How can you stop waiting for permission, aiming for perfection, and lead a community, a company, or a movement with confidence?
How do you stay true to yourself and your dreams, when people say “no” more often than they say “yes” to you? When life happens as you’re busy making other plans?
And how can we stop wasting our talents, our time, and our energy so we can truly make an impact on the world?
To answer these questions, I invited my friend, Broadway actress and podcast host, Ilana Levine to My Good Woman.
Ilana is best known to musical theater fans for her comedic turn as “Lucy Van Pelt” in the Broadway revival of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”.
Her podcast, Little Known Facts, gives people space to share their magnificence – because if there’s one thing Ilana excels at, it’s helping people unlock their true potential.
Ilana started the podcast while working with me as her business coach. Now, six years later, she’s reached the milestone of 300 episodes. The podcast has been featured on the iTunes “New and Noteworthy” list, and Ilana has been listed as one of the most influential Twitter accounts to follow.
She has a gift for making her podcast guests and listeners feel at home because her conversations are unfiltered, raw, honest, and so freaking funny!
And today the shoe is on the other foot. She’s in MY digital living room. Lucky me!
In this episode Ilana and I discuss
- Why podcasts are such a powerful way to find and elevate your voice
- The importance of finding a way to do the work you love that makes you feel purposeful on the planet
- Fighting perfectionism
- How we can use humor as a tool to deal with challenges gracefully
- Giving people space to share their magnificence
This episode at a glance:
[09:36] Staying true to yourself and to your dream, despite the naysayers. How to hold on to the certainty that what you have to offer is unique and special – when many people are in your way.
[12:45] SECOND Why women sometimes feel they need permission to do what they love (and how much talent, time and energy is wasted by that)
[23:07] Things that make your life move and work more smoothly: outsourcing what you don’t like to do. And if you can’t outsource: figuring out how to make it more fun.
[39:45] Being from the world of entertainment, Ilana looks at herself more like a “producer” than a “leader”. She sees herself as someone who’s in charge of figuring out how to give everyone they work or live with the tools to bring out the best in them. Why women often struggle with calling themselves “leaders”.
[46:40] Why we need to own our roles as leaders – and how that starts at home, with your family, your community, as smaller parts of a much bigger picture. How can we make everyone around us feel like a boss? (and the introduction of hashtag #uniquequal)
[50:52] What message would Ilana put on her Times Square billboard? “Believe!” We need to believe that we have every right to have our voices heard and ideas shared. We deserve respect.
And that’s the main message that stuck with me from my conversation with Ilana. You have to believe that you are worthy of a place at whatever table you want to sit at.
Amen to that.
Resources and Links mentioned in this episode
- Check out the episode of Little Known Facts with Eduardo Braniff
- Read the book – “Leadership and Self-deception” by the Arbinger Institute
- Find the Little Known Facts podcast here…
- Follow Ilana on Instagram and Facebook
- Connect with Ilana Levine on LinkedIn or Twitter
