Why Reflection and Connection Is So Important with Lindsay Tjepkema

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: Hello. This is Rebecca Fleetwood Hession, host of the Badass Womens Council Podcast. We're here for reflection and connection for the badass, high- achieving woman like you, so thanks for being here. And since you're here, you might as well just hit the subscribe button. I mean, don't be silly. You don't want to miss a minute of any of the episodes coming up. Oh, I love this episode. You're about to hear an interview with one of my dearest friends, Lindsay Tjepkema, CEO of Casted. And she's one of my dearest friends because of this podcast, and I'll just let that story unfold in the episode. But we're going to talk about connection and courageously connecting. I think it's easy to throw terms around like," We're all meant to live in community," and," Connection is important," but there's reasons that we need it and there's reasons that we don't do it. And there's just some how- to in there. So, we break it all down. Here we go. Happy anniversary, Lindsay.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Yay! Happy anniversary to you. Friendiversary. Contactiversary.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: Ooh, Friendiversary.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Connectiversary.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: Oh my gosh. This is so fun. So, you just go ahead and tell the story. So, what's the significance of our anniversary?

Lindsay Tjepkema: All right. So, January 4th, 2019, I listened to a podcast by Rebecca Fleetwood Hessian called Badass Womens Council about imposter syndrome, and it resonated with me. I think I was driving home from work from downtown Indy. And somewhere in that episode, you said something about living in Carmel, Indiana, and I was like," Oh, she's here." And as I'm sure we'll get into, it's not unnatural for me, but it's not typical for me to reach out, which is what I did. I found you on LinkedIn. I sent you a message. It said something about," I loved your podcast. Listened to it, really resonated. I'm thinking about some changes in my life professionally with my career. I'd love to meet for coffee." And you said," Of course. Sure." And so, we met in person January 14th, 2019. And the second I sat down at that table, it was like I known you forever, and we dug right into it. And it has been serendipitous, what has happened ever since, and the fact that we met through a podcast couldn't... And that we're coming full circle two years later right now, and everything that's happened in those those two years, it's pretty incredible to think of how it started.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: It blows my mind. It takes a lot to really just leave me a bit speechless, and our story does. So, at the time, just two years ago, you were contemplating career change, and that became our relationship. We agreed in that meeting that we'd exchanged some coaching. I would get some great marketing strategy from you about my business that I just really launched with the podcast and everything, and I would help you with career transition. And now here you are, at the time of recording, less than two years later as the CEO of one of the fastest growing companies in the High Alpha Studio here in Indianapolis.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Yeah. Yeah. That's based on podcasting.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: That's based on podcasting. That's where I need a sound effect machine. Right? That's crazy. Crazy. So, one, I'm so glad that we are dear friends now. I mean-

Lindsay Tjepkema: I know.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: [crosstalk 00:04:13].

Lindsay Tjepkema: Well, we have been since January 14th, 2019, about 36 seconds after I sat at the table, but yes-

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: Absolutely.

Lindsay Tjepkema: ...100%.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: And number two, congratulations on amazing success with Casted. It's been the most fun to watch this rocket ship that you are building, and I just want to publicly say congratulations, and I'm so excited about where you're headed.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Hey, well, you're a big part of it, so thank you.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: So, not only just you and I getting on here gushing about our relationship, let's some practical tactical out of this deal too. So, the thing that I want to highlight is our story is a representation of reflection and connection. So, let's start with connection, because that's really where we've started today to tell this story. One of the challenges that I see in my circle of high achieving women and the people that join the online community is there's a cry out for connection. In fact, I have, I think 500 people in the online community right now. About 195 of them responded to a question when they joined that... They typed in and stated that what they were looking for out of this online community was more connection. They wanted to share and meet and grow and learn from each other. And yet, there's very little initiative or outreach to each other on the site, unless I really pull them out and try to initiate it. And so, here they are, they've joined this community where they know it's people that are like them who want what they want, and yet there's this hesitation to be intentional about the connection. What was it that got you to take that step, to just type that message on LinkedIn? Because that's what it takes. You got to be able to just take that first step. Because look where we are now.

Lindsay Tjepkema: I know. Well, I mean, it's hard to think back to Lindsay at that moment in time, because that was before you and I really started working together on so many things, and so I'm trying to think about it not through all the frameworks and working that you've done in me. But I think really just going back to who I was at that moment, I was not unlike all of those women that are in your group and that I was seeking connection. I was seeking people and situations that truly saw me and understood me, and I felt... I spent a lot of time feeling different. Right? Like I'm doing these things that are different. Like yeah, but I'm different. Yeah, there's this group, but I'm different. Some of that might've been true, but I think a lot of it was in my head. And so, that hesitancy to connect, I think, is a lot of head trash, and it's all a lot of situational. I mean, high- achieving women are usually probably the busiest people on the planet. I mean, we have families, we have people that we're taking care of all around us, people that need us at work and at home and socially and professionally we're stretched really thin. And so, the connections that we need most often fall to the bottom of the list. And where do you even start? Because there's so many perceived places that you could go and things that you could do. Then you show up and they end up not being what you want them to be, and so it's really easy to just talk yourself into how would this be any different. But what got me to reach out, it was so... What you were talking about and who you seem to be on that podcast just resonated so much with me that it just was like, why not? Right?

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: So, the topic in and of itself was what got you to reach out. And then I made you feel comfortable that you could. Great. And that's a great marketing message. Right? So, if you're out there and running a business or on a team in any way, speak to the buyer's needs or the person's needs is a big part of that. But the two things that you mentioned that I want to highlight from a high- achieving woman perspective is busy and," Well, I'm different." Yes, you are different, and so am I, and so she, and so were they. And so, this idea of uniqueness is sometimes what keeps us from connecting, but, in fact, it's our humanity. We're all different down to our fingerprints, and so it's that same sense of," But I'm different," that keeps us from connecting. But when we recognize that we're all different, I want that be the shared human experience that says," Yeah, I'm different, and I'm still going to reach out." But the idea of it being around a topic that resonates with me, I think, is important too, because just reaching out and connecting everywhere isn't meaningful connection. That's why reflection comes before connection. But even before we get to that, I have had people say to me... I was doing a keynote speech for a small group, and I was talking about the Baddest Womens Council and talking about rise and thrive and creating community with badass women. And this woman raised her hand. Now, she's probably in her early to mid 40s, she's dressed in a suit, she's clearly a professional, got it together, probably has a fairly high degree of education, and she raised her hand and she said," But how do I ask? How do I ask someone to connect with me?" And it really hit me that we're still and always will be, to some degree, the seventh grade little girl that's scared to reach out and say," Will you be my friend?"

Lindsay Tjepkema: For sure. Because that's a other side of that coin about," I'm different." There's the," I'm different. No one will understand me." And then on the other side of that same coin is," I'm different. No one will want me." Right? And why would they want to connect with me?

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: That's where vulnerability lies. Right? Carla Hayden was on the show last week, and she talked about asking for help. And the reason that she had so much fear around asking for help during her surgery recovery was the fear that no one would respond. And so, I think that's a real part of," What if I asked them to meet with me and they say no?"

Lindsay Tjepkema: Yeah. Yeah. And you don't know. There's a quote that says," But what if I fall?" And then it says," Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?" And you just do. Right?

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: And that gives me chills because if you wouldn't have... Okay, now I'm going to cry. If you wouldn't have courageously reached out to me two years ago, I can't imagine... Well, I wouldn't have known what was possible, but our relationship has enriched me in so many ways that that just makes me really sad to think," What if I would have never met you?"

Lindsay Tjepkema: I know. I know. I know. I mean, anyone that asks me about you or about coaching in general, I say... I'm not saying this flippantly. I choose my words very purposefully. You've changed my life. Straight up. Straight up. Because it is that vulnerability, it is that," Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?" You have to keep trying. And you talk about reflection and connection and not every outreach is going to be a connection. There's seasons, there are people that come in and out of your life, there's situations. But unless you reflect on who you are and how you intend to grow and look for those opportunities to connect with the people and the opportunities and the situations and the groups and the communities that could be part of that growth, you're going to be too lopsided in that one... You're either reflecting too much and going into this isolation cycle, which is much more natural for me, or you're over connecting and that's where you just feel like," I keep reaching out. I keep, I keep, I keep," and I'm just spinning my wheels. And so, it's both.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: Yeah. Which is why I tagged this reflection and connection because both are integral. When you reflect that's about knowing," Who am I? What do I need? How do I feel? What season or chapter am I in in my life?" and really being intentional about knowing yourself. And then once you know yourself, then your connections can be more intentional because you know what you need. So, in that moment, you needed someone to help you talk through the imposter syndrome that was hitting you, thinking about a career change, or thinking about any kind of change in life. And when we take the time to reflect it, I think, is courage building. The more you know yourself, the more you can courageously be vulnerable. But without it, you stay stuck.

Lindsay Tjepkema: That's true. That's true. And stuck can feel like a lot of things. Stuck can feel... I mean, we've all felt like the miserable version of stuck, but then it can also just feel like not reaching your potential, like you're just... It can feel like a plateau, or like just," I'm really comfortable. Why would I want to take that risk? Why would I want to be vulnerable?" And life is about continuing to move forward, not staying where you are. And those connections, when you finally get those real connections, it continues to up- level you, and then your reflection looks different than those connections look different. And then it just keeps... As opposed to spiraling around the same hub, you're continually up, up, up, up and growing.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: And it still involves vulnerability and change. It's all about vulnerability and change.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Right.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: It's not like you make the connection and then you get comfortable and you stay there.

Lindsay Tjepkema: No.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: I was talking to a woman yesterday who was making another big jump in her life, moving to a different city because of a great man and relationship that she's excited to be in his life, but it's requiring her to leave a big part of her life that's gotten really comfortable in the city that she's in. And we talked a lot about, in one way, it feels like loss because she's leaving security, she's leaving that she knows the guy that she gets her meat from at the grocery store. She gave names of people. At the dry cleaners, it's this person. She said," I'm mourning the loss of what I'm leaving, and I'm trying not to see this as loss." And that's exactly the conversation that she and I had is, I said," You're just going to a new level, which requires you to be in that state of vulnerable change. It's not loss. It's not going backwards. You're going forward into a relationship you're so excited about, but it does require you to be vulnerable again and think about building new relationships." And that's [inaudible 00:15: 24 ].

Lindsay Tjepkema: It's true.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: Yeah. So, let's dig in a little bit more into the difference between, let's just say, because it's easy for people to categorize themselves, introverts and extroverts, because that's a part of this conversation as well, is sometimes people believe," Well, it's easy for extroverts to reach out and connect." And I would say not necessarily so. I mean, most people would call me an extrovert, but I still have apprehension and trepidation when I reach out to meet and talk with somebody new. I always do. I get excited about it, but there's always that,"Ooh, what if they don't like me?" And what helped me as an extrovert, when you reached out to me, was you affirmed the podcast, you affirmed the content and the topic, and it was so life- giving and so needed for me to hear that, that you reaching out to me, even though I'm an extrovert and people think it's easy for me, it really built me up. And I needed that at that moment in my career.

Lindsay Tjepkema: I think that's one of the most important perspectives that I've carried with me and I've shared with others for probably a couple of years, is you never know how whatever it is you're struggling with could be exactly what somebody else needs to hear, or what you need to share could be exactly what somebody else needs to experience or is dealing with now. And keeping something to yourself, that doesn't mean oversharing, it's not the vulnerability, just you don't want to explode their vulnerability. But it's important to share those things, because we quite often think that we need to lock them up inside us or nobody will care. But had I done what's more natural... Because I'm an introvert. Right? I think that surprises a lot of people because I love being... I'm very social and I love being on stage and I love podcasting and I love conversations, but my energy comes from being alone. And my default is to go back into my hole and work on... It's the reflection. I reflect all day, sometimes in a healthy way, sometimes in a way that gets me to a downward spiral. But the connection, the being with people is harder for me, it's less natural. And had I gone to that default place that I'm in, I would have been like," Oh, well, she's busy. She's doing this really cool podcast. She wouldn't want to meet me. I'm just going to keep this to myself and go listen to a bunch of other podcasts and look up more about imposter syndrome and call it a day." But I don't know, whatever it was, I reached out in that instance because it, I don't know, it wasn't going to another group, it wasn't going to another networking event, which for me I'd done a lot of, it was coffee with a human, which for me in that moment with that topic and that situation felt right.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: This is so important. I'll give you another example. My son is a songwriter and he's young and excited and talented, but listens to new music, especially, on Instagram, because he likes to go in and see what people are putting out there and how he measures up and learn. The other day he came to me with this girl that he'd been listening to, who was amazing and fairly new, had a few songs out on iTunes, but was just past where he was. Right? And he was talking to me about very specifically what he loved about her music and how it touched him and what he loved about what she was doing. And I said," Message her." And he looked at me like I was the craziest person you'd ever seen, which happens a lot, quite frankly. And he said," No. What do you mean?" And I said," I don't mean slide into a DMs like creepy guy/ girl thing, but I promise you that she has the same insecurities and the same vulnerabilities about putting her music out there that you do. And when she hears that from a fellow musician, that her music is touching you in that way, it will feed her very soul." I said," Maybe she's having one of those days where she hasn't had a single download today and she's feeling like a complete loser? And what if your message is the one that keeps her moving forward?" And I, a couple days later, was like, just kept asking him. I couldn't let it go." Did you message her yet? Did you message her yet?" And finally he did. And he came to me and he said," She responded." Because in his eyes, she's bigger and better than him, and how would she ever take the time for somebody like him who's not on the scene or whatever? And her message back was," Thank you so much. You don't understand how much that means to me to hear that."

Lindsay Tjepkema: It's true.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: And the look on his face was so like," Wow, we're all in this together." And those messages, the more we share our stories like you and I and like that, I want that to inspire somebody that's listening today to reach out, one, because they need connection, but two, because somebody probably needs to hear it.

Lindsay Tjepkema: It's so true. I mean, my mom taught me that growing up. She was a teacher and specifically from her vantage point, she was like," Teachers don't get enough feedback, positive-

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: Affirmation.

Lindsay Tjepkema: ...affirmation." And so, I always try... You have to actually ask my kids teachers how well I do, but just to tell them on a regular basis that they are, especially this year, that they are super heroes and they are amazing and that they're appreciated. And same goes for everyone. I mean, if somebody's, however big or small, I mean, it's the thank you in passing. It's all the way on up to the thank you notes. I mean, I've gotten some of those too from completely random people that it's like," Hey, this podcast that you did or this... I read this quote from you." And it absolutely, it's life- giving. And nothing bad comes of it ever. Nothing. Nothing bad can come of you sharing with someone else how they've impacted your life. Nothing.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: Right. I mean, there is no downside to it. I have-

Lindsay Tjepkema: Worst case scenario, nothing happens.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: But it doesn't mean they didn't read it and it didn't matter to them. Right? You do it because it feels good for you to reach out, not because you're expecting anything in return, and that's even better. But I have recommended to people many times to reach out. Like they'll say to me," Man, I really love my CEO," and I'll say," Have you told them lately?" And they're like,"What do you mean?" I'm like," You have no idea how lonely it is to be a CEO. Your message could be exactly..." And I could give you a million different examples, your manager, your CEO, the person you love their music or their podcast. Take the initiative to reach out. You'll feel great about doing it, and I guarantee you, it will change their day their perspective about you too.

Lindsay Tjepkema: 100%. Could not agree more.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: Yeah, absolutely. Now, let's talk about the other side of connecting. You mentioned it a little bit earlier, but I want to circle back to it, is just what I sometimes call the spray and pray. Right? Just connect everywhere and hope one of them matters. Isn't always the best strategy. And to me, if you are the kind of person that's just attending everything and going to everything, it means you haven't done enough reflection, because that means you're searching. You're searching for answers that are out there instead of that quiet reflecting time of searching inside yourself to really know what you need so that you can go and get what you need from it.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Yep. Absolutely. And that's, in many ways... I mean, I did that, especially when I was younger, all the young professional stuff, and I didn't get a whole lot out of it because, again, you're looking for someone else to come up to you and tap you on the shoulder and say," Hey, you, come on over here. I've got all the answers." And especially in that chapter of my life that I was in when we met two years ago, I had done a little bit of that and I was searching and feeling your way around, especially with what you do when you're ready for that next step, putting feelers out. And I was choosing wisely, or trying to choose wisely what conversations I had, but until you and I started talking and you really worked with me on," What is it that you want? Where is it that you want to go? What's super important to you?" And you asked such important questions on me that helped me really reflect. Not what job do you want next? Not what title are you looking for? Not what size company do you want to work for? But what really matters to you? And I remember... And I wish I had the journal right next to me, but I have it in my journal spot so it's not right here. I think you said something along the lines of," If you won the lottery tomorrow..." I mean, you knew me well enough, like 36 seconds into the conversation, to know that I wouldn't just go sit on a beach somewhere. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but that's not me. I would do something. And you were like," Even if it's not working, what would you do?" And I was like,'I would create. I would create something." Even if it was just decorating my house or creating... I don't know what it would, but I love creating, I love tangibly creating something that didn't exist before. And I love intangibly... This connection didn't exist before. This culture didn't exist before. And that, and I think there were a few other things that you were like," Not everybody wants that. That's a thing."

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: That's unique to you. That's one of your unique gifts. Yeah.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Exactly. And then you helped me reflect in a different way than I had been reflecting before, because until you connect with someone that can help you see yourself in a different way, you're reflecting the only way you know how, which I think for lots of people in a transition is what do I want to do next? What is my next job? What is the next step up? For me that would have been like another VP of marketing or maybe a CMO role. But because you had pulled that reflection out of me and you could take me by the shoulders and turned me a 90 degree angle and pointed me in a different direction, I was ready for the next connections that came along, which ended up being a CEO of a startup, and starting this thing that makes perfect sense. And I can't imagine not doing this or anybody else sitting in this role, but I wouldn't have seen it if I had my eyes set on that next marketing job, that logical next step. And so, reflection and connection, I think... I mean, you're the master, so you tell me. But it seems like one probably comes more naturally than the other, but even so, even though I am an introspective person, I needed someone, you, to recalibrate that reflection and say," Nope, nope, nope. You need to think about this a different way," and hold a mirror up and adjust a few things so that I was reoriented with the connections that I could make. And that's why I said it was life changing. It has changed everything, but in a way that makes... It also changes nothing because it makes perfect sense, but it just... Yeah, it oriented me. Yeah.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: You said that exactly how I've always intended it to be heard because we do have a tendency to be comfortable more with one than the other, but it's up to us to then intentionally build whatever side isn't our most comfortable. Right? And so, if reflection is your safety zone, your comfort zone, then be more intentional about connection. If you're out connecting, connecting, connecting, be more intentional about taking some time for reflection, but also the interdependence of the two. So, it takes someone else to hold up the mirror and help you see you. Because when we try to look at ourselves sometimes, and I think about the time I spend with my journal and just going into my own thoughts, sometimes it's like a fun house mirror. It's a little distorted. I don't see myself for what I really am. And usually, I downplay my strengths or I hold myself back and it takes someone else, like you saying," I loved that podcast," for me to see me that," Oh, this is valuable. I'm valuable and relevant because I put something out that helped her." And that's where reflection and connection go together. That's the humanity. Like who am I? What's my uniqueness? How does it serve someone else? And how can they help affirm that back to me so I can be stronger and better in it?

Lindsay Tjepkema: Yeah. And it's not something.. It's not a checkbox, it's a practice. Right? And this year, this past year, one of the greatest learnings that I've had has been that. I mean, you and I, and through Rise and Thrive, which I can not say enough amazing things about, was incredible in the pre- COVID world, in what ended up being the year leading up to COVID, and worked wonders in me personally, specifically around connection. Right? It showed me connection in a completely new way. It changed the definition of what connection means and how desperately I need it in my life. Right? But then COVID, pandemic, quarantine, connection became a lot harder, especially for me, not having that be a natural thing for me, and so that's a practice and that's something that I'm still working on and has gotten harder. Right? But I have the tools now and understanding to know how important connection is for me, because otherwise, my reflection really suffers because, just like you said, it becomes a fun house mirror. Without the connection of other people, all you have is your self- talk, which sometimes is great. Even if it's great, it's probably distorted in the worst of times. In the best of times, it's great, but probably not even accurate. Or it's limited. Right? It has boundaries on it. And in the worst of times, it's negative self- talk. And so, without that connection to have people pull you out of the downward spiral and even take the cap off of the upward spiral and say," Oh, no, keep going. Keep going in that direction," it's limiting and the only... There's limits on the upward side, and the downward side has no limits. And the connection is what reorients that so it's upward.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: And because you have this framework now and these tools that you've learned, you know when you're off. That's the thing, is that people, I think, are trying to find this perfect place, this place where I can check the box. And it's not a thing. It's never going to happen, and so you know, you have this sense of when you need more reflection and when you need more connection. And that's really what it's about, is can I sense for myself what I need and stop searching out there for the answer that somebody else is going to give me to tell me how I should be and what I should do? And you mentioned also that it's not a checklist or a checkbox, and I think when we're thinking about our uniqueness and we're thinking about where we want to go in our life and our career, too often, it's easy to say," I want this title," or," I want this industry," or," I want this company," or I want this thing." And I'm always the first to say with my clients," How do you want to feel? Tell me what you're really seeking." And we peel that back. Because oftentimes, it's this title that they're seeking that they would hate if they got it-

Lindsay Tjepkema: But it's the logical next step.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: ...but it looks like on the" ladder" to success where they should be going, and that's, to me, the wrong way to play in your career.

Lindsay Tjepkema: 100%. And also, I think one thing we haven't gotten into, but it's also been a big thing for me over the last two years, is... been learning. Is it seems so obvious saying it, but when you really sit with it, is connection is two way, and if you are constantly looking for connection because of what your... looking for someone to come and tap you on the shoulder and take you to your next step, how are you able to be the connection that someone else needs you to be? Right? You're not available. You're not available. You're just constantly looking for," Okay, my next role is this. These are the people that can help me get there." Someone else desperately needs to hear your story. Someone else desperately needs you to publish that podcast and to be available for that coffee meeting. Because if you had been in a different state and you hadn't been open and available, you might have turned down my meeting, you might've ignored that request, you might've not published a podcast to begin with. But it's cyclical, it's constant, it's two way. It's multi- way. And then that reflection, you sharing your story and genuinely connecting with another person will help be that mirror, be that reflection for someone else. I mean, it's, yeah, we're all looking to grow ourselves, but let's not forget how much you're needed by others too.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: So true. Because busy is isolation.

Lindsay Tjepkema: It is.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: And had I said," Oh, that sounds interesting, but I'm too busy," oh my gosh, the stunting of my own growth would have [crosstalk 00: 33:04], and yours, would have been a tragedy, quite frankly. So, yay. Yay us.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Yes.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: So, you and I with podcasts mics is a dangerous place because we could do this for hours and hours and hours.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Let's do that.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: Let's do that.

Lindsay Tjepkema: I'll just cancel my day.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: But should probably wrap up for today. But I don't want to wrap up without doing a couple of things. One is because of all of the things that we're talking about and the importance of this and how much we both care deeply about connection now and other high achieving women and supporting them, I'm launching a masterclass, a badass masterclass, that will be sign of the times, all virtual. Even though Rise and Thrive is very much a in- person experience, I do want to help with these virtual connections, as well. So, the good thing about that is it opens it up from a geographic perspective, so anywhere you are listening to this, the masterclass could be for you. So, I will put a link in the show notes about that if you're looking for connection, you're not sure how to find it, you're feeling a little insecure and uneasy about it, this could be what you need to jump in, and let us teach you about reflection and connection and how to do it really well. But the second thing that I want to talk about before we close up today is the amazing work that you're doing at Casted about connection, because you you're taking a business practice called marketing and you're saying," Hey, wait, we might need to turn you in a little bit of a 90 degree direction," just like you referenced that I was able to do for you personally. And you're changing the way that people see marketing as more connection. Tell us just a little bit about that, because I think it's going to change the world. It's all ready changing the world of marketing.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Yeah. In a nutshell, if you're in marketing, you'll get it quickly, but even for those of you who aren't, the way that marketing works today has evolved to a place that is, quite frankly, drowning. Marketers are overwhelmed. It is a high velocity race to create as much content as humanly possible so that you rank as highly as possible, and that if anyone searches for anything, they're going to find your stuff first and convert. Right? It serves search engines, not people. And, oh yeah, by the way, in all of the abundant spare time that doesn't exist, marketers are also pushed to be where their audience actually wants to be, like podcasts, like videos, like that rich media that audiences are craving. So, marketers are challenged to do more, more, more, more, more, more, more all the time, and it doesn't work. It's broken. It's inefficient. It's ineffective. So, what the big picture of what I've been saying for years, and now I'm so excited that Casted is solving, is saying," What if we turned all that on its side," like you said," and started first with connection?" Go have a conversation with the expert that your industry, that your audience actually cares about. Start with who. Who's it for? Who's my audience? What do they want to hear? Go have that conversation. Record it, turn it into a show like this one. And then, then, ring it out across all of those different channels. Turn this conversation, yes, into a show, but then take pieces of it and make it into content for social media that's engaging. Pull it into blog posts, pull it into newsletters, enable your sales team with it. Continue to use all of those marketing channels that serve so many people and reach people in the ways that they want to consume that content, but start in a different place. It will make your marketing team more effective. It'll make your team more efficient, and your audience will actually be more engaged. And so, that's the big picture, and it all starts with Casted which is really the first B2B platform made for podcasting. So, yeah, that's what we're doing.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: And I love that it puts conversations and people and connection at the center of the strategy, because business is human. It's not just systems and processes. We need to feel like we're connecting in a human to human way, so thank you for leading the way in that.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Thank you.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: All right, girl. You know I love you.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Love you.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: Thanks for being here.

Lindsay Tjepkema: Thank you.

Rebecca Fleetwood Hession: This is Rebecca Fleetwood Hessian. Thanks so much for being here. We'd love to stay connected. We can do that if you jump into the online community at badasswomenscouncil. community. We've got lots of cool people in there all ready. And if you come in, it'll just be cooler.