4word Women

You know those quizzes that randomly show up on our social media feeds that inevitably draw us in? They reveal incredibly important information about you like, “Which color matches your personality?” or “Which pizza topping best describes you?” While those quizzes are just fun and games, there IS an underlying truth to them: we all want to know what makes us unique.  We thought it would be fun to continue this month’s conversation on confident leadership by exploring the world of “assessments,” what they mean in the grown-up world, and learning how they can be used to help you be the best leader you can be. Joining the podcast is Alli Worthington, speaker, author, coach, and entrepreneur who cofounded the Blissdom Conference. Alli discusses how using popular personality assessments to tap into your personality will help you discover and utilize your most effective leadership style. Links for this episode:Pre-order Standing Strong!Jump over to 4word’s Facebook and Instagram to enter to win a copy of Standing StrongAlli’s websiteAlli’s InstagramGuest Bio: Alli Worthington is the author of Standing Strong: A Woman’s Guide to Overcoming Adversity and Living with Confidence, The Year of Living Happy, Fierce Faith, and Breaking Busy, she is a speaker, podcaster, and business coach.  Her goal is to help women reach the next level. Alli co-founded Called Creatives and has helped individuals, small business owners, and Fortune 500 companies reach new levels of success.  Alli’s no-nonsense, guilt-free take on business, family, and balance led to appearances on The Today Show and Good Morning America.  Alli, her husband, Mark, and their five sons live outside of Nashville, TN with the only golden retriever who refuses to retrieve.  You can connect with her at AlliWorthington.com and on Instagram at AlliWorthington. Orginal broadcast dated: September 2020 Click here for the latest Podcast from 4word - Work Love Pray Podcast - 4word (4wordwomen.org)

You know the term, “fake it ‘till you make it?” As professionals, we don’t want to be faking our way through anything. We want to show up and be the best, most confident version of ourselves. Confident leadership (no matter how big or small your leadership role is) just makes you feel good as a person, and yet it’s something that so many professionals struggle with. Why? How do we change that?  In this episode, Jill Perrin, an executive coach and a 4word mentor from Dallas, Texas, shares best practices for learning to be more confident and why vulnerability is a big determiner in whether or not you’ll succeed. Links for this episode:Download Jill’s confidence exercises worksheetUnlocked Leadership websiteGuest Bio: Jill Perrin’s mission as an Executive Coach is to be an actively engaged partner & guide for Clients as they identify, explore and step into growth activities that will bring them increased self-awareness, growth, success, and satisfaction. She works with executives who are at a professional inflection point (ex. recently promoted, earmarked for the fast-track, newly overseeing a business unit, start-up leaders, executives in transition/transformation, etc.) & helps them chart a growth path ~ both professional & personal. As a coach she capitalizes on experience gleaned from her 30+ years 1) as an executive with F100 companies in Marketing and Senior Management roles; 2) in a successful start-up; and, 3) launching her solo practice. Jill is the founder and principal of Unlocked Leadership, an Executive Coaching practice. Jill holds a Certificate in Coaching from Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership. She is Myers Briggs certified & ACC credentialed via ICF. Her clients include Senior Executives and High Potential Managers in Global For Profit, Not for Profit, and Government Organizations. She joined the successful startup Business Talent Group (a leader in the On-Demand Talent Market-place) in 2007 as the 5th employee. Over 12+ years she served on the Executive Committee & held leadership roles ranging from SVP, Client Services to SVP, Talent Development, to Chief Talent Advisor.  Ms. Perrin served for 17+ years as an executive in F100 companies focusing on Brand Management, Direct Marketing, & General Management. She served as President of a $100MM Direct Marketing business with General Electric (6 years). Prior, she held leadership positions at American Express (7 years), General Foods & First City National Bank.  She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School & an undergraduate degree in Economics from Stanford University. She is Six Sigma certified.  She serves as an advisor to Reboot Career Accelerators, a national organization which offers a suite of programs to get women current, connected, & confident to return to the workforce or pursue new goals.  Jill volunteers as a Mentor for women in the workplace with 4word, serves on the Board of Directors for the Harvard Business School Club (Dallas/Ft. Worth), and serves as a 1:1 tutor for children behind grade vis a vis reading skills in the Dallas Public School system. “My job is to awaken possibility in other people.” Benjamin Zander, musical director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra Orginal broadcast dated: Sept 2020 Click here for the latest Podcast from 4word - Work Love Pray Podcast - 4word (4wordwomen.org)

How often do you find yourself wishing for just a few more hours in your day? It’s OK to wish for that when you’re on vacation (no one ever wants that to end!), but your everyday life shouldn’t routinely leave you wishing for longer days. In today’s COVID-19 workplace, time management is even more crucial than it was before, since you may be working outside the structure of an office but still needing to meet all the same deadlines and expectations. Kristen Montigny, an executive and life coach (and also a 4word Member Insider coach!), shares her professional tips for reimagining what time management looks like in today’s workplace culture. Links for this episode:Download Kristen’s Checklist For Taking Charge of Your TimeFollow Kristen on LinkedInGuest Bio: Kristen Montigny is an ICF certified life and executive coach. She specializes in helping women develop their leadership potential and live with passion and purpose. She particularly loves partnering with Christian women who are seeking to effectively navigate and positively influence the relationships, organizations and environments they serve in. Her coaching has been deeply informed by 20+ years professional experience in adult learning and development, and in evidence based coaching practices, as well as through her own discipleship journey. Today, Kristen takes an entirely customizable, portfolio approach to personal development, where her clients can choose a combination of coaching, assessments, retreats and other self discovery tools that support self leadership, well-being and the achievement of goals, in a rapidly changing and challenging world. Orginal broadcast dated: August 2020 Click here for the latest Podcast from 4word - Work Love Pray Podcast - 4word (4wordwomen.org)

Talk to any professional woman and she will have heard the term “work life balance.” It’s something we’ve talked about many times at 4word, and it’s likely one of the top things discussed among professionals. But what about “work/life integration?” What’s the difference? Emma Sharma, the Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Company Secretary of Valiant Integrated Services and 4word Advisory Board member, chats about why we should be embracing integration over balance and how to avoid just “making it work.” Links for this episode:Emma’s blog on transforming the men you work with from colleagues to advocatesGuest Bio: Emma Sharma serves as Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel and Company Secretary of Valiant Integrated Services overseeing many of the vital administrative functions of the organization including the human resources, legal, contracts, security, compliance, business integrity, communications and procurement departments. As a co-founder of Valiant Integrated Services, Emma was able to draw on her 23+ years of experience as an international attorney, compliance professional and empathetic business leader. Additionally, Emma has a passion for organizational design, psychology and development and change management. Emma leads mentoring initiatives for fellow executives and senior managers at Valiant Integrated Services. In recent years, Emma has worked internationally in a number of senior management and legal roles for recognized multinationals including Motorola, Business Objects (now part of SAP) and Capgemini. She is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, England and holds licenses to practice law in a number of jurisdictions. Outside of work, Emma is a devoted wife and mom to two young children as well as an active member of Holy Trinity Church, McLean. In addition to serving as part of the 4word Advisory Board, Emma is the President of the Board of Trustees of a significant non-profit in Northern Virginia. Her hobbies include a passion for learning about great food and wine, music, movies and reading. Orginal broadcast dated: August 2020 Click here for the latest Podcast from 4word - Work Love Pray Podcast - 4word (4wordwomen.org)

When something really exciting happens in your life, or you stumble across something new and interesting or just plain fun, you tell people about it, right? The same feelings of excitement and wanting to tell others should be true of our faith, too. There’s one big hurdle that many of us have met or anticipate coming up against, though: where do you even begin to share your faith at work? Nicole Arnold, Communications and Public Affairs Manager for an electric cooperative in Asheboro, NC, and a former lobbyist, shares what your spiritual walk can look like in your workplace and how to use your faith to navigate the current environment in the office and the world. Links for this episode:Add Nicole on LinkedInWild at Heart ministry by John EldredgeGet Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone MadJesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence Guest Bio: Nicole Arnold’s career spans public relations and government affairs activities for corporations. Currently, she is the Communications and Public Affairs Manager for an electric cooperative in Asheboro, NC. Previously, Nicole worked as a lobbyist for the North Carolina Association of REALTORS and spent several years working for political campaigns and community causes.  One of the highlights of Nicole’s career was the privilege of distributing over $1.2 million in aid for victims of natural disasters like Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. Nicole received a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit budget and finance from UNC Charlotte and received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy Studies from Duke University.  She lives in High Point, NC, with her husband and three children, and enjoys painting, reading, and spending time outdoors whenever she gets the chance. Orginal broadcast dated: July 2020 Click here for the latest Podcast from 4word - Work Love Pray Podcast - 4word (4wordwomen.org)

As Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ every day. For some of us, that may be easy to do. But what about when you’re at work? Dr. Denise Daniels and Shannon Vandewarker, co-authors of Working in the Presence of God: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Work, share their research to help us all become more confident in living out our faith at work everyday. Links for this episode:Faith & Co documentary “Aligning Your Work With Your Faith”Shannon’s websiteShannon’s Instagram: @shannonvandeOrder Working in the Presence of God on Amazon and Christianbook Guest Bios: Denise Daniels is a Professor of Management at Seattle Pacific University. She earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the University of Washington. Her scholarly interests include meaningful work, Sabbath, leadership, gender, and motivation. Denise is the co-Principal Investigator on a $1.5M research project funded by the Lilly Endowment examining how Christians in the United States understand and engage their faith at work. She recently co-authored, “Working in the Presence of God: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Work,” is also the producer of the “Faith & Co” films, which are designed to deepen connections between faith and work (www.faithand.co). Denise has been married to Craig for 25 years and they have four adolescent and young adult children. Shannon Vandewarker is passionate about helping people find God in their ordinary, everyday lives. This passion was fueled during her years of study as she earned her BA in Biblical Studies from Azusa Pacific University and a Masters of Divinity from Bethel Seminary. As the Program Coordinator for Fuller Seminary’s Cascade Fellows Program, Shannon worked with professionals in many different industries helping them create a vision for whole life discipleship, and the disciplines for how to live out their faith at work. Shannon lives in San Diego, CA with her two young sons and daughter and husband, Dan who is a pastor. Shannon writes on finding God in the ordinary on her blog at shannonvandewarker.com. Orginal broadcast dated: July 2020 Click here for the latest Podcast from 4word - Work Love Pray Podcast - 4word (4wordwomen.org)

Hearing God and being able to follow His guidance in your life is a massive part of growing spiritually. So how do we get some quiet in our lives? Predictably, it’s not an easy thing to do, but it is possible and it is worth the effort in the end. Patty Ross, former executive with Nike and Apple and 4word Board Member, talks about what silent retreats and making time for daily quiet have helped her achieve in her career and personal life. From Patty: “Tools To Reset” Most of the major mistakes and blunders in my life have come from making impulsive decisions. Trust me; I have made many in my journey. These impulsively bad decisions have come at high cost or regret, as I’ve been held accountable for my choices and sometimes suffered severe consequences for sin. As followers of Jesus, we have a pathway to help us avoid such impulsive mistakes. At the suggestion of my spiritual director, I have tried to implement a four-pronged litmus test to my decision making trying to find God’s guidance in my choices. I have used the analogy of buoys. Most harbors have a system of buoys to guide you safely from a mighty unforgiving ocean and rocky shoreline into the safe harbor. In life, I use buoys when trying to make a secure, wise, and godly choice. I line up four buoys, and if I can pass all four, I move forward with confidence that it will be a godly decision.  Here are those buoys: Buoy 1: Does this decision line up with what the Bible teaches?Buoy 2: Have I really prayed about it?Buoy 3: What is the Holy Spirit telling me?Buoy 4: (the hardest) Seeking godly wisdom & counsel.  If all four buoys line up, I move forward. If one buoy is off, I do not choose that path. What you must be careful of is if the first three buoys (the Bible, prayer, and the Holy Spirit) can be manipulated by your desire to make this decision go your way. That is why the fourth buoy is so difficult. Godly counsel can put the “kibosh” on a decision, even if I want it badly. But the right godly people can give you wisdom, direction, and a warning that can protect you from running your life onto the rocks. They help you respond to decisions, not react to them. The key is trusting the process to make a godly decision and sticking to that decision once made. I am thankful for God’s grace in the decisions that I have made that were impulsive and a big mistake. I try not to beat myself up for them, but to learn from them and be wiser and more cautious in the future. Links for this episode:Abide appShe Reads Truth appRightNow Media (Become a 4word Member Insider and get access to curated RNM content!)Soul Space appJesuits Retreat Center  Guest Bio: Patty Ross is a corporate board director for two public companies, and before that, Patty served as an Executive Advisor at Apple. Before Apple, she was at Nike for more than 30 years, including her last role as VP of Global Workplace Design and Connectivity. Patty specialized in strategy development, leadership development, talent management, employee engagement, culture shifts, change management, innovation, and design thinking, and executive team development. She was also the founder and executive sponsor of Nike’s Global Women’s Diversity Network. Patty is married and a member of the 4word Board of Directors. Orginal broadcast dated: June 2020 Click here for the latest Podcast from 4word - Work Love Pray Podcast - 4word (4wordwomen.org)

How often do you think of your workplace as your mission field? If you said, “Not very often,” don’t worry; you aren’t alone. Kim Vastine, a Dallas/Ft. Worth area realtor and the Chaplain for 4word: Southlake, explores why we struggle to bring our faith to work and the advantages we have as Christians in the workplace. Links for this episode:https://kingdomatwork.com/https://kingdomatwork.com/kingdom-films/sigma-pro-engineering/https://faithandco.spu.edu/ Guest Bio: Dr. Kim Vastine is a passionate communicator who enjoys equipping people to live a vibrant life in Christ and fulfill their God-given purpose.  She is a REALTOR® in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and serves as Chaplain on the 4word Board in Southlake, TX. In 2018 she launched Ambassadors of the Kingdom (AOK) which brings together local Christian business leaders to pray and serve their clients and communities well in the cities in which they serve.  She is a designated International Goodwill Ambassador by the Interfaith Peace-Building Initiative for her international work to build reconciliation on behalf of impoverished women and children through a non-profit organization she founded, Ambassador Alliance International. Numerous opportunities include serving in as Worship Pastor at Shady Grove Church, Contracts Management for Raytheon and Small Business Consulting for several years. Today she is a certified Chaplain and licensed Minister and holds certifications in coaching, counseling, chaplaincy and public speaking.  She co-wrote a book entitled from Fear to Courage that tells the story of her life choices to move from fear of past abuses into a courageous future. With a love for all things Texan and a Doctorate degree in Philosophy and Humanities, her greatest joy is being married to Wade and celebrating family life with her adult children and their spouses along with GrandJoy’s Sophia & Dietrich who live in Germany! Orginal broadcast dated: June 2020 Click here for the latest Podcast from 4word - Work Love Pray Podcast - 4word (4wordwomen.org)

In this episode, we hone in a little more on the lies we believe and discuss limiting beliefs. These go slightly beyond the lies we believe and dive into deeper, potentially more detrimental thought patterns and behaviors. Kristen Stockton, a business performance consultant, executive coach, and the chair of 4word: Washington D.C., coaches us through how to release ourselves from limiting beliefs. Guest Bio: Kristen Stockton is a business performance consultant and executive coach who works with senior leaders and their leadership teams to address workforce and workplace challenges. The mission of JASKAP Consulting and Coaching is to guide and support business leaders in creating organizations that inspire and engage people, build customer loyalty, and enrich and improve the marketplace. She brings over 25 years of professional experience facilitating, speaking and working with non-profit, private, and public sector businesses.  Leaders choose to work with Kristen because she knows how to listen, and support them with insight, experience, and innovation. She leads and coaches’ leaders through the strategic planning and change management process, so they better align their mission, vision and values with their products and services to increase value to their key stakeholders.  She brings tools and techniques that support all areas of business, including leadership development, strategic planning, succession planning and personal and professional skill development, all which will tap into your organization’s brilliance and move people forward. Kristen has coaching experience that supports leader effectiveness and organizational change efforts. She helps people lead better business and better lives. She also serves on the faculty of SHAMBAUGH Leadership and Progression Partners as a Senior Business Partner and Executive Coach and The Forum for Workplace Inclusion and Diversity Woman as an external coach.  In addition, she has master facilitation skills and led numerous experiences that transform individual contributors into leaders. An accomplished speaker and presenter, she’s spoken on business topics through notable professional organizations: World at Work, Conference Board, Working Mother, 4word, Museum of the Bible, Points of Light Foundation, Corporate Voices, Disability IN, Diversity Women, and Disability Matters.   As a human capital leader, she specializes in culture change and inclusion, and is an expert in helping organizations and leaders address “blind spots.  She participated and is published in the 2017 Center for Talent Innovation study examining the issues facing both professionals with a disability in the workforce, as well as their caregivers.  Kristen is also an advocate for self-care creating tools and resources to support “selfcare” strategies that help you make time for what matters most.  Kristen’s training includes a master’s from American University in Arts Management. Certificate in Community Relations from Boston College Carrol School of Management, Bachelor’s degree in Education from West Chester University, Center for Executive Coaching/WBECS’s Coach Master’s Certification, Mastermind Facilitator, and is earning ACC certification through International Coaching Federation.   Kristen resides in Northern Virginia with her spouse. She holds memberships with NOVA and Prince William Country Chambers of Commerce, Human Resources Leadership Forum, SHRM, and the International Coaching Federation. She volunteers as Chair of the Washington, DC metro area’s local 4word group, a global non-profit organization market ministry, and has been a speaker, facilitator and coach for 4word’s national leaders. She also is the Co-Chair for the Women’s Business Collaborative DC Advisory Board. She and her husband give back to support local community leadership through their 501C3 non-profit ministry JAS Ministries. Orginal broadcast dated: May 2020 Click here for the latest Podcast from 4word - Work Love Pray Podcast - 4word (4wordwomen.org)

Have you ever felt inadequate? Have you ever questioned the true value you bring to the world each day? Have you ever found yourself avoiding risky situations or big “next steps” because the fear of failing was greater than the hope of succeeding? Susan Tolles, 4word’s Director of Local Groups and Member Insider, talks about the lies we all believe and how their shared foundation is fear. Links for this episode: The Flourishing Life International MinistriesSusan’s book Created to Flourish by God’s DesignThe Gifts of Imperfection by Brene’ Brown“The Lies We Believe” workbook, excerpted from Created to Flourish by God’s Design Individual exercises:Conquer Your FearsCrush PerfectionismOvercome DoubtClaim Victory Over Shame Guest Bio: Susan Tolles is the 4word Director of Local Groups, overseeing the development and growth of new and existing 4word communities around the globe. She also leads the 4word: Austin Local Group.  Prior to joining 4word, Susan developed a website for women over 50, FlourishOver50.com¸ and was a Christian Life Purpose Coach. Her passion for inspiring and equipping women to discover and live out God’s purpose for their lives led her to create a nonprofit, The Flourishing Life International Ministries, with a mission to awaken hope and significance in women who have been wounded by abuse, addiction, exploitation and poverty.  Using her book Created to Flourish by God’s Design in workshops and conferences, Susan ministers to women in Uganda and Asia, helping them find direction and faith in God’s plan for their lives, regardless of where they live or what their circumstances are. In her hometown of Austin, Texas, Susan works closely with Red Oak Hope to provide holistic care for survivors of sexual exploitation.  Orginal broadcast dated: May 2020 Click here for the latest Podcast from 4word - Work Love Pray Podcast - 4word (4wordwomen.org)