The Think Tank of Three is ringing in the New Year by looking back and taking stock of what we loved in 2018.
We’ve been dreaming and scheming and building our plan for the Think Tank of Three, so we’re all set and ready for the new year. We have some amazing interviews with kick-ass women coming out on the podcast and we’ve been brainstorming blog posts that will continue to empower our tribe.
The new year is as much of a time for reflection as it is a time for setting goals and looking forward. The Think Tank is taking a minute to share what was most empowering or impactful for us in 2018.
Kathryn
I have to go first? The pressure…
First, this podcast was a first for me. I’ve coached people on their delivery for podcasts, edited and produced TV shows for 20 years… but I’ve never written, produced or edited a podcast. It was all challenging and very rewarding. I think coordinating three professionals’ schedules on three different time zones was the toughest part for us. We record mostly on the weekends because our jobs are all demanding. Two of us own our businesses and work on the weekends too… so even landing a few hours during “downtime” gets tough.
Overall, I think just DOING this podcast and not giving up when schedules get hectic feels empowering. I hope we’re impacting people and we continue to do so in 2019. We don’t have sponsors (read: we don’t make money doing this), so it’s really the feeling of knowing someone may listen and find useful information through what we share that “pays” us. We love it!
I can’t possibly choose a favorite podcast, so here are a few worth a second listen:
Episode 4 Reach Your Personal and Professional Goals Faster, you’ve heard a friend talk about it. You’ve skimmed the articles in Forbes, Huff Po, and others. You may have even created a vision board hoping it will help you stay on track and meet your goals. So what is visualization? And what can it do for you professionally and personally? You’d be shocked.
Also, Knowing Your Worth and Advice for Our Younger Selves.
Julie
What a first year for Think Tank of Three! Our first episode aired in June and to say it has been a whirlwind ever since would be an understatement.
Each taping, each topic, each guest has brought a new set of lessons — and lessons on everything from the logistics and technical aspects of producing the podcasts, to the actual discussion points and topics we dive into.
It’s a tough call on my favorite episode. I personally learn so much every time our trio gets together — it feels almost like cheating to say that these topics are for our audience! Kristin Beltzer, Director of Gubernatorial Appointments for Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, and Dr. Dorian Hunter, were among my favorite guests this season, in Episode 11 (How to Network and Reach More People) and Episode 8 (Building Your Confidence), respectively
Overall, my favorite Think Tank of Three podcast in 2018 was Episode 7: Advice for Our Younger Selves. This conversation got so personal that it felt pretty raw and real for me. It was a topic that had been on my mind and I felt moved to produce a script that would resonate with our followers. Here’s a small snippet of what I shared:
I get a little personal here because this is something that I’ve been talking about a lot recently with my friends and family — and I find myself saying this to some of my younger employees who are in their 20s, because I feel like I spent too much of my twenties wishing I was in a different place in my life instead of living every day in the present, thinking of all of the should-haves or could-haves. And for me, it was mostly the should-haves. So I say: forget what society says you should do or what status you should have, what your life should look like, and go with what works for you. Go with what feels right.
If you can relate to that then you’ll definitely want to hear what Audrea and Kathryn shared! We laughed, we talked about jealousy, the what if’s in life — and how to lift each ourselves and each other up, learning from our 20’s in order to live our best lives in our 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond.
Audrea
If I have to choose just one post from 2018, I’d have to say the podcast with Dr. Dorian Hunter (Building Your Confidence) was the big one for me.
I loved that it felt like a personal therapy session and I loved that there were tactics we could take away today to help bolster confidence. Dorian was also our first guest which made this podcast feel real and successful for me.
Not only was it a solid podcast with topics that were near and dear to my heart, it was also a huge growing experience for the Think Tank of Three. We had a series of scheduling issues and miscommunications when trying to pull this recording and transcript together and it was ROUUUUUUUUUGH.
This podcast was the first real bump we experienced as a team. We work in different time zones. We are all incredibly busy and the timing of this podcast challenged us. But on the flip side, I love, love, LOVE how we came out on the other side of it.
We improved our processes. We improved our communication. We learned more about each other and learned how to better support each other. I’m so incredibly grateful that these ladies are part of my tribe.
This podcast is my favorite for content but also my favorite because it made the Think Tank a growth opportunity and it signals a real marker of success for me both professionally and personally.
Are there any topics you’d like to see in 2019? Do you know a badass boss lady we need to have on our podcast? Share your thoughts and ideas with us!
We love our Think Tank Tribe and want to give you all the support and encouragement you need to have an amazing 2019.
Photo by Malte Wingen on Unsplash