What if accepting a compliment could change your entire leadership trajectory?

Join me as I sit down with Gretchen Moore, Executive Director of Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation. We get into why accepting compliments might be your superpower - and why following someone else's playbook won't get you where you're meant to go.

Gretchen's career has spanned politics, community development, and nonprofit leadership - and at the heart of it all is a commitment to helping women lead with confidence and self-awareness.

You'll Learn:

⭐ Why women don't reach the same confidence as men until their 40s

⭐ The "green room" concept: Knowing which voices to let in

⭐ How to shift from constant doing to strategic leadership

⭐ The catcher analogy for understanding your natural leadership style

Key Insights:

The Compliment Superpower: Learning to genuinely accept compliments is a transformational skill that shifts how you see yourself and your impact.

The Confidence Timeline: Women often spend the first two decades of their careers building the confidence men enter with - but that delay creates wisdom, depth, and empathy that makes women in their 40s and 50s powerful leaders.

Your Green Room Matters: Not every voice deserves access to your inner circle. Being selective about whose opinions you internalize is essential to authentic leadership.

Authentic Leadership Over Playbooks: Following someone else's leadership style will always feel forced. The work is discovering and owning what makes you effective.

Send the Elevator Back Down: True legacy isn't just about your own success - it's about creating pathways and opening doors for the women coming up behind you.

Timestamps:

[00:01] - Introduction and the origin of "Kind of a Big Deal" series

[02:50] - The transformational moment of learning to accept compliments

[06:59] - Gretchen's career journey from politics to manufacturing

[13:56] - How Women in Manufacturing supports women in the industry

[16:18] - The confidence gap: Why women take longer to build confidence

[22:18] - Why 40s and 50s feel empowering for women

[24:36] - The Yates Academy concept and teaching leadership skills

[30:55] - The catcher analogy: Understanding your natural leadership style

[34:18] - The importance of knowing which voices to let into your "green room"

[41:06] - Shifting from constant doing to strategic leadership

[43:30] - Discovering your authentic leadership style

[49:42] - Building a legacy by sending the elevator back down

Resources and Links:

Find host Kristin Belden on LinkedIn or at Beldenstrategies.com. Sign up for my newsletter at Beldenstrategies.com/newsletter

Connect with Gretchen Moore on LinkedIn

Women in Manufacturing Education Foundation

CliftonStrengths

DISC Assessment

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review! And if you're interested in more stories and tools for women leaders, sign up for my newsletter at Beldenstrategies.com/newsletter. Let's continue to empower each other in our journeys!

What does legacy really mean? For some, it's the ripple effect of lifting others.

Join me as I sit down with fundraising expert Marni Mandell, who shares how uncovering her passions involving women's leadership, legacy, and chutzpah connected her back to her own grandfather's legacy.

As president of Tupperware, he inspired countless women to become entrepreneurs by truly believing in their potential. Through a year-long listening tour, Marni heard stories of women who transformed their lives from humble beginnings into successful business leaders.

You'll Learn:

⭐ The sometimes unseen impact of creating content

⭐ Why owning our strengths is critical to serving others

⭐ How authentic relationships fuel successful fundraising

⭐ The HOPE philosophy: Help One Person Every Day

Key Insights:

Legacy Through Empowerment: True legacy isn't about personal achievement -it's about creating pathways for others to discover and own their strengths.

The Power of Belief: Tupperware's innovative policies (including requiring husbands to support their wives' businesses) created a movement that transformed women's economic independence.

Strength-Based Leadership: The story of Franny - a woman who could confidently articulate her strengths - demonstrates how self-awareness shapes both individual success and organizational culture.

Authentic Fundraising: Building genuine relationships removes the fear of "no" and creates sustainable impact through connection, not transaction.

Content as Legacy: Creating content may feel invisible in the moment, but its impact compounds over time as it reaches and transforms people you'll never meet.

Timestamps:

[01:19] - Marni shares the story of her grandfather's legacy at Tupperware

[05:09] - How Tupperware empowered women to become successful entrepreneurs

[06:46] - The innovative company policy requiring husbands to join their wives' businesses

[12:41] - Kristin and Marni's shared experience of being diagnosed with ADHD at age 43

[15:36] - The story of Franny, a woman who could confidently articulate her strengths

[20:58] - How Franny shaped Tupperware's training program and influenced countless lives

[28:58] - Marni's journey into content creation and personal branding

[34:15] - The HOPE philosophy: Help One Person Every Day

[36:42] - Marni explains her work as a fundraising coach and her unique approach

[40:32] - What legacy means to Marni: empowering others and building community

Resources and Links:

Find host Kristin Belden on LinkedIn or at Beldenstrategies.com, or sign up for the newsletter at Beldenstrategies.com/newsletter

Connect with Marni: www.friendraisingforsuccess.com or on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review! And if you're interested in more stories and tools for women leaders, sign up for my newsletter at Beldenstrategies.com. Let's continue to empower each other in our journeys!

Is your inner voice curious, kind, and supportive when things don't go as planned - or does it sound more like criticism and doubt?

Join me as I sit down with Kara Whittington, founder of WE INC. Marketing, to explore how embracing your authentic self can transform not only your business but your entire approach to life.

Our conversation digs into the importance of finding work worth doing, practicing self-compassion, and trusting that things will work out - even if not as you originally envisioned.

Kara has built a thriving business with intention and integrity since day one, now operating as a collective of majority women consultants with clients spanning the arts, culture, and social good. One of her secrets? Cultivating and practicing healthy self-talk and being incredibly intentional about her mindset.

You'll Learn:

⭐ How to build a business with intention from day one

⭐ Why work worth doing isn't always measured in money

⭐ The transformative power of changing your self-talk

⭐ How to practice self-compassion as a leadership tool

⭐ The art of letting go and trusting the process

Key Insights:

• People-First Business Model: Creating a sustainable business means prioritizing people over profit margins and building structures that support authentic collaboration.
• Self-Talk Transformation: The way you speak to yourself during setbacks directly impacts your resilience, creativity, and ability to lead effectively.
• Work Worth Doing: Making space for meaningful work - including unpaid passion projects - enriches both your business and your life in unexpected ways.
• Self-Care as Foundation: Taking care of yourself isn't selfish—it's the foundation that makes everything else possible, including modeling healthy behavior for others.
• Intentional Growth: Building something meaningful requires constantly checking in with your values and being willing to let go of what no longer serves you.

Timestamps:

[00:01] - Introduction and reconnection

[02:41] - The power of expressing emotions and vulnerability

[04:28] - Kara's journey to founding her marketing collective

[08:53] - Creating a "people-first" business model

[11:45] - The importance of self-care as a foundation

[17:49] - Modeling healthy behavior for children and others

[20:24] - Making space for "work worth doing" beyond paid work

[23:38] - The transformative power of changing your self-talk

[28:44] - Catalysts for mindset shifts

[32:35] - The journey of getting to know yourself

[36:04] - Building a meaningful legacy

Resources and Links:

• Find host Kirstin Belden on LinkedIn or at Beldenstrategies.com
• Connect with Kara Whittington on LinkedIn
• WE INC. Marketing

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review! And if you're interested in more stories and tools for women leaders, sign up for my newsletter at Beldenstrategies.com/newsletter. Let's continue to empower each other in our journeys!