still, we still care about being kind. We still care about helping people.

We still like those kind of values are definitely in common. So I didn't want to eradicate the good parts of my parents and how the training that they gave me. I just felt like it was just a small box. And so instead of being like, here they are, I'm gonna do the opposite. It was more like, okay, here, you know, here they are at the base. And it's just sort of very flat linear and then like, but I want the full 360. I want the full circle of it, you know, not just this one plane.

[00:34:49] Bagel: Yeah. And, and again, that's just so interesting to me cuz a lot of times it's maybe someone getting inspired by someone that they know or following some other model in some way. But for you, it does seem like there was just this instinct, which I know is a little bit of what we're talking about here that you were just following, like just picking places where you felt like you could expand yourself.

[00:35:11] Lisa Speer: Yeah. I mean, I think, I think just in terms of like other key pivotal moments for me before we kind of get into a little bit more of the inner compass and the values is that, you know, I thought I was gonna live in New York forever. I loved it. But 16 years is a long time and my priorities started shifting.

So like in terms of my inner compass and my values, those weren't changing. But the priorities were starting to shift. And so I really miss nature. I have a real affinity for trees, and love the mountains. Like, you know, mountains in Asheville, I'd gone to high school there and, you know, so things like that.

And I was like, yes, people have dogs in New York, but I don't wanna live this crazy New York life where I'm never home and have a dog. That just feels cruel. So I wanted to have a different change of pace, and I wanted to still be in a place that, you know, I guess more had like a creative core, but it could be smaller.

And I wanted to be able to sort of go from this world of like big experiences to now like smaller pleasures. And that's just kind of how in my head it was. And so I kind of did this like tour of the US in my brain, you know, doing the like, okay, well, what kind of cities would be a good fit? Or, you know, like kind of like, what are the things that I'm really, really looking for?

And in the end, I chose to move to Asheville and I knew it was gonna be smaller. I mean, that's a huge jump to go from New York city to Asheville. I, but I loved it there. I have a, one of my best friends lives there. However, it was not a good fit for my business. So, you know, that whole, if you make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.

Didn't apply for my business in Asheville.

[00:37:00] Bagel: Yeah. It's funny how that

[00:37:01] Lisa Speer: So luckily going back to that, trusting my instinct, it wasn't a good fit. And so, because I did have that confidence in my skills and my resilience and knowing that what I was bringing to the table was all good stuff. I was able to quickly pull the plug after a year and just be like, okay, this just isn't the right city for my business.

There's things I love about it, but it's just not gonna be the place for me. And so then,

[00:37:28] Bagel: wisdom too, and some courage at that point to acknowledge it. And again, take the action to make a change.

[00:37:35] Lisa Speer: Yeah. And it's just kind of recognizing, like I do trust my skills. I do trust, you know, what I can bring and I was doing all the good stuff that I'd done in New York. It just wasn't translating. So I'm like, okay, Well Asheville's too small, but I wanna stay in North Carolina. And so my bro, my brother and sister-in-law live here.

And so I'm just like, Hey, I need to figure out which city is actually gonna be a legit fit for my business. So, you know, can I camp out with you guys for a little bit, put my stuff in storage and figure out is Charlotte the city, is Raleigh the city, is Durham the city. You know, before I make a big decision again. Because the decision to move was big and it was the right decision to move, but it just ended up being the wrong location.

So instead of going through the, this big upheaval again, I chose to let's do it a little different way, you know. Have a home base, check out these cities spend a little time exploring before making that decision. And things in Charlotte started sticking like, quickly. And I realized, okay, this, this is gonna work.

You know, there was more of an entrepreneur community. There was much more diverse range of businesses in industry was so much tourism in Asheville. And, you know, there was some definitely small businesses there, but a lot of them were really more in the, the beer and the restaurant space. And it's a great place to go, it's a great place to visit. It's great if you can run a business from there, but it just wasn't right for me. And so Charlotte became the place and now I'm been here seven years.

[00:39:09] Bagel: Yeah, that's amazing. Easily could have also not had worked out for you, but at, at the same time you were willing to explore a new place and it probably helped at least that you had, you know, some family here that could help orient you to some extent. Even though you, you know, doing your own thing with your business.

So I'm sure

[00:39:29] Lisa Speer: That also reminds

me. What I decided was with this move, you know, moving away from New York. What I did decide is being close to closer to my family. And ideally having someone I already know in a city was sort of this like next wave. I'm like, okay, I did the not knowing anybody.

[00:39:49] Bagel: Yeah.

[00:39:50] Lisa Speer: Let's kind of do it a little differently this time.

And it worked out great for New York, but, it's sort of one of those things where I think of my life in three chunks, there's the growing up years in the south. And there's like really the adult skills training. I even started doing coach training while I lived in New York. So I did a yearlong intensive coach training program. And that for me was again about expanding my skills and I thought at the time, maybe even becoming a coach full time, but what it did is just made me fall back in love with all the creative work I was doing. And helped me ask better questions, be a better strategist and a better partner with my clients.

And so things like that, again, I, I don't think I would've had anywhere else. But yet that's still that middle chunk of that growing, exploring. And I feel like now I'm in that phase where I'm really honed into my business is like the things I love doing the best, my best skill set. The clear focus that I didn't have when I was starting out in my business in 2004, I was doing everything creative , you know, with no focus.

So I think that kind of ties to the idea of what was instinct versus what is intentional now, sort of pairs with that inner compass was not intentional. It was that instinct that pull, whereas with where I'm at in my life now. And, you know, sort of midway through New York, I started being able to articulate things in a very intentional way.

so, you know, really tying things to values in a way that was just more impulse before. So, you know, I think that if I would say that sort of the instinct, the inner compass that drove me when I was younger, was the creativity, the self-expression and connection. And that stuff is all still really, really important to me,

[00:41:49] Bagel: yeah,

[00:41:50] Lisa Speer: But how it shows up in my business. And I would, you know, I work with people on their brand values, you know, do branding. So like having that sort of behind the scenes, invisible stuff in your business. So what I'm really focused on for my brand values is the authenticity, the partnership and the clarity piece. So, you know, you kind of could look at like clarity is kind of that combination of self-expression and your message connecting. Like your brand connecting, with the partnership, you know, that is very much ties to connection. The self-expression ties to authenticity, the creativity ties to authenticity. So it's kind of cool to see like all these, the, the seeds that were planted as a kid very much have shaped both the direction of my business and how I work with my clients. And so I feel like the values are similar to the things that I cared about as a kid and the things I care about personally, but with the business, you know, it's more like how the focus is a little different.

Like I'm not being a different person in my personal life and in my professional life, it's more just like how the focus looks and things I need to take into account with my business. It's very different than my own personal things that drive me. You know, when I'm thinking about brand values in the business, it's all, whether it's for myself or for my clients, it's really about, your brand is the bridge between you and your clients.

And so your values do impact who you're working with and how you're gonna work with them. And so you want to take that into account, you know, yes, you can very much have very different values than my own business values, my brand values, but it will impact your consumers. It will impact your clients, your audience.

And so just making sure that things are a match is what I think now about. And my business and with people it's like just being intentional now, you know, like just thinking like the bigger picture instead of just me, me, me. I guess is a way to think about it.

[00:44:14] Bagel: Totally. And it's funny as I'm hearing you share this now, tHat theme of intentionality almost feels like the umbrella over all of it, where it's like, these are the brand values of authenticity, partnership and clarity. You've got your, your inner compass or sort of your own values of creativity self-expression and connection.

And, but then there's this sort of bridge of like, you know, you're being more intentional about setting your own values for yourself. You're more intentional about the brand values, but you're also helping your clients be more intentional about stating what those are and then manifesting them and, and being clear about them outwardly with their clients.

So I just, just noticing that that, that intentionality is really, you know, a big part of everything here that you're talking about.

[00:45:00] Lisa Speer: Yeah, cuz I think sometimes a lot of times people may be doing things from their instinct, which is great. But I think sometimes when you can put words to it, like I can now in hindsight, look at a lot of choices I made and I can make sense of them.

[00:45:16] Bagel: mm-hmm

[00:45:17] Lisa Speer: in a way that I didn't have a framework for it before.

And that's another reason why, you know, we're talking today about, you know, trust your inner compass. I actually, developed a coaching tool that I can do with one off for my clients where values is a part of it. But your inner compass is more than that. And having a framework to understand yourself better and work with yourself versus against yourself, I think is so helpful for people because so many times, again, for me growing up, like I had to.

Against the face of not having anybody agreeing with me or pointing me in the right direction. You know, I had to trust something within myself, but if I had had a, a tool or a way to look at my life and then just see, oh, this was just, you know, my version of what works for me and you know, what works for somebody else.

We all have these like, you know, 10 ways to do X or three ways to be better at blank. But that can be a formula and it doesn't work for everybody. And I think it's so important to figure out like, actually what works for you and capitalize on your strengths. And yes, we can always grow and learn, like that's a lifelong pursuit for me personally.

[00:46:36] Bagel: Yeah.

[00:46:36] Lisa Speer: I wanna continue to stretch myself, but I don't want to build my life where I'm constantly trying to do things that aren't in my wheelhouse, Whether you are working for a company, like we could all pick a job. If you work for a company that doesn't bring out your best skills, you know. And you're constantly struggling because that's just not your natural zone of genius, you know?

And I think it's the same with your business. Like there are choices I've made with my business because I feel like I get to do the things I love the best and do the best work for my clients. But would it be more lucrative if I had a lot of retainer clients, this, that, and the other. Of course it would, but it wouldn't fulfill the things that I think are important to me, the values and the skills.

[00:47:25] Bagel: Totally. Totally Yeah. And, I've talked about this on previous episodes in the first season when I've been talking around some career stuff, but there's some different assessments out there and there's some career theories out there. But essentially, you know, for folks who are like looking to figure out what they want to do to find that fulfillment in a career or in a project or in life or whatever it might be. That intersection of skills, interests, values, personality, typically are the things that we use to really understand what it is that we are well positioned for.

And what's gonna bring us that fulfillment. And obviously I've talked about this a lot, but a lot of studies show that values are most closely tied to fulfillment out of all the things there I just mentioned. How do you feel like for yourself, how did your own inner compass or your own values really help tie into the career decisions that you've made? Like going to grad school, going to New York, starting your business. I know you've talked a bit about it already, but is there anything else that feels worth sharing around how those values like have impacted or, sort of like steered the path for you for your careers?

[00:48:36] Lisa Speer: I can tell you that what it feels like when you're not fully living the values you want. So for example, I just wanted to get to New York. So I took a job that really wasn't in my sweet spot. It was working with big brands, but it was more in the advertising realm of things, for my first two jobs in New York. And honestly, I loved so much of the stuff I got to do.

I got to go photo shoots and TV shoots in other cities and got to work on amazing brands. But it wasn't in my sweet spot, you know, and yes, I was learning new skills, but it still wasn't, you know, branding was just more the, the stuff that I felt more drawn to. And so working in a career that really wasn't the things I care most about.

You know, you're not connecting with global clients in the way you do with a small business owner, whether they're the, you know, solo entrepreneur. They're running, you know, a million dollar business, it's still a small business. And so I think that level of connection wasn't there. I think the self-expression wasn't there because you're already working within a brand system and I think the other part would be, Yeah. I think the partnership wasn't there in the same way. Because again, you're dealing with a massive entity, so yeah. You can partner with, you know, a client in a certain way, but there's still like down the food chain, and again, in hindsight, you know, knowing now working from actual, tangible values. I can see, oh yeah, it just wasn't present. And that's why I never felt fully at home in those jobs. I never felt fully fulfilled in those jobs. And even when I started my first business in 2004, like I said, I did everything cause I didn't know how to network. I didn't know how to get clients. I didn't know how to price myself. And I was just happy to take any creative work. But I wasn't fulfilled because again, I liked working for myself, but I felt like I was all over the place.

[00:50:43] Bagel: Yeah,

[00:50:43] Lisa Speer: And so making choices of, okay, the type of clients you really like to work with, the types of services you really like to offer.

Those are the times when I started getting more and more fulfilled. And so now, you know, I make less money than I did working for these big agencies. But I am so much more fulfilled. I feel like I get to shape my path. I get to do the things I love. I get to work with clients I love. I don't work with every client. You know, I don't take every project that comes my way. I don't take every opportunity because it's more important for me to work with the people that I think are a good fit like that I can help the most, but also the people that I like the most

[00:51:23] Bagel: Totally. Yeah. Cause that's, that's, what's gonna help drive that fulfillment. It's like not getting frustrated by the clients that either bug you annoy you or aren't willing to do their part and, and making sure that you have clear ideas of who's the best fit. Who are you gonna work well with together?

So it does feel like a partnership. So it feels like something you can truly collaborate on and really should give you fulfillment. But also hopefully it gives the client a sense of fulfillment that they've found a really good partner for someone that can truly help them in

[00:51:56] Lisa Speer: Yeah. That's why I have such a collaborative service style compared to, yes, I'm doing the lion share of the work and I'm guiding and leading. But I'm truly wanting to draw out what's ideal for them. What is true for them? What's authentic for them and for their clients. And so

[00:52:17] Bagel: Yeah.having it not just be about me does make me feel like each step of the way they're buying in they're collaborating. We're, we're actually making decisions together to serve them the best. As opposed to, well, I think you should do this or this would look cool. You know, it's just, it can become very surface level. So I like to go deep. I like to really think about both the long term impact of the work we're doing together, but also, you know, how it connects to their current goals.

[00:52:51] Lisa Speer: So, you know, it's like that both and, you know, knowing we want it to work now. But we also want to think ahead to what's the impact down the line. So it's not something that you have to keep reinventing the wheel every couple years.

[00:53:03] Bagel: Lisa talks here about the difference between a collaborative and a more directive approach. In my work doing business counseling and advising, it can be knowing when to toe the line between advising versus counseling the client. How do you naturally approach communicating with the people around you?

Whether it's providing feedback to your boss, managing a client or employee, or navigating a conflict with a friend or loved one. How might it differ based on the person or situation? Can you think of an example? How do you know when to be more directive - or advise - versus when to collaborate - or counsel?

Totally. Yeah. I'm curious if you'll indulge me in something, you know, sort of like flipping this on its head a little bit. Can you think of a time, of when maybe you felt like your values were being compromised or where you felt like there was a misalignment? And how did that feel?

How did you work through that?It could be in your business, or it could be back when you were working in New York, but something where there was that conflict with your values and who you were.

[00:54:15] Lisa Speer: I think the biggest example I can think of is I had a client who I brought in a couple contractors to assist in areas that weren't my sweet spot. And he verbally berated them.

[00:54:33] Bagel: Oh, wow.

Well, see, he verbally berated one of them and then the other one, he just, you know, canceled working with.

[00:54:41] Lisa Speer: My client berated, one of the vendors, the contractors that I brought in to help him.

And then the other one, he, I don't think he ever really berated. But he just like cut the cord on working with them in a way that you know, I felt completely went against what I believe in, in terms of respectand treating people well and partnership and all that stuff. So I ended up, you know, basically firing myself.

I think I was kind of at a completion point with him anyway. I got through that little blip, you know, and I'm here. I am apologizing to the contractors for how he behaved because it's, you know, my relationship with them. I'm very relationship driven. So that was one instance.

[00:55:30] Lisa Speer: And now as we're talking, I can think of another instance.

I was the associate creative director for a branding agency in New York. I started my first business in 2004. Worked at that for two years, felt really isolated, cuz we didn't have the entrepreneur communities that we do now. I w there was working out of a studio apartment by myself, you know. So I went back and worked for a company for two years, and that was 2006 to 2008.

So as the financial crisis was, you know, blooming, but there'd been a few layoffs within our company. Well come to find out again, I'd brought in some contractors and specific skills that were outside of what we as a company had and what we could do. Found out he, they weren't paying them on time and things were like, you know, getting excessively long. Like more than what you would normally, you know, normally it's a net 30 or a net 60.

This was like months and months and months. And

[00:56:30] Bagel: Yeah.

[00:56:31] Lisa Speer: Basically I was just like so embarrassed and so feeling like the trust was broken, again, my reputation, my name's on the line, with these people that I care about. I wouldn't have brought them in if I didn't think they'd do a good job.

And so when we just weren't doing well as a company. And so they basically said, here's the situation. You can take the layoff, or you can take a 30% pay cut. So imagine 2008, the world's going crazy. And I just was like, I'm, I'm leaving. Like I won't work here in an environment that's doing that with people that I trust and support. And I'm certainly not gonna do this work for 30% less, you know, but I trusted that I could find another situation to work.

And, and I basically, I just ended up work going back and having my own business again. But I trusted that I could figure something out. I trusted that that was not the right place for me. And I also trusted that whatever was out there would be better than the situation I'd come from. And even if it took a little bit that I just didn't really wanna be working for a company who treated contractors like that.

[00:57:56] Bagel: Yeah, definitely. So a lot of trusting your, your gut there, but also very much like aligning with your, probably your instinctual values. And also, sounded like it, maybe it was an easier decision for you, but some people faced with that same decision might say, well, I'll keep my job.

Even if I get less pay, I do know that you said you were already, you know, in the midst of starting your business and you know, something that you could go back to. So maybe that made it a little bit easier for yourself, but that, that could be a difficult situation for people.

[00:58:30] Lisa Speer: And, and also going into that period, I wasn't sure, you know, knowing the financial crisis stuff. I had friends that were getting married in South Africa and I was really trying to decide, do I take this trip or not? Money is gonna, you know, potentially we don't know what's gonna happen. I already knew people were being laid off in my company before I booked that trip, but I decided I'd, I'd regret not taking the trip more than I would feeling the security of, oh, I've got a little extra money in the bank.

And to this day, it's was probably one of the most magical experiences I had. Because then we went on a, a safari, like for two, no three days we did a safari and it was incredible. Friends got married in Cape town. It was incredible. And. Got to see a part of the world being on a different continent. I'd never been on before.

And so, you know, this whole layoff option or 30% pay cut came literally the week I got back, they waited to give me that proposition right after I got back, as opposed to before and ruining my vacation so I can give 'em credit for that.

[00:59:38] Bagel: Yeah. Hey,

[00:59:39] Lisa Speer: But at the same time, it, that I think is part of also what made it easier.

So there was the values thing in the background and my reputation, and then there's the whole having a clear head, going away somewhere completely different. And having a real break, I think, is what gave me sort of that calm, grounded, centered approach to it. Like I literally was like, yeah, I'll take the layoff.

It wasn't this deliberation thing. And I don't think it as, as much about my values in that case, cuz that was already like in the works like, okay, I don't trust this company. But I do think like that quick decision came from having a break and being clearheaded and grounded. I think probably just allowed me to tap into again, that trust part of myself.

[01:00:25] Bagel: Yeah, totally. Yeah. That makes sense. Just stepping away sometimes is, is huge. Whether that'll be a little break, like taking a walk or something bigger. Like actually taking a, a trip somewhere, to a new continent, super helpful.

Is there anything else that you feel would be important to share and, or just any thoughts or advice for people who are maybe navigating this idea of like trusting their gut, trusting their inner compass as you call it?

[01:00:52] Lisa Speer: Well, I think values, if you actually take a look at it, they can shape so many things in your life. Like it can help you make decisions. I think when you're thinking about trusting your gut or trusting your inner compass, the thing I always look at is. If it's coming from fear, it's generally not your inner compass.

It's it's fear, but, but if you can, if you're calm about it and there's not that fear element, then that's truly like your inner compass, your kind of solid self. You know, you with the core and not being reactive. So, and I also think the other thing with your inner compass is it helps you feel that you're being proactive.

So again, fear is reactive, but your inner compass is like, oh, this is the next logical thing to do. Or this makes sense if I'm actually paying attention to my values or my inner compass. And so I think just having like little tips for ourselves can help if we, if we actually are clear and being intentional about our values, when things are calm, it's a lot easier when we are fearful to make decisions that are based on something bigger than just the reactive fear stuff. So I, I like to always think about, you know, in this situation, but like, what are the, what's the context for it? What's the external things so that you can get back to that calm place and not have to take a trip around the world.

[01:02:21] Bagel: Right. Yeah. And if you do, that's

[01:02:24] Lisa Speer: it's, It's, wonderful, but we, we can't all drop everything, you know, and go take a trip to another continent, especially in COVID days. But at the same time, you know, I think it allows us to tap in a little bit more to what's going on inside.

And to me that's always like the ability to be intentional and to be clear again, clarity, one of my brand values. I think clarity helps you be intentional really in the end.

[01:02:50] Bagel: Totally. I do just have to call out that, you know, Lisa and I are, are rocking the blue today with our blue mugs

[01:02:57] Lisa Speer: did not plan this, our mugs and our clothes are the same color. So it's absolutely hilarious. You know, again, my brain plays connect the dots. So the first thing when I saw you was like, oh, we match.

[01:03:10] Bagel: Yeah, that's funny. Most people will probably be listening to this on audio only, but if anyone sees it, they'll, they'll see what we're talking about.

Well, this has been fantastic, Lisa, to get to know a little bit about how this is meaningful for you. How it sort of became part of your, not just like who you are as, as an identity, but also like how you help folks in your business.

[01:03:31] Bagel: Do you want to just take a moment just to share a little bit of, what does this look like in what you do in your business? Like how do you help other folks kind of navigate this.

[01:03:40] Lisa Speer: So I think for me, values is at the core of a lot of stuff as we've been talking about. So I think the service that I do the most with people is the brand accelerator in terms of, you know, businesses. And it is all about that being intentional and being clear, all that invisible stuff that helps shape what your brand looks like, sounds like, how you connect with your ideal clients and then, you know, taking into that world of, whether it's your website, social media. So for me, it's, it goes much deeper and it's not superficial. So I love, I love, love, love that work. And it's usually one of the things that's most valuable for people.

But the other thing is like, you know, I like helping people no matter where they're at, what situation they're in. So I do things like 90 minute solution session. So it can be something about their brand and business that they come in and we just collaborate, tackle it together, head on, and they get to benefit from, you know, my experience, my wisdom.

But again, I'm gonna help them, like what's the best fit for them as opposed to here's the cookie cutter solution. And I think that goes back to trust again like that. I, I don't feel like I have to have a formula to present to people like that. I'll get in there with them and we'll, we'll come up with a solution that's actually tailored for them, but then it can be as complex as, you know, building out the whole brand system. Or doing a brand audit where I go in, in and brand checkup.

And we look at like, what's working with your brand. What's not working. How can we strengthen it? So there's a lot of like, very much like, Hey, let's talk, let's do a discovery session and figure out what are the biggest challenges? What are the biggest opportunities? And what's the right fit for you. And then on the entrepreneur coaching side, I think that many people particularly, solopreneurs, you know, they're like, it's on them, everything's on them.

And like, how do you run your business and have a good life being an entrepreneur. And so the entrepreneur coaching, I have different services that help people with that. And it can be, again, anything from something I call inside out goal setting. So we actually start with the trust, your inner compass tool.

And then we actually from there then make goals. So they're not the should goals or you're tired of creating goals in the same way every time. And then, you know, I can always do customized coaching packages. Like right now I'm working with an entrepreneur in the Cayman Islands and we're actually working more on her life and we're working more on figuring out her own self-expression as being a business owner, being a parent, all these things and like, who is she inside of all of that, you know, that's gotten lost.

And so I think, you know, as much as. Business is a big, big part of my world. Like I mentioned, at the very start, I was getting lost in my business at the beginning of COVID and I didn't know it. And so, having somebody external that can be that mirror and would've been great if I'd been working with a coach at the time, I actually had other support structures, but I just didn't see myself how I had was putting too much into the business and not enough back into me.

And so with the entrepreneur coaching, you know, it could be more business focused or it could be more life focused, but I think the biggest thing is being aware of it all being part of your life. And it's all gotta be working for you to be fulfilled. You know, if you can only be succeeding in one area, you'll be happy about it, but you're not gonna be as fulfilled as if more areas of life are working. And so that's the kind of stuff I love working with people on. In the terms of the coaching realm is like, you know, where are you stuck? Or where, where are you feeling unfulfilled and how can we actually bring things back into alignment?

[01:07:35] Bagel: Yeah, I love that. And I love that, that there's an intertwining of the personal and professional goals of like who you are, because especially as entrepreneurs and especially ones that are maybe solopreneurs or very small teams. Like their life in a lot of senses is intertwined with their

[01:07:52] Lisa Speer: Yeah. Very

[01:07:53] Bagel: to day basis. So it's, it's really, you can't just separate them just for an exercise because they really. It's part of who they are and what they do every day and probably a lot of what they talk about with the people that they interact with. But, well that, that's awesome to hear. I'll just give a quick plug that having worked with you on so many things over the years around branding and strategy and some coaching, you just have such a, a genuine and authentic approach and also so professional in how you work with folks.

And it's, it's always a joy to be able to work with you on things, because you can tell how much you care. But also you bring so much knowledge and experience to what you do. So, definitely talk to Lisa, if you're, if you're needing any of those things,

[01:08:37] Lisa Speer: Well, it's very mutual because you know, we've gotten to know each other first through our businesses and then personally. And I think that for me, there's definitely something I saw in how you approach business and how you approach people and relationships. I was like, yes, yes. We connect on that.

Like, we care about a lot of the same things and it looks different. But I think, when you find those people that you feel like you can trust and you feel like they have similar values. It makes it a lot easier to say yes to working together or, hiring somebody or being the person that they hire.

So it, it feels, feels very mutual. And, I definitely

[01:09:19] Bagel: Yeah.

[01:09:20] Lisa Speer: ever since you started your podcast, I was like, oh, that's, that's good. We're gonna have a good conversation about values. And hopefully just come at it from some different angles than, you know, if listened to some of your other episodes, and it's just always cool to hear how values play in and out of people's lives. Like when they discover them and how they care about them, how they use them.

And I think, that's the great thing about this is having so many different voices and so many different perspectives.

[01:09:49] Bagel: Yeah, totally. I'm glad you see it that way. And, obviously value your perspective and what you bring, to the conversation. And it is it's nice. One of the biggest, takeaways for me just having done, you know, so many interviews of the podcast so far. I think this is the 20th one if I'm not mistaken is just the connection that you get over talking to people with that common thread of values, but then getting to learn so much more about them and what, where that comes from for them and how that that's impacted their life in so many different ways and what they're choosing to do with their time.

So, all that's to say. Yes, very mutual. Glad we've bonded over the values. So, Lisa, thanks so much for doing this interview. I feel like, hopefully people have learned a lot about inner compass and intuition and gut, but also how to be more intentional about setting their values and really the things that matter to them in their lives.

So I know I've taken a lot away from the conversation. is there anything that you wanted to share with people about the best ways to connect with you or something that interesting that you have coming up in your business that you'd like to, to share with folks?

[01:10:53] Lisa Speer: Well, there are some ways you can't connect with me right now because I got hacked on Facebook and Instagram. So I had built up a lot of great content on there. So unfortunately you won't be able to see anything there right now. So I think the really the best way to connect is through my website. On my website, I have, you know, my podcast, my, I have articles.

I have a brand attraction guide, so there's like a lot of free stuff. If you are interested in the topic of branding, but in terms of if there's a way that you are sparked by something today and got you curious about what it would be like to have me help you with your brand and business, or in terms of coaching, on my contact page, you can set up a discovery session or just have a quick chat.

my URL is: speerheadsolutions.com and Speer is with two e's. So speerheadsolutions.com. Speer has two E's, and then you can read, you can listen and you can reach out to connect.

[01:11:59] Bagel: Yeah. Awesome. And we'll make sure to include that in the show notes, as well as your podcast, branding BFF, and awesome again, thank you so much, Lisa. It's been a real pleasure to have you on the show.

[01:12:09] Lisa Speer: It was a pleasure for me too. It was a lot of fun.

[01:12:12] Bagel: Thanks again for listening to this episode of the live your values podcast, we really value feedback. So please rate and review us on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast listening app. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss all new episodes of LYV. Special thanks to Emma Peck and Joel Lindenfeld for branding design, Danielle Gelber for marketing strategy and Rebecca Kittel with fyt for operations support.

Until next time, get out there and LYV.

People on this episode

Mike "Bagel"

Host